Day 8:Watching TV

As the electric guitar intro blared through the speakers, Maria Hill rolled her eyes and cursed Stark under her breath. Stevie Nicks started to croon, and Tony's smug voice soon greeted them on the radio.

"Rhiannon, you're cleared for take off."

"I don't know how the hell you found out my call sign, Stark, but this will not happen again," she growled.

The billionaire just chuckled as they taxied to the runway. Maria rolled her eyes, and stretched, rolling her shoulders back. Steve watched as she sighed softly, her eyes lighting up as she went through the pre-flight checklist. She seemed truly happy to be sitting in the cockpit of the small Stark Industries jet. They began to pick up speed, and she grinned as the front wheels lifted off the ground.

"You miss it," he simply stated.

Her eyes swept towards him in a side glance.

"I don't get to pilot as often as I'd like anymore," she said with a small shrug.

He didn't push the issue- just waited to see if she'd continue.

"Flying was one of the few things I got away with defying my father. Marc was supposed to be the one taking lessons, but he was terrified of heights. I just signed the log books ' ' and he was none the wiser. It wasn't until I got my license that he found out, and it was well worth the punishment I knew would come."

He reached over and ran his hand along her thigh. Dropping a hand, she captured his with hers and gave it a light squeeze. The look of peace that filled her face at takeoff was slowly giving way to tension and he regretted bringing it up.

"Rhiannon?" he asked with a playful smirk.

She laughed.

"God. That would be all Dani," she said with a smile.

"The blonde Lieutenant Colonel we met at the club a few months back?"

"The one and only. Rhiannon was a Welsh goddess whose song was said to take away pain and make the listener fall asleep until danger pass. She always said I was the one that sent danger running."

"What was her call sign?" Steve asked, genuinely interested.

"Starling," she answered with a half-smile.

The flight took a little over two hours and Steve was content to spend the time watching the flickering lights pass below. When they began the initial descent, Hermes began to thump his tail against the side of the aircraft as if he knew they were almost there. Maria called in the landing and was quickly given the affirmative from the private airfield. She put the aircraft down flawlessly and directed it to the hangar where it would be out of the weather. Steve politely offered her a hand, which she accepted, and stepped out of the plane.

Hermes trotted down the stairs, head up high as his nose sniffed the air. Maria whistled once, and he returned to her side while they strode towards the waiting limo. She pulled the oversized sunglasses over her face and freely survived the area around them. Hermes jumped into the vehicle first, making himself comfortable and they slid in behind him. They rode in silence. Steve carefully observed the little tics she let show- her left thumb and forefinger gently rubbing together, and the way she tugged at her lower lip as if lost in thought. He noted that Maria Lawrence was easier to read than SHIELD Maria, but whether that was a conscious decision or not was anyone's guess.

They security guard waved them through the wrought iron gates, and Steve was surprised to see the size of the house at the end of the circular drive. The car glided to a stop, and Hermes was quick to jump out and stick his nose in the grass. Two children burst out of the door and ran straight to the dog.

"You see where I rank on the list," Maria said.

Steve chuckled and surveyed the property as a man in a suit quickly walked towards them. He enveloped Maria in a hug that she surprisingly accepted and returned. He pulled back, his hands still holding onto her elbows as he took a moment to study her. The man's eyes quickly darted towards Steve, widening slightly in recognition.

"Marcus," she stated with a half-smile.

"You look phenomenal, Mare," he responded with a grin. "You know, when you said you were bringing a guest, I didn't expect Captain America."

"It's just Steve, Marc," she replied and the man looked chagrinned.

"Of course."

Marc turned to Steve with an outstretched hand and a genuine smile.

"Marc Lawrence. It's a pleasure to meet you although I know nothing about you other than what I've seen in the news."

"Steve Rogers, and likewise."

That got a laugh out of Marc, and Steve felt himself relaxing.

"I know most of your life is shrouded in secrecy, Maria, but let's just say I have a better idea of what you do now," Marc said seriously. "Please tell me you're at least being careful."

"I'm as careful as I can while still doing what needs to be done," she said shortly.

Marc grimaced slightly, and she sighed.

"I wish I could tell you more," she said honestly.

"Well, at least I know the Captain has your back," he replied with a hard look.

"You and I both know Maria's going to do whatever she likes, but I promise I'll do my best to keep her safe."

Maria rolled her eyes as Marc nodded sharply.

"Okay Cavemen, you two can hug it out later," she stated.

She flashed Steve an unreadable look. Marc leaned closer to his sister and whispered something in her ear. She narrowed her gaze, her face settling slightly into her trademark glare. It was quickly masked by a look of feigned indifference as a few other people stepped out of the house. Maria stepped closer to Steve, and he fought to keep from grabbing her hand. He was shocked when her hand grabbed his, and he let his thumb run gently over her skin. She looked up to him with a slight gleam in her eye.

"Looks like a few of the staff, and Marc's campaign crew want to see who just arrived. My sister-in-law Lila is at a conference this week," she muttered softly, for his benefit.

"Miss Lawrence, it's good to see you," a woman stiffly said as she looked curiously in Steve's direction. "You've been busy?"

"Nepal was wonderful- we were able to get several schools built, and I still was able to swing by Tony Stark's Fall Gala," Maria tossed back.

The group proceeded back to the house, and Maria dragged Steve straight to the kitchen. She rustled through the cabinets and emerged triumphantly with two coffee mugs and a tin of hot chocolate.

"Marc always kept the best cocoa," she said with a small smile.

"You doing okay?" he asked softly.

She leaned into him, and exhaled slowly.

"It doesn't feel like my life," she said after a moment. "It feels-"

"Like you're a stranger in your own skin?" Steve supplied.

She nodded, her eyes glassy and she quickly looked away. He reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her closer to him. She feebly protested before giving in to the motion. Reaching up, he ran his fingers through her loose hair, before gently cupping her face.

"I like SHIELD Maria better," he whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "But I love you no matter who you are or have to be."

Her eyes widened, and he could feel her body stiffen underneath his hands. Her body thrummed with energy and he could tell she wanted to pull away. He relaxed his grip, letting her choose to go or stay.

"Steve," she said hoarsely.

Taking comfort in the fact she was still in his arms, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She whimpered softly, and he moved his hand to cup the back of her head while his other hand remained splayed across her back. He broke the kiss.

"I love you," he said again. "And I will keep saying it until you believe you are more than worthy of love.

"Goddamn it, Rogers," she whispered.

"I love you," he said again.

She jumped slightly when the timer went off, and he let her pull away and compose herself. When she turned to face him, her walls were back up, but he could still see the glimmer of emotion shinning in her eyes. She slid a mug towards him, a single eyebrow raised. He just grinned back at her, and she shook her head with a slightly exasperated expression. Her phone beeped, and she stared down at the screen with a small frown. Sliding the device back in her pocket, she grabbed her mug with one hand, and grabbed his hand with the other and led them towards the guest suite.

"Fury gets antsy when he has to watch and critique by himself," she stated and flipped on the tv.

The most recent group of chefs were listening closely for instructions, before quickly dashing to the pantry. Maria took another sip of her hot chocolate and leaned into Steve who was watching the show with interest. She snorted. Maybe someone should have introduced Captain America to Food Network earlier. Her phone beeped again and she briefly wondered at the state of her life on vacation with her- hell she didn't know what to call Steve- and texting her boss predictions and criticisms on cooking.

Picking up her phone, she typed out a quick text back.

'The chicken liver is a mistake. My vote is for the razor clams.'