Avengers and all the stuff connected to them are the property of Marvel and other entities, I'm sure. I only know that they're not mine. The story is, but the other stuff isn't. That's why I have to keep going to work instead of getting to spend all the time I want writing.
Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews. I am so feeling the love right now.
Sandy-wmd: I'm glad you're enjoying these two getting to know each other. I love working with strong personalities and putting them together without warping either too terribly much.
Loki'sArmy 0602: Glad you like this pairing. I am enjoying your interpretation of them as well and really need to leave you a review (Bad StillWaters)
Qweb, heatherjackson, elfigreen14, awisperthroughthewinds, newworldwriter1 and guests: Thank you so much. I'm really glad you are enjoying the story and appreciate you taking the time to let me know. This is the chocolate chips in my cookies.
Thanks as well to those who alerted, liked, and followed.
As promised, chapter 6. Hope it was worth the wait.
Stroll 6
The day had gone pretty well, Maria thought. The food had been amazing, which was no surprise. Only the very best for Tony Stark. The pool was roomy and clear. Maria had avoided the slide and the spray park part, but the lap lanes had allowed her to work off some tension while the lazy river, Steve Rogers, and a two person float had proven to be an irresistible combination. Conversation had stayed fairly light and the silences had been of the comfortable variety.
Occasionally, she caught a curious glance in the direction of her and Steve, but they never lingered long. Max and Mia had quickly relaxed, Max in particular, bringing a fresh new energy to the group. Maria had originally been somewhat concerned that the children might be bored, since they were the only children there. She was soon reminded, though, of the truism that most men are still little boys at heart.
Of course, as the 'boys vs girls' water fight proved, the ladies of the group could tap into their inner child as well, though that had taken a bit of work for Maria and Natasha and some teasing from Steve and Clint.
All in all, she reluctantly admitted that she had rather enjoyed herself.
Standing in the kitchenette of the towers pool deck studying the dessert layout, she felt herself being watched.
"Something I can do for you, Stark?" she asked.
He watched her for a moment. "Yeah, you can tell me just exactly what you're up to."
She continued studying the array of choices. "I'm trying to decide if the chocolate cheesecake is worth the extra running I'll have to do or if I should stick with the berries and yogurt."
"Definitely worth the extra workout time," he assured her. "The bakery ships those things all over the world. Most people have to place their orders months in advance." He shook his head. "That's not what I meant, though, Agent Hill. I was talking about you and Spangles."
Finally, she looked up at him. "We're spending time together, getting to know each other. I believe they call that 'dating,' Stark."
He waved her comment off. "I guess my question is 'why' you're dating him. What do you hope to gain from it?"
Shrugging, she threw the question back at him. "Why do people usually date? That's probably something you're much more familiar with that I am, if one is to believe your playboy reputation. What are you looking to gain?"
"The playboy is a thing of the past," he told her, a soft smile coming to his lips as he watched Pepper laughing as she chatted with Jane on the deck. "But back when I was: sex."
She nodded.
"But I really doubt it's that simple with SHIELD involved," he continued.
"SHIELD isn't involved," she corrected him. "This is between Steve and myself."
"SHIELD is involved in everything you do, Hill. You probably even wear SHIELD issue underwear," he commented.
"Nope," she refuted. "Don't wear underwear. Panty lines aren't a good look under my uniform."
He looked at her, swallowing hard, momentarily stunned into silence.
Only for a moment, though.
"There has to be an angle, thought. Are you looking to tie him to you in some way? Get your hooks into him so that he'll continue to do Fury's bidding?"
She sighed and focused her full attention on him. "And just exactly when did Steve's personal life become your business, Stark? I didn't exactly get the impression that the two of you are best buddies."
"We're not," he agreed, "but we are teammates. I need him to be able to focus on the mission, not on some woman bent on leading him around by his red, white and blue...feelings. He's a really good guy and he deserves a good woman. One he can trust."
His implication hung in the air between them.
"And you think he's stupid to trust me," Maria asked him.
"Not stupid," Tony corrected, "just a little naïve."
Maria smiled sarcastically. "Oh, yeah. That's so much better. People much prefer to be told they're naïve than that they're stupid."
He grimaced. "Point taken."
"Do you plan to have this discussion with him?"
After considering a moment, he shook his head. "No. As you said, he probably wouldn't take it very well. I'm having it with you, though, so just..." he struggled, not sure exactly what he wanted to say.
She seemed to understand, though. "I know."
Plating a piece of the cheesecake, he held it out to her.
"No, thanks. I've lost my appetite."
He picked up a couple of large, red strawberries and added them to the plate.
"Peace offering?" he told her.
"Is everything okay here?" they heard Steve ask from the doorway.
She studied Stark's eyes. He was looking out for his teammate, even one he didn't really get along with very well. She had to respect that. She would do the same.
Reaching out, she accepted the offering, then turned to the other man.
"Just fine," she assured him. "We were just discussing dessert options. He assures me the cheesecake is worth the extra time I'll have to spend burning off the calories." She cut off a small bite and offered it to him.
After accepting, he closed his eyes. "While I don't agree with Stark on much, this time I do," he told her. "Though I also have to say that I really don't think you need to worry about calories," he added quickly, his eyes raking appreciatively over her trim figure.
"Good save there, Cap," Stark told him with a grin, grabbing his own plate and heading back out to the deck where the others spoke softly.
Steve took the fork and cut off a bite, holding it up before Maria's lips. "I'm still wondering about the conversation I walked in on here," he told her.
She wrapped her lips around the fork, moaning softly as the taste filled her mouth. When she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her, a glazed look on his face. Feeling the need to distract him further, she picked up one of the strawberries and took a bite, again, moaning softly at the sweet flavor. He froze, his breathe caught in his chest as she slowly licked her lips, then leaned forward to press them to his.
He responded, pulling her close and enjoying the moment as her body molded to his. As the kiss deepened, though, he gently pulled away.
"What were we talking about?"
"Cheesecake and strawberries," she told him, holding up the plate.
"Think I'll have some ice cream," he told her, stepping over to the table and dishing himself up a bowl and collecting himself.
They rejoined the others by the pool, but Maria was unable to regain her earlier contentment. She finally leaned over to Steve.
"Would you be upset if we headed back to the base now?" she asked.
His look was questioning.
"I'm tiring out and I figure I probably have work waiting."
Deciding to accept her explanation, he nodded and helped her up. They changed, collected their things, thanked Tony and Pepper for the invitation, and took their leave of the others.
On the ride back, Steve kept looking over at her curiously. "Stop it," she finally told him, not looking up from her mobile where she was busily checking her email.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her. "That everything's alright?"
She frowned at a note in her inbox. "Other than needing to kick Horton's butt if he didn't take care of this, everything's fine," she assured him, finally looking over at him.
"Did Stark say something to you? You seemed to be pretty relaxed until I found you in the kitchen with him."
"Stark was just being Stark," she told him with a shrug. "You know how nervous I was about this whole thing."
He nodded.
"Once Phil left to take Jen and the kids home, I realized how much it had taken out of me. I just want to get back to what I'm comfortable doing," she explained.
"Scaring trainees and kicking asses," he replied.
Looking somewhat offended, she replied, "I certainly hope I can scare more than just a few green trainees."
"Of course you can," he reassured her, taking her hand in his. "You are quite capable of terrifying anyone you want to terrify."
"Damn straight," she agreed.
XXXXXXXXXX
Back on base, she knew that word had gotten around about her and Steve.
Curious glances.
Conversations that stopped when she approached.
Sympathetic looks in Steve's direction.
Her determination not to let it get to her got her through the next few days. Finally, though, she found herself in the gym. She continued to ignore the looks and whispers as she changed. Suddenly, the room went silent and the other women in the room made a quick exit. Putting the rest of her things in her locker, she reached to shut the door.
"What can I do for you, Agent Romanoff?"
The red-head leaned casually against another locker. She watched as Maria sat down on the bench to tie her shoes, then glanced up to catch her gaze.
"So," the assassin commented, "You and Steve."
"Yes," the other woman answered. "Me and Steve." After a few moments, she continued. "I know. He's a really great guy and he deserves a whole lot better. I've told myself that. I've told him that."
Natasha lifted an eyebrow. "I was just looking for someone to spar with. Interested?"
Maria thought for a moment. She knew that Romanoff was a superior fighter. She also knew that she really needed a hard workout and that this was the perfect opportunity as there were very few people at the base who could offer her much of a challenge.
"Sure," she agreed with a shrug, following the other woman out to one of the rings.
The battle between two of the agency's top female operatives drew a good sized crowd. Their focus, though, was on each other, neither giving quarter as they circled, landing and dodging blows. Finally, pinned to the mat, Maria sighed.
"Give."
Nat immediately released her, dropping to the floor beside her as Hill rolled on to her back to stare up at the ceiling. As the crowd dispersed, Clint and Steve joined them, bringing towels and bottled water to the ladies.
"Good workout," the red-head told her, opening a bottle and handing it to her. "Not many people can hold their own with me."
Maria snorted as she propped herself up on her elbow.
"I didn't hold my own with you, Romanoff. You mopped up the floor with me."
"Maybe," Natasha acknowledged, "but you were at least willing to face me. Not many people around here will anymore."
"Figured I'd get a good workout from you, if I managed to survive," Maria told her with a small smile.
Clint finished looking through the stack of papers and cash in his hand. "Once everyone pays up, Nat and I will have to take the two of you out for a nice dinner," he told them.
"Pays up?" Maria asked with a raised eyebrow.
"They were gambling on your workout," Steve told them, his face carefully neutral, though Maria could tell he didn't approve.
"You earned me a pretty good return, Hill," Barton told them.
She sat up, looking at Natasha, then at Clint. "You actually found someone stupid enough to bet against Agent Romanoff?" she asked in disbelief.
Natasha looked a bit offended.
Clint rushed to reassure them. "No, the question was more about how long you'd last with her. Actually, you kept going even longer than I guessed, but since I had the longest time..." He shrugged, displaying the stack of IOU's.
"She went easy on me," Maria commented.
Again, Nat looked offended. "Hardly. I wasn't in 'kill or be killed' mode, but then, neither were you."
Maria nodded.
"Natalie doesn't go easy on anyone," Clint told her. "You're quick and agile."
"And," Natasha added, "You learn quickly. I couldn't often pull something on you more than once before you were watching for it."
"But then you always came back with something new," the brunette answered with a groan.
The assassin studied her for a moment. "Maybe we could do some one on one training sometime."
Hill realized what a compliment the offer was. Romanoff was not known for patience with those she didn't think worth her time or effort.
"Sounds good," she said. "When I recover from this."
Natasha laughed. "Meanwhile, someone else is waiting for this ring, so we should probably get changed and let these guys escort us to the mess hall for dinner."
Steve quickly jumped to his feet and held out a hand to help Maria up. Before she could remind him that she was capable of getting up on her own, Clint suddenly reached over and took his outstretched hand, leveraging himself to his feet. He nodded his thanks to the Captain, then offered his own hand to Natasha. Seeing that, Maria finally reached out, allowing Steve to pull her to her feet. He blotted her face, then draped the towel around her neck.
"We'll be waiting right out here," he told her. She smiled at him, then turned to follow Nat back to the locker room.
After showering, the two women stood at their lockers donning fresh clothes.
"So," Romanoff asked, her voice deceptively light. "Do you think I'm good enough for Clint?"
Though the generally accepted 'of course' immediately sprang to her lips, Maria stopped before she uttered it.
"No. Not at first anyway."
She watched the other woman, waiting for an explosion.
It never came. Instead, she smiled and nodded, as though Maria had passed some sort of test.
"Me either," she admitted. "But somehow, he saw something in me. Something that no one else did. Something that I didn't think was there. Something worth saving."
The memories drew a genuine smile from the woman. "At first, I thought he was completely nuts. As time passed, though, I began to think he might be right. To think that maybe I could be more than what I had been programmed to be. I finally started to see what he saw in me."
Her smile moved to the other woman. "I think that may be what's going on with you and Steve, too. He's seeing something that other people don't see. Something that you don't let other people see.
"Maybe he just imagines it's there because he wants to see it so badly," Maria replied.
"I don't think so," the other woman disagreed. "There are plenty of women who have flirted with him, chased him even. Women who would do anything to get his attention. But you're the one who got it."
She considered a moment, then continued. "Steve isn't as innocent and naïve as a lot of people like to think, Maria. He may have grown up in a different time, but he's a soldier. He's been in battle. He's watched his comrades die. He has seen evil. He simply chooses to focus on the good."
She sat down next to Maria on the bench. "That's part of what makes him such a good team leader. He knows our strengths, but he knows out weaknesses as well. When he plans, he not only looks to make the best possible use of our strengths, but to minimize the effect of our weaknesses as well."
At Maria's look of confusion, she tried to clarify. "The Hulk is extremely powerful and would be an asset almost anyplace you put him in the battle. But Steve knows that Bruce lives in fear of the other guy hurting or killing an innocent, so Steve always makes an effort to direct the Hulk to an area where there is less chance of that happening."
Hill nodded.
"So don't worry that he's with you because he doesn't see the darkness in you. He knows it's there and he knows that sometimes, it's necessary in the work we do. He's simply trying to make sure that you see the light, too."
There was silence as Maria allowed that idea to take root.
Natasha cocked her head and spoke again. "You said 'not at first'. What made you change your mind?"
It took Maria a few moments to trace the conversation back.
"About Clint?"
The red-head nodded.
"Actually, he did. Him and Phil. I don't trust many people, but Phil, I do completely. And his faith in Clint led me to trust him, too."
"You never considered that they were seduced by my feminine wiles?" she asked.
"Honestly, I did, at first. But then I thought about how long I've known them and how well I know them, especially Phil. They are both far too committed to their missions and ideals to let themselves be led astray by a pretty face. At least, not for very long." She shrugged. "And that's exactly what I told Fury, too."
Romanoff's eyes widened in surprise. "You went to bat for me with Fury?"
"I did," Hill acknowledged.
"Just based on your faith in Phil and Clint?"
"Yup."
She watched as Nat processed that information.
"Ready for dinner?" Maria asked.
Natasha nodded, rising smoothly to her feet. Maria followed, allowing herself a small groan, since the room was empty except for the two of them.
"Have Steve give you a massage tonight," the assassin told her with a cheeky grin.
Maria smiled back at her. "Or soak in the hot tub with me."
Natasha laughed, then laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember to have faith in him. He knows what he wants, and since that seems to be you, you're good enough."
Steve looked over, catching her eye from across the room as the women exited the dressing room. He smiled broadly and she found herself responding in kind.
"I suppose just maybe I am," she told the other woman. "Maybe I am."
Thanks for reading. I hope you liked this. It turned out to be a little light on Steve/Maria, but was about the relationship. I have a pretty good idea about the next part for this and it's sort of time sensitive, so hopefully I'll have it ready in time (the next couple of weeks). Meanwhile, I still have 'Risks' and seem to have this other niggling little story idea that I'm being encouraged to continue (Complications).
As always, feedback is craved, almost as much as chocolate. I'd love to know your thoughts.
