Chapter 11: Friendship and Revelations
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Secondary Warning: Hey, y'all! I should be packing, but like nah. Okay so backstory and bonding ahead so you are warned. (Looking at you Agentofshield27 XD)
DarthWinterSoldier~ Hiya! Thanks a lottle for the review! (It's like a little, but a lot) Would comment more, but I'll let Eve speak for me.
I don't know where Steve was planning on dragging me, but his plan got interrupted.
"Agent Greene, I need your report," Fury calls as we head for the exit.
"I'm not an agent so I don't have to listen to you, Nick," I respond as I try to continue following Steve only to run into him because he stops.
"Eve," Steve admonishes me again as he turns to face me.
"Steve, please, have mercy. The report can wait. We have important issues right now, remember?" I plead.
"A minute ago, your main concern was a game," he retaliates. "I think you can spare the time for a report."
"Ugh," I groan. "Fine. Go and have fun without me. I'll catch up in a minute." This time I turn around in time to catch the grin on Fury's face. *squinty eyes* What's he smiling about? I approach Fury and Hill as Steve turns back to leave.
"Don't you have video of our fight with Loki? Why do you need a report on that?" I ask as I join them back at the conference table.
"This isn't about Loki, Greene. This is about Captain Rogers," Hill clarifies. I don't think any of us register Steve stopping at the door when he hears his name. Or I don't at least. Those two are mega trained spies, though, so I don't know what their excuse is.
"Captain Rogers?" I repeat incredulously. "You expect me to report on Steve?"
"Your mission is to watch over him. We need a progress report," Hill further discloses.
"Umm… no?"
"No?" repeats Fury.
"Look, I am not reporting in on Steve. Report is just the codename for spying and I refuse to spy on him for you. What's going on with him is none of your damn business. Hell, it isn't even MY business, but you lot stuck him with me. There is no way I would "report" to you on him. That is not only morally wrong, but it's be betrayal of his trust! He's my friend! Y'all should have thought about assigning a spy if you wanted intel on him, but instead you put me in charge of making sure he's okay, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to look out for him and try to help him in any way I can because that's what friends do and don't even think about trying to reassign me because we all know how well that went last time. I'm not abandoning him so you guys can put some nosy, paper pushing suit in my place. So how about you guys just keep your no good, dirty noses out of it for f-"
I would rant more and, believe me, I have a hell of a lot more to say, but Fury holds up a hand to stem the flow of anger.
"That's enough, Ms. Greene. Consider that your report," Fury concedes with a grin still tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hill looks dumbstruck and I'm sure I look much the same. What just happened?! Did Fury just let me off the hook for chewing him out?! Is he dying? Did Loki get to him? Omg Loki totes broke into Fury's mind palace, I think as Fury turns and walks away. Hill quickly follows him, probably in the hopes of finding out what exactly just happened, while I turn and head for the door in a trance.
That was weird. Really weird. I have the feeling Fury just pulled one over on me. I don't know why or how, but my gut insists that conversation meant more than it seemed to. Knowing Fury it was probably some form of test or something.
Tests. They are strange things. I somehow seem to pass all the ones I've been given, yet I really never know that I'm taking one. The first real test I took got me into Rogers Academy and all I thought it was was some new standardized state test. I don't even know how they graded it! All I know is it landed me in some strange place away from everyone I had ever known all by myself. Thank all things good and kind that Evan was assigned as my trainer.
Evan. I miss him terribly. I miss his brown eyes, sandy hair, and toothy grin more than anything. We were kindred souls. Not that we wanted to be. He was so angry when he first heard he was assigned to me. He expected someone better. Back then I was even shorter, kind of chubby, and weak. I wasn't soldier material at all.
I overheard him complaining about me to one of the other trainers before we were even introduced. A part of me had wanted to cry while another part of me wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp. However crying would have proved I was weak and I stood no chance of beating up a six foot three, trained Marine that was over 200 pounds of mostly muscle. Instead, I just walked right up to him and said, "Well I could have done better myself, but seeing as I'm settling for you, you might as well settle for me too, buddy. Also, if you want to continue complaining and insulting me please do so to my face, you bloody coward!"
After looking completely shell-shocked for a full minute, he had the nerve to laugh. He actually doubled over and nearly fell to the ground laughing. When he finally got a hold of himself and straightened, he had tears in his eyes.
"Alright," he said, "point taken. You're brave and spirited, I'll give you that. The Academy might be able to make something out of you, after all."
"I already am something, you complete prat!" I spat at him. He just smiled that stupid, goofy grin of his! Oh, how I hated it for the first month! Then he snuck me in some sweets I'd been dying for after a month of the strict diet from hell the Academy shoved down our throats. That was the first time his smile didn't make me want to knock his teeth out.
Good times. Wow, super wrong train. How did that even happen? Ah, now I'm sad, I think before colliding with Steve yet again. Ow. Running head first into super soldier muscle hurts.
"Earth to Eve. Snap out of it!" Steve says while waving a hand in front of my face to gain my attention.
"What?" I whine while rubbing my sore forehead. My head has been through enough for one lifetime. Steve is looking at me funny. Why is he looking at me funny? Did I do something weird while lost in thought? It's been known to happen.
Like this one time I was grocery shopping and I was checking an egg carton for cracked eggs and it got me thinking about chickens and how they're distant relatives to the Tyrannosaurus Rex then somehow I ended up completely reorganizing the frozen foods while internally debating my favorite dinosaur movie mistake. (*deep breath* *exhale* Long [non]sentence.) Don't ask me how because I have no idea. I was interrupted mid-debate by a store employee calling security. I was too zoned out to approach, but they didn't know that. I ended up elbowing the poor guy in the ribs. I then spent a solid three hours apologizing and promising to pay his medical bills.
Darn it, Eve, get on the right train!
"Thank you, Eve," Steve offers with such sincerity I'm caught way off guard.
"Thank you?" I repeat. "Thank you for what?"
"For what you said back there. You're a loyal friend and I'm glad to be someone you consider worthy of your friendship," Steve explains. Daawwwwwwww! What a sweetie pie! So I do the impulsive thing like I'm known to do despite the odds of it ruining the moment. I jump up and hug him. Now imagine my surprise when Steve literally melts for a second time and hugs me back! He doesn't really have a choice, though. I wrapped my arms around his neck and due to our extreme height difference I would have pulled him down if he had not caught me and held me up. Either way, he doesn't immediately put me down and hugs be back so ha! I win!
"Of course, you're friend material. I've already told you so," I inform him as he lowers me back down and I release his neck. "Though," I add, "it isn't polite to listen in to others' conversations."
"Maybe so, but I'm glad I did regardless," Steve responds whilst grinning unapologetically.
"Whatever, you chump. I'm onto you. I know you aren't a total goody two-shoes now," I quip as I start back down the hallway in search of the lab.
"It was bound to get out eventually. Though, that you're the one that figured it out is surprising," he rebounds as he falls into step beside me.
"Now that's just mean," I claim as I swat at his arm. "What kind of loyal friend are you?"
Steve is surprisingly unorthodox from what you'd expect from a guy raised in the early 1900s. I bet Fury is banking on him being a good little soldier. Wait 'til Fury finds out about Steve's rebel side. *mock evil laughter*
