Two Sugars (Steve/Tony)

festiveferret:

(Thank you to @summerpipedream for the inspiring idea!)

“Two sugars,” Steve said, then he stilled, heart dropping down into his shoes. It took a moment for what he’d said to sink in, but he saw when it clicked and Tony looked up from his phone, brow twisted in confusion.

“How do you know?”

Steve rolled the styrofoam cup nervously between his fingers, still clutching the sharpie in the other hand. He shrugged, trying to pass it off as nothing. “You come in every day. I have a good memory.”

Tony lay a hand flat on the counter and leaned in. “I have a good memory too. The last time I ordered black with two sugars was two and a half weeks ago.”

“Uh…” Steve frowned down at the cash register. It didn’t seem like Tony was going to let this go. If he refused to explain it, they’d probably lose a customer, but if he did, Tony would be so freaked out by Steve’s weird obsession that Steve would probably lose his job. “It’s nothing, really…” Steve said quietly, praying that Tony would brush it off.

But instead he just shifted closer. “Tell me.”

“You come in every weekday morning during my shift.”

Tony nodded.

Steve sighed. “I just – I notice what you order. I know it’s not always the same, but there’s a pattern.”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “I know there’s a pattern, but how the f-” His voice dropped to a near whisper and he was radiating anger now. “How the fuck do you know what it is?”

“I’m sorry,” Steve squeaked. “I just – I notice things. You – you – have your black briefcase today, so you order black coffee two sugars. If you’re wearing your glasses, you get a mocha. If you’re in jeans instead of a suit you get one cream one sugar. If you’re on the phone and frowning, you get an espresso, usually two, actually. On the first of the month you get a box of muffins – one has to be carrot – and on the fifteenth you get two cream cheese danishes. That’s – I’m sorry. I just… I have a good memory and I can’t, you know… turn it off.”

Tony gaped at him for a long time in complete silence. “You -” He didn’t seem mad anymore, just stunned which Steve took to be a move in the right direction.

Steve hovered the sharpie over the cup and waited, frozen to the spot. “Mr. Stark?”

Tony shook his head. “You really noticed all of that?”

“Yes, sir.”

Tony set his briefcase down by his feet and glanced around at the shop. It was mostly empty – people at this time of the morning came and went – and there was no line. “I bring this briefcase when I have an investor’s meeting and I need the extra sugar to get me through it. Glasses are if I slept in late and didn’t have time to put my contacts in. Mocha helps wake me up for some reason. On the phone at this time of morning means foreign shit which always stresses me out and it’s going to be a four espresso kind of day. First of the month I take muffins to accounting. Lainey only likes carrot. Fifteenth is my monthly review meeting with my PA. I get us both danishes. Oh and jeans means I’m in the workshop all day. Then I get what I actually like best because I’m going to have a chance to enjoy it.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I snapped. I didn’t realize I wore my schedule quite so on my sleeve. I have to worry about corporate espionage and stuff.” Tony rubbed his hand over his face.

“It’s alright. It’s not really, I mean, it’s not a normal thing… to notice. You were right to be freaked out. But it’s totally innocent, I swear. I don’t know anything about your company.” Steve resisted the urge to shove the sharpie cap between his teeth and start chewing. “Sorry.”

Tony gave him a careful once-over and something shifted in his gaze. “You should be a corporate spy. People pay good money for attention to detail like that.”

“Um,” Steve said, hoping to god his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.  "It’snotwitheveryone.“

The corner of Tony’s lips quirked up. “No? Just big corporate billionaires?”

There was something playful in Tony’s voice, so Steve took a breath then took a chance. “No… just kind, attractive regulars.”

Tony broke into a full smile. “Well… you are right. Black, two sugars. But there’s something else I want today as well, if you have it in stock.”

“Yeah? Anything you like, Mr. Stark.” Steve deflated with relief. Tony didn’t seem mad about it, amused if anything, so there was a chance Steve would get out of this with his job and his regulars list intact.

“Mhm.” Tony leaned over onto the counter and looked up at Steve through far too many, long, dark eyelashes. “Your number.”

Steve opened his mouth in surprise then closed it again, gaze cutting down to the cup in his hand, he tried to keep his grin under control, but he knew he must look like an idiot. He checked off the sugar box on the cup twice, wrote “Tony” at the top then scrawled his phone number underneath.

Looked like he was getting out of this with his job, his favourite regular, and a date.