Living for Now

“Hello, ma'am,”

Come to your senses. The logical part of her mind ordered. “Hello, Mr. Rogers.” She replied as she cleared her throat. “I take it your accommodations are to your liking?”

“Yes, the room's... comforting.”

“Glad to hear it.” She muttered, looking about the room once more before letting her attention rest upon him again. “Director Fury has decided to move you, though. The arrangements have already been made and I'll be taking you there immediately. I'll also be... your consultant of sorts to help your transition back into society.”

Steve rose up from the bed and turned to face her completely, and Bridget mentally added his height to the checklist of things that hadn't changed about him. “Then I believe proper introductions are in order.” He said, sticking out his hand for her to shake. “Steve Rogers, ma'am. It's an honor to make your acquaintance.”

Her heart pounded in her chest as she grabbed his hand, the warmth that was emitted from it leaking into her own and causing goosebumps to spread across her skin like a surge of electricity. “Spencer,” she began, her other free hand placing the bike helmet that was still in her grasp under her arm before reaching up and sliding off the glasses, knowing she couldn't hide behind them forever. “Bridget Spencer.”

The color in his face seemed to vanish in seconds, his blue eyes beginning to scrutinize her entire form as his heart beat began to seemingly slow down while he stared at her in pure shock. She was standing before him in the flesh – looking just as youthful as she did when he left. His hand which still held her own gently squeezed it without thinking, and when it registered in his mind that she wasn't some type of illusion, his body moved on its own.

“Bridget,” he sighed her name out like it was the most beautiful word he'd ever spoken, pulling her into him and squeezing her tightly in his embrace. The tighter he held her, the more realistic it all began to feel. “Bridget, you're alive, you're here...”

While being wrapped up in his arms, she could feel her lips twitch as the ends wanted to rise up into a smile. She wanted to be just as energetic as he was since they were reunited again, but she wasn't going to allow herself to show it. Bridget was still hurt inside from the past, and as time had gone by, she had changed. She wasn't the same person who was in love with him – it was what she had been telling herself since knowing this day would come, and she would continue to do so for as long as he was by her side. She wasn't planning on forgiving him, and she didn't know if she ever would.

Separating herself from him with all the strength she could muster, she looked him dead in the eye. “Rogers, I'm afraid that our relationship is strictly business.”

Steve stared at her in confusion, wondering why she was acting so cold to him, wondering why she was telling him to not show her his affection. “Bridget, what do you mean?” He questioned, soon realizing that he was asking the wrong question. “Bridge, how are you even here? How are you so young and...” Steve couldn't bring himself to voice the rest of his question, so Bridget finished it for him.

“Alive? Well, Rogers, I'm afraid that's on a need-to-know basis.” She turned away from him and walked towards the door, when she didn't hear him following her, she motioned for him to do so. “Rogers, we're leaving.”

Dumbfounded, Steve swallowed hard and grabbed a brown leather jacket from the coat rack, slipping it on as he followed her out of the room. Numerous people watched the two walk down the corridors, softly whispering to their colleagues as some knew the rumor that there was something between them, or at least there had been in the past. That was one thing Bridget didn't like about S.H.I.E.L.D. There was absolutely no way to keep self-matters private.

Knowing that she was now being talked about by the other agents, she rolled her eyes and stopped in the middle of the hallway, the small gossip that was being made quieting down until nothing was being said at all. “If you all have the time to make useless gossip with each other, then you should all be able to at least perform your duties adequately, though we all know that isn't happening.” She began, staring down each agent that stood motionless before her. “What are you waiting for? Get back to work.”

The agents that were just standing around began to hustle, walking with haste towards their previous destinations and away from Bridget who was snappier than ever. Steve watched as the brunette surveyed their movements for a second or two before she continued on down the hall, the Captain slowly following after her. He wasn't sure if this was his Bridget or not. The girl he fell in love with was never so hard on others, she was always compassionate and encouraging, never like this. What had caused such a huge change in her?

The pair continued on in silence and headed into the underground garage, making a quick stop at the security office at the bottom level. “Hey, Earl, I hear that you have something that belongs to the Captain.” Bridget greeted, sending the middle-aged man a small smirk.

“So he's finally getting out, is he?” Earl replied, scratching his balding head with a chuckle as he turned around, grabbing a pair of keys from the back wall and tossing them to Bridget, who in turn, tossed them to Steve who stood in the doorway. Bridget wasted no time leaving, nodding to Earl as a goodbye as she left. “Good luck with her, Cap. That one's a real spit fire at times.”

Nodding his head, Steve sighed out quietly. “Yeah, I'll keep that in mind.” Following her out of the office, she led him to a black Harley-Davidson that looked pristine as the lights reflected off its body.

“This is yours,” Bridget pointed out. “You still remember how to drive, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, walking up to the bike and mounting it, bringing the engine to life soon after. Steve looked up at Bridget who watched him with interest before motioning to her to join him. “Aren't you getting on?”

Scoffing, she shook her head. “No, I have my own ride.” Walking a few parking stalls over, she threw her leg over her Kawasaki and turned it on, the engine softly humming compared to Steve's whose seemed to be rumbling. “The drive isn't going to take too long. Just follow me and we'll be there soon.”

The brunette brought the helmet over her head and put it on, revving the engine once before motioning to Steve that she was ready. He nodded back to her and followed after her on the vehicle, the wheels smoothly carrying him throughout the garage and soon into the outside world.

Steve's eyes never left Bridget's form during the ten minute drive. Part of him was worried that if he looked away, he'd become overwhelmed again by all the advancements in society, and there was the other half that was worried that she'd disappear from his life if he did. Mostly, it was the latter that kept his blue eyes glued to her as she drove her own bike skillfully.

True to her word, they were soon pulling into another parking structure and Bridget parked her car in one of the empty stalls, motioning for Steve to pull in beside her. After dismounting the two bikes, Bridget led them into the building and up to one of the top floors.

“This is my place. Due to Fury's orders, you'll be staying with me for the time being.” Entering the condo, she let him in before closing the door.

Steve walked further in and surveyed his new surroundings with interest. The entire area felt open as there weren't many walls up to act as dividers. There was a step down from the dark, hardwood floors he stood upon that led to what he assumed was the den area, which used pure, white carpet as the floor. The living room housed a long, black modern sofa with an ebony coffee table and a large plasma that hung above the granite fireplace.

Half the wall on the opposite side of the room was made of clear glass, and he realized that there was a sliding door which led out to a concrete balcony, where he could see a few plotted plants and recliners placed neatly. On the other half of the room where the glass ended and the wall began was the kitchen and dining area, the kitchen looking organized with the appliances that covered part of the counter and the dining area looking rather bare as it only housed a small, black round table and four chairs to accompany it.

Bridget watched him stare around her condo for the first minute before she walked past him. “As you can see, this is the living room, over there's the kitchen, and right next to that's the dining room. Outside is the balcony, not much else to say about that.” She began, walking towards the kitchen and Steve following obediently behind.

Pointing down a small corridor, Bridget started explaining her home again. “Down the hall we have your room which is the first door on the right, the bathroom's the next room over. Across from your room is my room and next to that is my office, both of which are completely off limits. I don't care if you have an excuse, you step foot in either one of those rooms and you'll regret it.

“As for meals, I don't cook much anymore, but if you want to give it a shot, go ahead and buy what you'd like. There's plenty of room in the cabinets and fridge for your things and as long as you don't burn the place down, cook to your heart's desire.” She walked away towards the last door on the left, and turned back to face him. “If you have any questions, hesitate to ask because I don't want to be disturbed. Welcome to your new home, Rogers.”

As she started to twist the door's handle, Steve called out to her. “Wait.”

Her eyes darted to his large frame and she looked at him with an annoyed expression. “What is it?” She questioned, no type of emotion embedded within her voice, causing him to become unnerved.

“You... you know about me now, right?”

“If you're asking that I know about how you lied to me for more than fifty years about who you were then yes, I know everything.” She replied in a cheerful voice, her blue eyes narrowed as they stared into his own, and with that said, she continued inside her office and slammed the door abruptly, leaving Steven in shock.

Turning around to face the rest of the condo, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It all seemed so sudden, unrealistic even. He had just been reintroduced to the woman he loved, and she was far from how she was before. She was cold and distant, even unloving. Seeing how it seemed she wanted nothing to do with him now was heartbreaking, and it was clear that he wasn't her favorite person at the moment.

He could begin to feel a migraine coming upon him, though instead of it being from the overwhelming information from the past half a century, it was because he knew that it could be near impossible to win her back. Bridget was a passionate person – always giving her best in everything she did, and Steve knew she'd put the same amount of passion into hating someone as she did everything else.

If there was one thing that made him feel that winning her love back wasn't a completely futile pursuit, it was the fact that he knew that Bridget Spencer could never fully hate anyone.