Chapter 1: Shuffle With Me, Houston Stranger
From: Handiwork Series
Pairing: Mechanic! Farmhand! Curtis x Bartender! Reader
Summary: Curtis keeps a busy life between helping out on the farm and running the garage. There are some moments and places that give him reprieve, though, and one of them happens to be a bar where a certain sweetie works.
Word count: 3,386
Content/warnings: not many, mentions of drinking and alcohol, bar setting, weird vague emotional states, another guy hopelessly head over boots (what else is new, yâall should know this is how I write all my love interests at his point), menacing foreshadowing
Authorâs Note: this takes place at the same time as chapters 3, 4, and 5 of YCMBWH and chapter 1 of The Rainmaker. You can technically read it alone, but the other stories help fill in some gaps. Check out the rest of the AU!
Dividers by @firefly-graphics
Outta Nowhere AU | Series Masterlist | Next >
Curtis walked into the shop with sore shoulders and a slight ache in his heels from a long day of unexpected work and standing. His cousin had called him in to help out with a few chores at the farm since she had to run the Friday farmerâs market, so the day was long and tiresome.
The last thing he wanted to do right now was go through and double check his books for the auto body shop, so he decided against it. Even if he went through everything tonight, itâs not like it would be quality work.
He figured heâd just quickly make sure everything was in its place in the office and the garage to make paperwork easier for him on Monday and work easier for the guys in the morning. Then, heâd be able to join his cousin and her new farmhand at the bar.
Curtis was organizing his socket wrenches by size when he heard a rattling sound become louder behind him. He turned as he sensed it coming closer, seeing an old truck pull into his garage.
He looked down to check his watch. The shop had been long closed by now, and he had places to be. Based off the noise though, he couldnât deny something was definitely wrong with the vehicle. If Curtis werenât such a good man, he wouldâve turned the patron away, but there was no saying how far a truck that sounded like that could possibly get.
He tilted his head, examining the vehicle and attempting to peer through the glare in the drivers side window when the engine turned off and he saw a pair of old, comfy shoes step down from the cab. His eyes traced up the body before him and Curtis was speechless. Your hair was just tucked under an old ball cap, nothing fancy.
âHi, I hope you donât mind, Iâm not sure what this sound means and was hoping you had time to take a look at my truck. I know you guys are closed, so itâs no rush, but Iâd really appreciate it. Iâd rather know where my car is than get stranded out in the middle of nowhere.â
Curtis continued to stand there, mesmerized by you until he shook his head back into the present. âOh, um, sure. I think I have the evening free, so let me just check on a few things real quick and I can take a look at it.â
Curtis pulled out his phone to text his cousin that he wouldnât make it to the bar tonight.
He stuffed his phone in his back pocket, going to grab a chair from the front office as you followed. âNever good when a truck that old makes a sound like that.â
You nodded along. âOh trust me, I know. Darn thingâs even older than me. Usually Iâm able to figure out the minor stuff, but this is beyond what I know.â
Curtis nodded when he went to set a metal folding chair down by where you had pulled the truck onto one of his lifts. It scraped against the concrete floor, and he was surprised by the way you simply looked at it, as if you were offended that heâd want you to sit down.
âOh, by the way, Iâm Curtis, I own this shop.â The mechanic stuck out his hand, cleaner than you wouldâve expected, and you shook it, introducing yourself.
âAh, itâs nice to meet you. One of my coworkers actually suggested I come here when the truck started acting up. Said his best friend was the big cheese.â
Curtis laughed. âUm, he used those exact words? Or are those yours? Where are you from?â
You shook your head. âOh no, sorry, those were my words. I think he just called you the boss, heâs the bouncer at the bar?â
Curtis clicked his tongue as he walked over to the hood of your car, propping it open. âOkay, youâre talking about my buddy, Edgar. Yeah, Iâm glad he sent you to me. He works some shifts for me now and then. So youâre new to town? I go to the bar pretty often, Iâve never seen you there.â
You nodded your head tentatively. âYeah, didnât think it would be so noticeable I just moved here from Houston, but Iâm really from here and there, lived almost everywhere. Been working at the bar for about a week now.â
Curtis nodded as he looked deeper into your engine, testing the tightness of parts and how full each fluid was. âWell how about that. Yeah, we donât get too many people moving here, but Iâm sure itâs a nice change from the city.â
You nodded and hummed, walking over and leaning under the hood of the car with him. âAgreed. I donât think many mechanics would be this patient with me out there.â
Curtis lightly chuckled as he looked up at you over his shoulder. âWell Iâll be honest with you, patience is one thing, but you probably wonât think Iâm very kind when I tell you this truck probably wont survive the next time you take a far journey if you plan to moveâŠâ
His small smile was replaced with a grimace. Maybe if he knew you were leaving soon like you seemed to do so often, he could hold himself back more. He could tell himself that there was no point in being attached, being himself for you to see. Heâd hold off on the kindness that poured out to everyone he knew and loved, because it would hurt for you to take it and leave.
Your face held a small smile, though, despite his look of worry. âWell what if I planned on staying?â
Curtis looked back into the engine in an attempt to hide the redness in his cheeks. He was warm at the thought of you sticking around. He jiggled the loose part he found, grunting from leaning over so far, before he spoke up, partially avoiding your question.
âWell, you see this right here. Iâd replace it and say it would be good for another couple of years.â
You beamed. âThatâs good news!â
Curtis stood up to his full height and for the first time, you noticed just how towering his stature was. Anyone else would be intimidated from a distance, but from this proximity, you could see the kindness in his eyes.
âYes and no.â It came out softer than he had intended. âIâve gotta make a special order, and it will probably take at least a week to come in. Do you have another way to get to work?â
You nodded. âYeah, my apartment isnât too far from the bar. Walking shouldnât be an issue.â
He looked at you skeptically. âAre you sure? I know you guys have some pretty late shifts.â
âCurtis, Iâll be fine. Iâm tougher than I look.â He sighed in response.
âAlright, if you say so. Iâll put in for that part and in the meantime, your truck can stay here.â He walked over to the workbench and scribbled on a piece of paper, tearing it off and handing it to you.
âHereâs my personal number. In case you need anything at all, donât hesitate to call me. I could even set up a ride for you if you change your mind.â
You took the paper, creasing it in the middle and stuffing it in your pocket. âWell, Iâve got a shift tomorrow and I think I might get there on time if I start walking now. Bit of a ways to my place from your shop. Any chance you could drive me home so I can sleep?â
Curtis sighed and checked his watch. âYeah, I guess so, considering Iâm holding your car captive. Come on, Iâll close up and weâll get you home.â
As you waited for the new car part to be delivered to the shop, you kept working. Bills had to be paid. You had to keep living.
You were surprised the next day at work when Edgar had offered to walk you home after your shift, and every night after then, but didnât question it. You were just appreciative to have a nice coworker you could trust.
Another surprise was the amount of take out orders that youâd have to give out from the bar. Most of which were going to a certain handsome mechanic.
It was Wednesday night, and the fourth time heâd come to pick up dinner this week. The man must really like cheese curds. You didnât question it, though, as you handed him his order, asking for updates and waving goodbye with a somber smile as he left too soon, and spoke very little.
What you didnât know was that Curtis had food at home, sitting in his fridge as he opted for the extra opportunities to see you. You also didnât know how much he feared opening up his mouth and exposing himself by saying the wrong thing to the first person to make him nervous in a long time. Curtis was generally steady, driven, easygoing, but he could feel that world, that demeanor, start to tilt.
Curtis had a long week. A week much longer than he expected with the extra work he had to do out on the farm instead of in the shop. Sure, he was getting along better and better with Bucky, but that didnât change the fact that there was too much going wrong.
Cole, that little shit from high school, was back and Curtisâs cousin had gotten stuck in a mine. There was no time for sleep, let alone stopping by the bar with this much of a crisis going on.
As soon as the rocks collapsed in the mine, Curtis was freaking out. âWe have to call the police, the fire department, someone to get her out of there. She might not be injured now, but I canât say the same if thereâs a secondary collapse. We need to do something. Now.â
Bucky grabbed him by his collar. âNo. No police. Itâll ruin everything.â
Curtis put his hands up in surrender. âOkay then, what do you suppose we do, big guy?â
Bucky paced back and forth, biting his thumbnail with worry. âGimme a second. Iâm figuring it out.â He stopped in his tracks. âWho all knows about the mines?â
âWhat? What does that ha-â
Bucky cut Curtis off. âWho. All. Knows?â
Curtis shook his head and shrugged. âI-I donât know, not many people. Me and her, her college roommate, and Jake. Thatâs it, I think.â
Bucky rapidly reached into the pocket of his jeans and handed Curtis a card from his wallet. âThis is my associate Sam. Youâre going to call him and tell him those names. Weâre gonna need all the help we can get.â
Curtis immediately pulled out his phone, trusting the judgement of his new friend. He called Sam, telling him everything he could about those who were close enough to have heard of the mines. After that, he got to work.
He assessed what all would need done in the next day and did as many small tasks as he could, staying up until he could greet the helpers on the way.
All Curtis wanted to do was sleep, this was taking a toll on him, but he did his best to not let it show, to not become a grump. He just put his head down and made himself useful while Bucky waited back at the mine. At the first available opportunity, he was going to drop into a bed and nap. This week was stretching him thin.
Meanwhile, you continued to work at the bar. After seeing him for several days in a row, it was concerning that Curtis seemingly fell off the face of the Earth. Surely that wasnât your business, though. Maybe it was just a coincidence he was ordering food so often before. He had better places to be, like work, or maybe on a date.
Why would you care, though? He was just the nice guy fixing your car. There was no way he was going out of his way to visit; probably just had some late nights at the shop and thatâs why he picked up dinner, not to see you. Anyway, work was always busy enough for your mind to be occupied. Youâd at least see him again hopefully once that coveted car part came in.
After a much easier Saturday at the farm, Curtis was ready to have a nice, relaxing time at the bar. As the crew he came with went inside, he hung back to talk to Edgar. He clapped a hand on his shoulder.
âHey man, howâs it going?â
Edgar patted him back. âGood, Iâm good. Been walking your girl home like you asked. Sheâs working tonight.â A smirk crept onto his face as Curtis looked down.
âBut besides that, whatâs going on with you?â
Curtis sighed and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. He turned a picture of Cole Turner towards Edgar.
âUm, Iâm alright. A little stressed, but Iâm hoping you can help. Iâve got something for you.â
Edgar looked up from the piece of paper. âWhatâs this?â
âSomeone who we need to make sure stays out of here. And if you see him, you let me know, okay?â
Edgar nodded. âSure thing. Have fun with your girl.â
Curtis rolled his eyes and walked through the door to catch up with everyone else.
You were pouring out drinks for the group that came in when a familiar tall, broad form approached from the doorway. You took in the way his shoulders pushed at the flannel fabric of his shirt as he sauntered into the room. You couldnât help the way the smile already on your face grew to see him again.
âOh hey, if it isnât the big cheese.â He laughed at the nickname, shaking his head as he moved to take a seat at the bar.
âYeah, sorry I havenât been in for awhile. Had some family matters to attend to. Speaking of which, thatâs them over there.â He gestured toward the group who had just ordered food and drinks from you before heading towards the booths on the far side of the room.
âAh! Okay, in that case, this is for you.â You grabbed a short rocks glass from the lower counter in front of you and set it up on the bar top in front of Curtis. The glass made a small thud against the finished wood as you looked at him.
Curtis tentatively grabbed it and sipped. After swallowing he hummed.
âSweet. Like a cherry.â
You nodded. âOh yeah. Thatâs because itâs got extra cherries. Your buddies over there said youâd drink whatever, so I made you my favorite.â
Curtis lowered the glass and looked at you deeply with his warm, burning sapphire eyes. His voice grew low and raspy. âI wasnât talking about the drink.â
He winked at you and you had no idea how your legs didnât fail you right then. You were able to quickly recover, though, shooting a remark right back.
âMaybe if youâre nice, Iâll let you test that conjecture.â You could see his cheeks grow warm at the suggestive statement. You grabbed your rag and threw it over your shoulder, leaning closer to the towering man who was just confident, now evidently bashful.
âCurtis, are youâŠblushing?â
His eyebrows were quick to arch as his attempt of a scowl failed to break through past a shy smile. âNo! Blushing is fake. It doesnât exist. Thatâs just an old wives tale.â
You looked at his skeptically, not even attempting to hide the laugh that burst out. âWhat do you mean you think itâs fake? Youâre so red right now.â
Curtisâs eyes shifted around the room, unsure of how to respond. âI just feel reallyâŠwarmâŠwhen I look at you.â He muttered so low you could barely hear it.
You wanted to keep pushing before his embarrassment made him turn away from you.
âHey listen, Iâll be back. Iâve gotta check in with the group, but keep this stool saved for me?â
You nodded. âSure thing.â
As soon as Curtis returned, he was glued to his chair. He spent the entire evening chatting with you, asking about your life, and telling you about his on the farm and at the shop.
You were honestly grateful for the one bit of peace on a busy bar Saturday night. Every chance you got, you were leaning against the counter by him to take a breath, watching his friends ride the bull and dance together. What a group of great people.
âSo, have you been able to make it home alright this week? Iâm sorry that truck part still hasnât come in yet.â
You nodded as you poured a line of shots for a group of girls waiting on the corner. âYeah, it hasnât really been a problem. Edgarâs been insistent on walking me to my door, which helps me feel better when itâs that dark out. Just makes me feel bad, though, because I think I finish a little later than his shift time is supposed to be.â
âWell thatâs nice of him. If you want, I can drive you home tonight. Might take some of that load off if youâre worried.â Curtisâs eyes watched you slide the shots to the patrons as you came back to his seat and sighed.
âAre you sure? I donât want you staying here later than you have to, either. Itâs really okay. I can definitely take care of myself.â
Curtis shrugged. âI donât doubt that at all, Cherry. But Iâm offering. And Iâd be a fool to prematurely end one of the best nights Iâve had in awhile. I really donât mind.â
âOkay, then. Sounds like a plan.â
As the night was winding down, and Curtisâs group had already come over to close out the tab, the two of you watched the remaining people prepare to head out. Who was Curtis that he knew someone with a black card? Supposedly they were business associates of the farm. Was farming really that lucrative? You guessed so.
You rejoined the present as the last few slow songs came on the juke box and Curtis held out his hand.
âYou know how to dance?â
You scoffed, âCurtis, Iâm still working. But yes, do you think I couldâve gotten by all this time without a little bit of knowledge?â
He shook his head. âI wouldâve been worried if you did. Come on, thereâs hardly anyone left. Shuffle with me, you little Houston stranger.â
You sidestepped the bar and walked out the small half door to join Curtis on the dance floor, holding both his hands and looking up into his eyes. âIâd say weâre hardly strangers now. You donât learn nothing after hours of talking like that.â
You began to swing to the twangy music, holding each other close. Curtis twirled you and pulled you into his chest where your ear could hear his racing heart. The warmth and the scent of his cologne were comforting. His arms blanketing you, shielding you from all other thoughts besides this moment. As the song faded out, you realized you two were the only ones left besides the other employees doing the final tidying up before shutting down for the night. You reluctantly pulled your body from Curtis, left only holding each otherâs hands.
âI should probably go help with the closing duties. Can you wait for me by the door?â
Curtis nodded. âOf course. Iâll be ready whenever you are.â
Curtis watched you go back to your cash register as he walked back towards Edgar, keeping an eye on you the whole time.
âSo, anything interesting happen tonight?â
Edgar nodded with with wide eyes. âUm, yeah. That guy you gave me a picture of, he came by. Threw a fit when I wouldnât let him in. Some dude in fancy clothes and a mustache was with him, too. Not sure what that was about, but they at least respected the badge.â
Curtis huffed and nodded. âOkay, thank you.â
This was not good. Curtis pulled out his phone and texted Bucky.
Next >
Bonus A/N: Tbh, even I donât know where this story is gonna go, but I love Curtis a lot and will need some time to find a niche plot that will do him some justice.
I hope you enjoyed. Comments, reblogs, and likes are sooooo appreciated.

















