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“On your left,” says a familiar voice.
Steve turns, already smiling, to greet Sam. He looks great in his Air Force mess dress, and Steve tells him so.
“I hate this thing, man. I’d much rather be in some sweats, or my wings.”
Steve chuckles. “If you were, you could give both of us a lift out of here.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
They clink their glasses of champagne.
The ballroom of the Avengers Tower has an amazing view of lower Manhattan, and they stand admiring the twilight cityscape. Steve’s been away for a while - a long, long time really - but the city will always be special to him; will always be home at the end of the day.
“It’s got to be a pretty different view from what you’re used to,” Sam says, as if reading Steve’s thoughts.
“Parts of it.” He points to the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. “Those are familiar. I watched them being built. And I would cross those bridges to get home.”
He smiles at the lights blinking on the three bridges crossing the East River to Brooklyn.
“It’s got to feel weird, being back. I know for me, even after one tour, home didn’t quite feel like home anymore. And it’s been what, seventy years for you?”
“I’m not going to lie, that’s part of why I agreed to be based in DC. Less memories there; good or bad. Though I do like this New York. Remind me to take you to this great shawarma place sometime. Like I said, the food’s much better nowadays.”
“Are you boring people again, old-timer?” Tony Stark has materialized from out of the crowd.
Steve is sure the two men know each other, by name at least, but he introduces them.
“Steve, I think I’ve found you a dance partner; young, great bone structure, works in our Marketing Department, definitely not an undercover agent, and a superb dancer. Our Captain Rogers is a big one for dancing,” Tony says conspiratorially to Sam.
“You and Natasha need to stop trying to set me up with people.”
Tony throws his hands up in defeat. “What about you, Sam? Would you like a dance partner?”
“I think I’ll stay and keep the old-timer company.”
Tony rolls his eyes at the pair of them, and vanishes back into the sea of people more willing to indulge him.
“Thanks,” Steve says softly.
“I got your six, brother,” Sam says, patting him on the back. His hand lingers, the beginning of a caress, but he apparently thinks better of it.
“No one would care,” Steve says, glancing around the room. It’s a small party for a Stark affair, and it’s all people close to Tony or Pepper.
“I know. I just want to wait to rumple your tux until we get home,” Sam smirks.
Steve’s mouth twitches into a smile. “You know I have a full floor here, right?”
“Really?”
“Secured with my biometric signature,” Steve leers.
Sam laughs. “I don’t know how you managed to make that sound sexy.”
“It’s a gift,” Steve says, draining his glass of champagne.
“It’s a menace. You are surprisingly inappropriate for someone from the Forties.”
“I grew up in the Roaring Twenties though, and I was in the Army.”
Sam rolls his eyes. “Excuses, excuses. You’re just a dirty old man.”
“That sounds like Rogers alright.”
Natasha is stunning in a slinky dark red dress. She kisses both of them on the cheek, and then takes Sam’s arm. “Come on. We’re dancing.”
Steve watches Sam get dragged away, and goes to get another drink. He passes Pepper and Tony waltzing, and Pepper deftly swings him into a dance. Once they’ve moved away from Tony’s pout, she says, “So. You and Sam.”
It’s not a question; Steve is pretty confident that Pepper knows more than SHIELD at its height.
“Me and Sam,” he responds.
“When did that start?”
Steve thinks for a minute as Pepper steers them around the dancefloor. “Füssen.”
She nods as if her suspicions have been confirmed. “Have you had any luck over there?”
“Not really, but for now I’m not so much searching for him as letting him know I’m here, if he wants to be found.”
She squeezes his hand. “Tony and I are here if you need us, Steve. The full power of Stark Industries is at your disposal. You or Sam.” Her eyes twinkle. “And the biometric locks are online and functional.”
“Well then, I might have to go liberate Sam from a certain Russian. Thank you,” he adds earnestly.
“Good luck,” she says, kissing him on the cheek. “With everything.”
He finds Sam and Natasha by the bar, goading each other into taking shots. Sam has his game face on; the one he was wearing when he leaned into Steve’s space and tugged their hips together. Natasha is smiling, and Steve wonders briefly about the advisability of getting involved with a woman who goes by The Black Widow, but he trusts them, and Sam hasn’t steered him wrong yet.
“You heard our quarters are ready?” Natasha asks.
“I did indeed. Want to go check them out?”
“Why Captain. I’m appalled at you,” she says with mock surprise.
He gives them both what he thinks of as his Publicity Smile. Sam punches him.
“You boys play nice.”
“Are you not joining us?” Sam asks, disappointment plain on his face.
“I’ve got other plans tonight, gentleman. Maybe another time?”
She presses lipstick kisses to their cheeks and vanishes into the crowd. Sam smiles wistfully after her.
“Rein it in, Wilson,” Steve says, patting him on the shoulder.
Sam sighs. “Someday, man. Someday.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on. I think we’ve made enough of an appearance.”
Sam’s smile comes back full force. “Alright! Let’s do this. Your new digs had better have a nice view, Rogers.”
They move through the crowd, making their goodbyes. Steve makes a point to give Pepper a hug and Tony gives him one too.
“Don’t worry about noise,” he hisses, “All the rooms are soundproofed.”
Steve barely manages to keep a straight face. “I’m not sure what you’re implying, Tony,” he says. “I just want to show Sam the perks of being a super soldier.”
He claps Tony on the back, revelling in the expressions crossing his face, and slips an arm around Sam’s hips as they walk away. “Come on, let’s go test that soundproofing.”
“You’re a menace.”
“You love it.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do.”