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"I think what was really killing me the whole time, the part that was wearing me down, was the fact that I knew I was lying about you, about the kind of person you are. I tried to justify it with a long list of excuses, but they were all lies. And because of the way I feel about you, I hated myself for it. I didn't want you to come after me, to waste your time on me, but I don't know what would have happened of you hadn't."
JARVIS "heard" SHIELD Deputy Director Maria Hill's words as she leaned back into Captain Steve Rogers' embrace. But JARVIS was in sleep mode, waiting to be summoned if the occupants of the media room had need of him, so he did not record it.
The two were sitting on the floor in front of the sofa in that media room, having recently returned from what sounded like a rather horrific trip to Europe. Though JARVIS had learned shortly after Sir took on the Iron Man persona, that "horrific" was often relative to people such as the Lieutenant and the Captain.
"Well, then, I'm glad I took Tony's advice," the Captain replied.
If the soldier had bothered to ask the AI, JARVIS would have warned him to never invoke Sir's name with the Lieutenant. The AI had learned early on, though fortunately he'd never been asked, that Maria Hill was no fan of Sir. When he was mentioned, Maria's heart rate, among other things, indicated increased negative feelings. When Sir was in her presence, the pressure intensified.
And, true to history, JARVIS registered increased tension levels in Lieutenant Hill. As always, she tried to suppress it, but JARVIS noted she didn't try quite as hard this time, a development he found intriguing.
"What," the Lieutenant paused, perhaps to rethink what she was about to ask Captain Rogers.
After a moment, she continued, with a sigh.
"I'm not sure I want an answer, but, what does Stark have to do with this?"
This time, Captain Rogers took his time in answering. When he did, JARVIS, if he wasn't an AI, but a human, would have described himself as confused.
"I just asked him for some advice, that's all."
Prior to the period of time Sir referred to now as "the break-up," Maria Hill was nothing if not secretive about her thoughts and feelings. JARVIS had noted innumerable instances where Captain Rogers asked her a question of a personal nature, and JARVIS knew from physical indicators that she had lied in response. In all that time, the AI had never known Captain Rogers to lie about anything. However, considering what JARVIS knew of the circumstances surrounding Sir's advice to the Captain, he had to believe that the Captain was acting with great prudence. If the Lieutenant were to find out what Sir had done, JARVIS suspected getting hacked would be the least of his own concerns.
The Lieutenant turned slightly to look up at Captain Rogers and smiled.
"I guess he can't be wrong all of the time," she said.
Captain Rogers leaned down his face to cover her lips with his. This was an act with which JARVIS was very familiar. Though, as regarding this couple, not as much. There had been times before "the break-up" when Captain Rogers and the Lieutenant would watch a movie and end up "making out," as it was termed; though JARVIS could not understand what the words had to do with the action of prolonged kissing. But they were few, as both members of the couple seemed to him to be very private people, unlike Sir.
This evening, JARVIS noted that this so-called "make out session" was indeed different from the precious ones. Formerly, Captain Rogers and the Lieutenant were measures of restraint. While they seemed, as most humans did, to enjoy "making out," it was not quite the pheromone event it was when Sir accosted (as she sometimes termed his action) Ms. Potts. Now, JARVIS noted a distinct change in both the couple. Yet another thing that intrigued him.
There was a difference in the physicality and the chemical reaction each had to it. Whereas, formerly, both had held back with ease, now each seemed to desire more, and, it appeared to JARVIS, that if either were to make one of the moves Sir or Ms. Potts often made in these circumstances, he might be forced out of sleep mode to suggest they lock the media room door for the sake of privacy.
After a quite unusual length of time for the couple, they began to slow their ministrations and with a great deal of gasping for breath, they rested their foreheads together then smiled.
Then something occurred that, if he was human, would have completely surprised JARVIS.
"I love you," the Lieutenant said.
"I love you, too," Captain Rogers replied, then he slowly stood and held out his hand to help her up off the floor.
If JARVIS were a human, and not a program, he thought he would have smiled as he watched them walk from the room.