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oveliagirlhaditright · 3 years

Text

Updating and Growing

An AU where the Winx Club have to band together, for technology and magic to co-exist on an Earth that’s lost its magic. StellaBloom and BloomSky (but probably with StellaBloom as endgame).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434017/chapters/72304374#workskin

Chapter One

Stella’s PoV

Stella stood in a small room—that might have once been that of an old school house's, before the industrial revolution—and swept the floor until blisters scarred her fingers. But even as her body swore at her, and she couldn’t see a single speck of dust for miles, she knew it still wouldn’t be enough: Griselda, no matter what, would come in and say she was slacking, so it was best to just keep at it.

Day became night and night became day, and still Stella worked.

And in the end… what Stella had guessed was exactly what ended up happening. Griselda came into the room, and yelled at Stella because the window the blonde looked out of—that was her soul freedom in this place—was dirty in the eyes of the middle-aged woman. Probably because Stella had been leaning her face against it, dreaming for a moment, before Griselda had made her appearance. But it was okay...

Somehow and some way, Stella had just pulled light into her hand. And after she let out the phrase “Sun Power!” (something she’d often asked the sun to give her—power, that was—as Stella often thought of the sun as God looking down on His creations), she threw the light in a burst of energy.

And she was free.

Bloom’s PoV

Bloom was currently sitting in a train with a young man, who she thought’s name was Sky? But she couldn't be certain. She wasn't even entirely sure that her name was Bloom, but it seemed to sound right in her head.

Why Bloom was on a train, though, she couldn't even begin to know—for the young girl had amnesia—but she couldn’t help feeling like she was an eleven-year-old about to go to Hogwarts for the first time to start her magical journey… Or she would have been thinking that, if she believed Earth had any magic to it at all.

"...And then I came up with a comic, where someone thought one plus one was eleven instead of two," Sky attempted to joke with Bloom now. And while the joke was certainly lame, she had to appreciate that the stranger was at least trying to make her laugh when she felt so lost.

So, Bloom giggled a little bit, before picking at a loose thread in her jeans. "No offense, Sky... But that story wasn't the greatest. You sound a bit like someone who's trying to be hip with the kids, so you’re trying to sell the one time you tried to make something as cool as a comic—that didn’t go well—as some lifechanging event that happened to you.”

And here it was Sky's time to chortle. "Maybe you got me, Bloom. You got me."

And while Bloom definitely thought Sky was uncool—though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; she doubted that she herself was—she still found herself enjoying this strange, mysterious life of hers… if for but a moment.

But since Bloom's life didn't seem to be without irony these days, it was of course when she was feeling comfortable with Sky—and maybe even a bit romantic—that the train would skip the track and topple over once—catching the room they were in on fire, as it spun around.

But Bloom was able to catch the fire into her hands and save them both (Sky looked at her wide-eyed as she did so). And as Bloom was holding the fire, her mind’s eye supplied her with an image of a girl holding the sun… and of a fairy who actually knew magic?!

Flora's PoV

Flora, simply amazingly, was the only person on Earth who had been able to retain her powers when magic went away.

She wasn't sure why that was, exactly... Perhaps it was because she was so in tune with nature and the planet rewarded her for that?

But if that was the case, Flora didn't know why she was still blessed. Ever since everyone else had lost their connection to mana, Flora had grown depressed and lost her tie to plants. Now, she mostly only focused on magicking pink things—which was maybe somewhat like someone she had just had a vision of—but even then, the fates allowed her to still see the future.

And so, she had known of the day that Stella would break free of Griselda, and that Bloom would find her way here (a path that would also eventually lead Stella and Bloom to each other, too).

So, Flora, for just a second, used her magic to make her flowers more rose colored and then she turned around to see Bloom and Sky trekking towards her in this lovely forest.

It was clear that the two were injured, even with Bloom's quick reflexes that had saved them, and Flora didn't envy them their tired and heavy limbs or the slight blood dripping from their wounds. And thus, she found herself flying towards them, to make their quest much more manageable.

However, the moment Bloom saw Flora, it seemed to take her aback. And she grabbed onto Sky's hand in shock, Flora saw.

"I... I saw you in a dream," Bloom stammered, losing her balance some, but then recovering it just as quickly as the girl was nothing if not sporty. "Right before the train lost its way, I saw you."

"Yes," Flora agreed—while she ushered her new friends into her hut: where fresh raspberries were waiting for them to eat and cloth rested on a table, begging to be used as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding of their wounds. "The four of us—and perhaps others still—are needed to make magic and technology co-exist together in this world."

Author’s Note: For some reason, whenever I’ve tried to write Winx Club fanfiction in the past, this AU has always popped into my head. So, I’m finally writing it, I guess. But if anyone’s even interested in this story, know that updates will be very sporadic as I have at least one other novel-length fanfiction that takes precedent. I’m sorry:(

Also, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking the main pairing will be BloomStella. But there may be a SkyBloomStella love triangle at first (maybe it’ll even be a love square, if Brandon shows up. But then I may be tempted to switch to BrandonStella, as I do love them. Haha). I actually hate love triangles, but that’s what’s in my head with this for some reason. So, whatever. The rest of the ships will probably be the canon ones:)

And sorry that I seemed to vilify Griselda, but all may not be as it seems there.

#mine #my work #my writing #shanna writes #winx club #updating and growing #au #alternate universe #oneshot

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kayteewritessteve · 5 years

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Carefree

Description: Steve is stressed out and fed up, and finds himself being slightly rude with a complete stranger.

Masterlist HERE.

Word Count: 5,470 ish.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader.

Rating: G

Warnings: None. Minus an awkward Steve. And maybe a cuss word or two, can’t remember. Oh, and maybe a slight Endgame spoiler, if you squint really hard.

Requested: Yes, from the lovely @casuallydarktiger ♥️♥️♥️ Thank you for another amazing Marvel O/S request!! You’re keeping me busy little one and I love it!!

A/N: This is an AU set in the ‘everyone lives happily in the tower’ world. But anywho, hope you enjoy!!

Stress. A simple 6 letter word that seems so small, so insignificant, so unassuming at first, when taken out of context. But when you really think about it, truly put thought into it and dig just a little deeper under the surface, it is actually a much, much larger word then it originally appears.

Take the ‘Iceberg Theory’ for example. As with an iceberg, our eyes can only see what lies above the surface, therefore allowing us to believe that that’s all that exists. But under the surface, well, that’s where the majority of its mass is actually located. Now, most of us have probably heard of this theory at some point in our lives. And know that it’s what’s hidden below, or inside, that truly makes up whichever thing it is that we are referring to. The parts we can’t see, the parts we can just pretend don’t actually exist. But deep, deep down, we know that they’re there. Just like the mass of an iceberg, quietly enduring without any help from us.

However, that’s where they differ. Stress may not always be voluntary, but the majority of the time it is brought on, or made worse, by our own doings. As we sit and worry, or overthink, or blame ourselves for the littles things. The things that really don’t matter in the grand scheme but yet, we fixate endlessly on them.

It’s a snowball effect, really. Once you start going down that proverbial rabbit hole, it’s hard to pull yourself out again. And once you allow it to worm into your mind, it usually sets up shop and decides to stay for a while. Bringing along with it a lengthy list of emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioural symptoms, as well. You know, just to make it that much more enjoyable for us all—not.

So why are we talking about stress, you ask? Well probably because right now, at this exact second, Steven Grant Rogers is a walking embodiment of the word. The very definition of stressed; which is experiencing mental or emotional strain, or tension.

Now normally, Steve’s stress levels are usually pretty high, higher than most that is. What with waking up 70 years in the future, after he thought he’d given his life for his country. Given his life to end the war. Only to then be pulled from the ice, and thrusted into a world he didn’t know. One he didn’t even recognize. And one that was still very much at war. The exact same war he believed he’d ended, 70 years ago, with his sacrifice. Yeah, that alone was enough to cause his stress to skyrocket, and stay there.

But then you add learning that aliens did, in fact, exist. As he very much had to fight against them in the streets of his own city.

Then, learning that Norse Gods were also real, and that they weren’t the only things out there in the universe. No, there is actually a vast number of beings living out there, beyond the stars. So yeah, that can really make a man feel small in comparison. And cause some very unwanted stress.

But oh, we aren’t done just yet. There was also that little fact that he’d learned about his best friend, damn near his brother. The one where it turns out that he’d actually lived through the fall, and had been alive all these years, under the control of the very organization Steve believed he had ended. And that Bucky had been doing their dirty work all along. Brainwashed and controlled. Getting Bucky back wasn’t easy, but they’d managed to do it and break the hold Hydra had on him. So that’s a plus at least.

Oh, and let’s also not forgot about the robots. Yeah, not the cute little ones used in factories or in homes. But the ones that thought for themselves, and grew smarter and stronger with the knowledge that they acquired. The ones that tried to wipe out the Avengers and take over the world. Oh yeah, that was stressful as hell. To say the least.

However, it’s what came after the robots that really stressed Steve out. The Accords. The war between the Avengers. Having to pick a side regardless of who you’d be going up against. Colleagues, friends, family. And then the whole ‘being on the run for years’ thing. And that was all before finally having to fight a mad titan—which turns out also exists, go figure.

And even though they had managed to beat Thanos, eventually. It still didn’t really relieve any of Steve’s stress. Because he knew it was only a matter of time before something else big happened. Some other threat to the world would arise, and forced him to once again put on his suit and risk his life for everyone else’s.

We also have to take into account his regular every day stress. His stress over missions. Over the people he knows, and loves, being hurt or worse. And that’s just the beginning, we aren’t even going to speak on what his PTSD adds to his stress levels, but you can imagine that it doesn’t help matters, at all.

He had gotten somewhat used to it all though, learned to live with it at least. But it seemed every day something new was added to the lengthy list of things to worry about. Today’s addition? How about Steve being informed that mandatory press releases would become a new thing in his life, and that they were to start the following day.

The Accords had been thrown out after Thanos’ attack, but the Avengers now had to answer to the public in new ways. They’d start holding press releases of their own to keep the world informed, and to help the world accept them again. To trust them again.

Steve wasn’t a fan of the limelight, he hadn’t ever been, really. Especially not back when he was the face of the US Army, doing shows all over to help recruit men and sell bonds. That wasn’t a good time in Steve's life. He’d signed up to help fight the war, not to parade around on a stage in a tight outfit, punching fake Nazi’s and making an ass of himself.

Steve sighed and glanced around the busy street he was currently walking along, yanking his ball cap down lower over his face as he did. He caught a glimpse of a coffee shop sign up ahead, one he’d never been to before and figured another cup of coffee wouldn’t do any harm. It’s not like it would stress him out anymore then he already was. And he knew it was going to be a long restless night for him, yet again, so he might as well just stay up. Drink lots of coffee and hang in the gym, making some poor punching bag suffer for his stress.

He pushed open the door and found the shop pretty empty. Aside from a few people at various tables, with books or laptops open. Lost in their own worlds and not paying any attention to the people around them. Which was a huge relief for him.

He made his way up to the counter and glanced up at the massive black chalkboard hanging on the back wall. There were a bunch of weirdly named drinks that he had no clue what they were. But before he could put anymore thought into that, a voice broke through his mind.

“See anything you like?” A feminine voice asked, and he looked down to see a small woman, with her neck twisted as she glanced up at the board with him.

“Ah, yeah. I’ll just have a coffee. Black.” He paused, “I can just get that, right?”

She giggled and turned to face him, “of course, what size can I get cha?”

“Oh, uh, a large?” He asked, hesitantly. Why ordering a simple coffee now a days was so difficult, Steve would never understand.

She just smiled sweetly and nodded, “alright, large it is, and is that to go?”

“Yes, please,” he gave a quick nod.

“Perfect, that’ll be $2.10.”

He quickly patted himself down to search for his change, pulling out his keys and a few other random things as he did. Placing them down on the counter then continuing to search. Finally he found his money, paid her, then collected up all his things and tucked them back away in his various pockets.

She smiled and gave him his change then grabbed a large to-go cup from next to the till and spun around to start making his drink, “one large black coffee, coming right up.”

Steve moved off to the side, and stood under the ‘Pick Up’ sign to wait for his drink. A few moments later she came over and handed him his drink, giant smile still on her face, “here you go, sir.”

“Thanks,” he nodded and then headed for the door. He figured it was time to head back to the tower, he’d been out all day and even with his disguise people had recognized him. Which he figured wasn’t hard, as he was rather large and sort of stood out like a sore thumb.

But all it would take is one person recognizing him, and then he’d be stuck in the same stop for hours. As once someone got a photo with him, others would then ask. It was like a domino effect, a never ending line up of fans. All asking for an autograph, a photo, or just his time.

Normally he was okay with it, normally it didn’t bother him that much. Even though he hadn’t exactly signed up for the fame. Then after the ice he’d started out anonymous, wearing a mask, but that didn’t last long. Eventually the mask was taken out of his ensemble, and the exhibit at the Smithsonian was opened, and then everyone and their dog knew who he was. Gone were the days of his anonymity.

But today, today he just wanted to be left alone. They’d all get a piece of him tomorrow, in the stupid forced press conference. The least they could do is let him have this one day to himself—Though he knew the second he felt a hand on his bicep, urging him to turn around, that that original hope was clearly asking too much.

“Sir,” the voice, he assumed was attached to the hand currently on him, spoke from behind him.

He halted his steps, hoping to brush this person off, gently but quickly, as to not draw too much attention to himself. He just wanted to be left alone.

“Look, I apologize, but I’m in a real hurry here and don’t have the time for this right now,” he said curtly. And he honestly didn’t mean for it to come out sounding so rude, but he was frustrated and just all together done with being out in public. He finally spun to face the intruding fan, “I can sign a quick autograph if you’d like, but I really have to,” his words trailed off as he took in the woman—Or rather, the super confused expression now plastered all over her face—the same woman who had just made the coffee that was currently in his hand.

“Ah,” she furrowed her brows, “I don’t want an autograph, I just wanted to give you your keys.” She held out her hand, his very distinct set of keys sitting in the middle of her palm, “you forgot them on my counter.”

“Oh, ah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling like a complete ass now, then took the offered key chain. “Sorry about that, it’s just been a rough day,” he paused, then sighed, “which isn’t a very good excuse to be rude.”

“It’s fine,” she said tersely, with a clipped edge to her voice, a polar opposite tone to the one she’d used when he’d ordered his drink. “Sorry to have bothered you. Just figured you’d need those,” she nodded with her head towards his keys, then abruptly turned around and headed back towards the coffee shop, without another word. Leaving Steve standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk, keys and coffee in hand, feeling like the biggest dick in the world. Probably because at this moment, that’s exactly what he was.

“Darn it,” he sighed then tucked his stupid keys back into his pocket, before shaking his head and mumbling, “way to go, Rogers.”

With a final glance at the direction she’d just gone, but no longer seeing her, he pulled his ball cap down lower on his face once again then turned and headed back to the tower. Feeling like absolute crap the whole way there.

But even once he reached the tower, he still felt horrible for being so short with her. All she’d wanted to do was return the keys he had left behind. And then he had to go and get too big for his own britches. Assuming everyone just wanted something from him due to his super hero persona.

The whole night he was fixated on their interaction. He’d even talked to Bucky about it, the aforementioned had laughed and told him his ‘celebrity status was clearly going to his head.’ Which, didn’t help, at all. But then Buck told him to just forget about it, that things happened and that she probably didn’t even care that much.

However, he joked about keeping an eye out for any news articles about ‘The Steve Rogers, America’s golden boy, and Captain America himself’ being rude to the public; to his fans—Which again, didn’t freaking help. Nor did it ease any of Steve’s stress over the whole thing. It added to it, actually.

He spent the rest of the evening, and following morning, beating the crap out of 5 punching bags. Knowing Tony would have something to say about that, but he’d deal with those consequences later. He had bigger things to worry about at the moment.

The early morning press conference went better then Steve had thought it would. Tony and Pepper handled most of the questions. Leaving Steve and the others to just basically sit there, looking pretty and answering the odd ones that came their way. He did end up having a few more then the others, being that he was the Captain, but they were all pretty simple questions. Ones he knew the answers to, ones he’d been briefed on before hand. Though the odd praising comment from the reporters had flustered him, and reminded him that the public did, in fact, adore him. And then in turn that had reminded him that he’d been a total ass to that poor woman. And that he had to make it up to her in some way. Somehow. He just needed to.

So that’s how he found himself, pushing open the door to the little coffee shop again, and hearing the jingle of the bells above the door, as he did. Hoping that she’d be working today, so he could actually apologize and make amends.

And as his eyes scanned the shop and landed on a vaguely familiar figure behind the counter, making someone's order, he sighed and got into the line. It was a little busier in the shop today, but not by much. There was a few tables taken up again, just like the day before. And a few people in line ahead of him, which was different from the day before. But he just patiently waited for his turn.

When that finally came, he walked up to the till and as her eyes landed on his face, her smile faltered just slightly, before she corrected it and beamed up at him. To anyone else, anyone other then Steve with his super serum, the falter would have gone unnoticed. But to him, with his enhanced eyesight, he saw it in damn near slow motion.

“Large black coffee to go?” She asked, quickly. And he realized that she did, in fact, remember him. And obviously their interaction from the day before.

“Ah, yeah,” he paused then glanced around. “Actually no, I’ll take a mug this time,” he said as he looked back down at her again.

“Okay,” she nodded, “that’ll be $2.10 again.”

He had the money ready this time, not wanting to chance leaving any more of his belongings behind. He paid her and received his change and then she spun around to make his drink.

He glanced behind himself and noticed there was no one else in line now, so he just continued to stand there. Rubbing the back of his neck, awkwardly, as he tried to figure out what to actually say to her. He’d had it all worked out in his mind earlier, but being here now made what he’d come up with sound stupid.

She placed his drink on the counter, with a quick, “here you are,” and was just about to turn away from him when he spoke up.

“I ah,” he cleared his throat and she paused, turning back at him, with a confused frown on her face. He tried not to let that tongue tie him. “I just wanted to apologize—For yesterday, I mean. It wasn’t acceptable for me to be so short with you. So for that I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” she smiled sweetly up at him, “we all have hard days.”

“That doesn’t excuse being rude.”

“It doesn’t, but I get it,” she handed him his mug of coffee, “apology accepted.”

He stood there for a moment just looking at her, this woman who didn’t know him personally but so easily forgave him. So easily calmed his raging mind with two simple words. He had been so nervous about what she was going to say. He’d played out hundreds of outcomes for this moment in his mind, all throughout the night. But her just accepting the apology so quickly, so effortlessly, shocked him. That was not one of the scenarios his mind had come up with. He quickly shook his head, realizing he was still just standing there, silently staring at her. “Thank you for that,” he said earnestly then raised his mug, “and for this.”

“You’re welcome.”

He wandered over to a table near one of the front windows, setting his coffee on top and removing his jacket then sitting down. He had his messenger bag with him, as he took it everywhere, and pulled out his sketchbook and pencils. Here was as good a place as any to draw.

He spent the next half an hour enjoying his coffee, people watching, and drawing the view from the window. Or at least that’s what he’d claim he was drawing, if anyone asked. Really though, he had been secretly drawing the barista. Yeah, that may be a little creepy, but he did plan on giving her the picture. One day. Maybe.

“That’s beautiful,” a soft voice whispered above him and he turned to look up, seeing said barista gazing at his picture of her. After a moment her eyes snapped over to his and she smiled brightly at him.

“I was planning to give it to you, as a peace offering of sorts,” he shrugged and turned to look down at his drawing again. “When it’s finished.”

“Do you mind if I sit?”

“No, not at all,” he gestured to the chair beside him.

She sat down, and then put a fresh cup of coffee down in front of him, “figured you could use a refill,” she smiled at him then gestured to the sketchbook, “do you mind?”

He shook his head, “of course not,” then he handed the sketchbook over to her.

She looked it over carefully, as if to not miss a single detail, “I’ve never had someone draw me before.” She glanced up at him, “you’re very talented. Are you an artist by trade?”

He furrowed his brows, confused, but then a thought ran through his mind. Does she not know? “Uh, no. I’m not. I just draw in my free time.”

“Well, you should be,” she nodded once, as if to say her words were the truest thing she’d ever said. Then after another once over she handed back his sketchbook and smiled. “Thank you for showing it to me.”

She went to get up from the seat but just as she stood fully upright, he realized he wasn’t entirely ready for her to walk away just yet. “You can stay if you’d like,” he offered, then glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was waiting to be served. “If you won’t get in trouble, that is.”

She grinned and it was cheeky as hell, which was surprisingly different from the smiles he had seen her wear so far. But he liked it even more for that exact reason. “I don’t think the boss will mind too much, and if she does then I’ll just remind her that I’m the boss.”

“Oh,” he laughed, “you own the shop?”

She nodded quickly, “that I do. The perks of being the owner means I can take my breaks whenever I want.” She giggled then glanced around the shop, probably making sure no one was in need of assistance, then she sat back down in the seat. “If this isn’t too forward of me to ask, if you aren’t an artist then what do you do for a day job?”

He stared down at his drawing and scratched the back of his neck, nervously. Does he tell her the full truth and hope she doesn’t treat him any differently? Or does he tell her a half truth and continue on like he’s a normal guy? His eyes drifted up to hers and locked on. And he realized he’d have to be honest with her. He didn’t want to deceive her in any way.

“I’m ah,” he sat up a little straighter and extended his hand to her, “I’m Steve Rogers.”

She stared at him for a moment and then her eyes widened for just a second, before she quickly corrected it and a blush took over her cheeks. “Oh god, how did I not figure that out,” she mumbled, he assumed mainly to herself, though his super serum hearing didn’t miss it. He glanced back down at his drawing again, waiting for whatever reaction she was about to have. And then she spoke up, this time to him, “well, you offering me an autograph makes way more sense now,” she laughed, awkwardly.

“Yeah,” he laughed awkwardly with her and drummed his fingers on the table, “I apologize again for that.”

She waved it off, “don’t even worry about it. I understand even more now. It can’t be easy to deal with the public all the time.” She frowned slightly, “I can’t imagine just how difficult it is to go anywhere unnoticed.”

“It’s hard sometimes, for sure,” he nodded, “but I’m getting used to it, slowly.”

“That’s good,” she smiled, “and thank you—ya know, for keeping us all safe.”

He smiled—and blushed—not like he could have prevented either, even if he’d tried, “no thanks needed, it’s kind of my job.”

“Well still, thank you,” she said sincerely. Then the bells above the door sounded and she glanced over her shoulder to see a customer entering the shop and stood up, “I better go tend to them, but enjoy your coffee Steve,” she smiled and went to walk away but then he realized something.

“I’m sorry, I totally didn’t even ask you for your name.”

She stuck her hand out, “Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he said back, tasting the name in his mouth as he shook her offered hand, “it was really nice meeting you.”

“Same to you,” she winked then laughed and walked away to help the patron. Steve turned to look over his shoulder, watching as she headed towards the counter then smiled and turned back to his sketchbook. He was even more determined to finish this drawing now.

After an hour of sitting at the same table, drawing and drinking coffee, he got a call from Tony. Something about testing out a new feature for his suit, and needing Steve to come try it on. He packed up his stuff, returned the mug to the counter, gave her the drawing and then with a quick goodbye he exited the coffee house. Adjusting his ball cap and heading back to the tower.

Over the next few weeks he’d return to that little shop anytime he had a chance. Sometimes, when the shop was dead, Y/N would sit with him and they’d just talk about anything and everything. She treated him like an old friend. Like one that wasn’t a famous superhero from the 40’s. She was a breath of fresh air for him, someone who saw him for him. Steve. Instead of the Captain. The legend. And he loved that.

A few times Bucky would tag along on his visits to the shop, wanting to meet the woman who got Steve out of his own head and put a smile on his face. Steve was reluctant at first, but finally caved and let him tag along, knowing Buck would get fed up eventually and just go there on his own. And that wasn’t something Steve wanted. At all. But it turned out his fears for them meeting had been entirely misplaced, Y/N and Bucky hit it off instantly. So well that Buck would occasionally go get coffee on his own, when Steve was off on a mission or busy.

Word spread quickly throughout the tower of the little coffee house that the super soldiers loved. So eventually damn near every Avenger had gone there at one point or another. Clint and Tony almost going there more then Steve now. Y/N didn’t mind one bit, she treated them all just like normal people. Never once fangirling over anyone—Well, she did slightly fangirl over Nat on her first visit, but she had mentioned in passing to Steve that she had a lot of respect for the spy. For everything she stood for and had accomplished in her life. But who wouldn’t respect Nat for how far she’d come.

The more Steve visited, the fonder he grew for Y/N. She was amazing inside and out, even a blind person would have been able to see that. And as his feelings grew for her, he found that just being around her eased his worried mind and made all the stress just fall off him. Like a snake shedding it’s skin. He felt like a whole new man in her company. A feeling he desperately didn’t want to give up.

So after weeks of Bucky, Sam, Nat and Tony harassing him about asking her out, he finally caved and agreed to do it.

He pushed open the door to her shop, the bells he’d become so used to hearing, echoing around the room. To say he was nervous and stressed out about how this would go, was an understatement. He was freaking out. This was a whole new version of stressed that he’s barely ever felt before. Putting your heart on the line isn’t easy. Even for an 100 year old super soldier.

He looked up towards the till and saw just as Y/N turned to look at who was entering the shop. Upon seeing him a giant smile broke out across her face, every one of her features lighting up and accentuating the smile even more. “Steve!” She said happily as she turned back around and started to make his tried and true large black coffee.

“Hey Y/N,” he said as he reached the counter, his nerves skyrocketing the closer he got to her, “how’s the day been?”

“Good, slow,” she turned to glance over her shoulder at him, “staying or going?”

“Staying.”

“Excellent,” she nodded and turned to finish making his drink. And as her back was turned Steve but a few bucks into her tip jar.

After she’d found out who she was, she refused to allow him to pay for any of his coffees. Saying it was her thank you for all he’s done and will do for the world. So instead he’d put money in her tip jar, refusing to not pay for his drink but being at a stubborn stalemate with her. Turns out she rivalled him in the stubborn department, if that was even possible. But she wasn’t a fan of the tip thing. At all.

“Darn it Steven!” She spun around to narrow her eyes at him, “we talked about this. It’s not on the house if you just pay in the tip jar!” She picked up the jar and looked into it, “how much did you put in this time!? I’m going to force you to take it back right now.”

Steve just smirked and shrugged, refusing to tell her anything.

She glared at him then sighed and lowered the jar, putting it back on the counter, mumbling playfully, “you are so frustrating sometimes.” Then she laughed and handed him his drink, “here, and just so you know, I’m going to hide that darn jar next time you come in.”

“That won’t stop me,” he smiled and accepted the coffee, “and thanks.” Then he just stood there, awkwardly. He knew he should just ask her, the worst she could say is no. But he wasn’t ready for the rejection just yet. He just wanted to live in this moment for a second longer, the moment where there was a possibility that she’d say yes. That she’d accept his date invite and that would maybe be the start of something special. Something just for them. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, silently, but the slight frown forming on her face told him it was probably way too long of a time.

“Steve?” She said quietly, then continued cautiously, “are you okay? Did—did something happen?”

He shook his head, “no, no. Everything is okay. I just ah,” he glanced down at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck, “I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, the nerves in her voice noticeable, “what is it?”

His eyes flicked up to meet hers and he took a second just to steady his rapidly beating heart, “I was wondering, if you’d maybe like to, I duno,” he shrugged, “go out to dinner with me one day—Maybe this week?”

The frown dropped off her face, but wasn’t replaced by anything. Her expression blank and unreadable for a second before she softly asked, “like,” she cleared her throat, “as in, like a date?”

“Yeah, like a date,” he nodded then added quietly, “that is, if you’d like it to be one.”

He was just about to beg the floor to open up and swallow him whole, that is, until a glorious smile appeared on her beautiful face, and relief flooded through him when he heard her words.

“I’d love that.”

“You would?”

“I would,” she confirmed.

“Oh, okay, great,” he said quickly, “ah, which day are you free then?”

“Tomorrow? I get off at 5:30, if you wanted to meet me here?”

And just like Classic Steve timing, his phone rang and he smiled apologetically at her as he pulled it out and saw Tony’s name on the screen. She nodded, letting him know she understood that he needed to answer it. He stepped away from the counter and exchanged a quick few quiet words with Tony, then hung up and headed back over to her. “Turns out I can’t stay, Tony needs my help with something but tomorrow at 5:30 is perfect,” he smiled.

“I figured if Tony was calling that you’d have to leave, so I put your coffee in a different cup.” She handed him a coffee in a to-go cup, “and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” he took the cup, “and see ya tomorrow,” he said happily as he turned around and exited the shop, heading back to the tower. He’d done it. He’d actually done it. And she had accepted. He was on cloud 9 and never wanted to come back down. He knew the goofy smile on his face would be hard to wipe off, even with Tony’s incoming antics. And to think that all of this came about because he’d forgotten his keys on her counter.

On that thought he turned his head to glance back through the window into her shop. And caught the tail end of her doing a silly little happy dance behind the counter and that only made him smile even more. She was clearly just as excited about this date as he was. And that realization alone made his heart skip a beat, and every worry in his head just vanish into thin air.

And in this exact moment Steven Grant Rogers was the furthest anyone could be from stressed out—the polar opposite of the word actually. For the first time, in a long time, he was truly and completely Carefree.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Using my If Only You Knew tag list, hopefully you all don’t mind!! ♥️♥️♥️

@hopefulmoonobject @harlequinash @itsstillnotwhatyouthink @tessvillegas @boxofteenageideas @wangdeasang @giggleberts @theonelittleone @agentbadbitch @ratwrites @starrystellars @bandsandanimefreak @rockyroadthepastryarchy @lovvliies @cuffski @icesoccerer @alwaysright4 @lilsthethrills @imdiegohargreeves @zombiepotterfour @mu-mu-rs @ledandan1244 @straightforwardly @badassbeckettswan @denzmallows @xremember-me-notx @gwynethjodie @lollipopdomination @capstopavenger

#au fanfiction #fanfiction #long post #long read #marvel au #marvel fanfiction #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x you #carefree #everyone lives happily in the tower #alternate universe #coffee shop

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utgleekshq · 4 years

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Have you seen Sebastian Smythe on campus? Rumor has it that the twenty year old junior from Austin, Texas was born on 2/14 and is currently studying political communications. His friends will tell you that he’s CLEVER and DETERMINED, but they also say he can be RUTHLESS and STUBBORN, so be careful. His endgame is Spencbastian and fortunately for us, his role is CLOSED and unavailable for auditions.

Born the only child to an Parisian supermodel and a high-powered American attorney, after multiple attempts at conceiving, Sebastian was definitely showered with love and wealth from the beginning. With his mother having stepped down from her modeling career to watch after her one and only son - having grown protective over him as it had taken quite a bit to be able to give her the one child she wanted - he spent the majority of his ‘elementary’ school years with her. This led the two to having an irreplaceable bond. But even that bond wasn’t enough to stop Sebastian from wanting to go to school with other kids - and thankfully, his father agreed that it was good for him to be social and when it was time for him to move past primary school, they began to apply for middle schools. And, though his mother was worried sick, Sebastian didn’t mind being apart from his mother and he actually enjoyed having the opportunity to actually get to miss her.

Eventually his mother moved the family back to the United States so that she could open up her own clothing line, now with more time since she didn’t have to watch her only child as much, and Sebastian found himself surrounded by American peers in an American public school - and he easily stood out. Not only did he have a thick French accent, but he grew to be a bit awkward - almost as if puberty had hit him early. His limbs grew so long that he hadn’t been able to adjust easily, causing him to be lanky and clumsy as he walked, and with the dorkiest glasses his mother could find him, it was obvious that he was different from the other kids. But they didn’t make fun of him. At least, not until he transferred to the school. Where he came from, Sebastian couldn’t tell you, but he’s pretty sure it’s from the deepest parts of Hell as it wasn’t long after he joined the student body that he began to make Sebastian’s life a living hell and while Sebastian had never been exactly made fun of, he suddenly started to now.

Now people were laughing at Sebastian, leaving him nasty notes in his lockers and calling him dirty names, and while he was able to ignore it… it got worse. Especially when word eventually spread that Sebastian was gay, causing all of the kids to snicker and sneer - and the guys in the locker rooms would make it obvious that they were hiding their junk from the ‘gay’ - and that was the final straw. Eventually his mother transferred him to a new school, and Sebastian? Sebastian saw this as a fresh start. He was going to make sure that the kids of his new school wouldn’t have a chance to make fun of him, because he was going to do the same. With contact lenses, a new wardrobe and a snarky new personality, it was as if he had shed the cocoon of his awkward self and metamorphosed into an actual teenager - one hell-bent on being on the bottom ring of the latter.

Applying to his mother’s alma mater of the University of Texas was easy, really - it was definitely more of a liberal town, one in which he wouldn’t have to worry about being belittled so much (and thus making it easier for him to find guys to hook up with) and it helped that they had offered him a scholarship to play lacrosse, too. College, though? It was definitely a breath of fresh air compared to high school. In college, everyone wanted to be there - otherwise you were wasting thousands of dollars - and they were all mature enough to know that bullying? It was so high school. And after running for student council president his sophomore year of high school, Sebastian has definitely found a groove - and he’s even met a couple of people that he actually doesn’t despise, too.

SECRET:

At the age of 16, the pain of his peer pressure and his family became near unbearable. It was all pushed over the edge when Sebastian was outed by a peer of his that Sebastian seemed to trust. As a result of this, Sebastian made an attempt on his life. Fortunately, his mother had come in at just the moment before Sebastian bled out and was able to get Sebastian to the hospital in time to save him. To this day, Sebastian can remember waking up in the hospital with his mother torn out and going hysterical at the thought of losing her little boy. Even though most of the self-inflicted wounds had healed and even the main scar that almost killed him, Sebastian vowed never to return to that state of mind nor allow anybody to treat him in such ways.

CONNECTIONS:

Rachel Berry: While he had heard about Rachel - and physically heard her, because who could not hear her - due to his rooming with Finn, he hadn’t really spent much time with her… until recently. Now the two of them work together on the student council, with Rachel as his vice president, and it’s safe to say that their personalities clash. While he’s grateful that she’s someone that actually wants to do the work, and he can admire her ambition and her confidence, he doesn’t like the way that she acts that this professional relationship extends into a personal friendship - and just because they may have some friends in common, it does not mean that they have to be friends.

Sam Evans: At first, Sebastian had been tempted to get a single-suite dorm room for his junior year - something he knew he could easily afford - but he had decided against it. After all, his experiences with roommates weren’t horrible; Finn, though not the cleanest of guys, wasn’t terrible - so he went into his junior year hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. So when he met Sam, at first, he wasn’t sure what to expect. The guy was definitely cleaner than Finn, that was a plus, but his jokes and impressions weren’t something that Sebastian liked - not all the time, anyway - but he ultimately didn’t mind it. And, though he’d deny saying this, he actually thought Sam was a step-up from Finn.

Quinn Fabray: With parents that are rich alumni and boosters of the school, it was only natural that the two would find themselves attending a boosters party with their parents. Truthfully, Sebastian likes knowing that there’s another person here of substance - someone he can actually talk to that understands some of the things he likes as opposed to the confused looks he gets from the usual Texan hicks he came across - and surprisingly, they learned that they were closer than they thought as during their sophomore year of college, Quinn’s sister married one of Sebastian’s maternal cousins. While Sebastian is partially worried about Quinn learning about what happened to him in high school, he’s confident that his cousin doesn’t know anything - as they were distant - but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t keep her close… Just in case.

Finn Hudson: Wanting to experience the full college experience, Sebastian opted to stay in the dorms as opposed to getting an apartment just off-campus - something he was able to do, given his parents’ wealth and influence in the school - but that, unfortunately, meant getting a roommate. All in all, Finn wasn’t the worst of roommates he could have - he was nice enough, really, and he knew not to ask questions when Sebastian put a sock on the door - but he did think that Finn was a little… dull. Not stupid, really, just boring. So he was surprised when he heard that Finn not only ran to be president of his frat, but actually won. Now, though, Finn keeps bugging him to join the frat because of the legendary parties he hosts - and while he appreciates the attention… he can’t help but feel a little sour. After all… why can’t Finn want him for him, and not for his party-throwing skills?

Mercedes Jones: One of the things that Sebastian definitely doesn’t understand is the need to take prerequisite classes before one can actually get into the studies of their major, but as it was a requirement, it’s something he can’t exactly slide past. During his freshman year, he wound up sitting next to Mercedes Jones in his speech class in the first semester - and the two had to work together on an assignment to argue for something. He admired her, really, and he thought she was smart… so when he found out she was in his class, again, the following semester? Well, it wasn’t something he hated. And for every semester since, they’ve been in a class together and while he’s eager to get ready to actually study something pertaining to his major… He’s definitely going to miss having a go-to class partner.

Santana Lopez: While his early curriculum was mostly centered around the prerequisite classes, he did manage to take a class or two pertaining to law - and the first one he took, in his sophomore year of school, was one that happened to have Santana Lopez in it to. Quickly he found out that she was probably the strongest person in the class, and thus that made him want to compete against her - after all, lawyers were always about competing and being better than the best person in the room - and at the end of the semester, he managed to win out in a mock-trial against her. Their rivalry is one that is notorious in the law classrooms now, and even if they might share snarks with one another, ultimately, Sebastian respects her and he thinks she’ll make a great lawyer one day.

Noah Puckerman: Wanting to kick off the New Year in a spectacular way during his freshman year of school, Sebastian opted for hiring a live band instead of getting a DJ and at the suggestion of his roommate at the time, Finn, checked out a new band that had just been formed - one named Electric Glory that was helmed by Longhorn Runningback Noah Puckerman. The guy was hot, and his confidence was hot, but he had a fuckboy attitude that had Sebastian wanting to turn him away - but after hearing his band? Well, he figured he could stand a fuckboy jock for a little while if it meant having good music. And the party was lit, so lit, of course, that he wound up celebrating with Puck behind the stage - hooking up like some trashy groupie - and the two exchanged numbers. Now whenever Sebastian needs a live band, or some good dick, he goes to Puck.

Marley Rose: Studying was essential in college, as one couldn’t just skip studying and still expect to pass with high marks, but finding an optimal time and place to study was hard. Thankfully, Sebastian found a timeframe when the library wasn’t too busy - busy enough that there was background noise, but not so busy that people were packed like sardines - and usually it was later in the night… which just so happened to be when Marley Rose’s shift as a librarian assistant started. While he had been irritated by her continuously coming to him and asking him if he needed help, he’d admit that he was a bit surprised when Marley wound up delivering him a coffee. It wasn’t his favorite coffee, of course, but having this stranger bring him coffee was something that warmed his cold heart… so the next day that he came in, he brought her a coffee and told her his order… and from then on, she would bring him the right coffee.

#male #all #takenmale #taken

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