Just Steve

T H I R T Y - F O U R

"I still don't understand what I'm doing here."

Peter was standing in the middle of the living room, taking his hands out of his pockets to grab the glass of water Tony was handing to him.  

"I already told you. We're redecorating and Pepper wants your input."

"But I don't know anything about interior design?" He replied skeptically, taking a sip of the water before putting it down on the glass coffee table nearby. Tony sighed, grabbing a coaster and moving Peter's glass on top of it. 

"Really because I totally had you pegged for the chenille chaise lounge type."

"I don't even know what that is." Peter shrugged, not finding Tony's sarcasm as humorous as he used to. He had no idea why Tony had called him to the tower so suddenly but he was fairly certain that Tony had no interest in any of Peter's thoughts on a living room makeover. He glanced around the room for any sign of what Tony might be up to but came up empty, growing more and more anxious on the spot. Being here in the tower reminded him too much of someone he was currently doing everything in his power to forget. 

"Can I go now? I've got homework."

Just as Tony was about to respond the elevator to the left buzzed loudly, the light above blinking as the doors swung open. Peter's eyes widened in shock as he saw Steve exit the elevator, the girl he had been failing to push from his mind following closely behind. 

"(Y/n)?"

She stared back in equal shock making it abundantly clear to him that she had no idea he was going to be there either. 

"Surprise!" Tony said cheerfully, smiling back and forth between the two. Peter realized now that Tony must have known she was coming home today and that he had planned this as some attempt at repairing the damage that had already been done. 

"Hi Peter." (Y/n) said quietly. Peter stilled at the sound of her voice, taking in her appearance. None of this felt real. He could have sworn she was a figment of his imagination, some desperate grasp at holding onto something he had already lost weeks ago.

He took a step forward before stopping in his tracks as his mind raced to catch up with his feelings. Steve stood next to her, holding a suitcase in one and a duffel bag in the other. She was moving back in? Just like that? 

They looked relaxed, standing close together and far too at ease for all of the issues between them to be anything but afterthoughts. It was almost as if nothing had changed. Everything but her. She looked different, older somehow, more collected and sure of herself, and not to mention very, very pregnant. 

An awkward silence ran through the group as the four of them stood there. The tension was eventually broken by Steve who carefully took the bag (Y/n) had been carrying, kissing her on the cheek then heading  in Tony's direction. 

"Why don't we give them a moment to catch up." He said, pushing the duffel bag into Tony's arms.

"But I thought..." Tony trailed off, looked back and forth expectantly between the two best friends, the bag hanging limply in his arms.  Peter had guessed he was waiting for some sort of grand epic reunion. Two old friends running to greet each other in excitement after years of separation. Only that wasn't what this was. Peter and (Y/n) weren't old friends and the large piles of unsettled issues and problems sitting in-between where they stood stopped him from meeting her in the middle. Only that wasn't right either because his issues weren't unsettled. He had already made up his mind and he wasn't going to let her unexpected return waiver his resolve.