Again || Steve Rogers

Four

"Steve, we've already been over there. Batroc is this way." Elizabeth urged, pulling Steve towards the control room. 

"The control room is too obvious, Beth. Why would he be in there?" Steve argued as they approached the railing on the upper deck across the way from the control room. From their spot. they could look through the windows into the control room. 

"What was that, hmm?" Elizabeth hummed smugly as they spotted Batroc with another pirate in the control room. Steve grumbled an incoherent response before rolling his eyes. 

"S.T.R.I.K.E. in position." Rumlow's voice sounded over their comm pieces. 

"Natasha, what's your status?" Steve asked over the comm. When they didn't get a response right away, Elizabeth tried not to panic. 

"Nat? What's your status?" Elizabeth asked. 

"Hang on!" she replied. 

Elizabeth shared a relieved look with Steve as Natasha added, "Engine room secure."

"On my mark. Three. Two. One." Steve spoke quietly. The pair watched the pirates in the engine room converse. When their expressions became furious, Steve pulled Elizabeth into his side. She nodded at Steve, signalling she was ready. Then, Steve raised his shield in front of them and launched themselves through the window of the control room.

After they landed, they scrambled to their feet and looked around. Batroc had escaped and left his protector behind. 

"Go! I got him." Elizabeth yelled at Steve as she turned to face the pirate. He gave her one last glance before he ran out the door in search of Batroc.

Elizabeth and the pirate circled each other before Elizabeth made the first move. She launched herself at him, pushing up and landing on his shoulders, facing him. She twisted around and pulled the man down with her. When he was down on the ground, she slammed her fist into the side of his face, effectively knocking him unconscious. Just as she stood up, she heard Rumlow's voice over the comm system. 

"Hostages en route to extraction. Romanoff missed the rendezvous point, Captain. Hostiles are still in play." he informed the team. 

"Natasha, Batroc's on the move. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." Steve instructed.

Elizabeth sighed and checked the tracker on her wrist. She took note that Natasha wasn't in the engine room anymore, but in a room not too far from Steve. Shaking her head, she took off towards where Steve was to check if he needed her help. When she got there, Steve was standing a few feet away from Batroc.

"Je pensais que vous étiez plus qu'un bouclier." Batroc smiled. From where Elizabeth was standing, she could see Steve slide his shield onto his back before he reached up and unhooked his mask. 

He took the mask off, then muttered "On va voir." before tossing his mask onto the ground next to him.

Steve let Batroc make the first move. He easily blocked all his advances, landing a few hits of his own. Elizabeth smiled as she watched her fiancé take down the bad guy. Steve kicked Batroc away from him before he jumped up in the air and spun himself, kicking Batroc in the head, knocking him down to the ground.

Elizabeth decided now was a good time to approach Steve. However, before she could place her hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there, Batroc had stood up. Steve shook his head slightly before he ran at him and tackled him. 

The two men flew through the door behind Batroc. Elizabeth ran after them and peeked through the door just as Steve landed a punch to Batroc's face, knocking him unconscious. 

"Well, this is awkward." Natasha's voice sounded from farther inside the room.

Quirking her eyebrow in confusion, Elizabeth stepped over the broken door and followed Steve towards Natasha. 

"What are you doing?" Steve asked the redhead as Elizabeth snaked her arm around his waist. Steve jumped slightly in surprise, but relaxed when he looked down and noticed Elizabeth standing next to him.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple as Natasha answered, "Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into." 

She smirked at the couple before turning back to look at the computer.

"Rumlow needed your help. What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked. 

"You're saving S.H.I.E.L.D. Intel." Steve gasped when he looked at the computer screen to see what Natasha was doing. 

"Whatever I can get my hands on." the redhead shrugged like it was no big deal. 

"Our mission is to rescue hostages." Elizabeth told her friend sternly.

"No, that's your mission," Natasha told the two as she removed the hard drive from the computer, "And you've done it beautifully." Natasha smiled at the two as she moved to walk past them. 

"You just jeopardized this whole operation." Steve growled as he grabbed her arm with his free hand. 

"I think that's overstating things." Natasha answered. Just then, Elizabeth spotted movement behind the redhead. She pulled on Steve's arm and nodded in Batroc's direction when he had his attention on her. The trio watched as he pulled the pin out of a grenade and threw it at them. Steve immediately let go of Elizabeth and pulled his shield off his back, deflecting the bomb with the shield. 

He tightened his grip on the shield before he pulled Elizabeth back into his embrace. With Elizabeth and Natasha in his arms, he jumped onto the desk and placed his shield in front of their bodies. He jumped towards the window and made contact with his shield just as the grenade detonated. 

"Okay, that one's on me." Natasha coughed as the air settled. 

"You're damn right." Steve snapped, pushing himself off the ground before pulling Elizabeth up with him. The two stormed out of the room and made their way across the deck towards the rendezvous point. When they arrived, everyone picked up on the couple's anger and rushed to avoid confrontation with them. 

They silently boarded the quinjet when everyone was ready. By this time, Natasha had joined the group and tried apologizing to Steve and Elizabeth, but when they both refused to answer, Rumlow gently pulled her away from the pair, letting them sulk together in silence.

Steve and Elizabeth sat together in the back of the jet. Elizabeth had her legs sprawled over Steve's lap as she leaned against the arm of the bench, mouth agape as she slept peacefully. Steve smiled softly as he watched her chest rise and fall, assuring the super soldier that she was still alive. He leaned forward, careful to not disturb her feet placed in his lap, and pressed a gentle, protective kiss to her forehead. 

As he pulled away, he gently ran his finger across her cheek, smiling like a love struck puppy the entire time. In no time at all, Steve too was fast asleep.

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Kind of short update, but the end was sort of cute so that maybe makes up for it