What happens after, when you've had some time to think about what happen?
After the Stroll
"Good morning, Agent Hill."
Steve Rogers strolled into the room with a smile. Agent Maria Hill glanced up at him, nodded briefly, and returned her attention to her data pad. When he sat down next to her, she turned her chair, showing him her back. His smile slipped and he reached to touch her shoulder. Before he could make contact, Director Fury strode into the room and Maria rose to join him.
The director presented a briefing on several situations that SHIELD was keeping an eye on, listened to reports, and handed out assignments. When the meeting concluded, everyone started filing out. Steve jumped to intercept Maria.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
She stared at him coldly. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't know, Maria. I thought we had a good time the other night and that you might want to"
She interrupted. "Captain Rogers. I'm afraid you misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?"
"Yes. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do."
She stepped around him and exited the briefing room.
Puzzled, he stared after her. He was still pondering her comment when Agent Phil Coulson came up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Is everything all right, Captain? That looked like a pretty intense conversation."
Steve remained silent for a few more moments. "I don't really know, Agent Coulson. Apparently, I didn't understand very well."
"Did something happen between you and Hill the other night?"
When Steve looked to him, he shrugged. "What? You thought no one noticed the two of you leave together?"
Rogers hastened to correct him. "We didn't leave together. I saw her leave and followed her out to make sure that she was okay. I was concerned for her safety, outside a bar all alone with it getting dark soon."
"Um, Rogers? She's a SHIELD agent. If she weren't an expert at taking care of herself, she'd have been dead long ago."
"Yeah. She reminded me of that. Said she just wanted to go for a walk and get some fresh air. She was kind enough to let me go with her, just to ease my mind. Anyway, we walked for a while and ducked into a little coffee shop to wait out the rain. By the time we got back to the bar, you had already left, so I gave her a ride back to the tower."
Coulson gave him an amused look. "It was almost 6 am when you got back to the tower."
"We took the long way."
"Okay," Coulson prompted. "What else?"
"That's just it," the Captain replied, frustration evident in his voice. I thought we had a great time. We talked, we laughed, we looked at the stars and watched the sun come up. Now, she tells me that I misunderstood."
"Ah."
"Ah?"
"She's scared," Phil told him gently.
"Scared? Of what?"
"Of getting too close," the agent clarified. "She keeps people at arm's length, doesn't give her trust easily. It makes her very good at her job, but very lonely personally."
Steve thought that over, then looked at him. "But she seems to trust you, Agent Coulson."
"Mostly, anyway. I don't think she completely trusts anyone, but probably me more than anyone else and Director Fury a close second."
Rogers gave him full attention. "So, how did that happen?"
"Fury stood up for her. Some of the council really didn't want her for the deputy director position. They said that she was too young. I imagine her being female didn't sit well with them either, though they never admitted it. He insisted that she was the right person for the job and he wouldn't accept anyone else. And she has proven him right."
"And what about you? How did you get through her shell?"
Phil suddenly looked older, his sparkle dimmed. "We went through hell together." He paused, pulling up difficult memories. "We were assigned to a mission together and everything that could go wrong did. We crawled through hell and pulled each other out the other side. You're a soldier, you know what that kind of situation can do."
He pulled himself back to the present. "However, not something I'd recommend."
"I'm sorry," Steve told him. "I'm glad you got through it." After a moment, he continued. "So, what would you recommend if I want a chance with her?"
"Patience. Persistence. Don't let her scare you off. She's very good at intimidation. It's helped her get where she is. Stick to your goal, because she is definitely worth it, but be true to who she is. Don't send her a dozen roses in the command center. That's likely to get you killed."
Steve started to laugh.
"That wasn't a joke, Captain."
"I think I understand, Agent Coulson. Thank you for the input."
Coulson offered his hand. "Best of luck, Captain. Like I said, she's worth it."
The next morning, Maria stepped out of her room, surprised to find Steve leaning against the corridor wall.
"Good morning, Agent Hill."
She nodded. "Captain Rogers."
He held up a cup. "I brought you some coffee. Strong and black, right?"
She stared at him as he stood, patiently waiting and holding the cup out to her.
"It's fresh," he encouraged, "I made a fresh pot myself."
"And what do you want in return?"
"Absolutely nothing," he assured her with a smile.
Finally, she reached out slowly and took the cup, taking a deep breath, then a small sip.
"Perfect. Thank you, Captain."
"My pleasure," he told her, starting down the hall. "Oh, actually, there is one thing I want."
She threw him a knowing look.
"I want you to have a nice day, Agent Hill!"
With one more smile and a wave, he disappeared from view.
The day was long and busy, and by the time Maria found a chance to swing by the cafeteria, the food had taken on a distinctly unappetizing look. The allegedly fresh fruit left in the bins looked wilted and tired. As she tried to choose between a badly bruised banana and a bunch of overly squishy grapes, a juicy red apple suddenly appeared in her field of vision. She noted the strong hand holding it, her eyes tracing up a well muscled arm to a strong shoulder and the smiling face of Captain Steve Rogers.
"Where did you get that?" she asked, telling herself that it was the apple that was activating her drool response and not the man holding it.
"Maisie usually puts a few pieces back for me when the kitchen gets their morning delivery," he told her.
"Maisie?"
"Nice, older lady. Works in the kitchen. She had retired from the CIA several year ago but she got bored and decided to find something where she could take care of the people who help keep our planet safe."
"So you've been flirting with the kitchen staff, too?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Jealous?" he teased.
She pulled back, suddenly remembering the need to distance herself from the man. She chose to ignore him and his comment and selected the least brown banana from the bin. Pulling back the peel, she fought the urge to gag at the mushy, slimy thing inside. With a sigh, Rogers reached over and plucked it from her hand, replacing it with the shiny red apple.
"Hope the rest of your day goes well, Agent Hill," he told her, tossing the offending fruit in the trash as he exited. She bit into the apple as she watched him go, wondering what the good captain was up to.
Later that evening, she headed into the gym just as he was heading towards the showers. This time, she spoke first.
"Good evening, Captain Rogers. I trust you had a good workout?"
He wiped his face and answered. "I did, Agent Hill. Perfect way to end the day. Though, I could stick around a little longer if you'd like some company."
"No, thanks," she told him. "I'll probably just do some light weights and maybe work on the bags for a little bit."
"Okay. But if you need a spotter or anything, let me know."
She waved him off, thinking it was probably the first time she felt the need for a cold shower before she even started her workout. Soon, she had loosened up and had worked herself into a steady rhythm on the heavy bag.
Freshly showered, Steve leaned against the wall and watched her work, her motions smooth and relaxed. When she finally stopped for a break, he grabbed up a towel and a bottle of water and walked over to her. He offered her the towel as he opened the water bottle. After wiping her face, she gratefully took the water and sipped carefully.
"Nice form," he told her.
"Thanks," she nodded, allowing her breathing to slow.
"Well, if you don't need anything, I guess I'll call it a night," he told her, slowly backing from the room as though he wanted to keep her in view as long as possible.
"Good night, Captain," she called as she deliberately turned her attention back to the bag.
"Sweet dreams, Maria," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear.
She wasn't entirely surprised to find him outside her door the next morning, another cup of fresh, hot coffee in hand. His 'Have a nice day, Agent Hill,' echoed in her ear at different points during the day, making her struggle not to smile.
Then there was the package of cheese and crackers she found in the middle of her desk.
The rose on the table right inside her door, and the note with it: All the more beautiful for the thorns
After several days of morning coffee and little surprises throughout the day, she opened the door one morning with her own offering in hand.
"Muffin?"
He took one as he handed over the coffee, taking a small bite.
"Banana?"
"Banana and walnut," she confirmed. "I figured those bananas shouldn't all go to waste."
He took another bite and sighed happily.
"Does it taste all right?" she asked, almost anxiously.
"Delicious!" He looked at her. "Did you make these yourself?"
With a nonchalant shrug, she nodded. "Your girlfriend Maisie helped me find the recipe."
"You're a woman of many talents," he told her.
It was probably silly to feel so pleased at his compliment, but she did. "Glad you like it," she told him, heading down the corridor. "Have a nice day, Captain."
That afternoon, Phil stepped into her office and set a bottle of orange juice on her desk.
"I was asked to deliver this to you," he told her with a smile.
She rested her hand on her chin and stared at the bottle. Phil sat down in the chair across from her and watched her for a few minutes. Finally, he spoke.
"You want to tell me what's going through your mind right now?"
After a few seconds, she sighed. "I don't know, Phil. I just don't understand."
"So, talk to me," he encouraged, leaning forward. "Tell Uncle Phil."
She crumpled a piece of paper and threw it at him. He caught it neatly and tossed it back.
"What don't you understand?" he prompted.
"Steve...Captain Rogers..."
She stopped.
"Also known as Captain America," he interjected. "He seems like a pretty straightforward kind of man to me."
"Exactly," she said, "so why is he doing all this?"
"All what?"
She tossed the paper wad back to him.
"Coffee every morning. Little gifts. Flowers."
The paper flew back at her.
"What do you think he means by it?" she asked him.
"What I think isn't as important as what you think it means," he told her, catching her next toss.
She shrugged and held up her hand, awaiting his throw. Instead, he stood and walked over.
"Here's a thought: Ask him," he told her, placing the paper ball in her hand before he turned and left.
When she returned to her quarters that night, a large cardboard box waited in the middle of her kitchen table. There was a note attached: For our future rides
She opened the box, finding something sparkly and red. Reaching in, she pulled out the shiny new motorcycle helmet. Underneath that, a pair of leather gloves lay folded on top of a leather jacket. She looked at the items, more confused than ever.
Since she found sleep elusive that night, she was ready to open the door when she heard the first noises in the corridor. Steve looked a little surprised, but recovered quickly and held out her coffee.
"Early start this morning?"
"Couldn't sleep," she answered, motioning him inside. "Just pulled some muffins out of the oven if you want one."
"That sounds good, Agent Hill. Thank you. I'm sorry you're not sleeping. Is there anything I can do?"
She looked at him. "I got your gift last night."
"If you don't like them or if they don't fit, we can exchange them," he hastened to assure her.
"No, they're fine. I just...don't understand why."
"I really enjoyed our ride the other night, but I realized later how risky it was for you to be riding without protective gear. Next time, I want to be sure that you're safe," he told her.
"You don't wear a helmet," she reminded him.
"No, but I've got that 'super soldier' thing going on. But I like that you're concerned for me. I'll get a helmet if it will make you feel better."
She shrugged and turned away from him, busying herself buttering the fresh muffins. Finally, he took her by the shoulders and gently turned her to face him
"What don't you understand, Maria?
"The coffee, the gifts, the attention. It's almost like your interested in me. Like, as a woman."
He laughed. "Now YOU'RE the one who's misunderstanding. It's not 'almost like' I'm interested in you. I AM interested in you. As a woman."
"But why? I've seen how women respond to you. The women in the coffee shop, in the bar before that, even the women around here. You could have any woman you want."
"I'm glad to hear that," he whispered, gently stroking her cheek.
"So, why me?"
He held her at arms length and looked at her in confusion. "Why you? Are you serious? You're intelligent...the other night we talked about politics and music and art and sports...you've got a great sense of humor, you're passionately dedicated to helping people. And, you are drop dead gorgeous."
She shook her head. "Do you really see all that in me?"
"I do," he assured her.
"But what if you don't once you really get to know me?"
"And what if you don't like me anymore once you get to know me?," he asked. "Assuming that you do like me."
"Of course I do. You're smart, dedicated, you make me laugh, you're pretty gorgeous yourself...but what if"
He put a finger over her lips.
"What if we like each other more and more the better we get to know each other. What if we get to be really good friends? Or something more?"
"That could happen, couldn't it?" she admitted.
"Yes, it could," he told her.
"I'm really bad at personal stuff," she told him, biting her lip.
"I'm a little out of practice myself," he reminded her.
She laughed. "I guess it has been a while."
"So we go slowly?" he said, drawing her close.
"Spend time together?" she answered, putting her arms around his neck.
"See what happens?" his lips lowered to hers.
Just then, her communicator went off.
Agent Hill, please join me in my office Fury's voice filled the small room.
She looked as Steve, then picked up the communicator to respond.
'On my way, Director."
"Guess I'd better go," she told Steve.
"I probably need to get to work, too," he told her. "But maybe we can do something this evening?"
"I'd like that," she replied as they walked to the door.
"Have a nice day, Agent Hill."
"You too, Captain Rogers."
Again, hope you enjoyed. Please review. Reviews make me happy and want to write more (unless you don't want me to write more...then don't review)
Back to my other story now (Risks. Reading and reviewing it would make me happy, too!) and then I'll see if Steve and Maria want to tell me more of their story.
