Chapter Text
Steve really didn’t know what to expect on moving day, but this certainly wasn’t it. Sure, he thought there would be a little hustle and bustle, the general moving day woes of careless movers with too-heavy boxes, not knowing where to put things, tracking snow and dirt through his new home and maybe breaking a lamp or an end table. But not this, not this lack of production and exceptional lack of chaos. It was sort of nice, though?
“We’re all finished here, Mr. Rogers.”
“Ah, that’s great. You guys’ve been a huge help,” He huffed, rubbing at the back of his neck.
“That’s what we’re here for, but we’ll get outta’ your hair and be on our way. I heard a report on the radio about an hour ago, something about a storm system moving through? Figured I’d warn you, make sure you head into town for anything you might need, groceries and the like.”
“Oh-“ Steve glanced down at his watch and blew out a breath. It was already 4 o-clock. “Thanks, yeah I have no groceries and I’d better get a move on. I’ll check in with the weather report on the road. You guys gonna’ be okay to get going so quickly?”
“Oh sure,” He waved it off, nice guy. Brad, he’d introduced himself as. “We’re not stayin’ in town though, so we’re gonna’ head out.”
“Of course, thank you again. You’ve already got your cheque, right?”
Brad hummed user his breath, bobbing his head. “Mr. Stark’s already taken care of everything, don’t worry.”
“Great-“ Steve sighed, beyond relieved. He’d have to call and talk to his friend again before the day was out, let him know how everything went. “Thanks again and have a safe drive, yeah?”
“Sure thing! Take care!” He called, already heading back to the truck where Steve could see a few of the moving crew chatting.
He waved at them and nodded and a few of the guys called out their goodbye’s. Steve watched them from the bottom of the stone steps for a moment as they piled into the truck together and eventually took off down the drive.
Steve exhaled deeply and scratched at the top of his head, looking around and feeling a little at a loss. “Well then,” He sighed, hands drifting to his hips as he glanced over at his SUV. “Guess I need to go shopping.”
He went and locked up the house, barely having even looked around the place. He’d seen lots of photos, even done a virtual walkthrough with his agent and today he’d done a quick walk around to make sure everything was in order but that had been about it. He’d take a closer look later. Right now he needed to make the trip into town to pick up some food or he was going to be very hungry soon. Come to think of it, he was hungry now.
He grimaced and unlocked his car, huffing as he pulled himself up into the SUV. He fished his phone awkwardly out of his jeans pocket and looked up quick directions to the nearest grocery store. He knew the small town not twenty-minutes away was basically it unless you wanted to make the hour long trek into one of the bigger cities nearby. Not that there was much nearby.
It was sort of the appeal for him, not gonna’ lie. He pulled his sunglasses out of the centre console and slipped them on before pushing on the button to start the vehicle. Pulling down the drive was easy enough, even if it was rather steep. He knew it’d be a bit of a bitch to shovel or snow blow on his own, but that’s what the company Tony had hired was for. A snowplow was going to be much faster.
He flicked on the radio and glanced down at his cellphone as it pinged to alert him of an upcoming turn. It was honestly far too simple to get into town. Two roads and his was…well, it was a bit windy but at least it was paved, and plowed. The main road was too and he’d been assured that it would be well maintained in the winter so he shouldn’t have to worry.
Unfortunately, Steve was a worrier.
He hummed as he listened to the radio announcer and yeah, okay, that wasn’t good. There was a terrible storm front moving in and it was bound to wreak some havoc on the roads. The last thing he needed was to be trapped in his new home without food or worse, running water and heat. At least he had the utilities covered, well, Tony had it covered. He exhaled deeply and pulled onto the main road that’d take him into town.
It wasn’t as windy but it was definitely more than a bit precarious. The road was carved into the mountainside and yeah it was well maintained but it was still intimidating, looking up the length of the towering mountain to his right and then just-nothing-off to his immediate left. The guard rail was thick and looked sturdy, so he could only hope it was true.
The tunnel on the other hand…he hadn’t exactly enjoyed driving through it on his way up here, but at least it wasn’t all that long and it had been lit. So that was a plus. He tuned back in to the radio announcer for a distraction as he approached the tunnel and exhaled slowly as he drove into the darkened space.
“This is not a storm you wanna’ be caught in ladies and gents. First one of the season and it’s gonna’ be a doozy. Make sure you’ve got enough in your pantry, extra water and gas and the like and get home, hunker down spend time with your family. I’ll be here to weather it out with you so keep the radio on and bundle up. Here’s a song to warm you up-“
Steve had to laugh, because The Pina Colada Song? Really? He shook his head with an amused laugh and was soon singing along despite himself. He was already out of the tunnel and he hadn’t even realized.
.
Town was, well, it was something all right. But to be fair, his agent had warned him. Coming from New York to uh, this was going to be a change, he knew that. Wanted that. He thought he was ready for it too.
“Guess we’ll see,” He sighed, pulling in to the towns only grocery store.
It was a nice town though. Quiet and peaceful. He could see a few people out and about, wandering the street, the only main street. There were several quaint shop fronts, little boutiques and even a cafe that he could see. He paused as he stepped out of his Range Rover when he caught sight of a hanging sign that simply said, Books.
“If there’s time,” He murmured, a soft smile pulling at his lips as he shut the door behind him and headed for the supermarket.
There had only been a half dozen cars in the lot but there was easily a dozen or more people in the store, most of which were employees, he soon realized. It wasn’t a big store by any means, but it looked to be well stocked, even with the coming storm. He hummed softly to himself as he grabbed a cart and startled not a second later when a voice called out to him.
“Hi there!”
He abruptly turned to look and found a young woman positively beaming at him. “Uh, hello.”
“You must be new in town,” She laughed, leaning against the counter of the register she was attending.
“You could tell, huh?” He laughed and she grinned at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Well, to be fair I’ve lived here my whole life so I can pretty much tell when someone doesn’t belong,” She chuckled and Steve’s smile fell.
She seemed to pause as his expression shifted and she quickly dropped her arms. “I didn’t mean it like that!” She rushed to assure him, hands extended towards him in an almost pleading manner.
“I-it’s okay,” He shrugged and looked away for a moment. “I am new in town though, bought the place up-“
“On Highpoint, yeah,” She finished and he nodded. “Nice place, used to just be a vacation home. But I hear you’re in it for the long haul.”
Steve cleared his throat slightly and nodded. “That’s the plan.”
She grinned at him. “Sounds good, hey, I’ve gotta’ get back to work but let me know if you need help with anything. I’m Susan, by the way and Rhonda-my manager-she’s around and so is Kyle, one of the stock boys if you can’t find something. But yeah, welcome to Yera.”
“Thanks, Susan. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Steve,” He offered and she grinned at him and winked.
“Oh, I know, Mr. Rogers.”
He blinked, surprised but uh…why he was surprised he didn’t exactly know. It was a small town after all. He chuckled and shook his head. “Small town?”
“Small town,” She mirrored and Steve could only smile and shake his head. At least she didn’t seem to be all starstruck so maybe they didn’t know who he was after all.
“See you around, Steve,” She called and he hummed and nodded, heading down an aisle.
.
He busied himself with picking up various items. An initial grocery shop wasn’t going to be cheap but, well, he’d be fine, more than. He stocked up his cart and it was honestly overflowing. He grimaced a bit, thinking back to Susan. He sort of felt bad she was going to have to help him bag everything.
“Hey-“
His thoughts were interrupted by a young man’s voice and he turned to find a kid, no older than fifteen, surely, smiling at him and pushing an empty cart. “Uh, hi there. You must be Kyle.”
“That’s me!” He offered, grinning widely. “I thought I’d come help you out. Looks like you’re stocking up to feed an army.”
Steve laughed softly and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Well, I’m sort of starting from scratch and I heard there’s a storm coming through soon.”
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be pretty nasty. You can see it already coming down off the mountain,” He agreed and Steve exhaled shakily and nodded. “Heard you’re the new guy in town, Mr. Rogers, it’s nice to meet you.”
“That’s me, it’s nice to meet you too, kid.”
Kyle grinned at him and motioned to his cart. “How about I take that up to the front, start getting it rung through for you while you grab anything else you might be missin’?”
“That sounds great, kid. Thanks for your help,” He sighed and Kyle just breamed at him and passed him the empty cart.
“No problem! I’ll see you up at the front.”
Steve watched him go, pushing the loaded cart and shook his head. People were nice here, at least. At least the people he’d met so far. “Definitely different from New York,” He mused, already turning to finish his shopping.
.
Kyle was kind enough to help him load up his car and point him in the direction of a few of the places in town. There were a couple of clothing stores, a general store, an animal shelter and he was pleased to learn that there was indeed a bookshop and apparently the cafe next door to it made some pretty amazing cakes and treats so that was definitely going to be one of his next stops.
“Any idea what time this storm is gonna’ blow in?” He asked, closing up the trunk and glancing over at Kyle who was gazing up at the mountains behind them.
They were beautiful, Steve mused, shielding his eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun as he looked up at the snowy mountainside. There was still lots of greenery visible, big pine trees and evergreens were littered all over the rock face. He exhaled deeply and breathed in even deeper, enjoying the crispness of the mountain air.
“Probably hit by 8,” Kyle huffed. “At least, that’s what Martin keeps rambling about.”
“Martin?”
Kyle nodded, turning his attention back to Steve. “You know the one radio station you get out here?”
Steve had to laugh, because yes, he did. They’d all just about turned to static when he’d gotten into the valley with the moving truck puttering along behind him. “That’s Martin?”
“That’s him,” Kyle chuckled. “He lives up on that hill there-“
He pointed to a small hillside set back a ways behind the shops and sure enough, Steve could see a house up on the hill top with a large tower fenced in around it.
“Does the broadcast right outta’ his home,” Kyle yawned and apologized. “Sorry, I’d better get back inside. Shift’s almost over and I gotta’ finish stocking the water.”
“That’s alright, thanks again for all your help. Here-“ Steve pulled out his wallet along with a couple’a twenties. “One for you and you see that Susan gets the other, yeah?”
Kyle blinked at him slowly, gaze flickering between the cash and Steve’s eyes. “You don’t have to do that, Mr. Rogers. I’m happy to help.”
Steve smiled and nodded, taking a step and pressing the bills lightly into the kid’s hand. “I know and I appreciate it. Just make sure Susan gets hers, all right?”
Kyle’s smile was timid but he nodded. “Of course, she’ll be real happy. If you ever need anythin-“
“I know where to find you,” Steve chuckled, winking at him and he grinned.
“I’ll be here!” He called, fingers already curling around the bills as he turned to leave.
Steve watched him go and pulled his hat down a bit as a gust of wind threatened to steal it from him. He sighed and made sure the car was locked up. He’d just run over to the bookshop and cafe. He had extra gas for the backup generator in the garage already so he didn’t need to stop at the station. This would be his last stop and then he’d head home, beat the storm.
It was just on 4:30 now and he sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets as he made his way up the street.
There were a few people chatting outside here and there, a couple of cars on the road but overall it was rather quiet. He waved to a couple of elderly ladies as they watched him cross the street and they waved cheerfully back before turning and ducking their heads close to one another.
He hid his grin in the collar of his coat. Small towns were terrible gossip pits, at least, according to Tony. He could only laugh. The whole town probably already knew who he was and had something to say about it.
“Oh well,” He sighed, kicking off the bit of snow that had gathered on his boots, already pulling open the book store’s door. Maybe they didn’t know exactly who he was or at the very least, wouldn’t care?
The bell above his head was so adorable that he found himself smiling as he closed the door behind him and took a look around. “Oh wow,” He blurted, startled.
The book shop had looked so unassuming from the outside but inside? It was huge and every single bit of space was taken up by books. Go figure. He almost laughed at himself but seriously, the walls were lined with filled bookshelves and there were actual stacks of books just…there on the floor, wherever there was space really and despite the size of the shop, it seemed like there simply wasn’t enough room for them all.
The aisles were much narrower because of all the random stacks of books but he thought it was the most magical place he’d ever stepped foot into. He shook his head, bewildered.
“I hope that was a good wow?”
Steve startled slightly and looked over to find the source of the voice. A young man, definitely much younger than himself. “It was a good wow,” He agreed, hoping he didn’t sound as dumbstruck as he felt, ugh he probably looked like a complete idiot.
“Well, that’s good,” The man laughed and Steve’s gaze flickered over his features, softened with a thin layer of fat that made Steve want to pinch that little bit of pudge beneath his softened jaw.
He was beautiful. Was what Steve was trying to say.
“I’m Steve,” He managed belatedly and the man smiled at him warmly.
“Nice to meet you, Steve. I’m James. I’d heard the town was getting a new resident.”
Steve huffed and took a few steps towards James, watching the younger man shift on his stool behind the counter. “I guess news around here travels pretty quickly.”
James laughed and it was wry and sweet and Steve found himself smiling even brighter at the sound. “You have no idea,” James snickered, leaning his elbows on the counter between them. “I moved in about 8 months ago now and yeah, didn’t take long to find out who the town gossips were. Look out for Wendy and Chris, oh, Susan too-“
Steve laughed. “I just met a Susan, over at the grocery store?”
James groaned. “Look out for her, I’m tellin’ya.”
Steve grinned and shook his head. “So you’re fairly new to town, then?”
“Yeah,” He sighed, shrugging lightly. “Moved up here to get away from it all, y’know?”
Steve nodded, gaze softening. “Yeah, I’m from New York myself, just needed to put some space between it all.”
James hummed and nodded. “I know the feeling.”
Steve got the impression that he truly did.
“So what can I do for you today?” He asked, sitting back up and sliding off his stool.
“Oh, well I haven’t exactly got anything specific in mind,” He admitted, rubbing lightly at the back of his neck. “I just wanted to check the place out. I do my fair share of reading and I’m not exactly a fan of reading off a tablet. I like the feel of a book in my hand-“
“Don’t have to tell me,” James laughed, having come out from behind the counter. “I love books.”
Steve smiled, shaking his head. “Couldn’t tell.”
James scrunched up his nose adorably and Steve really had to stop staring. “Alright,” He started, interrupting Steve’s thoughts. “Well, what kinds of books do you enjoy?”
“Mystery, actually,” He cleared his throat a bit and shrugged, following James as he started towards one of the aisles. “But I do like art history too, it’s what I majored in.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, I draw and paint when the mood strikes me.”
James made a curious sound. “If you ever need paints or supplies, I’ve got a good contact. I actually sell a lot of pencil sets and the like to a few in town. Couple of aspiring artists up the drive, Sam and Amy.”
“Oh, that’s great to know. I know I’ve got plenty of stuff packed but when I start to run low-“
“You know where to go,” James winked and Steve huffed a soft laugh and nodded.
“I know where to go,” He agreed.
.
James helped him pick out a couple of books and after he’d paid for them, he happened to mention that he was heading over to the cafe.
“Oh, you’ll love the cakes there, honestly-“ He laughed and Steve grinned.
“That’s what I’ve been told,” He chuckled and at the door, he realized that James was in the process of flipping the open sign to closed.
Of course then he caught sight of the hours that were posted. “Shit, I’m sorry. You closed like a half an hour ago.”
James shrugged, the tiny crows feet at his eyes crinkling. “Don’t worry about it. I was just doing a bit of paperwork and it’s not like I have far to go.”
Steve blinked and the brunet pointed up. “I live upstairs.”
Steve nodded, smiling softly to himself as he stepped outside. “That’d be dangerous.”
“Oh? Why’s that?” James asked him curiously.
“You live right next door to the cafe, if I lived here, I’d be here every morning and probably every afternoon,” Steve confessed with a grin.
James laughed and-and was he blushing?
“I…maybe visit a couple times a day,” He admitted and Steve watched as he wrapped his arm lightly around his middle in such a shy gesture.
Steve could only beam at him. “So I guess you know which cakes are the best?”
James huffed in amusement and nodded, leaning lightly against the half open door now, Steve already out on the sidewalk. “The lemon meringue pie is to die for.”
Steve laughed and shook his head and James’ smile only grew. “That’s not a cake!”
James flushed and shrugged. “It’s still to die for. If you like chocolate though, I suggest the white chocolate cheesecake.”
“Oh yeah?” Steve teased. “Sweet?”
“Definitely,” James chuckled and Steve couldn’t help the flush rising to his cheeks. He hoped he could pass it off as the cold affecting him.
“It was nice talking to you, James,” He called softly, holding up the books. “And thanks for the books. I’ll see you around.”
“You too, Steve,” He called back, nodding as he then turned and headed for the cafe.
.
Steve had barely stepped inside the cafe, smelling of cinnamon and cocoa, nutmeg and just sugar before he was being spoken to by an elderly woman. “Well, hello there, dearie.”
Steve looked up and smiled at the woman behind the counter. “H-hi there. I’ve been told you make some excellent cakes.”
She laughed and gestured to a couple of the display cases. “That’s what I’ve been told.”
Steve chuckled softly and joined her up at the counter. The shop was empty and quite small, but it seemed that the kitchen was to blame for that. It must have taken up over half the shop. “I’m Steve,” He greeted properly, offering her his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Steve. You’ll be the fellow that just bought the Highpoint house, then?”
“That would be me, yes,” He agreed and resisted the urge to shake his head. No secrets in this town.
“Wonderful, that house has needed a proper owner for many years now,” She sighed. “Oh, I’m Margaret, by the way.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Margaret.”
She hummed and looked over her shoulder. “My husband, Bill is around here someplace, I’m sure he’ll be happy to say hello when he sees you.”
“I’ll be happy to say hello as well,” He agreed. “Do you have any recommendations? I’ve been told the lemon meringue pie is to die for and something about a white chocolate cheesecake?”
Margaret laughed and Steve’s smile grew at the carefree sound of her voice. “You’ve been to see, James, I see?” She queried, gesturing to the books in his arms.
He chuckled softly and nodded. “You caught me.”
“Sweet boy that James,” She sighed and it was under her breath, quiet and he wasn’t sure he was meant to hear it. Regardless, it did make him smile because yeah, James had been sweet.
“He does enjoy both and the consensus around town is that the cheesecake is the favourite,” She chuckled and Steve smiled, looking into the display case and seeing all of the lovely baked goods.
“Well, then I think I’d like to try a slice of each?”
Margaret nodded, pleased as punch it would seem as she busied herself getting a box together for him. “Excellent, what else can I get for you? Something for the wife?”
“Oh, I’m not married. No partner,” He explained and immediately could have kicked himself.
Not only did he realize that had been a blatant trap to see if he was single, he’d also inadvertently exposed himself as being gay. Shit. Not that he was ashamed of it, he just didn’t know much if anything about this woman and damn it-
“Oh, not to worry, Steve,” She consoled, closing the box and putting a sticker on it to keep it closed. “Your secret is safe with me,” She chuckled and Steve really did want the ground to swallow him whole. Because she’d obviously read him like an open book.
Perfect.
Because he somehow very much doubted anything he’d said to this woman would be kept secret for long. Oh well.
“No secret,” He somewhat recovered, shrugging lightly. “Just haven’t found the right person.”
She hummed and shifted to the register and Steve paused, looking down at the last slice of lemon meringue pie.
“Of course, dearie. Is there anything else you’d like? We also sell coffee and tea,” She offered and he shook his head, gaze still snagged on the pie.
“N-no thank you,” He managed, thinking back to the housewarming gift from Tony sitting on the kitchen counter. “I was wondering though…”
“Hmm?”
“Could-would you-“ He huffed, turning his attention back to her. “Would you be able to drop off the last slice of pie to James for me? He was very helpful and I thought it would be a nice gesture.”
She blinked at him and though her smile was slow to spread, it wasn’t any less genuine. “I’ll make sure he gets it. But wouldn’t you rather bring it to him?”
“Oh no, I-I don’t know him well and I just-I thought it would be better coming from someone he knows,” He shrugged, aware that he was blushing lightly but there was nothing for it.
“Alright, I’ll take it to him myself, I’m sure he’s gone up to his apartment now anyway.”
“Thanks,” He breathed, clearing his throat slightly. “What do I owe you?”
She rang up the two pieces of pie and the cake for him and when it came time to leave, he slipped an extra twenty into the tip jar on the counter without her noticing. He’d headed out, her promise to deliver the pie to James shortly fresh in his mind. He’d barely stepped outside and nearly bumped into the aforementioned Bill.
A sweet older gentleman, the town handyman of sorts which was good to know. They shared quick introductions and Bill left him a phone number in case he ever needed any help with the place. He quickly learned that the man’s son Eckart would be the one that did the snowplowing for him, along with Wendy and Chris’ daughter Maddie.
It was all helpful information, of course it was, but Steve would be hard pressed to remember everyone’s names and he hadn’t even met half the people he’d heard about. He huffed at the thought as he slipped into his Range Rover and swiped his sunglasses. Geeze, the glare against the snow really was something.
He hummed softly as he turned up the radio and headed for home. Home. He let out a deep sigh, his hands flexing against the steering wheel. It would be a home soon. “It will,” He murmured.
He needed that much.
He was coming up to the tunnel and he grimaced slightly at the mere sight of it. He was going to have to get used to it eventually. He rolled his eyes at himself and took a deep breath.
It really wasn’t that bad. Even if he grimaced and maybe drove a bit faster than he perhaps should have.
He turned the radio down after listening to Martin deliver the weather report. The storm was going to last days? “Shit,” He muttered and shook his head.
He knew that might be a possibility, still didn’t mean it didn’t make him nervous. He frowned when he caught sight of a black SUV turn onto the main road from the South. It hadn’t come from his street, no other properties down his way, but he’d heard there was a motel down a ways on the mountain, only about fifteen-minutes away or so and wondered if that’s where they were coming from.
Whoever it was, they were doing about double the speed limit and not exactly sticking to their lane. He slowed down, making sure to give whoever it was a bit more room. They could be a drunk driver for all he knew. He watched as the vehicle approached and the driver obviously realized he’d been straddling the line and quickly pulled back into his lane.
Steve couldn’t help the frown as they drove by, though. There were two people that he could see, both male and they were absolutely sneering at him. He looked away and rolled his eyes as they passed. He was not one for road rage and they both looked like trouble, so he kept his gaze straight as he carried on. They were well out of sight as he turned onto his street.
Within ten-minutes he was pulling into the drive and-and there was another car here?
“What the-“
He’d barely put the car in park before the doors were opening and out popped Tony. “Tony!” He shouted in surprise, equally as surprised when Peter stumbled out of the car with an enormous grin on his face. “Peter!”
“Steve!” Peter shouted, delighted to see him, clearly.
“What on earth are you two doing all the way up here?” He laughed, bending and scooping the kid up when he virtually launched his little body at him.
“We thought we’d come make sure you were getting settled in alright,” Tony admitted and Steve smiled, his heart absolutely swelling with warmth.
“We wanted to see your new house! It’s so big!” Peter squealed and Steve grinned.
“I’m so happy to see you guys, really. This is a wonderful surprise,” He confessed and Tony blessedly ignored the welling of tears he could see in his friend’s eyes.
“I’m glad and-“
“We have another surprise for you!” Peter screeched and both men winced and looked around.
Avalanches were an actual worry out here. “How about we don’t scream bloody murder, sweetheart and calmly tell Steve about his surprise. Or better yet-“ Tony chuckled. “Why don’t you go get it for him?”
Within seconds Peter was squirming like an eel in his arms and Steve laughed as he quickly set the boy down. “You’ve already done so much for me, Tony,” He sighed and breathed out roughly when the man came in for a hug that was just on the side of fierce.
“And you’ve done just as much for me, pal,” He murmured, squeezing Steve.
Steve squeezed him right back and by the time they parted, Peter was yelling for Steve to, “Come see, Steve! Come see!”
Steve heard Tony huff and he couldn’t help his smile as they headed over to see him. “We’re coming, buddy,” Steve chuckled and Peter grinned and squealed again and it only made both men grin all the wider.
He was always such a happy kid. It was really refreshing. Steve loved spending time with him.
“Well, go on!” Tony laughed. “Hang on tight though, remember?”
Peter beamed and nodded, standing up on the seat in the car with the door barely ajar, little head poking out the top and Steve could only watch in surprise as he pushed open the door further and hopped down with-with a-
“A puppy?” Steve said, voice faint and he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to hide his tears in a minute.
“She’s for you!”
Steve dropped down onto his knee, heedless of the slush and snow on the drive as Peter and the puppy ran the few feet to him. “Oh wow-“ Steve breathed, absolutely beside himself as the little spaniel it looked like, jumped at him as he held out his hands.
“Her name’s Lily,” Tony chuckled, watching the pair, Peter still holding onto the leash tightly while Steve pet her. “Picked her up from the shelter near our home. She’s only six months, real young. But I’ve been on a wait list for a pup and when she came in…” He shrugged and Steve looked up at him.
“Thank you, Tony. Seriously, I-you knew how much I-“
“Steve-“ He interrupted quietly. “Just-“ He breathed out roughly through his nose. “Say thank you for the dog and be done with it. You know I don’t do-“ He waved his hand and Steve only smiled brighter, fingers digging lightly under the pup’s floppy ears to give her a good scratch.
Peter had his arms around the puppy’s belly and was in danger of falling into Steve if he didn’t scoop them both up. So, he did.
Peter laughed as he was settled on Steve’s hip, he easily lifting the puppy up in his other arm and cradling her to his chest. “Thank you both very much, but I hope you’ve brought puppy food because I-“
“We have toys and food,” Peter assured him and he could only grin.
“That’s great, oh, you’re planning on staying, right? There’s a really bad storm coming through soon and they’re even saying it could go on for a few days. I haven’t got anything set up yet but-” Steve worried but Tony quickly nodded, a furrow between his brows.
“It’s okay, Steve. Yeah, we were hoping to stay with you and we brought sleeping bags so you don’t even have to worry about us, but I know there’s that motel down the road-“
“No, no, please stay. I’d love it if you did. I’ve got extra beds, they’re just not set up yet, I’m sure we can put together at least one bed for you two and I just went grocery shopping so we’re fully stocked,” Steve offered, glancing up at the house and back down to the pup in his arms, Peter’s little hands buried in her fur.
“That sounds great, Steve and I’d love to help you get settled in, help with the groceries, unpack,” Tony offered and Steve was so, so grateful for this man.
He let out a sigh that was far too shaky as he nodded. “I’d really like that,” He breathed and relaxed under the weight of his friend’s hand on his shoulder. “Let’s head in, I’ll get Peter and Lily settled in the living room and we can grab the groceries and your bags.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Tony agreed and Steve let out a heavy exhale.
.
They spent the next hour getting the groceries carried in and put away, Tony and Peter’s bags and things brought in as well. They’d brought along a cute dog bed for Lily and even a crate that didn’t even look like a crate, more like a dog castle fit for a princess with pink cushions and everything. Steve had to laugh at the extravagance.
He’d absolutely beamed when he found out that Peter had picked it out for her, along with the pink leather and silver collar and all the squishy soft toys. At least only a couple of them squeaked.
They’d thrown a couple of pizzas in the oven while they’d organized things and after all the groceries were put away, they sat down to eat it. Peter had kept himself busy in the living room by the fireplace colouring while Lily laid down on her cushion and watched, tiny tail wagging happily. She really was adorable.
Steve sighed as he leaned back against the sofa cushions, exhausted after the day he’d had, clearly and Tony huffed in amusement and stood up, collecting their makeshift paper towel plates.
“I’ll get that-“ Steve tried to protest but Tony just rolled his eyes and snickered.
“Never mind, Steve. You look exhausted. I can’t imagine the drive was all that fun.”
Steve huffed softly and nodded. Because yeah, it definitely wasn’t. He’d had to get up at 4 in the morning just to meet the moving truck.
“I gotta unpack stuff,” He sighed. “I have a duffel bag of a few essentials, but that’s about it.”
“We’ll get there, Steve, don’t worry,” Tony reassured. “I’m going to start in on your kitchen boxes shortly if you’re feeling up to it. I’d like to get Peter changed though first.”
Steve murmured his agreement and stood, his knees protesting the movement terribly. “One of the rooms already has a bed frame ready to go and the movers put the mattress in with a couple of boxes of sheets and blankets I gave them. Why don’t I go get that started?”
“Sounds good,” Tony agreed and Steve smiled, glancing over at Peter who was still colouring away, even if his eyes looked a little droopy.
It was just after 7 but somehow he was pretty sure the kid would be passed out by 8, easy.
Steve busied himself in the spare room. He had two of them, what for, he had no clue. He had to laugh at himself as he went to adjust the bed frame. It had been his idea to look for a place. He needed peace and quiet, so damn tired nowadays and he knew this was going to be the place to get it.
Tony had helped with everything, of course he had. They’d known each other for several years now and after he’d lost his wife, Tony had struggled being a single father to Peter. Steve had done whatever he could whenever he could to help and they’d never lost touch. He loved that kid. Loved Tony too.
He sighed and opened up one of the boxes he knew would be filled with sheets, spare blankets and pillows and started to dig for some of the warmer flannels.
He hadn’t wanted a big home for himself, not really. This was a bit bigger than he’d intended, but the price was reasonable and Tony had insisted he buy it and honestly? Steve would have been kicking himself if he hadn’t.
Two guest bedrooms, a master with an ensuite. There was even a guest bathroom between the two rooms with its own shower and bathtub. There was an office off the living room downstairs that he planned to set up for his painting, an enormous kitchen and dining area and the coziest living room he’d ever seen. Complete with a fully functioning fireplace.
He hummed at the idea of getting a fire going. His realtor had given him lots of info about the place and that included the stockpile of firewood out back in the wood shed and the backup generator.
They’d put the cars in the garage out front, not attached to the home, sadly, but he really didn’t mind. The view out back, it’d taken his breath away earlier. The living room had floor to ceiling windows facing the back of the house, the snow covered mountains and its beautiful trees. There was a pond near the house too that he could see. About a hundred yards out. Small but sweet and he’d been told in the spring that he’d see all kinds of wildlife in the area.
He sighed, just picturing it. He couldn’t wait to paint here.
There was also a gorgeous wrap around porch that went all the way around the home, something he hadn’t seen on a home in such a long time.
The house wasn’t giant but it was certainly too big for just him. Tony had said he needed the extra space so that they had their own rooms when they came for a visit but Steve knew better than that. He wanted Steve to meet someone, settle down, start a family.
He exhaled shakily and fluffed up a couple of pillows before putting the box aside to bring in to his room later. When he joined the boys back downstairs, Tony had already started to unpack some of the boxes in the kitchen.
“Hey, pal,” Steve called to Peter, the boys head jerking up with a smile to look at him. “How about we take Lily out for a quick pee and then get you into some pyjamas?”
“Okay!” He squeaked and both men chuckled quietly at his enthusiasm.
Peter ran to put his coat and boots on, Lily following excitedly at his heels. Steve dressed as well and made sure to clip Lily’s leash on properly before handing it over to Peter with a gentle reminder to keep a tight hold. Tony had assured him that they’d taken her for several walks the last few days and she’d been very good with Peter, so that was reassuring at least.
“I’m going to bring in some firewood, fill up the crate there. Think if I pass it off to you, you’ll be alright?”
“Sure, I’ll grab my gloves and meet you here at the door,” Tony agreed and Steve hummed and nodded. Getting a fire going sounded like such a good idea.
They took a few minutes to walk around out front with Lily making sure she went pee and to see if she needed to do anything else. She seemed happy enough just trotting around so he called for Peter to follow him around the side of the house to the woodshed.
Peter offered to carry a couple pieces of kindling while he grabbed the small wooden sled already loaded with medium sized logs which he thought was rather clever.
They made it back to the house and after a few minutes of back and forth, they had enough wood inside to last them more than just the night. He listened as Tony took Peter up to his room with their bags and shut the door to go put the sled away.
It didn’t take long and though he was huffing and puffing a bit, the exercise was almost a relief out in the cool air and boy was it ever cold. He shivered a bit and shook it off, smiling as he tucked his chin down further into his jacket collar. He flicked off the wood shed light and stood in the dark for a moment.
He’d turned on the porch lights on his way out so it wasn’t entirely dark, but even fifteen feet from the house he could still look up into the night sky and take in the millions of tiny stars. The moon was nothing but a sliver of a thing and he smiled, thinking back to the slices of pie and cake he had inside. He hummed softly and wondered if he should share it with the boys.
“Probably,” His conscience chirped and Steve could only laugh, fixing his hat and heading back up the front steps.
.
Steve finished unloading the couple of boxes of plates and mugs and things, a few dry goods too and by the time he’d finished, Peter and Tony were back in the living room, Peter lying on the couch with Lily in his arms.
Steve had to raise an eyebrow at that and when Tony merely grinned and put his hands up, Steve could only huff. He’d allow it, he supposed.
“Want me to get a fire going?” Tony asked and Steve nodded.
“Feel free or I can do it. I’ve got some hot chocolate I can go put together if you like?”
“Hot chocolate?” Peter gasped and Steve had to laugh because of course the kid was wide awake now.
“Go make the hot chocolate, Steve,” Tony chuckled and the blond merely grinned and got to his feet.
“I wanna’ help, I wanna help!” Peter cried and jumped up, Lily hopping down off the sofa clumsily and following him into the kitchen.
“Alright, alright. Calm down, Pete,” He laughed, reaching down to pick him up and settle him on the counter. “You sit here and be still. I’ll get everything out and you can help me stir and put the marshmallows in, deal?”
“Deal!”
Steve looked over at Tony who was grinning and shaking his head as he went to kneel in front of the fireplace. He could only do the same as he went to fill the kettle.
It didn’t take long to get their hot chocolates made, piled high with whipped cream and marshmallows because Peter could be a very convincing little boy.
Tony had just given Steve a sort of flat look as if to say, really? You know you can say no to him, right? Steve never really wanted to though. That kid deserved to be spoiled and he was never rotten, so what was the harm?
“The fire’s so hot!” Peter sighed, hands outstretched towards the warmth.
There was a safety grate and they reminded him that it was dangerous and that he was to keep back a certain amount. So far, he’d listened without any issue and when they caught him talking to Lily about how dangerous it was, they figured he got it.
Eventually Tony had gone to go wash up and change into his sleep clothes and when he came back it was Steve’s turn to go get ready too. He needed his tool kit to put together his bed frame so he just knocked the mattress onto the floor and threw some sheets and his duvet over it. He had no idea what’d happened to his pillows so he merely folded up a couple of spare blankets and decided that’d have to do for the night.
He was already yawning by the time he returned to the pair, only to find Peter dozing against his father’s side, Tony’s arm wrapped loosely around his middle. Lily was sitting in Peter’s lap, fast asleep with both Tony and Peter’s fingers buried in her fur. Steve couldn’t wait to cuddle with her too.
He’d always wanted a dog but being cooped up in a too tiny apartment in the city was no place for a pup. It didn’t help that he’d never really had the time to dedicate to raising a pup.
He exhaled shakily and rubbed at his bare arms a little. Now clad in just a t-shirt and sweatpants, he actually felt a bit of a chill. Finding the thermostat was easy but he was momentarily confused by the panel next to it.
“Hey, Tony?”
“Hmm?” He returned, glancing over his shoulder to where Steve was standing by the front door.
“Can you come here a sec?”
Tony didn’t reply but he did start to pull free of his son, carefully lying him down properly on the sofa and dragging the blanket off the back of the couch to drape over his frame. By the time he got to Steve, the blond looked entirely flummoxed. “What’s wrong-“
“Did you know the house had a security system?”
Tony blinked, because uh no, no he did not. “No, it didn’t go off, did it?”
“I don’t think so,” He huffed. “I don’t think it’s set. I don’t remember Rory mentioning it.”
“Me either-oh, wait-did’t Marla say something about a tech coming out to visit the house?”
Steve scratched idly at his beard and then nodded. “Actually, yeah. Think they were supposed to come out the day after tomorrow. Maybe that’s what the visit is for?”
“Maybe,” He agreed, sighing softly. “Did Rory send you any paperwork to review?”
Steve grimaced and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe?”
Tony groaned. “Oh my God, Steve, you are seriously just as bad as I am.”
Steve rolled his eyes, because yeah, he wasn’t exactly wrong. “Where is it?”
“It’s in the kitchen, by the fridge,” Steve sighed, closing up the small panel that covered the number pad.
“Uh huh,” Tony sighed and Steve followed him into the kitchen and watched as Tony shifted through a few of the pages. “Ah, here we go,” He turned a page around to show Steve. “These are instructions on how to set it up if you don’t want to wait for the tech. Regardless they’re coming out though. It’s not set up to contact authorities if it goes off, think that’s why they need to visit and you know, explain the damn thing to you.”
Steve hummed and nodded, skimming idly through the paperwork. “Fair enough, I don’t think I want to mess with it right now, probably just wait for the technician.”
Tony sighed and nodded, putting away the other papers. “Probably a good idea. I know I could probably figure it out with you but I think we’ll be fine without it.”
Steve scoffed, because of course they would be. They were in the middle of nowhere up in the damn mountains.
.
“Hey, you want a bite of cake?”
Tony’s eyebrows quirked up. “You have cake?”
“I have cake,” He repeated and Tony nodded happily.
“I’d love some, why don’t I go put him to bed first and we can have cake?”
“Sounds good,” Steve agreed, heading over to them. “Can I help?”
“No, no, I’m good. Actually, m-maybe just grab that blanket-thanks-“ Tony chuckled, readjusting his grip on his son as Lily hopped down off the couch and looked up at him with the most forlorn-
“Oh my God, the puppy dog eyes are going to kill me,” Steve blurted and Tony tried so hard not to laugh lest he wake Peter.
“Tell me about it, pretty sure we’re getting a dog when we go home. He was so excited to get her for you though, Steve,” He sighed, Steve bending to pick up the pup.
“That’s really sweet,” He murmured, glancing back at his friend as he followed him to the stairs.
Tony settled his son on the sheets and tugged the blankets over him, making sure he was nestled in tightly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced up to where Steve was standing in the doorway still cradling the pup.
“He told me he didn’t want to see you so lonely anymore,” He whispered quietly and Steve’s heart broke a little.
He forced himself to swallow past the lump rising in his throat and only just managed not to clear his throat as heat started to build behind his eyes.
“Sweet-that’s sweet’a him,” He managed and Tony’s gaze softened.
“This is going to be good for you, Steve, you know that, right?”
“Yeah-yeah of course I do,” He exhaled roughly and nodded. He believed that, he really did. It was just hard to make a change sometimes and this-this was a big one.
Tony looked back down at his son and brushed some of his dark curls from his eyes. He looked up when Steve stepped up beside him only to bend and place Lily beside Peter. “They’ll keep each other company, I’ll leave the door open a bit in case she needs to go out or he wakes up.”
Tony nodded, giving the pup a quick scratch behind her ear as she settled in with her head lying on Peter’s chest, the steady rise and fall apparently soothing enough to let her use him as a pillow.
Steve could only stand the cuteness for so long. He bent to press a kiss to Peter’s curls and then murmured a quiet goodnight.
“I’ll see you downstairs in a minute,” Tony told him, watching the blond head for the door with a quiet nod.
.
When he heard Tony on the stairs a few minutes later, he got up to get the cake from the fridge.
“So, where’d you score this baby? Oh, is that white chocolate?” He asked hopefully and Steve chuckled and nodded, sitting down on the sofa and offering him a fork.
“It’s white chocolate cheese cake,” He sighed, relinquishing his hold on the plate to let Tony have the first bite. “And there’s a cute little cafe in town and everyone was raving about their cakes so I had to get one.”
“Everyone? What, did you meet the whole town already? Are there like, five people?” Tony teased and Steve rolled his eyes.
“No, but it’s definitely a small town. Everyone knows everybody’s business and the like. They all knew who I was before I’d even introduced myself,” He laughed about it but Tony just looked mortified.
“That’s terrifying, Steve!”
Steve only laughed harder at that. “No it wasn’t, they were all very kind, sweet too and I don’t think they know who I am, not really?” He shrugged and looked over at the fire and Tony’s brows furrowed curiously.
“So, who’d you meet? The town mayor? The sheriff? The town gossip?”
Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t meet any of those people, but, I was told about a few of the town gossips to look out for and actually, I did run into one of them. Young girl, probably no older than 16, she worked at the grocery store, apparently I’m supposed to watch out for her.”
Tony snickered and shook his head before taking a bite of the cheesecake. Steve could only raise a brow in question when the man just…stopped and then-
“Oh my God,” He mumbled around his mouthful and Steve huffed.
“I imagine it’s good?” He drawled and Tony practically moaned around his bite. “Ugh, don’t moan-“
Tony couldn’t help sputtering a laugh as he finished his bite, passing back the plate. “Sorry, it’s just really good cake.”
Steve rolled his eyes with a smile and speared a bit of the cake on his fork. “I’m sure it is, it came highly recommended.”
Tony chuckled and reclined back against the sofa, dragging a blanket over his lap as he made himself comfortable. “Highly recommended by who?”
Steve shrugged and took a bite and instantly found himself smothering a moan, eyelashes fluttering because oh-
“S’good, right?” Tony laughed and Steve could only nod, passing the plate back to his friend when he made grabby hands for it.
“Wow, uh yeah. Apparently it’s the town’s favourite,” He explained, licking his lips and hoping he wasn’t drooling. Damn that was sweet.
“Go figure, so, tell me who else you met.”
“Uh, okay. So I met that girl at the store, Susan and then there was a sweet kid, Kyle who worked there too. I met uh, James at the bookstore and then Margaret who runs the cafe and her husband Bill, the town’s handyman.”
Tony shook his head, smiling as he took another bite of the cake. “Sounds like you had a busy day.”
“You know I did,” Steve laughed, taking the proffered plate to spear himself another bite. There wasn’t exactly many left. “Ugh, if the lemon meringue pie is as good as this, we’re gonna’ have a problem.”
“There’s lemon meringue pie?” Tony blurted and damn it, his puppy dog eyes were cute. It was a good thing Steve was immune to them.
“That doesn’t work on me, pal and yeah, only one slice though. James said-“ He paused and cleared his throat. “He said it was to die for so I had to get a piece.”
Tony’s brows raised a bit when he noted the light flush crawling its way up his friend’s throat. “That so?”
“Mhm,” Steve murmured around another bite, handing over the plate to him so he wouldn’t have to say anything else for a moment.
Tony took the plate but watched his friend with careful eyes. “Huh, so, what books did you buy?”
Steve shrugged lightly and glanced over at the fire. Seeing that it was getting a bit low, he got up to feed it another log. “A couple of mystery novels, you know me.”
“I do know you,” Tony agreed and Steve huffed under his breath. “And I can tell when you’re stepping around something.”
“I’m not sure what you mean-“
“Oh my God, Steve, you are a terrible liar. I thought we’ve been over this-“
Steve grumbled under his breath and shrugged, sitting back on his haunches to lean against the front of the sofa. “I still don’t know what-“
“Tell me about this James, is he sweet, cute? Maybe he’s real handsome~”
Steve scowled and looked away. “Why do you always have to tease me?” He muttered, running a hand through his blond hair and giving it a light tug.
“Because I care about you, that’s why. It’s not like you don’t give as good as you get, pal,” He teased and Steve rolled his eyes at his friend. “Come on, Steve, just talk to me. Now that you’ve clammed up about it, I’m just gonna pester you even more. So you might as well tell me now before I get Peter involved-“
Steve groaned-loudly-because he’d been through that once before and it did not go well. “Fine, I-James was very helpful and yes, he was sweet and uh-“ He cleared his throat. “He was pretty cute.”
“Steve!” Tony crowed. “You’ve not been in town a day yet and you’re already scoping out the locals!? I’m scandalized.”
Steve dragged a hand down his face, breathing harshly through his nose. “I was not,” He denied through gritted teeth, startling when Tony’s hand landed lightly on his shoulder to give him a squeeze.
“Steve, you know I’m just teasing, c’mon, it’s me,” He tried, shrugging lightly and Steve sighed, the tension bleeding from his shoulders.
“Yeah, I-I know,” He sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “And you’re right, he was cute but I definitely wasn’t, scoping out the locals.”
Tony laughed softly and nodded, laying back against the sofa and drawing the blanket up around him. Steve almost pouted. He wanted a blanket.
“Fair enough, so, he was cute? Is he single?”
“I don’t know,” Steve laughed. “I didn’t ask him. I just popped into his shop, he helped me pick out a couple’a books and we chatted for a minute about the cafe. He recommended the pie and cheesecake, that’s it.”
Tony scowled. “Seriously? That’s it? You didn’t get his number, didn’t ask if he’s married, did you at least look to see if he had a ring?”
Steve groaned and dropped his face in his hands. “I don’t even know if he’s into guys, Tony, can’t we just drop it? We only spoke for like, five-minutes. I don’t know anything about the guy other than he moved here 8 months ago and owns the bookshop.”
Tony sighed deeply and clicked his tongue. “Disappointed in you, Stevie.”
Steve scrunched up his nose in distaste. “Don’t call me that.”
Tony stuck out his tongue and Steve shook his head in disbelief. “You’re such a child-“
“What do you expect?! I spend every waking moment with one!” Tony blurted, throwing his hands up in the air.
Steve just stared at his friend for a long moment and then burst out laughing. It took them a few minutes to calm themselves down, both bursting into giggles over the absurdity of just, well, everything.
“Oh, Steve,” Tony sighed, still chuckling lightly. “I’m gonna’ miss you, buddy.”
Steve’s gaze softened. “You know I’d be happy to have you visit as often as you like. I’d love to have you and Peter up for the weekend. Hell, come up for a week or two for that matter.”
Tony huffed and looked down at his hands folded atop the blanket. “We’ll visit, Steve, don’t worry. Peter loves you, pretty sure he thinks you’re his step dad.”
Steve laughed softly and shook his head. “Nah, he knows I’m the much more fun uncle Steve.”
Tony rolled his eyes but nodded all the same. “Kid worries about you, Steve. I worry about you.”
“I know,” He breathed, glancing up at his friend from his spot on the floor. “Let me worry about me for a bit, yeah? I don’t think I’m doing all that bad for myself.”
“You’re not,” Tony assured on a deep sigh. “Doesn’t stop us from worrying about you, though.”
Steve hummed in acuquiecense. Because what else could he do?
“Oh-“ Steve said, apparently just reminded of something. He stood and took the now empty cake plate from the coffee table. “And I did happen to look for a wedding ring.”
“And?” Tony prompted, craning his neck back over the sofa to watch his friend walk to the kitchen.
“No ring,” He said smugly and Tony fist-pumped the air.
“Stevie’s gonna’ get la-“
“Stop it!” He interrupted on a laugh and Tony laughed too.
“Hey, you got any scotch?”
Steve rolled his eyes and went to the cupboard. “Course I do, packed the stuff you gave me, as a matter of fact,” Steve admitted, pulling down the Sherry Cask Glenmorangie.
“Ooh-“ Excellent. “Ice?”
“Not sure, gimme a sec,” He huffed, setting the bottle down and heading back to the fridge.
It was one of those double door ones, rather fancy actually. “Uh, maybe? This looks like a water dispenser but it might be for ice too?” He squinted at the led buttons and saw a small stack of what appeared to be cubes. “Definitely an ice machine too.”
“Awesome-“ Tony breathed, throwing the blanket aside and getting up to join him in the kitchen.
“Grab us some glasses, would you?”
Tony hummed and pulled open the cupboard, bringing down a couple of tumblers. He poured themselves a couple of fingers each and grabbed a cube each before heading back into the living room, Steve pausing and looking around for a moment.
“What’s up?
“Uh, nothing. Was just feeling a bit chilly, I might try and find a sweatshirt or something,” He admitted, scratching lightly at the back of his neck.
“Just grab the sleeping bags we brought. Left ‘em by the door.”
Steve hummed and went to the rolls, grabbing them both and settling down in the living room.
“How can you still be chilly? It’s toasty in here,” Tony laughed, snuggling up under his blanket again as Steve unrolled one of the sleeping bags. Peter’s, as luck would have it.
Tony tried hard not to smirk at the sight of Steve unrolling a Captain America sleeping bag. The flat look Steve gave him sort of ruined his chances.
Steve huffed at Tony’s snicker and settled back down on the floor, dragging over Lily’s pink cushion to sit on. “I dunno, not used to the cold up here, I guess.”
Tony hummed and tipped his head back and forth a bit. “Fair enough, it is pretty chilly out here.”
“Something else to get used to, I suppose,” Steve offered. “I’ll take it over smog any day,” He laughed. “Just breathing out here feels infinitely better, even if the air’s a bit thinner.”
“Agreed, though, I don’t think I’d want to be out for long.”
“Eh, it’s not that bad. It’d be good to get used to the altitude, go for a run, get some fresh air.”
“Ew, I forgot how much you like to run.”
“Rain, snow or shine,” Steve said cheerfully and Tony grimaced.
“I’ll stay inside and do my hot yoga, thanks.”
Steve snickered. “You only like the hot yoga ‘cause of all the sweaty people.”
Tony shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “That might be why I started to go.”
“Uh huh,” Steve snickered and Tony smiled behind his glass.
“Anyway, it’s still fun,” He shrugged.
“And so is running-“ A dull thud had him pausing.
He glanced up at Tony. “Did you hear that?”
He grimaced. “Might just be the wind, it’s started to snow already. Noticed it when I went up to change.”
Steve hummed and settled back against the sofa, glancing over at the still roaring fire. “Hmm, maybe. Probably,” He agreed and took another sip of his drink.
“So, tell me what’s new in your life. You said you’re probably getting a dog when you go back. Any ideas?”
Tony laughed lightly and nodded. “Put my name on another waitlist at a shelter uptown. They tend to bring in a lot of golden retrievers and I know they’re supposed to be great with kids.”
“Think you’ll get a puppy?”
“Probably not? I mean, I know Pete would love a puppy but there are so many dogs in the shelter system that need homes too. I think we’re going to help one of ‘em out, see how that goes. Maybe get a puppy in a few years, instead.”
Steve smiled up at his friend. “Still as sweet as ever, Tony.”
Tony laughed softly and shrugged. “Everyone deserves a home, Stevie. You know that.”
Steve rolled his eyes, lips parting to scold him for the nickname when there was another thud. He frowned, looking to Tony curiously, the brunet looking just as confused.
“Okay, I did hear it that time.”
“I don’t think it’s the wind,” Steve mumbled, setting his drink down and getting to his feet.
Tony nodded, setting his own drink down and getting to his feet. They stood there in quiet for a long moment, only the humming of the fridge and the crackling of the fire filling the space. They didn’t hear much of anything, even the wind wasn’t so terrible that it whistled or creaked against the house. Not yet, anyway.
“Maybe it’s just a branch, you know, from one of the trees-“
The thud came again and Steve grimaced when a slightly louder one followed. “It sounds like someones knocking but it’s not at the door, is it?”
Tony frowned and went to the door and peeked through the peephole. “I don’t see anyone,” He admitted, squinting out onto the porch, thankful they’d at least left the light on.
The dull knocking came again, but it sounded more like a boot against wood rather than a knock this time.
“It’s coming from the back, I think,” Steve murmured, stepping carefully to the back doors.
It looked pitch black outside and the drapes had been pulled to their respective sides. All they could really see from inside was their reflection. “Get the light?” Tony suggested and Steve hummed, brows furrowed as he walked over to the few switches by the doors.
“It might just be an animal,” Tony huffed and Steve nodded, flicking on one of the switches.
It lit up the back porch easily enough and Steve frowned as he stepped up closer to the glass. He couldn’t see anything out of place and Tony was right, it had started snowing and it was really coming down now. Huge flakes that were dizzying if you looked at them too long.
Tony squinted and joined him at the doors. “See anything?”
“Nope, you?”
Tony huffed and shook his head, nose just about pressed to the glass as he squinted out into the darkness. “I got nothing,” He sighed and Steve frowned, listening for the sound again.
“Don’t hear it anymore no-“ A much louder thud followed and Steve caught movement out of the corner of his eye. “What the-“
Steve fumbled with the lock and wrenched the door open and Tony made a worried sort of sound as Steve ran out onto the porch. “Steve!” He shouted. “Where the fu-“
“There’s a person out here! Help me!”
Tony’s eyes widened as he slipped out the door, stumbling down the snow covered steps to see Steve scrambling to help lift someone from the ground. They didn’t look particularly well off.
“Shit-“ Tony swore, immediately doing what he could to help carry the stranger back inside.
“Fuck, Steve, his lips are blue, you’ve gotta-“
Tony wasn’t wrong but Steve was too busy reeling. The stranger had nothing but a black t-shirt, jeans and a pair of boots. They weren’t even done up properly, for Christ’s sake. He exhaled shakily as he brought him into the living room and he knew Tony was flitting around him nervously, unsure of what to do but he couldn’t delegate yet, he needed to see what the major issues were.
The man in his arms was nothing but dead weight. He’d been knocking his boot against the bottom step of the porch as best he could it would seem but he’d passed out by the time Steve had gotten to him. He was soaked through with sweat and so fucking cold. He wasn’t even shaking with it anymore and fuck that was worrying.
He laid him down on the sofa and stepped back a bit, scanning his body for obvious signs of injury. He’d seen blood on the snow and looking closer now, he could see blood on the man’s shirt. He quickly tore at the bottom of his shirt and swore harshly when he caught sight of the wound.
“Steve-“ Tony whispered. “It-it looks like he’s been stabbed.”
“Lock the doors, Tony. Pull the drapes and shut out any lights. Go check on Peter and grab your phone. Call it in, everything’s going to be fine so I need you to breathe and keep calm,” Steve told him evenly and he knew his voice was clipped but it was concise and he needed his friend to focus.
“Okay, okay,” He whispered and Steve was immediately left alone with the stranger.
He could see obvious signs of bruising littering the man’s side, all over his chest too. His wrists looked terribly bruised, red and raw even bloody in some spots. He’d been restrained, there was no other way he could have sustained those injuries. He swallowed thickly and looked up at the man’s face only to frown when he couldn’t see it. His longer hair was soaked with sweat and snow and clung to his face, obscuring it from view.
He heard Tony on the stairs and glanced over his shoulder. “I can’t get through, Steve. The signal keeps dropping and when it does connect, there-there’s no answer, it just keeps ringing and then give m-me a busy signal. I can’t-“
“Okay, Tony. Okay, deep breath, I need you to help me get him warm then. We’ll try the phone again in a minute,” He tried and Tony nodded, pocketing his phone and hastily joining him beside the stranger.
“We can’t let him warm up too quickly, not good for his heart and body heat works be-“ His breath caught in his lungs, shock written in every line of his face.
“Steve, Steve? What’s wrong?”
“James?” He whispered, voice faint.