AN: Prompt by mutents on tumblr: Rhodey x Maria, elevator meeting. Written for #endrhodeyerasure.

James sighed as he walked through the extravagant lobby of Stark Tower.

Of course he would, he thought as he pushed the elevator button to go up. It was empty when he stepped in and selected the 100th floor.

On the 69th floor, he was joined by a tall white woman in a business suit. One hand reached out to push the button for the 100th floor. She put in back on her clipboard when she noticed it was already lit up, and shifted her gaze to the only other person in the elevator.

"I don't believe I've seen you around before," she said, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"Colonel James Rhodes," he said, offering his hand.

"Maria Hill, she said, taking it." "You're the Iron Patriot."

"The very same."

"And I'm the ex-deputy director of SHIELD." She pursed her lips, as though she was fascinated by the likelihood of them meeting.

"It's nice to meet you, ex-deputy director of SHIELD." That made her smile. "What are you now?"

"I'm helping Stark privatize global security."

Something about the way she said it, formal but biting, had James's lips quirking up into a smile.

"I'd love to talk to you more about that if we weren't almost at our destination."

They were in the 90s of floors. Maria wrote something on her clipboard before handing James a business card. In neat print, it listed her name, Stark Industries, and a phone number. Underneath all of this, another phone number had been written in a black pen.

"That's my personal number," Maria said. "In case you ever want to...talk."

The elevator dinged and the doors to the 100th floor slid open.

"James," Pepper said. "Tony's waiting for you on the 20th floor."

"But, I thought-"

"-that Tony would be on the 100th floor like prearranged or expected. Take an umbrellacopter to get down to the 20th floor. It's faster than the elevator and entirely complementary.

James stared at the card in his left hand, the other hand holding his phone. He heard the dial three times before she picked up.

"Hello?"

James cleared his throat. "Hi, this is James from the elevator, and I was, um, wondering if you would want to meet up again."

"I'm free all of Saturday. Does that work for you?"

"Coffee at noon at the Jenkins'?"

"Works for me."

She hung up. He wondered idly if that was a good sign or not.

She took her coffee black, no sugar, no milk, and a lemon scone. His drink was almost the exact opposite.

"So, you're privatizing world security? That's a hell of a lot different from what SHIELD did."

"Whatever it takes to keep me out of prison, right?" It wasn't really a question, and they both knew that. Maria had curled her hand through the space between the cup's handle and the cup. James thought that was really cute, for some reason. Her eyes kept shifting back and forth, like she was expecting someone to attack her at any moment. He reached out and put his hand on hers. She looked at him.

"Do you want to go back to my place? You don't look comfortable here."

She nodded before calling the waitress over so they could pay for their drinks.

"I get followed often. A lot of the intelligence community...isn't so pleased with SHIELD right now."

James nodded his understanding. "I'll put the house in defensive mode when we get there."

All of a sudden, Maria was smiling like she had just thought of a joke.

"What?"

"It's the first date and we're already going to your house. You move fast."

James didn't blush easily and he didn't now. He smiled back as they walked into his house. "I won't push unless you want me to."

He felt himself get turned around and pulled into an electrifying kiss. He heard a door slam. In the back of his mind, he realized that Maria had closed the door with her foot. She tasted like coffee and the lemon scone she'd just eaten.

She pulled away, while James tried to catch his breath. "I want you to."