"A lot of times freedom doesn't mean being free. It is not a right, but a choice. Anyone can be free if they want to. Telling someone to be free is taking away their choice to be free. You don't take away decisions."
A story in which Lilly Richards...
*follows the events from Captain America: The Winter Soldier {gif by marvelgifs}
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It was two years since the Avengers fought Chitauris in New York. Lilly and others helped Fury do some small tasks he wanted them to do. She was hanging out with Natasha, Steve and Sam all the time. She met Sam last year, when they had a mission to go to together. She liked him as a friend.
She also got closer with Steve. He told her everything about the 1940s and the war. He mentioned Bucky, his best friend and his first love, Peggy. Lilly loved listening to him about his previous life. He looked so excited telling her all about it. She also told him about her past, though not so much. She told him why she became an agent and how her parents were like. She decided to let the story of her powers rest for some time.
The last two years definitely changed a lot for Lilly. She told Daniel, her best friend, that something definitely sparked between her and Steve. A year ago she admitted she has a crush on Steve. But he is the only one who knows. And she wants it to stay that way.
——— now ———
"Hey, Lilly," Daniel said as he walked up to her. "Hey, you," she added. Both of the gave each other a quick hug. "I heard Steve and others returned from their mission, though you didn't hear that from me," he said. She punched him in the arm. "Stop teasing me," she said and he laughed about it. "I'm sorry, but I cannot help myself." After a short paused he asked her "when will you tell him?" She was quiet. "I don't know. When the time will be right, I guess." "But you've said this for like a millionth time now. It is never the 'right time' for you," he said stating the obvious.
Lilly looked past him, seeing another agent approaching them. "Agent Richards, Dir. Fury wants to see you," Lilly rolled her eyes. "Gosh, this man has too much time." With that she said goodbye to Daniel and walked down the corridor.
She entered the office of Nick Fury and noticed him sitting on a chair. "You wanted to see me," she said and stopped in front of his desk. "Agent Richards," he said as he turned around, facing her. "I need you to take these papers," he said and placed some papers on the desk, "and bring them back signed." "By who?" She asked him. "A person named Alexander Pierce. I would take them myself, but,..." he paused. "But you're too lazy, right?" He gave her a sarcastic smile. "No. I have other business I have to,..." he trailed off as he noticed Steve entering his office.
"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Steve asked him. He noticed Lilly standing in front of his desk and quickly looked at her before turning back to Fury. "I didn't lie. Agent Romanoff had a different mission than you," Nick said as he watched Captain stop besides Lilly. "Which you didn't feel obliged to share." "I'm not obliged to do anything." As Fury said that, Lilly coughed. Both of them turned their attention to her. "Oh, right! Papers!" She reminded herself and grabbed the papers on his desk.
"Those hostages could've died, Nick." "I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen." "Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around and shooting guns." Steve had a point, but good luck winning an argument against Fury. "The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye. Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything." Lilly took off and left for the door.
"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their owns." "It's called compartmentalization. Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all." Nick said to him. "Except you," Steve said. "You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that." With that being said, Lilly chuckled and left the room.
She delivered the papers to Pierce's office, but no one was in it. She decided to leave a note. With that she left.
——— later ———
Lilly waited for Sam outside of his room, where he had a meeting with people who have PTSD. She was leaning on the wall, playing with her fingers. She was thinking about her mother. She loved her. Yet she did that. If she would be normal like everyone else is, her mother would be here now and she would probably live an entire different life.
Her thought were interrupted by a tall figure that stood in front of her. She slowly looked up and noticed it was Steve with his arms crossed. "Am I disturbing something?" He asked her with a smile. She shook her head. He looked past her and noticed Sam inside. "I'm sorry," he said as he moved to her side. "For before." "No problem, I'm used to that. To Fury's secrets." "Sometimes I think his secrets have secrets," he said and that made Lilly chuckle. He looked at her and felt... proud?
Sam walked out of the room, saying goodbyes to the people. "Look who it is, the running man," Sam said as he noticed Steve. "And a fiery woman," he added when he saw Lilly. "Don't forget the bird man," Lilly added, still leaning on the wall with her shoulder. "It's falcon." She rolled her eyes. Sam looked back and forth between them. "Do you two know each other?" "No. I have never seen this man in my life," she said. "And I have never seen this woman in my life either." Both of them looked at each other for a short period of time. "You guys would make a great couple," Sam said, which made both of them blush. Lilly nervously coughed. "I'm just screwing with you guys," said Sam, trying to ease the situation.
"You lose someone?" Steve asked him after a long silence. "My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch," Sam said, trying no to remember the time he saw his best friend go to another world. "I'm sorry." Steve said.
"After that, I had really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?" "But you're happy now, back in the world?" Steve added. "Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out?" "Hold on, does Fury leave you alone? Where can I sign up?" Lilly asked him laughing. "I leave myself away from the Fury." "Smart choice," she said bac to Sam.
"To be honest, I don't know what would we do with ourselves if we would drop out," Steve said, remembering the question Sam asked. "You could do whatever you want. Whatever makes you happy, that is if you know what makes you happy,..." Sam trailed off. Steve fell silent. He smiled as he was staring at his feet. "I don't know what makes me happy," he answered him. Lilly looked into the distance.
She knows what makes her happy. She thought about all the moments that made her smile. About her friends, Natasha and Daniel, other Avengers, her family,... and Steve.
"I know what makes me happy," she said, "but I don't know if I make him happy."
