Where Is She? (Steve Rogers x Reader)

Chapter 5 - First Day on the Job

Natasha closed the door behind her and followed Steve out into the hallway where he paced angrily. "Steve, you have to give Tony some space. Standing behind him watching and asking him a million questions isn't helping."

"I know, Nat," he said, looking at her. "I really thought the fitness tracker might help."

She reached to put a hand up on his shoulder. "I'm sure it would have if the battery wasn't drained. Let's get out of here for a little while." They walked to the lounge to sit down and Natasha found something mindless to put on tv for him.

"I don't think you ever told me how you and (Y/N) met," she said, sitting down near him on the couch.

"We met at SHIELD," he said, resting his head back on the couch, his neck bent awkwardly. He let out a sigh. "The man who gave me a tour of the Triskelion took me to Maria's office and there she was."

"I didn't realize you knew her then. Love at first site?" Natasha asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I don't know about that but I was impressed with her. She was the first person I'd met that day that treated me like a person and not some kind of..."

"Hero?"

--------

"Maria, Agent Walters is here to see you... and he has a guest as well," (Y/N) said.

"Send them in, please," Maria responded.

Steve smiled and nodded at (Y/N) as they walked into Maria's office. "That's (Y/N)," Agent Walters said to him as they walked in, "she's the one who really runs this place."

Steve turned back to look at (Y/N) and then stepped forward, close to her, and held out his hand to shake hers. "I'm Steve," he smiled.

"Nice to meet you... Captain Rogers," she said, giving him a knowing smile.

He turned his head sideways at you as if to say, "You know who I am?" and she gave him a little shrug and grin.

When the door opened again, Maria walked out with Captain Rogers and asked (Y/N) to hold all her calls. She was going to give him the official SHIELD tour, without a band of drooling followers tagging along. (Y/N) knew that when Maria walked through the building with him, they would be left alone because she could be very intimidating. Although, she wasn't like that with (Y/N) at all, they were more like friends.

"Nice to meet you, Captain Rogers," (Y/N) called out as Maria hurried him away.

He turned around and nodded at her. "You, too (Y/N)... but it's Steve." He flashed her his perfect teeth as he continued to walk.

(Y/N) sat back and watched him walked away, starting to feel a little warmth fall over her as she noticed how good he looked in his uniform. Although she got the impression he had no idea how handsome he was.

Later in the day, he circled back through "to see Maria", although she wasn't in. (Y/N) offered him a seat so he could wait.

"Captain..." (Y/N) started slowly, not knowing how to say what she wanted to say.

He turned to face her, his face very friendly. "Steve... please," he laughed softly.

"Sorry," she said. "Steve, I... I wanted to say thank you for what you and the other Avengers did in New York City." She looked at him genuinely and hoped she hadn't brought up a sore subject.

"Oh... that was... we just did what needed to be done," he said, as if it were on par with changing a tire or emptying the dishwasher. She could see his brain working for a second and he said softly, "I didn't mean to sound like that, I just think of it as my job. You don't get to talk to people on a personal level about it very often."

She patted him on the shoulder. "Well, you don't have to be that guy around me," she said in a friendly tone. "You stop by here anytime you need someone to listen. Deal?"

"That's... so nice," he said. (Y/N) obviously took him by surprise and that made her a little sad for him.

"Listen, if you're going to be here tomorrow, you're welcome to go to lunch with us —my friend Scott and me."

"Name the time and place," he said with a laugh. He looked relieved.

"Okay, we'll meet in the breakroom at 1:00," she said.

Steve rose out of the chair and stood in front of her desk. "Thanks, (Y/N), it was nice chatting with you. I'll see you tomorrow."

--------

"Aww, she's so sweet," Natasha said. "I'm so glad you guys found each other."

Steve smiled to himself. "She is sweet," he said. "The next day, she brought me a tote bag full of cds, pop culture books, dvds... It hadn't been that long since I came out of the ice and she was trying to help me out."

"Why'd it take you so long to get together?" Natasha asked.

"SHIELD moved me around a lot, then Maria moved her here... We never lost touch though. I was so glad to see her when I realized we were both living in the same city." He got lost in his own thoughts for a minute and then smiled. "Coulson told me she was the only go-to person I needed for pop culture... but she ended up being my only go-to person for everything."

Natasha got a big smile on her face. "Do you remember when Tony was fixing her cell phone and it started playing Wham! —Really, really loud?" Natasha laughed remembering that. "Your girlfriend's a cornball Steve... that's why I love her so much."

"I'm really glad you two became friends, it's nice," he said.

Steve seemed to be responding well to the conversation and it was having a calming effect so Natasha kept talking to distract him.

"Remember the time Reed came over to help Tony and Johnny tagged along with him?" she laughed.

"Oh, I remember..."

"I'll never forget, (Y/N) and I were sitting in here and Johnny wandered in saying he had a fever and asked if she could take his temperature. She didn't realize who he was so she went along with it..." Natasha said. "She's too nice."

"Yeah and I came in and caught him flirting with her, that little shit," Steve chuckled.

"He said, 'Nice boots, el Capitán' and you said—"

"Do you want one up your ass??" Steve interrupted. They laughed and laughed. It was the lightest moment there had been in days.

"I think that's the only time I have ever seen you jealous," Natasha smiled. "It was actually cute."

Steve stared down at his hands. "I'm falling apart, Nat."

"I know," she said, grabbing his shoulder. "I can't say I blame you. But she needs you to be strong right now."

"If I had any idea where they are, I'd be out the door so fast..." He looked at Natasha, tightening his lips together. A flash lit her face up and they both looked to the window, seeing lightning in the sky.