An Exercise In Trust || Steve & Natasha
{Steve breathed deeply as he exited one of the many Starbucks in Manhattan, a coffee clutched in either hand. Although he’d not grown accustomed to everything this modern era had to offer, he’d discovered Starbucks fairly quickly, mostly due to his inability to work a coffee machine. He was dressed in work-out clothes, having gone for his usual morning run, a light sheen of sweat covering his skin. He’d been intending to head straight back to Stark Tower, but instead had diverted route, deciding to visit Natasha at the hotel she was staying at.}
{Although Tony had been making a valiant effort to encourage as many of the Avengers to move into the Tower as possible, he hadn't got round to speaking to Natasha yet. Steve knew that the spy preferred her own company but he still made an effort to see her regularly, feeling that it was important to maintain close bonds with his fellow team-mates. Also, Steve didn’t have a whole lot of friends since waking up from his deep freeze and the Avengers had become the closest thing to family that the soldier had.}
{He glanced down at his sweat soaked t-shirt and running pants, briefly wondering whether Natasha would mind but he dismissed the thought out-of-hand. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t all seen each other in far worse conditions. The hotel Natasha had chosen to stay in wasn’t far from Steve’s current location and he had memorised the route with ease, trying to keep a low profile as he headed off through the Manhattan streets. He’d contacted her earlier through the latest model Stark phone Tony had given him not long ago, letting her know he was on his way and asking her to meet him in the reception.}
{It didn’t take long for Steve to reach his destination, staring up at the building briefly before pushing through the revolving doors. The hotel was suitably upmarket, classy in a way that suited Natasha perfectly although not like the ridiculously over-priced establishments Tony stayed at sometimes. It was under-stated enough that Steve didn’t feel uncomfortable as he entered the lobby, grinning as he spotted his friend waiting for him.}
{Whilst they were in many ways polar opposites, Steve had found himself developing a close friendship with the woman before him. He appreciated her practical attitude, the fact that she didn’t try to continually ask him how he was coping, instead just accepting him graciously into the new world.}
❝Hey Tash.❞
{Steve pulled up to a stop in front of her. He looked eager to please, extending his hand to offer her one of the coffees he had been carrying. The super soldier had taken it upon himself to learn all of his team mate’s orders for when he pulled the short straw and was sent on the coffee run.}
❝Medium drip. No milk, no sugar?❞