Brooklyn and Dallas couldn't have been in the subway station more than ten minutes when her cell phone began to ring. She pulled it out and answered it quietly, wandering away from Dallas for a moment, "Sir?"
"Your tracker shows you in Manhattan. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Secretary," Brooklyn said quietly, looking back at her sister as Dallas texted her friends updates back home, "I'm underground."
"Is there any chance of you getting out?"
"Probably not." Brooklyn replied, starting to get a sick feeling from Pierce's tone, "Why?"
With a loud sigh, Pierce admitted, "We're sending a nuclear warhead towards Manhattan. We don't know how to stop the attack. I was hoping we could spare you."
"What?" She gasped as she grabbed her mouth, "No, you'll kill us all."
"It's the only way."
"That's bullshit and you know it-" Brooklyn stopped as her voice began to rise, realizing this wasn't just about the invasion. "You'll stop the aliens. And you'll kill the Avengers."
"I had hoped you wouldn't be with them. It'll save us the trouble later and they'll die heroes."
"Please, Pierce, don't do this." Brooklyn pleaded as she wandered towards the stairs to look up at the sky, "They can finish it."
"I have no doubt about that, but if I finish it, I also finish them." Pierce answered and Brooklyn bit her lip to keep the sob from escaping her mouth. "Hail Hydra."
The line went dead, and Brooklyn looked around in terror, knowing that even being underground wouldn't be enough to save them. She moved quickly to Dallas, grabbing her hands tightly, "I have to go. Whatever happens, I love you. I love you more than anyone in this world."
"Where are you going?" Dallas asked when Brooklyn pulled away, sprinting towards the stairs, and taking them two at a time as her sister yelled after her, "Bee!"
She ran blindly down 42nd Street towards Park Avenue, looking up to see Iron Man grab the nuke and fly it upwards. Brooklyn panted as she slowed for a moment, realizing he was taking it into the portal. They were going to live. Pierce's plan wouldn't work.
He'd kill Steve another way.
"Brooklyn!" Dallas's voice called in the distance as Brooklyn pushed herself harder, turning to go up the side street onto the Pershing Square Bridge. She watched Tony Stark fall from the sky before the Hulk caught him. She watched them crash to the Earth. She skidded to a stop when she saw Steve's bright uniform in the distance, kneeling over Stark.
She tried to catch her breath, leaning against the bridge as the heroes hovered over Iron Man, until the Hulk roared, and they seemed to perk up. When Steve pulled Stark to his feet, Brooklyn began to scramble over the rubble to reach them.
"Steve!" She cried out when she got close, leaping over an alien body to reach him as he started to run towards her. When she reached him, he grabbed her more roughly than she expected and held her so tightly her feet lifted off the ground. Without thinking, she wrapped her legs around his slim waist and looked between his eyes and his lips hungrily, wanting him desperately. "Are you okay?" She finally breathed, knowing she was probably the last thing on his mind, but she needed to know he was gonna be alright.
He stared at her for a long minute, and she was worried there was something wrong until he jutted his face forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Her eyes burst open as he tightened his grip around her shoulders before driving his glove through her hair.
A quiet moan left Brooklyn's throat as she leaned into him. His hand was just above her ass and his tongue was down her throat and she would rather run out of air than pull away from him, but if she died, she couldn't do this again. "Steve, I-" she gasped when she begrudgingly came up for air, but he cut her off before she could tell him her thoughts.
"You're mine now." Steve commanded before kissing her firmly, "There's no more Mason. You tell him it's over."
Brooklyn's thighs shook around him at his tone. She wondered if he'd order her around that way in the bedroom. She hoped so. Her whole body was tingling as Steve stared at her intently. Tony was saying something in the background, but Brooklyn could still feel Steve's lips on hers. She wanted him to kiss her again.
"You're mine. And I'm yours. I always have been."
Brooklyn leaned forward to press her forehead against Steve's, feeling the weight of his affections. He was in love with the enemy. "It isn't that simple." She breathed as she rubbed her nose against his, feeling his heavy breathes against her face. He wasn't panting from the battle, he was panting from being with her.
"I'm not taking no for an answer. I want you, and you're going to give me a chance. I can be everything you need; you just need to give me a chance."
His voice broke and Brooklyn smiled sadly, seeing how desperately he wanted to try. Perhaps if she weren't undeniably in love with the man, she'd tell him to respect her feelings, but she wanted him too. And his conviction to making her his woman was too sexy to shut down.
"I need you." He said softly, eyes darting over her face with more love than she'd ever experienced. Brooklyn didn't understand why he cared about her the way he did, but she felt appreciated, and she felt safe. That was worth the risk and inevitable demise of their relationship.
She leaned forward to kiss Steve again, slowly snaking her hand up to the base of his neck to scratch his hairline before whispering, "I need you, too."
Steve's smile took over his entire face, made all the more bright by the amount of dirt caked across his normally pale skin, "You tell Mason he isn't going to see you again. I'm not letting you out of my sight.
Right. Mason.
"Who the hell is Mason?" Dallas grumbled as she tip-toed over the alien corpses to reach her sister. She stopped next to Steve and Brooklyn, looking them up and down with a coy grin, "I see you two have… yeah."
Steve set Brooklyn down and she noticed that Stark was getting anxious, meaning Steve was about to be pulled away, "I have to spend some time with my sister. We'll talk about this later."
"But what about Mason?" Steve asked impatiently and Dallas teased, "Yeah, what about Mason?"
The Hulk began to wander away and Brooklyn wanted to explain the finer details of her lies to Dallas before dealing with Steve, "They need you. We can talk later."
She didn't get a chance to leave though, because Steve pulled her back to his chest and tilted up her chin before growling, "I'm not moving a muscle until I know you're ending it. I'll kill him."
Brooklyn shook her head in surprise as Stark jabbered about not killing people. She patted Steve's chest and muttered, "Wow, yeah, no, that's extreme. How about no. There's no need to be so jealous… that's Mason." Brooklyn pointed to her sister.
Steve's eyes widened as he stammered, "You're dating your sister?"
"No, idiot, I made up Mason so I wouldn't have to explain to Fury why I needed time off to spend with my sister." Brooklyn gestured to the taller woman who waved sweetly to Steve, "She's moving to New York and wanted help looking for apartments. Mason doesn't exist."
Thank God, because Captain America is a jealous maniac.
To her surprise, Steve didn't look happy about this revelation. In fact, he looked sad, "But you were so happy. I thought you'd found someone."
"Steve, the only man I care for is you." Brooklyn said as she stroked his cheek, feeling her heart beat faster when she added, "I love you, too."
He kissed her quickly before pulling away, finally seeming content knowing that he wouldn't have to commit murder to get Brooklyn to date him, "I gotta go. I'll see you later? We're getting… uh, shawarma, apparently? You like shawarma?"
"I actually do. I'll meet you there." Brooklyn chuckled, but Dallas cleared her throat loudly, so she rolled her eyes and added, "We'll meet you there."
As Steve literally sprinted towards Stark Tower, Dallas grabbed her sister's shoulders and shook them roughly, "What a day! Almost died, found out my sister is a spy, met Captain America! I get to be your maid of honor, right?"
"Are we even dating? I was informed that I'm his, but I don't know the details." Brooklyn teased and Dallas just snorted in response.
"Don't act like you don't want to date him. If not, then you clearly have terrible taste in men. Unless you aren't into men. Totally understand."
"He's great. He's just got a lot off issues to work through." Brooklyn admitted quietly as she fiddled with her fingernail, "I just hope that I can give him what he needs."
Dallas nodded towards the direction they'd come from, starting to walk away from Stark Tower, "Honestly, it kinda seems like he just needs somebody to love. I think you can handle that."
You don't even know me.
Brooklyn followed for a few steps before stopping, causing Dallas to turn, "How can you forgive me so easily? For lying to you for so long?"
"Because you're my sister. And because clearly you're a part of something bigger than I understand." She gestured around at all the carnage around them. "Plus, I get to hang around with your hot boyfriend now, so I can look past your previous transgressions."
Her older sister shook her head and sighed, following behind slowly as she considered what being Captain America's girlfriend would entail.
"So, uh, how ya doing?" Dallas asked the owner of the shawarma joint down the street. Brooklyn was pretty sure it was the only one in the vicinity, so it was most likely the shawarma place she was supposed to meet Steve and the Avengers at.
While Dallas warned the owners about the incoming business, Brooklyn stood in the doorway with her bottom lip between her teeth as she gazed around the destroyed city. Every deep breath she took pulled more dust into her lungs, but her thumping heart was causing her to struggle with breathing. She'd worked so hard to keep Dallas away from all of this and to make sure that nobody would bother what was left of her family. She'd tried to keep her distance from Steve Rogers, she'd tried to keep from falling in love with him, but she couldn't.
Everything she'd planned was out the window. Brooklyn was in the lion's den now.
That feeling was intensified when she got a text on her cell phone from Secretary Pierce reading- Looks like we'll have to find another way to get rid of the Avengers. I'm glad you were spared, though.
Brooklyn stiffened and looked over her shoulder at Dallas as the taller woman chattered loudly with the owner's brother about the alien invasion they'd survived. Brooklyn didn't want to talk about it.
They saved us all. We need them.
She twisted her lips thoughtfully as she sent the message, tilting her head to listen to the conversation behind her as she waited for a reply from the Secretary.
For now. The new world order will eliminate the need for them.
With a heavy sigh, Brooklyn turned her phone off and shoved it into her bra so she couldn't be bothered by work. A little part of her told her to be thankful, because Alexander Pierce seemed to find her important enough to try and save. If she didn't stay in his good graces, she'd be one of the first to go.
"So, they're cleaning up the kitchen and firing up the grills. They think they can handle a few customers." Dallas informed her sister as she approached, "The younger guy, his name is Abu, how cute is that? He saw the Hulk throw their catering van through a hoard of the aliens who were about to storm the storefront, so they're more than happy to serve the Avengers."
"Great." Brooklyn grumbled and Dallas frowned. Without needing to hear the words, Brooklyn explained what was wrong, "It's complicated."
"Uh huh, yeah." Dallas hummed as she kicked away some of the glass. "This have to do with that phone call you got? In the subway station?"
Brooklyn raised her brow but kept her lips in a tight line. She decided to be truthful for once, "Yes. I can't talk to you about it though. It's classified."
Dallas sighed, but nodded in understanding, "I get it. Makes sense. Spy stuff. See, you can trust me with your life's work. I won't bother you about it. I don't even need to know."
Brooklyn tried to hide her grin, knowing her curious younger sister was putting up a front in an attempt to show that Brooklyn had been wrong keeping her in the dark, but it was very obvious that Dallas did want to know.
That didn't mean Brooklyn was going to tell her she was Hydra. Dee had forgiven her for lying, but she wouldn't forgive her for being Hydra. Brooklyn didn't want to explain how exhilarating it was to be a double agent; how much power she'd been giving for playing both sides. The thrill of taking out one of your team members when they make a decision that would hurt Hydra in the long run…and getting away with it.
As a future doctor, Dallas wouldn't be able to condone Brooklyn's motives, the lives she took mercilessly for her own gain. And if Dallas knew that Brooklyn was instrumental in torturing a man who didn't have control of his own mind? She'd never forgive her for that. Especially now that she'd met Steve.
Brooklyn had prayed every day since she met Steve Rogers that they wouldn't call her in to work with the Asset again. Although, she also didn't want them to pull him out of cryo without her. She'd promised the man that he wouldn't be alone again.
"They're here." Dallas murmured from behind Brooklyn and the shorter woman straightened up as she saw the Avengers striding towards them, a mix of pride, exhaustion, and frustration. Dallas giggled, "Your boyfriend looks less than thrilled."
Boyfriend. The corner of Brooklyn's mouth turned up into a sweet smile at the thought and when his gaze fell on her, he broke from the group and jogged towards her. Her smile grew, causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners as she kept her lips tightly shut, not willing to let her happiness overtake her. This wouldn't last, but she'd love him while she had him. If life was fleeting, she might as well enjoy it.
"Hey." Steve said, his voice husky in a way Brooklyn wasn't used to. She ducked her head and bit her lip before grabbing onto his hand.
"Hi. You feeling better?"
She watched the super soldier visibly slump at her words, but he laughed despite how embarrassed he seemed to feel, "Yeah. I'm so sorry, I was-"
"Intense." Brooklyn offered, her teeth finally breaking through her dust colored lips, "A little insane?"
"I don't regret any of it."
Steve lowered his head to steal a kiss and Brooklyn felt her knees go weak. She gazed at Steve while her sister spoke to the Avengers, barely able to focus, even as Tony yelled to the owner about selling booze.
Steve Rogers, Captain America, the First Avenger, World War II hero, and living legend- that Steve had Brooklyn tightly held in his strong arms and she was living for it. She'd tried to control him by keeping him at arm's length, thinking if she didn't give in to his desire to date that maybe she could just keep him out of harm's way altogether. That clearly wasn't the case anymore, because he was a full-fledged Avenger now. If Brooklyn wanted to keep Steve out of trouble, she'd have to do it by holding him by the heart, and by the cock.
There is no stronger loyalty than that amongst lovers…
She squirmed a little at the thought, knowing she'd have to work Steve like some sort of mission, but there were worse things than sleeping with this Adonis of a man.
"Sorry!" Steve yelped and released her, seeming to think he'd hurt her. Brooklyn took a step away and a deep breath as she gazed at Steve before realizing she'd lost track of her sister. "Dee?"
"Do you think the blonde would let me touch his hair?" Dallas cooed as she took a long step towards Thor, but Brooklyn pulled her back and shot her a dirty look.
"No, Thor will not let you touch his hair, get back here." Brooklyn hissed before her gaze fell on Loki. Thor had secured him to the wall near the door, but the God of Mischief watched her with those intense eyes.
Steve was suggesting they sit alone, but Brooklyn wanted the protection of the team. She was about to get her way when her sister took matters into her own hands, "Listen, if you two want to gaze into each other's eyes and tell each other how you've been pining over one another for months, that's fine with me. I'll just plop my cute little ass down in this free chair, next to Thor." She said as she gestured to the God of Thunder.
"Not months." Brooklyn mumbled under her breath, noticing that Steve was grinning so brightly he didn't even notice. He pulled out her chair and gestured for her to sit.
It wasn't surprising to Brooklyn, but she hadn't seen this side of him. He'd been friendly, maybe a little flirty at times, but now he was doting on her and she didn't know what to do. Usually when men pulled chairs out for her, she killed them later that night.
"Hi."
Brooklyn smiled softly, unsure where to even begin to process how cute Captain America was. "Hi Steve. How are you?"
"I'm alive." He sighed and Brooklyn nodded, and responded, "Great, so am I."
"How exactly are you alive?" Steve asked cautiously and Brooklyn smiled as she looked back at Thor and her sister, who was practically purring as she leaned against her fist, gazing at the god as he told her tales of his feats.
"I was in the cell when Thor was dropped. He got us out. He brought me back to Manhattan." Brooklyn explained as her eyes flickered over Steve. His once bright costume was caked in mud, alien guts, and blood. At least he'd gotten a chance to wash some of the dirt off his pretty face. When her gaze dropped though, she realized one of the smears of blood was his own, and it was his own broken skin peeking through the thick blue material, "You've been shot!"
She dove onto her knees and tapped his knees so he'd turn, allowing her a better view of the wound while he assured her it would heal. She glared up at him for a moment, then looked back to the gash, carefully running her fingers along the edges of the seared material to make sure it wasn't infected.
"So, uh, what are you wearing?"
Brooklyn's hand snapped to her boobs as a deep blush overtook her face. She didn't need to see what he was looking at, because the strained, yet mildly amused, tone of his voice told her Steve Rogers had gotten a full look at her tits, "Dallas didn't know about what I did." She grumbled as she pulled the tank top a little higher over her bra. She stood and pulled down her shorts, "I ditched the uniform after we crash landed and I wasn't able to get back to the hotel in Manhattan." She noticed his gaze still lingered on her chest, and she chuckled before shielding his view with her hair. She didn't expect Captain America to be so blissfully horny in front of his team, but he acted as if nobody else existed but her, "It's a little more revealing than what I wore at the Retreat, isn't it?"
"I don't mind." He muttered, smirking up at her with lusty eyes.
"I'm sure you don't." Brooklyn blurted, eyes widening as she realized she'd said it out loud. She looked over to Dallas, wishing she could be more like her little sister. Steve, though, seemed to think she was more than enough for him.
She sat down across from Steve, wanting to assure him that she was his. She'd exhausted all of her reasons for not being with Steve and ran away with the simplest reason why she should: they loved each other. "I'm here. You've got me." She told him before kissing him softly, lingering a moment to taste him. "Dallas leaves the day after tomorrow, assuming the flights go out. Can I come stay at your place?" She whispered, gazing into his eyes, "I'll sleep on the couch, just like old times."
"You don't have to sleep on the couch." Steve told her, and Brooklyn felt her stomach burn at the idea of sharing Steve's bed the night after tomorrow. She wanted to feel him inside her at least once before she lost him. From the look on Steve's face, she realized she'd have the pleasure of his company for as long as she wanted him.
"Wouldn't it be a shame if the good Captain found out what you really are? If he knew his precious lover was Hydra?"
Brooklyn snapped her head toward the door, seeing Loki sneering at her from beneath his muzzle. She clenched Steve's hand tighter, feeling her whole body go cold, "I think maybe we should go."
Steve looked startled by this, but Brooklyn kept looking back at Loki, wanting to get out of his sights. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise."
"He survived me, but he'll die because of you. Because of your weak affections towards him. I'm only sad I don't get to see what wonderful way you'll choose to kill him."
Brooklyn jumped to her feet, looking down at Steve, "Get some rest. I'll see you Sunday night?" She asked quickly before turning to the Avengers, "We have to go. Please don't tell anybody about my sister."
Dallas gazed up at her sister in alarm as Brooklyn tugged her to her feet, "Bee?"
"Let's get out of here." Brooklyn grumbled as she shot Loki a threatening glare before leaving.
"What the hell was that? Are you okay?" Dallas asked, looking over her shoulder at the shawarma place as Brooklyn led her back towards what was left of Times Square. "Brooklyn!"
"I don't want to talk about it, okay? It's fine. I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine, I just needed some air. He's suffocating me."
"Steve?" Dallas asked as she ground her feet into the ground. Brooklyn stopped and whipped around, seeing her sister's brow raised inquisitively, "You know, you don't have to date him. It would just be stupid not to since you're in love with him."
"It's not that." Brooklyn mumbled as she looked down. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, wanting to change into her own shoes, "Steve's great, I just need a little space. I just need to rest. You and I should spend some time before you head back to California."
"Okay." Dallas answered quietly, and Brooklyn was thankful she didn't ask anymore questions until they reached the hotel.
When they got to the lobby, Dallas grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed it tightly, "Thanks for saving me today."
"Thanks for looking past all the lies I've told you." Brooklyn answered sadly, "I can't promise there won't be more. But I'll be more present."
"And I'll be much closer."
"I'm moving to D.C. at the end of the month."
"Are you kidding me?" Dallas whined loudly, causing several hotel patrons to stare at her. She shot them a dirty look, then went back to harassing Brooklyn, "I'm moving all this way for you!"
"I have a job to do. I'm being called back, plus, with the quinjet I'm only an hour away. You'll see me more than you have since we were kids."
Dallas considered this as they reached the elevator, finding it inoperable. She looked to Brooklyn dully, "Promise?"
Brooklyn sighed, motioning towards the stairwell, "I promise."
The SHIELD agent spent Saturday telling her little sister stories of her adventures and her world travels. Dallas had always known that her sister travelled for work, as she'd send her postcards and trinkets from the countries she visited, but Brooklyn now told her stories with a long buried excitement.
She also told her little sister about her time at the Retreat with Steve. She explained how they met and how he warmed up to her and how she kept him at arm's length because of her work, but Dallas had this knowing smirk on her face the whole time.
By the time Saturday night arrived, Dallas knew who her sister was again. At least, what Brooklyn felt obligated to share.
"So, you cuddled up to him by the fire and he kept you warm after you were the one to knock out the power?" Dallas sighed as she leaned her elbow against the pillow. The women were thankful that the hotel got the elevators working again late Friday night, however, they didn't leave the room once since they arrived, except to get food from the restaurant downstairs.
Brooklyn nodded, "Yeah. I kinda thought that was the only chance I would get."
"Why?"
"Because I knew he wasn't cut out for SHIELD. He's so good and honorable, he's not a spy. He's a soldier." Brooklyn said, almost robotically, as if the response was something she stored away and brought out to answer this very question. "I don't know, I think I was just scared of letting him in. He isn't the type of guy you have a fling with, he's the type of guy you marry, and I'm not ready for that."
"Oh, he is. I can see it." Dallas laughed and Brooklyn blanched at her words, rolling onto her stomach to press her face into her pillow. Through the muffled down, she could hear Dallas giggling, "Bee! Bee, he's precious! He cares about you so much, and he's so out of your league."
"I know! And I'm scared that he's going to die."
Dallas stopped laughing and sat up, swinging her long legs over the edge of the bed to stare at her sister, "What?"
Brooklyn lifted her head, sniffling a little as she rolled onto her back, "I'm a spy. I sneak in, I do what needs to be done, and I get out. Nobody knows who I am or where I come from. I'm invisible. It's why I'm so good at my job." She grunted as she sat up, rubbing her eye socket with the palm of her hand, "Steve's Captain America. He's a celebrity, or at least he will be now that people realize he's alive. He's like this larger-than-life superhero with superhuman strength and abilities, and he's the poster child for the Avengers, but he isn't unbreakable." Brooklyn groaned as she leaned forward and met her sister's gaze, "He could die, and that scares me."
Dallas sighed, nodding her head as she took a long breath, "People die every day, Bee."
"Yeah, I'm fucking aware of that." Brooklyn snarled, but Dallas didn't respond to her outburst. Brooklyn softened and apologized, "Sorry, it's just… I know. We both know. It sucks when people we love die, and I don't want to lose anybody else."
Although younger, Dallas grabbed her sister and pulled her to the other bed, wrapping her arms around her big sister and shushing her softly, "It was an accident, Brooklyn. It could have happened to anyone. We were just unlucky that it happened to us."
"We should have had parents."
"Yeah, everybody who has lost their parents feels that way. We aren't special." Dallas replied and Brooklyn looked up at her in surprise. Dallas gave a loud sigh before elaborating, "I'm going to be a doctor, that's one of the first things we learn to accept is that people die. Good people. Bad people. Everybody dies eventually, some people just go earlier. I've seen people hold their newborn children when they never take their first breath. I've seen mothers who don't make it through their C-section. Shit happens, and it sucks and it's terrible, but it's how we react that defines us."
Brooklyn pulled away a little and ran her hands roughly over her face, "When did you become so wise?"
"When I stopped being angry about something I couldn't change." Dallas answered gently, brushing Brooklyn's hair back, "Maybe you should try it. You've got a good thing going here. You've got a great guy who's head over heels for you, and you have the coolest job in the world. Mom and Dad would be proud of you."
A sob caught itself in Brooklyn's throat as the tears began to stream from her eyes. She chose not to speak, because she didn't want to lie to Dallas. Maybe her little sister would think that she was just overwhelmed and sad, but in reality, she was ashamed.
Mom and Dad would be so disappointed if they knew what I've become, even if I did it to avenge them.
"Why don't you call Steve? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." Dallas suggested quietly, but Brooklyn shook her head, pushing away the idea. She couldn't talk to Steve in this state, because then he'd want to know what was wrong, too. "Okay," Dallas hummed, rubbing her sister's upper arm, "Text him, at least?"
"Okay." Brooklyn mumbled as she grabbed her phone and began typing a sappy message to Steve that she knew would make him smile ear to ear. She showed it to Dallas to get her sister's approval before sending.
A yawn broke from Brooklyn's mouth and she stretched out her arms, purposely bumping Dallas in the head. "Hey!"
"Sorry." Brooklyn teased, launching herself over to her bed by the door. "You don't have to sleep, but if you text Steve while I'm unconscious, I know over four hundred ways to kill you."
Dallas snapped her fingers across her chest, "Oh darn! I was going to pretend to be you and sext him all night long, so you could wake up to a dick pic."
"I pity the woman who has to have you as their delivery doctor." Brooklyn hissed teasingly as she slid into the covers, "You'll hit on her husband, forget to give her an epidural, and then call her baby ugly."
"I plan to do that with many woman, thank you very much, but I'll only hit on the hot husbands. All babies are ugly though, so that's a given."
Brooklyn snorted and snuggled her cheek against the pillow, "You're so weird."
"You could have been dating Captain America for the past five months, I'm not the weird one." Dallas called from the other bed, but Brooklyn kept her eyes closed as she hummed.
"I wasn't interested."
"And you are now?"
A smile blossomed across her face as she sighed, "Yeah. I think I realized some people are worth taking risks for."
Dallas nodded; happy her sister had finally come to this conclusion. She reached over the bedstand and hit the button beneath the lamps to turn them off, plunging them into darkness so they could sleep.
Three o'clock found Brooklyn and Dallas standing outside of LaGuardia. It was three hours until her sister's flight, but the airport was packed with people trying to flee the city after the weekend of chaos on the first day flights resumed. Dallas had insisted she could stay a little longer, all things considered, but Brooklyn told her to go home.
She needed some alone time with her boyfriend.
"Call me when you land, okay?"
"It'll be eleven." Dallas answered as she looked down at her sister. The shorter woman shot her a warning look, "Alright, I'll call. I hope you don't answer though."
"Why's that?"
"Because I hope Captain America is balls deep in your ass by eleven tonight."
"Dallas!" Brooklyn shrieked, looking around to make sure nobody had heard. "We're going to take things slow."
"That's stupid. Neither one of you wants that."
Brooklyn huffed, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently, "Maybe he does. We're going to talk. Figure some things out."
"Or you could have sex, and then talk afterwards. Pillow talk. It's so much better." Dallas suggested. She turned towards the doors and sighed, "I better go. I love you." Brooklyn enveloped her sister in a tight hug, not letting go for a moment.
"I love you, too." She murmured against Dallas's shoulder, and the younger woman finally pulled away and smirked. "What?"
"I'll call, but if you answer, I'll be very disappointed in you."
"Fly safe." Brooklyn answered, giving a short wave before shooing her sister through the airport doors. Once Dallas was gone, Brooklyn looked around and hailed a cab, wanting to get back to Brooklyn to take off the stupid red wig she'd worn as a disguise.
Once she climbed inside, she pulled off her glasses and put them in a glasses case in her purse, giving her address to the cab driver. As they drove, she gazed out the window, taking in the changed skyline. Brooklyn wondered if New York would ever be the same. Part of her hoped it wouldn't.
Brooklyn hadn't meant to get wrapped up in work before going over to Steve's, but it happened, and now she was late. She could have told Fury no, but he had questions about her survival and whereabouts. She more or less told him everything that happened, except she told her to take as if Dallas was Mason. She even included the part where she made out with Steve in Pershing Square before telling Mason she was in love with somebody else. Made it real romantic and shit.
But now, she was sprinting up the stairs two at a time in an effort to reach her soldier. They hadn't agreed on a time, but it was after eight. Steve would most likely think she'd chickened out and decided not to come, which wasn't completely the truth. She'd chickened out and took longer at work on purpose, but the guilt overtook her, and she sprinted the several blocks towards Steve's apartment in an attempt to salvage their evening.
Brooklyn reached his door and pounded on it a little harder than she should have before backing away and panting to catch her breath. When Steve swung the door open, she could see he looked sad and a little undone, so the excuses came spilling out, "I'm so sorry! I was called into SHIELD to finish up some paperwork about last week. I know I should have called, but my phone died and-"
However, if he had been disappointed at her tardiness, he didn't show it, because he cut her off with a passionate kiss. She smiled into his mouth as he slipped his palm around her neck to cradle her, holding her tightly against him as he somehow managed to pull her into the apartment and close the door without letting her go.
She gasped, more elated than she expected to be once alone with Steve, but her eyes didn't even get a chance to focus before Steve was kissing her again. Brooklyn pushed herself up on her toes to get closer to Steve, too short to stand comfortably, but willing to suffer on her tip toes if it meant kissing him some more. Steve looked over his shoulder towards his bedroom and his deep voice murmured, "We should talk, right?"
"We should, yes." Brooklyn said as she ran her fingers through his hair, wanting to tug on it while he pounded into her. She wanted to put her mouth on him, all of him, and if they had to talk first, so be it, but she could do two things at the same time.
Seeing his eyes dip down to her V-neck shirt, Brooklyn slowly unzipped her sweatshirt, taking immense pleasure in how Steve's eyes stayed locked on her cleavage as his jaw clenched, "What do you want to talk about?" She cooed when he bit his lip, and she noticed his growing bulge in his trousers.
"You told me at the Retreat that casual sex was fine." Steve said, his breath ragged with need as he stroked her cheek, "Is that still the case?"
"I don't think there will be anything casual about our sex, Soldier."
Steve snatched her off the ground so quickly, he knocked the breath from Brooklyn's lungs. One moment she was in his doorway and the next she was lying on her back on his bed, looking up at him as he breathed heavily. Brooklyn swallowed hard as she felt either side of the bed sink around her, his knees pinning her in place between his powerful thighs "Say yes," Steve ordered, and Brooklyn nodded eagerly.
"Yes."
Around eleven, Brooklyn heard her phone ringing from the other room. Steve didn't mention it, and neither did she, and Dallas wasn't the slightest bit alarmed by her older sister's answering machine.