Hello I am back and I hope I can maybe make your day a little bit better with a new chapter. :)
Soundtrack for this chapter is: Bon Jovi - The more things change (you will see why).
Take care and stay safe!
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.
The more things change
"So we are driving to the Avengers Facility, right?" Maria asked, just in case.
He nodded.
"And you are not respecting the speed limit, right?" she went on.
He nodded again, making her groan.
"You better know what you are doing there!"
"Hey, I flew a jet into space once," he replied, but when she gave him an incredulous look, he relented. "Well, I flew with a jet into space. Someone else piloted it."
Apparently her former boss was just like any other man - prone to exaggeration and could be played with his ego. But she had known that, of course.
"Do you listen to music in the car?" he suddenly asked her.
"I - why?" she asked.
"Because you strike me as the type of person who only listens to knews or traffic information," he replied nonchalantly.
"Wait what?" She was speechless for a moment.
"So you do that," he concluded.
"No, I don't!" Maria defended herself, hating how much she was blushing, "I listen to music. But it's probably not your type of music anyway!"
"Jazz? Dubstep? Electro?" he asked, but she shook her head.
"No, Coulson really got me into classical music. I find it - soothing. But I also like classic rock."
He looked at her a bit doubtfully. "Why did I not know that about you? And why did I not expect that about you?"
She smiled slightly. "Maybe because we are both very closed up people. You do like 80s music, right?"
He nodded. "True. But back to you - Do you actually like opera?"
"Uhm, I do," she admitted.
They were both very silent for a while.
"I think this is cool," Nick suddenly admitted, making her head snap up, "I knew you were educated about that sort of thing, but I thought it was for cover-purposes, not a real interest. And I think it is sweet."
"You call me sweet?"
"You are sweet - In the way poison is sweet before it kills you, but sweet."
She rolled her eyes. "And here I thought you were good at complimenting."
He grinned. "I never said that. You assumed."
Maria started fiddling with the gear, trying to find out whether this car actually had a radio. After a few tries, she found a navigation system and then something that looked like a weather forecast. Suddenly, a voice called out through the car.
"Ah, news broadcast!" she sighed, satisfied.
They kept listening to it, updates about the situation all around the country where apparently people had suddenly appeared everywhere all at ones - everyone who had disappeared years ago. Politics where overhwlmed (of course), some were already starting to blame superheroes (of course) and nobody had a clue while this had happened (of course).
"Seems like nothing has changed while we were gone," she remarked dryly.
Nick huffed. "Humans are still morrons you mean?"
She nodded, then turned off the radio. When he looked at her acuriously, she gave him a small smile in return.
"I just want to keep this bubble a bit, if that's okay."
Nick didn't say anything, but maybe that was his way of approval. While they were speeding over the highway, Maria looked out the window and into the clouds that were grey above their heads.
"What are you humming?" ehr companion asked after a while.
Her head wipped around, she hadn't even noticed she was doing it. "Just a song I remembered, I guess," she answered.
"You have a nice voice, I bet you can sing well," Nick commented, "what song is it?"
"Bon Jovi," Maria admitted, "'The more things change'."
"Sing it for me?"
Her first instinct was to refuse him, to avoid being ridiculed, but something in his voice made her think that this request was genuine. Also, to be fair, she had a pretty amazing voice.
"Ah is it just me or does anybody see,
The new improved tomorrow isn't what it used to be.
Yesterday keeps comin' 'round, it's just reality
It's the same damn song with a different melody"
She pauised and looked at Fury, gauging his reaction, he motioned for her to go on, so she continued (it wasn't as if she had anything other to do anyway).
"The market keeps on crashin'
Tattered jeans are back in fashion
'Stead of records, now it's mp3s.
I tell you one more time with feeling
Even though this world is reeling
You're still you, and I'm still me.
I didn't mean to cause a scene
But I guess it's time to roll up your sleves
Maria saw that he had started to smile at this, and her singing became bolder and louder, using the whole capacity of her voice for the chorus.
"The more things change the more they stay the same
The same sunrise, it's just another day
If you hang in long enough they say you're comin' back
Just take a look, we're living proof and baby that's a fact
You know the more things change the more they stay the same
The more things change the more they stay the same."
As she sang the words, the woman noticed how true they were - they had hung on, they were back. They were still themselves, and they had work to do. People were still like they had been five years ago (apparently) - stupid, and selfish and kind and loyal and cruel and loving and oh so relationship might have changed, Nick wasn't ehr boss anymore, but they could still count on each other, they still had each other, that had all stayed the same. When she had finished, she turned to the man, eyes shining.
"This was fairly accurate," he simply commented.
"I thought the same," she agreed, smiling.
"I guess I love you," he added after a moment of silence, making her eyes go wide, his voice light, as if discussing the weather.
Hearing it so plainly was something she had never ever expected. She put her hand on top of his, lacing their fingers together, smiling as they drove was no cinematic thunderstorm nor a cinematic ray of sunshine. The sky was cloudy and grey, but for Maria, it was enough.
Thank you so much for reading!