#sharon and bucky are simply getting free entertainment and neither are mad about it

[lovelyirony]

dialogue prompt for Sam/Maria: "I wish you'd told me first."

had no idea what to do with this for nearly a year. but now i do 

When Maria joined SWORD, she was just expecting the usual problems: space travel, aliens without visas, and maybe Sharon coming back and annoying her about the “necessary” cappuccino machine in her office. 

She wasn’t expecting to be on the personal team to help Sam Wilson adjust to being Cap. 

This was...odd. It was weird for everyone. But she could roll with weird, so she asked Sam if he knew how to throw it like a Frisbee yet, or if his arm strength wasn’t there yet. 

“Oh ha, ha, so funny,” Sam says, rolling his eyes. “Of course I know how, I’m badass. I am Captain America after all.” 

Maria doesn’t say anything about the look in his eyes when he says that, like he’s so afraid that someone will tell him he’s not. 

And people will. 

Steve going back in time is on an extremely strict need-to-know basis. 

You can’t tell civilians there are alternate timelines or else you get a mess of epic proportions and the news coverage will not stop blaring no matter where you go, and sometimes Maria likes going to coffee shops for peace and quiet and the occasional croissant. 

Barnes is...Maria likes him. A lot, actually. He’s not what the history books painted him as, and he looks at situations like she does: carefully, and with the goal in mind.  

Sam is a lot like Steve, which is...stress-inducing. 

She had remembered when Sam had practically launched himself out of the old DC quarters and nearly died if not for the placement of the helicopter, and he’s not slowing down any time soon. 

Hayward is getting on her about it and if she’s being completely honest, she’s about to pull experience rank and tell him to fuck off and focus just completely on getting his head out of his ass. 

Sam is doing fine, considering every single circumstance he’s been put into and the minor PR fiasco by challenging Spider-Man to get his ass kicked. 

“I’m going to kill you,” Maria says when Sam picks her up from the airport. She had to travel because somebody told her that she’d be needed on a mission, and Sam was too stubborn to tell her. 

“We’re fine. Bucky and Sharon can help me.” 

“Well too damn bad, you’re getting Hill,” Maria says. 

“I wish I could take you seriously without the neon pink tank top you’re working with,” Sam says, grinning. “I think the brightest color I’ve ever seen you in is forest green.” 

“False, I was at the party that Ultron crashed, you saw me there,” Maria says. “And I don’t do warm weather. I had to buy this last-minute, so you’re lucky.” 

“You’ll need some other items if we’re gonna get anything done,” Sam mentions. 

“Fuck me,” she mutters. 

“Maybe later,” Sam responds lightly, and she gives him an eyebrow raise. He just shrugs and asks if she has a suitcase, which of course she does. 

- 

Sharon greets her with a smile and asking if she wants a beer. 

“What kind is it?” 

“Local stuff. Supposed to be hoppy.” 

“Ugh, fuck that,” Maria groans. “I’m not doing the shitty IPA beer. Who bought that?” 

“Me, and it’s good,” Bucky mentions from the couch. He’s a little worse for wear: it looks like he’s a day into his recuperation from the last mission. “How you doing, Hill?” 

“Better than you,” she mentions. “What are we dealing with?” 

Sharon fills her in, and Sam is reluctant to let her come. 

“Director’ll kick my ass if you get hurt. I’ll kick my ass if you get hurt.” 

“Quit worrying about me,” Maria says, pushing down the feeling of warmth that Sam’s statement gave her. “And if the director says shit, tell him to shove his boot up his own little-” 

“Okay, let’s not get riled up over this,” Sharon says. “Bucky and I were surveilling a little bit of it from the ground, Sam over here had a lovely aerial view. So let’s get a plan...” 

It’s a weapons shipment. Some old SHIELD stock that fell into the wrong hands and is falling faster and faster. 

“You miss it?” Sam asks her later that night. They’ve made a meal, and Maria is completely real, she can’t remember the last time she cooked with friends. 

(That’s a lie. It was after SHIELD fell and Natasha and her...well. It’s over and done with now.) 

“Of course,” Maria says. “SHIELD was my life. It was my first real job and I loved it.” 

“You think SWORD can do that?” 

“Depends on if Hayward resigns,” Maria says. “I never got to enjoy working with Rambeau.” 

“Was she the director?” 

“The founder,” Maria says, smiling. “I had met her a couple times. She was close with Director Fury, personal friends with Captain Marvel. Died some years back. Her daughter is back now, helping with some confusion in New Jersey.” 

“What’s happening in New Jersey?” 

“Trust me, you don’t want to know,” Maria says. “But let’s focus on this mission, and get it done.” 

“You think we’re entitled to some time off after this one?” Sam asks. 

“If we’re lucky,” Maria says. “Why?” 

“Wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me,” Sam says. 

Just as easy as that. 

Maria looks over at him. 

“It’s optional,” Sam goes on, clearly a bit worried. “Did I ruin this, or...?” 

“No, no you didn’t,” Maria says, grinning. “But we don’t need to have time off for dinner.” 

“No, but we’ll need it for other things,” Sam says, waggling his eyebrows. “Like getting you out of that godawful pink top.” 

“Oh like you actually care,” Maria says sarcastically. 

 “The color? No. Getting it off? Yes.” 

Maria snorts, getting up off the porch. 

“Well come on, you insufferable romantic. We need to head to bed and get some sleep before tomorrow.” 

Sam smiles, accepting her hand to get up. 

“But you still want dinner, right?” 

“Everyone wants dinner, especially with a good date,” Maria says. “But I’m not doing pizza.” 

“What, no pizza?” 

“Reserved for extenuating circumstances,” Maria says. “Goodnight, Sam.” 

“Well, what about Mexican?” 

“...maybe.” 

“Chinese?” 

“Could also work, we’ll see what we’re feeling tomorrow,” Maria. “If not injured and sore.” 

She waves at the door at him, smiling to herself as she enters the room. 

Sharon’s sharing the room, and snorts at her. 

“So, you and Sam finally asked each other out instead of doing that weird flirty thing you do?” 

“What weird flirty thing?” 

“Where you pretend like you don’t let him get away with literally everything and he pretends like he doesn’t look at you like you invented the world?” 

“He doesn’t look at me like that,” Maria mutters. 

“You need to go to the eye doctor’s.” 

“So do you.” 

“Hey!” 

She shrugs off her outfit of the day, changing into comfy pajamas. 

Sharon’s dozed off, and Maria follows her in sleep, smiling to herself. 

(On the other side of the house they’re staying in, Sam is threatening Bucky with suffocation by pillow if he doesn’t shut up about Maria. 

Bucky is taunting him and saying that since Maria and he are friends if Sam kills him, he’ll never get that first date.)