Chapter 4: Mumbai

By the time she went back down to the conference room they were gone, along with her camera. She cursed herself repeatedly as she searched the room, pushing open the conference room doors in frustration after a thorough search. How could she be so stupid? She had one job, to take photos. And now she couldn't do that because she'd forgotten her camera. She knew nobody stole it- either Steve or the redhead had it, but how would she find them? How would they find her?

She was just stepping back onto the elevator when she remembered Travis' words from this morning, hitting the button for the lobby and appearing there a second later. The doors were just parting for her to exit when a body appeared in front of her, all broad shoulders and strength taking up her field of view.

"Oh," she said aloud as her eyes finally reached his face, a small but amused smile playing on his lips as he looked at her.

Wow.

It was insane how attractive he was- being a photographer, she'd stared at lot of faces in her day but his was something else. Everything was perfectly proportioned- the distance between his eyes, the symmetry of his lips, the length of his eyebrows. The only thing that was off was his nose, which tilted slightly to the right after a small bump in the bridge of his nose. The doors started to shut but he reached a hand out to stop them, joining her in the elevator since her feet had failed to exit since she'd been struck dumb by staring at him. She finally looked away from him as she cleared her throat, taking her gaze out to the window.

"I was just coming up to your room to drop this off. You left it on the table" he said as he offered her the camera, her hands accepting it greedily as her heart flushed with relief.

"Oh god, thank you. I was just going to see Travis to see if he could track one of you down- I can't believe I just left it there" she gushed, pulling the strap across her body as her hands cradled the machine delicately. His quiet laughter filled the cabin, drawing her gaze towards him. She caught him shaking his head as they reached their desired floor, his hand going to hold the door open as he gestured for her to exit first.

"It happens to the best of us. I don't think we've had the chance to meet yet. I'm Steve. Steve Rogers" he said as he stepped out of the elevator and offered her a hand. She watched him smile warmly at her and she smiled back, meeting his hand in a firm handshake.

"Eva" she said simply as she released his hand. She was about to say something, a gushing compliment of how polite he'd been in the meeting or how much of an honour it was to meet him, when his wrist emitted two quiet beeps, drawing their attention to it. Her eyes went from his hand to his face as she watched it change, the smile sliding off and being replaced by a grimace. His eyes slid out of focus as he looked over her shoulder, one of his hands coming briefly to his right ear before he turned to go.

"I'm sorry to do this but I've got to take care of something. The, uh, mess hall is down the hall and to the right. Enjoy your stay, Ms. James" he said distractedly, giving a wave before jogging down the hallway and disappearing through a door. She let out a huff and wave pathetically at the space he once occupied, turning on her own heel and back towards the elevator she'd just exited.

The rest of her day past quietly, not that there was much left to it. She met up with Edward for dinner around 8PM, the mess hall quiet and relatively empty except for Travis who was eating dinner with a pretty looking blonde woman, the pair of them tucked into a corner in what looked to be a date. The knowing glance he shot both of them as they passed made her laugh, Edward raising his eyebrows suggestively once they sat down in a way that made her laugh even more.

They made polite conversation over dinner, Eva remembering to ask about what good stories he had from his life time of travel. And boy, did he deliver. He had her in stitches for hours, the pair of them remaining long after dinner was finish as they continued talking over coffee and tea. He had just finished telling her about the time he lost his pants at a laundromat in Mumbai and had to wear a sari back to his hotel when the door to the mess hall opened, her laughs growing quiet as she saw who was standing there.

"I'd say I'm sorry to interrupt but it sounds like you guys are having a great time in here" he said in a playful voice as he moved over to them, Edward rising from his seat with a wide smile on his face.

"Steve, great to see you again" the elder man greeted as he reached them, Eva watching as the younger man met his hand and shook it firmly, an equally wide smile on his face. There was obviously a lot of affection for Edward at Stark Industries and here at Avengers HQ: everyone who saw Edward was thrilled to talk to him and catch up, something she knew spoke volumes about his character. It put her at ease, knowing he'd be with her over the next few months of the crazy journey ahead. Having somebody like Edward on your team was always a good sign.

"You too, Edward. Its been too long" he said as he slapped the elder man on the shoulder as well, Edward giving a laugh. She was just sipping at her tea when Edward gestured to her, Steve's clear blue eyes landing on her's as if on command.

"Have you met Eva yet, Steve?" Edward said in introduction, Eva nodding in confirmation before giving Steve a small smile. She felt her stomach flop as he smiled back at her, something she couldn't quite place flashing across his eyes.

"We've met. Sorry again about having to run earlier. Duty called" he joked as he raised the empty mug in his hand, a large white clay mug with a red and white embossed A on it. She nodded again understandingly and watched as he moved over to the coffee, filling his mug before pulling out the chair beside Edward and sitting down.

"Let me guess. You were telling her about...Mumbai?" Steve asked, Edward letting out a hardy chuckle that made Eva laugh as well. The three of them picked up where Edward and her had left off, except now Edward had an audience of two instead of one. A couple of stories later 2 quiet beeps interrupted their laughter, this time Edward taking note of his wrist. He did the same thing that Steve had done earlier, looking off into the distance as his eyes slid out of focus and touching a hand to his right ear before letting out a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

"Sorry to cut this short but I've got to step into a conference call. I'll see you in the morning, Ms. James," he said as he rose from his seat, Steve rising as well as he held out a hand.

"Steve, don't be a stranger" he ordered sternly, Eva's eyes watching as the captain grinned bashfully as he turned to watch Edward leave, her own surprise rising as Steve didn't move.

A silence set in, neither comfortable nor awkward, as she watched him sit back down, his eyes landing back on her. She gestured with her chin towards the door before speaking, taking a sip of her own mug.

"You two seem close" she said with a smile, watching as his own lips turned up as well. There was something about the way the light was hitting him right now that made her wish she had her camera- he was all strong angles and highlighted features with his elbows resting on the table, hands wrapped around opposite forearms. His eyes flickered over to the door and then back to her, nodding absentmindedly.

"Eddie's been through a lot with us. He was already working with Tony and Pepper before the Avengers ever happened and he's been a real asset for us when we work overseas. He's a good guide. You're lucky to have him with you" he offered as he picked up his mug, taking another swig of the caffeine. She chuckled to herself quietly as she gently shook her head, draining her mug of her tea.

"Yeah, I'm picking up on that" she said softly as she too put her elbows on the table, resting her chin in the palm of one of her hands. The room was quiet and dark, only a few overhead lights illuminating the room. It didn't feel this way with Edward but with just the two of them the lighting seemed oddly romantic, soft in all the right ways, as it cast a warm glow on everything. She was just coming up with a way to politely ask him to stay put while she went to go fetch her camera when he broke her revere.

"So, Ms. James. Sounds like you've got an exciting few months ahead" he offered, starting them down a new path. She laughed quietly as she brushed some wanton strands of hair off her face, grinning at him meekly.

"Please, call me Eva. And yes, yes I do. Terrifying but exciting" she said with a chuckle, watching as he smiled sympathetically back at her.

"What, world travel doesn't do it for you?" he teased, making her laugh again. While she should have been surprised at how easy it was to talk to him, she wasn't- his file had told her all about how charming he was. Apparently being in the 21st century did nothing to deter his old fashion courtesy and manners, something she could see and appreciate. She lifted her shoulders in a playful shrug before leaning back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other as she slid out of the direct light above them.

"Its not the travel that makes me nervous. It's you guys" she offered simply, giving another shrug. She watched his face for reaction, getting nothing but a gentle purse of the lips and a lifting of his eyebrows.

"You're scared of us? Please. We're nothing but marshmallows once you get past the superpowers and costumes" he said with a grin, taking another drink from his mug. She laughed at his words, feeling any tension she had release from her shoulders. She had to admit- he was definitely charming. She could tell though his words and through his body language that he understood what she meant though, a knowing look in his eyes that washed her with relief.

Ever since their meeting earlier today, a heavy ball of anxiety had settled in her stomach. Their introduction hadn't really gone as well as she'd hoped- she could tell by their reaction that they were un-enthused at best, angry and frustrated at worst. She knew they'd likely be a little resistant to the project (because who likes getting their pictures taken anyways) but anger would be a harder mountain for her to tackle. She was trying to capture them in new and compelling ways and sour attitudes were only going to make her job harder than it already was going to be.

"While I wish that were true, something tells me its not going to be that easy. Not if that welcome I got today is any indication" she said cautiously, not wanting to press too far. He surprised her by giving a lone chuckle, draining his mug before putting it back on the table and pushing it away from him. And then, he looked at her. He just looked at her. After a few moments she felt her skin begin to flush under the scrutiny of his gaze but she just looked right back at him, not wanting to look away first.

"This is really important to you, isn't it" he pressed as he leaned back in chair, draping an arm over the back of the chair Edward just vacated.

It was her turn to purse her lips and raise her eyebrows, raising a single one in challenge at his question as she replied.

"Its my job. Is your job important to you?" she challenged back heatedly, watching as he processed her retort. His lips curled into a small smile as he nodded slightly, blue eyes dancing with amusement.

"Touche" he replied, Eva's lips twitching up into a smile as the tension broke. She laughed and let out a breath in a huff, blowing some strands of hair out of her eyes as she rubbed the back of her neck with one of her hands.

"Do you think the photos will help? With our...image problem?" he asked eventually, her eyes coming up off the table and over to him. The lines on his face were deeper then they should have been, his brow slightly furrowed as he watched her, leaning forward again to rest his elbows on the table. She watched him for a few seconds before she realized what the look was- he looked concerned, worried even.

He gets it.

"I do" she said, her voice oddly confident.

"How can you be so sure?" he followed up, his voice quiet and almost hushed.

She let her eyes wash over his features again. God, he was handsome. Even now, with his face etched with worry and concern, he was still the most stunning man she'd ever laid eyes on. She kept her eyes on as she formulated her answer, knowing that it'd have to be a good one. Eventually her eyes flickered over his shoulder through the glass walls and to the courtyard outside, getting lost in her thoughts.

"I can't be sure. But I know how powerful art can be, especially photography. There are so many iconic photographs out there that make you feel something: the afghan girl and her blue eyes, the vulture and the Sudanese child, the sailor kissing the woman in Times Square, the American flag over Iwo Jima. Those photos make you feel something, they make you think. Now I'll be the first one to admit: I'm by no means the best photographer in the world," she teased, giving him a smile that he returned slowly.

"But your stories are compelling. Assassin turned agent, billionaire turned superhero, soldier turned super soldier. The world knows your names and your uniforms but they don't know you beyond that. I want to show the world that there's more to you all than war and conflict- that behind these superpowers and costumes are people. Real people. Who struggle with things just like the rest of us do, maybe even more so. I think the best way to get people on your side again is to help them understand you, and I think the best way to help them understand you is to show them who you all really are. And I can do that. If you guys let me" she finished.

She watched his eyes trace over her for a few seconds before he nodded in agreement. In a way, his face looked relieve, the tension gone from around his eyes. He looked down at his wrist before pushing himself away from the table, rising from his chair. She did the same, standing just a few feet shy of him.

"I'll talk to the team and make sure they don't give you a hard time. Good luck, Eva. I look forward to seeing what you capture" he said with a final nod, giving her a final look over before heading out.

She let out a deep exhale as she watched him leave, more relief washing over her as she realized that she had an ally.

(Author's Note: Thanks for all the follows and favourites! Please review if you'd like, any constructive feedback is always welcome. Hope you're enjoying it!)