I Thought You Were Different

Reunion

"Hey, kid. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," you sighed, looking around your now empty living quarters at the tower. The closet that held your clothes, and once Steve's, was nothing more than empty hangers now. The dresser that had been overfilled with Steve's workout shirts and the worn but comfortable pajamas that you just couldn't part with was now easily closed. The bathroom that used to be a mix of his body wash and your perfume now smelled only of bleach and clean linens. "I think I've got everything."

"Oh, I can see that," Tony agreed with a nod, leaning against the door frame. "But that's not really what I meant. Are you ready?"

You grabbed your suitcase and swung it off the bed, giving your friend a quick smile as you walked past him, doing your best to look confident. "Ready as I'll ever be, Tony. Waiting any longer isn't going to make it any easier."

~~~

"Hey, man. When does she get in?"

Steve leaned back in his chair and turned to face Sam with a weak smile, tapping his pen anxiously on the desktop. "Any minute now, why?"

"I was gonna offer to grab a drink first," he replied, entering the room and taking a seat across from the Captain. "I thought maybe you'd need it." Sam paused and watched his friend, seeing how nervous he was and feeling a bit helpless. He had watched Steve over the past three months, struggling to stop calling you, fighting the urge to just go to the tower and fight for you. He watched Steve suffer in his loneliness and regret for how things had ended. "Have you talked to her at all?"

"No," he sighed, dropping the pen and bringing his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes in both fatigue and frustration. "The last time I tried, Tony answered. She had FRIDAY re-route any calls from me through her."

"That's cold."

"No, it's smart is what it is." Steve stood and dug his hands into his pockets, moving to stand at the large windows that overlooked the small lake behind the training facility. "She told me we needed time apart, and what do I do? I turn into a lovesick puppy that can't stop chasing her around. It's not a good look for Captain America, right? I have the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I push her away. I push her away, and all I can think of is to get her back. I don't blame her one bit for leaving. Hell, I'd leave too."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Steve. Being in love is hard." Sam stood and made his way to stand next to Steve, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Look at it this way, okay? She's on her way. She's moving in. If she wanted nothing to do with you, why would she put herself in a position to be closer to you?"

Steve sucked in a harsh breath and perked up, catching the sight of Tony's car in his peripheral vision. He tried to shake off the sick feeling in his stomach, giving Sam a quick nod as he hurried to welcome the two of you. "I guess we're about to find out."

~~~

Tony's hand slid over and rested atop yours when Steve came into sight, bringing the car to a stop a few feet away. "So, I've been thinking, maybe I just turn this thing around and you stay with me, huh? We could have a great time, right? Movie nights, we hit the theater a few times, no drama...no Cap..."

"You're sweet, Tony, but I'm fine." You gave his hand a squeeze and looked at Steve, taking a deep breath before finally opening the door. When he saw you exiting, he hurried over to take your suitcases from the trunk.

"Hi, (Y/N)," he smiled, "how was the drive?"

"A little long, but we had a nice lunch on the way. Tony went on and on about something with physics, or the suit, or something I didn't understand anyway," you said with a quiet chuckle. "After about mile twenty I just tuned that out."