Brooklyn, 1942
The soft hum of a projector filled the small, dimly lit room. Steve, Bucky, and Ginny were squeezed together on a worn-out couch, eyes fixed on the flickering black-and-white screen in front of them.
Ginny, nestled comfortably between the two boys, let out a delighted giggle at a particularly humorous scene. "This is the best one yet!"
Steve smiled, leaning a bit closer. "Glad we snuck in. Wouldn't have wanted to miss this."
Bucky, always the mischievous one, nudged Ginny playfully. "Good thing I know the guy at the door."
"Yeah," Steve scoffed. "Perks of being the charming neighborhood troublemaker."
Ginny rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her smile. "Charm or not, let's just hope we don't get caught."
The movie continued, but Steve found his attention drifting. He glanced sideways at Ginny, her profile illuminated by the soft light of the screen. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, but it was her laughter, her spirit, that had both him and Bucky captivated.
As if sensing his gaze, Ginny turned, catching Steve's eye. For a moment, everything else faded away, and it was just the two of them, suspended in time.
"Steve?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the movie.
"Yeah?" he replied, equally quiet.
"Thanks for always making time for this... for us." Her hand found his, a simple, innocent gesture that sent his heart racing.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he whispered back, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
Bucky, not one to be left out, leaned over, his arm casually draping around Ginny's shoulders. "You know, Rogers, if you keep making those googly eyes, you'll miss the best parts of the movie."
Ginny laughed softly, the sound a sweet melody to both their ears. "You two are hopeless," she said, leaning back and enjoying the moment, flanked by the two boys who meant the world to her.
Manhattan, Present Day
The first week flew by.
The only places Evie saw besides the lab were her apartment, usually just to come home, shower, and pass out –– and the coffee shop on her walk back to work. She was thankful for the modern invention of food delivery, making a habit of meeting her Doordash driver down in the lobby every night. What was most people's worst nightmare, logging 60-70 hours at their workplace, was Evie's dream. Being in the lab, holograms lighting up all around her, schematics and blueprints spread across her desk, it was a dream. She'd finished her project of enhancing security protocols on Tuesday, spent most of Wednesday getting to know and working with the other engineers to move past pain points in their current innovations, and yesterday, she'd begun working on combining the technology used to make the Quinjet's stealth mode possible with her patented textile.
She'd made so much progress, but eventually had to tear her eyes away for fear that she'd fall asleep on the walk home. Now, Thursday morning, the sun was barely peeking through the buildings as it rose into the sky. Pushing the coffee shop door open with her hip, she stepped across the threshold and continued on towards the Tower, one latte in each hand.
As she strode through the lobby, her sneakers were one of the few sounds echoing off the walls at this hour. A few night shift employees got off the elevator, looking less than enthused as they passed Evie. She reached the elevator door, pausing to balance one coffee on the other so she could reach her badge.
"Here, let me get that." A familiar voice called from behind her. She turned to see a smiling Steve Rogers, again, sweaty and in workout attire. He leaned forward and scanned his badge, motioning for her to step on as the doors slid open.
"Why thank you," Evie smiled. "Unfortunately, that won't work."
"What won't?"
"Your badge, for both of us. See?" She stepped forward, one foot crossing the threshold of the elevator. The lighting turned bright red and an electronic female voice rang out.
'Multiple persons detected. Captain Rogers, please have your guest obtain a pass at the security office and proceed."
Evie stepped back and the right light disappeared as she grinned. "You'll have to scan both of our badges." She turned to face away from him. "It's in my pocket."
Steve's cheeks flushed as he gingerly reached for the badge peeking out of her jeans. He tugged it free and scanned it right after his own, both of them stepping into the elevator.
"Welcome, Captain Rogers and Ms. Langston."
"New security protocol?" He raised an eyebrow, still holding her badge.
"I may have overdone it a little," She admitted, grinning.
"Well, it's better to air on the side of caution."
"Is it?"
"I'd say yes, in most cases." He tilted his head.
"Says the guy who jumps out of planes with no parachute."
"How do you know that?"
Evie laughed. "I've taken a history class. There were at least four units dedicated to you alone."
His cheeks flushed again as he looked down. "Ah, I see."
"I've written an essay or two on Captain America and the Howling Commandos back in the day."
Steve looked up at her, a half smile on his face. "Is that so?"
"Sure is. I'll see if my mom still has them. She kept all my A+ work."
"I'm sure she has quite the collection then."
"Only one or two storage units." She grinned, her stomach flipping as Steve laughed.
"So, did you make a friend in the lab?" He gestured to the second coffee in her hand.
"Oh, no, I just couldn't decide if I wanted hot or iced so I got both." Evie smiled sheepishly. "I guess I could part with one, if only for the sake of my health." She held her hands out. "Dealer's choice, they're both vanilla lattes. Can't go wrong."
Steve raised an eyebrow as he looked back and forth between them. "I'm not much of a sweet coffee guy ––"
"Trust me on this, Cap. You will be." She held the iced coffee out. "Here, I'm sure you don't want hot coffee after a run. Plus, my hand is about to freeze off."
"Thank you," He chuckled, taking the coffee and sipping it. "Hey, it's not bad."
"Told ya," Evie grinned and held out her drink. "Cheers to your impeccable timing this morning."
"Cheers to you almost surviving your first full week working for Stark." Steve smiled as they touched their cups together. "Oh, here's your badge back." He handed it to her as the doors slid open to the lab.
"Thank you very much." She stepped out, turning to face him. "I'll see you around."
"See you around." He smiled at her as the elevator doors slid shut.
Evie grinned as she settled into her workspace. She couldn't have scripted that better than it played out on its own. What are the odds Captain America himself happened to be walking through the lobby at the same early hour she showed up for work? Meant to be. She grinned again remembering how daintily he'd tugged the badge from her pocket, so careful not to be disrespectful. Would Bucky be that gentle?
Her mind wandered down a path of Super Soldiers and disrespect and not-so-gentleness as she set her computer up. Eventually, her attention was pulled back towards the technology in front of her rather than vibranium hands. She took a sip of her coffee and dove back into her work, less than ten hours after setting it down the night before.
As per usual, the time flew by. Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her intense focus.
A text from Tony: "Put your shoes back on. We've got a briefing in ten. Be ready to impress."
She shot back: "Always am."
Evie grinned. During nearly every one of Tony's random visits over the past week, he'd found her barefoot in the lab, heels discarded behind her. Despite the obvious safety hazard, she couldn't stand wearing them any longer than she had to. Finally, after suffering for four days, she accepted that she had already made a good enough impression and that it was officially time to switch to jeans, sneakers, and in today's case –– an MIT crewneck sweatshirt.
"Well, would you look at that, she does own safety compliant close-toed shoes." Tony mocked as he stepped into the lab.
"Not all of us are at risk of random detonations, you know." She rolled her eyes.
"Wow, I'm hurt, I really am." He put a hand over his heart. "You ready to rock and roll or what? Don't embarrass me in there, I'm serious."
Evie laughed, grabbing her tablet and following him. "Shut up, Stark."
She followed Tony down the hall, into the elevator, and finally out onto the floor reserves for intelligence and briefings for SHIELD. As they rounded a corner, Tony stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "Alright, Red. This is the big leagues. I know you're doing big things in the lab, but some of what you'll hear in this briefing –– and all future briefings –– is top secret, lock and key, lives on the line shit. Got it?"
Evie nodded solemnly, only slightly unnerved by his sudden serious demeanor. "I understand."
Tony grinned. "That's the spirit. Now, let's go keep this world nice and saved."
With a wave of each of their badges, the conference room door slid open. Seated around an expansive table were legends, people Evie wasn't sure were really people until that very moment when all their faces turned to look at her. One by one, she met the eyes of Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, and Bucky Barnes. There was a somewhat austere-looking brunette woman standing near a screen at the front of the room, clad in full SHIELD attire. Her name badge read 'Agent Maria Hill'.
Tony clapped his hands together, breaking the moment. "Alright team, this is Evie Langston, girl wonder. She works for Stark Industries, but has so graciously agreed that consulting for SHIELD will fall under her scope of work. Evie, I assume you know who everyone is." He raised an eyebrow at Evie, who nodded with a grin. "Alright! Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let's get down to business."
A chorus of 'hello' and polite introductions sounded as Evie took a seat next to Tony, across from Steve, who smiled politely when she met his eyes. Agent Hill launched into a discussion about the latest mission and its parameters. Evie listened intently, brows furrowed as she adjusted to the structure of an Avengers' briefing. After the mission was explained in detail, Maria stepped aside, motioning for Tony to take over in explaining the technical needs of the mission. Evie sat up straighter in her seat, knowing this was where she'd come into play.
As Tony detailed the technical aspects of the mission, he turned his focus on Evie. "You'll be heading up the tech support for this one. We're dealing with some advanced encryption and an offensive cyberattack that targets anyone who enters their airspace. The organization we're up against, Orpheus, is highly skilled in cyber warfare. I think it might be right up your alley."
"Got it," she nodded, already formulating a plan in her mind, questions to ask, variables she should know.
Natasha leaned forward, her green eyes intense. "We'll need to make sure our communications are secure and untraceable while we're within their range. Can you handle that?"
"Absolutely," she replied confidently. "I've already been working on some new protocols that should make it virtually impossible for anyone to intercept our signals, no matter where we are. Earthside or otherwise."
"Impressive," Steve muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Clint chimed in, "And what about the security systems on-site? Can you hack into those? In the past, we've banked on being able to sneak in and disable them ourselves, but with this being so high stakes, I think it would minimize our risk of things going sideways if we know it's fully down before we get within firing range."
Evie smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Piece of cake."
Tony grinned, clearly enjoying the exchange. "See? I told you she was brilliant. One of these days you'll stop doubting my eye for talent."
Maria Hill cleared her throat, redirecting the room's attention to herself. "Alright, Evie. Here's all the encrypted intelligence we have on Orpheus. It's everything we could gather from satellite feeds, intercepted communications, and spy reports. Study it thoroughly. We're counting on you to crack this. The mission is in one week, so you need to dedicate your time to this first and foremost."
She handed Evie a slim tablet, its screen already glowing with files waiting to be dissected. "If you have any questions or need further resources, don't hesitate to reach out to me directly."
Evie accepted the tablet, nodding. "Thank you, Agent Hill. I'll get right on it."
Maria gave a curt nod before addressing the room. "Dismissed. We'll have a final briefing again twenty-four hours out. Thanks everyone."
As the team began to disperse, they each took a moment to speak with Evie more personally. First was Sam, who exuded an easygoing charm. "Sam Wilson, or Falcon if you prefer. Welcome to the madhouse. I hope you're ready for some action." He turned to Tony. "Oh, and Stark, do we plan on adding anyone to the team who isn't a super hot redhead?" He looked back and winked towards Wanda and Natasha.
Evie grinned. "It's very nice to meet you, Sam."
Natasha stepped forward, pushing Sam out the door. "Ignore him, he thinks he's a ladies man." She held her hand out and grinned. "Natasha, but you probably guessed that. Impressive work in there. We'll be in good hands, I see."
"Thanks, Natasha. I'll do my best to live up to the hype." She bowed her head.
The next man gave her a nod and a smile. "Clint Barton. Hawkeye. If you need any arrows, I'm your guy."
Evie smirked as she shook his hand. "Evie. If you need your arrows to do anything special, I'm your girl."
The other red haired female approached with a shy smile. "I'm Wanda. If you need any help with, well, anything... just let me know."
"Thanks, Wanda. I appreciate it." Evie returned her smile with as much warmth as she could.
Finally, Bucky and Steve approached together. Steve's eyes were encouraging as he said, "You'll do great, Evie. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with. It's all far above my pay grade anyways."
"It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is." She shrugged. "I still haven't met a problem I can't crack with an all-nighter and a large pizza."
Steve chuckled, but Bucky didn't crack. He remained more reserved, his intense blue eyes studying her. "You did good," he said simply.
Evie grinned, refusing to let his tough exterior shake her. "Thanks, Bucky. You too, Steve. Let's keep this team alive, shall we?"
Bucky's lips twitched into a half-smile, while Steve chuckled again. "That's the plan," he said, nodding as they followed the others out of the room.
The last two remaining, Tony clapped Evie on the shoulder. "You did great, Red. Now, go crack those codes and make us proud."
Evie smirked. "You got it, boss."
She felt a surge of excitement as she headed back to her lab, tablet in hand. One hand already scrolling through the files on the tablet and the other opening Doordash to order coffee and dinner for the evening, she fought the grin threatening to break onto her face. This was what she had been waiting for –– a chance to prove herself and make a real difference. This was just the beginning.
As they stepped into the hall, leaving Evie and Tony alone in the briefing room, Steve and Bucky lingered for a moment. Natasha, noticing their distraction, sidled up to them with a smirk.
"Hey, super soldiers," she called, causing them both to stop and turn. "You two need to pick your jaws up off the floor before the next briefing. Might miss something important."
Steve shot her a puzzled look. "What are you talking about, Nat?"
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb, Rogers. You both were practically drooling over Evie during the meeting."
Bucky crossed his arms, his expression turning defensive. "We're professionals. We were just... impressed by her skills."
"Yeah, sure," Natasha replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And I'm the Queen of England."
Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's just... different. Sharp, confident, and... seems to be on top of things."
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Different, huh? Or maybe just the first woman in a while who's made you both feel something?"
Bucky shifted uncomfortably. "Look, Nat, we're here to do a job. We're professionals."
Natasha chuckled, shaking her head. "Just don't let your professionalism turn into avoidance. You might miss out on something good." She gave them a final teasing glance before walking away, leaving Steve and Bucky standing in the hallway.
Steve turned to Bucky, a small smile playing on his lips. "She's got a point, you know."
Bucky huffed. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just focus on the mission for now."
A few hours and an extended training session later, Steve and Bucky sat in the living room of their floor, the events of the day still weighing heavily on their minds as they decompressed. The routine was essentially the same every night. The soft glow of the city lights filtered through the large windows, casting a warm hue over the modern, sleek furnishings of the common room –– none of which had been picked out by them. They suspected Pepper was the culprit, turning both residential floors into five-star resort level atmospheres, despite the whole team insisting it wouldn't be necessary. The air was filled with a calm that came from years of friendship, each comfortable in the other's presence and the silence. Clint had flown back home to be with his family, leaving only Steve, Bucky, and Sam on their floor for the night. Occasionally, a few members of the team would stay while they were in New York, but for the most part –– this floor only housed the three of them. Natasha and Wanda had the smaller, but slightly nicer floor upstairs.
Steve reached for the remote, flipping through channels before settling on highlights from the Yankees game earlier that evening. Bucky, his left arm glinting slightly in the dim light, leaned back into the plush couch, his eyes half-closed.
"Crazy day, huh?" Steve finally broke the silence, his voice low.
"Yeah," Bucky replied, his tone contemplative. "The new girl, Evie... she's something else."
Steve nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "That, she is. But she's definitely got the brains for this kind of work. Tony really picked a good one. It's just…what are the odds?"
As if on cue, Sam strolled into the room, towel around his neck from a late-night workout. He grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen and joined them, flopping down into an armchair.
"Hey, guys," Sam greeted, taking a swig of water. "You talking about the briefing?"
Steve chuckled. "Among other things. What about you? How was your workout?"
Sam shrugged. "Same old, same old. Just trying to keep up with you super soldiers." He glanced at the TV and grinned. "Really, Steve? Still making excuses for the Yankees?"
Steve rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "It's in my blood, Sam. You should appreciate the loyalty."
"Yeah, yeah," Sam laughed. "So, what's the verdict on the new girl? She seemed pretty confident today. Kept up with Stark, that's a first."
Bucky spoke up. "She's... impressive. Definitely knows her stuff."
Steve nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's got guts. And she's quick. I think she's gonna be a real asset to the team."
"She's not bad on the eyes, either." Sam leaned back, a teasing glint in his eye as he ignored the way both of their heads snapped to look at him. "The way you both were staring her down? Don't think I didn't notice."
Steve felt a slight flush rise to his cheeks, while Bucky just scowled. "Come on, Sam," Steve protested. "We're professionals."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Sure, Cap. Professionals who couldn't take their eyes off her."
Bucky grunted, crossing his arms. "It's not like that."
"Whatever you say," Sam replied with a smirk. "Just don't let it mess with your heads. We've got a job to do."
Steve sighed, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. "We know. It's just... a long story."
"A long story? Didn't you just meet her Monday?" Sam asked, genuinely curious.
Steve glanced at Bucky, who gave a slight nod. "It's more complicated than that," Steve started. "We…knew her grandmother."
Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Her grandmother? You mean back in the day, in the 40s?"
Bucky nodded, his gaze distant as if recalling a memory. "Yeah. Genevieve, Ginny. She was... special."
Steve continued, "Ginny was one of a kind. Smart, beautiful, fierce. She could hold her own in any situation, and she had a heart of gold. Bucky and I... well, we both fell for her. I think she knew that. She didn't want to choose, so she didn't. We tried to ignore our feelings for her and…it got messy."
Sam leaned forward, intrigued. "So, what happened?"
"She knew there was nothing we wouldn't do for her." Bucky sighed, his tone somber. "It nearly tore us apart. We both wanted to be with her, and for a while, it felt like we were competing against each other instead of being the friends we had always been."
Steve nodded, the weight of the memory evident in his eyes. "It was rough. We almost let our feelings for her ruin our friendship. But in the end, we both went off to war and Ginny chose someone else. We had to move on, but we never really got closure. Just…time."
Sam frowned slightly, piecing together their history. "And now, with Evie...?"
"She's the spitting image of Ginny." Steve shook his head. "It's uncanny."
Bucky looked at Steve, then back at Sam. "Evie... she reminds us so much of Ginny. It's like seeing a ghost from our past, but in a good way. She's got that same fire, the same brilliance. Same attitude."
Steve added, "But we know we can't let history repeat itself. We can't afford to let our personal feelings get in the way of a mission or our friendship."
Sam nodded slowly, understanding dawning on his face. "So that's why you two were so tense today."
"Yeah," Bucky admitted. "It's just... a lot to process."
Steve gave a small smile. "But we'll figure it out. We always do."
Sam grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Well, at least now I understand why you two were acting like schoolboys hiding a boner under the table. Just make sure you keep it together. We've got a mission to focus on, and you two are at least thirty percent of the muscle on the team."
"Only thirty percent?" Bucky cocked an eyebrow.
"We will," Steve assured him, ignoring Bucky. "We're not going to let this interfere with the job. Evie's an important part of the team, and she's not her grandmother. She probably doesn't even know about the history, so we're going to keep it that way."
"Good to hear," Sam said, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some shut-eye. Got an early morning run tomorrow. Don't stay up too late, you two."
"Night, Sam," they both echoed as he headed off to his room.
The quiet settled back over the common room, the movie playing softly in the background. Steve glanced at Bucky, who seemed lost in thought.
"Something on your mind, Buck?"
Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just... thinking about how things used to be. How simple it all was. Now... everything's different. Sometimes I miss the days when our biggest concern was sneaking into a theater."
Steve placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Together. We always do."
Bucky nodded, his gaze softening. "Yeah, we will."
The lab was quiet, save for the occasional hum of machinery and the soft clicking of keys. Evie sat hunched over her workstation, eyes glued to the screen as lines of code and complex algorithms filled her vision. She took a sip of her now-cold coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste but too engrossed to care. An open box of discarded pizza crusts sat to her left.
"Okay, Evie, you can do this," she muttered to herself, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Just crack the encryption, isolate the vulnerabilities, and implement the new protocols. Easy peasy."
She paused, glancing at the clock. 2:47 AM. Who needs sleep anyway? She sighed, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
Her mind raced, running through various scenarios and solutions. The encryption used by Orpheus was unlike anything she'd seen before –– intricate, almost elegant in its complexity. It was ever evolving, so her solution had to be just as adaptable.
"Come on, think," she urged herself, tapping her pen against her notebook. What would Tony do? Probably make a snarky comment and then just magically figure it out. But you're not Tony, you're Evie fucking Langston, and you've got this.
With renewed focus, she dove back into her work, her surroundings fading into the background. Hours passed in a blur of code, coffee, and the occasional burst of inspiration. By the time the first rays of dawn began to filter through the windows, she had made significant progress.
"Come on, come on…" she whispered, eyes burning from the strain but unwilling to stop as she willed her algorithm to work faster.
Finally, as the clock struck 6:00 AM, she leaned back, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "Done. Take that, Orpheus." It wasn't a complete solution, but she'd gotten close enough that she knew the rest would be a downhill slide. Her one track mind would finally allow her to rest with the end in sight.
She saved her work and stretched, feeling the exhaustion settle into her bones. Despite the fatigue, there was a sense of accomplishment that made it all worth it. Packing up her things, she slid the pizza box into the garbage and yawned.
Time to catch a few hours of sleep. She told herself, heading towards the exit. Then back at it.
As she stepped into the lobby, she almost collided with Sam, who was looking fresh and ready for a morning run.
"Hey, Evie," he greeted with a grin. "What are you doing in the lobby at this hour, and in yesterday's clothes no less?" He tsked as he looked her up and down.
Evie laughed, though it came out more like a groan. "It's the least fun walk of shame you'll ever see. Pulled an all-nighter and I'm about to head home for some shut-eye before work."
Sam raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "You look dead on your feet. How far is your place?"
"About a 15-minute walk," she replied, already dreading the trek.
Sam shook his head. "Forget that. My place is just upstairs. You can crash on the couch in our common room. It's way easier than walking home and back."
Evie blinked, the offer taking a moment to process in her sleep-deprived brain. "You sure? I probably smell like reactor fusion from the lab."
"I don't even know what that is but I guarantee our couch has seen worse," Sam insisted. "Come on, you need sleep, and I've got a perfectly good couch that beats walking home any day."
"Well, if you're offering, I'll take you up on it," she said, relief washing over her. "Thanks, Sam. You're a lifesaver."
They took the elevator up to his floor, and Sam led her into the common room he shared with Steve and Bucky. The room was spacious and comfortable, with a large couch taking center stage.
"Make yourself at home," Sam said, grabbing a blanket from a nearby closet and tossing it onto the couch. "I'm heading out for my run, so you'll have the place to yourself for a bit."
"Thanks, Sam," Evie said again, sinking onto the couch and pulling the blanket over her. "I owe you one."
"I'll remember that," Sam replied with a smile. "Get some rest, genius."
With that, he headed out, leaving Evie to kick off her sneakers and curl up on the couch. As soon as her head hit the cushion, she was out like a light, her exhaustion finally catching up with her.
Steve and Bucky woke up later than usual, having decided to skip their morning run in favor of a longer sparring session planned for the afternoon. Steve was the first to step out of his room, heading towards the kitchen for his usual morning coffee. As he rounded the corner into the common room, he froze.
There, curled up on the couch with a blanket pulled up to her chin, was Evie.
Bucky emerged from his room across the hall a moment later, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Mornin," he muttered, then stopped in his tracks when he saw what Steve was staring at. "Is that... Evie?"
"Looks like it," Steve whispered back, his voice tinged with confusion and concern.
Bucky leaned over to get a closer look, confirming it was indeed Evie fast asleep. "What the hell is she doing here?"
Steve pulled out his phone, scanning his messages. "Hold on... I've got a text from Sam."
He showed the message to Bucky, which read: "Left a surprise for you on the couch. Good luck!"
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Of course."
"Shhh," Steve hushed him, pointing at Evie. "Don't wake her up. She looks like she needs the rest."
"Well, what do we do?" Bucky whispered back. "We can't just leave her here."
Steve thought for a moment. "Let's just get our coffee, quietly, and let her sleep. We can figure it out once she's up."
Bucky nodded, and they snuck into the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible. As they moved around, they whispered their conversation.
"I'm gonna kill Sam," Bucky said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Less than twelve hours after we tell him we want to keep things professional and he plants her on our couch."
Steve shook his head, laughing sheepishly. "And she's going to wake up to us watching her."
"He was right about one thing, though. She's not bad on the eyes," Bucky added, taking a sip of his coffee.
Steve shot him a look. "Really? That's where your mind goes right now?"
Bucky shrugged. "Just saying."
They continued their whispered conversation until they heard a soft groan from the couch. Evie stirred, slowly waking up. She blinked a few times, trying to get her bearings, then noticed the two super soldiers standing in the kitchen, coffee mugs in hand, watching her with mildly alarmed
"Morning, sunshine," Steve said, unable to hide his grin.
Evie sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I smell coffee."
"Nose of a bloodhound." Bucky gave a smile smile and turned, pouring her a cup before walking across the room to hand it to her. She looked up at him with tired eyes and accepted graciously.
"My hero. What time is it?"
"A little before 8," Steve replied, chuckling. "Rough night?"
"You could say that," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair. "Pulled an all-nighter in the lab. Sam found me in the lobby and headed back to my place and offered me the couch."
"Sam did mention something about leaving us a surprise," Steve said with a laugh.
Evie grinned. "You should write him a thank you note."
Bucky changed the subject, "How are you feeling? You looked pretty out of it."
"Like I stayed up all night crouched in front of a bright screen in a dark room," Evie admitted, stretching. "But the couch is surprisingly comfortable. Thanks for letting me crash here."
Steve smiled warmly. "Anytime. You know, you're the first person to sleep on our couch. It's kind of a big deal."
Evie raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean I get a prize or something?"
Steve chuckled. "How about some breakfast?"
She grinned. "Now you're talking."