"Steve. Stop. Be serious."

"I am serious."

"No, you're being a pain in my ass. Come on, like we practiced."

Steve leaned his weight back on his right foot with his left fist raised as he narrowed his gaze at his sparring partner. Brooklyn shook her head side to side to crack her neck, then pulled a knife from her belt and lunged at Steve. He raised his left arm to knock the knife out of her hand and duck down to sweep her legs, but Brooklyn jumped and brought her fists down hard on his skull, despite him not feeling it. Steve stayed low, looking up to see Brooklyn roll her eyes at him and opened her mouth to scold him for stopping, but he grabbed her ankles and pulled her off her feet, causing her to crash onto her back.

"Ow, fuck!" Brooklyn growled as Steve hovered over her. She lashed her foot out, catching Steve in the kneecap and causing him to hiss in pain. "You deserve that. You need to get up as soon as you sweep and stop leaning back on you right foot. You're right-handed, you should have your dominant hand forward."

"No, that's wrong, I should have my weaker side forward and my right hand recoiled, so I have more power in the punch." Steve corrected as he reached down for Brooklyn to take his hand. "Stop trying to teach me wrong."

"I'm not teaching you wrong. I'm teaching you a different way. You still fight like you have your shield." Brooklyn took his hand and allowed him to gently help her up. "I know you can do this, why are you being a pill today?"

Steve just shrugged, playfully knocking his arm into Brooklyn as he sauntered into the kitchen, "Just not in the fighting mood."

"It's been six weeks Steve. Director Fury wants us to come home." Brooklyn said as Steve filled a cup of water from the tap. He ignored Brooklyn, not wanting to talk about leaving, "Steve? Did you hear me?"

"What if I don't want to go yet? What if I'm not ready?" Steve turned to face his handler, sipping his water slowly just to kill more time. "I'm not ready to be on my own."

"Yes, you are. You've come such a long way. You've checked all the boxes, and then some. Until today, I would have thought you were better at combat than I was."

"It's because I am." Steve teased as Brooklyn tried to push the couch back into its place, "I'll get that."

"I know you will, but maybe I want to." She grunted, but Steve just snorted and leaned his waist against the counter as he watched. Brooklyn tossed her head back, causing her loose mahogany waves to fling back over her t-shirt, "Sometimes I just want to prove I can do things without you."

"Without you, I'm nothing but muscle."

"That's not true." Brooklyn argued as Steve set his water down and moved beside her to push the sofa back into place, "You are brilliant and kind. I gave you the tools and directions, but everything else was you. If you can survive in the 21st century, it's because of you." Brooklyn leaned against the back of the couch and panted as Steve looked around, "What'cha thinkin?"

"I don't want to leave. I like it here." Steve mumbled as he moved to sit on the front of the couch. Brooklyn followed suit, coming around to sit beside him as he gazed at her. Over the past five weeks, Brooklyn had stayed guarded, but he was glad she'd finally allowed herself to change out of her SHIELD uniform. Once she was dressing like a person and not an agent, Steve felt more comfortable letting her mold him to be what SHIELD wanted. As long as she was still Brooklyn after working for SHIELD, Steve would trust them to give him orders. Eventually. When they had to leave.

Brooklyn leaned her arm against the back of the couch, tilting her head to let her hair spill over her shoulder, "Steve, we can't stay here forever."

"Why not? Aren't you happy here?" Steve teased, but his voice came out more pained than he'd expected, and he knew Brooklyn would see right through it.

She smiled sadly, "You know I am, but we can't just hang out and have SHIELD pay for everything forever. As much as I hate to say this, Captain America needs to get a job. If it isn't being Captain America, you'd make a great model." Steve huffed at that, causing Brooklyn's smile to grow, "Seriously, you can tell Fury that you don't want to work for SHIELD. I'm sure he'd understand. I'll even tell him I don't think you'd be a good fit."

"But it's a lie."

"Well, that's a you problem. I lie all the time." Steve raised his brow, and she rolled her eyes, "Not to you, but, you know, to other people."

Steve hummed deep in his throat, considering Brooklyn's offer, "Do you think I should join?"

"I think it's your decision. You'd be a great asset. I'd be proud to work with you."

"When we go back, I suppose I'll be out on my own." Steve grumbled, remembering that beyond these four walls he had nobody. "Just because I can survive alone, doesn't mean I want to."

Brooklyn placed her hand on Steve's knee, giving it a comforting squeeze, "You won't be alone. I'll be there. Maybe not in the next room, but I'll be there, in your ear every mission, every meeting. We can train together and hang out together, just like we do now. Just, out there."

"I'd rather stay in here."

"And you just expect me to stay hidden here with you forever?" Brooklyn asked and Steve winced, hearing how bitter her tone sounded. She sighed and removed her hand from his leg, "It's not that I haven't enjoyed being here with you, but I miss people. I get that you don't really have anyone out in the real world, but you could. I do. I have friends who I miss, and even though I love spending time with you, I have a life back home. I can't stay trapped forever."

"Two more weeks. Please." Steve begged, and Brooklyn massaged her temples, "One more?" Steve offered, grabbing her free hand and holding it tightly so she'd look at him, "We can go after Thanksgiving. You said you hated holidays."

She blew air out of her lips in frustration, but Steve knew she was going to break. "Steve. Fury wants me to come back. I have a job to do."

Steve lowered his head, but he couldn't hide his disappointment, "I understand. I'm sorry we've been here so long."

"Don't be." Brooklyn answered with a grim smile, "Fury's been calling. I've been sending him my reports, and he's ready to talk to you and get an answer about your future with the organization."

Steve stood and leaned back on his left foot with his right fist raised, "If you win, I join SHIELD. If I win, we stay another week."

"And don't join SHIELD?"

"Then I'll have another week to decide." Steve taunted and Brooklyn stood to spar with him. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as she leaned back on her right foot, mirroring his stance from earlier.

Steve waited for her to start, and she struck him, but he blocked it quickly, shuffling towards her as he blocked every hit. He chose not to attempt to take Brooklyn down, instead blocking her hits until he finally summersaulted into the kitchen away from her. She stared at him before charging forward to strike his chest and kick his left thigh with her boot, but he just smirked down at her.

"You give up?" She panted as she glared up at Steve.

"I can do this all day."

While Brooklyn was taunting Steve, he'd wrapped his right foot just behind her ankle, and quickly pulled it back towards him to knock her onto her ass again. When she fell, Steve fell to his right knee, planting his left foot on the opposite side of Brooklyn so he was straddling her stomach. He leaned over to grab both of her hands and hold them over her head so she couldn't wiggle from his grip, "I win."

"Yeah, I noticed." Brooklyn grumbled and Steve let go of her hands and stood, reaching down to help her up again. "I'm getting sick and tired of you knocking me on my back."

"Well, lucky for you, it's your turn to sleep in the bed." Steve answered as he leaned back to stretch out his shoulders, "What will you tell Fury?"

Steve heard a buzzing from the tabletop and picked up his phone. Brooklyn snorted, "Remember, eyes everywhere." She motioned around, then slipped away to use the restroom while Steve was on the phone.

"Director Fury."

"Captain, how are you feeling?" Nick Fury asked and Steve stiffened, knowing if he wanted more time at the Retreat, he was going to have to ask for it himself.

"I'm feeling much better. Agent Hayes has helped a lot. We've been training." Steve said truthfully as he looked to the closed bathroom door, hearing the shower starting.

After a beat, Fury stated, "Agent Hayes has been sending me reports on your progress, and it appears she's accomplished everything we asked of her. If you are ready, we would like to extract you both from the Retreat."

"With all due respect, Director Fury, I'd like to spend a little more time here."

"May I ask why?"

"Well, I, uh…" Steve tried to think of a reason, excuse, anything to get more time in his secluded haven, "We've been focusing a lot on combat training sir, and I haven't been picking it up as well as I'd like."

"You're a terrible liar, Rogers. If you want to stay longer, be my guest, but Agent Hayes needs to return. We have other things for her to do. She's finished her mission, but you can stay as long as you'd like."

Steve's stomach dropped at the idea of being stuck here without Brooklyn. She was the reason he got up in the morning, and without her he'd go mad, "Could you spare her one more week?"

"Captain Rogers, I'm sure Agent Hayes has been very clear about her role in your rehabilitation. If you're trying to spend more time together for reasons outside of professional, I'm afraid we'll have to find you a new handler."

"No! No, no, there's nothing between Brooklyn and I. Trust me, we're just good friends. She's been crucial to helping me over the past several weeks, and I'd like her to see if through if that's alright." Steve exclaimed as he heard the shower turn off from the bathroom. "Director, if you allow Agent Hayes to stay one more week with me, I'll be ready to begin formal training for SHIELD as soon as we return."

"Alright. We'll send the jet to collect you two on Sunday. Enjoy your holiday, Captain." Fury said before hanging up. Steve slid his phone into the pocket of his sweatpants and smiled, proud he'd secured a few more days before being thrust back into reality.

He started to walk to his room when the bathroom door opened and Brooklyn peeked out with her hair in a towel and a casual flowered dress that skirted against her ankles, "Hey. What did he say?"

"He said you're mine for a few more days. He's sending the jet on Sunday, so, guess I won."

Steve couldn't hold back his smug grin at Brooklyn's sigh. She didn't look disappointed though. If anything, she was probably annoyed that after doing absolutely nothing for SHIELD, Steve had Director Fury eating out of the palm of his hand.

"I'm surprised you want to stay so badly. It's supposed to snow on Friday."

Steve shrugged and looked out the kitchen window. He was attempting to look nonchalant, but he wasn't looking forward to the cold. He'd bribed Brooklyn into hiking with him two more times, but it was too cold now. Steve took longer hot showers and started the fireplace earlier, but he'd be damned if he left his happy little hideaway early just to get away from the snow.

"I'll be okay."

"You say that now, but we'll see how you feel when you have to shovel us out of here." Brooklyn teased. She stood beside Steve, eventually bumping her hip against him to get his attention. Steve watched as she pulled the towel off her head and use it to soak up the leftover water, causing her silky hair to make little waves on its own. She met Steve's gaze and whispered, "It's okay to be scared you know."

"I know. I'm not scared, I'm just dreading it."

"You don't even have to work for SHIELD. You could do anything you wanted, anything that makes you happy."

Steve smiled grimly as he draped his arm around Brooklyn's shoulders, "I told Fury I would do whatever he asked of me if he let you stay another week."

Brooklyn's expression was guilty as she sucked in a breath at the news, "Steve, you didn't need to do that. If Fury wants me back, I have to go back."

"A deal is a deal. You stay with me until Sunday, then we'll fly back to New York and go from there." Steve replied as he ran his fingers along Brooklyn's arm. She leaned into him and hummed her displeasure, but she didn't voice it. Steve chuckled and squeezed her tighter, "Admit it. You're happy to have a few more days here with me. Babysitting me is way more fun than traveling the world undercover."

"Yeah, why would I want to go to Paris or Rome when I could be trapped in a tiny hole in the wall cabin in the middle of nowhere with an elderly person?" Brooklyn snapped back playfully, "You're a pain in my ass, you know that? We could have been home by Halloween if you had focused."

"What's the fun in that? Rushing to get back to a world I don't belong in. I feel at home here. I can pretend I understand-"

"You do understand, Steve. You understand enough. You'll be okay." Brooklyn tilted her chin to look up at Steve with mischievous hazel eyes, "Plus. I need to get you laid. You're so uptight." She giggled when Steve pulled away to get some space, feeling his cheeks heat up at Brooklyn's idea."

"I'm good. Really. You know I am." Steve assured her, but Brooklyn grabbed his wrist and tugged at him to get him to come closer as he argued, "I don't want to have sex with someone for the sake of having sex. If I did, I would have had sex with you."

"Ouch." Brooklyn scowled, but her tone told Steve he'd only bruised her ego a little. She let go of Steve's wrist and backed away a step. "That hurt."

Steve reached forward and snatched her wrist, causing her to squirm in his grip as he pulled her back to stand toe to toe with him, "I think the reason you want to go home so badly is because you need to get laid."

"Yes, I do, that isn't a secret. Living with you is like living with an awkward, oversized teenager." Brooklyn teased as she looked at his massive hands on her wrists, "You are the brother I never had."

Steve snorted in response and released his grip on her, "Oh, you don't have a brother? I'll file that away under 'things I know about you'. It's a small file."

"You know me better than anyone I've met in the past ten years, consider yourself lucky. If I don't talk about it, it's because it's not important." Brooklyn paused when Steve leaned against the back of the couch and crossed his arms, "I told you about Dallas. That's a big deal for me. Fury doesn't know I have a little sister."

Steve was surprised, because Brooklyn hadn't hesitated to tell Steve her sister existed. He hadn't realized it was a secret, "Why don't they know?"

"Don't worry about it." Brooklyn snapped, throwing up her walls again. Steve knew Brooklyn as well as she'd allow, but she wasn't very open with him when it came to her personal life.

"Okay." Steve ducked his head and grinned up at her beneath his lashes, prepared to get a beating for what he was about to say, "You sure you don't have a brother hiding somewhere? Milwaukee?"

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. What do you want for dinner? I'm cooking." Steve passed Brooklyn and opened the fridge, "I can make…cereal?"

"Hmm, yeah, cereal might be safest. You aren't a great cook." She teased as she looked out the window at the clouds dotting the November sky. She sighed and Steve closed to fridge to look over his shoulder at his handler as she murmured quietly, "I'm going to miss this."

"Do you think we'll ever come back?"

"Probably not, but never say never. I've been up here on a couple of weekend trips after missions when I need to decompress. And hide." Brooklyn muttered as she tapped her fingers together, "If you tell Fury you like me as your handler, I'll do less undercover work, and I'll work more with you. When you're not with the other team-"

Steve cocked his brow, but Brooklyn didn't flinch or try to shy away from what she'd said. She just shrugged and sat at the table, looking up at Steve expectedly as she opened her laptop and logged into SHIELD's secure server.

"What other team?" Steve finally asked as he watched her type in her password. She didn't answer though, and it was testing Steve's patience. "Brooklyn?"

She turned her computer around and pushed it towards Steve, leaning back in her chair and tapping her fingers against the tabletop. "Fury has big plans for you. His little pet project needs a levelheaded leader."

"The Avengers?" Steve asked as he sat next to Brooklyn to read the page she'd brought up, "What is this?"

"It's a team. A response team to deal with larger-than-normal threats. After the New Mexico incident last year, Fury's been a little panicky. I don't blame him. I saw the footage when Fury sent this over for you." Brooklyn hunched over and grimaced, "I don't know if I was supposed to see all of that, but, I did. There's a lot of things we don't understand about our world."

Steve clicked on a profile of a man named Tony Stark, reading it quickly and realizing it was Howard's son, "Howard had a son?"

"Yeah. Tony, he's a big deal. He's Iron Man." Brooklyn explained quietly. Steve's breath hitched when he read Howard's date of death, realizing it was the same as his wife's. He looked to Brooklyn without speaking, but she seemed to understand what he was asking because she said, "They were in a car accident."

Steve had purposely avoided asking about his friends. He didn't want to know, but hearing that Howard had passed made him realize he'd have to face them eventually, "Could you pull the files for my team? For the Howling Commandos?"

Brooklyn nodded, smiling weakly as Steve turned back to the computer to keep reading about Howard's son. "Yeah. I'll have them printed up and left at your apartment. Fury says he's getting something set up for you so you can have your own space."

"Where?"

"In Manhattan." Brooklyn answered, and Steve's heart sunk at her answer. "I know it isn't quite home, but it's better than D.C."

Steve considered this as he closed the laptop. When he looked at Brooklyn, he could see she was confused. "I don't want to do this now. I said I'd join SHIELD."

"You said you'd do whatever Fury asked of you. This falls under that." Brooklyn pressed her finger against the laptop and regret filled Steve's chest.

Steve bit at his bottom lip, staring down at the table sadly as he thought about the new team SHIELD was putting together for him. He hadn't even met them. What if he didn't like them? Would it even matter? Steve raised his hand to itch his nose, but when he brought it down Brooklyn caught it. He looked to her as she held his hand, stroking his knuckles gently as she held his gaze with her bright eyes, "I'll be there every step of the way, until you don't need a handler anymore. I already asked Jasmine to have my things moved from D.C. to New York so I can be closer to you. That way we can do this whenever you need to."

Steve blinked slowly, not having considered that Brooklyn would have to move to be near him. She didn't even ask him, she just did it. She probably knew Steve would try and talk her out of it, "You don't have to do that. I don't want to displace you because of me."

"You're special, Steve. Getting to spend time with you makes being displaced worth it. I'm not mad. You're the best first asset a girl could ask for." Brooklyn tightened her grip on Steve's hand, and the corner of Steve's mouth lifted. He was thankful Brooklyn had intercepted him and taken him on. Steve couldn't imagine having spent the past weeks with anybody else.

He pulled his hand away slightly and she released it, humming to herself as she pushed her drying hair behind her ear, "As much as I like cereal, we should have a real meal. Let me cook. You can get the fire started. Or you could read that file I gave you."

"Naw. I'll worry about that when we get home. I want to enjoy this time of doing nothing before I'm thrust back into the world." Steve told Brooklyn as he stood, and she matched his movements to cross him to start dinner. He watched her dig through the cabinets and pull out pots and pans to make dinner for the two of them, and Steve felt a ping of sadness in his chest at the realization this was almost over.

Soon they'd go back and begin work. Steve would be putty in SHIELD's hands, and Brooklyn would be there to help him mold to their expectations. He didn't want to be somebody else, but Steve anticipated Director Fury being frustrated with his sulky self. Maybe they'd put his shield back in his hand and he'd feel like Captain America again. Right now, he just felt like Steve, and he liked that.

Steve knew that's why he'd latched onto Brooklyn Hayes, because she knew him as Steve Rogers, not Captain America. She wasn't blinded by the colors and the shield, she enjoyed spending time with him in his jeans and leather jacket by the firelight. In that way, Brooklyn reminded Steve of Peggy. Peggy had seen him before the serum, and she'd liked him just the same after it. Brooklyn may not have known him before he was… this, but she didn't seem drawn to him physically.

He would never admit it, but somedays that annoyed Steve. He didn't want to date Brooklyn, and he didn't want her to have feelings for him, but he wouldn't have complained if she really looked at him. Steve knew he was attractive, and this woman thought of him like a brother, which could only mean his personality was repulsive. Steve didn't want Brooklyn to fall for him, but he didn't want her to laugh at the notion of it.

While Brooklyn began cooking dinner, Steve leaned his fist against his cheek and watched her quietly. She was cute with her mahogany hair that had started to grow brown from her scalp as the weeks went on, and her bright hazel eyes that looked almost green in the sun, but chocolaty brown in the firelight. Steve hadn't gotten his hands on her until they'd started sparring, and with every hit he got on her, he found her solid as a rock beneath her uniform, and eventually, her yoga pants and tank tops. Her shoulders were as sculped as her ass, and one time her shirt rode up and revealed slight abs clenching beneath her soft olive skin.

Steve knew he needed time alone to find his place in this world, and he knew Brooklyn would never see him as more than an asset and a friend, but he wished he could feel her beside him once. If he asked, Steve was sure Brooklyn would have sex with him, but he didn't want that. He just wanted to cuddle up to her, just a little closer than they always were when he sat on the floor and her on the couch, running her fingernails up and down his neck until she fell asleep with her hand against his shoulder.

That though, was too close, too intimate for Brooklyn. Steve knew that was something she reserved for strangers, and he wasn't a stranger anymore. He'd have to wait until they returned to Manhattan to find someone to keep him warm at night. Anyone would do at this point, because he wouldn't love anybody like Peggy, and he wouldn't trust anybody like Brooklyn.