Edge of Seventeen | 18+ { Steve Rogers}

Chapter 7 | Carry on Wayward son

Sorry it took so long to get another chapter out; I wanted to bust out the last few chapters of another WIP, wrapping that up so I could focus on this one. Then my appendix made an attempt on my life by rupturing 🙄

All mistakes are my own!

I hope you enjoy this chapter! There are a lot of feelings in this one. Let me know what you think! 😁

Happy Reading!

-Sif

This chapter is named after Kanas- Carry on Wayward son 
_______________

The sun was starting to peek around the tall New York City buildings, a soft yellowish, orange glow fading into a light blue sky, pillowy clouds that looked like stretched cotton as the pale blue sky shone through while the sun slowly climbed higher and higher. It was a cool morning, nothing like in previous weeks; summer was approaching. The streets were already congested with cars, buses, taxis, the mouth-watering smell of fresh baked goods, food carts planted along the sidewalks, offering warm, yeasty bagels, mingled with the comforting warm scent of coffee in the air. The closer you get to the shopping and business district, the more perfumes and scented candles from the dozens of expensive shops fill the morning air; it's a sweet heady aroma. But in the heat of the summer, that smell can knock a grown man on his ass.

Steve weaved through the sea of bodies traveling to work, clutching his coffee like a lifeline, trying desperately not to spill it. He was exhausted; Steve's mind wouldn't turn off last night; rent was due in a few days; he wasn't sure where April had gone. He needed more time; he was still short even with his paycheck from Stark Industries. He needed to pay his utilities and rent and make a payment on his books for next semester ( thank god school was almost over until the fall). Steve didn't realize how much he had dipped into his savings until he laid everything out last night; he was short a little over seven hundred dollars.

As Steve swam metaphorical laps around the anxiety pool, he blindly made his way into the tall, sleek building that was Stark Industries, got himself through security into the elevator, and even to the right floor. The elevator ding startled him from his depressing thoughts; he blinked, realizing he had just lost at least fifteen minutes of his morning.

"Hey, Rogers—man, you look like shit," Wade commented from his desk as Steve walked past him.

Steve dropped heavily into his desk chair, "Thanks Wade," he replied dryly.

Ryan came thundering through, dropping a stack of papers on Steve's desk as he moved toward his office, swinging the door open and slamming it hard. Steve flinched as the slam echoed around the open office space, he sighed scrubbing his face with both hands; the rough prickles of the scruff on his face made him groan. He didn't shave this morning; he couldn't; he'd run out of bottled water. Fuck he is so sick of living like this; when is it supposed to get easier?

"Rogers!" Ryan bellowed from his closed office door.

Wade pulled a face, "Yikes," he mumbled, turning to his computer.

"Today is going to be awful," Steve grumbled, pulling himself to his feet and heading toward whatever lay beyond that damn door.

___________________

Darcy leaned against the wall next to the elevator, chewing on her lip and cradling a stack of papers, her tablet in one hand and two cups of coffee in the other. She looks around the buzzing office; everyone is pumped up on caffeine this morning; a select few are just morning people. Darcy doesn't trust anybody who wakes up happy; it's not natural. She watches curiously as a tall man from IT leans on the reception desk; he reaches out and tucks a piece of hair behind Georgia's ear, and the bleach-bottled blonde giggles. Lance and Bryce, the resident, on again and off again couple, walk past her, Lance several steps ahead of the other man, clearly refusing to slow down and listen. They must be off again. And here comes Richard and his mistress, Hannah; she isn't sure what they could have in common with over thirty years between them and Hannah being the same age as Richard's daughter. Now that she thinks about it, Darcy is pretty sure Hannah went to school with his daughter. Maybe Richard is a Daddy; he looks like he could be one; she quickly aborted that thought.