![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Steve was restoring a Jackson Pollock as part of MOMA’s "Behind the Velvet Rope" exhibit when he smelled it. The scent of coffee wafted through the air and into the glass enclosed room he was working in. Ambrosia his mind whispered as he took another deep breath through his nose. He had never smelled anything so amazing in all his life and he knew his coffee as well as he knew art history.
Steve turned around trying to glimpse who was carrying the coffee. Drinks were not allowed in the museum because even the best mop bots Stark Industries made could never keep up with the population of New York slopping their drinks all over the place. So when he saw Natasha walking toward the glass doors for her shift in the restoration room he smiled.
"Good afternoon Natasha," Steve said greeting his fellow historian with a grin.
"Steven," she returned with a small nod of her head.
"You're here early." He replied while surreptitiously trying to read the logo on her coffee cup.
He had only just returned to the states after finishing up his PhD in art history and restoration at the Louvre and was still trying to find the best place to keep his addiction to caffeine fed.
"Clint came home last night, and while I would rather be on time, I cannot be in the apartment while he unpacks." She confided shaking her bright red curls. " He throws things everywhere before he sorts and puts it all away, the mess is ridiculously loud and" she says with a small sniff,"smelly."
" I can't say I am sad to head out a little early. I'm finally unpacked and ready to do a little exploring. I found the TInker-shop and the Grocers that you recommended but I am dying for a coffee." He dropped the professional tone just slightly, It seems she was starting to warm up to him.
"Hmm," she hummed over the rim of her cup. " There is a new place that just opened a few blocks from your place. It is tiny, but they do everything: roasting, grinding and brewing all in house. It is called The Lightning Bean."
"Sounds perfect," Steve grins. After catching Natasha up on his progress with the painting, Steve gathered his things and quickly clocked out. Once outside the museum, he headed straight for the coffee shop.
It was cool outside, the bite of fall just beginning. The pedestrians of New York were already making the switch to warmer clothing. Longer skirts, pants, higher collars and thicker corsets for the women, while the men donned thicker woollen jackets and leather replacing metal wherever possible. After a quick train ride he got off at the stop closest to his place and looked up the coffee shop on his phone.
The city had changed in the years he had been away. Before leaving for his PhD the city had a haze of exhaust hanging over it, obscuring the sunlight. It left the city looking tired when he looked at the city from Brooklyn. Today that haze was no longer an issue. Stark Industries had revolutionized the energy market with its Arc Reactor. They came in so many different sizes that they became the de facto power source for practically everything overnight. Now the city gleamed under the fall sunshine, light bouncing off glass and metal. After being inside all day, it half blinded Steve and he hit the shades button on his hat as soon as he could.
By the time Steve reached the end of the block he could already smell that amazing coffee again. His pace quickened until he found himself in front of a dark wood and greening copper door with the Lightning Bean logo etched in the glass. After hitting his shades button and removing his hat, Steve opens the door and almost groans in pleasure. It smelled AMAZING. Shaking his head a little he enters.
The inside of the coffee shop is covered in the same dark wood, with copper and brass tubing running along the walls and ceiling. To his left is a glass wall with a gleaming apparatus sitting behind it. He follows the glass towards the back of the store to the counter. There he spies the most amazing pastries both sweet and savory.
This place is fantastic he thought to himself as he walked toward the counter. He was debating between a kolach or a canelé. Just as he arrived at the counter he heard a female voice from the back call out "Be right there!" Steve started to speak but then she came through the door.
"Good afternoon and welcome to the Lightning Bean! My name is Darcy, what can we get for you today?" Darcy says with a bright smile. She is gorgeous, Steve thinks. Her long dark hair is pulled back in some kind of half-knot with loose curls running down her back. Her bright blue eyes shown with a happy curiosity and a little bit of mischief. And her figure, well the less he thought about that the better his pants will fit.
"Hello Darcy, I will have a large medium roast with sugar. Hmm I can't decide between the kolach or the canelé any suggestions?" Steve asked nervously running a hand through his blond hair.
“They were both made fresh this morning the kolach’s filling comes from the polish butcher shop in Greenpoint and the canelé is always a hit, so sorry I can’t be more helpful.” Darcy replied with a small grin
“Oh darn, it is such a terrible decision. Well I can’t make up my mind so I will take them both.” Steve smirked
“Do you want me to warm them?” she asked with a small grin. Steve nods his assent and Darcy gives him his total. After he swipes his card, Darcy presses a button and calls out, “JARVIS wake-up order incoming.”
“Awaiting your instructions” replied a british accented male voice.
“one large medium roast coffee, sweet. and start the warmers one and two. Set one for kolach and two for a canelé. And time them for simultaneous completion.” Darcy ordered. A screen flashed and two small doors opened behind Darcy.
“Affirmative Miss Darcy, estimated time to order completion 7.13 minutes.” replied JARVIS
“well you heard JARVIS. If you would like to have a seat I can bring it over to you Mr. …?” Darcy looks at him expectantly.
“Dr. Steven Rogers, but you can call me Steve.” he offered
“Ok Steve I will bring it over soon.” Darcy gives him a smile and Steve wanders over to the seating area of the shop and the apparatus behind the glass begins to whir and gears begin to spin.
Steve moves to take a seat facing the opposite wall. The Lightning Bean’s opposite wall has two large floor to ceiling bookshelves One bookcase is filled with an eclectic mixture of non-fiction books on astrophysics, gamma radiation, yoga, archery, and tech manuals for various cars. The second bookshelf contained a large selection of fiction in various genres. Between the bookcases there is a small gear shaped table with metalic legs. On the table there was a Framed notice which read:
As Steve read the titles from his seat he heard the sound of door actuators opening and JARVIS’s voice saying, “ Order DSR complete.” Steve turns toward the counter to watch Darcy approach him. Steve swallowed, hard. She was wearing a pair of brown skinny jeans and an open duster coat in a deep espresso color with shiny brass buttons at the wide collar. Her shirt was a deep garnet red that clung to her body in all the best ways.
As Darcy reached him a tray popped out of the side of his seat and moved into position in front of him and Steve noticed there was a small button towards the back of the tray. Darcy pressed it and started handing Steve his coffee and food. From below the tray a tablet computer popped up with the Shop logo in the background. Various apps and a web browser stood at the ready.
“Thanks Darcy.” Steve said and took a bite of the kolach. Once the taste hit his tongue all he could do was moan in pleasure at the taste. When he sipped his coffee his eyes fluttered shut and as he let out a contented sigh.
“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you like it huh?” She asked with a snicker
Too busy stuffing his face to answer he nodded. she smiled and gave him a rundown of the tablet. After eating half the kolach, Steve asked her about the blank space between the bookcases.
“That is for a mural if I can ever find a decent artist. My dearest friend is an astrophysicist and I spent a summer interning for her in New Mexico. She loved the stars and that passion rubbed off on me So I want a mural of a galaxy and embed some fiber optics in it.”
“That sounds amazing Darcy. If you want, I work for MOMA do you want me to put some feelers out? I can send ‘em your way if they look promising.”
“That sounds wonderful Steve, thank you so much!”
“No problem.”Steve blushes slightly. “This place is amazing and since it is so close to work and home I can see myself spending a lot of time here. I am really glad my co-worker Natasha recommended this place today.”
“Natasha Romanoff?” Darcy queried
“Yes, do you know her?” Steve returned
Darcy nods, “her boyfriend Clint is a friend of mine. She stopped by earlier on her way to work early because Clint came home. Not that I blame her, when Clint unpacks it is an,” she pauses looking for the right words,”an experience.”
Steve snorts, “According to Natasha it is ridiculous and smelly. But she told me about this place when we switched out our shifts in the conservation room. I have been looking for a good coffee place since I moved back to New York. And I finally found one to come to.”
Darcy smiled and spoke out in a slightly louder voice “JARVIS add a regular customer”
“Ready Miss Darcy.” JARVIS states
“Dr. Steven Rogers, nickname Steve. Steve look into the tablet for a second.” Darcy instructs
When Steve does as ordered he hears a small click and then JARVIS says “visual reference obtained, regular customer added. Welcome Steve!”
Steve grins and leans back in his chair. “Darcy I do believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!”
Steve turned around trying to glimpse who was carrying the coffee. Drinks were not allowed in the museum because even the best mop bots Stark Industries made could never keep up with the population of New York slopping their drinks all over the place. So when he saw Natasha walking toward the glass doors for her shift in the restoration room he smiled.
"Good afternoon Natasha," Steve said greeting his fellow historian with a grin.
"Steven," she returned with a small nod of her head.
"You're here early." He replied while surreptitiously trying to read the logo on her coffee cup.
He had only just returned to the states after finishing up his PhD in art history and restoration at the Louvre and was still trying to find the best place to keep his addiction to caffeine fed.
"Clint came home last night, and while I would rather be on time, I cannot be in the apartment while he unpacks." She confided shaking her bright red curls. " He throws things everywhere before he sorts and puts it all away, the mess is ridiculously loud and" she says with a small sniff,"smelly."
" I can't say I am sad to head out a little early. I'm finally unpacked and ready to do a little exploring. I found the TInker-shop and the Grocers that you recommended but I am dying for a coffee." He dropped the professional tone just slightly, It seems she was starting to warm up to him.
"Hmm," she hummed over the rim of her cup. " There is a new place that just opened a few blocks from your place. It is tiny, but they do everything: roasting, grinding and brewing all in house. It is called The Lightning Bean."
"Sounds perfect," Steve grins. After catching Natasha up on his progress with the painting, Steve gathered his things and quickly clocked out. Once outside the museum, he headed straight for the coffee shop.
It was cool outside, the bite of fall just beginning. The pedestrians of New York were already making the switch to warmer clothing. Longer skirts, pants, higher collars and thicker corsets for the women, while the men donned thicker woollen jackets and leather replacing metal wherever possible. After a quick train ride he got off at the stop closest to his place and looked up the coffee shop on his phone.
The city had changed in the years he had been away. Before leaving for his PhD the city had a haze of exhaust hanging over it, obscuring the sunlight. It left the city looking tired when he looked at the city from Brooklyn. Today that haze was no longer an issue. Stark Industries had revolutionized the energy market with its Arc Reactor. They came in so many different sizes that they became the de facto power source for practically everything overnight. Now the city gleamed under the fall sunshine, light bouncing off glass and metal. After being inside all day, it half blinded Steve and he hit the shades button on his hat as soon as he could.
By the time Steve reached the end of the block he could already smell that amazing coffee again. His pace quickened until he found himself in front of a dark wood and greening copper door with the Lightning Bean logo etched in the glass. After hitting his shades button and removing his hat, Steve opens the door and almost groans in pleasure. It smelled AMAZING. Shaking his head a little he enters.
The inside of the coffee shop is covered in the same dark wood, with copper and brass tubing running along the walls and ceiling. To his left is a glass wall with a gleaming apparatus sitting behind it. He follows the glass towards the back of the store to the counter. There he spies the most amazing pastries both sweet and savory.
This place is fantastic he thought to himself as he walked toward the counter. He was debating between a kolach or a canelé. Just as he arrived at the counter he heard a female voice from the back call out "Be right there!" Steve started to speak but then she came through the door.
"Good afternoon and welcome to the Lightning Bean! My name is Darcy, what can we get for you today?" Darcy says with a bright smile. She is gorgeous, Steve thinks. Her long dark hair is pulled back in some kind of half-knot with loose curls running down her back. Her bright blue eyes shown with a happy curiosity and a little bit of mischief. And her figure, well the less he thought about that the better his pants will fit.
"Hello Darcy, I will have a large medium roast with sugar. Hmm I can't decide between the kolach or the canelé any suggestions?" Steve asked nervously running a hand through his blond hair.
“They were both made fresh this morning the kolach’s filling comes from the polish butcher shop in Greenpoint and the canelé is always a hit, so sorry I can’t be more helpful.” Darcy replied with a small grin
“Oh darn, it is such a terrible decision. Well I can’t make up my mind so I will take them both.” Steve smirked
“Do you want me to warm them?” she asked with a small grin. Steve nods his assent and Darcy gives him his total. After he swipes his card, Darcy presses a button and calls out, “JARVIS wake-up order incoming.”
“Awaiting your instructions” replied a british accented male voice.
“one large medium roast coffee, sweet. and start the warmers one and two. Set one for kolach and two for a canelé. And time them for simultaneous completion.” Darcy ordered. A screen flashed and two small doors opened behind Darcy.
“Affirmative Miss Darcy, estimated time to order completion 7.13 minutes.” replied JARVIS
“well you heard JARVIS. If you would like to have a seat I can bring it over to you Mr. …?” Darcy looks at him expectantly.
“Dr. Steven Rogers, but you can call me Steve.” he offered
“Ok Steve I will bring it over soon.” Darcy gives him a smile and Steve wanders over to the seating area of the shop and the apparatus behind the glass begins to whir and gears begin to spin.
Steve moves to take a seat facing the opposite wall. The Lightning Bean’s opposite wall has two large floor to ceiling bookshelves One bookcase is filled with an eclectic mixture of non-fiction books on astrophysics, gamma radiation, yoga, archery, and tech manuals for various cars. The second bookshelf contained a large selection of fiction in various genres. Between the bookcases there is a small gear shaped table with metalic legs. On the table there was a Framed notice which read:
Lightning Bean Lending Library:
All books are free to be read whenever you come to visit. Additional titles can be requested via the Library App on our tablets.
Books may leave the store with management approval.
All books are free to be read whenever you come to visit. Additional titles can be requested via the Library App on our tablets.
Books may leave the store with management approval.
As Steve read the titles from his seat he heard the sound of door actuators opening and JARVIS’s voice saying, “ Order DSR complete.” Steve turns toward the counter to watch Darcy approach him. Steve swallowed, hard. She was wearing a pair of brown skinny jeans and an open duster coat in a deep espresso color with shiny brass buttons at the wide collar. Her shirt was a deep garnet red that clung to her body in all the best ways.
As Darcy reached him a tray popped out of the side of his seat and moved into position in front of him and Steve noticed there was a small button towards the back of the tray. Darcy pressed it and started handing Steve his coffee and food. From below the tray a tablet computer popped up with the Shop logo in the background. Various apps and a web browser stood at the ready.
“Thanks Darcy.” Steve said and took a bite of the kolach. Once the taste hit his tongue all he could do was moan in pleasure at the taste. When he sipped his coffee his eyes fluttered shut and as he let out a contented sigh.
“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you like it huh?” She asked with a snicker
Too busy stuffing his face to answer he nodded. she smiled and gave him a rundown of the tablet. After eating half the kolach, Steve asked her about the blank space between the bookcases.
“That is for a mural if I can ever find a decent artist. My dearest friend is an astrophysicist and I spent a summer interning for her in New Mexico. She loved the stars and that passion rubbed off on me So I want a mural of a galaxy and embed some fiber optics in it.”
“That sounds amazing Darcy. If you want, I work for MOMA do you want me to put some feelers out? I can send ‘em your way if they look promising.”
“That sounds wonderful Steve, thank you so much!”
“No problem.”Steve blushes slightly. “This place is amazing and since it is so close to work and home I can see myself spending a lot of time here. I am really glad my co-worker Natasha recommended this place today.”
“Natasha Romanoff?” Darcy queried
“Yes, do you know her?” Steve returned
Darcy nods, “her boyfriend Clint is a friend of mine. She stopped by earlier on her way to work early because Clint came home. Not that I blame her, when Clint unpacks it is an,” she pauses looking for the right words,”an experience.”
Steve snorts, “According to Natasha it is ridiculous and smelly. But she told me about this place when we switched out our shifts in the conservation room. I have been looking for a good coffee place since I moved back to New York. And I finally found one to come to.”
Darcy smiled and spoke out in a slightly louder voice “JARVIS add a regular customer”
“Ready Miss Darcy.” JARVIS states
“Dr. Steven Rogers, nickname Steve. Steve look into the tablet for a second.” Darcy instructs
When Steve does as ordered he hears a small click and then JARVIS says “visual reference obtained, regular customer added. Welcome Steve!”
Steve grins and leans back in his chair. “Darcy I do believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!”
