Day 9: Wearing Animal Ears

Chicago was going well- if you counted awkward moments and tense expressions 'well'. Steve watched as Maria spent time with her nieces, and noted she genuinely seemed to enjoy being around the two girls. Marc gave her space, but when they did interact, neither sibling seemed to know what to do, and Steve assumed it was due to their troubled past. Maria had slipped out for an early morning run, declining his invitation to join her. He was unable to fall back asleep, and so he found himself in the kitchen with a bowl of pancake batter, and two little girls plus a dog soon beside him.

Margaret and Meredith thanked him politely for the pancakes before scampering off to their rooms when Maria strode through the kitchen door. Her hair was pulled back in a sweaty ponytail, and her cheeks were flushed. She pulled the earbuds from her ears, and quickly pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator before sipping it slowly. She bent down and scratched Hermes behind the ears. The dog leaned into her, mouth open in his trademark smile. She crooned a few words to her dog before sliding into a chair. He slid a plate in front of her. She rolled her eyes, but conceded and picked up a fork.

"Good run?" he questioned softly.

"I ran the perimeter," she answered between mouthfuls. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

He shook his head with a soft smile. You could take her out of SHIELD, but you couldn't take SHIELD out of her.

"Do you have any plans for the day?"

She shook her head, and continued to chew.

"I thought we could go into the city-"

He paused at her startled expression. She cleared her throat, and stared back at him with a hesitant expression.

"There's a good chance you'll be recognized," she muttered and he instantly understood.

"Maria, I'm not afraid of being seen with you."

A vague expression of self-hatred crossed her face so quickly he wondered if he had imagined it. She put her fork down, and he interrupted once more.

"The Director wouldn't have suggested the trip if he was worried about me being seen with you."

She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"Let me get cleaned up," she responded while sliding her chair back.

When she started to walk passed him, he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He tugged her towards him, and she caught herself with a hand on his chest. He lifted his free hand to cup her face gently.

"I love you," he stated firmly locking his eyes onto hers.

She maintained contact for a minute, before dropping her gaze with a small sigh.

"I love you too," she said softly. "God knows I shouldn't, but I do."

She pulled away from his grasp and quickly disappeared from the room with Hermes padding along softly beside her. He sighed.

"She really loves you," a voice said.

Steve looked up to see Marc quietly enter the kitchen. Clearly the Lawrence siblings had perfected the art of slipping into rooms unnoticed.

"She hates it here. The majority of the time she'll drop in when we're on vacation. This is the second time she's stepped foot in Chicago since... she left."

Steve looked up, surprised.

"I didn't realize that."

"I hate myself for those days. I should have done more. Instead, I was a coward and pretended it wasn't happening."

"You were a child too," Steve replied. "No child should be in that position."

Marc swallowed.

"I never know what to do for her, but seeing her with you-" he trailed off. "She seems happy."

"I think she is," Steve said. "I hope she is."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Marc said after clearing his throat. "I know you were originally going to stay the whole week, but I have a vacation home down in Florida if you guys want to change plans.

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Maria closed the door to the room, and blinked hard. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She wasn't supposed to be in love with Captain America. She couldn't be. Stepping into the shower, she let the hot water pound on her back. She tightly squeezed her eyes shut, fighting off the headache that was starting to emerge.

"Shit Hill," she said to herself. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Turning off the water, she grabbed a towel from the rack and wrapped it securely around herself before heading towards their suitcases. Digging through the bags, she tugged out a pair of designer jeans and a burgundy cable knit sweater. She quickly blow-dried her hair, applied the level of makeup she used when using the heiress persona, and tugged the sweater over her head. Hermes thumped his tail four times on the bathroom floor and stared up at her with soulful brown eyes. She gave his belly a rub then went to go find Steve.

Ten minutes later, she frowned as she ducked into the living room. The man in question was nowhere to be found. She heard the sound of faint giggles in the distance, and cocked her head. She pursed her lips thoughtfully, then headed upstairs towards her nieces' bedrooms. She paused outside the half-open door and fought to contain a smile.

"Mrs. Jeffries, I'd love another cup of tea," she heard Steve ask in a high pitched voice.

Shifting so she could see in the room, she felt her grin widen. Steve was sitting on the floor surrounded by stuffed animals. A pair of rabbit ears sat atop his head as he hunched over the small tea set. Margaret and Meredith both wore frilly aprons and cat ears.

She knocked softly.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

Steve blushed, and she felt her expression soften.

"Aunt Maria!" Margaret exclaimed. "We're having an animal tea party. You have to join us!"

Meredith held out a pair of panda bear ears, and waited for her to take them.

"Well, how can I resist an offer like that," she answered and carefully tucked herself on the floor beside Steve.

"That's a good look for you, soldier," she whispered.

"I couldn't say no," he replied.

She smiled, and a sharp pang tore through her.

This man was going to be the death of her.

After the tea party finished, he pulled her to the side.

"You should have told me how difficult it was for you to be here," he said.

He could see her bristle at the remark.

"I'm not patronizing you, Maria. I honestly want to know if something's bothering you."

The look he gave her was purely puppy, and she felt her stomach flop. Damn this man.

"Do you trust me?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," she replied, and he was surprised by the immediacy of her response.

He grinned, and she felt his gaze heating the longer he watched her.

She found herself, Hermes, and their bags back in the limo fifteen minutes later. She concealed her confusion at the quick goodbyes, and tried to relax as they headed back towards the airport. An hour later, they were back in the sky, only she had no idea where Steve was taking them. She urged her muscles to relax, and he shot her a worried glance.

"How much do you know of what I do for SHIELD?" she asked.

He frowned at the question.

"Honestly, not much. I know you're second in the hierarchy and that you're involved with the logistics of missions as well as negotiations, but that's embarrassingly it."

"I'm an expert in high-risk threat assessments," she started, her gaze fixed firmly out the window. "I analyze data- intel that's been collected. I can calculate the percentage of likelihood that a given outcome will occur for multiple situations, and then I formulate responses to every one."

"You plan the extraction protocols," he said.

She nodded.

"Among other things. I can see multiple ways a situation could play out which allows me to manipulate it into a more favorable outcome for SHIELD."

He gave her a side glance.

"Last week, Rumlow and his team were in the field. There was a 15% chance of being discovered if the target returned early from the symphony. I ensured his seats were upgraded to a closer row increasing the chance he'd be caught in traffic both pedestrian in the symphony hall, and on the road by 8% giving the team an extra 20 minute."

He stared at her in shock.

"How do you remember all of that?"

"I had an eidetic memory as a child, and I've always been good with details which unfortunately makes me a very valuable target. Only Fury, Coulson, and now you are aware of that fact."

She exhaled loudly, and studied him.

"I told you all of that because I wanted you to understand why I close myself off from people and situations. I have to if I'm going to send agents into situations I know they have a poor chance of 's not effective to become attached."

He didn't say anything, just stretched his arm out and grabbed her hand.

"I'm proud of you," he said after a moment.

She turned her head away.

"There are things I can't tell you," she continued. "I do what needs to be done, but I'm no damned hero."

She stood up, and walked towards the back of the jet. He turned his head to follow her, his thoughts concerned. Turning back to the controls, he called in their initial descent and began to prepare for landing. Maria watched him from a distance, admiring the curve of his jaw and the steadiness of his hands. She felt a nudge at her side as Hermes curled up beside her. Stark was going to have a fit when he found dog hair on the seats. She continued to scratch his ears and fight the growing feeling that everything was spiraling out of her control. Steve turned and flashed her a quick smile as he got ready to set the plane down. She swallowed hard.

There was a 73% chance that he was going to destroy her by the time this was over and done. She only wondered why she was putting herself through it.

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Ever since they left Chicago, Maria had grown more and more quiet. He covertly watched her as she seemed lost in thought. He hoped this side trip would be enough to break her out of the funk she had fallen in when confronted with memories of her past. As they taxied towards the hangar, she came up beside him with a confused glint in her eye.

"Any particular reason we're in Florida?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You still need a vacation," he said with a grin.

The corners of her mouth twitched as she shook her head. He continued to prod.

"Besides, Fury's banned us for another three days. Wouldn't you rather spend it at the beach?"

She swatted his shoulder, her mood lighter.

"I didn't exactly pack for warm weather," she replied.

"Natasha packed you a bag. It's stashed behind the last row of reclining chairs," he answered cheekily.

She rolled her eyes, and prayed to God that Romanoff hadn't packed her anything ridiculous.

They pulled up in front of a small gaited community, then followed the road another three miles to a secluded house on the beach. Maria cocked her head to the side.

"How the hell did you find this place?" She asked.

"Your brother," he answered bashfully.

She laughed, and they carried their bags to the door. It was a beautiful property with four bedrooms, a chef's kitchen, and a boardwalk leading straight to the ocean. She let out a soft sigh as she stared out the large picture windows looking out over the water. Steve came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. She leaned back against him, and smiled.

"Why don't you go change?" he asked.

"Who knows what the hell Romanoff put in that suitcase," she said as she pulled away and realized he was already in his swim trunks.

She took a moment to admire his bare chest, and he grinned.

"Like what you see, Commander?"

"Fuck yeah, soldier," she said huskily.

His eyes darkened, and she swatted his hand away.

"Nope. You brought me to the beach, and I'm going to the beach!"

He chuckled.

"I'll meet you down there," she called out as she headed towards the bedroom.

She dumped out the contents of the duffle, and was relieved to see a simple black bikini thrown in the mix. She quickly changed clothes, tying her hair back in a high ponytail. Noticing a small tote in the corner of the room, she grabbed a towel, sunscreen, and her sunglasses before whistling for Hermes. Opening the back door, Hermes bounded ahead with his nose high in the air. She closed her eyes at the hint of salt air, the sea breeze rippling around her.

"That's considered a bathing suit?" Steve asked when she got to the shoreline.

She gave him a wicked grin as she spread her towel on the sand. He continued to watch her, his eyes wide and the tips of his ears slightly pink. She stretched out, ignoring his roving gaze. Her scars never bothered her, but if he didn't stop studying her so intently, she was going to jump him right here on the beach. She lifted her sunglasses with one hand, and shot him a warning glance. He smirked, and sat beside her watching Hermes trot through the surf.

They enjoyed the sound of the tide and seagulls overhead, and he was begging to wonder if she had fallen asleep. Maria rolled over and rested her head on her arms. Steve watched her with a smile, and gently reached over towards her. He quietly began to massage her back, working out the knots in her shoulders. She hummed in contentment, his hands dancing over her skin. He hit a sore spot and she groaned as he pressed his thumb harder to relieve the tension. She raised her head and stared at him with a half-lidded gaze. He swallowed hard unused to her raw displays of emotion. Sitting up slowly, she pressed her lips to his, hard. She gently traced his lips with her tongue, and he nipped at her bottom lip causing her to deepen the kiss with a gasp. She could feel him smile against her mouth, his hand brushing against the exposed skin on her side.

She broke the kiss, and pulled him to his feet. A mischievous expression crossed his face, and she started to back away with her hands raised.

"Don't you even think about it," she warned as he came closer.

"I will fucking kill you," she raised her voice as he scooped her up.

She struggled uselessly, as he carried her towards the water. He felt a sharpness near his shoulder, and pulled back to look at her.

"Did you just bite me?"

She looked back innocently, and without warning he dropped her into the cold water. She screeched at the temperature, and came up spluttering. He laughed at her expression, but was unprepared for her to launch herself at him. Losing his footing on the shifting sand, he fell back into the water with Maria in his arms. They broke the surface and she shivered slightly. She headed back towards the shore, and he took a moment to admire her from behind.

"Stop staring at my ass," she called out without turning around.

He just grinned.

She raised her middle finger.