#shield agents

This isn't even close to your first field mission but his approval always makes you feel a bit excited. You've been with SHIELD for a little over two years and have been accompanying the Avengers for almost as long but this mission is different. It's the first time you and your long time crush have been sent together with no other backup. Most missions require five or six people but this mission was fairly straightforward and could be completed with just a team of two.

"Steve," he reminds you with a friendly smile as he climbs the three steps to the moss covered porch behind you.

"Steve, right, sorry," you grin awkwardly and look down, kicking a small rock off the porch to avoid eye contact with him.

You can feel his eyes on you but you don't look up until you hear him breaking the knob on the door to the cabin. "After you," he says politely, swinging the door open so you can get dry and hopefully warm.

"Well this is cozy," you say sarcastically as you step out of the driving rain and wind into the musty cabin. Your eyes try to adjust to the dim light as you move your flashlight slowly back and forth across the small space. Rain pounds on the metal roof overhead but thankfully there don't seem to be any leaks.

Steve walks in behind you, pulling the door shut and leaning his shield against it to keep it closed now that the lock is broken. "Didn't think that part through," he chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck.

"I wouldn't worry about it, it looks like the lock might have been the only thing in this place that works," you giggle in response.

Steve flicks on the light switch next to the door you missed and smirks as the cabin is illuminated, "Not the only thing."

You groan in embarrassment and put away your flashlight. "I would have figured that out," you tell him and he hums in response as you walk in opposite directions.

In the far corner stands what you hope is an empty refrigerator, a leaky sink and hot plate on the scratched and cracked butcher block counter. You head towards what was once a quaint little kitchen and place your pack down next to the hot plate without bothering to open the cabinets. If there is any food in there, you can already tell you wouldn't want to eat it. Who knows how long this place has been abandoned, you think

Steve walks to the large stone fireplace in the living room and his voice draws your attention from your thoughts of how romantic this place could have been years ago. "Firewood looks dry," he tells you, touching a few of the round logs that rest to the side of the fireplace.

"Oh great," you say cheerfully then your mouth falls open in amazement.

The super soldier picks up a piece of wood from the pile and tears in it half with his bear hands as easily as you would tear a piece of paper. He chuckles and you put your hand over your mouth when you realize you said, "Wow," outloud and not in your head. Thankfully, he doesn't turn to look at you, continuing to tear the next two logs then place them in the dusty hearth.

He runs his fingers through his damp blonde hair and looks around for a box of matches, smiling when he finds them on the mantle. Once the fire is lit, he stands up and undoes the brown leather harness he uses to secure his shield to his back. You can't help but watch as he pulls off the leather top of his blue stealth suit to reveal a white undershirt that clings to his muscles.

Steve looks at you over his shoulder and smirks when his eyes meet yours. You immediately flush at being caught watching him and focus on the bag you brought from the jet. You hear him walking towards you, the old wooden floorboards creaking under his heavy boots. Unzipping the bag you check the SHIELD issued rations.

"Anything good?" he asks, looking over your shoulder.

"Cream of onion soup or... cream of mushroom soup... or cream of chicken soup," you tell him as you pull out each can, unable to hide your disappointment by the selection.

"You pick first," he offers with a shrug.

"I guess I'll go with the one," you pick up the soup which you hate the least then groan, grabbing the broken bag of crackers at the bottom. A sudden loud clap of thunder cause you to jump, dropping the bag with a fearful gasp.

"You alright?" Steve asks, his voice full of concern at your reaction to the sound.

"Yeah, yep, fine," you say unconvincingly as your heart hammers in your chest.

The super soldier bends to pick up the now completely broken crackers and puts his hand gently on your shoulder. "You sure?"

You nod quickly and take the crackers back from him. "I'll heat up the soup," you change the topic, hoping he can't hear how much your voice is shaking. "Can you radio SHIELD and tell them where we are?"

"Yeah," he agrees but his gentle blue eyes remain on you. You keep your head down, setting up the portable stove that came with the kit from the jet. After a moment, Steve walks to the living area and calls Agent Hill to give her your location.

Your hands shake as you light the sterno, holding your breath to try and steady yourself when a flash of lightning illuminates the cabin. Please pass quickly, your silent prayer is interrupted by a crash of thunder that shakes the cabin.

You sit cross legged on the floor in front of the fireplace, finishing the last of your soup completely convinced that SHIELD just added random labels to each can. Although you checked the cans twice to make sure you had made yourself and Steve the correct ones you were sure in a blind tasting no one could tell the difference.

"Well, that was terrible," Steve jokes from his seat on the floor next to you.

You laugh and nod in agreement, your mood light since the thunder and lightning stopped just as you finished cooking. "I'm normally a way better cook than this, I promise," you tell him as he gets up, taking your empty bowl to clean up.

"Maybe when we get back, you can cook something for me that's not cream of leather soup," he suggests with a smile.

"Yeah, that would be fun," you answer eagerly, hoping he really means that. When he walks back towards you, you cover your mouth to hide a wide yawn.

"Tired?" Steve asks and you nod again. "I guess the bedroom is that one," he points to the only interior door in the cabin. You both walk towards the room, silently hoping for two beds or a least a bunk bed. He opens the door and you bite your lip at the sight of the single bed in the middle of the room. "I'll sleep on the couch," Steve offers without a pause like the gentleman he is.

"Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping out there," you insist. To be fair, the couch and bed were equally old and neither was likely to be comfortable.

"Yeah, I'll probably end up sleeping on the floor honestly," he laughs lightly and you smile.

"Okay," you look around the room, noticing only one small window and a dresser with two broken drawers.

"I'll see you in the morning," Steve says, his hand on the door handle. You tell him goodnight before he closes the door, almost hoping he'll leave it open at least a crack so he'll seem closer.

Rain falls heavily on the metal roof but that's not what wakes you from your light sleep. The room lights up as lightning flashes and thunder crashes almost instantly causing you to sit up, breathing heavily as your heart races. You look towards the window then check your watch, immediately wishing it was closer to morning but it's barely 2 AM.

You shiver, the sound of your rapid heartbeat in your ears drowned out momentarily by another clap of thunder. This is silly, you try to remind yourself. You're nearly thirty, you can't still be this scared of- your thought is interrupted by the howling wind throwing sticks and debris at your window. You curl up on the mattress and hold yourself, giving into your fear. Since you were a little kid, you've been terrified of storms and no amount of rational thinking has changed that. Not even becoming friends with the literal God of Thunder made you feel more comfortable when the rain fell in heavy sheets and the sky lit up with lightning followed by the deafening boom of thunder.

You groan and roll over, facing away from the window as if that will magically make the storm go away. Closing your eyes tightly, you can't help but wish the thin mattress came with a sheet or blanket you could hide under. Even with your eyes closed, you can see the room becoming lighter in a flash then let out a terrified scream as a nearby tree is struck and shatters loudly. You cover your mouth, hoping your scream was drowned out by the thunder that followed but the sound of the bedroom door creaking open tells you it wasn't.

Steve doesn't say a word but you can feel him standing at the edge of the bed, watching you. Your fear of the storm raging outside is stronger than your embarrassment and you are unable to pretend you're fine. The bed dips and squeaks but you keep your eyes closed, unsure of what's happening until you feel Steve's breath on your cheek lightly. He lays on his side facing you, his strong muscular arms wrap around your body as he gently pulls you towards his warm body.

He holds you silently, no hint of judgment, no treating you like a child promising everything will be alright or that you're okay. He doesn't say anything, he just holds. You squeeze your eyes shut tightly as the room lights up, your body tensing while you wait for the thunder that always follows. Steve's hand gently rubs your back in slow circles as he tries to calm you, his lips touch your forehead so lightly you're almost not sure it happened. Your fingers grip the back of his shirt tightly and you bury your face against his chest when the thunder crashes violently.

The rain falls heavily on the roof, the sound of the water hitting the metal seemingly in neverending waves but it's Steve you try to focus on. Pressing your ear to his chest, you force yourself to listen to the sound of his steady heartbeat, his chest rising and falling evenly as he remains unaffected by the storm that is terrifying you. His hand continues to rub your back and you feel your body relax under his smooth, repetitive touch. Gradually, you loosen the death grip you have on the back of his shirt but you keep your arm around him as you begin to feel safe. He breathes calmly despite the storm and you feel your eyelids growing heavy as your heart rate slows, your adrenaline fading.

Lightning flashes but you don't tense up, instead you keep your eyes closed and nuzzle against the super soldier's firm yet surprisingly comfortable chest. His hand rises to the back of your head, his fingers running through your hair and you can't help but let a sleepy smile slip free. You yawn against his body and Steve whispers, "Go to sleep Y/N, I've got you."

The morning sun filters through the only window in the bedroom as you open your eyes. You yawn and try to sit up but quickly realize you can't. Steve is laying on his back on the small mattress and your head is resting in his chest. One of his strong arms holds you around your waist and his other hand rests on your back.

You bite your lip, quickly filling with embarrassment not just at how scared you had been of the storm but at the fact that Steve saw you. You wrack your brain trying to come up with a valid excuse for how you acted while gently try to untangle yourself from his grasp.

He groans lightly when you twist and his hand falls from your back. "Stay," the super soldier mumbles without open his eyes, his hand moving back in place. Before you can come up with an excuse to move again he adds, "I just want to enjoy holding you a little longer before we have to go home."

You're silent, looking at him as you try to process what he said when his eyes open and his gaze finds you. "I'm really sorry about last night-" you immediately begin to apologize but he shakes his head and you stop.

His fingers run slowly through your hair the same way they had last night and you close your eyes, resting your head on his chest. "I'm sorry you were so scared," he says, his voice low and you can tell he's moments from falling asleep again.

"I don't like storms," you mumble the understatement of the century.

"I noticed," he chuckles lightly and you tense as a wave of embarrassment floods through you but then you feel him place a soft kiss to your forehead. You open your eyes, sitting up enough to look at him when you remember he had kissed you like that last night. He strokes your cheek gently, looking into your eyes and suddenly seeming much more awake. "I didn't mean to laugh," he tells you and you nod, believing him easily since he's never lied to you before.

A part of you still wants to pull free from his hold and never talk about last night again but then he smiles and you feel your heart race for a different reason. "I've wanted to cuddle you like this for so long," he admits causing you to wonder if this is all part of a very realistic dream. "I asked Agent Hill to assign you for this mission so we could have time together but I hadn't planned on the storms hitting or-"

"Or my ridiculously childish fear," you interrupt him, sitting up out of his grasp.

"That's not what I was going to say," he shakes his head and sits up against the wooden headboard. He sighs then looks away, "I had everything I wanted to say to you planned out in my head before you woke up but it's not coming out right." He lifts his head to look at you and you feel yourself fighting the urge to curl up in his arms again.

"Start over," you suggest with a small smile. "I won't say a word," you mime zipping your mouth shut and he laughs.

"I really enjoyed cuddling you last night and I hope I was able to make you feel safer," he says a bit more confidently. "When we get back, I'd love to take you up on your offer for dinner... preferably as a date."

You giggle when he adds the last bit and nod.

"Is that a yes to a date?" he asks, his voice more unsure.

In response to his question, you cuddle against his chest then look up, kissing his cheek. "Yes, and I promise not to make soup," you reassure him.

He laughs again, his arms wrapping around you comfortably then he leans down slightly to press his lips to yours. You kiss him back and can't help but groan when he pulls away before you want him to. He smirks at your reaction and reaches over to grab his radio which is blinking and beeping to get his attention. Steve doesn't let you move from his hold while he talks to Agent Hill and when he's done he kisses your cheek. "Time to go home," he releases you and you instantly miss being in his arms.

The sound of thunder rumbling in the distant causes you to freeze in the middle of the bedroom, your smile fading quickly. Almost as soon as the fear begins to set in, you feel Steve's arms around you. He presses his chest to your back and rests his chin on your shoulder when you place your hands on his arms. "I can tell Agent Hill we're going to stay here until the storm passes if you need?" he offers, his voice gentle but you shake your head.

"I'll be okay as long as you stay with me," you look up at him.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he leans down, kissing you again as the thunder rumbles again.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did ❤️❤️ Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

(I wasn't really sure who to tag for this cause I don't really have a Steve list)

As you returned to the second floor, the music reverberated through your entire body, and you took a brief moment to steady yourself, straightening out your suit jacket. Even after almost six months, it still took a fair amount of concentration to keep control of your abilities in this atmosphere. This mission had ended up being quite helpful for practice; it did feel as though you had made significant progress in controlling your ability to differentiate between sounds and block out unnecessary ones. 

You were currently running the club and the drug operation it was a cover for while Klein was away on business. You were usually placed in less desirable positions, often the target of capture—the exact opposite of your current mission—and you had to admit you found yourself enjoying the power. 

You were here because, even the drug operation was somewhat of a front, Klein was working with someone you knew only as ‘The Pedlar,’ funneling top-secret information to criminal organizations across the globe. Although Klein had not yet brought you fully into that aspect of the work, your abilities had allowed you to gather a fair amount of information, and you were sure that this was a kind of test that would result in your being brought further in upon his return. 

Everything had been going well so far; the most important part of the weekend, a large cocaine delivery, had progressed without issue last night, and now you just had the evening to relax until his return tomorrow. Marcus, the club manager, approached as you walked along the rail of the balcony. He was young, barely out of high school, and honestly too innocent to be taking up this kind of life, but he did what he was told. 

“Jeremiah is here again. He’s insisting on speaking with you.”

“Couldn't handle it yourself, Marcus?” 

you tilted your head in return, and as he replied, your attention shifted to the main doors as a group of about a dozen young women entered. Not an uncommon sight, of course; however, it was the bright red hair that had immediately caught your attention. A smirk spread across your face as you wondered what kind of trouble Natasha Romanoff was inevitably bringing with her. 

“It’s fine, Marcus. You can bring him up, and while you're down there, find out about this group of women that just came in for me, would you?” 

“Yes, boss, of course.” 

You kept your eyes on the women as they made their way to a set of tables in the corner, and Natasha positioned herself in the booth between the tables, an easy exit and good vantage point for the room as she conversed with the others, her eyes subtly taking in the surroundings. She was wearing a simple black asymmetric dress, with her left shoulder fully exposed and the hem falling just below the knee, a reasonable length aside from the drastic slit running nearly the full length of her right thigh. 

Whatever the issue was, it must be serious; otherwise, they would have simply waited until your weekly check-in. Yet of all the agents they could have sent, it just had to be her. At least you could take advantage of your abilities; you just hoped that the benefit would outweigh the distraction she always managed to cause within you.

Marcus returned with Jerimiah following closely behind. He was in his early 40s with a disheveled appearance. 

“If you are hoping to get any special treatment because Klein is away, you are very, very mistaken.” 

“No, no, of course not, Jayce. I, ah, I know you run a tight ship. I, ah, I’m just here to, like, apologize. I know I messed up, but I can make it up. I can, if you just give me a chance.” 

“Ahhh, you want MORE,” 

you respond as you walk closer to the man. 

“We are not in the business of supplying to people who like to sample the product, and by the looks of you right now, that is still a problem.”

“No, no. Jayce, I swear I’ll pay full. I will. I just can’t survive off 200; I need to bring in more. Please, I can do it. I can.” 

Reaching out, you grab him by the shirt and move him against the nearby wall before continuing, 

“Clean yourself up, and you'll make more by actually selling what you’re taking for yourself. Three months at 2, and then I’ll consider it. But if you show up here again asking for more before then, it will be the last time you get anything. You hear me?” 

He only nodded as you released him, and he made his way back down the nearby stairs. You turn to Marcus. 

“You don't have to do much, you know, Marcus, just be firm and always follow through.” 

“Right, got it, boss. Also, those women you asked about? They are from the local sorority—semi-regulars—but have a couple of new members with them, apparently. No red flags, though.” 

“Good. Send a round to their table from me.” 

“I’ll get right on it.”

Grabbing your drink from the table, you returned to the railing. You knew it wouldn't take Natasha long to spot you, yet you figured it would be better to make it as easy as possible. Marcus approached the table, and after divvying up the drinks among the women, he gestured to you above, and they all cheered in your direction. 

You and Natasha locked eyes as you shared a small smile and raised your glasses before you rested your forearms on the railing, holding your drink in front of you. She raised her glass to her lips, pretending to drink as she spoke, 

“Long time no see, Jensen. You good to hear me from up there?” 

You nodded and tugged at your ear to signal her to go ahead. 

“Sorry to intrude, but we have a problem that they wanted relayed ASAP. Klein was taken in by the FBI yesterday, and it sounds like he’s making a deal. Fury wants to know if you are able to access the record system so we can get the data out before they take this place down.” 

You stretched your neck out and downed the rest of your drink, pointing at the dance floor before turning around. Heading down the stairs, you stopped at the edge of the bar and advised the VIP waitress to send some champagne up and to be ready to supply full service. 

Natasha is easily spotted on the dance floor as you approach, offering her a hand and immediately pulling her in close. Her arms wrap around your neck as you take hold of her hips and move your head above her shoulder to speak into her ear.

“Aren't you getting a little old to be taking the role of a college student?” 

You find yourself overly aware of just how close your bodies are as you move to the music. You both pull away slightly to face each other, a smirk on her face as she raises an eyebrow and responds, 

“Maybe. But it sure caught your attention pretty quick.” 

You raise a hand and run it through the hair flowing over her shoulder as it runs halfway down her bicep. 

“Your hair is longer.” 

“It does that. But I have been thinking about cutting it short.” 

“Well, either way, you always look stunning.” 

“You clean up pretty well yourself.” 

Her hand moves down the lapel of your suit jacket slowly before she turns, pressing her back to your front as you continue to dance. 

“We can do it, but it has to be tonight, and it will break my cover.” 

“We suspected it might. We have the go-ahead to break if you're sure we can get it, but Fury says we can have four days.” 

“I'm head of the house until Klein gets back tomorrow, and once he does, it will be much harder. Do you have a USB on you?” 

“I do.” 

“Good. Then let's party. Introduce me to your new friends.”

****************************************************************

You spend the next hour or so back up on the second floor with the dozen college students as they continue to drink and dance. Settled into the corner of one of the couches with your arm around Natasha, your fingers running along her bare arm while hers rest on your thigh, playing your parts. 

She continues to play up her intoxication, switching between conversations with the others and whispering in your ear. With anyone else, you're sure you would have had to actively remember to keep up with the ruse even to simply look relaxed in this position. However, with Natasha, it wasn't even really a ruse; the positioning, the physical closeness, the movements just felt natural. 

The thought of which causes you pause, you had hoped that perhaps some more significant time away from her would have diminished some of these feelings, but it seemed as though they were as prevalent as ever. Shifting slightly, Natasha moves her hand up to the base of your neck, drawing your attention back to her. 

“So when are we gonna get out of here?” 

“Soon,” 

you reply, moving your own hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear and slowly pulling it back across her face. Staring into each other's eyes, you can't help but find yourself drawn to her. Unsure if it was on purpose or not, her gaze quickly jumps to your lips and back. Causing your breath to hitch slightly as you both look away, and you bite your lip. 

Considering the play you were trying to put on, it would have made sense for you to have kissed her by now, probably more than once, and yet you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it. As you try to sort through the thoughts of why you are holding back, the announcement for the last call rings out. You shift to get up, seeing Marcus against the wall nearby. 

“Come on, Marcus, let loose a bit! You did well this weekend, so have a bit of fun to celebrate. I know I'm going to.”

You wink at him as you turn to Natasha, holding out your hand. She takes it and rises to her feet, adding a slight stumble for dramatic flair. You lead her to the elevator doors and make your way up to the third floor. It’s slightly more narrow and runs around the perimeter of the building, similar to the second; however, it is fully enclosed with one-way glass, the sound of the music greatly diminished. 

You head down the hallway, stopping briefly at the security room. You open the door, and multiple screens fill the wall with two people seated inside. The older of the two has already turned to face you. 

“James, I'm going to the office for a while, and I DO NOT want to be disturbed, got it?” 

His eyes flicker between the two of you with a satisfied grin. 

“You got it, boss.” 

Closing the door behind you, you continue on to the final room, reaching your hand up to glide your ring over the access panel light, which turns green before you enter the code and it clicks open. Once inside, you release Natasha and direct her to the desk at the center.

“This is the only room in the building not monitored. Everything is in there. I only have access to the primary system; however, it shouldn't be hard to break into the rest, so have at it.” 

You finish entering your login information and gesture to Natasha toward the computer as she pulls a USB drive out from her clutch.

“Admitting that I'm better than you, Jensen?” 

“Maybe. But then again, faster isn't the same as better.” 

“I suppose that depends on who you ask.” 

As she works her way through the computer, you take off your suit jacket and toss it onto one of the chairs, then swipe your arm along the edge of the desk, causing some papers and office supplies to fall to the floor. Natasha shoots you an amused look while you untuck your shirt. 

“Might as well make it look convincing,” 

you muse as you remove your ring and toss it in the garbage can.

“Okay, I'm in, but it's a lot. It could take up to 15 minutes to download. Think we have that?” 

“Should be fine. Just one wildcard.” 

She moves to the front of the desk and leans against it as you look on from the window. 

“Certainly not the kind of place I usually find myself extricating you from.” 

“It certainly is not. It has been an interesting change of pace.” 

“The power looks good on you.” 

“Careful, Romanoff; I might start to think you actually like me.” 

You share a look before you turn your attention back to the window.

“We will be able to walk away from here with no issue. They won't even notice anything, not until Klein gets back, and we are hopefully long gone so we can stop at my apartment and collect the relay supplies before we head out. It will also be good for the car tracker.”

“Sounds good. I'm set up at a hotel downtown and can contact HQ when we arrive to arrange travel.” 

“When did you get in?” 

“About this time yesterday.” 

“And still took you this long to come visit?” 

“Well, I did expect to have a few more days to plan after contact, but I also didn't expect it to be quite this easy.” 

“Yeah, me too. I mean, they will mess you up, but if you're in, you're in. Honestly, I think the Pedlar might have picked them as an access point because the operation is just so- average none would expect big things from them”

Then you see Allison talking with Marcus on the second floor, her typical irritating self, asking where you are. 

“Well, of course there's the wild card. How much time do we have left?” 

Natasha leans back to look at the screen as you walk towards her, listening to the pair reach the top of the elevator. 

“87%. Should only be a couple of minutes, max.” 

“Okay, we should be able to handle that then,” 

you finish as you approach her space, smirking as you lift her onto the desk to sit just in front of the computer, positioning yourself between her legs. She subtly places her left hand at your waist, within easy reach of your holster. 

“Don’t get trigger happy; it’s just the second in command. I had her taking care of distribution downstairs. She's annoying but won't cause issues unless we do. Trust me, Natalie , I can talk us out.” 

“Don't worry, Jayce , I’ll follow your lead.” 

You look into each other's eyes again, bodies against each other, face so close you can feel her breath on your lips. You find yourself having to focus on controlling your breathing as she raises her right hand to your face. You can hear James arguing with them as they approach the door, and you brace yourself to move. 

Hesitating for a moment, you begin; however, instead of a forward motion, you move drastically to her left and lay your lips on her neck. She stretches away from you, looking at the ceiling as she moves her hand past your ear to grip the back of your head. You find yourself a little lost in the taste of her skin as you slowly move, then hearing the security panel activate, you move your right hand to her exposed thigh. 

As your fingers slide under the fabric of the slit, you notice her breath catch, causing you to tighten your grip. The sudden hum that escapes her throat immediately elicits the same effect in yours, taking you by surprise as the door opens. You glance at the USB, still glowing red, before you turn your head to the right, remaining in the same position and speaking towards the wall. 

“I recall specifically telling you that I did not want to be disturbed, James.”

It’s Allison who responds, irritation lacing her voice. 

“Maybe you shouldn’t be fucking around on the job.” 

“I’ll fuck around when and wherever I want.” 

You turn your head back towards Natasha’s shoulder, taking a glance at the computer just as you see the glow turn green. You plant another kiss on her shoulder, continuing to speak as you move your right hand from her thigh to her hip and lean forward slightly so that you can remove the USB from the computer. 

“But there is no need to be jealous, Allison.” 

As you turn to face the trio, you run your hand up Natasha’s back and tuck the USB into the band of her bra before running your fingers along her hair. 

“Excuse me for a moment here, darling.” 

You walk across the room towards the three standing at the door. Marcus and James have slight concern etched on their faces while Allison continues to look at Natasha. 

“James, I find myself disappointed in you, and trust me, you will not like what happens if you do that a second time. Get back to your post.”

“Yes, boss. Won't happen again.” 

He turns and leaves the room as you turn to the others. 

“Might you please remind me who Klein left in charge?” 

“That would be you, Jayce,” 

Marcus responds with a clearing of his throat as Allison turns her gaze back to you. You move to stand in front of her, only a step away. 

“But of course, you think it should have been you.” 

“I've been here for over a year; I should have been next in line when Alaris left.” 

She raises her arm, and you quickly catch her wrist in a firm grip. 

“Perhaps you should have done a better job of proving yourself then, mmm?” 

She moves to pull away from your grip while attempting to strike you with her free arm, and you easily block her. Quickly, you strike an elbow into her jaw and spin her in your grip before pinning her to the wall, one arm behind her back, with your knife now pulled from your belt and pressed into the wall beside her head. 

“You really need to learn to keep your attitude in check.” 

Moving the knife down to her shoulder, you slowly press in until drawing blood and slide back, leaving an inch-long cut. 

“Truly Allison. You should think about how to better prove yourself, because when Klein returns and finds out that you gave Jerimiah another 200 after I specifically told him no, well, let’s just say he’s not going to be very happy with you.” 

“How did you…” 

Before she finishes, you pull her back from the wall a couple of inches before pushing her back into it with force and kicking out her knee, letting her fall to the ground. 

“I, unlike some of us here, am actually good at my job.” 

You turn around, sheathing your knife, and throwing Natasha a roll of the eyes as you walk back towards her. 

“It was, ahhh, Niomi?” 

She stands from the desk. 

“Natalie.” 

“Right, Natalie, sorry. What do you say we take this back to my place, where we won’t get so rudely interrupted?” 

She simply nods coyly and takes your hand, both turning to leave as Allison stands from the floor.

“You think you can do better? Have at it. Close up for the night, and if I find anything out of place come morning, I'll show you what a real scar looks like.” 

Walking back out of the club and heading down toward the garage, you notice Marcus coming down behind you. 

“Just close up and head home as usual, Marcus. She shouldn't give you any trouble.” 

“I was just wondering, was there anything I could — I mean, should — have done differently, Jayce? I know I shouldn't really ask. I'm just really trying, and I want to do better. Be more like you.” 

You share a quick glance with Natasha as you approach the car. 

“Honestly, if you want to be more like me, then you're in the wrong place.” 

You open the passenger door for Natasha and close it behind her before turning to the young man. 

“Why do you even want to be in this business, Marcus?” 

“Well, I mean, you know I'm good with the books, and it's lucrative, so why not?” 

“Look, kid, I'm going to be straight with you for a minute, okay? You have some good skills and potential, but those can be put to good use in a lot of different areas, and you could do some good out there. So I'm just saying, if an opportunity presents itself, you should seriously consider it.” 

You placed a hand on his shoulder briefly before heading over to the driver's side and opening the door. 

“Oh, and Marcus?” 

“Yeah, boss?” 

“This conversation never happened.” 

He nodded, and you entered the car and drove away.

“Getting soft spots for criminals now, Jensen?” 

Natasha smirked as you drove. 

“I wouldn't call it that. But I would be lying if I said I didn't see a bit of myself in him.” 

******************************************************************

It didn't take long to get to your nearby apartment. Upon entry, you began to strip down, tossing articles of clothing onto the floor as you walked to the bedroom and removed the blanket. You pulled off and reset the sheet in a more disorganized position, and before removing your pants, now only in your underwear, Natasha spoke from her position leaning against the doorframe. 

“Always putting on a show.” 

You shrugged as you made your way to the closet, noting her gaze lingering on you. 

“Why not? They will look here eventually; might as well keep up the act as much as possible. You know, you could take that off and add to the ploy.” 

You sent a wink her way as you donned more casual attire. 

“I could. But I think you would enjoy it too much; best to keep free of distractions.” 

“You say that as if just being here isn't a distraction.” 

You purposefully avoid looking at her during the exchange. This style of banter is not out of the ordinary, but it was getting more difficult to keep a straight face. She simply watched as you finished your task, collecting the relay equipment from its hiding place inside the vent before emptying the gun magazine and leaving it on the counter with the knife, phone, and keys. You left through the fire escape in order to avoid the front door security cameras and walked a couple of blocks before hailing a cab and heading to the hotel.

Once you arrived, Natasha went to change and called to arrange transport back to DC while you made some tea. She exited the washroom wearing jeans and a simple red tank top, her hair tied up in a ponytail and cell phone tucked against her shoulder. You handed her a mug, and she nodded with a smile as you passed by, heading to the balcony with your own in hand. 

The early morning stillness was always something you enjoyed, as long as it was the end of a day and not the start of one. You realized you must have gotten quite used to standing on a balcony from your time at the club, as you naturally leaned against the rail. 

After a few minutes, Natasha joined you, advising that they had been able to reroute a nearby Quinjet, which would arrive in just a couple of hours. She stood a few steps away from you, leaning her back against the rail as she drank. You stood in silence for several minutes, simply breathing the fresh air before she spoke. 

“Can I ask you a question?” 

“You know you can, but whether or not I answer is another story.”

You turned your head to look at her as you replied with curiosity, wondering what it would be, as you could tell her tone was more serious in nature. She broke eye contact, looking up at the sky briefly before continuing to look forward. 

“I was just curious. Earlier in the office. Why didn’t you kiss me?” 

You couldn't help but release a small huff of amusement as you looked down. 

“It ah, certainly would have made sense.” 

“It would have. Probably even before the office.” 

“Maybe I wanted to minimize distractions.” 

“So my lips are a distraction, but my neck isn't?” 

She smirked as she looked at you this time, and you turned to face her, leaning a hip against the railing as you returned the look with a shrug of your shoulder. 

“Well, I guess you've got me there.” 

You paused for a moment as you considered your thoughts and took a breath. 

“I was going to, and then I, ah, I had a thought, and so then I didn't.” 

“What was the thought?” 

“Natasha…” You took another deep breath as you shook your head. “Why do you want to know so badly?” 

She crossed her arms and turned to face you, mirroring your position, hip against the rail. 

“I, ah, had a thought too. When it seemed like you were going to.” 

“Ah, I see, so you'll tell me if I tell you.” 

You gestured with your hands as she shrugged. 

“Only seems fair.” 

You continued to shake your head and turned again to face the room, leaning your back against the rail and taking a drink, looking up at the sky for a moment as you thought. 

“Because it was just a mission. An act we were putting on; something that had to be done. And I knew we needed to do something, but I couldn't shake the thought that I just... I didn't want our first kiss to be that—to be just a part of a mission.” 

“Our first kiss?” 

You tilted your head to look at her again. 

“I said what I said.” 

You watched her chest rise as she took a deep breath and then spoke, barely above a whisper. 

“I wanted you to.” 

She looked up at you, and you locked eyes as she continued more clearly. 

“The thought that I had when it seemed like you were going to—it was that I wanted you too.” 

“mmm, in the moment or in general?” 

She didn't respond at first; you just looked at each other for a couple of seconds before she pushed away from the rail, putting her cup on the table beside you and moving to stand in front of you. 

“Is this just a part of the mission?” 

she asked, her face stern as a flash of confusion crossed over yours.

“What?” 

Her demeanor broke as she scrunched her features slightly. 

“Right now. Here. Do you consider this a part of the mission?” 

You felt your heart beating as you realized what you thought she was implying, and as she ran her tongue along her lips, you found yourself having to swallow before you responded. 

“No. It isn't.” 

You only managed to stand up from your lean before she closed the distance between you, running her hand across your cheek as she leaned forward, pausing for only a second before making contact.

Her lips moved slowly against yours in the moment before you reacted, your free hand reaching for her hip and pushing harder against her. Tender yet fierce you moved firmly against each other, the tension of the last few years finally released. 

Lost in the heat of the moment for only a minute before the need to touch her overtook you, you pushed your body forward a step, causing her to stumble back slightly, gripping your hip to stabilize herself. You pulled away for air and leaned to place your cup onto the table, finding yourself distracted enough that it tipped to its side rather loudly, causing you both to smile and huff. 

Your attention turned back to her as you raised your now free hand to her face, running your thumb along her jawline. Silent for a moment, you simply took in her features in a way that you had stopped yourself from doing since you first met. As your hand completed its trip across her face, you moved it to the back of her neck and lightly pulled her back towards you. 

You wouldn't even be able to estimate the number of times you had thought about this moment. Yet it was like nothing you could have imagined—the feeling of her body against yours, her lips smooth and full, the softness of her skin and hair in your hand, her grip as her hand slid up your back. You found yourself completely lost in the moment, hearing only the rapid thumping of your hearts. 

Unsure how many minutes passed before the sudden ringing of the phone startled you. Pulling apart, your foreheads leaned against each other to breathe, she was the first to speak. 

“That's probably the notice that our car has arrived.” 

“Yeah. We should. probably get it.” 

“Yeah. We probably. should.” 

You pulled away enough to look into each other's eyes again as you moved a stray hair behind her ear and softly declared, 

“First kiss?” 

She smiled and nodded. 

“Is there something else you wish to say?”

“Huh? Oh, no, just surprised to hear you say anything. I’ve never heard you speak before, so I thought that maybe you couldn’t.” She admitted, tapping the bottom edge of the sheets to make the pile more uniform. “You have a nice voice.” She added, carefully inspecting the surrounding area, oblivious to the bewildered look of the prince before her. “Ah-ha!” She grinned, crawling forward and reaching between his feet. Startled by her actions, Loki quickly took a few steps backward, leaving a noticeable shoe print on the paper she had been reaching for. “Thank you, this was the last one I needed.” She smiled at him, though when she saw the print, her lips quickly curled downwards into a noticeable frown. “That’s not good, Fury’s not gonna be happy.” She mumbled, carefully placing the dirtied sheet on the top as she stood up with her sizable stack of folders and binders in her arms. “Well, it was a pleasure speaking to you, Mr. Loki, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

He watched as she casually resumed her walk down the hallway, unperturbed by the fact that she had just walked straight into him, Loki, the monster that had wreaked havoc in the world and destroyed their precious city. The very city they were currently in now. What an odd Midgardian, but I suppose this would be the place to find plenty of odd ones. He turned to look at some spectators and watched them visibly flinch or stumble as they met his gaze, scrambling to leave the vicinity and get away from here, away from him. Opening his book once more, he continued on his way towards his destination.

Just as she had anticipated, Fury was not pleased with the surprise print on one of the report pages. He looked between it and her in silence, sliding the packet across his desk in her direction as he leaned back and turned his chair slightly.

“Mind telling me why you suddenly decided to decorate such a vital report with a shoe?”

“It was an accident, sir. While on my way here, I was reviewing the content and ended up crashing into someone on the way. They unintentionally stepped on the sheet while trying to avoid the others. I didn’t have time to reprint the documents prior to this meeting. I will be submitting a clean copy into the record and have this one shredded.”

“I’ll let it slide this time only. Next time, watch where you’re walking and leave reviewing for when you’re at a desk. Everything looks to be in order, reprint and file it.”

“Thank you sir, I’ll have it done right away.” She bowed her head and picked up the report.

“Don’t let this happen again.” He sternly remarked. “The next time it does, you’ll have to deal with the consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, sir.” Y/N nodded. “The next item for discussion is the transition of all physical resources into digital. I do understand that many have requested that all resources be scanned and made digital, but that task is a lot larger than many realize. Also, not all of our sources are safe to scan due to age or they need to be translated and checked prior to scanning. It is not impossible, but a sizable team would be needed in order to have it completed. I propose that the physical sources we have are properly cataloged and organized so they are easier to be found. We can have them scanned in the process, but again, we run into the issues of needing to translate and verify that the translations are correct.”

“Y/N, just get to the fucking point. Can it be done?” Fury cut her off, looking at her pointedly with his good eye.

“In an ideal situation, yes.” She let out a small sigh.

“And what is an ‘ideal situation’?” 

“A team of at least five agents per letter, several translators for the various languages we have to make sure we have them properly translated, and a warehouse filled with scanners and computers to scan, name, and upload. With such a team and ideal conditions always, it could take about five to ten years to complete.”

“Oh just that?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm, his frown more pronounced than usual. Y/N knew he was not pleased with her answer, but there was no use in trying to make it lighter than it really was. They had an extensive library in house and warehouses of delicate and confidential artifacts, which included tomes and scrolls. She was the head librarian and managed all of this with only a handful of others spread across the various locations.

“Ideally, yes.”

“And if it wasn’t ideal?”

“Depends on what factors are not present, but without those minimum requirements it could take decades.”

“But it can be done.” He flatly responded, sitting forward in his seat and resting his elbows on the desk. “We won’t destroy any of the physical resources, but you’ll have to make do with what you get. We don’t have the luxury of just handing over a slew of agents for this. We need boots on the ground globally to keep an eye out on things out there bigger than us.” A weight suddenly dropped in the pit of her stomach. Though she was not expecting anything close to what she listed as an ideal, there was something in his tone that screamed out that she was going to hear the worst case scenario.

“And what would I get to work with?” She managed to keep her voice steady.

“State-of-the-art technology per library staff member per location and a god.”

Silence fell over them as she stood there, slowly blinking at her superior. This had to be some sort of sick joke. She knew the organization could not give what was needed, but this? This was hardly anything at all.

“I’m sorry, did you just say new computers and a god?”

“That’s what I said.” He nodded his head.

“You must be joking, right? This task would take more than just decades to do, and what does ‘a god’ even mean? A ‘god’ per person or location, or just one god? And what sort of ‘god’ Do you just have deities on demand or something? Are they just going to snap their fingers and things will be done magically? What can they do for me and this lifelong assignment I have now been tasked with?” She paced in front of his desk, muttering to herself on how this could work and what sort of person this ‘god’ was. He cannot be serious, right? But Fury isn’t the type to just say shit or joke around. She turned and looked at her boss. No, not a joker. She frowned.

“Y/N, calm down. We’ve got two Asgardian gods that have a knack for understanding all languages. You don’t need a team of translators when they can do it on the spot just like that.” His sharp tone made her stop and turn to face him. “So that whole crap can be cut, and you can work with one of them to get all this done faster with fewer people and just get to organizing shit. You’re getting what you get, end of discussion. Anything else?”

“No sir,” she sighed and shook her head.

“Good, I’ll get Agent Hill to talk to them and reach out to you. You’re dismissed.”

“Yes sir.” She slightly bowed her head and left the office, her shoulders dropping the moment the door closed behind her. This was not going to be easy.