Welcome to my new followers, thanks! Also thanks for the reviews and favorites. Yes, that is the way I eat my Mexican food, too. I hate beans! I hope you're enjoying the homages to my favorite Marvel actor along the way. I don't own Marvel or any song that happens to get mentioned throughout this saga, I'm just a huge fan and hope I'm doing them justice. And now, some Steve/Mikayla bonding time. I try to include her interactions with the different team members, which will be a continuing theme. I enjoy watching how characters interact with one another. I hope you're enjoying that part, as well. This is day two of her new position at Stark Industries...and still no Clint or Nat, oh no!
"How did your first day back go, truthfully?" Steve asked, sitting down on the end of the couch closest to Mikayla's chair.
Mikayla, sitting with her legs draped over one of the arms, began swinging her feet back and forth. "It went well, fairly easy, no fires to put out." She took out both earbuds. "Steve, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." He leaned forward to hear her better over the science guys arguing about something that went over his head.
"It's kind of a weird, personal question, so feel free to decline." She bit her bottom lip in nervousness.
"Ask away, Mikayla." He looked at her, intrigued. He realized he didn't know much about her, so he would take this opportunity to get to know his newest teammate.
"Well, I'm a history buff, love reading about it. Do you mind talking about it? Your life before the war? I think that's a fascinating time in our country's history, the early 1900's." She paused. "If it bothers you, it's okay."
He smiled. "I don't mind at all. I can't believe all this time, no one's asked me. They're usually more interested in what the super serum does, how I reacted to it, how I felt after waking up, things like that."
Mikayla breathed a sigh of relief she didn't know she was holding. "Thanks, Steve. I can always read about the details of history, but I've always been interested in what I call everyday history. Never been one for memorizing dates; I'd rather find out about the boring details of peoples' lives." Mikayla switched chair arms, draping her legs over the opposite arm so she could hear Steve easier. He even took the time to ask her questions. They talked until the food arrived, announced by Friday. Tony went down to meet the delivery driver, then took his and Pepper's food up to their penthouse apartment, leaving Steve, Bruce, and Mikayla in the common area.
Bruce noticed Steve and Mikayla talking on the couch as they ate, so he stayed at the bar and watched them. He could hear enough of the conversation and could tell when Mikayla talked about Clint because her face would light up and her eyes would sparkle. He thought back to the Sokovia trip and the incident with Natasha. Was there something between them? What male wouldn't be attracted to Natasha Romanoff? She turned heads everywhere she went. Looking back, he decided it was just due to the moment, to the incident at hand. They were both having moments of weakness, and he meant what he said. He could never have a normal relationship with anyone, it wasn't physically possible. He'd made his peace with it and counted Natasha as one of his closest friends. Bruce decided he'd go work on the problem they'd found with Tony's latest suit, so he snuck out and went back to the lab.
"I'd always wondered what it was like growing up during the depression. Thanks for the talk, Steve. I appreciate it."
"I enjoyed it, too, Mikayla. And thanks for answering my questions. I'm glad I'm getting to know you better."
"Anytime, Steve. Now," she stood up, "if you'll excuse me, I'm heading off to bed so I can get an early start at work tomorrow."
Steve stood up as well. "Understood. Night, Mikayla."
"Good night, Steve." She left and went up to her suite. Mikayla figured the easiest way to get to know her new friends would be with one on one conversations. She knew she'd never get info from Clint, so she'd have to rely on herself. "It was either that or break into their files, which I would never do," she said to herself. She soaked in the tub then changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants, then settled down to read a little more to wind down. Instead, she turned on the TV, found an action movie, and fell asleep about the time the movie ended.
She woke up during the night with the TV still on, showing a replay of the late news. "Our news story of the day," the news anchor announced, "is the bombing of the Kremlin, reportedly by Americans." This caused Mikayla to sit up and turn the volume up. "This picture was taken as the explosion occurred." The news flashed a picture of a man wearing a white Bruce Springsteen shirt and a grey jacket running from the scene and being knocked over by the blast. 'Whew, wasn't Clint or Nat.' She wondered if the incident was related to their mission. She looked at the clock, which glowed 3 AM. "OK, back to sleep, Fitzgerald," she said to herself. "Think of something you like to do that makes you happy." Mikayla settled into her pillow and thought about the evening she got engaged and dancing with Clint. She was asleep almost immediately.
Mikayla got up when the alarm went off. She took a shower and got ready for work. She decided she didn't want to have any breakfast conversations, so skipped going to the kitchen and took the elevator directly to Stark Industries, grabbing a bagel and banana in the cafeteria. She got back to her desk and immediately went to work. The rest of the day went as smoothly as the day before had. She called Misty on the way back to her suite. "Ready for some retail therapy, my friend?"
"Have you cleaned the whole tower yet?"
"He hasn't been gone that long, Misty."
"I know, but you can be a whirling dervish when it comes to cleaning."
"Funny, and no. Just my place and the main living areas. I feel like I'm back in college and living in a co-ed dorm. I'd forgotten what pigs most guys could be…and then there's Clint."
"What? Arrow boy's different?"
"Good gravy, he's more of a neat freak than I am! Now, don't get me wrong, when he's with the group and in the common areas, he's as bad as the others, but I've seen his suite. Not a thing out of place. Reminds me of my uncle so it must have something to do with the job. You know, ready to leave at a moment's notice so he has to know where everything is. I can't say as I blame him."
"And you've always been a neat freak, no wonder the two of you hit it off. What is it you're always saying? A place for everything and everything in its place? But I'll give you credit, you're not anal about it."
"Nope, not that OCD. I don't live in a museum. Anyway, want to help me shop for décor?"
"Always! Plus, we can use my decorator discount."
"Let me change clothes and I'll be right over. See you in a few." Mikayla disconnected, went to her suite, changed into a t-shirt and jeans, then went and picked up Misty. She returned a couple of hours later and Misty helped her bring boxes up to her suite and get them placed around the room and had the larger items on hold until Clint returned. When they finished, they sat down and looked around at their handiwork. "Now I can start feeling like this is my place, that I live here."
"It does look like you."
"I just wish I could've salvaged some of the photos from my apartment. I'll have to see if I have the negatives at the house or if I saved them to the cloud."
"If you didn't, I'm sure I have some copies somewhere. Have you taken any of you and Clint?"
She shook her head. "He tries to stay out of the spotlight so not much opportunity for that. I'll have to be inconspicuous and take some around the compound, that way I know the public won't get hold of them." Mikayla looked at Misty. "One of the downfalls of dating a spy I didn't think about."
"Me, either, but I have a feeling the positives outweigh the negatives."
All Mikayla would say was, "Yep," then got that faraway look in her eyes she got when thinking about him.
Misty laughed. "You're hopeless, you know that, right?"
Mikayla sighed. "I know, but I thought this would never happen, especially after Tim. I think I'm entitled to a little sappiness."
"M, you are entitled to as much sappiness as you want. You deserve it. I'm only glad you found someone who makes you happy."
"And gets my weirdness."
"And gets your weirdness." Misty looked at her watch. "Crap, it's after 11. I'd better be getting home."
Mikayla shook her head. "You can stay here. I can sleep on the couch and you can use the bedroom."
"You sure?"
"Definitely. Just grab some pajamas out of my dresser."
"What happens if Arrow boy shows up?"
"Let us worry about that. I can always go to his suite."
"Boy, you do have it good, don't you?"
Mikayla smiled. "Yeah, I guess I do. Now, scoot. Let me grab my pajamas and the bedroom will be all yours." She took a blanket and pillow from the closet and made herself comfortable on the couch. "Night, M."
"Night, M," Misty replied as she closed the door.
The girls got up the next morning and Mikayla took Misty back to her apartment before going to work. "Damn, didn't get to see Cap in his underwear," Misty remarked.
"I haven't either. It's not like they all walk around like that. He's usually wearing a t-shirt and sweats. I have to say though, it is a good look for him. That's what most everyone wears on their off-hours. They are relatively normal people underneath everything."
"Right, Mr. Super Soldier and Mr. Norse God are normal. Not buying it, Mikayla."
Mikayla thought back to the talks she'd had with Steve and Thor and realized they had issues to deal with like everyone else. "Misty, you'd be surprised how normal they are. OK, maybe normal is not the right word. How about ordinary?"
"I'll take your word for it. You're one of the lucky few who knows that."
"You know I'll share as much with you as I can."
"I know, don't want you betraying any confidences."
"Thanks. OK, we're here. I had a blast last night. We'll have to get together and have a full day."
"Amen to that! Thanks for the ride. Have I said I love this car?"
"You have, and so do I. Later, M."
Misty got out of the car. "Later M." Mikayla sped away into the traffic. "I'm so glad the two of them met. I can't think of a more perfectly matched couple," Misty said to herself. She went into her apartment building, unaware of the slight clicks from a camera as she entered.