TRUTH, the falcon and the winter soldier

one.

TRUTH, PART ONE: lies

chapter one: coffee for two. 

(pre-the falcon and the winter soldier.)

"what is the cost of lies? it's not that we'll mistake them for the truth. the real danger is that if we hear enough lies, then we no longer recognize the truth at all..." - valery legasov, chernobyl.

***

Rosalina Sanchez met Sam Wilson for the first time three weeks after the half of the universe was blipped back into existence at a Department of Veteran's Affairs event hosted in downtown D.C.

Sam was there to shake hands and talk to people. The woman was there to get information. On what, she didn't know yet.

She knew The Falcon by reputation, of course. But meeting the man in person was something else. The only appropriate words for their first interaction were violently underwhelming. For Rose, at least.

Rose didn't know what she was expecting. Maybe a squad of planes flying over his head or at least a gun in his back pocket or a shirtless dude with an incredibly obvious six pack who did nothing but glare at everyone around him.

What she got instead was a man wearing a light blue shirt, who scratched the top of his head with what seemed like nerves at the amount of people trying to interact with him. Despite the fact that his body language displayed discomfort, Sam Wilson kept an easy smile on his face as he shook the hand of a woman he very clearly didn't know.

He kept his hands splayed out in front of him as he spoke, exposing his entire torso to possible attack in order to present himself as more open. This was a man who wasn't acting like a soldier. He was actually acting like a person. And in terms of people Rose usually interacted with, that was rare in and of itself.

She walked toward the man after observing him for a moment, her short heels clicking against the floor. She looked slightly out of place among the small crowd. Her pencil skirt and professional-looking white button down stood out against the jeans and sweaters with distinct logos of the people milling about the room around her.

Sam had just finished speaking to a balding man who looked about ready to keel over (but was very excited to meet the Falcon, nonetheless) when Rose approached him.

She seemed to catch his eye right away. It was probably the fact that she looked like she was running for Congress, and everyone else in the vicinity looked like they were about to go home to their couches. That's what Rose assumed, at least. Sam sent her his signature kind smile as she walked toward him. Rose did her best to return the expression, turning the corners of her lips up as she extended her manicured right hand toward him.

"Rosalina Sanchez, ex-CIA." Were the first words she said. It still felt strange to be introducing herself that way.

Sam nodded, looking her over while trying to seem like he wasn't checking her for weapons, to see if she might be a threat. He wasn't quite a soldier anymore, but old habits die hard. Rose knew that well.

"Sam Wilson, Department of Veterans Affairs."

Rose was taken aback by that statement for a moment, sporting a wide-eyed and confused expression before she came to her senses and shut her open mouth. Sam's grin only grew wider at the look on her face.

"Sorry, I just -"

"No need to apologize," Sam said quickly, waving her concern away with his open palm and charming smile.