"I don't see what the problem is," Ava shrugged, brushing at the frayed ends of her long hair. She really should ask Agent Hill for better conditioner..."I can spend as much time with him as I like after our training sessions. I don't have to be around to babysit you dorks 24/7."
"You're missing the point," Sam pressed on, one hand rubbing at his temple while the other cradled his helmet against his chest, "Don't you think Connors is a little uncomfortable with a teenage girl looking over his experiments and theories all the time? Give the guy some space."
"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes, turning away from her fellow teammate and making a beeline for the showers, "I'm pretty sure he enjoys the attention. He's stuck in that lab by himself all day long. As soon as I arrive, he goes off on how he learned some new trick to implement in some new device or the whatnot. I can't get him to shut up. Besides, he's much better company than you three. When was the last time any of you discussed bio-engineering with me?"
"Uh, never because it's a huge waste of time to talk about," Sam replied, unfazed by the sharp look she shot him in response to his callous words, "Ava, we're not here to get chummy with the help. We're here to be better superheroes. And I doubt you're getting the message if you're spending all your free time with some nerd you have a silly schoolgirl crush on."
Ava's eyes narrowed, fists curled tight, "Dr. Connors is not some nerd, Nova. He's a brilliant scientist who happens to working on some amazing inventions to further our training. Just because you can't wrap your pathetic mind around such complex concepts doesn't mean you can belittle me for showing interest in his ideas."
Despite the wave of danger rolling off her body, Sam continued to egg her on, unable to admit he was just happy she was finally paying him some attention, "So, you're not denying that you like him, kitty cat? Because I gotta say, I never pegged you for the May-December ty-"
The rest of his words were cut off by a swift jab to his cheek, throwing his back into the cold, steel wall. Ava leaned forward and lifted him up by his collar, baring her teeth and eyes glazed over in barely repressed loathing, "Who I like and why I like them is no business of yours, Nova. If you think my behavior is affecting the team, take it up with Fury. But leave Dr. Connors out of it."
She dropped him to the floor and walked away, proceeding onward to the women's locker room. Sam watched her leave, his fingers grazing the bruising skin underneath his eye.
Face it, he thought as he recalled the way she laughed whenever Connors told some stupid science joke, Connors has nothing to do with it. She hates you and you just want her all to yourself.
When Danny and Luke asked him about his face a few hours later, he waved it off, insisting he'd bumped into his bedpost the night before. They accepted the explanation, Ava headed off to the labs, and Sam sat on the sofa channel surfing, doing his best to ignore the persistent itch clawing at his throat.