After watching through the rest of the footage from this morning, I went to my room to gather my training gear. I go to the gym anyway, but I always force myself to when I have a hangover.
I got dressed into my casual grey gym top and Nike shorts.
"JARVIS, take me to the gym please." I asked in the elevator.
"Of course, ma'am." I wonder where Rogers is? I really do not want to see him in the gym, because that would just be awkward.
The lift doors opened a pile of punch bags were piled up. Oh great.
Rogers was facing away from me, hitting the hell out of some punch bags like usual. Fury told me about his behavior. How he couldn't forget his past.
He looked so concentrated and tense, like going forward for a goal you can't quite reach, staying stuck in the same place. At the tip of success, but never achieving it.
"You ever get bored of destroying punch bags?" I asked him, causing him to stop mid-punch.
He placed his palm against the unharmed equipment and turned around. "Not really. Especially when they are Stark's." I smiled at his comment. I think he might finally be getting used to modern day humour. Sweat was dripping from his forehead onto his shirt making him look even more desirable than usual. You need to stay away from him my head was arguing.
"Look Cap," I started. "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I-I mean this morning. Whatever. I was completely out of line. I didn't mean it and I was seriously drunk. I'm sure I wouldn't have done those things in the right state of mind." Liar.
"That's alright, Maria. I don't blame you. I blame the alcohol if anything. Apparently being drunk can make you do crazy things." he said with the cutest smile and resumed hitting the punchbag.
"Hey did you want to catch up with the twenty first century later?" I asked.
"Do I really have a choice?" he asked. I couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not, because he was facing the other way.
"N-no. No. Of course you have a choice, I mean-"
"Maria," he said, turning round to face me, looking breathless and damn attractive, "I was joking. Of course I will. Meet you in the living room at say 8:30?" he asked.
I smiled and replied "Sure, Cap." I was captivated by his beautiful smile until I suddenly realised I had been staring for a while and I was meant to be running. I went over to the running machine and put on my usual level 5 hangover setting. Usually I would go for an 8, but I can't be bothered. The machines here are quick and easy, unlike the ones at S.H.I.E.L.D that break all the time. It is a real pain in the ass. I could feel his eyes on me as I worked out. Whenever I did, the sound of his hand hitting the punch bag got slower.
After about half an hour of his punching decreasing and increasing in speed, his punches became very slow, almost sloppy. I almost felt like asking him if he was going to stare at me all day, but instead I turned my head around slightly, not so I could see him, but so he thought that I was going to turn around to look at him. I heard him shuffled slightly and his punches increased in speed. I turned my head back to the view of the city and a small smile crept it's way onto my face. A smile that was immediately removed after I felt a banging in my head. Stupid alcohol.
My neck was still hurting after that stupid grenade too so I decided to end my workout there. I stopped the machine and went towards the lift. "See you at 8:30 Cap." I shouted turning around in the lift.
He smiled and replied "See you then, Hill." He didn't punch anymore, just stared at me until the lift doors shut.
"What floor, Miss Hill?" JARVIS asked.
"Living room please." I replied. I needed to go unpack.
A while later, I saw the clock say 8:35. Shit. I stopped what I was doing and opened the door, only to be met by Steve in a new change of clothes. "Hey, did I get our time wrong?"
I shook my head. "No, it was 8:30 I was meant to meet you, but I got sidetracked." I explained, shutting my door.
"Hows the neck?" he asked, as we strolled down the corridor together.
"Could be better, but it's holding up okay. How is the side? Are you resting it?"
"It's not hurting as much."
"And the answer to my second question?"
"Um...give your clarification of resting it?"
"I mean not going to the gym Steve."
"Then resting is not exactly the term I would use to describe my side."
"Then what are you doing with your side? Ignoring it?"
"Is that so bad?"
"Take a wild guess Steve? 50/50 chance."
He opened the door for me and I stepped past him, accidentally breathing in his manly scent. It was a good accident. "Yes?" he guessed.
I smiled and replied "Correct answer."
We sat down at the living room table and I brought a mac computer over from the side of the room. Computers were everywhere in this place. It was literally like an apple store. Stark is currently working on his own computer at the minute with little versions of JARVIS in each one. He will probably call it something ridiculous like the Starktop or something.
"So what do you know about computers so far?" I asked him. Please don't be like teaching a primary school child.
He actually knew quite a lot, but I guess that they did in fact have computers back then. Not the up-to-date classy ones that are available now, but still at least he knew where the on button was.
After talking with him for half an hour and going through multiple cups of coffee, JARVIS' voice came over the speaker. "Mr Rogers and Miss Hill, Mr Stark says that Director Fury will be here in 30 minutes to do a de-briefing with all of the Avengers in this room."
"Does he say what it's about?" Steve asked
"Mr. Stark is not aware of what Director Fury intends to discuss."
"One thing Stark doesn't know." I commented, making Steve smile. "Right, we'll just go over a couple of things and then pack everything up." I said. We had made quite a mess. There were empty cups of coffee everywhere and computer cables were left all over the table. "Actually, we had better start packing up now."
"Agreed." he said, also looking at the mess. We collected all of the cups and put them in the kitchen, before picking up all the cables and putting them back in the cables box on the other side of the room. We went back into the kitchen to wash up.
"What kind of music are you into then? I'm sure it's not the latest hip hop tracks." I asked.
"Well, I approve of some of the artists in this day and age, but not the one's who sing about disrespecting women. The lyrics used are appalling."
"They are, but I guess that's just what we've got used to now."
"Well, the world shouldn't have gotten used to that. It's cruel and disrespectful. Women should be treated as people, not as objects."
I admired Steve. He spoke with such passion about certain subjects.
"Not all men are gentlemen like you Steve." I said, smiling sadly.
"The men in this world who do not have manners do not deserve the title of man." he said, blushing slightly from my comment. We continued to wash and dry up the cups we had used in comfortable silence until Steve spoke once again.
"Maybe he wants to talk about disbanding us."
"Who? Fury? I don't think he would do that Steve. He has his mind set on this superhero image, so he might stick with it."
"Well he could be coming here to-" Before he could finish his sentence, JARVIS came over the speakers announcing that he was coming up in the lift.
"Speak of the devil." I said, walking about of the kitchen and to the living room sofas where Stark and the others were sitting. No Barton and Romanoff though. The only space left was a sofa that me and Steve fit quite tightly into. I didn't mind being this close to him, I didn't mind it at all, but I knew that being this close would make Fury curious.
"So, the Lady Hawk finally joins us. And where is the boyfriend?" Stark said, drawing attention to the particular red head making her way towards the table. She had such elegance. I have to admit, I am jealous of Romanoff's attractive appearance.
"Quit it, Stark. And he is always late for meetings no matter who for." she snapped back at him.
"Sounds like me." Stark commented smiling. The elevator opened revealing the famous Director Fury. I saw him look straight at us as he walked in. The look would be unnoticeable to the others, but I have known Fury long enough to know when he is judging people. I could tell he was judging me for sitting so close to Steve. Why didn't you chose a different place idiot?
He didn't even look up at the ceiling before saying "Barton, get out of the vent." causing the vent to drop down and Barton with it, who elegantly did a flip and landed on his feet with perfection. I admired his skill set, just as I did Natasha's and Steve's.
"Show off." Stark said, even though we all knew he was a bit jealous that he couldn't do that without his suit.
"Says you Stark." Clint said. Truth though.
"If you don't mind, I would like to speak to you without being interrupted about how big your egos are." Fury said sternly, his one eye widening. Stark and Clint silenced.
"Agent Barton and Romanoff's identities have been compromised, so they will stay here and become true Avengers. Agent Hill," he said turning to me. "you will remain here to make sure that no trouble is caused within the group." he finished looking directly at Stark, who was trying to look innocent.
"Hill, you will also help Captain Rogers adapt to the current environment of the 21st century, because the others will be too busy on missions." Everyone looked at me and I could feel the red rising up my cheeks. "Of course, Director Fury." I replied, in my usual cool tone, but inside I was having a little celebratory party. I would get to spend more time with Steve. GET IN!
"Good. Now, the protocol is being loosened for you two, because you are not full S.H.I.E.L.D agents anymore. You are free to do whatever you would like. After Loki has been returned to Asgard, you need to come and see us. We will give you money, cars, and anything else that you need to survive. This will mean returning to the helicarrier." he said that directly to Barton. I felt sorry for Clint. He has been getting so much hassle from S.H.I.E.L.D agents without him knowing. People have been taken off the premises. It was as serious as death threats.
S.H.I.E.L.D is giving all of you missions when you are needed. Some may be solo, but some may be in groups, so you have homework to do on each others backgrounds and specific information that has happened over the past couple of days." Fun. "For the benefit of Agent Barton, I will send over the videos of the helicarrier when Barton was being controlled by Loki."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Natasha interjected. I haven't seen the footage, but I could tell it was nothing good. When Natasha showed even the slightest bit of emotion, it was for a good reason.
"Romanoff, I haven't seen this footage yet. Nobody has. You will all be the first, so would you please care to elaborate what you mean by that?" Fury asked. She was frozen on the spot with no method of response. After a few second, which I think she was unaware went by, Fury decided that she wasn't going to say anything else. "Good. I will send you the videos whilst you are out and you can watch them together, as a group, when you return. Stark go with Banner to the send off point, Rogers take the bike, Romanoff and Barton go together in a S.H.I.E.L.D car that is waiting for you outside and Thor you can come with us now." The muscle man was leaving. I don't care how much I feel about Steve, Thor had to win on the muscles part...he was Thor after all.
After we said our goodbyes, I turned to the team. "You all need to go and get ready for Loki's send off." I instructed and then walked towards my room. I didn't loook at anyone. I just wanted to be by myself. Thank Thor that bastard was leaving. Coulson is getting the respect he deserves.