"SO, BASICALLY," TONY RECAPPED after the Cap, "basically what Capsicle here means to say is that we aren't really ordering you, a small-time hairdresser, into rooming with the evillest supervillain of the universe who is also immortal and slightly...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
01. I have no social life
NAZNEEN NAQVI PUT DOWN the Sudoku she had been solving in the newspaper when she heard the door chimes ring shrilly. Twirling around in her chair, she smiled as she saw Steve Rogers, one of the regular customers of Naz's Hair Care, walk in looking tense.
Captain America looking tense was also a regular mood of their friendship. She guessed it was probably another run-in with Tony. Last time that had happened, they had both come in to the salon at the exact same time and nearly destroyed the whole place down. Steve had been profusely apologetic to her after the incident and Tony had very generously paid for the losses after commenting dryly that she was supposed to be his hairdresser and not go gallivanting with people he wasn't talking to.
They were behaving like children, squabbling way after the fight, not even remembering why they were angry with each other. Well, actually they did remember. That part wasn't easy to forget. What with Rhodey still not fully recovered and Bucky in the cryo, they needed each other as much as the world needed them together but that wasn't happening anytime soon, it seemed. Instead they came to the dingy hairdresser's in the even dingier Lester Apartments, preferring to see a hairdresser rather than a therapist.
"What's up, Steve?" She asked, jumping off the chair, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. He hated to think that he was making her worried over him and he would clam up immediately if he noticed it. He was lonely and he just wanted to talk about everything but that didn't mean it was easy. Guilt was eating at him and he would rather fight with it all alone than let someone else be dragged unnecessarily into his own battles; he had had enough of that recently.
"Hello, Naz," he gave her a small smile. "How's business?"
She looked around the empty shop with a laugh, "What do you think?" Truth was, Tony and Steve (Natasha too, but she had been busier lately) were probably the only loyal customers the place had while a couple or so of one-timers would come in now and then. Enough to get her by—actually, Tony alone was enough to get her by. Some part of his brain felt that getting a tiny, inconsequential haircut and a five-hour a day worth of talking sessions was enough to warrant a huge fee. "See, this way I'm not being selfish Tony Stark but a kind, billionaire, philanthropist," he would point out every time she refused to take the extra money.
Steve was tapping his right foot nervously, looking around the shop, "I don't really want a haircut."
Yeah, that much even she knew. If he tried getting anymore haircuts he would become bald and even though it hardly mattered whether Captain America had hair on his head or not, she knew Sharon wouldn't really appreciate it and she didn't want to pick a fight with Sharon.
"Its okay," Naz nodded, softly. "Want to try Sudoku?"
Sudoku had become a Naz and Steve thing over the last couple of weeks. He would come in, sit around for hours just asking about her and helping her solve the puzzle instead of talking about what was bothering him. Talking came after solving the puzzle. Like all puzzles, Steve had a pattern and like all puzzle-solvers, Naz had learnt his by heart.
