XIII.

Steve stood in the sparse apartment of the woman who had so quickly turned their new normal upside down. Had he known letting Souta tag along on a jog would have led to bringing forth so many dark little secrets, he might have reconsidered. Might have being the imperative words there. He may be a good soldier, but even he knew when to question. And S.H.I.E.L.D. had done enough for even him to question it.

While he had always been smart, the super soldier serum made him even more so. So even as Hill lingered by the door, trusting in Souta's ability to bring his sister back more so than she ever trusted Stark too, he was restless. Waiting was not what he did. He was a man of action, he needed movement and motion.

So he wandered through her typical New York apartment. Even his apartment had more furnishings and life to it than hers did. That, more than anything else, told him that both the kid and Hill were telling the truth about her lifestyle. She did not linger long. But the genuine warmth and care in all his (granted, limited and always service-orientated) dealings with her at the café spoke to him of someone used to staying, used to family and friends always near her. Both could not be the case, which simply was not how it worked.

There were no family photos, not even of friends. She kept her fridge stocked just enough to get her through one day. The toilet tank lid lay carefully propped against the wall of her bedroom, within easy reach of anyone looking for a weapon. Stark was likely lucky she didn't use it, and that he took his suit. It also spoke that she had had enough underworld or military dealings to know that the toilet tank was just about the safest place to store something she didn't want found easily.

"She's going to know someone went through here, you know," Hill called out from the entry.

He paused in her bedroom; it was really the only line he wasn't going to cross. She wasn't a suspect, but someone they wanted kept close. Someone Hill still wanted to monitor despite having no reason or authority to anymore. If he were honest with himself, he understood the necessity.

With a sigh, he rejoined her in the other room and sat down on the couch. "I think she's expecting it."

"True enough. She would do the same to anyone else, anyway."

Steve leaned back and eyed her. "Sounds like that comes from experience with her."

In response, Hill didn't tense and give anything away. Instead she gave him a look that told him exactly what he needed to know and that she knew what he was doing. With all of them working for Stark now as equals, more or less, it was easy to forget that she was once directly under Fury; his left hand, so to say. "I've known her for my entire career at S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogers. And time has not changed her, not yet."

Steve didn't believe that for a second. If time couldn't change someone, then they were either dead or in stasis. Even centuries left their mark—

And then the door opened. Brother and sister walked through it hand-in-hand, laughing over something that occurred before they entered. The smile slipped so suddenly from Souta's face that he knew the kid forgot they would be waiting, for a moment at least. But her smile held up, telling him she had been expecting it. Steve wondered if there was anything that could make her lose her composure anymore. But the mutual pursing of lips that Sara—Kagome? It was Kagome, right?—and Hill did upon looking at each other spoke volumes more of their relationship than any words Souta or Hill said.

There was so much distrust there. He wondered what had happened to cause it.

Hill nodded once at them. "Welcome back, Kagome. Souta."

Souta nodded back, but Kagome sighed. "Really, can't we just skip over that at this point? With how long we've known each other, can't we ask how the other is doing, what's new in our lives?" she asked, and Steve watched how Hill narrowed her eyes. But when she went to answer, Kagome cut her off. "Oh, that's right. Because you already know."

"Look, we didn't come here to fight," Steve said. Someone needed to break up whatever was simmering between the two women, and since Souta didn't seem like he was going to…

But it just meant Kagome turned her glare to him, even if it did soften. Slightly. "Didn't you? I know who you work for now, and about your little group. 'For global security'. That always means there's going to be a fight."

"We're not going to fight you."

She smiled, and he felt as if he walked into dangerous territory. Even Natasha couldn't raise the hair on the back of his neck like that from just one simple smile. "So if I left right now, you wouldn't stop me."

"No."

"Yes."

Thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. I know some of you want longer chapters, but as I stated at the beginning, this is just a little short thing meant to get me back into writing again and to keep me writing. So chapters will stay rather short, with the occasional "normal" length chapter thrown in every now and then.