Written for: marvelouslyafan. February 22nd, 2019 Steve/Jemma "OK, maybe I am a BIT jealous."

He was with Agent Carter again.

Of course, he was. They'd been a team ever since Carter rejoined SHIELD. Going on missions together, having adventures, working off each other's skillsets with practiced ease. No enemy who dared stand between them and their objective ever lived to tell the tale.

The rumors about what they did behind closed doors were inevitable, but it still made Jemma want to punch something every time an agent whispered about when Rogers and Carter were going to just make out already.

They don't have to make out, she wanted to say. It's the twenty-first century. Men and women can be friends without romance or sex.

She would say that, but her feelings went far deeper than moral outrage over outdated norms and sexism, and SHIELD agents were trained to always read between the lines.

(And just because she was a little bit jealous didn't mean the whole world had to know)

So when they walked into the lounge one day laughing and joking about whatever terrorist cell they'd just demolished, Jemma kept her eyes on her book and didn't look up once. She sipped her drink and jotted down a few notes like she was still all alone and the object of her one-sided affections wasn't making goo-goo eyes at his partner/maybe girlfriend not even two feet away from her.

Shutting them out was easy. Years spent with partying college roommates had sharpened her focus to the point where she could tune out a nuclear blast if she wanted to. Nothing they said registered beyond the occasional word or phrase without context.

"Just ask already! Come on."

Jemma's ears picked up. Carter's exclamation came out of nowhere. Steve was whispering to her, their faces inches apart. Jemma looked away in case they kissed. This book was expensive and the last thing she needed was to rip a page out in rage.

Seconds later, Carter got up and left.

What was that all about?

Steve took a seat next to her, driving the question out of her mind as the pen slipped out of her hand.

"Sorry to bother you," he said, biting his lip. "Am I bothering you?"

"Oh no," Jemma said, moving her papers out of sight. "Just doing some office work. Nothing important. How are you? How was the last mission?"

That might've been a bit too much considering this was the first actual conversation they'd ever had. No going back now, though. She'd already said it.

"It was fine," Steve said. "Our guys lived, their guys died, about how you'd want it to go. Actually, there were a lot fewer guys this time than I expected."

"They're probably running low," Jemma quipped. "You and Agent Carter are a force to be reckoned with."

"We do our best." Steve coughed and straightened his shoulders like he was bracing himself for some arduous task. "Anyway, I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight?"

If Jemma had still been holding the pen, it would've snapped. "...pardon?"

Steve shrunk a bit. "I was just thinking… I've seen you around and your work is amazing. I thought maybe… sorry."

"Don't apologize!" Jemma slid off her seat. At full height, he still had half a head on her. "I'd love to. Really. I didn't ah… so, you're not seeing anyone?"

He blinked. "No, not for a while. Did you think I was?"

Jemma almost answered honestly but thought better of it. "Nope, not at all. How does seven o'clock sound? We could catch a late movie and then get some pizza."

Steve grinned, blue eyes sparkling. "You know the way to my heart."