Rockstar!Eddie trying to convince their kid that he’s the better choice to take to school for Career Day than Steve, Bakery owner.
He even tries to sell them on Aunt Nancy who is a world famous reporter or Aunt Robin who is a code breaker at the Pentagon. Or Uncle Will who illustrates their favorite books.
Steve brings out a tray of cookies to the dining room table and the kid gets stars in their eyes at him, “But Daddy makes cookies!”
“Yeah, you do have a point, love,” as he is picking up a cookie himself.
“It worked on you, didn’t it?” Steve grins.
“That it did, sugar dumpling, that it did,” he said wryly, pulling Steve to him and kissing him hard.
Heeey so I wasn't planning on adding onto the little baker!steve fantasy author/audio narrator!eddie au ficlet but alas the heart wants what the heart wants and here's eddie's POV(M for language/some sexual themes):
Eddie was wandering his new Pilsen neighborhood. Chicago had been a good change of scenery for him so far. It was still a couple of hours before the sun came peeking through the sky, stupid sleepy head, Eddie mused to himself. He wandered his condo’s surrounding neighborhood hoping the fresh air would clear his mind.
The thing was he was between recording the audio for his latest installment in his fleshed out fantasy collection as well as starting a YA series he liked staying busy, but-
He was stuck.
Writers block was a bitch.
He pulled his leather coat tighter around him as the chill started to sink in, that’s when he saw it for the first time the innocuous signage just stating:
Bakery
What it lacked for in a creativity it made up for in the best croissant Eddie had ever had outside of Europe.
And one of the hottest men he had ever laid eyes on, period.
He had been taken aback and just pointed at the pastry and paid while grumbling out a thanks before leaving. He bit into it on his walk home not able to wait, stopped in his tracks to savor the buttery perfection and honest to god moaned about it.
The name of the bakery was actually Steve’s Sweets. He now regularly saw the same man at about five in the morning, still goddamn twilight hours, who he assumed was the aforementioned Steve. The unsuspectingly buff man who made all these baked goods in a frilly, ridiculous apron and a soft smile that felt like it was just for Eddie.
If the nail bat wielding anti-hero in his YA novel had been written into having swooping chestnut hair and sparkling amber almost hazel eyes none would be the wiser.
The writers block had officially been lifted but Eddie was superstitious and he didn’t want his lucky streak to break so he kept visiting the bakery- for that reason alone he convinced himself.
The surprise he felt when he walked in one snowy morning and hearing himself narrate the second book in his fantasy series had his skin prickle, did he know?
Steve was wiping his hands off on his apron as he came out to greet Eddie. Eddie couldn’t help but be enamored by the stray flour at the angle of his jaw. He wished to brush it off the man with his thumb and lean in for a kiss in the same spot after.
Eddie’s curiosity was a pesky thing as he pushed out, “You like fantasy?”
The other man looked like a deer in headlights as his beautiful eyes widened at the question.
Way to ruin a good thing, Eddie. He chastised himself wishing he could swallow those words back. He watched the blush rise on the handsome bakers face. It made something warm invade his chest at how adorable it looked.
“Sorry, lost in another world. Yeah? I mean- yes, kinda my first foray into it. I was never a big reader but the way this one is told I look forward to my mornings to listen to more.” He answered as he fiddled with a lacy frill on his apron. The delicate tendons in his hand dancing with the movement as Eddie imagined those same broad hands being held above his head as Eddie hovered over him and kissed down his throat.
Fuck, he had just finished a few of the racier chapters in his current audiobook recording. He couldn’t help his residual horniness. He artfully stumbled out a quick, ‘don’t let me keep you from it then.’ While paying and making his exit.
He tried his best not to picture the baker listening to him narrate the stories sex scenes.
The interactions grew from there and Eddie knew the guy hadn’t wised up to who Eddie was. Or was an extraordinary actor at the nonchalance of it all. They joked in a way that edged into flirting and Eddie hadn’t felt so into anyone in such a long time. Sometimes the man would still have the audiobook playing when Eddie came in.
Until-
One morning Eddie walked in and wasn’t the only patron. The two men had been bickering fondly when his presence was realized and the younger one eyed him- oh no, Eddie knew the look of recognition.
“Y-you’re Eddie Munson.” The young man’s voice broke on the statement.
The baker, Steve, still didn’t seem to make the connection as he patronized the other customer and bagged up a pastry and something else free of charge for Eddie as he exchanged a quick pleasantry and made his retreat.
He had meant to tell the man he would be out of town for two weeks when he came in that morning. He felt like a coward now finding solace in his promotional tour for his YA trilogy.
Maybe he would have the right words for Steve when he returned.
(Cue Steve blaming Dustin for scaring off his customer crush and pining until...eventually Eddie returns. Now with anothet part bc clearly I am unwell about them.)
Star? Why is Baker Steve so grumpy? Was he always that way or did something happen?
I dont want to give away his entire back story but I'll share part of it
Baker!Steve wasn't always a grump. But he sacrificed a lot to take care of his mom when she got sick, between making sure she was alright and school, he kinda forgot to take of himself. Then he spent all of his time on opening the bakery with Bucky.
He never regretted that but he didn't socialize much. Canceled first dates that were never rescheduled became the norm. He was okay with that.
Then he met you—you made him want to put himself out there again. But for some reason he just cant stop saying the wrong thing around you. He cant help that he's jealous of what's his face. He can't help that he's worried that he waited too long to make a move.
[image ID: a gif from infinity war of steve hugging bucky. /.end ID]
masterlist
18+
wc: 1900 words
warnings: food. reader gets picked up by steve. i kinda gave our baba anxiety(sorry)
a/n: i am SO proud of this! i hope you all love it! and i am very happy to expand the chef/baker universe! i sprinkled in a hint at a future fic with baker!nat, but let me know if you guys have any suggestions for our other friends!
pairing: chef!daddy!bucky x gn!little!reader
summary: bucky takes you to a baker's convention and you get to try new creations from his closest friends. special appearances from natasha, sam, and steve!
⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ ⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾
Bucky helped you put on your lanyard and nametag at the convention center’s entrance. He knew you could do it yourself, but he was stalling and needed something to occupy his shaky hands. He straightened out your shirt, another nervous habit of his.
“Are you excited, bubba?”
“Yes! So excited, Daddy.”
“Good, good. Daddy’s excited too.”
He kept fiddling with your clothes and tried not to think about how nervous he was for today. You’d met his baker buddies before, but never all at once, in one day. And never in such a crowded place.
He wasn’t worried because of you; he was worried about all the things beyond his control. What if the convention was too overwhelming? What if you two got separated? What if a stranger was mean to you? Breathe, Bucky. Breathe.
“Daddy?”
“Y-yeah?”
“I can have all the sweets I want today, right?”
Bucky laughed, taken aback by your question.
“Our minds are in two different places, honeybun.” He stopped messing with your clothes and kissed your forehead. “Yes, you can have all the sweets you want if you remember your manners–and if you give me a big hug right now.”
You squealed and wrapped your arms around Bucky, squeezing him with all your might. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Bucky was starting to feel a bit better. As usual, you were able to calm his nerves and remind him that he had nothing to worry about. He was a good caregiver. If you got overwhelmed, he would know the signs and how to help you. If you got lost, he had plenty of friends and colleagues who knew you, loved you, and would do anything to help. If a stranger tried ruining your day, he was more concerned with what you could do to them than what they could do to you.
While you were hugging Bucky as hard as you could, you were also helping slow down his heart rate and the other physical signs of his stress. He was finally prepared to go in.
“Are you ready, baby?”
“Yes! Yes! I’m so ready!”
You swung your interlocked hands back and forth as you and Bucky walked through the doors and down the long hallway that led to the convention center.
The sight of the many vendors and their stalls selling baked goods stopped you in your tracks. There were more than you could count. It seemed as if there were endless rows of cookies, cupcakes, pies, and happy people enjoying the art of baking.
Bucky noticed a friend giving you a slight wave to get your attention. He gently tugged your hand.
“Do you wanna go over there, honey? That booth looks good.”
You looked at the booth and gasped, then walked as fast as you could to get there, tugging Bucky along behind you. You were by no means as gentle with Bucky as he had been with you earlier. He laughed good-naturedly as you practically pulled his arm out of its socket.
“Natty!”
“Hey there, firecracker.”
Bucky greeted her with a nod. “Natalia.”
“Buchanan.” She turned to face you again. “I saw you pulling your Daddy back there. I could teach you this trick if you re-”
Bucky covered your ears with his hands and gave his friend a bewildered look. “You’re not teaching them that,” he whisper shouted.
Natasha stifled a laugh while Bucky took his hands away from your ears and tried to redirect your attention. “Which of these treats do you wanna try first, bun?”
“Can I have one of the cakes, please?”
“Comin’ right up.” She handed you a small plate with a square piece of cake and two forks. Bucky motioned for you to take the first bite. Your eyes widened in delight. The cake was so delicate and soaked in a sweet milk. The cake itself was sightly sour, but the sweet milk and ganache topping balanced the whole dessert.
“What is this?”
“It’s bird’s milk cake. Do you like it?”
“Mhm!” You went in for another bite.
“I have something else for you to try too.” Natasha reached beside her and handed you and Bucky another plate with two small, potato-like objects. “This is called kartosha.”
You tried pronouncing this new word before taking a bite. Once again, you were struck by how beautifully simple and balanced the dessert was. Bittersweet cookie crumbles were combined with sweet, sticky condensed milk.
“It’s so good!”
“I’m glad you think so.” Natasha looked like she was going to say more, but then a special someone caught her eye. She leaned over to whisper in your ear. “I think someone’s been stealing looks and wondering when you’re going to visit their booth.”
You whipped your head around and saw Sam look quickly in the other direction, as if he was pretending that he hadn’t been looking at you earlier. He had a mischievous smile on his face though, and his eyes wandered to you for a second before darting back. He rocked back and forth on his heels and even began to whistle a little. You giggled at his attempts to look casual.
You turned to Bucky. “Daddy, can we go to Sammy’s booth?”
“Sure can, let’s say bye to Nat first.”
“Bye, Natty! Thank you for the cake and kartosha!”
“You’re welcome.” She walked around the booth to give you a goodbye hug. “You have to come visit the cafe soon, okay? The kitties miss you and I need some help from my little decorator.”
“I will!” You waved goodbye and then skipped to Sam’s booth.
He was still putting on his oblivious act.
“Sammy, hi!”
“Oh, hey! I didn’t even see you there!”
You laughed and shook your head. “Nuh uh, I saw you looking!”
“Alright, alright, ya caught me. But once you see the show I’ve got planned for you, you’ll understand.”
“A show?” you asked, bouncing excitedly.
“Yup. A whole show. Tell me something, do you like caramel?” He took a step to where his burner stove was.
“Yeah!”
“Okay well this isn’t exactly caramel, but if you like caramel, you’ll like this.” He put a small pan on the stove and turned on the heat. “We’ll start off with a little butter, some cinnamon, and brown sugar.” Sam effortlessly dropped and sprinkled the ingredients into the pan as he listed them off. He gave the mixture a stir, shaking the pan at the same time like a pro.
“Now I don’t know if you like bananas. But if you don’t, you’ll like them after this.” He put a small handful of slices into the pan and coated them in the sauce. He turned off the stove.
“Alright, here’s the real show. I need y’all to take one step back so you’re behind that red tape on the floor.”
You and Bucky did as he said.
“Perfect, thank you. Now these bananas just need a little more juice.” He poured a small amount of clear amber liquid into the pan. “And they could also use a little more heat.” He flicked a lighter just to the side of the pan, setting all of the amber liquid aflame. He shook the pan back and forth, flipping the bananas in the flaming sauce. You watched the fire, absolutely mesmerized by how it shifted and how Sam had so much control over the volatile force. He kept the whole thing moving, like it was a choreographed dance between him and the flaming pan where he was the leader. Slowly, the flames died down and the bananas were left in a glistening sauce.
“THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING EVER!” you screamed, clapping your hands and jumping up and down. “How did you do that?!”
“A lot of practice, okay? Don’t ever try this at home.”
You nodded. “I’ll just watch you do it every day.”
Sam laughed. “If you boost my ego like this every time, I’ll do this whenever you want. You ready to try the bananas now?”
“Yes please!”
“Alright, and one more very important question.” He halted and looked at you seriously. “Do you want ice cream?”
𓏲 ࣪₊♡
Sam gave you and Bucky two beautiful bowls of bananas foster, he called it. He grinned from ear to ear as you asked him endless questions. You wanted to talk more(and ask for another serving), but a crowd full of people wanting to see Sam’s show had formed. You thanked him profusely and waved goodbye nearly your entire walk to the next booth, until you had to turn the corner and could no longer see your friend. Luckily, Bucky was holding your other hand and leading the way to make sure you didn’t bump into anyone or get lost.
You were about to mourn the end of the best time of your life, when you saw another friend waving to you excitedly.
“Stevie!”
You skipped to his booth and he met you in the middle, picking you up for a bone-crushing hug.
“I missed you, bug!”
“Easy, Rogers. Bubba’s full of sweets and ice cream.”
Steve set you down gently and fixed your clothes that he had messed up. “Sorry, bubba, sorry. Wait–you had ice cream already?”
“Uh huh! We went to Sam’s booth!”
“Aw, you went to Sam’s booth before mine? That’s not fair!” he whined. He put a hand over his chest. “You’re breakin’ my heart, bubba.”
“And he gave me a fire show.”
“And he gave you a fire show?” Steve pretended to cry, putting his head in his hands and allowing sobs to run through his body.
“Stevieee, c’mon!” You wrapped your arms around him and patted his back. “Do you know what Sammy didn’t give to me?”
“What?” Steve asked, still pouting.
“Two hugs!”
Steve stopped his crocodile tears and returned your embrace, swinging you side to side to hear your giggles.
“I guess the hugs make up for me not having any fire. And I’m the best hugger you know, right?”
“I-”
“Let’s go see the sweets I have for you!” he said, cutting you off. He carried you on his hip for the short walk to his booth and set you down at the front of it, because only vendors were allowed in the behind area.
Steve stepped behind the display and fixed his apron. Before he spoke, he puffed out his chest and held out his hands in a theatrical manner.
“Welcome to a slice of paradise! We have every pie you can think of! Apple, pumpkin, pecan, key lime, cherry, strawberry–every American classic! And for the non-pie lovers, I have cheesecakes, tarts, and the best rice krispie treats made with my Ma’s secret recipe.” He ended his speech with a wink.
“Wow! There’s so many! I don’t know which one to choose.” You looked at Bucky for assistance.
“Lucky for you, my little bug, I have a sampler platter!” Steve presented you with a plate of many small squares of everything he was selling, all with different colored toothpicks. “You can try these out and when you decide the one you want, let me know and I’ll serve you a whole slice.”
You giddily took the sampler plate and tried all the samples with Bucky, giving Steve feedback after each bite. When you finished trying all of the sweets, you couldn’t pick just one to have a full slice of.
“Stevie?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I have another sample plate, please?”
“Sure, but don’t you want a whole slice of your favorite one?”
“I can’t choose a favorite! They’re all so good.”
Steve smiled proudly. “Alright, one more sampler platter for the charmer with the grouchy daddy.”
Bucky grunted while you giggled. “I have one more question.”
Steve nodded while he arranged your next plate. “What’s up?”
“Can I have a scoop of ice cream too? I need to try all of them with it, for science.”
“Okay Dustin, tell me one more time why you think Steve was kidnapped.” Hopper says while pinching the ridge of his nose. It’s not that he didn’t believe the boy, it's just, he highly doubts one guy would be capable of taking Steve down easily.
“He told me he was! I heard a struggle, he said kidnapped, I heard the kidnappers voice!” Dustin shrieks while waving his phone at Hopper. Will, Mike and Lucas had come to join him, they were staying quiet though, still in shock. The girls had been skeptical and refused to stop their girls day for what they thought was a cry for attention.
“Did Steve perhaps call you accidentally if he was… busy with someone?” He has caught Steve with his pants down too many times to assume the guy didn’t have varied interests in bed. Dustin just scowls and puts his hands on his hips exactly like Steve does.
“No, he was calling to tell me something. That he wasn’t going to be able to do something and then the struggle started. I heard swearing and panting like Steve was trying to get away, his speaker sounded like it had been hit because all his audio started getting really fuzzy. He was trying to say something about his kidnapper that he was weird or something like that. And then I heard the guy's voice really clearly, he said ‘in you go princess.”
“I understand Dustin, I'm just asking if there are any other possibilities. Steve is an adult man who doesn’t look like he’d be easy to kidnap, on top of that he was on the phone actively talking to a witness which is the last thing a criminal wants. Kidnappers go after people who won’t be missed, who they can convince to get out of the public eye.”
“He said goodbye to me, Hopper. He said goodbye and that he loves me.” Steve normally did this but he just had this gut feeling that something horrible had happened. “If you won’t help me I’ll go looking for him myself.”
“Slow your roll Dustin Henderson. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help, I just need as much information as possible. Did Steve tell you where he was when he was taken?”
“His phone tracking shows him around the corner from the shop when he made the call.” Dustin pulls up the map and shows him the screenshot he took of the dot in front of the corner bodega. “Now the tracking on it is spotty, wherever they’re taking him it has a bad signal, and they’re moving.”
Fuck that’s not good. Hopper stands from his desk and grabs his jacket. “Okay, I’m going to check out where Steve was last seen. You tell me if the tracking ever reappears and what direction it’s heading in, that could help us predict where they may be headed. Stay here. Do not, do anything stupid.” Hopper orders before heading out the door and getting in his cruiser to go by the bakery.
~O~
They had stopped at a gas station about twenty minutes out from the cabin because Eddie wanted s'mores supplies and some beers. Steve was kind of hungry so he picked up some snacks for them too. The two of them giggled and playfully shoved each other until the gas station owner, full of fond exasperation, said that she was going to confiscate their ID’s as fakes if they didn’t stop acting like children. Steve looked concerned while Eddie just snorted.
“Like you haven’t been letting me buy beers here since I was 19 Terry.” He winks and she flips him off. They set their haul on the counter and Steve insists on paying, smacking Eddie’s hands away when he tries to steal the other man’s card. Eventually Eddie just folds his arms over Steve’s shoulders and rests his chin on Steve’s head.
“Shall I give Wayne your best then?” He teases wiggling his eyebrows. Terry scoffs and reaches across the counter to swat him.
“You’ll be keeping your mouth shut if you know what’s good for you Edward Theodore Munson. And thank your young man for buying your groceries, what were you raised in a barn?”
“Oh trust me Lady Theressa I would like nothing more than to thank him, long and often but he has rebuffed my advances because all of you keep telling him I’m such a scoundrel!” Eddie dramatically swoons against Steve’s back, swooning a little in reality at how easily Steve holds his weight. “My knight in shining armor has rebuked me, leaving me without favor or token to get me through the dark, lonely nights!”
“Are you sure you want to be seen in public with this guy?” Terry stage whispers to Steve. Steve laughs and rubs his hand over Eddie’s forearms, the metalhead squeezing him tighter in response.
“God help me but doe-eyed, curly hair nerds are kinda my type.” That response has Eddie blushing and ducking his head to hide behind his curls against Steve’s neck. He meant it when he said he’d earn that kiss, whatever Steve needed to know his interest was in something real.
“That’s on you then. You boys stay safe out there, got it?” She gives them both an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture as they gather up their bags of snacks and offer her holiday wishes in return as they head out.
Eddie squeezes Steve’s hand once they’re back in the car warming up. Steve’s eyes are glittering and Eddie squeezes his hand again so he doesn’t lean over and accidentally steal that kiss. “If you’re not completely sick of me after this trip, and you’re willing to give this a shot, I’d like to take you to dinner.”
“I think I’d like that.” Steve murmurs. Honestly if Eddie asked he’d definitely kiss him right here and now. No one has made him laugh this much in a while, has listened to Steve talk about the bakery and the youth basketball team he’s an assistant coach for with such rapt attention. He hasn’t felt this seen since Robin, who is the other half of his brain cell, they are two halves of a whole idiot and they do just about everything together. She knows he’s thought Eddie was cute from the first time he walked into the bakery, with a grease smudge on his forehead and his hair tied up in a clip.
“Is there something on my face, you’re staring.” Eddie asks, he’s actually got a smear of chocolate from a cookie on his lip but Steve just smiles and shakes his head.
“Just think you’re beautiful, that’s all.” And as color floods Eddie’s face, prompting him to hide behind his hair again as he turns to watch the road, Steve can’t help but be unrepentantly charmed. It’s silly to think about but Steve feels like he’s fallen into one of those goofy Hallmark Christmas movies. The ones where unexpected circumstances end up bringing you exactly where you’re supposed to be to meet The One or something ridiculous like that. It’s silly he knows but he has a good feeling about this Christmas.
~O~
Most of the shops had closed by the time Hopper got there, the bodega included unfortunately. But there was a pawn shop across the street that was still open. He walked in and went to the counter where a nervous, sweaty little man stared him down.
“H-hello offfficer. What can I do for you?” He dabs at his receding hairline with a stained hanky.
“That camera out front work?” He asks and the man nods.
“Yes, I-I haven’t had many customers come in today and I have all the goods I’ve had sold to me today right over here if you need to see any of them for any reason. I do feel like I should inform you-”
“I don’t care about possible stolen goods at the moment, does that camera reach to across the street?” Hopper cuts him off not wanting to be here a second longer than he needed to.
“A little. Um, right this way officer.” He scurries over to the door to lock it and switch the sign to closed before taking Hopper to the backroom where the camera controls were set up.
“I want you to show me just before 7 to 7:15 today.” Hopper says and the man is quick to comply. He wasn’t exaggerating about the little, Hopper couldn’t see faces or anything significantly higher than people’s waists. He scanned the footage intently for anything suspicious and then he saw it. An inconspicuous looking black vehicle driving too close to the curb, kicking up sludge as it goes. He sees sharp movements and then two bodies hitting the ground. They’re almost out of frame when the incident occurs but he catches a glimpse of Steve. The young man is indeed on his phone, the device clutched in his hand as a body with its back to the camera lands on top of him. The figure is wearing what looks like jeans and a thick, dark sweater, heavy combat boots and chains dangling from one of the pockets. So definitely not Steve’s usual crowd. He watches Steve’s feet scrabble against the icy pavement before he’s pulled up and out of frame. About a minute later a similar black vehicle drives back in the other direction.
So that must be the play. Knock them off balance by driving too close, then while the victim is disoriented loading them into the vehicle and taking off back in the opposite direction. Unfortunately this camera angle didn’t provide plate details for the vehicle so that would have to wait until morning. He just hoped Steve could hold on that long.
“Rewind a bit, I want you to print out some of these frames for me.” Hopper says, pulling up another chair.
By the time he gets back to the office he’s frustrated and worried for Steve. And he knows Joyce has got to be getting worried about him too, he should have been home almost two hours ago by now.
The kids have all gone but they pinned a map to a whiteboard they commandeered and drew a trail of dots with each check in point where they could get a signal from Steve’s phone. It looks like the kidnappers are headed towards the mountains which is not a good sign for Steve’s life expectancy. He can’t despair yet though and adds the printouts of the attack to the board.
Steve is his boy and if these fuckers have hurt a single hair on his head, they’ll never find the bodies. No matter how much his heart and mind rage though there’s no new information to gather right now. He needs to go home, to tell Joyce what happened. He needs her help to figure out what to tell the kids if the worst comes to pass.
~O~
Wayne is standing in the open door as they pull up. Eddie can barely help the child-like grin on his face as he dashes up onto the porch, ignoring the crack of ice under his boots as he pulls his uncle into a tight hug.
“I’ve missed you.” He groans as Wayne squeezes him back just as tight,
“Missed you too son, now get in here so I can meet your boy finally.”
And oh how Eddie’s heart soared at hearing Wayne call Steve his boy, but first he had to tell Wayne the truth about what happened.
“About that Wayne, this is Steve, he’s a friend of mine. Hector won’t be joining us because he decided to be a two-timing scumbag.” Steve, absolute gentleman that he is, has all their bags with him that he sets down before offering Wayne his hand to shake.
“Steve Harrington sir, Eddie has been telling me so much about you.” Wayne returns the gesture with a small grin, so similar to Eddie’s.
“Just Wayne please, you gonna make an honest man of my boy before these knees are too old to walk him down the aisle?”
“Wayne!” Eddie sputters, resisting the urge to throw himself in the nearest snowdrift and just stay there until the spring thaw. He’s burning up so much right now he could possibly melt through the ice on the lake and just drown there too. Steve barely seems phased though and just gives Eddie a soft look.
“Well, we were going to maybe start with dinner. Save the wedding plans for the third date you know.” He winks and Eddie buries his face in his hands with a whine, great they get along too well.
“I’m going to bed!” He declares loudly, he’s had a shit day and the drive up into the mountains always stresses him out. Wayne just gives him the stink eye.
“You drag this boy all the way out here and just plan on disappearing? Show him around at least!” Wayne turns back to Steve and pats him on the shoulder, “I really tried to raise him with manners I swear.”
Steve throws his head back and laughs, looking so radiant and happy that Eddie barely feels his heart slip from his chest and splat down at his feet. Freely offered to the gorgeous man who offered to come here for him, who looks at him like he’s hoping as hard as Eddie is that this thing starting to take shape between them could be something wonderful.
“I think he’s just the way he’s supposed to be.” Steve says, looking at him so warmly. Eddie flushes and reaches for Steve again, craving the way their fingers feel folded together already and starts showing him around the cabin. It’s not massive or really even anything special. Living room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom across the way. There’s a little gazebo outside right on the edge of a lake which was why Wayne wanted the place to begin with. There’s boxes of decorations sitting out but no tree, when Steve asks about it Eddie just grins.
“Munson family tradition, we have to go get one. Then we spend the whole day decorating and drinking and snacking on whatever we have on hand. Sometimes we stay inside and just read while Wayne plays his old records. Or I’ll take the kids out to go skate if my cousins are around.”
“That sounds really nice Eddie. I never really got to have traditions like that growing up.” Steve had talked a bit about his cold, lonely upbringing, and how he’d never had people to celebrate the holidays with until Robin and his group of shitheads. Eddie had suspected that Steve had to be at least a bit lonely to volunteer to go to a practical stranger’s house for Christmas but Eddie was really happy he had.
“Then I’m all too happy to share ours with you.” Steve’s lip wobbles a touch as he pulls Eddie into a gentle hug.
“I feel like a horrible person for crying when you’re the one who went through so much today, but thank you for having me.” Eddie wraps his arms around Steve and holds him back just as gently, fingers sinking into Steve’s thick waves.
“Thank you for offering to come. I feel so much braver, facing everything that happened today because I wasn’t going through it alone.” The held each other for a moment longer before drifting back to their own spaces. “Want some cocoa before we head to bed? It’s a queen if you don’t mind sharing, the couch is…” he inhales sharply, “not great.”
“I feel like we’re going about things in a very weird order. Haven’t kissed, haven't been on a date but going straight to sharing a bed. Yeah, cocoa sounds nice.”
“It’s from a packet so temper your fine artisanal drink crafting expectations.” Eddie says tugging Steve into the kitchen,
Steve just shakes his head and giggles, “Just how pretentious do you think I am?”
Wayne watches them from his seat in the living room, two of them wrapped up in their own little world of new romance as they stand hip to hip in the kitchen, sipping hot chocolate and watching each other with stars in their eyes. They might actually start discussing marriage before their third date.
A/N: Hello everyone! I decided I want to make something longer than a oneshot so this is my first attempt at a Steve Rogers x Fem!Reader series! The title and the inspiration for this came from that Tina Turner song and thus this story was born! I currently don’t know how long I’ll make this but hopefully I won’t get super self conscious about my writing and like give up on this one. But, I’m super excited for this one and I really hope you guys all like it.
This will eventually contain smut so this story is considered +18 so keep that in mind when you read. But other than that I decided to make something so incredibly fluffy lol. Header is made by me! But I don’t own any of the pictures. Just the story.
Summary: Reader is a travel nurse who is looking for a slower paced job away from the hustle and bustle of the emergency room and takes a residency in a small idylic town a few hours from Boston. Where she comes to mets new friends and an especially handsome baker named Steve Rogers.
*Also just know that while I may be a Nursing major I know very little about the travel nursing world and what all of it entails with the agencies so if I say something wrong if you want to correct me just please do it nicely*
If you like my stories you can check out my sideblog @jadegreywriting to see all of them and my masterlist without filtering through my main blog.
I own all rights to this story and do not give permission for my stories to be published, translated or reposted anywhere else. The only places I have published my stories is here on Tumblr and on my AO3 account (LadyAuthor711)
PART 1: The Arrival
The listing was exactly the kind of posting you were looking for. It was a listing for a local clinic in a small town a few hours from Boston, looking for an RN who was willing to fill in at the clinic for the next five months. It would definitely be a change of pace for you and a mental break from the hustle and bustle of the ER. You were more than glad to exchange the gunshots wounds and car crashes for treating ear infections and broken wrists.
As soon as you accepted the posting you emailed the leading physician there at the clinic who also seemed to be the owner, Dr. Sam Wilson. Who seemed to be the type of man with a bursting personality from what you gleaned over your email exchange. He let you know that he was more than happy to welcome you into their town and to his clinic and he gave you the number for the local realtor; Jimmy Woo who would help you find a place for the duration of your stay in town.
After you finished up your emails with Dr. Wilson you immediately contacted Mr. Woo via email and your agency to get the matter of housing settled and then you were buying your ticket and would be flying out tomorrow morning to Boston.
As you packed you procrastinated a bit by looking up the town and scrolled through pictures of it. It was the idyllic perfect little town, maybe not so little but it definitely didn't have the occupancy of a major city. However as you continued to google the place, you also looked at the yelp reviews for most of the businesses and shops in town. It seemed like this town had everything, from a martial arts studio, a bookstore, a nursery and flower shop and the shop that had the most reviews and in fact the highest reviews was a bakery.
“Star Spangled Bakery.” You murmured to yourself and browsed through their photos. You felt your jaw drop and your mouth water at the sight of all the pictures of the beautiful confections and sweets that were available at the shop. From donuts the size of your fist to beautifully decorated cakes with intricate patterns of icing, along with brownies absolutely oozing chocolate, petit fours, croissants and even photos of people holding their coffee since this place was also a cafe too.
You scrolled to some of the reviews.
“This place is heaven on earth! And there’s even a beautiful angel here too! ;)”
“Hands down got to be the best bakery and cafe I have ever been to. Rogers never ceases to amaze!”
“God just watching Steve knead dough alone is worth giving this place five stars but he’s also amazing at making anything you can dream up! Why is life so unfair!”
You giggled to yourself as you kept scrolling through the reviews, obviously a lot of them were made by women who thought the owner of the place was attractive.
You bit your lip and went to the bakeries website in search of a picture of the infamous Steve Rogers, but you pouted a bit when there was none to be found. Of course there were a hundred more of his amazing masterpieces and a short blurb about him and how he went off to Paris to train and came back home to put his new skills to use in his family’s bakery; but there was no picture of him.
“Hmm.” you muttered to yourself and looked at the time on your phone, letting out a shriek at the fact that it was currently midnight and you just spent three hours googling this town and Steve Rogers along with the fact that you still hadn’t finished packing and your flight was in four hours.
You ran to your closet and pulled out all your winter coats since you’d be there well into the new year and your sweaters for California’s “winter”, so weren't going to cut it in Massachusetts where they actually had winter. You felt yourself involuntarily shiver at the thought of snow and grabbed an extra jacket just to be safe. You ran around your house like a madwoman making sure that you had everything together and ready for when you had to get up in approximately two hours for your flight.
***
Approximately two and a half hours later you were dressed and had already called an uber to take you to the airport. While you waited you did a quick double check of the two suitcases and carry on that had been your constant companions these past seven years of endless adventures. Then you took a look around your bare apartment, there was no trace of you here; nothing to signify that this place had been your home for the past five years. No photos or art on the walls, no little knick knacks, even your book shelves were practically bare, save for the medical books you’ve kept since college. It made everything easier that way though, not having to carry around that extra weight if you had to one day just up and go; everything that you owned could fit into three cardboard boxes.
It wasn’t a sad thought to you, that was how you wanted it. How during the duration of the program seven years ago you dreamed of being always on the move, never putting down roots and experiencing all that life had to offer. What would've been sad is if you stayed in that stuffy little box you used to call your life, always knowing and feeling that there was so much more out there you wanted, needed to experience. And now, now you could experience everything and anything you wanted to, you had no strings on you and that was perfectly fine with you.
When the uber arrived to take you to the airport you take one last look around your apartment and then grabbed your bags to head out into your newest adventure.
***
You groaned as you cracked your back as you headed off the plane with the other passengers and towards baggage claim.
You made quick work of grabbing your bags and managed to snag yourself a rental car before you plugged in the name of the clinic into google maps and started the long drive.
***
It took you about two and half hours before you finally saw the big town sign, signalling that you had finally made it! It took another twenty minutes for you to actually reach the town and when you did you slowed your speed a little more than necessary but you wanted to take it all in. The first word that came to mind when you saw the place was; idyllic.
It was like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting or an episode of Gilmore Girls with all the beautiful colors of autumn as its backdrop. As you weaved your way through the town, you saw most of the places that you were looking at online; you watched as people chatted and laughed as they entered the martial arts studio, holding bags with what you assumed would be the equipment they would use. Others were walking inside the flower shop, it’s front windows decorated to the nines with gorgeous window paintings of different flowers, there was even a bookshop here; which you made a personal note to visit as much as you can.
And there was Star Spangled Bakery and with it apparently came a line of people out the door and around the corner just waiting to get inside.
“Damn was it really that good?” You mumbled to yourself, and rounded the corner with your car heading towards the clinic.
A five minute drive through town and you had finally made it. You pulled in one of the parking spaces in front of the clinic and got out, giving your back another crack before grabbing your purse and heading up the steps and inside.
When you opened the door there was a small chime of a bell that sounded above your head. You walked further inside and saw a young black woman sitting at the front desk, you made your way over and smiled at her as she looked up and met your eyes.
“Hello!” She said with a bright smile on her head. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Hi!” You said as you returned her smile with a bright one of her own. “And yes. I am the new nurse filling in here for the next few months, I’m looking for Dr. Wilson?”
“Oh my goodness yes!” She said excitedly as she got up from her seat and made her way around the desk to stand in front of you. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Shuri.” She said, holding out her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you too. I’m Y/N.” you replied and eagerly shook her hand.
“It’s so exciting to finally have someone new here! The nurse who was here before you, Jessica, left to go work in the big city and it’s been kind of lonely here with only myself, Dr. Wilson, and Dr. Foster. So it’s very exciting to have a new friend here to work with. And I just know that we will be fast friends.” She smiled.
You let out a small chuckle. “I definitely think that we will be fast friends too, Shuri.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that! I just know that you’ll fall in love with this place. It may be a small town but we are a few hours from Boston and we have some amazing shops that are major tourist attractions. My brother and his wife, Nakia own the martial arts studio here in town. Hey. How about after you and Dr. Wilson are introduced. I'll show you around the town?”
“That would be amazing! I appreciate that Shuri.” You said, giving her an emphatic smile.
“Yeah of course!”
Suddenly, you heard one of the doors open down the hallway.
“Alright, Ms. Harkness. Everything looks great, your blood pressure was a bit high which I would like to be a bit lower. And you need to cut down on those sweets-” Dr. Wilson was soon cut off by the older woman walking out of the exam room behind him.
“As you said everything is fine and as for the sweets, I hope you aren’t trying to deny an old woman her pleasures, Sam.” Ms. Harkness said giving Dr. Wilson a soft but still stern look that meant she wasn’t going to hear anything else he said unless it was ‘good day’.
Dr. Wilson gave her a dazzling white smile before nodding his head. “Alright, you have a good day, Ms. Harkness.”
She patted his cheek, and returned his smile. “You too, Sam.” Before the old woman walked past you and Shuri; Shuri waving her out before she walked out of the clinic.
“Sam!” Shuri smiled as he walked over to where you and Shuri were standing. As the good doctor walked towards you and Shuri you could finally take in the little details of him you couldn’t see when he was down the hall. Well, you could see he was tall and built but now you got to see the warmth in his eyes and that winning smile he showed both your and Shuri’s way.
God damn this man just oozes charm.
“Good morning, Shuri.” He greeted her, before his chocolate brown eyes met yours.
“This is the new hire, her name is Y/N.”
“Yes! Ms. Y/L/N. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.” He smiled again and stuck his large hand out for you to shake. You quickly shook his hand, feeling it practically engulf yours.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Dr. Wilson.” You said feeling your cheeks warm.
“Please call me Sam!” he said and you swore he just cranked his charm levels up to eleven.
He took his hand back from your handshake. “Are you sure?” You questioned. Your years of training in both the actual medical practices and hospital etiquette refusing to call him by his first name.
“Yes. I’m sure.” he chuckled.
“Yeah. Only tourists who come in call him Dr. Wilson. Everyone knows everyone in this town and formality kind of went out the window maybe a year after Sam took over the practice from his dad.” Shuri chirped in.
“Oh alright. Well it’s definitely going to be something to get used to.” You smirked.
“I’m sure it will be a minor adjustment for you, after working with all the sooty doctors in the cities, am I right?”
“You’re most definitely not wrong.” You chuckled.
“Well now that introduction are out of the way. Can I interest you in a tour of the clinic? I think even Dr. Foster is lurking around somewhere. She’s our main OB on residence but she also does General practitioning.”
“Yes! Of course I’d love a tour of the place.”
“Alright then, Shuri, are you going to pretend at the front desk or are you going to just join us for the tour.” Sam finished but Shuri had already beat him to the punch with the back in thirty minutes sign at the front desk and started walking behind us with a big smile on her face.
***
The tour of the clinic took about an hour or so where Sam explained your duties and what kind of cases you are most likely to treat.
“We do get the occasional burn or cut especially in Winter when someone always thinks they’re He-Man tries to chop their own wood.”
“The sight of blood doesn’t bother me. I’ve dealt with more crashes and gunshot wounds in the ER than ear aches.”
“Well I hope our little clinic won’t be too slow for you, Y/N.”
“Not all, Dr - I mean Sam. “ You smiled sheepishly. “I think it'll be a nice change of pace.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Y/N.”
After that Sam did manage to find Dr. Foster, who just like Sam likes to be called by her first name; Jane.
She was a nice lady who unlike Sam didn’t grow up in this town and was a bit more like you in the way that she also worked in the big city and the major hospitals. She explained how she used to work in the major hospitals with the kind of people who grew severely uppity when you didn’t call them Doctor even while off duty and decided to work somewhere else that had a slower pace to it. Which is how she met Sam and her now husband who oddly enough is named… Thor.
“This place will definitely get you if you stay long enough.” Jane chuckled.
“I’m only here till the new year.” You replied and Jane gave you a knowing smirk.
“I was only supposed to be here for three months. Now I’ve been here for three years. This place unexpectedly grows on you.”
“And I am hoping to further contaminate Y/N with our charming town by giving her a tour!” Shuri chuckled.
“Wonderful!” Jane smiled. “If you manage to find your way to the flower shop say “Hi” to my husband for me will you? You can’t miss him.”
Shuri and you smiled and waved goodbye to Jane as you all left her office, before Shuri leaned over to whisper conspiratorially in your ear. “That’s because he’s built like a freaking tree!” Shuri chuckled, making you both laugh.
“Now, that’s something I got to see.” you whispered back.
“Then let’s go!” shuri said as she linked her arm in yours and you both waved goodbye to Sam and Jane and headed to Shuri’s car which was parked behind the clinic.
A/N: Ahh! So it starts! I really hope you guys liked the beginning of my story! And are as excited as me for another part! I also promise that baker Steve will show up in the next part and some other fav characters as well!
Don’t hesitate to reblog and leave comments! It’s honestly what keeps the inspiration going!
