THE TERM HERO IS RELATIVE

Things were done more seriously on his team, to an extent. Sure they had the time to joke around but each had their own little tradition on preparing for an assignment. Brock never got in the way of that, after all he had his own checks to make before he even got them moving into the jet that would take them to their jump point. He would be last to get in, making sure he did a count and looked over everyone who walked in. Everyone and everything seemed in order, making the muscles release some tension within the agent. Then he walked inside, closing the ramp behind him until he was standing between the two seated sides of the team. Head turns to her, a chuckle leaving him as he looks to his men. It's only then money starts being shared between a few of them. "Already know my team so well it seems." He says, head turning to look back at her. "This won't be a long flight, you guys know how fast these jets move. So occupy your time until the red light flashes."

Sterling smiled at her reaction to the question. Without another word he slid open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a sleeve of cookies. He placed them in front of her across the desk.

"Welcome to Cookie Monday." He said, officially initiating her into the unofficial cult he had started when people caught on he had cookies in his desk at the beginning of the week, specifically at 5:00 on Mondays. Agents showed up unannounced, forming lines some days, to see what kind he had and steal themselves a snack.

"If you ever have trouble with or a question about your paperwork and reports, or anything really, my office door is always open to you. Don't hesitate."

The study session was your idea. You haven't opened your book once.

I know what people say about me. I'm asking what you think.

You're the only person on this campus who treats me like I'm more than my jersey number.

We said no feelings. I think I'm really bad at rules.

You left your hoodie at my place three weeks ago. I've been sleeping in it. Don't make it weird.

Practice ran late. I know. I'm sorry. Please don't be asleep yet.

The whole team thinks we're together. When were you going to tell me you didn't correct them?

I don't bring people to my games. I got you a ticket. Show up.

You tutored me all semester. The least I can do is take you to dinner. A real one.

I've kissed a lot of girls at this school. I keep thinking about the one I haven't.

Tell me again why this is such a bad idea.

That thing you said after the game. Did you mean it or were you just caught up in the moment?

I asked around about you before I talked to you. I'm not embarrassed about that.

I've never had someone wait up for me before. I didn't know what to do with it so I panicked.

Everyone on the team knows I'm gone for you. I'm the last one to say it out loud.

Stop apologizing for taking up space in my life. I made room on purpose.

I told coach I was injured. I'm not injured. I just needed to see you. 

You came to the away game. You hate away games.

I'm not good at this. I'm good at hockey and not much else. But I want to try. For you.

The girl I was pretending to date is the only one I actually want. Life is funny like that.

Draft day is coming and I'm more scared of losing you than losing my shot.

I've been in love with you since the library. Third floor. Two years ago. You had headphones in.

Don't let me sign that contract without knowing if you'd come with me.

You're the smartest person in any room you walk into. I don't know why you're in mine.

The bet was stupid and I knew it was stupid and I did it anyway because it meant spending time with you.

You deserve someone who shows up. I'm working on being that person. Just don't give up on me yet.

My teammates are idiots but they're not wrong about this one.

I've never been nervous before a game. I'm nervous right now and the game isn't for six hours.

You said you didn't want anything serious. I've been trying to be okay with that. I'm not okay with it.

I graduate in May. So do you. I don't want the thing between us to fizzle out. 

I know you're not mine. I also know I'd do anything to change that.

The whole campus is at that party. I'd rather be here. With you. On your couch. Watching whatever you want.

You looked at me different after the game last week. Why?

Tell me what you want. Not what you think I can handle. What you actually want.

I've been the fun one, the easy one, the no-strings one. I don't want to be that with you.

You're the only reason I made it through finals week. I'm not sure you know that.

I don't do mornings. I did this morning. I'd do every morning. That terrifies me.

The long distance thing scares me. You scare me. I'm choosing scared.

I'm not asking you to wait. I'm asking you to want to.

It stopped being fake somewhere around week two. I just didn't know how to tell you.

"Hope he wins then." Frank had no sympathy for them. He didn't like the government being so involved in hero shit. No one wants the powers that be involved in their shit. Who wants feds to come down and start regulating how anyone gets saved, who gets first priority, and who gets thrown to the fucking wolves. All of it left a bad taste in his mouth.

(Throat) - sender grabs reciever by their throat

(jaw) - sender takes hold of recievers jaw harshly

(wrist) - sender has hold of recievers wrist / wrists

(twist) - sender twists reciever's arms behind their back

(bind) - sender restrains reciever with item of choice

(pull) - sender pulls reciever roughly to them

(drag) - sender drags reciever to / away from something

(hair) - sender pulls or controls receiver by their hair

(pin) - sender pins reciever to the wall

(knife) - sender uses a knife against reciever as a threat

(nick) - sender nicks reciever with a knife

(push) - sender pushes reciever roughly

(eyes) - sender forces receiver to look at them

(neck) - sender grabs the back of reciever's neck

(smack) -sender slaps reciever

(grip) - sender grabs reciever by their shirt

(gag) - sender forces reciever to stay quiet (with hand or with a gag)

(strike) - sender hits reciever with their hand or other item

And it feels like medication, and it's good for me, I'm sure But it don't matter how your love feels anymore It'll never be the cure

"Yes, really."

Sterling continued to smile at the younger agent from that moment on. Following rules was SUPPOSED to be how things were done there but Sterling knew that wasn't always the case. If he had a nickel for every time someone gave him a confused look and asked 'There's a rulebook?' he could pay Ara's way through college. Most agents in Alice's area of expertise were, for lack of gentler words, little shits. Sterling had gotten pretty good at wrangling them from the years of experience with Barton, but he never actually expected one of them to actually start listening.

He loved this.

The door to his office beeped as he pressed his thumb to the keypad, typed in a password, and swiped his key card twice. He gestured for her to go in first, ever the gentleman, and he followed behind her leaving the door open.

His office was rather plain. It gave off a bit of a retro noir detective vibe. The walls and some parts of the furniture were a muted green. Boxes of paperwork stacked in the corners of the room. There was a coffee maker and a couple of mugs on the back cabinets and a few personal looking trinkets on a shelf above it. The most curious part was the lack of computer on his desk. All it held were papers and files. Sterling gestured once again, this time to a chair across from his desk, and he took his own seat behind it.

"Do you like cookies?" He asked, completely out of the blue.

she tried not to watch as he entered the passcode to his office, but looked back when he opened the door for her. she walked inside, surveying the quantity of file boxes and lack of tech and making note of it. alice nodded approvingly of the coffee machine. when she had her own office she'd have a coffee machine, she thought.

He forgot, in all of this, to at least make himself appear tired. One might think after how long he'd been alive that he wouldn't let things like that slip but he wasn't perfect. He had moments where he just couldn't keep up that act constantly. At least he sweat, took in a few deep breaths to at least begin looking tired. A chuckle left him as a hand lifted to scratch at the back of tattooed head. "I, uh, I've been doing this for awhile." Which wasn't a lie, it was him being honest.