Just Steve

T H I R T Y - T H R E E

"How did you find that place anyway?"

Steve shut the passenger side door of the convertible where (Y/n) was sitting comfortably, her legs tucked underneath herself. Walking around to the driver's seat he sat down beside her, shoving the keys in the ignition.

"It's one of Mr. Creston's houses, he said it was okay if I stayed there for awhile."

Steve's head turned towards her, taken aback by the familiarity of the name.

"As in Secretary of State, Duke Creston?"

"Yea he's a family friend." She shrugged casually.

(Y/n) and Steve were beginning their journey to the airplane hanger. Having been worried (Y/n) would leave Boston before he could get there, he had flown one of Tony's jets to minimize the travel time. After a long night and a lot of discussion he had finally convinced her to return to New York with him and now they sat side by side on their way to the hanger, one step closer to bringing her home and repairing the damage the contract had made. He kept stealing glances at her, reveling in the fact that after weeks and weeks of separation, she was really there with him. To put it as mildly as he possibly could, he was living on cloud nine, and even that felt like a massive understatement.

Steve turned around slightly in his seat, his arm resting on the back of (Y/n)'s chair while he reversed out of the drive way. Something in her phrasing had stirred something in him and he pondered why for a moment before he made the connection. 

"God I'm an idiot." He chucked, lightly.

"What? Why?" (Y/n) asked, curiously.

"You're Mom mentioned you guys knew him." Steve explained. "I could have looked into that, I could have found you weeks ago!"

(Y/n) stiffened slightly in her chair.

"You went to see my Mom?"

Steve hesitated for a moment, realizing that her Mom must never have told (Y/n) about the argument that had ensued when he came to her apartment. She didn't even know about the way she had cornered him at lunch the day they met. With everything going on he didn't want to add more stress to her return to New York but after the fiasco with the contract he would be an idiot to try and keep something this big from her. It may have been strange but the issues between Steve and (Y/n)'s mother felt like they should stay between the two of them. Her issues were with him not (Y/n), and he knew the only way to resolve whatever problems she would still have was to face her head on and find a way to gain her respect. (Y/n) talking him up wasn't going to fix this, it was up to him.

"I tracked your phone location to her house. I was going to go the day you left but wanted to give you some space to cool off. By the time I got there the next day you were already gone."

Feeling that leaving it there would be a little too reticent to not mention any of the hostility there he continued to add on begrudgingly, "She's uh- she's not very happy with me at the moment."

(Y/n) exhaled, looking out the window.

"I guess that's to be expected."

Steve kept his eyes on the road, occasionally looking over in her direction. She had grown quiet and was biting her lip. As much as she complained about her, and rightfully so, Steve knew that (Y/n)'s relationship with her mother was extremely important to her. He guessed that the thought of her mother being constantly disapproving of the man she was in a relationship with weighed heavily on her heart. At the thought that he had been and was maybe even still making her life more difficult, he flexed his back, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in the seat that was far too small for his large frame. His hands tensed on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white.