A Love Like Ours

TWENTY THREE

Avengers Tower, NYC.

"What the fuck." Sam scoffs.

Gliding his finger across the lit screen, he dials another number before pressing Steve's floor on the elevator panel.

Anger and worry filling his mind as someone speaks on the other end of the phone.

"Hello?" Steve says.

"Hey, Man, You home?" Sam replies, waiting in the elevator as the door dings open.

"No, Not right now. Why?"

"Where are you? We need to talk."

Steve excuses himself quietly from the bright pink table he shares with Susan, Moving through the crowded Shoppe until he reaches the storage room.

"Is Rosie okay? Did something happe-"

"No, no, they're all fine." Sam interrupts,

"I just need to talk to you." He finishes, The events of the past two months swirling around in his minds eye.

"Alright, I can be back at the Tower in about two hours."

"Is it cool if I wait in your place?"

"Be my guest. I'll see you soon."

"Alright, Bye." Sam ends the call, striding out to make himself comfortable on Steve's leather couch.

~

Sighing, Steve exists the storage room and makes his way back to join Susan.

"Sorry about that."

"Is everything okay?" She asks.

"Yeah, It's just Sam, He seems worked up over something."

"If you need to leave early you can."

"Thank you but I really wanna try to catch up as much as possible. I can't believe I let it get this out of control..." He says, shuffling through the mess of over-due yearly paperwork and renewals that require his signature.

"I was so lost in my own damn head when Ana took off... I completely lost track of how long it's been since I last came in."

"We'll get you caught up to speed, Don't worry." She replies, sipping her latte.

"I'm sorry all this fell on you, If you want, We can try to find some room in the budget for a fourth pair of hands?"

"Why find someone new when Annie is back living in town?"

"She's focusing on Rosie right now, Breast feeding and all that, I don't think she has time." He says, a small smile breaking out on his lips.

"Have you talked with her about it?"

"No? No, She still doesn't know about our meetings and I'd like to keep it that way. She definitely wouldn't handle it well knowing I still have a hand in the business."

"Does she truly believe that I handle everything?"

"You know Ana, She's never dipped her hands into the paperwork side of things."

"Yes, But back then she knew it was because you were handling it for her. Surely she doesn't think I make all the decisions for her business."

"She's had so much going on this entire year, Suse, I don't think she's stopped to consider it."

"She might appreciate you more if she knew all you've been doing." Susan offers, and a sarcastic chuckle escapes him.

"Yeah or, More realistically, She'll be pissed that we've been keeping it from her and run away again to spite me. And personally, I rather not take the chance. Now, Can you please help me find the property agreement? This bastard is trying to up our tax again."