"Alright." Steve couldn't really fault that, then. "Well, sounds like you're happy about it."

"I really kind of am," Elaine said. "I'm going to try to learn magic."

Steve was quiet for a few moments. He didn't know Strange very well, and most of his encounters with magic had not been pleasant. And now she was going to learn magic?

"Dr. Strange is teaching you?" he guessed, looking at her.

"The basics, at least," Elaine said, nodding. She tucked herself against his side and cuddled close. "I want to learn. And maybe it's just me, but it seems like a good idea to have someone around who knows how magic works, doesn't it? I mean, we may not have Loki living in the tower forever."

Steve nodded, pulling her closer. "Yeah, it probably is a good idea." Especially considering how often they ran into someone who used magic and used it to throw a wrench in their plans.

"And I'll tell you now, so that it's not a surprise later," Elaine said, "Loki agreed to teach me, if I'm able to pick up the basics."

That made Steve pause and think it over a bit.

"You'll have to be careful with that," he said after a few moments. "I don't think he'd try to teach you anything horrible, but his morals are... a little skewed."

"Yeah, I know," Elaine said. "I mean, he's trying to be good, that much is obvious, but by nature he's a trickster." She cuddled closer. "But you have to admit that he's still damn good at magic."

"Yeah, he is." Not that it necessarily made him feel better, but he supposed that if Elaine was determined, she might as well learn from the best.

"It'll work out," Elaine said. Leaning up, she gave him a kiss.

Steve returned it gently before settling in there, holding her.

Elaine snuggled against him with a small sigh, comfortable.

"Tony upgraded my implants again," she commented. "I can't imagine what all he did, but it should be interesting to find out."

Steve snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll end up with just about everything possible at some point," he said, grinning briefly. "Tony's having too much fun making things for us."

"Let him," Elaine said. "It keeps him from making something more destructive while he's doing it."

"Like sonic arrows for Clint?" Steve shook his head. "Yeah, I helped clean up after that minor catastrophe a few days ago."

"Is that what that was?" Elaine asked. "That... boom and thump and hum?" She snickered a bit. "How much of the workshop got trashed?"

"We made Clint go down to the target range first," Steve said. "And the whole thing. We were cleaning for hours."

Elaine bit her lip to keep from laughing too hard.

"That explains why Kae and I suddenly had the tower to ourselves," she said.

Steve grinned wryly. "I recruited everyone for clean up duty," he admitted. "Except Bruce and Thor. Thor volunteered because he thought it was an excellent team bonding experience."

"He wasn't wrong, was he?" Elaine asked teasingly.

Steve chuckled. "Not at all. Although I'll admit I'm impressed with Natasha's herding skills."

Elaine snickered.

"Why are you surprised?" she said. "She's Natasha. Even if she wasn't already that good, she's had how long to learn from Phil?"

Steve grinned. "Very true," he admitted. "Although Phil doesn't have quite the same way of making Tony do something that Natasha does. I'm pretty sure she got that all on her own."

Elaine grinned.

"Like I said, she's awesome on her own."

Steve chuckled quietly and settled in there for a bit. "Although I'm a little worried about Tony," he admitted after a few minutes. "He's been acting a little oddly the past few days."