fix you

chapter two

She accessed the hotel's camera feed from her phone on the way back and triggered it to go on a loop around the time she and Steve would arrive. A blue ball cap was now on his head, pulled down low, and with his beard he was fairly unrecognizable, so she didn't bother with the train or CC-TV cameras.

When they got to the hotel she gave him her room key and told him she'd be right there.

He blinked, but didn't ask questions and got on the elevator.

Making her way to the bar, she convinced the bartender to give her a six-pack, and ordered nearly everything on the room service menu.

Then she firmly told herself to stop procrastinating and to get upstairs.

So Steve Rogers was in her hotel room. That was absolutely not a problem. She could completely handle that.

Or so she told herself as she slipped into the room.

Soft snoring greeted her. Quietly setting down the beer she'd nabbed, she tiptoed into the small sitting area.

Steve sat upright, arms crossed over his chest, head tipped back, sound asleep.

Apparently it had been a good six months since he'd had a comfy place to sleep, also. She tiptoed back out, and sat down in the other room, content to let him sleep.

She absolutely did not find the soft snores endearing.

Opening a beer, Maria did some work on her tablet. She replied back to a rather intriguing message from an old contact, sent an update to Fury, and blasted a group of junior agents being ridiculously inept. When the food arrived, she quietly brought it inside and set it up, then ate a little of the pasta.

She was halfway through when Steve walked in, blearily blinking at her.

"Have a nice nap?" She asked, lifting the domes keeping the food warm.

"Yes," he said, sheepishly. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"Don't worry about it. I figured it's been while since you had a nice place to sleep."

"Luckily, I don't need a lot of sleep," he said as she gestured at him to eat.

He grabbed the order of fish and chips.

"I'm guessing the last two years haven't been easy on you." She leaned over and grabbed two more beers, then opened them and handed him one.

Steve just watched her with a slightly stunned look on his face. "No, it kinda hasn't been. I don't remember the last time somebody offered me a drink. Thanks, Maria."

The look of gratitude mixed with sadness and loneliness made her shoulder blades itch, so she shrugged it off.

Didn't need him to start thinking she had a heart, since she'd tried for a long time to successfully squash it.

She leaned back, holding her drink and studied him. "So. Hydra's made a few attempts at you."

"A couple," he said, moving on from the fish and onto a cheeseburger.

"Fury said it was around five."

Steve took a sip of his drink, and hunched his shoulders. "More like fifteen, if I'm honest."