It was Maria Hill's first time being back to Europe since the whole fiasco with Parker and Beck. Although this visit was not exactly going to be restful, she couldn't imagine it would be anywhere near as stressful as her previous one. Instead of relying on a teenager to defeat a supervillain, she simply had to check on how one of Fury's newly-installed security networks was faring and report back to her boss, who was comfortably ensconced back in the shadowy realm of international security that he preferred. Different people, better-suited people, could be the faces. Fury had always worked best behind the scenes, silently ensuring that everything went as planned. Maria supposed she wasn't much different.

Fury's new European Security Network was a bit of a behemoth, linking dozens of databases and intelligence services from both the European Union and NATO in order to keep a vigilant eye on the continent. The scope of the project had sent her hopping around Europe, meeting discreetly with so many contacts that she had long since lost count. London. Paris. Madrid. Berlin. Oslo. Vienna. Athens. Budapest. Prague. Warsaw. The former SHIELD director was clearly taking no chances with his new network, keeping everything very close to the chest, so much so that even Maria couldn't be completely sure of everything he had going on. If she knew Fury as well as the thought she did, she could almost guarantee that he had contingency plans and ongoing angles that he kept to himself. After what had happened with HYDRA, she couldn't exactly blame him, even if it did piss her off a bit to be kept in the dark on some things.

Rome was one of the last stops on her list. Then Istanbul. Then back home, or at least back to the United States. Maria had been so mobile the past few years that the back of a quinjet had been more of a home than any place else she'd been. She hadn't had a real home since New York, before she left her position with the Avengers to serve on Fury's new crew. It reminded her of her time in DC, except better. There was less politics and fewer people. It became a lot easier to really know who she was working with, their strengths, weaknesses and the idiosyncrasies that made them who they were. Even when they had to go out and fight, there was also a single home base, a mothership they could all return to when it was over. It was secure in a way that Maria suspected might have felt more normal to her if her childhood had been different.

"So, you haven't picked up any chatter recently? Nothing suspicious?" Maria prodded as she sat across from her contact at the cafe table, two empty coffee mugs between the pair. Behind them, a steady stream of people traversed the sidewalks of Rome, the sounds of various conversations mingling with the noises of the traffic navigating its way through the city's busy streets.

The contact, a wiry man that she knew only as Matteo, shook his head. "It's been quiet on our end. A little smuggling, but nothing to call in the Avengers over. Seems like we might finally get some peace."

Maria's brow furrowed, not exactly sharing her companion's sentiment. Quiet was obviously better than outright mayhem. Still, she didn't like it. In her experience, quietness didn't indicate peace. It just meant that the next storm hadn't hit yet. "I'm sure Fury will be glad to hear that," she said, not believing her own words. While she didn't know everything about the man, she had a pretty good feeling that he shared her thoughts on quietness.

Matteo cracked a smile. "And how is Nick? Still trying to right every wrong before it even occurs?"

"Just about," Maria said, terse but a bit intrigued by how casually he used Fury's first name.

"He's remarkably productive for someone who's officially dead," Matteo joked, leaning back in his seat, "Then again, I was dead for five years so who am I to talk."

Maria kept her face impassive. Inside, she felt an odd mix of annoyance and respect for Fury's contact, annoyance that he'd treat dying in the snap so casually, like it was just a mild inconvenience instead of something that still kept her up at night. Still, she couldn't completely deny the flicker of respect she'd felt towards the man for how well he seemed to have come to terms with what happened to him.

"How do you know Fury anyway?" Maria asked, grateful to shift the conversation towards something else.

Matteo chuckled, the laugh lines appearing on his face. "Oh, he and I have known each other a while, met back in the Cold War. We spied on Libya together during the Gaddafi days," he said, voice lost in nostalgia for the bygone era of espionage and nuclear paranoia.

Maria nodded. It made sense. The Italian man certainly looked close to Fury's age, his dark hair and beard streaked with grey and his face bearing all the marks of someone who'd lived a stressful life. He also spoke perfect english, which any international intelligence officer would, with no words garbled and only the faintest indication of his native accent, nothing that would give him away if he was on an op.

"So," Matteo said, interrupting her analysis, "What's next for you?"

"More checks like this. As you know, Fury's got a whole security network that needs to be maintained," Mari said, deciding that if Fury trusted this guy enough to bring him into the loop, he probably wasn't going to leak any sensitive information.

"Nick never was one to leave things to chance," Matteo said with a chuckle, fond memories dancing in his charcoal eyes, "Have you ever been to Roma before, Signora Hill?"

Maria hesitated despite the fact that it was a fairly innocuous question. She scanned Matteo's face for anything that might betray a motive besides idle curiosity or a desire to make small talk. She found none of it in the older man's friendly eyes, looking expectantly for an answer. "Once," Maria said with a relenting sigh, "On a mission years ago, back before world security hinged on superhumans, Norse gods and rich guys with fancy suits."

Matteo laughed a bit at her frank assessment of the past decade and more. "Terrorists?" he asked.

"Weapons dealers. They were hoping to offload some uranium they'd scrapped from the Eastern Bloc. Had a couple of potential buyers lined up, " a satisfied smirk crept onto Maria's face, "We put a stop to it."

"I can imagine," Matteo said, "But I take it this operation didn't give you any time to take in the city?"

"Oh, sure. I always went sightseeing during my ops," Maria deadpanned, eliciting a chuckle from her companion.

"If you have any time to spare, you should explore what Roma has to offer. They don't call it 'the Eternal City' for nothing. There's...some magic here. Things can last forever in Roma," said Matteo.

"Like the traffic," Maria quipped.

Matteo laughed and nodded in spite of himself. "I was thinking more along the lines of the city's magnificent ancient ruins but yes. I suppose that lasts forever here, too," said the older man, rising from his seat and nodding respectfully at Maria, "I am afraid that I must leave you, Signora Hill. I have another appointment."

"You seeing another shadowy intelligence agency?" Maria asked, looking up at the man and smirking, "What'll I tell Nick?"

"Tell Nick that he needs to come out of his burrow someday and pay his old friend Matteo an actual visit," he said, pushing his chair in and tossing a few euros on the table for the coffee before smiling kindly at Maria, "Buonasera, Signora Hill. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Maria sat at the table long after Matteo had departed, reviewing her options. The meeting had been shorter than she'd anticipated. All her previous stops had required several hours of her attention to work out any kinks in Fury's burgeoning European network. Each stop had consisted of a hurried arrival, a diagnosis of some issue in the current structure and a late night to resolve it before catching her flight to the next stop. None had left her with any down time before she came to Rome.

The former intelligence officer had to admit a bit of respect for the way Matteo seemed to be on top of the situation in his country, overseeing a solid structure of reliable operatives and advanced surveillance technology. She understood why Fury had chosen him for the job. Of course, the Italian man's efficiency also left her with no pressing work to do.

She weighed her options. She supposed she could check out of her hotel early, contact Fury and see if he could organize some early transportation for her to Istanbul. Even if the operatives weren't expecting her, she was sure she could get a jump on the issues occurring there. Part of her, forged in years of disciplined service in both the military and the intelligence community, demanded that she get to Turkey as soon as possible. However, another part of her spoke up, speaking quietly beneath the drill-sergeant shouts of the other part. The quiet part felt alien, suggesting things that she would have considered inconceivable years ago. It whispered to her gently, telling her that she'd gone a good job so far, resolving a continent's worth of issues to get Fury's network up and running, that her flight to Istanbul would still be there tomorrow and there was nothing wrong with taking a moment to smell the roses. Maria wasn't sure exactly when that voice had shown up, gently contradicting the workaholic impulses that used to dominate her mind, slowly gaining strength until it could no longer be drowned out. All she did know was that the tone was very familiar, each kind syllable underpinned with a strength and a decency that she'd come to know quite well over the years.

Even as she pondered it, images of bright smiles and sky-blue eyes and a shield that refused to obey the laws of physics drifted slowly across her mind like boats crossing a calm harbor. She hadn't seen Steve since she'd bumped into him in Arizona more than six months ago, both of them taking a reprieve from the world at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. She could see images of that night clearly as well, Steve's face lost in their campfire as he talked about his war and the friends they'd lost against Thanos, the way a bit of light returned to his lost gaze when she said that she was glad he hadn't run off to the past, that he was still there.

The intelligence agent shook her head, trying to clear all thoughts of Steve, Since that night in Arizona, he'd been on her mind more than she wanted to admit, each sliver of information concerning the missions he went on piquing her interest more than it did before. As he had so many times before, Steve Rogers was putting his personal losses aside and doing what needed to be done for the good of the world, mopping up extremist groups all over the globe and making numerous public appearances, trying to give people the hope they still needed in such confusing times. Maria couldn't help but feel admiration for the man out of time. It was one thing to pick yourself up. Plenty of people were strong enough to do that. Very few had the strength to pick others up as well.

Maria cleared her head of thoughts of Steve for a moment. The traffic continued behind her, mingling with the voices of the people filling the sidewalks. Across the street, the rays of the late afternoon sun illuminated the buildings, bathing the windows and balconies of the higher stories in a soft glow that signaled the approach of the golden hour. With nightfall approaching, Maria dug her phone out and pulled up a map of the city.

It wasn't long before Maria found herself standing before the Colosseum, the great limestone amphitheatre casting stark shadows in the falling sunlight. Hundreds of other tourists were milling about, snapping photos and gawking at the iconic structure. Despite being on the reserved side, Maria couldn't help but be impressed at such an achievement of ancient architecture. As she looked around, her mind idly conjured images of long since dead Romans hurrying into the structure, eager to see whatever bloody entertainment the empire was offering that day to the masses. Her time in the marine corps and international intelligence had hardened her, but even she had to admit that lion mauling wasn't a pretty way to go.

"Excuse me?"

Maria snapped out of her historical musings and turned to see a young woman standing beside her, smiling and holding out a smartphone. "Yes?"

"Would you mind taking a photo of us?" the woman asked, gesturing towards the people standing behind her. A man that Maria could only assume was the woman's husband was gently attempting to wrangle two young giggling children into a pose before the Roman structure.

"Um...sure," Maria managed to answer, prompting the woman's grin to widen as she left the smartphone in the former SHIELD agent's hands before hurrying over to join her family.

Maria pulled up the camera app on the smartphone as the woman reached her loved ones. Maria watched for a moment as the man smiled at his wife who returned it before kneeling down and saying something to their excited children. Whatever she said worked because the hyperactive toddlers straightened up, latching onto their parents, who laughed and pointed towards Maria as they posed before the Colosseum.

"Ready?" Maria asked, holding up the smartphone and ensuring that both the family and amphitheatre could be seen in the shot. Both parents nodded while the children answered with eager yeah's that drew curious looks from a few nearby tourists. Maria stifled her laughter and drew her thumb over the button. "On the count of three. One, two, three." Maria punctuated the last number by snapping a photo of the family. "Here," Maria said, placing the smartphone back in the young woman's hands, "Does it look okay?"

The woman pulled the photo and smiled brightly at what she saw. "Oh, it looks fantastic! Mark, look." She held the phone up to her husband whose curious expression swiftly morphed into one of gratefulness.

"Great job," said the man kindly as he took in the photo, "The lighting was perfect."

"Thank the sun. Not me," Maria said, smiling as the family thanked her anyway before heading off to explore other portions of the Colosseum.

Maria found herself still smiling as she watched the family go, the husband and wife strolling with their children between them, pointing out the wonders of the ancient city and laughing at the playful words passing between them. Despite her smile, an odd feeling pooled in her gut as she watched them recede into the distance. The strange melancholy remained after they were out of sight, leaving her alone with the hundreds of other miscellaneous tourists milling about the area, an island in a sea of strangers. A cool breeze passed her, sapping a bit of the warmth that had been lingering in Rome that day and sending a shiver across her frame. Glancing around, she could see plenty of people taking in the sights like her, alone. However, she could see others with companions, arms slung over each other's shoulders and keeping each other warm as the heat of the late evening sun continued departing. Maria sighed and shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat. If she could keep herself warm during a mission in the Himalayas, she could certainly keep herself warm while sightseeing in Rome.

Slowly, she pulled herself away from the Colosseum, wandering off in the direction of the Roman Forum, edging her way through the crowds of strangers lingering in the area. She didn't fail to appreciate that crowds were still flocking to the Colosseum thousands of years after the games had ended, almost as if the emperor had a fresh batch of gory entertainment waiting for his loyal subjects inside. Even with the games gone, the Colosseum and the crowds still remained.

The sea of people thinned out as she approached the Roman Forum, the ancient ruins and the grass washed with shades of shadowed blue from the sun setting behind the large buildings of Rome. As she walked amongst the ruins, she found her mind was drawn back to her conversation with Matteo and his glowing descriptions of Rome. The Eternal City, where buildings still stood from past millennia, where untold numbers of men had fought and died for the causes of their time.

She was still reflecting on the ancient city when one of the few tourists in the area caught her eye. Given the tourist's height and the undeniable muscle mass hidden beneath the fabric of his clothes, it was undeniably a man. His back was to Maria, gaze fixed on one of the great stone columns erected before him as it glowed in the fading sunlight, the perfect subject for an artist's eye. Somehow, his posture registered as familiar to the former SHIELD agent, although there was little else to go by with clothing covering him from neck to toe and a baseball cap hiding the color of his hair. Her mind raced, trying to recall every friend, foe, and generic contact she had that could potentially fit the tourist's mold. Slowly, with the rigid coolness under pressure that had served her well during countless operations, the agent drifted closer to the potential threat, pretending to admire more of the sights as her right hand settled on the handgun concealed in her coat.

Her hand remained on the gun as she reached her desired angle off to the man's right, far enough away to avoid arousing suspicion but close enough to get a look at his face. Her hand dropped, however, when she saw his face, suspicion immediately giving way to a bit of joy and some irrepressible amusement at the goofy glasses resting above the man's nose that acted as a disguise. The intelligence officer felt an unusual twinge of hesitation as she thought of approaching the tourist, unexpected urges to leave him be and slip back to her hotel room without saying a word rising up unbidden. Still, fears and apprehensions had never held serious sway over Maria Hill and they weren't about to start.

He didn't notice Maria until she'd slunk up next to him and spoke clearly. "You know, the glasses disguise might work for Superman, but it doesn't for Captain America."

Steve Rogers jumped at the familiar voice, having been lost in his observations of the Roman Forum's architecture. He turned to see Maria Hill standing before him, her lips pulled into a slight smirk while the grey-blue eyes he hadn't seen since Arizona looked at him with an unusual spark. "Maria," he said, unable to keep the surprise or the excitement at seeing her out of his voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Mission for Fury, what else?" she answered, still amused at Steve's appearance, "I would've thought being a SHIELD agent would've made you better at disguising yourself."

Steve's cheeks grew a bit pink at Maria's playful words and he chuckled at himself. "Well, the glasses-hat combo always seemed to work in the spy movies. I thought it might work for my vacation."

"Vacation, huh? Lucky you," Maria said, "I haven't had one since...well…"

"Since Arizona," Steve finished for Maria, his eyes shining in a way that made it clear he remembered every word they'd said to each other that night clearly. Maria understood. It was the same way for her.

"Yeah...I guess I don't take much time off," Maria said, giving a half-hearted chuckle and trying to ignore the way she wanted to sink into Steve's soft gaze.

"Are you on a mission right now?" Steve asked, managing to break the spell Maria's eyes had put him under to glance around the Forum, half-expecting mercenaries or Hydra commandos to pop out.

"No, I finished early and my flight doesn't leave until tomorrow morning. I've never gotten the chance to really see Rome before and thought I might as well start now," Maria answered, her sharp eyes noticing the way Steve seemed to perk up even more at her words.

"Ah. So, I guess the local morgues must be piled up with quite a few Hydra agents by now," Steve joked, prompting Maria to roll her eyes.

"I haven't performed ops like that in a long time."

"Yeah, nowadays you just organize them," teased the super-soldier, "I heard about the one you and Fury put together in Latvia. Good stuff."

Maria was a bit surprised, having long since filed that operation away as completed and forgotten it as new issues in global security grappled for her attention. "Oh, that was nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing. Sounds like you guys took down a serious terrorist cell," Steve said, smiling in a way that looked almost proud.

Maria scoffed. "Like you haven't taken down hundreds of those."

The super-soldier chuckled modestly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably not that many. Still, every contribution is important. If you hadn't stopped them, innocent people could have gotten hurt. That's something to be proud of."

Maria hesitated for a moment, face completely composed despite the way Steve's words had unbalanced her. It was no secret that she lived in a morally grey world, one where deceit and espionage were often necessary in pursuit of the greater good, a difficult place for a super-soldier with an immovable moral compass to accept. And yet there he was. He wasn't condemning her, looking at her with suspicion or searching for ulterior motives. Instead, he was simply proud of the good she was doing, proud of her. She hadn't joined global security for the recognition and, more often than not, the recognition that came wasn't the kind anyone wanted. She'd long ago grown accustomed to news pundits, tabloid writers, politicians, and even the general public casting aspersions on her integrity and the integrity of her colleagues. Their opinions didn't matter. She had never wanted anyone's approval.

At least she thought she hadn't. The way Steve's words had caused her throat to constrict a bit had her rethinking that sentiment. She coughed to clear it. "Thank you," she said.

"Don't mention it," Steve answered, his innate kindness shining through even the mildest smile like a ray of sunlight.

"So, has your Superman disguise actually worked or have your Italian groupies been chasing you around all day?" Maria asked, shifting the subject to something a little more lighthearted.

Steve chuckled. "Believe it or not, you're the first one to recognize me."

"Really?" Maria arched an eyebrow and looked again at his disguise, quite clearly seeing Captain America hiding behind a pretty flimsy facade.

"Yeah, I was at the Sistine Chapel earlier and nobody recognized me. Same with the Pantheon."

"I guess I give people too much credit," Maria murmured.

"Maybe they just don't know me as well as you do," Steve prodded.

"With all the time I had to spend babysitting the Avengers, it'd be tough not to know you," Maria said, a bit concerned that Steve seemed to be landing his emotional jabs so well.

"Yeah," Steve said, his hands drifting into the pockets of his jeans, "Listen…"

Maria cocked her head a bit at the super-soldier's words, easily picking up on the nervousness seeping into his voice. After all the battles he'd fought and long odds he'd faced, she didn't think there was much left that could make Captain America nervous. "Yeah?" she prodded.

"Well, as long as we're both here this evening, do you want to see some sights together?" Steve asked, forcing the words out.

Maria arched an eyebrow and glanced back at the fading sunlight. "Not a lot of time left for sightseeing."

"I wouldn't say that," Steve pursued, not ready to give up, "I bet some of the sights look even better at night."

Maria felt herself smiling at Steve's offer and the prospect of spending time with him. As she took in the hope filling his eyes, she banished any lingering thoughts of returning to her hotel early. "Alright," she agreed, "I suppose I could use some company."

Maria had to admit that Steve was far from the worst company she could've hoped to spend an evening in Rome with. Like they had back in Arizona, the pair spoke little of global security. As they walked along the lamplit streets, they talked about everything else, his time in the army, her time in the marines, his encyclopedic knowledge of art, her impressive understanding of history, the achievements of New York sports versus the achievements of their Chicago counterparts. The casual friendliness of the conversation was alien to Maria, whose social encounters always seemed to find their way back to her job somehow. Still, she couldn't quite say the change was unwelcome.

"C'mon, Maria. Admit defeat. Just look at the difference in the number of championships," Steve coaxed as the pair left the Trevi Fountain, its water glowing beautifully beneath its ornate sculptures as dozens of tourists snapped photos.

"I am not going to admit defeat, Steve. Ninety percent of that was the Yankees operating in an era with no free agency, no luxury tax, and no draft. They just bought the best players because nobody else had deep enough pockets to compete with them," Maria fired back, more than ready to defend the honor of Chicago's beloved sports franchises from a New Yorker, "Besides, you aren't even a Yankees fan."

Steve chuckled as he walked alongside Maria. "I guess you got me there. I still can't believe the Dodgers went to LA. It figures they'd win all their championships while I was in the ice."

Maria couldn't help but snicker at Steve's grumbling and patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Don't worry. As a Cubs fan, I know a thing or two about waiting forever for a championship," Maria said, fondly recalling the end of her team's championship drought.

"I remember that night the Cubs won the series. We all watched it at the Tower. I don't think I'd ever seen you so nervous before, not even when Hydra was trying to launch the helicarriers," Steve said, laughing a bit as he recalled Maria sitting on the edge of the couch in her Cubs hat, her eyes glued to television and her hands clasped together so tightly it almost looked like she was praying.

"A game seven in extra innings with a 108 year championship drought on the line was a lot more stressful than that," Maria said, trying unsuccessfully to put some annoyance into her voice despite the fun she was having talking to the super-soldier.

"Well, maybe for you. Taking down the helicarriers was pretty stressful for me," Steve joked, rubbing his side at the memory.

"Sorry," Maria said, a bit concerned she might've somehow caused some of the super-soldier's bad memories to resurface. God knows she had enough of those herself to know how it felt.

"It's alright," Steve said easily, showing no signs of repressing anything that was secretly eating away at him, "Bucky's free now and he's safe. That helped me come to peace with a lot of those memories."

Maria was quiet for a second, feeling an unexpected twinge of envy towards the super soldier despite wanting to feel happy for him. "Well, I'm glad," she managed to say, wrapping her arms around herself as they walked, memories of her death aching like an old wound

"Maria," Steve said. She froze and glanced back over her shoulder, not even realizing that she'd started to walk ahead of him, "I know how hard it is, when...things you wish would just go away won't." The former SHIELD agent said nothing, silently meeting the super soldier's steady gaze. "I know that sometimes it feels like everything's gone wrong, like nothing will ever heal. But, if I've learned anything in my life, it's that dark times don't last forever. It's not always quick, but the sun eventually breaks through and the things that used to hurt so much start to hurt a little less."

Maria was silent for several moments, a lump forming in her throat as her eyes stung with the threat of tears. She furiously blinked it back, wondering exactly when she'd gotten so soft. The could feel herself wanting to shut down after the display of vulnerability, retreat into the stoicism that had always protected her, even as a child. A glance back at Steve was the only thing that prevented it. He'd said nothing while she was silent, not pushing impatiently for a response or spewing any excessive words of comfort. Instead, he'd said exactly what he meant to say and waited patiently for however she chose to respond, his smile gentle and eyes revealing a level of understanding and acceptance that eased Maria's internal pain, soothing it like an ice cube on a sunburn.

"You think so?" Maria finally managed to say, voice still tight.

Steve simply nodded and looked at her kindly. "I do."

Maria released a heavy sigh. "I don't know, Steve. Time can't heal everything," she said, bad memories from her childhood to the past few years passing rapidly before her mind's eye and making her want to shrink in on herself.

"Maybe not on its own," Steve said, stepping close to the former SHIELD agent, who looked up at him in surprise, "Holding onto that stuff burdens you. It just makes it harder to heal. You helped me realize that."

"What?"

"I didn't start healing from losing Tony and Natasha until I talked to you about it."

"Steve, I didn't do much," Maria said, shaking her head, disbelieving.

"You did plenty," Steve said, blue eyes shimmering as he looked down into Maria's, "I needed someone who could just listen to me, someone who knew how it felt, someone who didn't need me to be Captain America for them. I can't thank you enough for that."

Maria didn't know what to say, overwhelmed both by the emotions of the super soldier and her own. She stood looking at the taller man, eyes wide as she searched for some way to anchor herself until she re-established control, Captain America's surprise offensive having routed her well-crafted defenses. Then, as he stood before her, the super soldier kindly delivered a finishing blow. He slowly opened his arms, not forcing her to accept his comfort but instead giving her the irresistible invitation.

As she came into his arms, it felt like coming home. She fit perfectly, tucked beneath Steve's chin as his arms wrapped around her. Steve's strength could've made the hug unsettling, his impossibly strong arms coiling around her entire frame like a python, caging her in. Instead, they were gentle, wrapped loosely around her while a hand rubbed soothingly on her back. It was enough to make her return the embrace, her arms sliding up to wrap around Steve's large torso, her face pressed into his chest, a warm sense of comfort pervading her entire body as the smell of Steve's cologne reached her nostrils.

Steve was quiet for a moment, content to calmly comfort Maria despite the joy he felt at having her in his arms. "I know how strong you are," Steve said, smiling at his memories of Maria's undeniable strength and capability, moments that looking back had originally drawn his eye to her, "And I don't expect anything, but, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Maria found herself tightening her hug at the promise, an emotion she was afraid to give a name to filling her entire body as if it was in her bloodstream. The pair stood for a moment, locked in their embrace beneath the starry sky and surrounded by the ancient buildings of the city. Steve wondered for a moment how many pairs had been like them, embracing on the same grounds beneath the same sky. As he continued to hug Maria, he felt some inexplicable sense of community with them, as if they were there to see it, those that had come before watching fondly while those that would come after eagerly awaited their turn.

They separated slowly, looking at each other, the air between them weighted. "Thank you," Maria said, her voice eased and a small smile pulling at her lips.

"Don't mention it," Steve said, still standing close to Maria.

The former SHIELD agent glanced around, taking in the night sky and the illuminated buildings nearby. "I probably need to get back to my room soon. I've got an early flight tomorrow."

"Do you want to walk along the Tiber a little before you go?" Steve asked, hoping to keep Maria with him a little longer, "I've heard it's beautiful at night."

Maria smiled at Steve, glancing back over her shoulder and then back towards his face, pretending to weigh her options. "I suppose I could be persuaded," she said.

The pair soon found the river, walking closely as they looked out over its dark waters, reflecting the lights of the city like one continuous black mirror. Unlike earlier, this walk was quiet, devoid of the casual chatter they'd shared hours before. It wasn't uncomfortable though, both soldiers content to walk alongside each other with the bright stars overhead, each taking turns sneaking looks at the other. Even when walking, Maria could detect a gentleness in Steve's gaze that she couldn't help but appreciate. When she wasn't looking, Steve would glance at her lovely profile, enjoying the combination of strength and beauty that seemed to imbue every part of Maria.

As they walked along the river, they approached a bridge, solely for pedestrians, its old stonework stretching across the Tiber in a series of columns linked by sturdy arches. As they drew closer, they could see a few other couples lingering on the bridge in the light afforded by the small lamp posts lining its walled edge, the glow shifting steadily on the moving waters below. Near the bridge, they spotted a solitary stranger, an older man who stood near the bridge's entrance with an array of locks spread out on a stone bench beside him. His eyes leapt up in excitement at the sight of Steve and Maria, his mouth launching into a rapid speech that, though friendly, was completely incomprehensible to the super soldier.

"What's he saying?" Steve leaned over to ask Maria as the older man gestured excitedly to the locks on the bench.

"Something about us buying one of the locks," Maria said, listening intently to the rest of the peddler's words, but only understanding a portion of them.

"What for?" Steve asked.

"I think we're supposed to lock it on the bridge and throw the key in the river, although I didn't get everything he was saying," Maria answered.

"I thought you spoke Italian?"

Maria shrugged. "I do, but he's speaking some sort of regional dialect. Changes things up."

The old man continued speaking excitedly, directing his entire sales pitch at Maria after having noticed the complete confusion on Steve's face. He smiled widely as he gestured to his locks like a model unveiling a brand new product. "What do you say?" Maria asked, turning to Steve, "It's only a couple euros."

The super soldier agreed and gave a few euros to the peddler despite Maria's protests to allow her to pay. Steve couldn't help but notice the way the old man smiled slyly at him as he placed the padlock and the key in his hand. As Steve and Maria walked out onto the bridge, they noticed a wired railing near the wall's edge, where dozens of other locks had all been attached, packed in so tightly that they resembled one great metallic mass.

"Guess this is some sort of tradition," Maria said, looking critically at the locks, "See a good spot?"

Steve looked for a moment. "Yeah," he said, spotting an available section. He kneeled down and snapped the lock in place, securing it with a twist of the key before rising. "You wanna do the honors?" he asked, extending the key to Maria.

Maria smirked and took the key from the super soldier, winding up and throwing the key off the bridge and into the waters of the Tiber. Steve couldn't help but smile as he watched it fly. "Nice throw," he complimented.

Maria returned his smile. "Not much different than throwing a grenade." Steve stood still for a moment as Maria leaned against the wall of the bridge, her gaze turned out towards the water. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Steve answered, unable to remove his gaze from Maria, "It is."

Slowly, he joined her, leaning forward with his elbows on the wall as he looked out at the lights reflected on the river's surface. Despite the chill in the air, he could feel his palms sweating. He hadn't expected to run into Maria on his vacation, although she had certainly been in his thoughts for some time, particularly since Arizona. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her, but their paths didn't seem to cross much anymore, not like in the old days. And yet, there she was, right next to him for the moment, so close that he could see the few tendrils of dark hair that she hadn't tied back framing her face. He couldn't help but think of Peggy as he looked at her, taking her in, from the lips that could order troops as easily as they could whisper words of comfort to the hands that could wield a gun as well as give a hug. It was a bit disconcerting to realize that perhaps he had a type.

Quietness settled on the pair again, with only the distant sounds of city nightlife and the flowing water beneath the bridge reaching their ears. Maria sighed contentedly, while Steve could feel his nervousness return. Thoughts of Peggy had also brought back thoughts of the ice and what it had cost him, what he'd lost. He'd always thought he'd have more time, after Hydra was gone and the war was over. Turns out, he'd hesitated for too long.

"Maria," Steve croaked.

She turned to look at the super soldier, easily picking up on the tension in his voice and body. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah...Listen, I was wondering…"

Maria looked up at Steve without a trace of amusement at his nervousness, her face revealing nothing but earnest curiosity, her strong gaze offering kindness that he doubted she even realized she possessed. But he saw it and it reminded why he had to continue, why he couldn't hesitate anymore.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out when we're back stateside?" Steve asked, hope supplanting the nervousness in his voice.

Maria's eyes widened and her pulse quickened. "Like on a date?"

Steve squashed the urge to backtrack and squared his shoulders, facing Maria and smiling. "Yeah."

Excitement, confusion, fear, and happiness all rattled around the former SHIELD agent's suddenly unsteady mind. "I...I won't be back for another week or so," she said, trying to buy enough time to gather her thoughts.

"That's alright," Steve said, "I don't have any missions coming up anytime soon...so, what do you say?"

Maria stood for another moment thinking as Steve waited patiently, his kind smile never wavering. The old excuses she'd use to get out of social engagements failed to come. The part that surprised her was that she didn't even want to use them. Years ago, before everything, she couldn't imagine herself taking the time out to go on a date. Still, time had passed and the world was different, she was different and old obstacles no longer stood in her way. A whole new world stretched open widely before her and only asked what she wanted.

As she looked into Steve Roger's bright blue gaze, tinged with hope and the affection he'd so readily give, Maria Hill knew exactly what she wanted. "I'd love to," she said, returning the super soldier's bright smile, "Although it's gonna be tough to top sightseeing in Rome."

"I'll think of something," Steve said confidently, the hope on his face finally giving way to joy.

A/N: In Rome, there's an ancient bridge over the Tiber River called Ponte Milvio where lovers will often attach locks before throwing the keys in the water.