Summary: Life is different when the danger's over. Not bad. Just different
Tags: Soft Steven Grant (Marvel) × Picnics × Romantic Gestures × Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD × Steven Grant Needs a Hug (Marvel) × Hugging × Gentle Kissing × Fluff × Tooth-Rotting Fluff × Established Relationship x No use of y/n
Words: 1.1k
AO3 link
It’s a glorious summer day, and you're stuck inside at work.
Things are slow. Your favorite coworker isn't here. The hours tick by and you sneak glances at your phone to see if one of the boys texted you. Nothing.
You sigh, tapping your fingers on your chin. Steven’s the one that fronts most of the time nowadays, since he's the one who's most equipped to hold down a job that doesn't involve killing people. He’s been absorbed in his Egyptology books, drinking his fill on his favorite subject. You thought he'd be tired of it after everything with Jake and Khonshu, but old habits die hard. You don't like to disturb him. You know he values his alone time, just like you value yours. Besides, you still have plenty of time together in your days off. It'd just be nice to hear from him once in a while, that's all. Just because you're so bored.
The minutes finally trickle away until it's time to leave, the moon high in the sky on your walk home. You shiver despite the warm weather, remembering who keeps watch over the travelers of the night. You weren't spared in Khonshu’s quest for vengeance, and you hope you won't be meeting him again anytime soon. You'll take your boring life over another cosmic quest for balance or whatever, thank you very much.
Your key slides easily into the lock of Steven’s door. Expecting him to be curled up in his office chair with another book on the Ennead, you almost drop your bag when you see what he's done to the flat.
Electric tea lights are on every surface and a big cozy blanket is covering the floor, festooned with pillows. The window is wide open and moonlight illuminates Steven sitting eagerly on the floor.
“What’s this?” you ask quietly, shucking your jacket and taking in the room in awe.
“A little surprise!” he says. “I thought we could have a picnic after work.”
He jumps up and grabs some plates from the fridge while you toe your shoes off.
You sink into the pillows, surprised to find that the floor doesn't feel so hard on your bottom. He must have put some sort of foam pad down before the blanket. He really thought of everything.
Steven comes over with food and a bottle of wine, as well as some glasses. A laugh bubbles out of you in amazement.
“You did this all for me?” you ask. He nods. “Why?”
Steven shrugs. “Haven't seen you in a while. We've both been so busy, I didn't want you to think I’d forgotten you. Jake and Marc had their say in what we should do tonight, but I wanted to do something special for you.”
He’s talking with his hands a lot, and you get the sense that he's nervous. It's not that you don't believe he would arrange something like this, so incredibly romantic and kind. In fact, it's perfectly in character for him do to something this thoughtful after the long day you've both had.
But you also spend every night with him, listening to him mutter in his sleep and watching his face change due to nightmare after nightmare. You've been through things together, and you know him a little better than he thinks. You place your hand on top of his, and he stops fidgeting.
“Steven.” You force him to look at you. “What's wrong?”
He just stares at you for a little bit, stammering. Then his lower lip trembles. You smooth his hair, and he leans into the touch like a particularly affectionate cat. It's like something in him breaks.
“Things have been quiet,” he mumbles. “We both have jobs. Normal jobs. We’re normal people. I don’t… Sometimes I don't really... know what to do with myself. I don't want you to become bored of me.”
You lick your lips. Out of the three of them, Steven is definitely the most sensitive. Marc made him take the brunt of his psychological trauma their whole lives, and it breaks your heart that sweet Steven still thinks that's all he's good for, even when the danger is long gone.
You cup his cheek. He leans into you, practically sagging until you're laying in the pillows, him snuggling into your neck like he’s trying to bury himself in you.
“You know what I was actually thinking on the way home today?” He hums. “That I’m glad things are normal. I’d take a boring day of working or reading or doing chores with you over everything else.”
Steven presses his warm lips to your neck, and you shiver. He wraps his arms around your middle, pulling you down so he can properly kiss you. You sigh. It’s been a long day, but you're glad you get to end it with Steven. You're glad you get to end every day with your boys, but today in particular, you're glad it's him.
You pull back and look into his eyes, warm and dark and full of fathomless depths of affection.
You smooth out his crow’s feet with your thumb, thinking about how prominent they've become since he was freed from Khonshu’s service. Signs of good, happy years. You press a kiss to the corner of his eye.
“You make me want a quiet life,” you murmur.
One thing you love about Steven is how vulnerable his face can get. It’s unnerving how different his expressions can be from Marc's. Jake is an entirely different animal that you're still figuring out, but Steven. Sweet Steven. He looks like you’ve just peeled open your heart and offered it to him in slices.
“I love you,” he says, wisps of stubble scratching your cheek as he pulls you in for a tight embrace. “I wish I could absorb you. Like an angler fish.”
You laugh. “I don't think you've got enough room in there for one more.” You card your fingers through his curls and scratch his scalp. He shivers in pleasure. “Besides, male angler fish are much smaller than the females. Wouldn't I be the one absorbing you?”
He grunts. “Details. Technicalities. All rubbish. We're not actually angler fish, and I can do whatever I want. And I want to absorb you.”
You kiss his cheek, smiling. “Okay. You can absorb me. You win.”
He laughs triumphantly, tangling your legs together. You sigh, inhaling the smell of his pomade and body wash that you love so much.
The food Steven brought out sits untouched for a good while.
part of the joy of creating the content you want to see in the world is that you get to read it first. like yeah it's a bitch to write but once it's done? you were the first to know :)
