Brooklyn popped open the door to her apartment and dropped her keys on the table before calling out to Jasmine and Shanna, "Anyone home?"
"Yeah, we're in the living room!" Jasmine called back through a mouthful of food, telling Brooklyn she'd missed dinner. She sighed as she collapsed onto the couch beside Shanna, grabbing a handful of popcorn from her bowl.
Her two roommates exchanged a glance before Jasmine leaned forward in her recliner to prod Brooklyn, "Hey. You okay?"
Brooklyn sighed into her palms as she pressed her hands over her nose and mouth, "I got my time off for when my boyfriend comes, which is amazing, except I hadn't gotten around to telling Steve I had a boyfriend yet."
"Oh." Shanna said as she leaned back against the couch, watching Brooklyn warily, "How did Mr. America take it?"
"He took it really well, and that's why I feel terrible. Because I should have told him I was seeing somebody. He shouldn't have had to overhear my conversation with Fury." Brooklyn groaned as she grabbed another handful of popcorn and dumped it into her mouth, muffling her words, "The worst part is, I think he was going to ask me out."
"Again? You already turned him down once." Jasmine mumbled as she flipped the page of her magazine. Shanna shot her a dirty look that Brooklyn followed but Jasmine just shrugged, "You aren't interested in dating him, he needs to respect your boundaries."
Brooklyn chuckled as she leaned back against the couch cushions, shifting to try and get comfortable, "He's the most respectful man I've ever met, we just aren't on the same page right now. It's not a never. It's just a 'not right now' kinda thing."
"I mean, if he's single and looking, I'll happily show him a good time." Shanna hummed and Brooklyn shoved her against the arm rest in pretend shock.
"Tried that. He met the most beautiful woman at the park today. She had the biggest tits and the smallest waist and two dogs. And a business card. She gave him a fucking business card. She's perfect for him."
Shanna just shrugged and sipped her water through a reusable straw, "I don't know, kinda seems like his definition of perfect and yours aren't the same. I get that you don't see him as more than a friend, but maybe you'd have better luck trying to set him up with someone more like…like you."
Brooklyn blinked quickly, considering this for a moment before batting the idea away, "Naw, I want him to call the lady from the park. One look at her and I can tell she'd whip him into shape. That's what he needs, a strong woman. Plus, then maybe we can double date someday."
"Oh yeah? Will your mystery boyfriend ever come around?" Jasmine droned from her seat, not looking up from what she was reading.
"He's coming the first, and leaving the sixth, so yes, he will be around. Not around you two, because I got us a place to stay in Manhattan." Brooklyn explained as she pulled her feet up onto the couch to get more comfortable, "We're going to see some shows, see the sights, have some alone time."
"Just make sure you don't say Steve's name during sex, men hate it when you call them somebody else." Jasmine deadpanned.
Brooklyn glared up at the blonde, but Shanna just chuckled, "I'm happy you've found somebody outside of SHIELD. Gives you an outlet into the real world."
"Yeah," Brooklyn said, "It's going to be nice to be a regular person for a few days. Not an undercover operative, just me."
"You've been spending too much time with Captain Boring; you're getting all sappy." Jasmine grumbled under her breath, but Brooklyn decided not to comment on it, instead standing and stretching.
She pulled out the hair tie and let her long hair fall around her shoulders as she moved to the fridge to pull out some leftover pizza. Brooklyn shoved the cold slice into her mouth and leaned against the counter, wishing everything wasn't so difficult. She wished she didn't have to lie to Steve, because he knew she had a sister, but Steve would want to meet Dallas and that would be a whole ordeal. The last thing Brooklyn needed was for Steve and Dallas to be in the same place because Dallas would one hundred percent blurt out how into Steve Brooklyn was.
Dallas was a lot of things, but quiet wasn't one of them.
After spending most of the afternoon into the evening with Steve at Central Park, Brooklyn was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Once he'd overheard her conversation with Fury, there was no turning back on the boyfriend front and Brooklyn spent the better part of six hours gushing about a man who didn't exist. She'd informed Steve it was the guy from her mission in Phoenix. It's not like Steve would look him up and realize she'd killed him. It gave her a great alibi for her sister and didn't inform Captain America that she was a murderous monster.
"I'm gonna head to bed. See you guys tomorrow." Brooklyn mumbled as she grabbed a second slice and used her free hand to shake out the bump in her hair. She was vaguely aware of her roommates telling her goodnight as she locked herself into the bare room set up by SHIELD. At least the view was pretty.
She pushed open the drapes and looked across the East River as the sun set over Manhattan. Brooklyn popped off the screen and leaned out the window, enjoying the breeze and the sounds of laughing and music that carried on it.
Picking up her journal, Brooklyn did something she hadn't done in a long time: she sat down to write. SHIELD didn't want written records lying around, but Brooklyn wanted to remember the little details of her time in New York before she was sent back to D.C. Although her and Steve were getting along again, she wasn't his handler, and SHIELD had no use for her here, so she'd be inevitably be sent back at the beginning of June. She had missed her home in Washington, but she'd miss New York more. She'd miss this skyline, the culture, and above all, she'd miss Steve Rogers.
Brooklyn was thankful Dallas wasn't arriving until evening, so she could check in at the hotel under her fake name and more or less prepare for her sister's arrival before Dallas stepped foot in LaGuardia. She claimed the bed by the door, leaving the high-rise window view for Dallas, and hid a gun and some chloroform under the ledge in case somebody tracked her down. Brooklyn was always prepared to be attacked, and she wasn't leaving her sister's life up to chance.
She changed into an old t-shirt and jeans, pulling her mahogany hair in a long French braid. If she looked even slightly respectable or sexy, Dallas would drag her to the clubs and Brooklyn wasn't ready for that on their first night. She tied the bottom of her shirt into a knot, deciding not to look like a complete slob.
Her ringer blared and she snapped her head up, seeing her charging phone ringing near the clock. "Shit!" She yelped as she grabbed it, realizing Dallas was supposed to be arriving in twenty minutes, "Hello?"
"Hey! Plane landed early, are you here?"
"Umm, not exactly." Brooklyn grimaced as she unplugged her phone and grabbed her wallet, "I'll be there as soon as I can. Just, stay there, I'll come get you."
Dallas huffed and Brooklyn could hear the chattering of people on the other side of the line, "I can take a cab to you, it isn't a big deal!" She yelled back at Brooklyn, somehow thinking that her older sister couldn't hear her through the receiver, "Where's the hotel? I'll meet you there!"
Brooklyn pursed her lips and looked down at Times Square, considering this, "That's okay. I'll come to you."
"That'll take twice as much time! I'm a big girl, I can handle a taxi."
"Just be careful okay. Sit in the back. Pull up a map on your phone so you can see where the driver is taking you and if anything seems weird call me, okay?" Brooklyn chattered as she sighed and leaned against a light pole, watching the pedestrians pass, "Dee, you hear me?"
"Yes, I hear you!" She groaned loudly, "I'm an adult, I can take a cab. Send me the address of the hotel and I'll see you soon! We're going out tonight, right?"
Brooklyn looked down at her worn shirt and jeans, knowing her plan would have worked perfectly, had she actually gotten to the airport on time, "Yeah, sure."
"Great! I'm already wearing my clubbing dress. See you soon, byyyeee."
After hanging up and sending over the address to the Times Square hotel, Brooklyn sighed and decided to text Steve.
You call that woman from the park yet?
She quickly put her phone back in her pocket and started back to the hotel room to change. Brooklyn wasn't expecting to hear from Steve immediately, but she did. He'd messaged her back before she even reached the elevator and she sighed loudly at his response.
I told you, I'm not interested.
Brooklyn clenched her jaw and stormed out of the elevator. Steve was so damn stubborn, and Brooklyn just wanted him to be happy and loved, but the big oaf just wanted what he couldn't have. For some stupid reason he wanted somebody who understood him and liked him for who he was, when what he really needed was to get laid.
One of the biggest regrets of Brooklyn's time at the Retreat was that she didn't convince Steve to sleep with her. It would have solved a lot of problems. He would have gotten his feelings for her out of his system. He would have loosened up a little bit, lowered his standards a bit, and Brooklyn could have had sex with a super soldier.
It wasn't exactly a bucket list item, but it was something she'd dreamt about since before Steve Rogers was found in the ice. Although Steve would be a better time. The other super soldier she had access to was a bit of a loose cannon.
She changed into a backless skater dress that had a big bow tied around the back of her neck to keep it up. She kept her tennis shoes on, not in the mood to run around and get stepped on all night in high heels. It wasn't like she could reach Dallas's towering five-foot ten height anyway.
Brooklyn sat on the bed and turned on the television, letting the news of Stark Tower's imminent opening waste the time until she got a text from Dallas asking what room they were in.
She breathed in slowly through her nose, blowing the air out through her mouth as she stood and smoothed down the velvet dress in preparation of Dallas's arrival. When the knock came, Brooklyn steeled her nerves, knowing two years was too long to go without seeing her sister, but SHIELD kept her busy.
Dallas dropped her bag and squealed as she surged forward to grab Brooklyn in a tight hug, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe how long it's been! You look so good; your hair is gorgeous! And that dress, oh my gosh, can we go shopping?"
"Nice to see you too." Brooklyn said as she patted Dallas on the back, "How was your flight?"
"Long as hell, I'm ready for a stiff drink and a stiff dick if I'm lucky."
"Yeah, no, that's not happening. How about dinner?" Brooklyn suggested and Dallas sighed. Brooklyn grabbed her sister's suitcase and pulled it into the room, dragging the heavy thing to the window bed before turning around and taking in her sister's dress, "I'm not letting you anywhere near men in that."
Dallas looked down and gestured to her cutout bodycon dress that stopped at her upper thigh and was missing a chunk of fabric just under her breasts, "What's wrong with this?"
"This is Manhattan, not LA, people actually wear clothes, not bikinis." Brooklyn grumbled as she secretly wished she were as tall and voluptuous as her little sister. Dallas didn't have Brooklyn's sharp features and toned body, but she had long legs and a thousand wat smile that she wore with confidence Brooklyn couldn't muster outside of work. It was easy to be confident when you were pretending to be somebody else.
"Fine. I'll change." Dallas groaned as she unzipped her suitcase to pull out a longer red dress with a high neck and sheer sleeves, "Is this prude enough for you?"
"I'll leave the hotel with you, so yes."
"You're no fun."
Brooklyn shrugged as her sister went to change and freshen up her makeup. She pulled out her phone, wanting to respond to Steve, but knowing if she pushed him too far, he wouldn't want to talk to her at all. She twisted her mouth and tapped out a message, considering whether or not she should send it.
You should be more open to options. You deserve to be happy.
"Is there a reason you're trying to push the guy you like into someone else's arms?"
"Jesus!" Brooklyn gasped as she whipped around to see Dallas looming over her, "What the hell?"
"Yeah, what the hell? Isn't this the Steve you hang out with all the time? Maybe he's interested in you."
"He's not." Brooklyn deadpanned as she deleted the message and shoved her phone into her bra, "We're just friends. I just want him to be happy."
"Yeah, but maybe he'd be happy with you." Dallas suggested dully and Brooklyn huffed and rolled her eyes, "Is he cute? Do you have a picture?"
"No, I don't, you'll want to date him." Brooklyn teased, but she could see that Dallas wasn't taking no for an answer, "Seriously, he's just a good friend."
"Well, how about we go out for drinks, and maybe we can find some nice friends to hang out with us. In a public place." Dallas added when Brooklyn shot her a warning look. "Nothing helps get over the guy you don't have feelings for like finding a nice, new man who can buy you a drink. Maybe several."
"Yeah, sure, okay." Brooklyn grumbled as she allowed Dallas to tug her out of the hotel room for a night out in Manhattan.
Had Brooklyn realized her time with her sister would be cut so short, she would have stood her ground about not staying out all night when Dallas first arrived. They'd slept all morning, and looked at apartments all afternoon, and they were sitting down for dinner at Roxy's when Brooklyn got the call from Coulson.
"We need to bring you in."
"I'm on vacation." Brooklyn answered as she shoved an onion ring into her mouth.
Coulson sighed before adding, "This is top priority. We're taking out the helicarrier and its all hands-on deck. Anyone combat trained is required on site."
Brooklyn looked to Dallas, then excused herself for a moment to speak to Coulson away, "Seriously? Fury told me I could have this week off! My boyfriend is here."
"Well, tell him you have to go out of town on emergency business. We'll brief you when you get here. 0600 hours. Don't be late."
"Coulson, please-"
The agent hung up and Brooklyn groaned loudly as she threw her head back against the wall. She fumbled with her phone, wondering what could be so important that they were calling everyone in.
Everyone.
She shook away the idea of the Avengers Initiative and shuffled back to Dallas, plopping into the seat with a heavy sigh, "So. Bad news."
Dallas melted in front of her, disappointment washing over her features like a waterfall, "Bee, please! I came all this way to spend time with you!"
"It's an emergency work trip."
"How long?"
"I don't know. Hopefully just a day or two. You can keep looking at apartments and I'll try and be back by this weekend." Brooklyn told her little sister. Dallas responded by draining her beer and setting down the glass a little too harshly. "Dee, I'm sorry. It's important."
"When do you leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. I'll be gone before you get up."
Dallas nodded slowly as she took in the information, staring past Brooklyn's head, "Okay. I understand."
"I'll make it up to you. I promise." Brooklyn said as she grabbed her sister's hands, "When I get back, we'll have some real fun."
"Can I meet Steve?"
Brooklyn narrowed her eyes, "Maybe. Leaning towards no."
Six A.M. saw Brooklyn Hayes inside the New York SHIELD base amongst the biggest mess she'd ever seen. Every agent around was hustling about, preparing to leave. The PA system was blaring the message "All SHIELD agents report to the roof for immediate extraction."
She sighed and followed directions, meeting Jasmine on the roof as they received their information packets while waiting for a quinjet to take them to the helicarrier already in the Atlantic. All she wanted was a few days off to spend with her sister. It reminded Brooklyn of why she joined Hydra- SHIELD didn't care about the soldiers, just that the war was won. They didn't care what happened to Brooklyn, her family, or her friends. It was only a matter of time before SHIELD fell to something bigger and better.
Brooklyn was assigned to the bridge. Her job was to make sure the helicarrier was running smoothly and keep a close eye out on the radar for any potential threats. Her focus came crashing down approximately ten minutes after they took to the sky when Steve's voice cut through the chatter, "Brooke- Agent Hayes?"
She shot to her feet as all of her coworkers turned to her expectedly. She gazed at Steve, feeling her stomach drop at the realization that everything she'd done to keep him off of Hydra's radar was for nothing because he was here now. "Hello, Captain Rogers." She said casually, trying to shake off the sadness overtaking her. He gazed at her with so much excitement and adoration that her breath was snatched away. She forced herself back to work, swallowing to will her cheeks back to their normal color.
Suddenly, Brooklyn shifted and realized Steve was standing beside her, taking all of the air out of her lungs, "Can I help you?"
"I thought you were with your boyfriend?" Steve asked loudly and Brooklyn's cheeks turned even more red as she crossed her arms. She glared up at Fury, snarling, "Well, unfortunately crazy demi-gods have no respect for my love life, so here I am."
Steve looked surprisingly happy and Brooklyn was annoyed that he was happy she was here, but then she remembered that he was in love with her, and he thought this meant he had her instead of her boyfriend. "I'm sorry." He finally got out, and Brooklyn just shook her head.
"No, you're not. We were going to see a show tonight. Have a nice dinner. I'm disappointed."
That bothered Steve. His excitement died immediately and true remorse took it's place, "Is there anything I can do to fix this?"
"Find Loki, so I can go back to what I was doing." Brooklyn snapped. She wanted Steve to leave. She wanted him to stay away from the Avengers and Loki and Hydra and her. She just wanted Captain America to go the fuck away.
She sat back at her console and began testing the engines to make sure they were working at optimum capacity. Steve lingered for a moment longer before leaving, and Brooklyn could finally breathe without the soldier hogging her space. She pulled out her phone and sent her sister a text, telling her she'd arrived at her destination and to send photos from the apartments she was looking at.
A rapid beeping emanated from the opposite side of the bridge and Brooklyn sucked in a sharp breath, looking over her shoulder when she heard Agent Sitwell say they had a hit on Loki.
"Agent Hayes, please escort Captain Rogers to his uniform."
Brooklyn stood in a daze at Fury's words, nodding to herself as panic overtook her. "Yes, Sir."
She gestured towards the doors and Steve followed like a puppy, staying behind her to give her space. When they reached the room his suit was held in though, Brooklyn couldn't ignore him any longer, "How are you?"
"Nervous. Agent Coulson said they made me a new uniform."
Brooklyn snorted, knowing Steve wouldn't like the new look, but he'd never tell Coulson or Fury that. Steve wouldn't complain about the hard work that went into bringing him to the 21st Century, even if he looked like he belonged in a circus instead of fighting a demi-god.
When Steve saw it though, Brooklyn saw something shift within him. The quiet, sweet man she'd spent time with at the Retreat was replaced by the Captain America she'd seen in the film reels. Stoic, bold, and focused as he gazed beyond the uniform at his shield. Brooklyn realized he hadn't seen it since 1945.
"What do you think?"
"It's different." Steve said as he looked down at Brooklyn.
She wanted to see him in that uniform so damn badly, but Brooklyn knew time was of the essence and she couldn't be the reason he wasted it, "I'll leave you to change."
"Wait!" Steve exclaimed as she turned to leave, causing her to freeze in place. She clamped down her jaw and waited for Steve to speak, "I know I shouldn't ask this, but would you stay and help me get ready?"
Brooklyn's stomach leapt into her throat as she quickly imagined Steve in nothing, but his underwear and she blurted, "You want me to help you change?"
"I want you to help me get ready. I want you to walk me through what's going to happen." Steve said sternly and Brooklyn clasped her hands in front of herself, nodding eagerly.
She mumbled something that her mind couldn't keep up with, but she scurried past Steve to grab his pants and his undershirt as she breathed slowly through her nose, "If you can handle the pants and the undershirt, I'll help you with the rest."
Steve nodded at her directions as she walked towards the door, pressing her hand to the wall to ground herself as she heard Steve changing behind her. She wanted to turn around so damn badly, but she knew better than to tease herself like that.
"I'm sorry today isn't going as planned. We'll fix this and you can go back to…"
Brooklyn panicked, not having given Steve a name of her fictional beu. "Mason," she blurted and stared wide eyed at the wall.
Mason? Like the gay SHIELD agent Mason?
"Mason. You met him in Phoenix?"
"I did." Brooklyn said simply, wishing she had a boyfriend somewhere out there that she could picture to flush away the mental images of what was happening behind her.
"Is he nice?"
Brooklyn snorted and turned her head before catching herself and stopping before she could see him, "No, he's an ass, that's why I'm with him."
"Really?" Steve asked sincerely, causing Brooklyn to growl, "No. Not really, look, can we not talk about this now?" She asked as she whipped around, seeing Steve had unbuttoned his checkered shirt and his bare chest was peeking through. Brooklyn was practically salivating at the sight of his cut abs beneath the thin fabric and it took her a moment too long to realize she was staring before she turned back around and stared at the ceiling, praying that Steve hadn't realized how hungry she looked. "Can you hurry up? The fate of humanity and my love life is at stake."
Steve finally got his undershirt on and Brooklyn was safe to turn around. They chatted about his uniform as she helped him get it on, but Steve just couldn't let the Mason thing go.
"So, this Mason guy."
Brooklyn carefully attached the suit together as she grumbled, "What about him?"
"Is he- do you, uh, do the two of you-" Steve stammered and Brooklyn's cheeks burned so red she could feel the heat.
"I need you to stop talking. We're not having this conversation." She spat as she whipped around to grab his cowl, wanting to beat him within an inch of his life for trying to ask about her sex life. She didn't have a sex life, she had a double life, and she was trying to not get him killed, despite his best efforts.
"Does he treat you well?"
Of course, Steve would worry about how she was treated. Brooklyn should have told him that nobody could treat her as well as he did, but she decided to play along, "Yes, he treats me very well."
"He respects you?" Steve pressed and Brooklyn shook her head in exasperation.
"Steve."
"Brooklyn." He teased back and she gazed up at him from where she knelt by his feet to help him into his boots. Finally, he was ready to go, "I don't think I can do this." He mumbled as he stood, and turned to Brooklyn, causing her whole body to heat up at the sight of him in his uniform. He raised his chin bravely and put his hands on his hips, "How do I look?"
She couldn't help but smile as she looked him over, suddenly realizing what was wrong about the look, "It's missing something." Brooklyn stood and went to the case, wondering what the shield would feel like against her skin. She'd read about the famous shield, she's seen photos and film reels, but here it was before her. It was newly painted and buffed and Brooklyn wanted to see Steve with it. She swallowed hard and grabbed the disc off the wall, gasping a little at how light it was. "May I?"
Steve nodded and offered his left arm for Brooklyn to slide the straps over his forearm. It fit like an old glove, and Steve gazed at the weapon like an old friend he thought he'd never see again. "Thank you."
"Now you're ready." Brooklyn said breathlessly before she shook her head violently to come back to reality. "Let's get moving. We don't have any more time."
Brooklyn was ready to let Steve go until he and Natasha were powerwalking to the quinjet without her. Without thinking, she grabbed onto Natasha's arm and pulled her back without a word.
Nat stared down Brooklyn, then told Steve to wait for her on the jet. Once he was gone, Brooklyn was met with a severe stare from the Black Widow, "Let me guess, you want to come?"
"What? Me? No, no…" Brooklyn stammered as she watched Steve climb into the jet, "No, I just wanted to tell you to take care of him. He's a good guy."
"Uh huh." Natasha said with a smirk, "You know, I need a second pilot. Think you're up for the task? Then you can make sure he's taken care of yourself, since you're so worried about him."
"I'm not worried about Captain America."
"Then why else would you want to make sure he's taken care of?" Natasha pressed sweetly, "Thought you had a boyfriend back home?"
"I do, but Steve was my asset for a while, and I care about his wellbeing. As his former handler."
"He doesn't need a handler. He's a grown-ass man, but the offer to come still stands. You in or not?"
Natasha crossed her arms and looked over her shoulder at the jet as Brooklyn bit the inside of her lip, desperately trying to figure out what she should do, "Alright. I'm coming."
The Black Widow smiled knowingly at her response, "Great. Let's go to Germany."
Brooklyn didn't say anything to Steve as she got on the jet, instead choosing to take her place in the co-pilot's chair and start up the jet while Steve spoke to Natasha. She was comfortable with the silence until Natasha started prying about her love life.
"So, Hayes, rumor on the street is you weren't supposed to be working this week. Something about a boyfriend?"
Brooklyn shot Romanoff a dirty look because Natasha knew she had a boyfriend, "Yeah. That was supposed to be confidential."
"Word travels fast." Natasha said casually with a wink.
"Who did you hear it from?" Brooklyn snapped, wondering why people were gossiping about her and if SHIELD had realized there wasn't any boyfriend.
"Oh, Rogers back there, he isn't quiet." Natasha said loudly and Brooklyn sighed, realizing she was right. Steve had made quite a show on the bridge of cornering her and asking about her boy back home. "This guy got a name."
"Mason." Brooklyn mumbled, knowing she couldn't change his name now or Steve would realize something was up.
"Mason who?"
"None of your business, Romanoff!" She growled back and cleared her throat, looking over her shoulder at Steve, "Listen, if anyone needs help with their love life, it's Steve. I've been trying to get him to call this lady we met in Central Park, but he's chicken."
"I'm not interested. I don't know anything about her." Steve answered and Brooklyn called back, "That's how you get to know people, you go out with them!"
"You two are like a married couple. You should just date each other." Natasha suggested and Brooklyn had to physically restrain herself from choking the Black Widow.
She forced an uncomfortable laugh that Natasha clearly saw right through, "Steve and I? Really? He's like a brother to me. I care about him, I love him, but I don't think we'd be a good match. At least… not right now." She added quietly, knowing Steve would probably hear, but she couldn't lie to herself like that.
"Hmm," Natasha said with a bop of her head, then leaned over and whispered in Russian, "Парня нет. Вы влюблены в Стива."
There is no boyfriend. You're in love with Steve.
Brooklyn looked at Steve in terror, making sure he didn't understand what Romanoff said. He seemed aloof so she turned to Natasha and shook her head firmly, telling the assassin that she was way off base.
"Everything okay here?"
"We're fine, Steve. Get off my dick!"
Brooklyn blinked rapidly as she stared at the controls, chastising herself for speaking without thinking. Natasha was fighting back a laugh and Steve was staring at her in complete shock. Brooklyn just needed some space. She just needed to finish this shit show, get back to Dallas, and move back to D.C. away from Steve Rogers.