#olydianwrites

wc:404

warnings: pure fluff, reader regrets their gift choice for a bit

It wasn’t hard for Matt to tell that you were hiding something, the violent pounding of your heart every time the topic of dates and valentines day had come up was consistent for almost 3 weeks.

He found it endearing how hard you were trying to keep your secret. But unfortunately for you, he had a bit of an unfair advantage in this area, it was like putting a pro football player against, well, you. 

It wasn’t like he was trying to catch you out…it was just a little hard not to.

Which is why, when he came home from a day at the office with Foggy, he did his best to act surprised at your gesture. To act like he couldn’t hear your bustling around his apartment from down the street, anxiously busying yourself. To act like he couldn’t smell the residual fabric on your hands from your ‘secret project’ over the past few weeks.

When he stepped through the front door he feigned shock hearing you in his living room. as you ran to him, throwing your arms around his broad shoulders and wishing him a happy valentines day.

Immediately you knew something was up. 

Of course he knew.

At least you still had one up on him, he didn’t know what your gift was…right?

You’d noted his hatred for certain fabrics and his comparison to sandpaper early on in your relationship, so, being a creative person, you decided to show how much his comfort mattered to you with a gesture.

 After locating the softest possible fabric from his list of safe materials, you got to work, you crafted a large blanket for him, large enough for the both of you to sit comfortably under it. In an effort to make it interesting for him through touch, you created patterns and shapes on the top side of the blanket, hiding your stitches to reduce contact. 

Despite how much you’d loved the idea, waiting for him to come home had allowed time for uncertainty to fester in your gut, what if he thought it was stupid? After all the work you’d put in, you’d probably cry. The idea of him hating it and pretending to like it made you feel even worse. 

But, when you gave it to him, allowing him to feel your handiwork atop the project, the bright smile that lit up his face told you all you needed to know. 

image creds: @jamjjamm

wc:440

Steve was a classic gentleman, flowers and opening doors engrained so deeply into his brain from growing up in the 1920’s. Which is probably why he was a little reluctant when you suggested he let you plan your activity for the day, but of course being Steve, he said yes. 

He showed up at your door early in the afternoon, meeting you at the doorstep with a bouquet of your favourite flowers and that stupidly charming smile. He’d dressed as best he could based on your horrendously vague description of your plans but, as you’d reminded him while he tried to coax more information out of you, you believed he’d look good in anything.

‘Wear something you don't care about and bring a nice change of clothes’

Is all you’d told him, prompting him to express lighthearted fear of what you had planned for him.

You let him in with a soft peck on the cheek, stepping away to put the flowers into some water. 

He stepped into your living room with no specific expectations, however he still found it in himself to be surprised at what he saw laid out in front of him. Across the coffee table laid various assortments of art supplies, mostly focused around paint. Fresh jars of water sat ready in the center, with canvases propped against random household objects, a candle stick and some kind of ceramic figure. He listened out to you in the kitchen, filling the vase, and its then that he notices the music playing from the corner of the room. A record player that you certainly didn’t have before was playing the music of a random singer from the 40’s.

Meekly you peeked your head around into the room, craning your neck to see Steve's reaction. You’d hoped to give him something that felt normal. Remind him of the thing that was constant in his life, even before he was Captain America. Art. 

The softening of his brow and the gentle smile that graced his lips told you that you’d at least not offended him enough to have him storm off and leave. He set his bag containing his change of clothes down and kneeled to the floor. You followed suit, trying to act as if you weren’t just watching him like some kind of fan, and you began to list off the many items you had in front of you. 

As you watched his beautifully calm focus while he worked, you decided the two of you needed nothing more. Sneaking off under the guise of going to the bathroom, you cancelled your reservation and ordered take out for delivery.

@jamjjamm

wc:393

You’d been planning this out for weeks, the one day a year where you could finally show your boyfriend just how much he means to you. You’d thought as hard as possible and worked to plan out things that you knew he would love, that speak to how well you know him. In the craze of it all it was no surprise you let some things slip your mind.

You’d focussed so hard on what you were going to be together, so much on keeping it a secret that you kinda forgot to mention it to Steven. So, as a result of your horrendous planning, you’d both planned something. 

It started early, with Steven waking you up with your favourite breakfast in bed followed by you presenting a gift you’d decided screamed Steven the moment you saw it.

The problems began when you both started getting ready for the day, you tried to give him a nudge in the direction of how dressed up he should be, and he just looked at you blankly with a tilted head. Blinking a few times he righted his head and seemed to decide this was just you wanting a certain vibe for the day and moved on. 

Only when he took the lead and started leading you in what was the opposite direction of the train station you needed to be at in 10 minutes did you realise your fuck up. 

‘Uhh Steven?’

A soft hum in response

‘Steven.’

He felt the tug of your hand as you stopped behind him, keeping them linked as he turned around.

‘Come on love, we’re gonna be late’

‘Yes we are so why are you taking us this way?’

‘What are you talking about?’

You both stared for a moment

‘Oh’

‘Yeah, oh…what are we gonna do Steven?’

You both shared what you had planned out for the day, him having apparently made the same mistake you did. Your heart melted as he went on about the details of it, the extent of how much care he’d taken to make you happy, releasing a swarm of butterflies in your chest. 

In the interest of making things fair, you each compromised, losing an aspect of your plans to fit the others. 

I mean, would it really be a date with Steven Grant if the most avoidable things didn’t go wrong?

Image creds: @jamjjamm

Warnings: None, just awkward reader, reader has no physical description

Word Count:425

Like most people in the world, you’d followed the great ‘Captain America’s extremely public life story. From the memorials posted in his honour you’d waded through on spontaneous city trips with your friends, to the blaring and very hard to miss headlines when he’d been pulled from the ice. You’d cheered with friends and it had felt much more like watching a movie than a live event. You’d watched with bated breath as he and the avengers stopped the city from being destroyed by an alien raid. It was probably the reason you found it so hard to imagine him as a regular person, doing anything other than saving the world. 

But there he was, not even 2 metres away from you, and he was DEFINITELY a real person, he was also most certainly not saving the world at the moment. Unless taking down bad guys involved scouring the herbs and spices aisle of a grocery store. He must have been used to being gawked at because, despite your closeness and glaringly obvious staring problem, he remained focused on the rack of spices in front of him.

Up close, you could make out a lot of details that were lost in the dusty haze that marred the quality of the cameras that stalked him after a battle, or the grainy, deteriorating memorabilia plastered along the walls of museums. Details like, for example, the deep parallel creases that ran vertically between his brows, a physical manifestation of his years brooding and world hero stuff. 

You knew you should stop staring. Of course you should…but oh my god he was gorgeous. 

When he finally made his choice and turned away from the shelf, his eyes met yours and a soft but deliciously charming smile graced his chiseled features. You swore your neck had never moved as fast as it did, whipping to face the items in front of you, trying your best to act interested in the various types of herbs laid out at your eye level. You could feel his eyes lingering on you for a moment, and you did all you could to stop yourself from returning the look.

The next time you saw him on tv, it felt different. Less like a show, and more like watching a person. A real person that you had seen fighting to keep your home safe. You couldn’t wait til you needed to stock up on groceries again, so that maybe, you could run into him again, and thank him personally. Take the chance to show your gratitude.

Photo creds:@jamjjamm

Divider creds:@aquazero