WASHINGTON D.C.
america
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CORTEZ
I AM not typically a nice person. I can admit that to you. And I think we can all agree with that.
I never really cared for people other than myself, or my family. I never really had a reason to. I grew up in world where people climbed on others to get to the top. And I hated a majority of the world around me.
So I wasn't entirely sure what brought me to work at Shield. I wasn't entirely sure what helped me get out of bed every morning. I mean, if I hated a majority of the world around me, why did I fight like hell to save it?
I guess my hatred for bullies out weighs my hatred for the world. Plus, there was nothing better than kicking ass and taking names.
The annoying thing came when I actually allowed someone into my heart. Someone other than my cat, my dealer, even Nia. Someone that I didn't expect or really want to let in.
I was fighting like hell to make sure I didn't allow Steve Rogers to gain even a smallest part of it; because I didn't need any friends. I didn't want any friends. They were distractions. They were annoying, needy, and don't even get me started on the amount of effort they needed.
That's why I liked Whiskey. She didn't need any real attention. Hell, as long as I fed her, she wanted nothing to do with me.
So maybe Nia was right in saying that I was acting slightly out of character by doing something nice for someone other an myself.
But I wasn't exactly some monster. I knew that Steve Rogers did have a shitty life and he deserved some type of reconciliation for what happened. He deserved at least some closure.
I hope that seeing Peggy Carter would help him get that. Maybe it would help push him into a new life; help him get on with it.
And then my mission would be complete; and Fury would get me off desk duty. I'd be able to meet up with Natasha in Russia and kill Maxwell.
It was early in the morning when I knocked on Steve's apartment door. It was a Saturday and while I would typically be nursing a coma inducing hangover at this time, I was up before the sun. My mind was awake and I could never really turn it off once it was.
I stood uncomfortably outside the door, my legs stiff from the run I had went on before the sun came up. I had changed from my workout clothes, and was now wearing jeans and a Shield sweatshirt.
I knocked again and shoved my hands into the front pocket.
When it pulled open, Steve looked at me with furrowed brows. "What time is it?"
"It's like seven, I think. Six thirty maybe. Shower. Get dressed. We got places to be and things to see." I said.
"What?"
"I'm going to get something to eat. You better be ready to go in thirty minutes." I said. Then I turned around and walked into my apartment.
When the door shut I smiled slightly to myself and then shook my head.
Steve took less than half an hour to get ready. In fact, fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on my door. I was in the middle of chewing on cereal, listening to the news of the not so mysterious events of New Mexico late last summer, when I heard him.
"That was quick." I said when I opened the door, allowing him into my apartment.
"I don't take very long."
"Clearly." I said. I grabbed the bowl from my table and dumped the rest into the sink. "We've got a bit of a drive, so get ready."
"Where are we going?" Steve asked.
I grabbed my keys and phone, sliding it into the back pocket of my jeans. "On an adventure, Rogers."
"Does it have anything to do with your birthday next weekend?"
I squinted my eyes and looked at him. "How did you know it was my birthday? And why would I be kidnapping you for my birthday, it would be the other way around."
"I heard Fury talking about it. Why didn't you tell me?"
I shrugged my shoulders and ushered him out of the door. "It's not really that important. I usually just get shit faced with Nia and binge watch TV all day. But since it's a Thursday I'll probably have to go into work."
"We should do something then." Steve said as we started down the stairs. "Something for your birthday. What do you like to do?"
I pushed open the stairway door and walked into the small lobby. "I don't know. I'd rather just order Chinese food and watch Friends."
"Watch what?"
"It's a show," I smiled. The cold air hit me like a truck and I shivered. The late January weather seemed to be getting colder every passing year. "It's from the nineties."
I unlocked my car and quickly got into the front seat. Steve got into the other side as the car rumbled to life and as soon as the door shut, I started backing out of the spot.
"So we are going to watch that TV thing all day?" Steve asked.
I raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. "We? Oh, no, no. My birthdays are something I try to do by myself."
"So Patrick won't be joining you?"
I snorted at the very idea of it. "No. Well... probably not. I don't know. He wasn't very good in bed."
"Is he your boyfriend?" Steve asked me then.
"God no," I scoffed. Checking my blind spot, I switched lanes and started on the ramp to get into the highway. "We just hooked up a few times. Why the sudden interest in my boyfriend or lack of?"
"No, I was just wondering. I know you guys are... close."
"News flash, I don't have to be dating someone to sleep with them. This is the twenty first century."
"I just... it was different, back then." Steve said.
I squinted my eyes in the morning light and glanced at him. "Wait, like waiting till marriage?"
"Yes. I mean, no. I just mean it was different."
Silence grew over us once again and I switched lanes, following the signs towards the part of the city Peggy Carter retired in.
"Wait," I spoke then. "So are you saying that you're a virgin?"
"What? No, no, that's not what I'm saying..." Steve said and his face went into a shade of red.
"Oh my God! You so are." I started laughing. "Are you kidding me?"
"That's not what I was talking about. I'm not a virgin. And for the record, I wasn't talking about sex. I was talking about being in a relationship."
"Mhm, sure." I said and smiled. "No, Patrick and I are not in a relationship. I'm not very... good in relationships."
Steve let out a small sigh. "Yeah... me neither." Half a beat later, he spoke again. "So where are we going?"
My eyes were set on the exit that would bring us to the home, and I quickly switched lanes to take the ramp. "It's a surprise."
"I don't really like surprises."
"You'll like this one."
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When I stepped out of the car the morning air chilled me to the bones. I crossed my arms and locked the door, waiting for Steve to hurry his ass up.
The retirement home seemed like an actual home for death, and I did not want to take a single step inside of the building. But I knew that this would mean absolutely everything to my... almost friend, and I was kind of excited for it?
It was an odd feeling. Clearly something that I'm not used to.
I should do Nia next; she would appreciate something nice. Especially after she did me a favor and hacked into the home, putting both myself and Steve on Peggy's list of visitors.
I hoped it's going to go well.
"What are we doing here?" Steve asked me, his eyes looking over the welcoming sign.
"Jesus, it's a surprise." I said and then nodded my head. "Come on. Let's go inside. It's fucking cold."
Steve thankfully did not say a word as I led him into the building, which was so much warmer than it was outside. The heat instantly worked at ridding the goosebumps on my skin and I welcomed the feeling of it.
The room smelt of old people; and there were a few people milling around in wheelchairs. My eyes skated past them all and I tried to hide my distaste for the people around me.
"Hey, do me a favor." I said and leaned towards Steve. "Kill me before I ever get this old."
"That is so disrespectful." Steve said, "Why are we here?"
"Just wait here." I told him. When he tried to follow me I gave him a pointed look and he rolled his eyes.
When I got to the receptionist I smiled widely at her. "Hi, I'm here to see Peggy Carter. My name is Stacy Carter. My uh, grandmother is expecting me." I said.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Carter? Old Peggy? I've seen most of her family and never once have I seen you."
My smile dropped and I leaned on the counter. "I'm on the visitors list. So is my fiancé. I want her to meet him, you see, since she hasn't been able to meet him yet."
The woman's eyebrow was still raised, and I'm not going to lie, a part of me wanted to punch it off of her. But then she let out a sigh and looked at the computer, eyes roaming over the screen.
She hummed slightly and looked back up at me. "Room six on the second floor."
I smiled gracefully. "Thank you, so much for your help." I said; only allowing a small part of sarcasm to drip into my tone.
My feet scuffed against the thick carpet as I turned around, my eyes falling onto Steve. An older woman was fawning over him, and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw how uncomfortable he looked.
"Rogers, let's go." I said.
His head snapped up and immediately walked towards me. "She told me that I look like her late husband."
"Must have been one ugly man." I hummed slightly, headed towards the staircase.
"Hey, wait a second." Steve said as he caught up to me.
I only laughed and pushed open the door. "Try and keep up, would you?"
At my words, Steve started to run. I couldn't help but laugh loudly, it echoing in the stairwell, and I moved my feet at a faster peace to race him up the stairs.
"Not fair," I yelled and turned the corner, taking the next staircase two steps at a time. "You're like ten feet tall." I said when we came to a stop at the door.
"You're not even that much shorter than me. I mean, how tall are you?" Steve asked and opened the door for us.
"I'm like five nine and a half? Six when I wear heels." I said and walked through the door.
"You're basically as tall as I am."
"Yes, yes, legs for days, I've heard it all before." I waved him off. I looked at the room numbers and my eyes settled on the curved six in the wall. I couldn't help but smile. I was excited; and it was a weird feeling for me. I didn't get excited about things for other people.
I led him towards the door and stood outside of it. Then I turned to look at Steve and stepped aside. "Go inside. Give me a call when you're ready to be picked up."
"What?" Steve asked me.
"Call this... an almost apology for being an asshole to you when we first met. Even though you deserved it. But anyway, call me when you're ready to be picked up. I got shit to do."
Steve looked at me skeptically before opening the door, and nearly froze in the doorway. I smiled and set my hand on his broad back, pushing him forward. I shut the door behind him.
My smile widened as I walked down the hallway back towards the stairwell, and I shook my head.
Maybe doing something nice for someone wasn't entirely too bad of a thing.
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thank you for reading I hope
you liked the chapter!!
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