Marvel Oneshots

Consequences Be Damned (Angie Martinelli)

Written for Fictober 2023 Day 15 on Tumblr!

Summary: Angie doesn't know about her girlfriend's job with the SSR, but she's about to find out.

Prompt: "Fine, explain it to me."

A/N: In my happy world of fic, homophobia doesn't exist and isn't a factor in the 1940s.

****************

"Jack, this might have been the best idea you've ever had."

Jack Thompson, the Chief of the SSR and one of my best friends, scoffed as we pushed through the doors of the Automat and headed for a table. I gave him a shit-eating grin as we took seats at our usual booth.

For the past two weeks, we'd been taking multi-hour trips to the Automat from the office, both for food and a change of scenery to do a bunch of work that needed to get done for the SSR. Jack had first suggested it when we'd both been going crazy working hours and hours on end at the office, with some of my least favorite coworkers no less, and we'd quickly made it a regular habit.

Once we'd set up at our table, I glanced towards the counter. To my delight, I saw my girlfriend, Angie Martinelli, on shift.

When Jack had first suggested this place, I'd been excited about seeing my girlfriend while I was at work, even though she couldn't know the details of my job. I'd been unlucky every day so far in missing her, but today the bad luck streak had finally run out.

"I'll be right back," I said to Jack, scooting down the booth to stand. He raised an eyebrow at me, so I explained. "I'm going to go put in our order."

Jack glanced towards the counter and grinned as soon as he saw Angie.

"You mean you're gonna go say hi to your girlfriend?"

"Oh absolutely."

"You know, we're supposed to be at work right now, Y/L/N," he called after me, a teasing smile on his face. I just waved him off.

When I'd started at the SSR, Jack and I had been anything but friends. But then Peggy and Daniel had spent all day every day pining after each other, and Jack and I had called a temporary truce to set them up. In the process, we'd actually become really good friends, and had stayed that way after successfully setting up Peggy and Daniel. We still gave each other shit all the time, but now it was in a friendly way.

I beamed as I walked up to the counter, leaning against it and waiting for Angie to turn around and notice me. A moment later, she did, but she didn't smile like I'd been expecting her to.

"You trying to put in an order?" There was no warmth in her voice.

"Uh... I guess, but I actually came over here to say hi to you!"

"Hi. Now what'll it be?"

I frowned, waiting for Angie to tell me she was messing with me or explain that a customer had really pissed her off or something. It never came.

"Angie, what's wrong?" I asked, leaning forward across the counter and lowering my voice a bit. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing, alright? Forget it."

With that, she turned and headed into the kitchen, out of reach of any customers. At least, out of reach for any customers who had any regard for the rules.

I walked right around the counter and followed Angie into the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder exactly once to see Jack staring at me with a look that clearly said, What the hell? I just waved him off, my undivided attention returning to my girlfriend who stood on the other side of the room.