Hope and Janet were finishing up their meals in the cafeteria at one of the small round tables, when Steve entered the floor, walking straight up to them with a warm smile.
"You have no idea how good it is to see you up and at it," he addressed Hope as he halted in front of their table.
"Thanks," she said as she pushed her hair behind her ear. Her mother had suggested to French braid her locks to hide her bald spot better, but they'd realised that her surgical incision was located low enough, and her hair on top was thick enough, that she could decently hide it just by leaving her hair down. "Ah" – Hope realised that she should initiate introductions – "this is my mom." She gestured to her. "I don't know if you guys have met yet."
"No, we have not, but it's such a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Van Dyne."
Her mother stood up, stepping to him. She took the hand that he instantly extended to her in her own while placing her other hand on top of it. "The pleasure is all mine. Howard and Peggy both spoke so highly of you. I'm honoured to finally be meeting you."
The man smiled with such sincerity as he said, "I wish I could've known them later on in their lives. See them grow with age in the world they had a hand in building."
"We may be returning to a world that continued on in our absence, but we can always show respect to our friends by living up to the legacies they left behind for us. Howard and Peggy did so much to honour your memory—"
"And I can do the same and honour theirs." Steve nodded. "It's so nice to talk to someone who understands what it's like to be taken out of time and then dropped into a new one."
Janet laughed as she patted his hand. "All the references people make that you don't understand."
"Yeah." He chuckled before looking back over to Hope. "Are you guys done eating now?" He focused his attention back onto Janet before asking, "Would you like me to take you on a tour of the place?"
"I'd love that." Janet turned to Hope. "You think you can manage walking around for a bit?"
Hope used the edge of the table to stand up. "Yeah, I think so, as long as I can hang on to you again."
Janet let go of Steve's hand before she made her way to her daughter, letting her take her arm once again as the captain grabbed their trays. They then walked out of the cafeteria together.
They worked their way up from the cafeteria, only walking around the interesting floors as Hope felt her legs grow more weary, and her nerves grow more anxious at every new storey they'd reach. On each floor she was apprehensively assuming that she'd find Scott, but he was nowhere to be seen. Also with each floor, she knew that she was getting closer to Controls, where she apprehensively assumed Maria would be.
Eventually, it was time, they were almost at the top of the tower as Hope gulped while the elevator brought them to their destination. When the doors pinged open they instantly caught sight of Tony, who turned his head away from a computer monitor and looked at them as if he were pleased to see them. He didn't have a smile on persay, but he looked happier than he normally did.
"And this is Controls." Steve led them out of the elevator. The room was large with windows lining the space, the only wall that didn't have the setting sunlight streaming in through it was one that was covered with a matrix of screens. There were also tables scattered throughout the area with various computers and such atop of them.
"Hey, Tony. I've just been giving the Van Dynes a tour of the building."
"How are you liking my tower, Auntie Janet? I'm assuming Steve's been making everything sound way less interesting than it actually is. Like this places is completely self sustainable. Totally off the power grid."
"Yes, I mentioned that to her." Steve sighed.
"I'm sorry, can we get back to the part when you just called my mom, 'Auntie Janet'?" Hope scrunched her face in confused intrigue.
"What? She's my auntie." He casually shrugged. "She's the one who brought me to M.I.T. on my first day when I was fifteen. Bet you didn't know that?" She saw him and her mother smile at each other like they were recalling back to the mentioned memory. He then looked back to Hope as he said almost half-heartedly, yet she could still tell that he meant it, "And by the way, it's good to see you – you know – not dead and all."
Janet patted Hope's arm. "Tony's been such a sweetheart bringing me tea down to the infirmary these past few days."
While Hope shook her head in total bewilderment, not realising how close her mother and Tony were, or that Tony was even capable of being kind and courteous, a movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
There off to the far end of the room, Hope noticed a pair of legs hanging out from underneath a table with one knee bent up. She recognised the long, thin limbs that were in black combat boots and blue fatigue pants. It looked like Maria was tinkering with computer wires – or something of that nature – that were hanging down at the back of the desk. Hope must have missed her there when she'd initially scanned the room due to an office chair that was primarily blocking the view of the woman's lower body, which was already camouflaged by her dark pants in her dark surroundings.
Hope instantly let go of her mother's arm as she worlessly wobbled over towards the woman across the room, leaving the trio to continue their conversation without her.
Luckily the desk Maria was working under was in an 'L' shape so that Hope could grab the end of it as she was feeling her legs starting to give way beneath her. She quickly steadied herself and stood up straight just as Maria shimmied her body down a bit to pop her head out – obviously noticing her presence.
"Hey," Maria said, sounding shocked to see her as she quickly got to her feet.
Hope assumed that the woman didn't notice them entering the room due to her head being so far underneath the desk which was situated near a noisy air vent and at such a ways away from the elevator where they were communing.
Hope quickly took in the woman's appearance as she stood in front of her. Maria was wearing a black short sleeved tee-shirt that exposed her arms that were covered in blue and green bruises as well as red cuts that were partially scabbed over. Her hair was down and flat, her long bangs sweeping to the side and yet they did next to nothing in concealing the scabbed up wounds across the one side of her forehead. She had dark circles underneath her eyes and not a stitch of makeup on, and yet she was still the absolute most breathtaking sight Hope had ever witnessed. She was alive and well and somehow even more beautiful than she remembered.
"Hey," Hope repeated back in a small voice. They stood there for a moment before Hope felt desperate to break the silence. "So, how are you feeling since your – ah – freefall into the harbour?"
Maria looked to her oddly with a smirk. "Don't you mean ourfreefall into the harbour?"
"Yeah. I suppose."
Maria dropped her head, shaking it as she said, "You shouldn't have done that." She looked back to her, locking her piercing blue eyes onto her. "It was too big a risk. You could've died."
"Well, you wouldhave died so it was worth the risk."
Maria huffed with a smile. "You know, I'm having a really hard time here trying to thank you for saving my ass, because I don't want to encourage you to ever do anything like that again."
"Hey," Hope said in all smiles as she chose to act innocent, "I was just following your lead. You're the one who risked your life for the rest of us. So really, I should be the one hesitating to thank you, so youdon't do anything like that again."
Maria's eyes twinkled as she smirked. "Well, I guess it's settled then. Neither of us should be thanking anybody in this scenario."
"Sounds reasonable to me." Hope nodded while holding back a giggle.
Maria's eyes then flickered to Hope's legs. "So, you're walking, I see."
"More like hobbling."
"Does it hurt?" Maria's tone came with a hint of concern as she focused back onto Hope's face.
"Honestly, the only thing that really hurts is when something touches the giant bruise on my back." She gestured to the location with a pointed finger.
"That's it?" She sounded shocked.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you with my lack of spinal injury related pain." Hope felt the urge to hit Maria's arm in good fun, but held back from it.
"Wow, way to make me sound like a heartless monster when really I would've settled for brain injury related headache. But now I'm wondering why I even bothered worrying about you in the the first place if all you were gonna do was wake up from your three day nap with just a hobble and a bruise." She eyed her mischievously.
The fact that Maria admitted to being worried about her sent a feeling of warmth to her core. It touched her in knowing that she meant enough to her that her stay in the infirmary brought her some distress.
"Hey" – Hope pushed past the warm fuzzy feelings that were multiplying by the second as she played along with Maria's teasing – "I'll have you know I did have a headache, but" – she pointed to her upper arm – "my awesome drug patch is keeping it at bay right now. And also" – her finger moved to her scalp – "I have a bald spot at the back of my head. So I should at least get some pity compensation for that." She let her arm fall to her side.
"I don't know" – Maria shook her head – "all I'm seeing is a perfect motivator to now get a sweet undercut."
Hope giggled at her right before she turned to find her mother approaching. Hope then cranked her neck back to see Steve and Tony still chatting on the other side of the room.
"So, you must be the infamous Commander Hill." Janet greeted her with a smile as she stopped next to Hope. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Infamous?" Maria asked.
"Yes, you're the one who assisted my family. I probably wouldn't be standing here right now if it wasn't for your help."
"I don't know about that." Maria shook her head. "Your daughter would've gotten done what was needed if I'd leant a hand or not." Maria then locked her gaze onto Hope's as she smiled at her. "She's too smart and determined to let anything stop her." Hope had to bite her lip to conceal her sheepish smile while the compliment made her cheeks feel hot.
"This is true," Janet said, which made Maria look back to her. "But it still doesn't change the fact that you were her resource and our protector. So, thank you." Janet stepped to Maria, placing her hands on her upper arms. "I'm just so glad to see that the next generation running S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking so bright."
Hope knew that her dad had mentioned what S.H.I.E.L.D.'s part was in their bridge development to her mom, not that he was pleased that they were involved in the first place. It was Hope, however, who'd told her that it was Maria who specifically helped them, though she was careful not to give any inclination that they had a close or intimate relationship during that time.
Janet took a step back, releasing Maria. "Did you ever get to meet Peggy Carter before she passed?"
"No, unfortunately."
"That's too bad. She would've loved to see such an honourable person as deputy director of the organisation she'd fought so hard for. Someone who literally puts themselves in the line of fire for their own people."
Maria blinked like she couldn't believe the words that were coming out of Janet's mouth. Hope almost wanted to cry watching them. She knew how much of a disapproving mother Maria had, this may have very well been the first time she'd heard words of praise coming from an older woman. "Wow," Maria nearly stuttered in shock, "you're so kind."
"See, I told you," Hope said, referencing their conversation from the other day in the cafeteria, in turn making Maria looked over to her, which was when Hope had noticed the wet sheen in the her blue eyes.
"Hey, don't get too attached. She's my auntie. I'm her favourite." Tony pushed in to the side of Maria, shoving a tablet in front of her. "I need you to do your thing."
Maria huffed as she looked down at the screen, as she was quick to shoot a glare at him. "I am not giving you admin access to all the data files in the system."
"Fine." He pulled the tablet back. "If not today, I'll get it another day," he said in his ordinary nonchalant way.
Maria flashed him the most disingenuous smile as she said, "Not if your dead, you won't."
"Did you guys just catch that?" Tony looked specifically at Janet. "Auntie" – he pointed at his supervisor – "Maria's threatening me with murder. And for the record" – he thrust his finger upwards in front of his body – "this isn't the first time she's done that."
"Okay." Steve stepped in from behind Hope. "How about we go look at the penthouse now?" He then smirked. "Give Maria a chance to murder Tony in peace and without witnesses."
Tony looked Maria over before taking a giant step away from here as Hope had to bite back a chuckle, confident that without his Iron Man suit, Maria could easily kick his ass.
Janet, smiling ear to ear, turned to Steve as she said, "That sounds lovely." She then looked to Maria. "Commander, please do make it quick. I don't want my dear boy to suffer."
Maria's face split into a grin as she responded like she'd just gotten an order from a commanding officer, "Yes, ma'am."
Janet then extended her arm to Hope before she took it, falling in line next to her as she turned around and started for the elevator with Steve. Hope then looked over her shoulder, back to Maria who was already smirking at her which made Hope grin in response as she slowly turned her head away as they made their way back into the lift. Hope sighed, forgetting how incredibly amazing she had always felt whenever she was with Maria. She really had never known anything like it, it felt impossible, yet there it was.
Soon, they found themselves walking around the penthouse where Hope couldn't help but smile at the pool table that still had their game in session. She so wished that they could continue with it at some point.
Finally, Janet brought Hope to one of the sofas in the centre of the room. She was grateful to slowly lower herself down as she was careful of her bruised back.
Steve had excuses himself then as he'd promised to meet up with Sam at a veteran's meeting.
Once him and Janet had said their farewells, her mom came over to sit next to Hope on the couch.
They sat in silence for awhile before Janet turned to her and asked, "So, Maria?"
Hope's breath caught in the back of her throat at the mention of her name. "What about her?" She played dumb while she could feel her mother's stare burrowing into the side of her head while Hope refused to make eye contact with her.
"You know how after I got back from the quantum realm, I told you how I can sense the particles all around me. I can feel their vibrations, I perceive their relationship to each other, their relativity, how they push and pull and move."
"Yeah," Hope said as she was trying to figure out what her mother was getting at.
"Well, it's like everything has a rhythm, including people. Like every being has their own unique hum, their particles oscillate to a personal frequency that's individual only to them. Everyone's is different."
"Okay?" Hope looked to her in confusion. "So, are you trying to tell me Maria's frequency is somehow interesting or something?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." She nodded.
"How so?" Hope's interest was beyond piqued by this point.
Janet smiled, eyes twinkling. "It's exactly the same as yours."
"What?" Hope's head started racing with questions. "But you just said everyone's is different."
"Yes, that's what I'd gathered. This is the first time I've seen otherwise." She shrugged. "I mean, I've only been out of the quantum realm for a short while, so you two – I'd only assume – wouldn't be the only ones like this."
"Okay, but what does it mean though?"
"I don't know. I'm not the one experiencing a shared particle frequency with some else." She fixated her gaze onto her daughter like she was trying to coax the truth or if her. "What do youthink it means?" Janet then casually shrugged. "If it means anything at all, that is." she said as if she were toying with her.
Before Hope could process through all her thoughts and emotions, she heard the elevator ping behind them.
Janet looked over her shoulder as she said, "Scott. There you are. Come here." She waved him over with a smile before standing up. "Come sit with Hope while I wander off for a bit."
"Where are you going?" Hope asked in concern, all of a sudden not emotionally ready to face Scott.
"Tony wanted to show me his lab. So, I'm gonna go see if he's still breathing so he can give me a tour." She started walking away as Scott approached the sofa. "Besides, you two need some alone time. An opportunity to talk." She then disappeared through the, still open, elevator doors before she called out, "I'll catch up with you later, Jellybean."
Scott then awkwardly walked over and sat down next to her on the sofa as Hope tracked his movement.
"So, did you end up finding my Dad?" she asked with a little more annoyance than she initially realised that she had.
"No, I didn't even look for him." He dropped his head while he started fidgeting with his fingers. "I was just hanging out in my room this whole time, feeling like an asshole for – you know – how I just straight up abandoned you earlier." He looked to her as he said softly, "That was not cool, and I'm sorry."
Hope's guilt was back once again. "You don't have to apologies. I sorta pushed you away." She huffed at herself. "I guess I've been doing that a lot recently, haven't I?"
"Hope, what's going on?" he asked her gently.
She took a moment, taking a deep breath before she nervously opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but nothing came out. She just didn't know what to say, so she turned away, looking off into the distance, trying to get her thoughts together.
After a little while, Scott took her silence as an opportunity to say what was apparently on his mind. "When you were in a coma there, Maria dropped by to see you." Hope swallow hard in hearing what he'd decided to bring up. "I was asleep in the chair next to your bed, but I woke up when I heard her; she didn't know that though."
Hope was scared to ask yet she couldn't help herself. "Di— did she say anything?" she stuttered out softly.
"Yeah." She looked at him, needing to know what she said but was absolutely terrified to ask him. He didn't deserve to be treated like her messenger. "She basically called you names and threatened you with violence if you didn't wake up."
Hope dropped her head as she gently chuckled. "Of course she did."
"Yeah, but the details she mentioned, coupled with the statement from your dad… and just the way she spoke to you, has got me questioning things."
"Questioning?" Hope asked, lifting her face to him, completely convinced that he'd connected the dots.
"Hope?" He gave her a knowing look as he tilted his head.
She shook her head as she blurted, the pressure of her guilt that she'd been bottling up finally exploding, "I should've told you earlier. I'm so sorry. I didn't think she'd be here. I didn't know she'd be the one in charge of the Avengers project."
"You knew Maria from before," he said plainly, without any emotional indication attached to it.
She bit her lip and nodded. "While you were under house arrest, S.H.I.E.L.D. found out about our bridge. Maria and I, we..." She dropped her head, fixing her gaze on her hands in her lap. "Well our paths crossed then. On a few occasions, actually."
"So you guys..." his question trailed off.
She nodded her head so stiffly that it felt more like she were vibrating it up and down; she felt so guilt ridden. "It only happened once. During our last meeting. We had to part ways afterwards. The bridge was attracting too much attention, but Maria fixed it so we could continue our work in peace." She then remembered their issues that came after Scott had gotten involved with their project. "Well, until Ava and Burtch, that is."
"You could've told me." His words weren't angry, they oddly sounded supportive.
"Yeah, I know." She turned to him, for the first time, looking into his eyes.
"So why didn't you?" Hope slowly shrugged her shoulders. "It's because you still have feelings for her, isn't it?"
She shook her head, not able to admit it to herself, let alone to Scott. "You and me, we're good together. We make sense." She stretched the truth, knowing that their romantic relationship was pretty irrational despite the fact that she enjoyed being around him. "Next week we'll go home and everything'll go back to normal," she rambled, scared of losing him altogether.
Scott sighed before scooching closer to her and gently putting his arm around her shoulders, hugging her into his side. "You're right, we are good together. We make a great team. But that doesn't have to change even if we aren't togethertogether. We'll always be partners. We're Ant-Man and The Wasp no matter what."
Hope looked at him, eyes instantly tearing up at his words. "This isn't fair to you. I'm the one who's wronged you. You should be mad at me. Stop being so nice."
"You haven't wronged me. Not really. And it's not like I'm innocent here. I left you in my decision to go to Germany. You didn't get a choice in the matter. My actions sent me to the Raft and you on the run. And during that time you found someone else. You can't blame yourself and say it's not fair to me, because that's not true."
"You didn't mean to leave me for prison though."
"I know I didn't, but that doesn't change the fact that it was my selfish actions that landed me in there." He rubbed at the spot on her shoulder where his hand was resting. "But now I'm gonna set things right and support you. Whatever you need, I'm here for you, and in whatever capacity you deem appropriate. Whether you're with me, Maria, somebody else, nobody else, it doesn't matter, because I'm not leaving you again. Okay?"
Hope nodded as she said through tears, "Okay." She then kissed him on the cheek before she dipped her head to rest it on his shoulder. "I love you," she said, for the first time, realising that it was easy to say when she wasn't giving him her heart.
He folded up his arm to lay his hand on her head as he turned to mutter into her hair, "I love you too." He kissing her scalp. "And I'm so glad to have you back. I was so scared after Sam had flown you back to the tower the other day. At first, I thought he was bringing back your lifeless body. You were so still in his arms." Hope turned to wrap her arms around him. "Then – the next thing I knew – your on the operating table with your skull being drilled into..." his words drifted off.
"I'm sorry I freaked you out." Hope squeezed him tightly as they sat in silence for a bit, just soaking in each other's company.
"Okay," Scott finally said, breaking the silence as he got to his feet, reaching out to Hope. "It's time for you to go now."
"Go?" She grabbed his hands as he pulled her up. "Go where?"
"I'm assuming the control floor. That's where Maria normally is, right?"
"I— ah... I didn't say that I was— I mean, I don't know if I—"
"You don't know if you want to go to the woman who's been on your mind all week? The one you were with, before circumstances beyond your control split you apart? Who you literally almost died for?" He tilted his head to the side. "Come on. You need to go see your girl. Tell her you're now available." He started to pull her towards the elevator.
"What if she doesn't want me back though? What if she's moved on?" A sense of panic fell over her.
"Impossible." He shook his head with a smile that she could tell he was forcing for her behalf. He then pressed the call button for the lift where they stopped to wait for it. "Now, if only this elevator would get here faster. I'm trying my hardest to stay strong but we both know I'm not very good at the ol' stiff upper lip thing. I just really don't want to start crying in front of you."
"Scott," she huffed, guilt overwhelming her once again.
"Nope, nope, I shouldn't have said that out loud. I'm sorry. That's my bad." He shook his head before looking at her to say, "But you still gotta go." The elevator chimed open before Scott led her inside of it to grab the railing at the back. He then pressed the button for the control floor before stepping backwards out of the lift. "I'll see you later," he said as the doors closed, separating the two of them.
Hope didn't get the time to pull herself together during the short ride down, for that within seconds the elevator stopped and open its doors as Hope was beyond terrified to step out into the room. She had never felt so much fear in her life as her head flurried with questions. What if Maria was busy right now and couldn't talk? What if someone was with her and she couldn't give her the undivided attention that she needed? What if she was alone and totally willing to give her the time, what would she say then? Or the most frightening thought of all, what if she figures out exactly what to say but Maria still rejects her anyway?
When she slowly exited the elevator, she scanned the room, finding only Maria who was standing, bent over, looking at the computer monitor on a desk across the way from her.
Hope took a deep breath before she started wobbling her way across the floor towards the other woman.
Maria turned her head to the side, catching sight of her as she was quick to stand straight at attention.
"I just saw your mom steal Tony away." She fixed her eyes on Hope's teetering legs. "I thought she was in charge of keeping you upright while you hobble?" Smirking, she looked up at her with shining eyes.
"Well." Hope smirked back at her through nerves. "She left me in Scott's care, who then abandoned me in the elevator and sent me here."
Maria tilted her head in what looked like confused concern. "And why would he do that?"
Hope stopped in front of Maria as she fixed her gaze on her soft sapphire eyes, which somehow made her feel equally scared as they did safe. "He knew I'd prefer being in your care over his."
"Mine?" her question came gently.
"Yeah." Hope practically laughed in pure anxiety, rubbing at the back of her neck. She then settled herself a bit before saying, "That's kind of exactly why we broke up just now."
Maria's gaze bore into Hope's as she stood in a silence that probably only lasted a few seconds, but to Hope, it felt like an eternity. "You broke up?" she asked so softly that it barely came out.
Hope's heart was pounding so intensely in that moment that she could hear it echoing in her ears as she took a single step closer to her, not breaking eye contact, while she muttered in complete desperation, "Maria."
Maria didn't hesitate to respond to the woman's advances as she slid her hand to the side of Hope's neck, her thumb resting on her cheek, before she took a step closer herself, closing the gap between them as she slowly leaned in and ever so gently pushed her mouth to Hope's.
Hope's eyes shut immediately as she parted her lips to receive Maria's tongue that was already searching for hers. Hope then wrapped her arms around her, falling completely into her body as she pressed her mouth hungerly into their soft kiss, intensifying it like she wanted to consume Maria whole.
Maria's other hand then found its way to Hope's lower back, yet when she placed it there, she did so with the most gentle of touches like she remembered that she was badly bruised, which made Hope feel a tingle of warmth throughout her body. Maria's hand then slowly moved down as she slipped her fingers underneath the hem of her shirt. The feeling of her bare skin on her own made Hope lightly whimper inside Maria's mouth which sent her hand to the back of the woman's head. She tangling her fingers in her hair, grabbed a fistful of her locks while wishing she could grasp onto her very essence itself. Maria then dragged her hand softly up her tender spine, making Hope tremble underneath her touch; her legs quivered as her stomach knotted.
That was it. In that moment all of Hope's worries that she hadn't truly know what she'd wanted, completely disappeared. There were no doubts. She knew for a fact that Maria was the person she'd been waiting for her whole life. That feeling she had the last time they'd kissed wasn't Hope reacting to their secretive and high stakes relationship, it was her heart reacting to the notion that it'd found a home in Maria. It just took until this kiss for her head to realise it too – to recognise that their beings shared the same cosmic song.
Just then Maria pulled away from their kiss as she mumbled into her mouth, "God, I've missed you." She then captured her lips, once again.
Maria's words hit her hard. They indicated that she'd been thinking about Hope just as Hope had been thinking about her during their time apart. The possibility that Maria felt the same way was too much which made Hope's knees buckle beneath her.
Maria was quick to catch her before she hit the ground. She swiftly moved her hands underneath her butt, lifting her up into her arms with a grunt. Hope then loosely hugged Maria's neck as she wrapped her legs around her waist while Maria turned them around and slid Hope onto the desk next to the computer.
"Ah." Maria winced while dropping her head to Hope's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I guess I'm kind of heavy," she said in embarrassment.
"No, you're not." Maria ripped her head up to look at her. "It's just my shoulder."
"Oh, god, you were shot!" Hope had totally forgotten, just remembering in that moment as she moved her hands to the shoulder that she was favouring. She pushed the collar of her shirt down to reveal a bandage.
"It's okay. It's fine," Maria quietly hissed as Hope gently laid her hand over her wound.
Then it all metaphorically came crashing down on top of Hope as she started laughing at both of their current states. She dropped her forehead to Maria's, mindfully avoiding her lacerations. "Why are we both so broken?"
Maria chuckled. "'Cause we're idiots who don't wear Kevlar and parachutes."
Maria placed her hand on Hope's thigh as she began rubbing it. "How are your legs? Should I take you to the infirmary?" she asked with worry, yet her busy hand was bringing its own separate effects on Hope's body, ones that were contrary to Maria's questions of concern and nurturing intent.
Hope pulled her head back as she brought her hands to Maria's scalp, pushing her fingers through her hair, starting at her temples. She then shook her head as she gripped her legs around Maria's body, giving her hips a firm squeeze. "I'm fine." She smiled and then mischievously bit at her own bottom lip, with her body practically vibrating from Maria's thumb that was just previously sliding over her inner thigh.
Maria chuckled as she leaned into her. "Okay, message received. Now would you kindly stop vise-gripping me?" Maria stared into her eyes as she spoke with her lips ghosting over Hope's, "I feel like you're about to crack me open with your power thighs." Hope giggled while loosening her hold around her as she pressed her mouth back to Maria's, kissing her once again as she felt the the other woman smiling against her lips.
Hope didn't know how long they'd remained in that spot, taking in every ounce of the other as they suckled, bit, and devoured each other in an endless amounts of kisses, before they were startled by a voice.
"Hey, Maria, that's a cute new top you've got there."
They both whipped their heads to the side, finding Natasha smiling at them while leaning up against the desk that Hope was currently sitting on, just about an arm's length away.
"God dammit, Tasha! What did I say about sneaking up on me like that?" Maria snapped at her while seemingly more annoyed than mad.
Natasha ignored her question as she reached out to Maria, pulling her small Bluetooth out of her ear before putting it into her own. "So," Natasha focused her attention onto Hope as she said, "our girl here has slept for all of five hours in the past three days. You think you could take her to bed?"
"You only slept five hours?" Hope looked at Maria, studying her face for a moment. "I guess that explains these dark circles here." Hope gently cupped her face, gliding her thumbs across the bags under her eyes. "Why have you been up for so long?"
"I was busy securing the tower."
Natasha leaned in closer to Hope as she spoke under her breath, "More like, she was busy worrying about you."
"Tasha, shut it, and bugger off! Won't you?"
Natasha smiled at her reaction. "I'm not gonna shut anything, so your only option is to bugger off yourself. And besides, you guys are the ones in my work space here, anyway."
Maria narrowed her eyes at Natasha while Hope chuckled at their childish behaviour.
"Okay, come on now." Hope grabbed Maria's good shoulder as she carefully slid off of the tabletop as Maria was quick to slip her arms around her, making sure she didn't collapse when her feet hit ground. Hope stabilised herself instantly as she patted Maria's arm. "I'm walking to your bed, so if you don't want me falling over on my way there, you're gonna have to come along with me."
She then started for the elevator on her own, squeezing past Maria. She only got two steps away before she felt the other woman's arm gliding underneath her own, giving her a strong support to help her walk. Hope beamed when she'd gotten her way, glad that Maria didn't hesitate in allowing her to take her to bed.
"Hope, I'm glad you're back." Natasha spoke up from behind them. "Now we finally have someone Maria listens to. This is a miraculous day."
"Please don't listen to her," Maria grumbled into Hope's ear as she called the elevator, its doors opening instantly for them.
Hope bit down on a grin as she grabbed the handrail in the lift as she then proceeded to pull Maria in with her. Maria smirked while reaching for the button of the floor that held her apartment, pushing it before wrapping her arms around Hope as they both leaned up against the wall, hugging each other close. Hope sighed, allowing her head to fall into the crook of Maria's neck, a smile fixed on her face, still not fully believing how blissfully happy she felt in that moment as she finally held her girl once again. She may not have been ready to admit it out loud, but she already knew it in both her heart and her head that she was utterly and hopelessly in love with Maria Hill.