New Beginnings
Steve Rogers x Reader
It was a quiet day in the shop the first day you met him. You hadnât been working there long, but you already had a way of identifying customers from the moment they walked in the door. It was one of the reasons you loved flowers, they drive human connection and emotion in such powerful ways. The excited-nervousness of a first date bouquet or corsage, the confident anniversary arrangement, the just-because, the list goes on. And as soon as the door chimes and you see him for the first time, you know why heâs there. Thereâs conflict on his face, grief weighing down his shoulders as he slowly approaches the desk. You offer a kind smile as a means of consolement as he takes a pause, gathering his thoughts before clearing his throat and speaking.Â
âCould I get a dozen- two dozen roses please?âÂ
âWould you like the thorns cut?â You ask as you begin carefully collecting the flowers.Â
âUh, no you can leave them on.â He instructs, a hint of a smile passing over his face for a moment as you quickly put together the shopâs most common arrangement and proceed to payment.Â
As you count out his change you catch him staring down at something out of view, clearly not present.Â
âIâm sorry for your loss.â You speak up gently, holding the bouquet out in one hand and the change in the other, pulling the man back to reality.
âThank you.â He responds solemnly, dropping the money in your tip jar before carefully taking the flowers and exiting the shop.Â
                              ~â~
Exactly one week later he comes in again, and it catches you by surprise. You donât manage to hide the expression well as he reacts to it a beat after walking through the door.Â
âThe flowers wilted.â He clarifies and your heart breaks a little for him as you reach for the roses.Â
âHow many?âÂ
                              ~â~
He comes every Sunday that month for a rose bouquet. You donât make small talk, it doesnât feel right to make light of his experience and he doesnât offer conversation. You premake the arrangement so that he doesnât even have to ask, thereâs sincerity in his eyes when he thanks you.Â
However, one sunday afternoon thereâs a break in the routine. The normal quiet shop is buzzing with patrons in a Motherâs Day rush. Part of you enjoys the challenge of a busy day (and certainly the tip influx) however it gets exhausting dealing with snappy clients and soon your hands ache from constant work and thorn pricks. The tensions increase tremendously when the shop runs out of roses by early afternoon. So as youâre tying up a tulip arrangement and you hear your coworker inform yet another customer of the shortage you prepare for the worst. But thereâs no groan of annoyance or lame joke. Thatâs when you notice the time, and you look over, and you see him.Â
âIs there anything else I could get for you, sir?â Your coworker chirps waiting for him to respond but he just looks lost. You pass off the tulips to the waiting customer and scan the shop. The rush has begun to dwindle with only three customers in line behind him.Â
âWhy donât I help you put together a new arrangement?â You offer. He hesitates for a moment then nods. You set down your shears and step out from behind the counter, motioning for him to follow you as you walk towards one of the displays.Â
âIs it alright if I ask you some questions?â You inquire cautiously as his eyes scan the wall before landing on you and nodding once again.Â
âIs there a particular connection to roses in the relationship?âÂ
âNo, um- not really.âÂ
âA lot of people go to roses because itâs that universal symbol of love, but there are a lot of other flowers that can represent that. Iâd usually only recommend red roses if thereâs an additional meaning in the relationship or if youâre looking for something easy. Oh, or if theyâre very traditional- was this person a very traditional type?âÂ
âNot exactly.â His ghost smile returns again and he shakes his head.Â
âWell then you have a lot of other options. Flowers all have different meanings. Carnations are common funeral flowers because they stand for remembrance and gratitude. Or if you want you could go more relationship-based. There are some flowers for friends like zinnias, some for lovers like peonies. You could also choose flowers that represent character like the gladiolus which symbolizes strength and integrity. So, do you have any idea what meaning youâd like to aim for?âÂ
He ponders for a moment, glancing around before taking a small step and looking into a barrel of flowers, plucking one out.Â
âWhat are these?âÂ
âAsters.â You inform him, taking a step to examine them.Â
âI recognize them.â He remarks.Â
âVery common in arrangements, but not considered to be focal points. They used to be worn often in the hair like daisies in the 40s and 50s. By the 60s people moved to flower crowns which were usually made of smaller flowers. But asters go back even farther, the Greeks believed they warded off evil and used them as a staple.âÂ
âWhat do they represent?âÂ
âLove and patience. Though the colors can push the meaning one way or another depending on the arrangement. Would you like to work with these?âÂ
âThese would be perfect.â He replies and you wave him over to watch as you put a bouquet together.Â
He settles on those for a while. When he comes in itâs not as silent. Heâll implore about the meaning of other flowers, you offer to mix other species, but he only buys asters for three months.
                               ~â~
Heâs gone for awhile. A long while. His visits didnât slow. He was there once a week until he wasnât. You think itâs probably for the best, he probably moved on. But a part of you holds on, misses the familiar face. Eventually you move on too.Â
Itâs late afternoon and youâre leaving work. The clippings have been thrown out, the open sign has been flipped to closed, and the keys are in your hand when you hear a shout.Â
A figure quickly runs towards you and your heart speeds up for a moment before his face comes into view and halts right in front of you.Â
âHi.â He breathes. âI didnât know if you still worked here.âÂ
You nod, still slightly stunned.Â
âI donât mean to hold you up, but todayâs important.â He states.Â
You nod again. âOf course, come in.â You say kicking the door back open. He catches it, following in after you.Â
âItâs been a long time.â You remark, immediately collecting the familiar flower and crafting the bouquet. âYou look good with a beard.âÂ
âThanks.â He says, taken aback. âYou remembered?âÂ
âThere arenât a lot of customers who would listen to me ramble on about plant symbolism for months. Plus itâs a pretty non-traditional request.â You reply, handing the bundle over to him. âWhere have you been?âÂ
âOut of New York.â He informs while reaching into his pocket.
âAnd you came all the way back past closing for these?â You say, amused.Â
âA lot has changed in my life, I guess I was looking for something familiar.â He replies earnestly as you place the change in his hand. âI appreciate you taking the time. Thank you.âÂ
âItâs no trouble.â You wave him off, clearing your work station for the second time. âHow long are you in town.âÂ
âHard to say.â He responds as you walk out from behind the counter once more and pause.Â
âWho are you?â You ask.Â
âSteve Rogers.â He informs, putting his hand out. âAnd you?âÂ
â(Y/N) (L/N)â You answer, shaking his hand with an amused smile.Â
âWell, Thanks again (Y/N).â
âHope to see you again soon Steve.â
                              ~â~
Steve comes back a month later. And he is different, but not in a bad way. You can tell when he walks in that heâs not looking for grief flowers.Â
âA beautiful day in the neighborhood is it Mr. Rogers?â You jest as he walks in with a smile.Â
He cocks his head in confusion as you chuckle lightly. âNevermind. Whatâs the occasion?âÂ
âA gift this time. I was hoping you could help me prepare something for an old friend.â He answers.Â
âAny other details?â You ask, racking your brain immediately.Â
âSomething durable enough to survive a flight.â He states, surprising you.Â
âI wouldnât recommend hardly anything for a long flight; You canât bring a water vase through TSA.â You inform him.Â
âI donât think that will be a problem.â He replies causing you to chuckle once more.Â
âYouâre an interesting man, Mr. Rogers.â You remark. âAre you always this vague?âÂ
âWhen I-âÂ
Steve is cut off by the door to the shop being thrown open, two suited men walking with determination up to him.Â
âHello, can I help-.â You begin to greet the gentleman but freeze as they each pull a gun on Steve.Â
âTake it easy fellas.â Steve instructs slowly putting his hands up.Â
âYou shouldnât have come back to New York, Captain.â One man rebukes. You begin inching towards the back room, not as stealthy as you like as one of them turns and aims his gun at you. âDonât move.âÂ
Steve takes a swing at the one whoâs gun is still trained on him, catching the manâs wrist as he fires in retaliation and jerking it up so that the hand gun fires into the ceiling. The other man turns away from you and Steve grabs the one who heâs currently struggling with and swings him into the other, causing both men to tumble into a display. The recently-fired weapon skitters across the floor and Steve lunges after it as the fallen men untangle themselves from the perennials. The unarmed man charges Steve who pistol whips him, easily knocking him onto the floor. The other approaches slowly with his gun trained on Steve who raises his own hand-gun to match him.Â
âYouâre not gonna shoot me.â The man declares as he inches closer. Steve takes a few steps in as well, testing the man as the gap narrows between them.Â
âYouâre right.â Steve affirms before reeling back and slamming his head against the other manâs, sending him stumbling back into another display. Steve persists, the two exchanging punches, power shifting as they grapple with each other, each being thrown to the floor and bouncing back. Eventually, Steve lands the final blow that knocks the other unconscious. He exhales a breath as he watches the man slump to the ground then moves his gaze towards you.Â
âPlease, donât tell anyone I was here.â He requests as the sound of sirens are heard approaching in the distance. You swallow thickly but nod, eyes fixated on him as he bolts from the store with amazing speed.Â
You take a few careful steps out from behind the counter and examine the damage inside the shop, still holding your breath as you move between the two fallen men. You notice an old device on the ground amongst the ruined flowers and grab it with a shaky hand. You examine it, curiosity and anxiety battling in your brain as you inspect it in itâs closed state. Your interest outweighs your rationale as you flip it open, revealing an old compass with a photo attached. The door chimes and you quickly pocket the device as police flood the scene. Your head is spinning in unanswered questions, with one sticking out in particular.Â
Who the hell is Steve Rogers?Â
                              ~â~
The shop is closed for a few days to deal with the damages. Thankfully all the destruction was done to products and storing units and not to the structure itself. As soon as supply is restocked and the bullet hole is patched, the business is back up and running. Your boss offers you time off to deal with the shock, but you turn it down, curious to see if or when Steve will show again. After two weeks pass, you start to doubt him ever reappearing as you weigh the circumstances from his end. You also begin to wonder if the compass is worth holding onto, but you bring it to work just in case.Â
Youâre locking up the shop, with some difficulty as harsh rain from a brewing thunderstorm pelts down at you and causes the keys to slip. The rain is suddenly obstructed and you look over to find Steve standing beside you, holding an umbrella over your head. Heâs got on a jacket along with a black cap and glasses and you wonder if thatâs supposed to be a low-effort disguise as you turn the lock.Â
âIâm sorry.â He speaks first, taking the sunglasses off. âI would never want to put people in danger, especially someone who has been a friend to me.âÂ
âIâm okay. Though there were some flowers that didnât make it.â You joke, a smile cracking his solemn expression.Â
âI thought you might be angry or afraid, but youâre-â
âOkay, really I am. My boss has insurance.â You assure him. âYouâre not who I thought youâd be, Mr. Rogers.âÂ
âIâm sorry.â He repeats and you shake your head.
âNever said that was a bad thing, Captain.â You reply. âIâve done my research on you now, and unless either of those guys were also frozen for 70 years, I think this belongs to you.â  Â
You pull the compass out and press it into his palm, his eyes widen as he opens it. âI thought the agents wouldâve taken it in.âÂ
âIâve got good eyes.â You shrug. âLetâs just say you owe me one.âÂ
âI owe you a lot.â He insists, pocketing the compact. âAnd Iâd like to make it up to you. Maybe at dinner, tomorrow?âÂ
You break into a smile and nod, stepping out from under the umbrella to hail a cab. âYou know when I get off.âÂ
                              ~â~
Heâs cleaned up well when you spot him outside the store a few minutes after closing, and so have you, being out of your work clothing (though the floral scent still sticks to you.)Â
He greets you warmly, still in a pseudo-disguise of cap and glasses as he approaches. âWow, Iâve never seen you without an apron.âÂ
âDo I lose my charm without the uniform?âÂ
âI guess weâll find out by the end of the night.â He teases. âYou hungry?â
You smile and nod, falling into step beside him as he leads the way. Itâs a short walk before he opens the door to a diner, holding it as you step inside and get seated in a booth.Â
âDid you come here as a kid?â You tease as you take in the retro atmosphere of the establishment.Â
He rolls his eyes, setting down his menu to look at you. âI had a feeling the old jokes were coming.â
âAm I that predictable or are you just wise in your old age?âÂ
âProbably both.â He sighs.Â
You two quip back and forth throughout the meal. You joke about sharing a milkshake and the waitress plays along until you see Steveâs shoulders tense and declare yourself too full.Â
âDo you always come to places like this?â You inquire after a beat of silence (post-battling over the check)Â
âLike what?â He responds, casting his eyes towards the table as you shoot him a knowing look. âItâs hard catching up to the world sometimes. I think I do a pretty good job all things considered, but sometimes I miss the way things used to be.âÂ
âWould you change it?âÂ
âI try not to think about it like that. I canât change whatâs already happened.âÂ
âBut thereâs a lot that you can look forward to.âÂ
âThereâs a lot to enjoy right now.âÂ
âI agree.â You smile, letting the moment sit before moving to your feet.Â
âOkay, Golden Boy, you gotta get me home before curfew or else my dad isnât going to let me go to the sock hop with you this weekend.â You tease.Â
âAlright then.â Steve huffs as he stands up as well, the two of you strolling back in the direction of the shop. You stop at where your car is parked on the street at the storefront and prepare your goodbyes. âI was wondering if I could give you something.âÂ
âYeah, sure.â You reply, curious as he dashes off and reappears, handing you a bouquet.Â
âWhite Narcissus.â You remark, carefully taking the flowers in surprise. âDaffodils to most people.âÂ
âSymbolizing New Beginnings.â He recites, offering you a small smile which you return as you pluck one from the bunch and hand it to him.Â
âTo New Beginnings.â You echo, staring at him. He leans in first and you let the flowers droop at your side as your lips are caught in a chaste kiss.Â
âWhenâs your flight?â You ask without widening the gap between you.Â
âLast week.â He breathes.Â
âGo get âem Captain.â You joke, patting him on the arm, but the small laugh does nothing to ease his bittersweet smile before he leans in once more.Â
âThank you, for everything.â He says, earnestly as he pulls away again. âI donât know when Iâll be back in New York butâŚâ
âIâll see you soon Mr. Rogers.âÂ
                              ~â~
- MST âŞ

















