All Along - Steve Rogers {1}

Chapter 17: Out Of Practice

Steve really needed to up his game. He had been so selfish, so out of it... he had been a terrible boyfriend. Hadn't been there for Nellie when she needed him the most.

This mission was a wake up call. Seeing Nellie that morning packed and ready to go, it was like the world suddenly wasn't blurred anymore, it was clear and vivid and right at the centre of it all was her. Looking back on it he could see how she tried to involve him, tried to explain things to him, and he just pushed her away. He vowed he was never going to do that again.

Just being friends was not going to work for them. He was going to try harder, to prove to Nellie that he was there for her and never leaving again. When he watched her walk away with Bruce, the emotion in her eyes as she looked back at him... he never wanted to see that again. At that moment he swore to himself he would never hurt her again, he would never stop trying to make her happy, to ensure she felt loved at every moment of the day.

He had left her alone, not wanting to distract neither Bruce nor Nellie as they worked. He knew that when it came to science she threw herself into it, he was likely not going to see her again until it was time for her abilities to be put to task rather than her brain. 

Night had fallen upon them quickly as they travelled east towards Europe. Steve had remained on the bridge, continuing his efforts to understand the totality of the situation. Occasionally his ears would pick up information as it fired from group to group, how Agent Barton had hired thugs that were enemies of Shield, that he had stolen a Quinjet, that Loki had successfully turned eight Shield agents to his cause.

When Steve's watch flicked over to what would have been 3pm EDT, he decided that was enough reading for now. He stood from the board table and made his way over to the face trace station that Agent Coulson was overseeing. When Coulson saw Steve approaching his face lit up with a welcoming smile. "Captain." He nodded at Steve respectively and Steve tried not to let the smile spread across his face. If Nellie was with them she'd be hiding her contagious giggles right now.

"Agent Coulson." Steve greeted back, trying to keep his face straight. "Any changes?" He asked gesturing towards the screens. He took on a more comfortable stance and folded his arms across his chest.

"No. Still searching." Coulson confirmed, not being able to help himself as he mimicked Steve's posture. Again, Steve had to hold it together. A slightly awkward silence fell upon them as they watched the people before them work, and then Coulson turned to him, his voice a little quieter than before. "I... erm.. I have these trading cards. I've had them since I was a kid. Captain America and The Siren." Coulson began and Steve instantly felt like he was being tortured, Nellie would die if she were here, Natasha was right, he was very proud. "I was wondering if you would sign them?" He pondered, staring up at the side of Steve's face. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble." He added quickly, his hands dropping as he nervously wrung them together.

Steve kept his eyes dead ahead, if he looked at Coulson he'd crack. "No, no. It's fine." Steve said honestly, he really did not mind the man or the celebrity that came with being who he was. Just the whole introduction to Coulson had been interesting and amusing to say the least. "I'm sure Nel will be willing to sign too." He added.

Coulson tried to hide his own excited smile. "It's a vintage set. It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges, but..."

Agent Coulson's explanation was cut short as alarm indicators began to sound. Agent Jasper Sitwell whirled around in his chair to face Steve and Coulson. "We got a hit." Sitwell announced before spinning back to his screen. "Sixty-seven percent match. Wait, cross match, seventy-nine percent."

Coulson crossed the short distance to him to take a look at the screen himself. "Location?" He asked quickly.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse." Sitwell explained as he zeroed in on the location. "He's not exactly hiding."