Soap x Baker!reader. Very wholesome, very sweet. Tempted to make a whole oc dedicated to this idea tbh. I have not written in ages, so if this is bad or has odd pacing, I promise I can write 😭. Also, there are not really any triggers so don't worry! Just some wholesome fluff. Also shout out to @readgoods for responding to my ask and inspiring this piece.
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Soap has lived in the same cycle for as long as he could remember. Blood, gunfire, smoke. Life and death situations that he had no ability to control. Unmanageable stress he tried so hard to get a grip on. The man had no consistency in his life ever since he enlisted.
The one bit of normality Johnny had was bakeries.
Every town, every village, every place has that one good shop to buy something sweet. From German Apple Pancakes to Coffee Jelly, Soap has tasted a sweet treat everywhere he's gone. It's consistent, it's sweet. It brings light to otherwise dark times in his life.
So when he heard the town he was stationed in had a brand new bakery opening, Soap knew he'd have to go. So on his one day off, the man got dressed and walked down to town just for some sweets. When he actually arrived at the bakery, the soldier had to stop and compare photos.
The ones on the map showed this... beige building. But the building before him was a soft lavender color with a hand painted door. There were flowers outside, there was a pretty sign. It looked a hell of a lot better than he expected.
Walking inside, Soap relaxed a bit. Just a quiet bakery with a nice seating area. The smell of baked goods and real coffee hit his senses like a truck. Setting his bag down to claim a seat, the Scotsman walked up to the counter.
He barely read over the menu before he saw her. This woman, who seemed sweet and a little shy. Her eyes seemed to sparkle when Soap even looked at the counter. Maybe she was stunned someone like him had decided to get a pastry. That's a fair reaction, he's gotten that a lot. As Soap speed read through the menu, he decided on what he'd like.
"Hello, welcome to Berry Sweet Bakery!" The woman started, her cheeks glowing as Soap straighten his back. "What can I get for you today?"
"Can I get a caramel macchiato? No whipped cream just the caramel on top. And one of those little..." Soap paused, his mind going blank as the pretty lass in front of him gave him this big, doe eyes smile. Man, he's missed seeing women.
An odd thought to have, but a very real one. The only woman he's seen lately was either Laswell, who he had no interest in, or Farah. And, in Soap's opinion, Farah is basically his sister. So the man hasn't looked at a not professional woman in... in a hot minute.
The woman didn't rush him, didn't make him hurry. She just stood there with that reassuring smile. Good god, this woman was gorgeous. Pretty eyes, soft looking lips. An angel before him. Soap finally was able to snap out of his daze before speaking.
"Sorry, lost my train of thought. An apple fritter, please."
As the woman rang him up, Soap noticed the burn scars near her wrists. Such a sweet girl shouldn't be getting burned by her oven. His eyes glanced over to the little doorway, staring at the big ovens. It's a wonder this girl isn't hot and uncomfortable all the time. He breaks a sweat anytime he's on the field or near fire or-
Soap paused, staring at the receipt. It was only a couple pounds, but it should be more. He wondered if maybe he just read the signs wrong. Maybe he got the cheaper options this go around. So as the man went and sat down to wait for coffee, he dragged out a sketchbook. Art was another constant in Soap's life, all the way back when he was a lad. It keeps him sane. Keeps him human, he'd joke.
After a few minutes, that gorgeous girl appeared again. Soap barely looked up when she set the plate down, mostly in fear he'd embarrass himself. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed there was an extra apple fritter. One he didn't order. And his macchiato was a large, with an intricate flower made from caramel on top.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. But I didn't order-"
"It's on the house. Consider it a thank you for your service." The woman cut him off, offering a kind smile. Soap raised a brow before she pointed to his army tattoo. Ah. Right. Makes sense. Military discount. Not because she- never mind.
"Thank you, lass. Though you don't need to thank me. Seeing people living happy lives, seeing people thrive and live their dreams? That's what keeps me going."
The woman gave Soap a smile, and Soap swore he felt his heart skip a beat. Soap realizes now just how much he missed being around women. Especially pretty women. He could feel his nerves spike as the woman giggled in response, her eyes crinkling in a way that made lighting buzz under Johnny's skin.
"You're so poetic." She started, looking around the café. "This place was my grandmother's. She and my grandfather raised me. She passed this January. I thought I'd give it my go at the business. Ya know, keep her honor alive."
"That's touching." Soap managed to say as he reached for his coffee. In all honesty, this woman was the first normal person he's talked to. Lord knows Ghost and Price aren't normal. Taking a sip, Soap grinned. "I think you're doing great. This is incredible."
The rest of that afternoon was spent talking to the woman as she went about her work duties. Soap just smiled and sketched her at every possible angle he could. And the woman just kept working about, rambling about life and other things. When the inevitable customer came in, Soap was able to really look at his work. She was...wonderful in his eyes. The way she laughed, the way she scrunched up her face when she focused. All these little things seemed to add up into a woman Soap found to be inspiring.
And, if he was completely honest, she was hot. Like, Soap had to fight the urge to flirt with her because God knows he doesn't want to fuck this up.
At the end of her shift, Soap let her clean up and get things put into boxes. Though he was quite surprised to see this woman load up her van with baked goods.
"Hey, dove. What are ya doing?" He asked, leaning against the brick wall.
The woman smiled, setting the boxes down before turning to Soap. "I donate all my day old pastries to the women's shelter in town. Keeps food from being wasted. Plus raccoons don't dig in my trash as much." She explained as she shut her hatch.
"Aren't you an angel?" Soap teased, before realizing the woman had a box in her hand. He raised a brow as she handed it to him. Blinking, Soap looked back at the woman he just rubbed the back of her neck.
"Thought you may like some to take to base. I know you may never be back here again, so I thought you maybe wanna keep some for later in the week. Or share them! Just don't let anyone read the inside of the box. That's only for you."
Soap stood there in stunned silence as he looked at this girl. She was giving him sweets to take back to base. This girl seems genuinely sad that he's leaving. The soldier could hardly speak as he just held the box in his hands. No one, in any place he visited, gave him some to take back home. No one ever made him feel like he'd be missed. Not even his mother gave him this type of kindness when he left.
"I'll be back one day. I promise." Soap insited, making the girl smile. "And when I do, I'll be your little errand boy. Do deliveries, wear an apron. May even wear the silly little hat most bakers wear."
The woman laughed, and Soap knew he'd have to come back someday. Come hell or high water, he'd come back and see this random girl again. She grinned back at Soap before walking towards her car.
"I'd love to see you in an apron. And I'm gonna hold you to it, MacTavish." She shouted, stepping into her car. Sticking her head out the window, the girl shouted again. "I'll see you later! Be safe!"
As the girl drove off, Soap flipped open the boxes lid. His eyes went wide as he read the paper note taped inside.
"Here's my number so you can text me. And here's my Instagram if you wanna follow me. Stay safe!"
Soap practically ran back to base to show off the pretty girl he became friends with. He followed her as soon as he was home, and as he ate his box of sweets, he couldn't help but think of the pretty lass who he drew over and over again.
It's a good thing Price told the team they'd be here for the next couple of months. He couldn't hide his excitement as he checked his phone after briefing.
Maybe a sweet treat couldn't hurt.
