"It's... not that," she says a little stiltedly, poking at her food. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." What is it then? She realizes she can't entirely answer her own question. "I doubt Fury would bend, anyway. You know what a stubborn hardass he is when he wants to be."

Convenient, right? It's not like she didn't try to get the man to change his mind over the phone, but...

"And you're not so bad. Much to my surprise," she adds with a teasing little smile, glancing at him sideways. But the innocent remark spawns genuine curiosity, and she turns her whole body a little toward him on the stool. "Why aren't you like this all the time? You can be so infuriating out there, and now you're... well. Nice."