Begin Again

II

Kennedy hadn't expected things to return to such normalcy. The captain hadn't joined their organization like she'd thought. Not for a while. It wasn't until her dad asked her to come on board the helicarrier for a mission he "couldn't tell her more about" that she even thought about seeing Steve again, because apparently, he'd be coming. Good thing too, because they had another appointment. This time to clear him for the field.

She swore this time would be better, it had to be. Though it would be hard for it to possibly be worse than last time. Her lab on the helicarrier was significantly smaller, but still it was her own. Her father maybe showed a little favoritism, but he meant when he said she was the doctor he trusted the most. Her, maybe her best friend Jemma. They were some of the youngest, but some of the best in the organization. And he was a liar when he said he couldn't tell her more. If they were bringing in Steve Rogers, this mission was about the Avengers Initiative, supposedly scrapped. But her father wasn't the best secret keeper, not from his daughter.

Kennedy sat at her small desk with her face buried in the computer. She was a bit put off by the different lab, but she had to power through. The familiar knock in the open doorway is what made her look up. She felt the smile the second she saw him, fighting it with all she had. They barely knew each other, what was she doing?

"Captain Rogers," she breathed out. "You are--" she checked her watch quickly. "Right on time, come on in," she said, standing and quickly brushing her hands on her skirt to make sure it didn't have any wrinkles.

"Good to see you again Dr. Coulson."

Oh good god the proper title and everything nearly made her knees buckle.

"You too, and you can call me Kennedy," she smiled politely. Not in an overly-excited way, she hoped. "You uh, just get in?" she asked, coming around her desk and gesturing to the exam table in the smaller lab.

"Yeah, just flew in. With your dad, actually," he pointed out, making her nose crinkle. Steve shook his head politely. "It was fine," he assured her, brushing it off. "He's a... nice man," was that the best thing to say? What do you say about your doctor's dad? Your doctor who happens to be a very pretty field agent as well. Kennedy laughed softly.

"Yeah, he is," she agreed.

"I did hear something about um," he snapped his fingers, trying to remember. "Trading cards?"

Kennedy started going red. "Did he ask you to sign them?"

"No, well, Romanoff told me about them," he explained as he put his leather jacket on the desk while he went over to the exam table. Kennedy scrunched up her nose, getting out her gear for his exam, trying to keep it professional, but he was talking to her like she was his friend.

"He's definitely going to ask you to sign them," she told him, which made the captain chuckle.

"Good to know," he nodded to himself. A moment of silence covered the room as Kennedy finished grabbing everything. "So," he began, as she gave him her attention. Somehow her nerves were better this time. Maybe because she'd done it before. "Same as last time?" he checked. Kennedy just nodded.

"Same thing, just clearing you for the field this time?" she checked, and he breathed out nervously.

"Seems like it," he nodded, starting on the buttons on his shirt. Kennedy turned back to him, setting her equipment on the nearest desk. When she looked at him, he was placing the button down on the desk by the equipment. She jumped, just a little, as he pulled his t-shirt off. She was going to ask what he was doing, then she remembered. Same as last time. But the sight of him without a shirt was still enough to make her knees buckle. She kept herself upright as she gestured for him to lay down, and he did. She kept her mouth closed, afraid of anything dumb coming out of it. And then that was it, same as last time.