Mister Rogers ⍟ || Steve Rogers

2. AGE OF ULTRON

Hesitantly, I started with a move from D.C. to New York City. I would have never agreed to it if not for all of Steve's reasoning. He made a good point though, with the whole Potomac ordeal, it wouldn't be difficult for any HYDRA agent to find my apartment.

Though neither of us admitted it, my protection was not the only reason for my move. Steve also moved into the Avengers Tower in New York, and I knew I had to follow. I lived comfortably in a studio flat about half a mile away from the tower.

Steve and I found time for each other on Friday nights, meeting up and just talking to each other. We automatically clicked, most likely due to the fact that we both were in need of stability. Experience with having our entire lives uprooted from beneath our feet was an ideal we shared.

After spending time with him, I was sure I had found more in Steve than just a friend. His presence made me feel like the rest of the world didn't exist. He understood me and I understood him; we were each other's happiness.

It only took a bit of time for me to realize how boring my life felt without S.H.I.E.L.D. With quite literally nothing to do, I searched for jobs in the area. Luckily, there was a nearby position open for a high school varsity volleyball coach.

Due to my previous career on the Stanford and USA volleyball teams, it took nothing from me to earn the entire team's respect. The team was about half-way through their season and was doing alright. They had a 4-8 wins to losses record which I was determined to change.

Surprisingly, I became extremely dedicated to my new job. When I wasn't training the girls, I was at home reviewing player stats and creating line ups. Steve and I's Friday night dates turned into the two of us coaching 16 year olds from the sidelines.

Leading up to our last game before the post-season, I spent two hours watching our opponents' film. Our team needed to win this game in order to advance to state. The girls, claiming him as their "good-luck charm," begged me to invite Steve to come and support the team.

It was a very intense game and we found ourselves down 20-17 in the last set. Watching our outside hit straight into the block again, I sighed, calling for a time out.

The girls rushed into a huddle and me and Steve shared a tired look. As the two of us approached the circle, the girls immediately stepped aside to make room for us. I glanced at each of them, taking in their nervous expressions.

"First of all, everyone just take a breath," I said. The girls glanced at each other, smiles creeping up on their faces, and did as I said.

With a smile, I continued, "Okay, you all probably thought that was dumb. But my point is, you guys need to give yourselves some credit. When I look out on the court, all I see is six girls thinking about their mistakes. Instead of thinking about what you did wrong, start remembering the things you've done right."

I looked at each of my girls, seeing a part of myself in all of them, "Gabby, don't stop swinging. You got blocked a couple times. So what? If you watch their libero she's sitting so far deep in the court; clearly, she thinks you're gonna hit her in the head. So, take that angle shot, it's wide open. And Dani, you're distributing the offense really well right now. I noticed that their blockers are only watching our hitters, not you. The dump is completely open. And-"

The sound of the buzzer cut me off, indicating our time was up. Everyone put their fists in the center of the circle, "Okay guys, just go out there and have fun. I'm proud of all of you no matter what. Call it, Sof."

"Lions on three! One, two, three-"

"LIONS!" Screamed the team, six girls running back into their spots on the court.

Steve and I walked back to the bench and he nudged me with his elbow, "You're pretty good at that."

I brought my eyes to his and let out a light laugh, "You're funny."

"For a bunch of teenage girls, it wasn't bad," he smiled and I rolled my eyes with a giggle.

In the next 15 minutes, the team had evened the scoreboard, us now having match point 24-22. Everyone watched silently as our top server served, not a sound being made until the ball hit the ground cleanly on the other side.

Cheers erupted throughout the gym and my heart swelled with pride as I watched my team hug each other excitedly. After a final team talk, Steve drove me back to my apartment.

The car ride consisted mostly of me explaining the game to him. I adored his interest in and lack of understanding the sport.

"So you can only touch the ball three times?" He glanced at me briefly from the driver's seat, confusion in his eyes.

"Yes."

"But when the other team is sending the ball over you can jump up and try to block it?"

"Yes."

"And the block doesn't count as a touch?"

"Exactly!" I smiled at him, raising my palm for him. Steve accepted my high-five with a chuckle.

There was a brief pause before I spoke again, "It's a shame I won't get to go to state with them."

Steve raised an eyebrow, "Yeah?"

I nodded, a small smile on my lips, "Yeah."

"What made you change your mind?"

I shrugged, "The Avengers need me."