"What about her?" Natasha asked when the café's doors opened.
Steve barely looked up from cleaning the ice machine before shaking his head. "I'm perfectly capable of finding a date of my own", he told her. He should've known that his two best friends getting together would bring nothing good for him. Ever since Natasha and Bucky had been on a mission to find him a partner as well, his own opinion on the matter be damned. Sure, maybe he shouldn't have let slip that he was really sick of being single but Natasha and Bucky were taking this matchmaking thing to a whole new level.
Natasha snorted. "I've seen you flirt. You need all the help you can get."
"I'll change my shifts so that I don't have to put up with this anymore", Steve threatened.
"You can't, you have classes", Natasha pointed out while she made the cappuccino the girl who had just come in had ordered.
"Unlucky me", Steve muttered under his breath.
/
"There's a pretty cute guy in my psychology class", Bucky said over dinner.
"No", Steve said flatly.
"I think he'd be your type", Bucky tried again.
Steve buried his face in his hands. "No."
"How do you want to find someone if you never want to meet someone new?" Next to Bucky Natasha was nodding along with a smile.
"I can find my own date."
Bucky outright laughed at him. "You haven't found a single date ever. Peggy asked you, remember?"
"Why am I friends with you again?"
Natasha patted him on the shoulder with all the warmth of a Peruvian mountain mummy. "Who else would find you a date?"
"I hate you", Steve muttered while Natasha and Bucky grinned.
/
Steve had the morning shift the following day which tended to be quiet until the morning crowd came in at half seven. He had only had one customer so far who had ordered three large cups of black coffee and looked like he needed at least another three to find the energy to make it home.
He was checking storage lists when the door opened again and Steve almost dropped his pen. The guy who had just come in looked ridiculously attractive despite the sweaty jogging clothes he was wearing. Steve was pretty certain that he hadn't been to the café before because he would've definitely remembered him.
"Hi", the guy smiled and revealed a small gap between his front teeth as if he wasn't cute enough already.
"Hi", Steve said, feeling suddenly very self conscious about the stain on his apron and that he hadn't washed his hair this morning.
"It's my first time, can you recommend anything?"
Steve needed a moment to tear his eyes from the guy's smile before he managed to say, "Sure, what do you usually like?"
"Something sweet with vanilla and milk."
Stop it Rogers, Steve told himself. He's just talking about coffee. "Sure, give me a moment." As he busied himself with making coffee, Steve asked, "How did you find us?"
"Friend of mine goes here and said it's really good. Thought I'd try it out."
"You're a student?" Steve asked. Most of their customers were, courtesy of being near campus.
"Just part time. I work for the VA as a counselor. What about you?"
"I'm an art student", Steve said as he handed out the cup of coffee.
"What do I owe you?"
"Tell you what, if you like you come back and we're good."
The guy grinned. "Is that how you get all your customers?" and took a sip. The noise he made should be illegal, Steve thought. "Damn, guess that means you'll see a lot of me."
"I hope so", Steve said before he could think about it.
"I'm Sam by the way."
"I'm Steve."
"I know" Sam winked.
Fortunately Steve remembered that he was wearing a name tag before he could embarrass himself and ask how Sam knew his name.
/
Somehow Steve managed to swap all his shifts for the following week without Natasha noticing. Either because she was too busy with her upcoming performance or because she had noticed but decided not to say anything.
Sam came in every morning like clockwork. Usually they chatted for a few minutes before Sam went on his way again. On the one hand he hadn't mentioned a girl or a boyfriend yet so maybe Steve had a chance but on the other hand Steve also hadn't found the courage to ask him out yet.
"At the rate you're going, you're never going to make it to a morning class ever again", Natasha said at the end of the second week where he had only worked morning shifts.
"I have no idea what you're talking about", Steve said.
"Sure you don't. That's why you've decided to swap shifts for next week as well instead of just asking whatever person comes in every morning out", Natasha noticed dryly.
"Give me their name", Bucky said. "I'll ask them to ask you out."
"Stop it", Steve told them. "I'm just not sure if they're interested, that's all."
"That's why you ask them", Bucky replied. "And only an idiot would say no to you."
/
When Sam came in Monday morning he took one look at the blackboard where their weekly offers were written down. Steve had only given it a cursory glance because Natasha had had the last shift on Sunday and she was usually reliable.
"I'll take the usual and one Steve then", Sam said with a wide smile.
Steve looked up and saw that Natasha had written
Steve – One Date if you're the person he's taking morning shifts for
He can feel himself blush as Sam kept laughing. "That is, if it is me", Sam added. "Don't want to make assumptions."
"Of course it's you", Steve said because the cat was out of the bag and he might as well run with it.
"Is that so?" Sam's smile changed, became more flirtatious.
"That's so", Steve could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "You want to go for a coffee with me?"
"Sure, I finish at five", Sam said. "Do you know where the VA is?"
Steve nodded. He quickly wrote down his number. "Just in case something comes up. I'll meet you there."
Their fingers brushed when Sam took the note from him. "I'm looking forward to it."
/
Steve had given up on Natasha not breaking into his flat ages ago, especially now that she was dating Bucky. So he wasn't exactly surprised when he found her on his couch when he came home.
"I would ask you how it went but considering you two just made out for ten minutes against your front door I'd say it went pretty well."
"What if I had asked him in?" Steve asked.
She gave him a mischievous grin. "Then you would've never seen me."
Steve shook his head. "Are you a dancer or a spy?"
"Both", she replied without hesitation. "I'm guessing there'll be a second date?"
Just as Steve nodded, smiling at the memory of Sam's lips brushing his ear as he asked if he was free on Wednesday, Natasha snapped a picture on her phone.
"What was that for?"
"That stupid smile is why James and I were so adamant at finding you a date", she replied and showed him the photo.
"I hear your date went well?" Bucky asked as he climbed through the open window.
"Do any of you know how to use a door?" Steve asked looking from Bucky to Natasha. "Also is that champagne?"
"Hey, I vacated the premises in case you wanted to take your date home", Bucky protested.
"It's your first date since Peggy", Natasha said. "Of course it's champagne."
"There was Brock – "Steve started to say only to be glared at from both his friends.
"He doesn't count", Natasha said.
"Guy was an asshole", Bucky added.
Well, they had a point.
"Does your mystery date have a name?" Bucky asked as he filled their glasses.
"His name is Sam", Steve said, feeling himself smile again just thinking about Sam.
"You better bring him over so that Nat and I can make sure he's good enough for you."
"We had one date", Steve reminded him.
"That stupidly happy smile you just had on your face tells me it's a bit more than that", Bucky pointed out. "To Steve's first date", he added and raised his glass with a mocking smile.
"I'm moving out", Steve threatened without managing to keep a smile from his face.