Out Of Time

thirty-one

Instead of going with Tony and Pepper to appear before the committee, Y/N went to the Triskelion. SHIELD's Headquarters. She promised Pepper that she would be there before the meeting ended, but needed to make a stop. As she walked into the lobby, she spotted Phil.

"Agent Coulson," she called, jogging up to him.

"Agent Rogers," he greeted, with a small smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I called Fury a few weeks ago about an issue with Stark, and still haven't heard anything. So I came to see why."

"Oh, Fury did inform me about that."

Y/N folded her arms over her chest. "So he has time to inform you and not get back to me?"

"He has his reasons. The Director always does." Coulson glanced down at his wrist watch. "I have to get going, or I'll be late." He started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Y/N inquired, following him.

"Where you should be. Watching Mr. Stark in front of the Senate committee."

"Great! You can take me with you then. Plus, I know you know more then what you're letting on, so I'll use the car ride there to get it out of you. Are we taking Lola?"

"No, we are not taking Lola. Last time I let you near her, she got scratched up."

"It was an accident! And it was also, literally, one scratch."

"Still a scratch," Coulson said as he held the door open for Y/N.

"All you men are cry babies when it comes to things like that. Tony got on me the other day for breathing near one of the suits. I'm so over it."

"I thought you two were getting along?"

"We were, until I started questioning him about what was wrong." Phil stopped at a black SUV, getting into the driver seat while Y/N got into the passenger. "Tony knows I know that there's something wrong, he just doesn't want to admit it. So he's pushing me away," Y/N sighed, putting her seat belt on.

Coulson began driving off, silently. Y/n could tell though, by the way he was holding onto the steering wheel, that something was bothering him. Or at least on his mind.

"Just say it," Y/N demanded. "You have something on your mind. So just let it out."

"You have feelings for him," Phil immediately said.

Y/N's head snapped to fully look at Phil, who wouldn't look away from the road. "What?"

"You have feelings for Tony Stark. I knew it the moment I saw you hovering over him after the incident at Stark Industries."

"I don't have feel-"

"Don't lie to me, Y/N. You know you've never been able to."

"Phil, I-"

"When Fury told me about you requesting to stay with Stark, it was just a confirmation of what I knew. What I had seen. I told Fury that you should be pulled and to put in someone else, but he said that it would be good for you. I..." Coulson sighed, shaking his head. "I think you need to quit this, Y/N."

"Are you serious? What have I done to prove that anything, let alone emotions, have interfered with my job?! Gosh! I... I can't even believe you."

"You haven't done anything yet. But there might come a time when you have to choose between him and the mission. Or, what happens when you need to be honest with him? You're a Rogers, Y/N, not a Barnes. You were born in 1918. You fell from a plane trying to save the world and woke up in a new age. Stark's going to need to know all of this, or he'll find out. One way or another."