Pulling Me

Part One. The Shop

"Just a black coffee with two sugars, thanks."

The normal. Every Wednesday was the same. A trip to the coffee shop down the street was a ritual that Y/N had adapted into their life just after they'd moved to New York City last January. Wednesdays were remote days at their job, allowing them to spend that time wherever they'd wanted.

Each Wednesday was much like the last, aside from this one being a bit more frazzled. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree had come down last week after a massive fight broke out between multiple gangs. Some had even said they'd seen Hawkeye, but who knows for sure.

All they knew was that their normal trip this morning had taken a bit more time than usual.

Mariah
I'm just saying... You should go
on the date!

Y/N
Please just leave me alone about
this date. I don't have any desire
to be with someone right now!

Mariah
But they'd be so good for you Y/N!

If there was one thing Y/N's sister Mariah was good at, it was working on their last nerve. She'd been doing her best to get them on some dates after not seeing anyone for nearly two years.

But Y/N enjoyed being alone. They enjoyed focusing on themselves and their job. Being able to do whatever they wanted without having to consult someone else first was ideal. Finding a partner was the last thing on their mind, especially after they'd lost their ex to the famous Battle of New York so many years ago. Trying again with someone else just felt useless.

With that, Y/N put their phone on Do Not Disturb and locked it before throwing it into their jacket pocket. As they'd always done, Y/N pulled away from their emotions before letting them get too large and sunk into their work.

Most Wednesday mornings were spent at the coffee shop. After everyone had come back from the blip and most Avengers level threats had died down, Y/N felt a new sense of serenity there. No worries of aliens busting through the doors or cars being thrown through the windows. It was peaceful for the first time in a while.

Aside from the new calm feeling that had settled over the area, this coffee shop was also very small are relatively unknown. Most people who sat in were regulars, people Y/N saw every week when they stopped in.

New faces came and went, but one actually caught their attention this time.

A woman of average height stepped through the front door, immediately requiring Y/N's gaze. Her hair was long and blonde but done up in beautiful braids. They wondered how someone would have time to do such intricate work so early in the morning.

Y/N watched as the woman made her way to the counter to order. A rough accent came from the woman, intriguing Y/N to pay even more attention as she waited for her drink to be made. It sounded Russian, maybe Sokovian?

As she received it from the barista, she turned and immediately met eyes with Y/N.

Being a regular for such a long time, the normal anxiety that would've coursed through their veins when being caught staring had oddly drifted away. Instead, Y/N offered a soft smile and nod at the woman instead.

She smiled back before sipping her drink and looking around. It was clear she hadn't been here before as she took in all the detail of the shop around her. There was a homely feeling to it with all the pictures scattered on the walls and the comfortable, worn furniture laid about.

Y/N returned their attention back to their laptop, allowing their thoughts to drift back into work. A few minutes had gone by when they noticed the bell of the door sing again and watched the blonde trash the empty cup before heading back out into the streets.

Something about her called out to them. Y/N wished they had spoken to her or even just listened for her name when the barista had yelled it out. Instead, they'd have to hope to see her again. Maybe next week, or in passing on the street.

They spent the next few hours seated at the same table while working through their projects of the day. Time had come and gone, before they knew it the sun had started setting. Y/N had a tendency to get sucked into work like this and allow the world around them to fall away.

It was time to head home though. Packing up, they said their normal goodbyes and see you next weeks to the baristas and other regulars that they'd chatted with before.

The walk from the coffee shop to their apartment felt different this time. Not because it would take a bit longer to get home with the construction now as it did when they walked there, but because they caught themselves glancing around.

Looking from face to face, they hoped they'd see the woman from the coffee shop again. To even get the chance to learn her name would be enough. Something about her just seemed to stick in their mind in a way that no one else had before.

But instead of finding her once more, they made it back to their apartment without seeing a single familiar face. Maybe next week, they thought.

With that, they allowed themselves to relax into the evening. But occasionally, the blonde would pop up in their thoughts again. They wondered if she was a visitor or if she possibly worked alongside the Avengers. Y/N had remembered a Russian assassin who had played an essential and significant role in saving the lives of half the population.

Maybe she was here to help keep the peace in the city.

Or maybe she was just another face soon to be forgotten.

Y/N hoped not. Something about her kept their mind occupied and wanting more. Whether it was her insanely gorgeous features or just her warm aura, they couldn't tell. All Y/N knew was that they'd try their best to find her again.