My week flowed by, working at bay nearly everyday. I was just getting changed to leave my shift when Marcus waved me over to charts. "Captain America just walked in and he wouldn't let anyone see him but you," He pointed over to one of the beds where I could see the blond sitting on a bed looking downwards. I thanked Marcus and headed over to the Avenger. When he heard me coming he looked up and I sighed at the sight of his face. He had a deeper cut along his eyebrow and few quickly healing cuts and bruises on his cheek. I could tell he just punched and I wasn't going to listen to his excuse this time. I didn't say anything pulling over a trolley and grabbed antiseptic and numbing agent to pull on the cut and the needle to stitch it up. It only need three stitches just to hold it together while his enhanced genes did it's magic. I went to walk away but Steve stopped me.
"I'm sorry for last time ma'am," He spoke under his breath, so softly I barely heard him. I spun around to face him.
"Back to the formalities Mr Rogers?" I said sarcastically, my tone bitter. He just looked at me, his blue eyes wide. I let the silence between us hang in the air as the noise of the busy medics behind me filled the air. "What's the excuse this time?" I asked him, he flinched at my accusing words.
"I was just sparing," He told me but his twiddling hands gave him away.
"Really?" I knew I should stop and I was far out of line but I couldn't help myself. "Who with? Thor?" I immediately regretted my words when I saw Steve's hurt expression. I let my anger melt away, I wasn't mad at Steve and he didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry, I'm was way out of line," He just looked at me and it was his turn to get up and storm out once again. I cursed to myself, rolling the trolley back to it's spot before heading out to the halls as well.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room told Nat I would meet her up in her room and we would decide about dinner. I headed up in the elevator to the Avengers floor where all of them minus Stark lived. I went to go to Nat's room and I knocked on the door but no one answer and before I started to call Nat to ask where she was I could hear yelling from the room opposite hers. I knew immediately who's room it was and this time I could hear the words being said.
"You proceeded to get healed just so you could converse to that brunette bitch didn't you?" Thor yelled I've never heard the god swear and yet it still didn't surprise me. I couldn't hear the response of Rogers but I almost didn't need to. "She harbours suspicion doesn't she?" I was sure Steve denied that question by Thor's next words. "It would be preferable if she didn't discover this and if she does you will suffer," I could hear footsteps moving towards the door and I went to hide in the shadows of Nat's doorway and saw Thor storm off before I moved back to see Steve leaning against his door sighing. He looked up and his eyes fell on me. He looked back down the hall to see if Thor was truly gone.
"How much of that did you hear?" And for once Steve sounded angry and this time it was me who stuttered.
"I heard… enough, I heard enough," I confirmed, he looked down the hall once again this time both ways.
"Get in," He said waving me into his room. He closed the door behind him, he didn't say anything as he paced the room running his hand through his hair. "What am I going to do?" He said to himself, the tortured looked on the man's face troubled me and I didn't know what to say to him. Then he stopped in his tracks turning to look at me, his face so determined it shocked me. "This is what is going to happen. Tony Stark has invited the Avengers to live at his tower and I'm going to accept that offer and move," He had his Captain America voice on as he told me his plan. "I will only returned when on assignment and I expect to never see you again nor will you ever breath a word of this to anyone in or out of SHIELD, do you understand me?" His blue eyes pierced me and I could only nod in response. He then opened the door and checked either way before gesturing for me to leave. I didn't say anything before he shut the door behind me leaving me alone in the hallway. "Oh sorry I'm late Liz, where do you want to go out?"
I listened to Steve's commands, despite my desperate want to go and help him I didn't. I watched idly when two days later the Avengers moved out to Starks Tower and it had been months since. Only twice did I ever see the Captain while he was at SHIELD headquarters, once I saw his blond head walking down the hall away from me and the other he was walking past the medical bay and I hid behind the door until he passed. I still hung out with Nat and occasionally Barton when they went on missions for Coulson but if they ever asked me to hang out with the Avengers I quickly declined making up different excuses.
I was treating a trainee agent, she didn't need stitches just a thorough cleaning. I was interrupted by a senior agent. "Agent Coulson would like to see you, Dr. Lizzy Mater," I told one of my training nurses to take over the treating of the agent as I followed the Agent up to Coulson's office. He was sitting at his desk as I knocked on his glass door and he waved me in.
"Doctor Mater, how are you today?" Phil asked me, he was always someone I trusted at SHIELD considering how much Barton and Romanov talked about him.
"I am well, what about you sir?"
"I am well as well, I would like to talk about you for a proposal brought up by Fury," I was shocked that Fury even knew who I was, I wasn't exactly that important. "We would like you to work with Doctor Banner over at Stark Towers and be the private medic for the Avengers. You will be combat trained to go out in the field with them, obviously you won't fight with them but you will be their field medic," I think my mouth feel open, I couldn't accept this proposal and yet I couldn't say no.
"I don't think I can accept sir," I told him truthful but that was at must truth as would come out.
"Why would that be Dr Mater?" Coulson questioned, my mind was working at 100mph trying to come up with anything that would make sense so I went with closest to the truth.
"I do not get along with Mr Rogers and would prefer not to work with him," Coulson looked at me then and cleared his throat.
"Well that's unfortunate but honestly we did not think you would decline. I will tell you as a friend Dr. Mater that you should really accept otherwise I'm not sure another opportunity to further your career will ever come about again," Coulson warned, I didn't know what to do then and I knew I had to accept.
"I'll take it then," I told him and Coulson smiled at me. He went to pick up the phone.
"Good. Start packing, you'll leave in two hours," Before I could tell him that was way too soon he was already on the phone and he waved me away. I went quickly to my room thinking about what I was going to do when Captain saw me but packing kept me busy. Just as I finished packing I got a call that a quinjet was ready to take me to Stark tower. So I ran with my luggage up to the plane and got on, strapping myself in. The pilot took off and with next technology I was at Starks tower within the hour. The pilot left me there as I walked myself to the elevator.
"Hello Dr. Mater, Sir was expecting you," The voice ran out, while I knew Stark had a AI it still gave me a shock. "Sorry for the shock Doctor, I will take you to the lounge room where Sir is waiting for you," I took a deep breath as the elevator reached the level. As I stepped out of the elevator I knew I made a grave mistake. I could see Thor's long hair sitting on the couch facing away from me and I'll admit I felt a rush of fear.
"Dr. Mater Welcome to Stark Tower!" Tony called to me as he made his way over. Thor turned his head and Steve looking up from where he was lying on Thor's lap. An intense look of anger cross Steve's face and what I didn't expect was Thor's neutral expression.
"Welcome Lady Lizzy," Thor spoke softly, I didn't want Steve to say anything and he didn't instead he went back to laying on his boyfriend.
"Coulson didn't tell me he was sending a hot doctor," Tony said as he winked at me, he gestured for me to enter back into the elevator. I got away from Thor and Steve's iron gazes. We headed up Stark Tower with Tony talking my ear off about how excited Banner was to get my opinion on some of his new products but my mind was elsewhere, thinking about the super soldier and how angry he was going to be with me. "Here is the lab," Tony showed me, I saw a dark, curly haired man leaned over at a desk. "Bruce, here is your new doctor, don't get too comfortable otherwise Romanov will get after you," Tony sing-songed to the biologist. Bruce looked up and gave me a small wave and I smiled at his cute gesture. "I'll leave you two to get acquainted," Tony said as he stormed out of the lab leaving me with my luggage.
"Nice to meet you Dr. Mater," Bruce said, He leaned over the desk to shake my hand. I understand what Natasha saw in him. He was sweet and cute, in a nerdy way, I suppose.
"Nice to finally meet you too Dr. Banner, Nat has spoken much about you. But you can call me Lizzy," I said to him, he just smiled and nodded.
"Call me Bruce then," We went into a comfortable silence while I looked at what he was making. I'm sure it was some sort of medicine he was concocting.
"I was very impressed with your pressurised bandage, I used it often with healing bones and open cuts that cannot be stitched," I told him, he seem embarrassed by the compliment.
"Well thank you, I'm working on a medicine that when applied onto and into blood mimics blood clots to artificially clot cuts," We talked medicine and biology with each other for a few hours before Jarvis called for me to join Tony in the lounge room. I left Banner in the lab and headed down still pulling my luggage. When I entered the lounge room, Thor was gone but Steve was still there.
"Hot Doc! Coulson reminded me that I have to get you combat trained to be a field medic," Tony said practically skipping over to me. Steve didn't even turn around and I was glad, I didn't want to see his face. "Since the assassin twins are gone, you'll have to start your training with Star Spangled banners over there," Then Steve's head whipped around, a scowl present.
"No way,' Both Steve and I spoke at the same time. Tony looked at both of our faces a smile still present.
"Oh there is no room for a no, Coulson's orders. Bring it up with him if you don't want to, but I suggest you two work out your issues," Tony chuckled at our faces. "He wants you to start tomorrow, the twins should be back in a few days or maybe sooner," Tony then left us there, alone in the lounge with Steve staring me down. He stormed past me, his large frame towered over mine, I almost forgot how tall he was. He didn't say anything but the rage radiated off him.
I spent the rest of the day unpacking in my room and I was dreading the next day with Rogers. I wasn't afraid of him but I was more afraid for him and what Thor would do to him. I didn't understand anything, I didn't understand how a man so righteous could let someone beat him senseless. I didn't understand how he could hate me for wanting to help him.