Helios (Steve Rogers x Male!OC x Darkling)

II

"Is this really necessary?" You asked Coulson as you tapped your foot on the floor, running your fingers through your hair. You were seated in a chair while Fury stood on the other end of the room, looking outside the window. "Why can't I just not exist and only come into the picture when I'm actually needed?"

"You're nervous." Coulson snorted as he turned around to look at you. He sighed when you didn't reply and just looked away. "You'll be safer with them. You know that." he said much calmer, walking closer to you now. He sat next to you and put his arm around you.

"Who's to say with my luck?" You chuckled sadly and buried your face in your hands, resting your elbows on your knees.

Phil rubbed your back lightly, "It'll be fine, Lios. You've dealt with worse."

"Why can't you come with me?" You groaned.

Phil let out a sad chuckle, "You know why, Lios. This is different. You're an Avenger now, you'll be with gods and superheroes where you belong." He said and though he regretted saying it, he knew it was true.

"I don't. I belong here." You said, finally looking up to see the small apartment living room that you had shared with Phil for as long as you could remember. 

"I'm just an agent, Lios. I can't always keep you safe. I... I'm not like you. Maybe you'll grow to be an even better person there, with those like you around." Phil said.

"You didn't tell them, did you?" You looked at Phil worriedly.

He merely shook his head. "Only Fury knows. You don't have to tell them either. They've been briefed about you. For them, you're just another Avenger. You won't have to do anything until you're really required."

"A secret weapon," you muttered under your breath.

"Hey," Phil made you look at him, not having heard what you had said. "You'll be okay."

You gulped and looked down. It felt wrong to leave, but you knew you had to. Phil had already done so much for you. You took a deep breath and when you let it out, tears came with it. "I'll miss you, dad." You whispered.

You didn't have to look at him to know that he was crying too. This was the first time you had called him dad, after all these years. He had always told people that he was your guardian, and he didn't say it, but the word 'guardian' had started to sting as you grew. He had seen you grow, taken you to school and to college. He had spent sleepless nights worrying when you didn't come home from a party till late. He had scolded you, told you off, but he had also loved you. He kept you a secret from most of SHIELD, only the ones that were involved in your case knew. He had done his best to give you a normal life and he had. You couldn't have been more grateful.

It was just as hard on him, maybe even harder. You'd have a team, friends, and people around you. Phil would be left here alone. You hugged him and you two sat there for some time before Phil finally pulled back and told you that it was time to go. He helped you with your bags and took you to the SHIELD headquarters.

***

You sat awkwardly at the table as people filed out of the room. The introduction had gone well, you only had to tell them a little about yourself like you did in highschool introductions and Fury had handled the rest. You had driven to the Avengers Tower from the SHIELD headquarters with Fury and Phil had said his goodbyes. The Avengers had introduced themselves one by one similarly. That wasn't so bad, you thought. 

You got up last to go to the floor Tony had told you your room was in when Steve spoke up. You turned around, having forgotten he was still seating. He looked at you curiously. 

"I've seen you at the headquarters with Coulson," he said. Every time you went to the headquarters, it was mostly when extremely necessary and even then Phil kept it hush-hush. Wherever had he seen him and recognized him all these days after?

"He's um... He's my guardian." You said, sitting back down as you looked back at him.

Steve didn't reply for a long time and seemed to be thinking something. You wondered if you should get up and leave or would it be disrespectful. 

"Is that how you got in?" Steve finally asked nonchalantly. 

"What do you mean?" You asked, genuinely confused.

"Through Coulson, he got you your dream job as an Avenger?" Steve asked and he couldn't help but sound irked. He was irked, actually. This had been happening at times of late, new additions were being made and some of them didn't make sense when you looked around at the others. Most of the new members these days had some or another contact either at SHIELD or somewhere influential outside of it. Once you're an Avenger, who could deny you any job you wanted? Who could miss that in a college Application's essay? But even then, at least most of them had some sort of power or excelled in combat or other areas. You were just a regular kid, it didn't add up. "Fury wasn't clear when he told us about you. What can you do, exactly?" he continued when you didn't respond.

That question shut you up entirely. You gulped as you tried to think of something. He was intimidating, you had seen Steve on TV interviews many times and you knew that was sort of his image but was he deliberately being assertive here? You couldn't help but feel bullied a little, "I thought Fury would've already briefed you."

"That's what I'm saying, he didn't exactly answer this question," Steve said.

"Perhaps it was meant to be left unanswered then," You shrugged and stood up to leave now.

"Now no need to get defensive," Steve said which set you off.

"I'm not being defensive." You said back, raising your brows at him to appear bemused but he simply shook his head. It was as if he could see through you. You were being defensive and you did feel the need to defend yourself. If you didn't, it would come on Phil's honour that he used his contacts to slip you into the initiative. "Fury chose me himself." You said.

Steve just looked at you and nodded, "Interesting." He said but you couldn't help but feel patronized as if he looking down at you. "Don't feel offended, I just wanted to know more about you if you're to be in my team," he added.

"Your team?" You asked.

Steve chuckled and stood up as well to tower over you. "Well, I am the Captain, no?" He said and patted your back. You just looked at him through furrowed brows as he left the room, he had seemed so proud of his title, as if he owned the whole team and it couldn't function without him. Damn, he really thinks too high of himself, you thought. 

Everything that rises must converge, the title of O'Connor's story randomly came to you. The story in itself didn't have anything relevant here but the title made you sigh. These weren't the heroes you had seen on TV. Exactly what had you gotten yourself into?