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“Tony? Is that you?”
Tony turned his head, there had to be about a million Tonys in New York, but it never hurt to check. A dirty blonde man with a hell of a beard was standing in the ordering line of the cafe. He was wearing a slightly rumpled blue suit with the shirtsleeves rolled up, aviators and had a well used leather messenger bag slung over one shoulder.
The man’s smile grew, “Oh my god, Tony, it’s been years.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t-”
The man whipped off the sunglasses. Steve.
Steve. Motherfucking. Rogers. College beau and the one that didn’t just get away, but ran as fast as he could away from Tony. Steve “We’ll keep in touch” Rogers. The one who Tony still thought about on lonely nights, on nights when he paid someone new to warm his bed, on nights where the only warmth he felt was the burn of whatever he’d poured into a tumbler.
“Steve...Hi. Wow, you look--good.”
“Thanks, Tony. You too. Look good,” He stepped forward to the counter, giving his order to the barista and rolling a ten spot off that same stupid money clip Tony had gotten him as a graduation present. He’d recognize it anywhere. The red, white and blue shield looked worn, but even from across the room Tony could see the star in the center. Their own little joke about Steve reading so many superhero comics he was becoming one.
Steve joined him in line waiting for drinks, “God, it’s been years. I--”
“Yes, it has.” Tony knew his answer was curt, but goddamnit, Steve can’t just waltz right into Tony’s favorite cafe in the city and pretend like the past ten years didn’t happen. The times Tony called Steve’s old number, annoying that poor old woman that inherited the number. The unanswered emails. The years spent watching Steve rise in the architecture scene, even so far as Tony’s own team suggesting him for SI’s new tower.
Steve’s face fell, “I missed you.”
Tony scoffed a little. The barista called his name and he retrieved his cup and reached for the sugar packets, but Steve was there holding out four, the number he always took in his coffee.
“I really do miss you Tony, I’ve read every article they’ve written about you. I am so proud of how you’ve grown your dad’s company into green tech.”
Tony snatched the packets out of his hand, “Then why the silence, huh? I know you know my email, my number hasn’t changed all these years.”
“Well, I was following your wishes. Ty told me how you wanted to focus on SI, how I was a distraction. He said you wanted a clean break but--”
“Wait wait wait. Ty? Stone? Colossal asshole and who stalked me? That Ty?”
The barista kept calling names, one of them being Steve’s, and the eavesdroppers kept coming back to the counter for napkins and stirrers and pumps of syrup. Steve was like a stone in a river as they all moved around him waves, everybody watching and waiting to see how this played out.
“Tony, I… You didn’t want to break up?”
Tony set his coffee down so he could grab Steve’s hands. “No. I thought we were going to do it all together. That night? When you were fidgety and cagey at dinner? I thought I was going to find a ring in my champagne.”
“I’m so sorry Tony, I thought I was doing the right thing. What you wanted,” Steve whispered. His grip on Tony’s hands was firm and familiar. Hands that Tony had dreamt about feeling around his own, warm and encompassing. “He told me you were afraid of me. That you were scared of what I’d do if you tried to break it off. I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t think I’d ever done anything to make you think that, but…”
“But you’re a good man, and you’d rather crawl over the wire so someone else wouldn’t have to.” Tony reached up and wiped a tear from the corner of Steve’s face. It was so different with the beard, more mature, softer, not the same that broke Tony’s heart all those years ago. “I’ve missed you too, Steve.”
He gave a wet chuckle, “Well, I’m glad I can stop feeling like a monster that terrorized my boyfriend. I really wish I could punch Ty in the face though.”
“You and me both, handsome,” Tony replied. He felt his way across Steve’s left hand, his bare fingers. “Are you seeing anyone?”
“No, I’ve been single for a while now. Do you live in the city? Maybe we can do dinner?”
“I’d like that, can I have your new number? I recently moved back to New York, we’re starting construction soon, I want to be nearby.”
Steve dug out a scrap of paper and a pen, scribbling his number on it before handing it over.
Tony looked at the scrap in his hands. Instead of Steve’s name, he had scribbled a crude little Captain America shield, just like how he used to sign the notes he’d leave in their apartment. Tony rubbed his thumb across it and smiled.
Steve leaned close, “For old time’s sake.”
Tony breached the short distance between them, kissing Steve was like taking that first breath coming up for air under water. Like the rush of sweet oxygen and relief. Steve grabbed and held on, changing the angle of the kiss and opening Tony up like this was that first makeout session on that shitty couch in Steve’s dorm.
They parted to the cheers of the cafe, the baristas all clinging to each other and squealing.
Tony popped a final peck to Steve’s reddened lips, “For old time’s sake.”