It is mid-July when (Y/n) meets Sam Wilson for the first time.
The sun is blazing down even though it's nine in the morning, and honestly, she thinks it horrible weather to be out running of all things, but there Steve is- running so easily that she feels jealous from her spot in the shade of a tree.
His athleticism makes her nauseous, she decides, watching him speed past with an envious glare, her mind running horrible flashbacks of the pacer test and physical diagnostic tests.
(Y/n) thinks she's okay at sports, but looking at Steve is making her want to tuck herself into a ball and roll right into the lake.
On the bright side, at least she's not the guy who was trying to keep up with Steve, but now, is just struggling along behind the blond, looking like he wants to just keel over and die.
She's tempted to go and offer for him to join her in rolling into the lake, but she doesn't know this man beyond the fact that he's apparently Steve's friend, so she refrains and waits in her shady spot instead.
Steve offered to treat her out to breakfast for the day, and (Y/n) likes being on time, so she finds herself at the park a little earlier than planned. He's noticed her, she's sure, but he was too busy making the other guy feel miserable to stop and greet her properly.
(Y/n) isn't offended. She doesn't get insulted too easily, and she's a little preoccupied with feeling pity for the guy who decided to take Captain America on in running.
Now, after finishing his lap and ensuring that his friend is still breathing, Steve crosses over to her, his running buddy in tow.
She stands up, and instead of saying hi to Steve, tosses her water bottle to the other guy. "You're a true hero," she tells him seriously, and he looks confused but takes the compliment and bottle anyways, proceeding to empty half of its contents in one, large gulp.
She's impressed.
"Good morning to you, too," Steve speaks up, evidently amused.
(Y/n) turns to him seriously. "I never want to see you run again," she informs blankly, making his eyebrows rise. "I got tired just watching you."
"You have no idea," Steve's friend wheezed from behind the blond. "I'm Sam, by the way."
"Hi," she waves, taking back her bottle and tossing it back into her tote bag. "I'm (Y/n)."
Sam looks openly curious about what she's doing there, but he holds back from asking because he doesn't want things to get weird. What if she turned out to be an alien or something? He doesn't need that in his life- Sam likes being a regular guy, and (Y/n) looks like she could be an alien with how detached and simultaneously aware she seemed.
"She's my neighbor," Steve supplies, and Sam accepts that without any questions because it sounds relatively normal.
(Y/n) turns to Steve, impressed and curious at the same time. "I didn't know you had other friends."
Sam snorts loudly, because he was thinking the same thing. "Can't blame her, man."
Rolling his eyes, Steve sighs heavily. "I had a feeling my life would get much more difficult if you both met," he says, looking between them wearily while they turn to him in exaggerated offense.
"Hey, I just ran with you," Sam protests. "You know who else would do that? Nobody."
"I give you flowers every day," (Y/n) adds, frowning disapprovingly. "I deserve some recognition here. I'm a nice person!"
"You tell him, (Y/n)."
And somehow, Steve saw this coming even before he thought of Sam meeting (Y/n). Recently, (Y/n) has relaxed much more around him, easing into a more playful demeanor now that she knows Steve well enough to understand which buttons not to push.
And Sam is...well, Sam.
Just as he predicted, they gang up on him, and suddenly the both are discussing how ungrateful Steve is, and he's left standing and watching as Sam's grin widens by the second.
(Y/n)'s a likeable kid. It isn't hard to tell that it's only a matter of time before she grows on Sam, and Steve has a feeling that Sam realizes this as well.
So, Steve smiles slightly, deciding that he likes the idea of his two genuine friends bonding. "Why don't you join us for breakfast?" he suggests, directing the question at Sam.
The teen turns to the man in question as well, eyes bright and smile welcoming as she nods enthusiastically because Sam is very easy to be around and he seems like an awesome guy, and she has a can of pepper spray on her at all times, so she feels pretty set.
Faced with two human puppies, Sam is defeated before he can even consider denying. With their combined powers, he's sure that Steve and (Y/n) could take over the world and probably start the apocalypse.
So, he sighs and gives his consent, grinning when the girl excitedly begins telling them about a café they could go to where the food is to die for and she knows the owners' son so they might even get a discount.
They make an odd trio comprising of two sweaty men lingering a little behind a lively teenage girl, and some people do look twice their way in trying to figure out what is happening, but Steve looks used to it and Sam thinks it a little funny.
(Y/n) doesn't really care. She's too busy telling Sam about the old lady who flirted with Steve when they went out for his birthday.
"Oh, you ladies' man, Rogers," Sam snickers.
Crossing his arms, Steve looks away with a huff. "She was married, you know," he tries, but (Y/n)'s grin widens and she nods happily.
"The best part was when the husband joined her in the flirting," she reveals, delivering the killing blow, leaving Sam to laugh so hard she considers calling the ambulance because Sam is a dark-skinned man and it can't be normal for him to look this red.
But Steve doesn't look particularly worried. He ignores his howling friend in favor of looking skywards and wondering what sins he must've committed in his previous lifetime to be suffering through (Y/n)'s storytelling now.
Still, this isn't too bad. It's not bad at all, in fact. Sure, they're probably going to give him hell for the remainder of their time together, but it's only friendly teasing and at least he's not alone anymore.
And, as predicted, (Y/n) does end up growing on Sam for more than just her subtle but persistent teasing of Steve. Perhaps it's because of how open she's willing to be, trusting Sam simply because he's Steve's friend.
It's hard to dislike someone with so much hope and faith and kindness, especially when they're so open to the idea of giving all that kindness.
That isn't to say that (Y/n) is naïve. Steve has heard her talk about lots of serious issues regarding the world as well. She spoke of children in Syria and of terrorism, telling him that war is less obvious now, but it hasn't gone anywhere.
And he observes that she speaks wearily, like she's tired and has finally accepted all that is wrong about the world she's growing up in. When the planet is dying and the people are dying and it's so easy to turn a blind eye until it's too late.
"But it's not like I can just...stop living on the planet, right?" she posed rhetorically, smile wry.
So, she resolves to hoping instead. Hoping that, maybe, with a new generation they can try to right some wrongs. It won't be easy, but it will be a start.
"It's a generation thing," she told him once. The youngest demographic is learning to heal and to hope, and somehow, it's a little bit easier to get through life when you believe that someday it will all be okay.
And maybe it's that hope that ends up drawing people like Steve and Sam to her. People who've been hurt and screwed over by life. People who've had to build themselves from the ground up after being knocked down. People who sometimes wonder if it's worth it to keep hoping.
Some could argue that it's a part of growing up, but Steve prays that it isn't because the world could do with a little more hope and he doesn't want to see her brightness be snuffed out.
(Y/n) realizes that Sam is pretty easy to read as well. He doesn't really bother hiding much, and she decides that she really likes him because of how easygoing he is.
He laughs easily and he makes witty quips, and he's so comfortable with his own regularity that she finds it admirable almost.
It becomes clear to her very quickly why Steve chose to befriend him. He's easy to be around and he's well balanced. There's an aura of calm energy around him that makes one feel safe, assured that he's a friend.
She doesn't mind inviting him to tag along when Steve states that he'll walk her to her aunt's flower shop for her shift.
The Wallflower's Garden is something of a sanctuary for (Y/n). It's bright and airy, and there's something so lovely about being surrounded by flowers of all kinds and colors. The shop is usually quiet, and the customers are typically polite, if a little confused, and it smells wonderful.
And she knows that her mom once worked there, too, so that's part of the reason why she's so attached and protective of the place.
Oddly enough, however, she doesn't mind Steve wanting to accompany her to the shop. And she's surprisingly alright with inviting Sam.
Part of the reason why she's probably so welcoming of Sam is probably because he's clearly relatively important to Steve, on a more personal level than most people are. And maybe it's strange since she's considerably younger than the blond, but (Y/n) does feel the need to look out for him much as she does for 13-year-old Peter Parker.
Steve looked so lost and hurt the first time she ever saw him, and sometimes he still looks like that, but she can tell that he's slowly getting better and brighter, and something tells her that Sam has helped him get there just a little bit faster than if (Y/n) did it alone.
So, with a small smile, she ushers both the males inside, sighing happily when the cool air hits her, courtesy of the air conditioner (truly a glorious invention).
While Sam is distracted by the cool temperature inside the establishment, Steve looks around the shop in interest, humming when (Y/n) tells him to wait for a moment before he leaves.
He's almost pleased to notice that he actually recognizes some of the flowers and can distinctly recall what they symbolize.
"Here you go," (Y/n) interrupts his train of thought, approaching him with a small bouquet of heavily petaled flowers- three white ones and two purple ones.
"Chrysanthemums," Sam observes, eyebrows rising slightly because he's a little puzzled as to why Steve is getting flowers.
(Y/n) hums, meeting Steve's eyes meaningfully. "They symbolize platonic loyalty, and rest and recovery after a long trial."
Because he's finally healing and she's proud of him, and if Steve smiles a little more widely on his way out, no one mentions it.
Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemums symbolize concepts like lasting friendship, support from loved ones, cheerfulness and good spirits, recovery after a challenge, and platonic affection.