Tw~frog is inside the house, crying, Sammy is scared of frogs, the twins tease Sammy about frogs? Pranks?? Idk let me know if I missed anything!
Lola and Lydia, for some reason today had broughten a frog into the house letting it hop all around the living room as you told them to get that out the house.
“Go and put it outside girls” you tell them as Sammy crawls higher against the couch trying to get away from the frog as it bounces towards him.
Inevitably you hear a shriek from Sammy, the exact thing you were trying to prevent. You stare at the three of them, your two year old standing on the couch shifting his weight from leg to leg as he tries to get the frog off of him while Lola and Lydia continue to lungs for the frog while yelling about warts.
“Steve” you shout before he’s hurrying down the stairs.
Eventually he’s gotten the frog under control before tossing it out of the window.
“Who brought the frog in?” He asks before the twins let out guilty little me’s.
You’re gently handing Sammy to Steve as he cries hiding his face in his dad’s neck.
“Don’t want a wart” he cries, not that he really even knew what a wart was, the way Lola and Lydia were saying though it sounded bad.
“Buddy, you’re not gonna have a wart.” Steve tells his as he wipes his tears.
“Yes he will dad!” Lola starts as her sister follows her into the living room.
“Yea! The frog touched his knee!”lydia agrees
“He’ll have one right here!” Lola remarks as she touches Sammy on his right knee causing him to look between Steve and his sisters.
Steve sighs, “no one’s getting a wart.” He says putting an end to their arguements.
Can someone pls send me stranger things requests(preferable from the dad!eddie or Steve series but idc at this point I just miss writing stranger things stuff😭😭)
Summary: Steve and Peggy have been divorced for a year and Sarah is still starting to find her groove in it. However, it becomes a lot easier when she and Typhanie realize it might be time for her dad to start dating again.
Pairings: tattooartist!dad!Steve x Reader, Typhanie x Sarah, Peggy x Logan, Bucky x Natasha
Word Count: 1806 words
Warnings: cussing? that’s about it!
Between the Ink and Papers Masterlist - Masterlist to Other Works
Previous Chapter
--
A simple creak and the door opened, casting a dim light from the hall. Their home was simple, tucked away above the shop. Steve slept on a pullout couch so that Sarah could have her own room. At her request, there were plants everywhere. A way to remind him that this was their home. Not just his.
Not that he minded one bit.
Steve quietly closed the door behind him. A small smile tugged at his lips when he saw her backpack on the cluttered counter and the mail on the floor. Poor kid had probably been so tired that she hadn’t even noticed. He scooped the letters up, tucking them back into place before grabbing her backpack. His eyes shifted briefly to the microwave, the blinking red 1:00 a.m. far too obnoxious.
He was definitely getting too old for these late nights.
Scratching the back of his head, he silently made his way to the back, cringing only when a floorboard squeaked underneath him. He paused. Surely that didn’t wake her. Steve gently opened the door.
Inside, sprawled out on her bed and half hanging off, was his daughter. That crazy teenager. She was half hanging off, her pillow already on the floor. If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that she’d gotten in a fight with the bed and that the thing won.
He gently tucked the backpack next to her dresser and crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. What a dork. It made him think back to that awkward woman that he tattooed earlier.
The gun was between his fingers, poised and ready to go. Brow arched and lips quirked, he found himself absolutely confused. “Uh…” He shrugged. “Okay?” Steve raised the gun, waving it around. “Can I get started now?”
Y/N’s head tilted, curiosity getting the better of her. “Really? You don’t care?”
Steve snorted as she extended her arm. The familiar buzz filled the air as he got to work on the piece. “Should I? She seems to be doing better, so safe to say you’re doing your job. I’m just doing mine.”
She hadn’t said anything else after that. Apparently the buzzing had been enough for them. Not that he minded. He actually preferred when his customers weren’t the chatty kind.
Shaking his head, Steve pulled the door shut and blinked away his own sleep. He hated how tired he was. It seemed his time with Sarah passed by too quickly for him to actually enjoy it and being exhausted never helped. Still…he collapsed on the couch, too tired to unfold the bed lying underneath. Just a few minutes…
Just a few and he’d get back up.
--
The smell of bacon and coffee woke him up. He jolted, blood rushing and pounding in his head as his boot scraped against the floor. Blinking, he ran a hand through his messy hair before pressing his palms to his eyes.
“Hey, old man.” The squeak against the floorboard made him look up, relieved to find she was holding a mug filled with black coffee. “I don’t want to deal with you being a grouch. Drink up.”
He groaned, taking the mug before she returned to their breakfast. “Is that how you’re supposed to talk to your dad?” Downing half the mug’s contents in one gulp, Steve immediately felt better. He rose to his feet, knowing his shirt was probably a mess and realizing he still had his boots on.
Definitely – he was definitely getting too old for the shop.
“How long’ve you been up,” he asked, noticing that she was almost done with his breakfast. “You could’ve kicked me or something.”
“Why?” She pushed the plate onto the bar, grabbing a fork and knife as he took a bite of bacon. “You work hard.” Sarah grabbed her poptarts, taking a bite as Steve froze mid-bite, shoulders slumped. “What?”
He snatched the pastry out of her hand, trading it for a piece of toast that was on his plate. “Do you think just ‘cause you’re here, you can get away with that?”
She smiled a little too innocently. “It’s just a poptart.”
“Yeah, and all the other crap you eat.”
“Hey!”
Streve smirked, gesturing to the food between them. “Eat up. We need to get you to school -- ” He glanced at his watch. “Fuck!” Looking up, he frowned when he saw that innocent look on his kid’s face.
She knew. Of course she did.
“Get your backpack. Now.” Shoving food in his mouth, he ignored the slight stomping that could only come from a teenager. “Hurry!” He snatched up a shirt, smelling it. For now, it would have to do. Changing, he shouted, “Sarah, come on!”
“I’m here.”
He spun around, tugging the shirt down. Ruffling her hair, he pushed her towards the door. “Stop huffing. You should’ve said something.”
“Maybe I just wanted to spend a day with my old man.”
Steve sighed, closing the door behind him. As much as he would love to spend the day with Sarah, he couldn’t. Not right now. “Later. We can go play pool or something. Sound good?”
Sarah hesitated, biting her lip. She knew she still needed to talk to her dad about everything she and Miss Y/L/N had gone over. And yet…the idea of just spending some fun time with him sounded too good to be true.
Yeah, talking could wait.
--
The bell’s shrill scream, though familiar, still managed to make Y/N jump out of her skin. She sighed softly, taking a much needed sip of her coffee. It was wonderful, warming her insides. Flipping open her planner, she grimaced when she saw who she had a meeting with.
How had she forgotten that was today of all days?
“Um…Miss Y/L/N?”
She looked up, massaging her temple only to stop when she realized who was standing in her doorway. “Hey.” Y/N stood, trying to hide her surprise. “Typhanie, right?”
She nodded, lip caught between her teeth and fingers fidgeting with the obnoxious hall pass in her hands. “I just – I wanted to ask you about something.”
Y/N smiled, gesturing to the chair. “Of course. Have a seat.”
Typhanie did, tucking a leg underneath as she looked around. “I’ve never actually been in here before. It’s…” She noticed the positive signs, the wall decorations, and all the bright colors. “Peppy.”
Chuckling, Y/N said, “I’ll tell my friends that’s how you described their decorating skills. So, what’s up?”
“I know you normally do like,” Typhanie sighed. “I don’t know, counseling sort of stuff? But I was wondering if you could also help with the whole future type thing. Y’know, with…” She bit her lip, doubts starting to creep in the back of her head. Why was she even here? This was a waste of time and –
“Hey.” Y/N watched Typhanie blink. Those negative thoughts were burying her, scaring her. “You mean colleges, right? The ‘after highschool’ path?”
Typhanie nodded, earning a smile. “It’s just me and my dad. We don’t exactly have a lot money wise and I just…I want to be prepared. Get the scholarships, do what I need, and…I…” She laughed, the sound coming across more as a nervous breath than anything else. “I really want to go to college, but I want to make sure it’s the right path.”
“What do you want to study?”
“Music,” she admitted with a determined nod. “And I know not everyone goes to school for it, so I just want to figure out where I’m going.”
Y/N nodded, scribbling down some notes. “I love how you’re approaching this, Typhanie. It’s mature and level-headed. Give me today to put some information together, okay? You can stop by tomorrow and we can go over it. How does that sound?”
She breathed, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “That sounds amazing. Thank you!”
“No problem. But…” She pointed to the hallpass. “You might want to go back to class before your teacher realizes it wasn’t the bathroom that you wandered off to.”
Typhanie grinned, jumping up. “Right! Yeah, of course! Um…thanks again.” She hurried out of the room, earning a far too amused laugh from Y/N.
Shaking her head, Y/N went back to the notes she’d taken. Scribbled: Typhanie Wilson. Music. College?? Needs to know her options.
She knew how overwhelming the future was. Especially at that age. At least Typhanie was seeking help. It was better than what she’d done at her age.
Knock knock
Y/N looked up. Peggy and Logan. Checking her phone, sure enough. It was time for their meeting. “Hey! Right on time.”
Peggy smiled. Weak, nervous. Like most mothers she met with. “Thank you for keeping these meetings, Miss Y/L/N.”
“It really means a lot to us,” Logan admitted. That shyness of being a new, eager stepdad was still there. Even after a year. He wanted to be good to Sarah and Y/N respected that.
“I know. Just repeating for everyone’s sake, but I cannot tell you anything Sarah has confided to me during our sessions. I’m just guiding you towards what could help your family transition best.”
“We know.” There was a hint of defeat in Peggy’s voice, a silent plea for her to bend the rules.
But Y/N wouldn’t. She cared about her students too much.
“Alright, have a seat then.”
Standing up, Y/N moved to the door. She started to close the door, pausing when she saw a familiar face.
And he saw her.
Steve raised a brow. “Uh…Y/N, right?”
She smirked. “Here, it’s Miss Y/L/N.”
He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Fair enough.” However, his eyes had wandered, catching sight of who was inside her office. “Uh…” Steve grimaced.
Peggy caught his eye, blushing. “Steve.”
“Peggy.” He glanced past her, nodding. “Logan.”
“Hey.”
Y/N looked from mother to father and back again. She had been sure that when she started these meetings with Peggy, she had been promised that Steve was informed. He had the option to join and chose not to.
Now, it was clear that hadn’t been the case.
Peggy gave her a look, another silent plea for her to keep quiet. To not say anything and simply continue their meeting.
Y/N shook her head. Oh…hell on. She looked back at Steve, leaning against the doorframe. “We’re about to have a meeting to discuss how Sarah’s been handling the past year. Do you want to join?”
Surprise. Concern. An eagerness that only came from a loving parent. Those were the emotions etching Steve’s features. Practically shining in those pretty blue eyes of his. Relieved, he admitted, “I would love that.”
Y/N nodded, opening the door wider. “Come on in.”
He crossed the threshold and she closed the door. Lingering only for a moment, she turned to the three parents. Here goes nothing. “Coffee, anyone?”
--
A/N: Thank you for all the support with this fic!! I really appreciate it!!
Summary: Steve and Peggy have been divorced for a year and Sarah is still starting to find her groove in it. However, it becomes a lot easier when she and Typhanie realize it might be time for her dad to start dating again.
Pairings: tattooartist!dad!Steve x Reader, Typhanie x Sarah, Peggy x Logan, Bucky x Natasha
Word Count: 1179 words
Warnings: Cussing! Mentions of fertility issues
Between the Ink and Papers Masterlist - Masterlist to Other Works
Previous Chapter
-.-.-.-
One of Sarah’s favorite things to do was help her dad and Uncle Bucky at Howlies Ink. The atmosphere wasn’t like a lot of other tattoo shops. People liked how relaxed it was and the look of it had a bit of everything for everyone. Sarah spun around on her stool, head bobbing to the music. When they were here, Typhanie oversaw the music and Sarah was in charge of the customers. Those were the rules.
And it worked.
“Sarah!”
She jumped, the stool coming to a screeching halt. Huffing, she hopped off and made her way to the back. Each room was designed to the artist’s style. While her dad’s was obviously her favorite, Bucky’s was cool. He had a table in the corner for sketching, artwork and photos of friends and family hung on the walls, and there were collections of old school records and radios on the walls. Sometimes he’d let returning customers pick one to listen to on the record player. She leaned against the doorframe, asking, “Yes, Uncle Buckaroony?”
Bucky tensed for a small moment, closing his eyes. Sarah didn’t bother hiding her highly entertained grin. She loved getting underneath Bucky’s skin. It was so damn easy. “Thought I told you not to call me that,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.
“Dad said you like it. You just won’t admit it.”
Bucky grumbled something under his breath, grabbing his water off the table and taking a drink. He went back to sketching as Sarah took a seat on the chair. “Some lady called earlier saying that she and her friends are coming by.”
Sarah noticed the slight twinge of disdain in his voice. Bucky hated the ‘gaggles’ as he called them. He usually helped Sarah up front, but when it came to those types of people, he preferred just staying silent, and giving them whatever ink they wanted. “I’ll help them figure out their designs, don’t worry.” She noticed how his shoulders relaxed and glanced down at his wedding band. Maybe this wasn’t just about the gaggles. “How’s Aunt Nat doing?”
“She’s tired. Can’t say I blame her.” Bucky sounded so exhausted. Almost defeated. He ran a hand through his hair and slumped in his chair.
“Are the fertility things not taking?”
Bucky’s silence was enough of an answer for her. The two had been trying everything and it just wasn’t happening. They tried keeping her out of it because ‘Sarah’s too young for this sort of thing’, but they forgot how much she listened. “Go…straighten up the front for me, would ya?”
Get out. Please.
Sarah went to the minifridge, pulling out one of his sodas. She slipped out and made her way to the front as bell rang, signaling someone’s arrival. Did the girls already show up? Sarah glanced at her phone. It was only ten. There was no way.
“There’s my favorite girl!”
Sarah looked up and grinned from ear to ear when she saw her dad. She bolted, jumping in his arms as he squeezed her tight. He dropped the fast-food on the counter, sliding one down to Typhanie as she flipped through records. Not even looking up, she caught it and pulled her headphones down to her neck. “Thanks!”
“No prob, Typh.”
She pulled out the wrap and ate away as Sarah followed her dad around the counter. “Mom never lets me eat this late,” she muttered, grabbing her fries out of the bag.
“Well, you’re on your dad’s time now and we have weird hours.” Steve chuckled, ruffling her hair. “How’s your uncle doing?”
“He’s grouchy. Only reason he isn’t drinking is because he’s here.”
Steve sighed softly. He couldn’t say he was surprised. “What about school? How was that?” With a mouthful of fries, Sarah gave her dad a very pointed look. Steve snorted as she tried to swallow around it. “Eat like a normal person.” Hearing that, Sarah dramatically drew out every bite, sticking out her tongue. Steve grimaced, pushing her face away. “Stop.”
Sarah grinned and swallowed, grabbing her soda. “Sorry.”
Steve knew better than to believe her. And honestly, he didn’t want her to be sorry. Sarah had to deal with a lot of shit because of him and Peggy. She was allowed to enjoy herself and be ridiculous. The girl – She was just a kid. He kissed the top of her head. “Did you get your homework done?”
“Most of it.”
Steve raised a brow, giving her the same look she had given Bucky earlier. He pushed her onto the stool, grabbing her backpack and setting it on the counter. He pointed to the food, “Eat.” Then to her homework, “And finish that.”
Sarah rolled her eyes, giving him an over-exaggerated mock-salute as he headed back towards his room. Typhanie glanced from the back of his head to Sarah and shook her head, not bothering to hide her smile. “You knew you needed to get all that crap finished.”
“Not all of us can be brilliant.”
Typhanie flipped through and pulled out a new CD. “Maybe this will help you out.” She picked one out and only a couple minutes later she had The Skins playing over the speakers.
Sarah laughed as Typhanie came up behind her, resting her chin on her shoulder. “Thanks,” Sarah murmured, lightly tracing her arm as Typhanie kissed her cheek.
“No prob, Babe. It’s not like you have trashy music taste.”
Sarah wanted to give a snappy retort, but before she got a chance the bell rang again. She looked up when she heard a lot of laughter. “Yay,” Sarah whispered under her breath, earning a nudge from Typhanie.
“Be nice. Mr. Barnes is rubbing off on you way too much.”
Sarah looked back. The girls looked nice enough. It wasn’t the typical group of giggling college girls that wanted some cliché tattoo on their ankle. They looked decent.
One was blonde and tall. She was that muscular type that had to spend almost every day at the gym or owned one. Judging by her attire, Sarah guessed it was the latter. She was way too calm. Too relaxed. But it was absolutely adorable to see the way her arm was draped around the shoulders of a much shorter woman. She wore her hair in dreads, pulled back into a ponytail. She had such a sweet smile, laughing at something the blonde had said in her ear. Aw, they’re cute!
There were also two brunettes. Sarah recognized one’s type. Worked way too hard, probably had a stick up her ass when she was at the office. But when she had a free night, she wanted to let loose. Judging by the name brand clothes, Sarah guessed lawyer. The other was decked out in red and didn’t quite match the others. Weird. She had that artist sort of vibe.
Sarah’s eyes shifted to the last person and she tensed.
She blinked once. Twice.
What?
She blinked again, rubbing her eyes. Impossible. She came face to face with someone she never would have expected in a tattoo shop.
okay guys i know it’s been 48 years idk if you guys even remember this story BUT the LAST chapter of missing linc will be up either tonight or tomorrow!!! thank u so so so much for being so patient with my unorganized ass, i’m so fuckin excited because this will be the first time i’ve ever completed a series omg. can’t wait to post it!
notes: this chapter is a bit of an “in-between” kind of chapter, promise the next one will be more eventful. would love to hear your thoughts though, and feel free to send me guesses as to what you think will happen next!
It was around 9 PM when your phone screen lit up with a call from Steve. You had come home with a blend of emotions, mainly disappointment and even a little irritation. You had been considering reaching out to Peter and asking if he wanted to hang out, but you felt too disheartened even for that. All you could think about was what you could have done wrong, or what could have possibly happened in 24 hours that made Tiana and Steve want to fix all of their issues. Were you selfish for being upset about that? Wouldn’t this be better for Linc? What were you thinking, anyways, even envisioning that you and Steve could work out together? He was a grown man, for God’s sake, what would your friends and family think?
And so you declined the call, too upset at this point to even want to hear his voice. He was persistent; he tried two more times and you hit the red icon, adamant in your decision. You wondered if he would send a text, and sure enough, a message appeared.
Steve: Let me explain everything. Please.
You bit on your lip. Was he simply going to explain why he was rejecting you over the phone? You weren’t sure if you had the strength to listen to that right now.
Y/N: I don’t want to talk right now Steve.
Steve: Just for five minutes. It’s not what it looked like back there, I promise. I just couldn’t say anything in front of her.
You blinked as you read the message, unsure how to feel. In a way, it was relieving, but it still felt wrong. If you were somehow going to be with him, would it have to be a secret the entire time? You supposed you wouldn’t know if you didn’t talk to him.
Y/N: Five minutes.
He called you immediately after and you felt your heart pounding, unsure if you were more nervous or heated. You answered, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. “Hey.”
“Y/N. Thank you so much for answering.” He sounded genuinely grateful and relieved and you almost began to feel guilty for not wanting to talk to him, but you snapped yourself out of it. He was in the wrong here, not you. “Are you and Tiana an actual thing now?” you questioned bluntly, past the point of beating around the bush. “No. No, we’re not. I actually told her about us, and how I want to pursue something with you.” You blinked in surprise, sitting up straighter in your bed. “And what did she say…?”
“She was… upset, at first.” He sighed and you could hear the stress in the mere exhale itself. “There’s a lot about our relationship you don’t know yet, Y/N, and I want to tell you everything. But that has to be in person. So we had a bit of an argument, but… I finally got her to agree to a divorce.” Your eyes widened, but you were only more confused than before. “So then, this weekend…?” you asked, barely frowning
“She wants to have one last weekend, just, you know, a trip to at least end everything on a good note. And… to be honest, it’s the least I can do for her. Again, I’ll explain everything in person. But our relationship, it’s done. After this weekend, everyone can just… move on. How she was acting today, it was rude and unnecessary, but I guess she just felt threatened. Jealous. And I tried talking her out of asking you to watch Linc. It feels fucked up that you would have to do that given the circumstances, but--”
“I don’t mind,” you cut him off, feeling like you had to make that clear before addressing everything else. “I really care about Linc, Steve. Taking care of him, to me, is separate from… whatever you and Tiana are.”
“Divorcing. Very soon.” He responded immediately, and you could tell that he wanted nothing more. Still, you were not exactly feeling relieved and ecstatic about all of this. “Steve, how exactly do you think this weekend is going to go…?”
There was a pause. You resisted the urge to sigh. He may have been older and more experienced, but clearly, he was still a typical guy when it came to girls and relationships.
“Pretty… casual,” he finally responded carefully, and you could tell that even he was unsure. “It’s not romantic or anything, Y/N, I assure you. It’s just... two friends hanging out. Yeah, there may be some conflict and we might have some serious conversation about our relationship. But she knows I want to end it, and she’s accepted my terms. I promise, there’s nothing to worry about.” You barely frowned, unsure how much you believed this. Considering the woman could cheat on Steve with no problem, you had a feeling she may have something up her sleeve. But seeing that Steve had pointed out that you did not know about their whole relationship just yet, you decided to think more fairly.
“You said you wanted to explain things to me in person.” You continued to speak candidly. “Can we do that before you leave this weekend? I think you owe me that at the very least…”
“I… I’m not sure if I can. I have meetings every single day this week, not to mention conference calls with business partners overseas, I--”
“Then what’s the point of this, Steve?” you cut him off, now more frustrated than before. “Where were you seeing this going? We’d just go on dates whenever it’s convenient for you, all while you’re dealing with this shit with your wife? Did you… did you even think this through?” You were becoming more upset by the second. You had thought of Steve as someone mature, someone who was different from all of the juvenile and reckless boys your age. Was he just as naive as the rest of them? He sounded flustered as he answered. “No, no, it’s not like that Y/N-- I’m just--” he paused and sighed heavily, and you could tell he was stressed. “It’s not any excuse, I know, but there’s been a lot going on with Tiana and I for years now. I guess it’s just overwhelming for me to be juggling that with suddenly having feelings for someone else. I.. I fell out of love with her a long time ago, to be honest. But even since then, I had never come across someone I felt something for until I met you. This is new to me, Y/N, I haven’t done this kind of thing in over ten years.”
You had to admit, you felt sympathy. Maybe you were asking too much for him to figure all of this out at the same time. But maybe that also meant you should step back until he was done with Tiana for good. The very thought broke your heart, but you knew it made the most sense. “I’ll still help you guys out with Linc whenever you need it. But I think we need to stop having these personal conversations until you get everything straightened out with her. It doesn’t feel right.”
There was silence for a few moments before he finally sighed lightly, and you could hear him smile through his words. “You know, if I was as mature as you are when I was twenty-- hell, as mature right now-- my life could be very different.” He paused before continuing, “I hate to say it, but you’re right. It was selfish of me to try to balance both of you together when it should just be one or the other. I didn’t think of it like that because I was just so focused on ending my relationship with her. But it’s a process, and it’s not fair to be stringing you along during it.” You were almost disappointed that he was agreeing so easily, but you knew it was childish to think like that. He was agreeing because he could understand what was best for both of you at the moment. “But I promise you, Y/N, this doesn’t mean I’m just letting you go. I know now more than ever that I want to explore whatever this may be. And so when I finalize everything with Tiana, I.. I want to pursue you. If you’ll still have me.”
You listened feeling bittersweet; you wished you could have him now, but you were at least happy to know that this was the right choice and that he still wanted you. “There’s a lot we still need to know about each other,” you spoke softly, still unable to help but feel curious about what he wanted to tell you upon meeting face-to-face. “But we’ll get to that point once you’re ready to. I… I’m not going to lie to you, Steve, I’m not just going to sit around and wait for you. I’ll keep living and doing my own thing, whether it’s alone or with someone else. But I really do like you, and I really.. really hope this can somehow work out one day.”
“I understand.” He spoke sincerely, though you could tell he sounded a little melancholy at the same time, just like you. “I’m sorry for all of this drama. I never meant to drag you in the middle of all of it. Are you sure you feel comfortable watching Linc despite all of this?”
“Of course. I care about him a lot. I have ever since I met him, before I even met you. I want to do this for him, at the very least.”
“Thank you, Y/N. That means a lot.” He paused before adding quieter, “Another reason to fall for you even more.”
Your heart skipped a beat as you bit on your lip harshly. How badly you wanted to reciprocate his flirting, to talk to him in such a playful manner like how you used to. But you had to stay strong. “Goodbye, Steve. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Goodnight Y/N. You can bet on it.”
The next day went by surprisingly smooth. You had been a little nervous about drop off/pick up, considering it would now be awkward no matter which parent was there, but it was Tiana and she did not seem too fazed or upset by you. You were almost wondering if you should even believe that Steve told her he was interested in you. Perhaps she figured if she had a boyfriend on the side, she couldn’t exactly be upset. You still had many, many questions you wanted to ask Steve, but you knew you had to be patient.
As you checked your phone at the end of the day, you were welcomed with a text from Peter that had been sent about half an hour prior. Hey! Wanna come hang out at my place tonight at around 8? I’m having a few friends over, probably just going to chill and have some drinks. You realized that not everyone had summer jobs like you-- they were probably taking advantage of their free weeknights as much as they could before school started again. You were almost going to decline the offer because of work, then stopped to think about it. It wasn’t as though you had to go and get trashed, and besides, maybe hanging out with people your age was exactly what you needed. Since the two of you were in the same classes, you might even know some of his friends anyways.
Y/N: Sounds good! Might have to leave early tho bc work tomorrow. Text me the address!
You drove home and started going through your closet, deciding on a simple but cute tank top with jean shorts. It was almost as though every time Peter reached out to you, you were brought back to reality and would wonder what the hell you were doing with your life, pining after a thirty-eight-year-old man. This was what normal twenty-year-olds did-- got dressed up nice and cute, went out, gossipped, met other students, participated in a little underage drinking-- the usual. What would you and Steve do even if you did miraculously started dating? What if you had absolutely no common interests?
You pushed these thoughts out of your mind. You could return to them later. Right now, you wanted to focus on your friendship with Peter and actually having a little fun tonight. You felt as though you deserved that much.
