⍟ ⍟ ⍟

"The mall?" Steve looks at Juniper questionably once they leave the hospital.

She sighs, though she had it coming for questioning him so much.

"It's the only place where you can buy clothes and tech." She explains the reason for her decision. "We need to see what's on this drive now and better disguises, don't we?" She digs at his lackluster disguise of a hood.

"Yes." Steve replies quietly. "We do."

⍟

After they both have changed and found baseball caps, they make their way to the tech store. Although, once again, Juniper doesn't think baseball caps and the silly glasses Steve's wearing are going to make a difference, but either way S.H.I.E.L.D. will be notified of their location shortly, so... guess it doesn't matter.

"Would you walk normal." Juniper criticizes slowly as Steve tries to speed walk his way through the mall. "We're supposed to be blending in, we can't just run our way through here."

"If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off." Steve smarts back. "I don't know how you do anything in those heels you were wearing." He comments, looking down at her normal tennis shoes now.

She chuckles, that line actually amusing her. "Years of practice. I like to think the same about you and your silly costume, thought at least it's more updated now." She hums as she points up ahead, not giving Steve the chance to ask how she's seen his old uniforms ,as he prefers to call them.

They enter the tech store and immediately walk over to an empty laptop as June begins typing, Steve standing directly behind her.

"This drive's homing program is at a Level Six, so as soon as it's connected S.H.I.E.L.D. will be able to pin point of our precise location." Juniper informs Steve as he watches the exit of the store.

"How much time will we have?" He asks her.

"I don't know, a good eight, nine minutes..." She trails off, taking the drive and inserting it into the laptop. "Starting now."

She begins digging through the drive. "Uncle Nick was right." When is he not? "Somebody was trying to keep something secret." She sings quietly as Steve turns to look at the screen as the 'Lemurian Star' file pops up. She sighs irritatedly.

"What is it?" Steve asks, concerned at her frustration.

"The drive is clearly being protected by something." She looks at the screen in annoyance. "It keeps rewriting itself to block me out, not giving me any information I need." Juniper grits her teeth.

"Can you try to override it?" Steve leans over her shoulder, she ignores the proximity.

"Of course, I went to Standford, I'm not an idiot." She clips proudly.

"Standford, huh?" Steve takes in the new bit of information, like uncovering the next piece of a puzzle that is Juniper Fox.

"My father made me attend, thought it'd be a way to get me out of joining S.H.I.E.L.D." June tells him. "Hmm, whoever created this is good, smart." She nods. "But I'm better."

"Do you like engineering?" Steve asks her curiously. From what he's gathered she'd rather be an agent of course, so he genuinely wasn't sure.

June pauses for second in thought, huh... no one's ever really asked her that question.

"I do." She answers honestly, still typing away. "I enjoy mechanics and getting my hands dirty." She chuckles. "But as more a hobby."

Steve nods. Not as a job.

Not something she'd have to do every day for the rest of her life...

⍟

S.T.R.I.K.E pulls up outside of the mall. Brock steps out of the car and angrily cocks his gun, ready to get his wife back. He couldn't believe she ran away with Captain America, abandoning him like that... What kind of wife is that? She's supposed to be loyal to him. Support him. Be on his side. No matter what.

⍟

"I'm running a tracer, a program that was developed by S.H.I.E.L.D. It was made to track hostile malware, so if this stupid drive wants to be stubborn, and not let me read it, at least we can locate it's origin." Juniper walks Steve through what she's doing. "Ah." A location's loading, but her celebration is quickly cut short.

"Can I help you guys with anything?" A worker step over to them.

Juniper snaps her head up to the long haired man. Steve looks at him in shock, unsure of what to do, but thankfully Juniper saves them.

"Oh, thank you so much." She smiles sweetly at the worked. "My husband and I were just searching for some nice vacation spots to celebrate our anniversary this weekend while our rings are being cleaned, isn't that right honey?" The words roll right off her tongue as she places her hand on his chest and the other on his shoulder.

"Right, yes, we are." Steve awkwardly joins in, smiling at the man.

Juniper looks up at Steve before moving back to the computer. "What is it now, honey, seven- eight years? Who can keep track after this long, am I right?" She lets out a laugh.

The worker joins in on the laughter. "I hear that. Well congratulations. Where are you guys thinking about going?"

Steve steps in front of the screen, looking down just as the location appears.

"New Jersey." He answers uneasily, looking at the worker, then the screen, then back to the worker.

"Oh." The man nods.

"We're also considering Cancun, Florida, it's really a toss up." Juniper quickly adds as the worker stares at Steve and Steve blinks back in panic that he's been recognized.

"I have the exact same glasses." The man points at Steve's face after a moment.

"Oh my gosh, twinsies!" Juniper gasps fakely.

"Yeah, right." The worker dismisses, his eyes widens as he motions his hands up and down at Steve. "Specimen." He lets out a chuckle. "Uh, okay, if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron." He holds up his badge.

"Thank you." Steve nods.

Juniper glances at the time, realizing they need to go, soon.

"You said eight, nine minutes, come on. We gotta go." Steve hurries, looking down at his watch.

"Alright, alright." Juniper exasperates. "Yes." She cheers quietly as the screen zooms in to get a closer look at the spot in New Jersey.

Steve's face drops as he leans closer to the screen.

"Look familiar?" She asks, eyeing him.

"I used to." He says in thought before snapping out of it. "Let's go."

Juniper wipes the computer immediately and yanks out the drive.

As they begin to walk through the mall, with haste, Juniper pulls her hair back into a bun and shoves it under her cap while Steve looks behind them.

"Standard tac team." He speaks lowly. "Two behind, two across," He faces forward. "And two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you move to the south escalator to the metro."

"And let you have all the fun?" She scoffs. "Quick pull me in closely, and kiss the top of my head." She orders.

"What?"

"Now." She whisper-shouts, inching closer to him.

He throws his arm around her and she leans into him. He lowers his head down and presses his lips to her forehead as he's told, successfully hiding their faces.

⍟

One of the S.T.R.I.K.E. men enter the tech store, looking all around for Steve and Juniper.

"Negative at the source." He speaks into his earpiece.

"Give me a floor run down." Brock commands.

"Negative on three." Another one informs.

"Negative on two." One of the women say.

"Snake the upper levels. Work down to me." Brock barks loudly, stepping onto the escalators to go up at the same time Juniper and Steve slide on to go down.

"Shit." Juniper mutters, quickly pulling her hood up over her cap and spins around, grabbing Steve by the face.

"Wh-what're you doing." He stutters.

"Place your hands here," She emphasizes her hold on his face, "On my cheeks. Now." She tells him, pressing her body closer into hard his and wraps her hands behind his neck, pulling him to where his face is inches in front of her til they're touching noses.

He does as he's told, his soft hands press gently against her smooth skin.

"Intimacy freaks people out." Juniper whispers, her hot breath engulfing Steve's face.

"I have to agree." He whispers back. Juniper inhales deeply, their sweating foreheads coming together, as Steve holds his breath entirely.

Brock glances beside him as he moves along, completely missing his wife face to face with Captain America.

Once Juniper notices Brock is off the escalator's, and they make it to the bottom of theirs, she lets go and they separate.

"Freaked out?" She looks at him pointedly as she steps off.

"Uh-" Steve blinks, feeling very warm and very aware of his skin.

She snorts to herself, shaking her head. "Let's go, star-spangled banner." She takes off, amused at Steve's flustered face.

⍟ ⍟ ⍟

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Hello, hellooo!! It has been TOO long, but welcome back to The Havitys of Agent 14!! <3

AHHH, was everyone screaming during the escalator momentttt or just me?!🤭

Also... WHO tf does Brock think he is...

And had to have Juniper bring her own charm to the tech store scene!! Bc I swear she is NOT a Nat replacement lmao (can't stress that enough) & ugh this chapter was so sweet & fun to write (forever ago) & then edit today hahaha.

Hope y'all enjoyedddd!! Don't forget to comment your thoughts, questions, & DEF your reactions!! Until next time, mwauh!! And Happy Agent 14 Day ;)