Psych the Avengers Out

Pot Roast

There was an awkward moment when Tony leaves and Rogers was left standing with Jay. She was idly spinning the metal circlets around her wrists like bangles. Rogers suspected she was subtly looking for a way to remove them but he was confident enough in Tony's skill with technology that he wasn't worried that she would find a way to break them. But then he chastised himself, reminding himself that she was tricky and she was shrewd. If they even thought about the layout of the tower or the way security worked... well, she'd probably pick it straight out of their minds.

Instead of leaving so unceremoniously as Tony had, Rogers sat on the edge of her bed. She raised an eyebrow. "There are bandages and ointments in the bathroom cabinet if you want," Rogers offered. "Your eye doesn't look too good, kid."

She snorted, "No kidding." He could see she was still skeptical, her eyes sliding towards him every other moment as she pulled a bottle of cream from the cabinet, assessing.

"Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" When she gave him a sarcastic look, he revised his tact. "Just questions about your life, not about the vial or anything to do with the Biochemical break-in and Fury."

"Can't guarantee I'll answer, Captain," she replied, turning away from the mirror and crossing her arms across her chest. She looked tired and beat up, like she'd gotten into a bad street alley fight. Which, if he'd heard right from the soldiers in Fury's employ, she basically had. She was probably starving and disoriented even if she didn't show it.

"Should I ask Jarvis to prepare a dinner for you? You look tired and hungry." She cocked her head just like she'd done in the cell when Fury had been interrogating her. She regarded him through slightly narrowed eyes, a calculating look on her face. He realized that she was trying to read his mind. He'd assumed she could do it at will but it seemed like she had to focus. He thought about a nice dinner and a nice conversation with her, focusing on the details to try and convince her.

"Pot roast? Kinda old fashioned, don't you think?" she said with a wry smile. He gave her a gentle smile in return. He stood and held out a hand to her.

"I am kind of old fashioned," he said, holding out his arm as though he was going to escort her to a dance. She unfolded her arms and gave him a frank look.

"You don't need to think so hard to conceal things from me you know," she sighed. "I don't read minds unless it benefits me or if the person is projecting their thoughts." Slightly shocked by her honesty, he nodded and she slipped her hand onto his arm. Her fingers looked tiny next to his large biceps and as he pulled her hand closer he realized that her fingers were not slim and delicate. They were rough and calloused and thick.

"Come on," he said with a smile.

They ended up in the kitchen she'd run past earlier. Steve had introduced her to Jarvis, Tony's artificial intelligence mainframe and she had seemed impressed. Jarvis had cooked them a full pot roast dinner with grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes and Steve could practically see her drooling as he placed the plate in front of her. They sat on stools at the island and she dug in with gusto. He watched in amazement as she attacked the plate with the ferocity of a starved wolf.

She caught her eye at one point and she stopped mid-bite with an embarrassed flush in her face. "Sorry," she mumbled and he laughed. She smiled a small smile back. She seemed to be more comfortable in his presence but he kept his guard up. He wanted to trust her but he was trained to be cautious and he knew she could be playing him. He'd seen Natasha Romanoff at work; it didn't pay to trust a woman with a motive.

When she'd finally slowly to a more human pace, he glanced up and met her eyes. "How old are you anyways?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow, a gesture that indicated she wanted him to guess. "Um... twenty-five?" he guessed. She shook her head in amusement. "How about twenty-seven?" She shook her head again. "Just tell me please, I feel like I'll insult you."