Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read Trading Cards.

I don't want to bore you with a very long author's note but I do have to address a couple of things:

1. Even though this idea had been residing in my head for quite some time I originally had no intention on actually taking the time and writing it down on paper (as you can see I am very shy about my writing). I always though Avengers fanfictions would be quite intimidating to write yet after much debate I have decided to take the time to post it.

2. In a perfect and ideal world I would be updating every week but I can safely say that will not happen due to the fact that life is very busy. You have been warned.

3. If this story is not your type of Bertie Bott's Bean Flavour, please leave it unharmed so some other lad or lass can enjoy it to the fullest extent. Thank you.

4. Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Avengers' or MARVEL in any way. The only thing I own is my brain and story plot.

5. I should also say this now: Pippa Coulson has a deep admiration for Captain America. She sees him as Captain America, not Steve Rogers. I guess you could say she see's him a just the hero thus resulting in a 'hero-worship' kind of attitude towards him initially. Know that first of all I do not condone these kinds of relationships and that I support healthy honest relationships. If an initial 'hero-worship'/deep admiration kind of attitude bothers you, then please refer back to my third (3rd) point. I can promise you though that that kind of attitude Pippa holds towards the Captain is temporary. Thank you.

Important: This story takes place during 'The Avengers'. Although their ages were never actually listed, I have decided on the following ages (or at least the age they physically appear to be) for the following characters (even though I do recognize that Captain America would be around the age of 90 and both Thor and Loki are Norse Gods): Captain America (26), Iron Man (29), Hawkeye (28), Black Widow (28), Hulk (32), Thor (27), Loki (24), Pippa (26).

I think that about sums it up. So if you will, please sit back, relax and enjoy 'Trading Cards'.

TRADING CARDS

By: The Painted Green Door

Prologue:

She let her fingers gloss over the plastic covering, admiring the patriotic colors even though they were rather faded due to the love of their previous owners and time itself. Pippa smiled to herself as she ran her right hand quickly through her dark golden brown hair which had been lately boasting some sun kissed streaks thanks to the sunny weather the Mojave Desert was infamous for.

The young agent couldn't believe the sight before her. She had been working tirelessly ever since she was a young girl and her father had given her a small collection of four Captain America trading cards for her sixth birthday. Although most of her peers at the time would have been disappointed at such a present, she was over the moon when she received them. It quickly became an obsession, her lifelong goal, to collect all of them. Some of her coworkers thought she was silly to have such a hobby, but she refused to be discouraged.

And in the end it had all paid off.

Pippa Coulson glanced down at the one singular card that lacked the plastic protection the other cards were encased in. She picked it up, her thumb running over the faded ink and playing with the slightly frayed edges of the rectangle piece of paper. Even though she had studied this card and had memorized every single detail, the trading card still managed to amaze her.

"I finally found you." She murmured as she gently let her thumb swipe over the picture of Captain America's face. The brunette stared at the card for a few moments longer, knowing that at any time Nick Fury, her superior, could decide to sweep into the room and catch her off duty.

With a reluctant sigh the agent carefully opened up the plastic cover in order to, at last, add the final card to her prized collection of her vintage Captain America trading cards. With great concentration she tried to insert the card in the slippery plastic sheet, having great difficulty as usual.

"Nick Fury is about 49.3 seconds away from entering this room."

Pippa could feel the minty breath near her ear and she jumped out of her seat, dropping her prized trading card in the process. She turned to see Agent Barton standing there with an amused look on his face.

"Dammit Barton!" Pippa scowled as she leaned over to pick up the fragile card she had been searching after for quite a considerable amount of time. Thirteen months at the least, eighteen months at the most.

Before her slender fingers could even graze the surface Barton had scooped it up, flipping the card expertly between his thumb and forefinger. Pippa huffed in annoyance as she sunk back down in her seat, silently cringing at how the expert bowman was treating her prized possession.

"At the very least could you treat it gently?" Pippa squeaked, her gray stormy eyes following the movement of the card just like a predator does to its prey before it decides to pounce. Much to her continued dissatisfaction Barton decided to ignore her wishes. She narrowed her eyes as he began toying with the frayed edges, "I'll have you know that card is a historic piece and you're interfering with its preservation."

Clint rolled his eyes but gave her the card back nevertheless. The agent scrambled eagerly to receive the card and gently slipped it in the protective shield of plastic. With a satisfied sigh she then closed her trading card binder gently and slipped it under some work papers, planning to sneak another look at the completed masterpiece if she gained another chance.

"A thank you would have sufficed." The young archer told her as he leaned against her desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He watched silently as she shuffled some papers and decided to ignore his comment. He was silent for a few moments, letting her work in peace before he decided to speak up again, "I'll never understand your fascination with Captain America."

"Agent Barton, don't you have something to do?" Pippa asked without her eyes leaving the stack of papers that were in front of her. " Such as flying back to your nest or shooting some arrows?" she thought silently. Barton studied her figure for a few moments before he stood up.

"The name's Clint." He offered as he stretched a little, perhaps out of boredom or maybe it was because of the strenuous training he decided to do early that morning. Pippa turned to him, leaning back in her chair in a relaxed position, "I know that Agent Barton." She pursed her lips before continuing, "It says so in your file."

"Agent Barton, aren't you supposed to be in your nest?"

Pippa glanced up to see Nick Fury striding into the room, taking his usual place in the center so he could overlook the whole operating room. She found herself smirking ever so slightly in amusement. Not that she would share that with anyone but herself. She watched as Agent Barton's spine went rigid at the sound of his voice but then recovered.

"Yes sir." He said calmly before he left her work station without sparing another glimpse towards Pippa's direction.

Of course the director wasn't going to let Pippa off the hook, he never spared anyone his wrath when it came down to it, "And Agent Coulson, aren't you supposed to be finishing up your report that's been already late by two days?" he asked, giving her a sharp gaze. If she was being completely honest, his irritation that was radiating off him combined with his pointed look reminded Pippa of an ogre. A very mad ogre.

Pippa could feel the color drain from her face at the thought but managed to squeak out a "Yes sir!" before diving back into her paperwork, her mind still focusing on her vintage Captain America trading cards.

Goal til next update: 5+ Reviews

Note: Thank you for taking the time to read Trading Cards. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did in fact enjoy the story, if you could be so kind to take the time to leave a review and jot down your thoughts I would be very thankful.

Much love,

The Painted Green Door