Hey Stranger

Coffee shop

Steves thoughts overwhelmed him in that shop, it was nice that that man - tony - sat with him, but that didn't change the fact that he was depressed and alone. He stood up from his seat abruptly and left.

Despite the rain, he decided to go for a run in his jeans and jacket. He ran until he no longer knew where he was and he noticed he'd been crying.

He stopped and took in his surroundings, an empty park with only a few people running back to their cars or houses to hide from the pouring rain.

He took a deep breath and ignored how soggy his shoes were and started walking in the opposite direction he'd come from.

•••

Tony enjoyed his little chat with the stranger, steve was something else. He didn't know who he was, which was refreshing. But he did seem sad, something was up with him, all he wanted to do was ask, but didn't feel right seeing that he was still just a stranger.

He got to the tower and head back upstairs, and, well, got to work again, avoiding pissing pepper off.

•••

Steve did his same routine the next day, wake up gym, shower, walk, coffee. But he certainly wasn't expecting to see tony at the counter when he walked in.

"Hey steve! How's it going?" Carla shouted from behind the counter, already preparing his coffee.

Steve smiled at him and took out how walket from his back pocket, "not too bad yourself?"

Tony interjected, "let me," and paid for his coffee with a hundred dollar bill.

"You didn't have to,"

"It's a dollar fifty steve, it's no problem," he said and he winked. Steve nodded a thank you and smiled as he returned his wallet to his back pocket.

"Okay but I'm getting the next one" steve replied and grabbed his coffee from the counter and headed over to his table alongside tony.

"I'm glad to hear that there'll be a next one" tony said and sat down. Steve smiled and butterflies arose in his stomach, a feeling he hadn't experienced in the longest time. "Can I ask you a question? You don't need to answer if you're not comfortable" tony asked
Steve nodded, "go ahead"

Tony sort of twiddled his thumb over his coffee mug "are you okay?" And steves stomach dropped, "I just noticed you seemed somewhat upset-"

Steve cut him off, "I'm okay", tony looked at him doubtfully, "I really am, just moved here and the adjustment has been a little hard but not horrible" this lie seems valid right?

Tony nodded and smiled slightly "yeah well New York is and always will be the most exciting place you'll live... I could show you around sometime?"
Steve smiled "that would be nice but I don't know if I'd have the time."

Tony scoffed, "really because from I can tell you spend all of your time here" they both laughed a bit and steve gave in.

"Okay, you got me, that would be really nice" they continued to talk for about a half an hour until this time steves phone went off.

'New mission. Intel on strys to be reviewed. On route for pick up.'

Steve seemed a bit confused on how to function the phone but eventually opened and closed the message. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this time I'm the ones who's gotta run" he stood up quickly and threw his jacket back on.

Tony barely had the chance to say goodbye before steve was out the door and hopping into an all black sports car with completely tinted windows. Tony frowned and watched as the car sped off and around the corner.

•••

Steve felt bad for leaving so abruptly, but when Duty calls. Natasha is the one who picked him up and began briefing him on what had been discovered. "They've resurfaced, last seen in Brooklyn. It seems like they're smuggling a whole that more than what we previously gathered. Guns, drugs, we don't know for sure but as soon as we get to base we're heading out".

He nodded and started reading the file she handed him.

'Murder... sex trafficking... robberies... smuggling... etc'

The list of horrors went on and for some reason, these guys haven't been caught. They've come close but these guys are slippery.

"So do you just spend your entire day at that coffee shop?" Natasha asked.

"So how many men are we expecting here" steve deflected the question.

"Around 30 but you know that. Cmon steve you have to get out there and try to get used to this"

Steve sighed, "I have tried... I'm here to do a job I'd like to just focus on that"

Natasha pouted and rapped the steering wheel, "meeting new friends wouldn't be the worst thing-"

"Natasha..." he growled and she gave him a side eye.

"Fine... Sharon from base is really nice-"

"Natasha!" He shouted and she stopped finally.

"Okay okay... she's okay with waiting anyways"

He rolled his eyes and hopped out of the car at the base before it even stopped moving.