Work Text:
Maria was in the middle of her meeting with Stark’s legal team when her phone buzzed. The meeting was turning out to be surprisingly productive, so Maria ignored her phone, and continued speaking.
“Ms. Walters, I don’t see how we can access those records legally, but I was hoping your team could come up with a solution,” she said.
The legal department for Stark Security was lead by a diffident woman named Jennifer Walters. The two men at Walter’s side dressed in suits that had to cost more than Maria had made in a month at S.H.I.E.L.D.. The suits matched the luxury of the room, a mix of wood and glass that screamed wealth.
Walters opened her mouth to answer Maria, but then Maria’s phone buzzed again, and again. The lawyers across the table from her shifted in their seats. Her phone was set so only four people could interrupt her in work mode. All of them could have high priority intelligence to relate.
“I apologize, but this might be urgent,” she told the assembled lawyers.
She checked her phone, to find three messages from Sam. The first was a picture message of a shirtless Sam, grinning in sunglasses, and a white background. The caption read We found snow. And more snow. The next message was a picture of a still shirtless Sam and a semi-reluctant Steve in his white undershirt, his Captain America suit pulled down around his waist. The last message a two word text: Miss you.
Maria refrained from rolling her eyes. As much as she liked looking at a shirtless Sam (and knowing her boys were okay), she had a job to do first.
Busy, at a meeting. she texted back.
Usually he was better at waiting until her work hours were over. Either constantly changing time zones had left him disoriented, or he was extremely bored. Probably both.
“You were saying, Ms. Walters?”
Her phone buzzed again. She glanced down.
no sexting then? :(
Maria turned her phone completely to silent, and moved it under the table so she could respond.
Walters looked around to her colleagues, almost as if asking for support. Maria couldn’t fathom how a woman as shy as Walters had risen to a position of power, but she guessed from the deep circles under the lawyer’s eyes that a strong work ethic had something to do with it.
“When we received your request we were intrigued. The Supreme Court has certainly carved out more space for private persons and corporations to act with their recent decisions, and for increased surveillance by government actions, but there is no clear legal decision in this particular instance.”
Give me two hours Maria texted, while nodding supportively at Walters.
The lawyer fiddled with her glasses, then continued.
“We recommend accessing the records. After all, the Stark motto is practically ‘better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.’” Walters spoke with a slightly aggrieved edge to her voice.
Maria felt a brief moment of sympathy for Walters and her colleagues. Acting as Stark’s attorney had to be challenging. She barely saw the man and he irritated the hell out of her.
Her phone lit-up under the table, and Maria glimpsed the newest photo Sam had sent her. It was a selfie of him and Steve, both shirtless, kissing each other in front of a lit fireplace. A new text read You're missing out.
She kept a straight face as her fingers flew over the smartphone screen by memory.
I can come up with a lot revenge in the next two hours. she reminded him.
Maria turned off her phone completely, and refocused her attention on the meeting.