18

He watched the droplets falls from the shield into the sink.

With every splash  against the ceramic basin, Steve pictured every hit he'd made with the weapon to anyone who came to mind that had gone against him. Anders was just another body to the add to the very high count that he'd accumulated over the decades.

He felt nothing.

His shield had been stained with traitors blood before and washed off just as easily as the others had, fading from existence. The click of Wren's heels on the floor was a telling sign she was back from sorting the cleaning process, and Steve resumed washing the blood until no trace was left.

Good job Vibranium was easy to clean.

"Was it sorted?" He asked, not turning from the sink. She was lurking in the doorway; her perfume had floated across to him already. She always smelt appealing, with or without.

"It was."

He'd noticed a change in her slightly but for the better. It was like they now thought along the same lines in terms of Hydra morals and how they should be carried out and dealt with. The shy little bird he'd preyed upon had grown her wings and had come into her own.

And he loved it.

"I told you that it wouldn't be pretty."

"I never said it wouldn't." At this point he turned and looked at her. Her face told him nothing other than the act he'd just committed hadn't affected her. Her lips turned up into a rather sinister smile. "You got your man; we have nothing to worry about now."

"Nick Fury will find out. He'll send another."

"So let him." Wren shrugged. "He keeps sending agents and we keep finding them and seeing that they're dealt with, soon he won't have any agents left."

Steve smirked devilishly. "You are thinking like me now birdie..." and wagged his finger to entice her towards him. She obeyed, moving into his arms as he leant down and kissed her deep. "And I've gotta say it's an improvement..."

"Maybe this is me?" Her eyes looked up from under her lashes at him, narrowing slightly. Steve felt her hands reaching for the sides of his helmet and she slowly pulled it off. "Much better, now I can see that face of yours." Chucking it to one side and leaning up to kiss him again. "And it's certainly a face I wanna look at more." She told him in between kisses and then leant up to his ear. "And that you want me to sit on..."

"Fuck yes..." he grunted and grabbed her face again, kissing her hard, tasting her mouth and savouring every part of her.

His hands slid down to squeeze her ass and then he stopped, looking down at her with a very hungered expression. "Wreeeeen?"

"Yes Steve?" She knew exactly what he was going to ask her and pleaded ignorance.

"Are you wearing any underwear under this?"

She smirked and shook her head slowly.

The rumble at the back of his throat rose as he brought his mouth to her neck, hands sliding further down and slowly pushing her skirt up to her waist. "Just one taste, it's all I need..." he told her quietly as he got down on his knees, pushing her legs apart further.

"Now who's the one begging?" Her cunning look never left as she felt his tongue slide into her, while her hands tugged at his hair, pushing his face a little more into her.

He pulled away and snorted. "I don't beg for anything or anyone."

"Had your taste Captain?" She jested and pulled her skirt down to deny him any more of her.

"It's satisfied me for now, but later? I'm gonna have that pretty little mouth of yours sweetheart."

Wren smirked as she walked to the door. "I'd best redo my lipstick then, Good job that the one I'm wearing is non smudge."

Immediately she was pulled back, Steve tearing her clothes and shedding his own.

"Shower. Now."

**

One week passed, followed by another, and another – all the while Wren's phone had been bombarded with missed calls from Fury. On this night in particular the rain was pouring and yet she'd somehow found herself on the balcony soaked through as her phone lit up again. Wren couldn't even remember walking out there and had no idea how long she'd been standing there for.

BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ...

The sound became louder and louder, almost to the point where it was deafening when in reality it wasn't. The blood was pumping within her, especially through her ears so fast that they felt like they would explode.

She looked vacantly at the screen and pressed decline once more. Droplets of rain falling from the tips of her sodden hair onto the screen. Her skin was wet and freezing from standing out there so long and yet she felt nothing.

No cold.

No warmth.

Steve had been gone for a week on a mission with Bucky, leaving her to simply carry on with her work. She longed for him to be back just to feel him against her once more, and he would be.

He always came back.

Wren closed her eyes and tilted her head up as the rain showered her more. She'd thought that her mind would have cleared, been refreshed but instead it stayed in the same headspace as she'd been ever since the day that she'd watched Steve kill Anders.

There was no going back.

She'd all but sold her soul, and it felt delightful.

"Why are you out here in the rain little bird?"

A broad smile formed and Wren turned on hearing Steve's voice, seeing him watching her by the doors that led onto the balcony. "I've never stood in the rain like this before...I wanted to know how it felt."

It felt like nothing...

She felt nothing...

He smirked as his eyes trailed her body up and down. Her nightwear had turned see through, skin glistening wet and frozen to the bone as he touched her. Even with her perfect hair that currently hung limply she looked so much more delicious. He took her hand and pulled her against him, kissing her lips.

"I've missed you." She rested her forehead against his. 

"I have something for you." He murmured and brought her in from the cold. "Let's dry you off first."

Grabbing a towel for her she dried herself as best she could before Steve rubbed the tops of her arms to warm her up. "Close your eyes sweetheart..."

Wren did as she was told while Steve told her to hold out her hands, feeling something placed into her palms he finally told her that she could look. Opening her eyes, she looked down and saw a silver brooch in the shape of the Hydra crest glinting back at her. "Oh my..." she breathed and looked at him. "Steve it's beautiful..."

No one had ever given her such a gift before. Not one that had so much of a meaning behind it anyway. It was a symbol of many things between them, not just of the organisation.

"It'll show everyone that you are mine, no one else has one like it." He told her in between kissing her neck. "Do you like it?"

She turned in his arms and leant into him. "I'll treasure it. Thank you." Whispering against his lips and then placing a gentle kiss upon them.

Steve took the brooch from her and unclicked the pin, weaving it through the material of her nightwear and clipping it into place. "You are exquisite." Looking at her all soaked through and wearing the pin that marked her as his.

His companion. His love. His little bird.

Anyone who dared speak against it would be removed in the usual style. No one ever left Hydra just by walking out of the organisation still breathing. 

"And you are going to be by my side when we finally put Project Insight into action and take down SHIELD. Our rise to power is just beginning sweetheart." He told her wickedly.

So that was the plan. To destroy SHIELD. It was what she'd been sent here to uncover in the first place as well as unmasking the man who now stood beside her. Choices would need to be made, and they'd need to be made fast. 

Wren knew whatever one she made, for her it would end in tears.