It had been a few days since Cassidy had the meetings with the team, and she hadn't seen Steve. Whether she was avoiding him or she was just that busy, she didn't know, but she had barely been at the tower, between meeting with vendors and reporters and picking out outfits for the team with the help of Nat and Jarvis getting measurements for everyone.
She had the suits delivered to the men and had Nat's dress taken to her room. She was making herself a salad when Jarvis came over the speakers. "Cassidy, I have Miss Potts for you."
"Oh, great Jarvis, please let her in!" The elevator dinged and Pepper Potts entered her floor. She was taller than Cassidy had imagined, and gorgeous.
"Cassidy! I'm so glad to finally meet you! I'm Pepper." She said, coming over and giving Cassidy a hug. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you landed, I had planned on it, but something came up with the Stark Foundation and I've been in meetings all week."
Cassidy smiled at her and shook her head. "No, I understand, it's totally fine. I think I'm getting the hang of things. I've got everything set for the Press Conference in two days, and the Gala is set for three weeks from now, and all the vendors have been contacted and confirmed."
Pepper smiled at her, looking over her notes. "This is great Cassidy; you're getting the hang of this already!"
"Did you have to do this often?" Cassidy asked the other woman. Pepper shook her head. "Not for the whole team, just for Tony. Lots of interviews and damage control for that man I'm telling you." She said with a chuckle.
Cassidy laughed. "Yeah he seems like a lot sometimes, I don't know how you do it."
Pepper shook her head, chuckling. "He really should pay me more." She said. "How is the rest of the team treating you?"
"Oh, everyone's been great. I've known Natasha and Clint for years though, working with Shield. Dr. Banner is very nice, and of course I haven't met Thor yet." She told Pepper.
"What about Steve?" She asked. Cassidy flushed and turned her fac from the other woman. "He's very nice."
"Oh, I know that look. Did something happen between you two?" She asked. Cassidy was hesitant to say anything, but she had a feeling she could trust Pepper. She nodded. "Yeah, actually, he's uh… he's my soulmate." Pepper's jaw dropped.
"That's great Cassidy! Wow, what are the odds, that you'd get this job, then meet Steve. Kinda seems like fate doesn't it?" She asked. Cassidy nodded and smiled.
"How are things going?"
Cassidy sighed and took a sip of water. "Things are going good. Slow. Painfully slow." Pepper chuckled at that. "Well, from what I've learned about Steve, he's very old fashioned. He's not used to anything in this time and he's just trying to get a grip on the new reality he's in. Just be patient with him, he's a good man."
"How did you and Tony come together, if you don't mind me asking."
"Not at all. I didn't actually meet Tony until my first day. Someone else hired me. The first thing I had to do was give him some papers to be signed. So, I walk into his office, and I say, 'I have some papers for you to sign' and he just looks at the stack of papers in my hand and says 'I don't like to be handed things." She laughed. "I thought he had been joking at first, but then I realized, those were the words that were next to my soul mark."
Cassidy smiled. "What happened then?" Pepper sighed. "Well, you probably have a good impression about how Tony is. I don't think he was ready to be with a soulmate at first. It was rough. He distanced himself from me, and if you didn't know, once you've met your soulmate, the longer you go without physical touch, the more it wears on you." Yes, you did know how that felt.
"It took him a long time to come to terms with it I think, and I was patient. He eventually stopped partying, and he came to me one night and told me he was ready and that he was sorry, and if you didn't know already, Tony Stark doesn't apologize lightly."
"Are you supposed to feel like you're delirious when you're around them? Because every time I'm around Steve, I feel like I can't breathe and I get dizzy." She said. Pepper nodded. "It will get better the more time you spend with each other. Intimacy helps with that also."
Cassidy sighed. "I just never imagined that one of my soulmates would be an Avenger."
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "One of them? You have two?" Cassidy nodded. "Yeah, but the other one I'll never get to meet. He was one of Steve's war buddies. Bucky Barnes. He died in 1945." She said sadly. Pepper wrapped her arms around Cassidy. "I'm so sorry. Well, I'm glad that you and Steve have each other then. I can't imagine what he's been feeling this whole time, having lost one soulmate and worried he might never meet the other. You two will be so good for each other."
Cassidy gave her a smile. "Thank you Pepper, really."
"It's no problem. You can always call me if you need anything, or if you need a girl's night. I'll always be here." She said before heading to elevator, leaving Cassidy to think about how rough Steve must have had it.
Cassidy picked up her phone and decided to text Steve, hoping that someone taught him how to use a phone.
Cassidy: Hey! Are you busy?
Steve: No, why, what's up?
Cassidy: I was wondering if you wanted to come up for some take-out and a movie?
Steve: I'd like that. Give me 15?
Cassidy: Sure. Chinese okay?
Steve: Yes. Jarvis knows my order.
"Jarvis? Could you order Steve's usual, and add on a General Tso's with fried rice of me? Extra fortune cookies please." She asked the AI "Confirmed Miss. It should arrive in twenty minutes."
"Thanks J." Cassidy went into her room to change, putting on some black leggings, a black tank, and an off the shoulder white tee that was three sizes too large for her. She pulled her hair out of the pony it was in, running her fingers through it. Checking her makeup in the mirror, she went back out into the living room just as Jarvis announced Steve had arrived.
She gave the okay to let him in, and her heart almost stopped at the sight of him. He was wearing dark jeans and a grey t-shirt, his hair slightly disheveled and damp, like he had just taken a shower.
"Hey Cassidy." He said, stopping a few feet in front of her. He ran his hand through his hair and it was the sexiest thing Cassidy had ever seen. She loved it when he did that.
"Hey Steve." She said, smiling at him. She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around his middle, breathing in the smell of his body wash. His arms slowly wrapped around her shoulders, and she felt him relax.
"Cassidy, the food has arrived and the delivery person is coming up the elevator." Cassidy nodded and pulled out of Steve's arms to grab her wallet from the end table. When the elevator opened, she grabbed the bags and handed the young girl a wad of cash. "Keep the change." She told her, turning and walking over to the kitchen island.
"Why didn't you let me pay." Steve asked, coming to stand across from her.
Cassidy shrugged. "I invited you up here to eat Steve, it's no big deal."
"It is. I'm supposed to pay for dinner." He sounded wounded. Okay. Cassidy had to remember. He was used to different things. She walked around to him and placed her hand on his arm. "It's okay Steve, I can pay sometimes. Tony is paying me way more money that I know what to do with. Trust me okay?" Steve closed his eyes and nodded, smiling at her when he opened them again.
They got settled into the couch and Cassidy turned on the tv. "So, what are we watching?" Steve asked her. She smiled and popped a piece of chicken in her mouth. "A cult classic."
She couldn't help to hum when the opening song of Nightmare Before Christmas came through the speakers, not noticing the adorable smile Steve was giving her.