Roommates

You talk a lot don't you

This late in the afternoon Jamie and Steve decided to walk instead of trying to catch a cab during rush hour. Cutting through the park they awkwardly walk in stilted silence unsure what to say to the one another. After almost five months of no communication you'd think they'd have plenty to catch up on, but that time only served to remind them of the why. Hands in the deep pockets of her peacoat Jamie braved a glance up at Steve only to see him doing the same to her. Chuckling at the absurdity of their situation she veered off the path to sit on a bench knowing he'd follow. Sure enough he sat next to her as she settled herself down but kept a fair bit of distance between them. Brushing her windswept hair out of her face she half turned to look at Steve directly. "So this is awkward."

Lightly laughing he nods rubbing his hands along the tops of his jean clad thighs. "A little bit, yeah." Looking into her eyes his half-hearted laugher faded away and after a brief moment of hesitation he held his hand out for hers. Smiling when she took it. "I'm glad you're here though. I've really missed you, Pip, more than you know."

"I've missed you too, Spangles." Staring down at their clasped hands she laced their fingers together savoring the warmth Steve's body gave her. "It's been really hard not talking or seeing you basically every day. I've missed my friend."

Scooting over he takes his hand back to wrap her in his arms when he feels her shiver. "I know, but I'm here and I promise I'm not going anywhere."

Closing her eyes Jamie snaked her arms around his middle as she rested her head on his broad chest. The familiar and comforting rhythm of his steady heartbeat calming her pounding anxiety back down to her baseline. Not to mention his body heat warming her up from the chill early spring breeze. She'd missed this. Missed him and how safe he made her feel. After losing everyone she'd ever cared about Steve had come into her life at a time when she'd really needed support and vice versa. They'd held each other up when their grief would suck them down into seemingly bottomless pits of despair. In her case, he'd literally saved her life when she had found herself at the bottom of that pit not long after the Snap and had wanted to end everything.

So for her to have completely cut him out had been one of the hardest decisions Jamie had ever made and had shocked all who knew how close they'd become. No one knew what had caused the friends to suddenly stop talking. To be honest Jamie didn't even know that he had come back from returning the stones until a few days after he was supposed to have left them. It was only after she'd gone to Tony and Pepper's for their weekly Sunday dinner with Peter, May and Matt that she found out. The evening had been going well. Emotional of course, but it was good. It was as they were sitting down to eat that Tony had brought up the subject of Steve in conversation; she'd been about to cut him off when what he'd said had caught her attention.

"He is refusing to talk to anyone." He is, not he was. As in he was currently here. Seeing that he'd piqued her interest Tony expanded on what he was talking about as he passed Matt the bowl of mashed potatoes. "He's depressed. I don't know what happened, but ever since the day before he took the stones back he's shut himself up in his apartment and it's only gotten worse since he came back. He's even refusing to talk to Barnes." When she didn't say anything he shared a pointed look with his wife as if to say 'see I knew she knows what's going on'. Shifting to grab the platter of ham he asked, "Jamie, do you think you could go talk to him? I know you're catching up with everyone, but he could really use you right now."

Jamie adamantly shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, but I can't do that." At her hardened expression and tone of voice Pepper and Tony paused as they set their respective dishes of food back on the table shocked at her outright refusal and the anger lacing her voice. The others looked from her back to the Stark's confused by what was happening. Refusing to talk about why not she had told them all to drop it or she would leave. Even though Tony and Peter had clearly wanted to know what happened, the older man had changed the subject having seen the stubborn set to her mouth. He knew better after five years to know when to not push her.