Work Text:
It's been over a month since you've noticed Steven's admiring eyes following you throughout your shifts. You are positioned as someone that manages the stock inside the gift shop and gift isles, which makes you work in and out the back and inside the museum itself. You've seen Steven following your steps and your movements whenever you talk to a customer with a glint in his eyes.
You would admit you've had your own eyes on Steven for a while now. Whenever he yawns or stretches you wonder just how much he's resting, or if he sleeps at all. Sometimes you'll catch him exiting the back room carrying a poster to display and watch him muddle with whatever he has to set up, grumbling under his breath about something that was clearly wrong about it. It often made you laugh, his antics, whenever he mumbles how the poster should be fixed or how dumb the souvenirs are. While most of your coworkers avoided Steven or found him odd, it only made him captivating to you.
It wasn't until a couple of days ago that you were on inventory duty with, coincidentally, Steven.
You were restocking the plushies in the storage room late after closing time, before Steven stumbles in, his cheeks blooming pink when he sees you and manages a timid 'hi'. He explains that Donna made him do inventory again since he came late the past weeks, which made you sigh.
"Don't feel like it's fair to keep you doing this just 'cause you're late," You grabbed a plush. "I'm sure you don't do it intentionally,"
"I-i do try to arrive on time, I just," Steven drops his bag on a vacant table. "I always catch the bus too late so," He manages a meak chuckle but makes you turn to give a sympathetic smile.
"With those eye bags, I don't doubt you hardly get any rest Steven, "
"Y-You've noticed?" The man immediately reaches for his face. You find yourself reaching for his hand, abruptly dropping the item you were previously holding.
"Not that it's bad, I'm just worried, 'is all," Stevens hand in yours, you caress circles to his warm palms.
"If anything it makes you look more endearing," You quirk your head, offering a reassuring smile. His eyes grew just enough for it to go unnoticed and you chuckle, before dropping his hand and fumbles to grab the plush you dropped. Steven stumbles with cheeks red as roses and turns to head towards the door.
“I-i-i should finish the ones out front,” He stutters before turning the knob, closing the door.
Silence once again accompanies the room, a heavy sigh soon follows that you didn't realize you were holding. Your eyes drop to the plush you nicked from the table when you panicked after the contact with Steven, a silent witness to it all.
“What am I gonna do?” The plush stares back with its empty buttons. “If we wait for him to make a move, it's gonna take ages won't it,”
Humming, you place it into the storage box, tucking it with its similar counterparts before closing it and stashing the box where it should be. Your head turns to eye the door, silently hoping for Steven to wander back in to retrieve his phone, a pen, anything. Desperate wouldn't exactly be what you'd call the feeling you're having right now, but if it perfectly depicts your attraction towards your coworker then it can't be helped. The door stays closed and so does your heart for Steven.
Unless you welcome him first.
“Well if it takes myself to ask him out, so be it,” You nod, finishing your shift before clocking out and hauling your bag, exiting the storage area to glimpse at Steven, his curls covering most of his features while he fixes a display behind the counter. Passing by, you wave a quick goodbye and catch the ever-so-evident blush before he timidly waves back and busies himself again.
–
A week later you muster the courage to approach Steven when he settles behind his booth, two cups of coffee in hand. He furrows at one of the sweets packets he’s tasked to scan when you present the cup in front of him, pushing slightly to meet his line of sight. He stops and raises his head slowly and meets your eyes with his widened.
“Morning Steven, I got you a cup,” You nod to the steaming beverage between you two, Steven slowly coming back to earth when he drops the packet and sees the cup.
“O-Oh! Thanks- Thank you, I don't usually drink coffee early in the morning,”
“Shit really? Sorry, should've gotten you tea then-”
“No! I mean, no, this is… I appreciate it, you, gettin’ me a drink,” Halfway reaching for the cup, you brush hands with him when Steven hurries to take the drink, a sheepish smile behind the rim while he takes a sip. A smile also follows you when you retract your hand instead to slip it inside your jeans pocket, rubbing the knuckles that went in contact with Stevens. He sets down the cup, eyes darting between yours and other parts of the museum. His tongue slips to lick at his bottom lips, catching the aftertaste of coffee, making your throat clutch dry, suddenly wishing you too can taste the caffeine on Stevens lips. You immediately shake the thought and revisit your previous confidence before an awkward silence ensues.
“So, I was wondering, if you’re free today,” You tilt your head, finally meeting Stevens deep browns. “That you’d wanna come with me for lunch?”
The man pauses, his pupils growing ever so wide. He manages an uncertain hum before sputtering and finds himself looking down to the floor once more, this time with a small smile that tugs at his right.
“I- yeah- yes. I’m free today, I’d love to join you at lunch,” You chuckle, finding him doing the same, relieving the anxiety you’ve been supporting since yesterday finally dies down with Stevens acceptance. A warm hand meets yours when you reach out to clasp at Stevens.
“It’s a date,” You smirk, lightly squeeze before sauntering to one of the isles you work at. “Let’s finish work early then!”
“Will do!” Steven manages before you faintly hear him let out a content sigh. You do the same, the lingering warmth of his hand making your heart stutter just a bit.
–
Mondays, albeit annoying, granted coworkers a half-day shift, which allows you and Stevens date to flourish. You wait along the pillar of the museum, humming beside the grand stairs that lead to the entrance. London was in a particularly cheery weather that had just enough sun to provide warmth.
Soon enough, you saw the far figure of Steven making his way around the museum's patrons, his bag clutched close. You stand to wave when his eyes meet yours, and he beams then waves back. He arrives next to you, jogging the rest of the way.
"Ready?" You smile, turning to face the stairs.
"Y-yeah," He smiles, a faint gloss of red scatters on his cheeks. you find yourself growing warm when he walks down the flight beside you, elbows shuffling together.
"I was thinking," You both stop in front of the crosswalk, Steven turning to you with eyes ever so gleaming. "How about the burrito stand next to our bus stop?"
"Sounds good," Steven nods and you both make your way to the shop.
Once settled with your respective food, you begin a conversation with Steven. It starts with him nodding and only getting a couple of words out of the man, mostly agreeing or humming as the answer. it wasn't until you asked about the poster he was grumbling about last week did he perk up with interest.
"About that poster last week, the Enneads one," He shoots up from his food, dark browns meeting yours. "Why were you so mad about it?"
"Oh! Ah yeah, about that, see I just don't get why they didn't put all nine of 'em, the Enneads were originally a group of nine deities, so when-” And there he finally goes, gushing about his fixation and filling the air with his soothing voice. Steven becomes animated once he shares his interest which makes you focus on his passionate tone and hands waving about. His face practically beaming with excitement. You wonder just how much he gets ignored despite his vast knowledge of Ancient Egypt and its history, even to the point he bests the marketing team that should know better than to miss advertise patrons.
Steven goes on about the known history of the Enneads before you choose to tune it out in favor of watching the man's growing smile whenever you smile or nod in understanding before he blurts out, “I can show you my books about them, back at my flat?”
He promptly pulls back, lips sealed shut. The surprise made you straighten your back and eyes growing wide, a smirk creeping its way to you.
“Steven… is that an invitation?”
“W-which you can reject! Of course, I don't know,” He runs a trembling hand through his puffed curls. “I don't know why i said that, ha,”
His attempt at a dry laugh only made your grin wider. You tilt your head in order to meet Stevens retreating eyes under his hair. You bring your hand to cover over Stevens. He gulps as you run a tumb atop his and grows warm.
“And why would I? Have you ever invited anyone over Steven?” You don't miss the way his breath hitch when you call his name. He breathes a shaky laugh and reaches to run a hand to his arm.
“No, I've never. Then again, my flat isn't the best,” He shakes his hand. “Tidiest place,”
“I don't mind, plus, it ain't like mine, any cleaner,” You bump his shoulder, meeting his striking eyes when he meets yours. His smile becomes something genuine when he sees you. The two of you stay like that, a comforting silence settling itself between, a breath away from each other. Stevens eyes quirks to your lips and you don't miss it when his inhale shudders just enough for him to pull back, eyes falling to the pavement with yet another nervous laugh. His cheeks turn ever so red and while a tang of disappointment glossed over you, you didn't let the opportunity to see Steven Grant's apartment sour you.
After catching the bus and finding a seat, Steven sits beside you, hands having found his bag straps to fidget over. His anxiousness practically ebbs to you and you turn to him, finding his eyes glued to the floor of the vehicle. You lean down with a reassuring smile.
“Steven, if you're unsure it's completely fine. I can just drop off at my usual stop-”
“No!” Strong hands instantly grab your upper arm, Stevens glossy browns meeting yours. He stutters back before continuing.
“No- I mean, it's just that,” He pauses and shakily smiles. “I want you to come by, I’m definitely not- not saying I don't want you to come over is just that I have to clean up, and- and there's piles of boxes, and books, and all the dust and-”
As if your hand had a mind of its own it begins to find its way to cup Stevens quivering jaw, settling just under his high cheekbones. Your thumb runs a deft circle that manages to stop Stevens continued stammering. His eyes blink to meet you which made you grin, his face blooming red.
“Don't worry Steven, instead, I can help ya’ clean up,” Your hand shifts and Steven follows just so. “And like I said earlier, no need to be ashamed of, it ain't like my place is any better,”
Steven releases a shaky laugh and it's like the universe is right again. You drop your hand as you laugh at yourself, soon turning Stevens relieved laugh to a genuine one, a wide smile complimenting his bright features. The two of you find yourself giggling for the rest of the ride, Stevens hands now a grounding presence on your upper arm.
-
Stevens flat opens with a creak, dark wooden floorboards greets you from opening the door. The man rushes in front of you and begins dashing from corner to corner, carrying boxes and stacks of hardcover books while your eyes gleam at the sight. Stevens flat isn't exactly what you pictured, but it somehow embodies its inhabitant and fits just right for Stevens personality. High ceilings while tall bookshelves work as room dividers filled to the brim, some having ladders leaned on them while others stand high. Your eye catches at the light from an aquarium that seemingly divides the kitchen to the main living area, inside sits alone goldfish idly floating in its tank. You chuckle and turn, finding a wall with various pictures of monuments around the world, some with written letters that say ‘x -mom’ and finding yourself grinning, before finally stepping into the living room and finding Steven still bustling around his flat like a mouse, you shake your head.
“Steven, your apartment is super huge!” He meets your eyes that have a glint of wonder and stops dead in his tracks, a box of blue tape? Sits in his grasp.
“I mean, it's like a loft! I like it,” You seem to notice the man now completely statued, mouth slightly gaping while he sees you twist your body to take in the room.
“I- I’ve never… Thank you, no ones ever came over so, never knew it was,” He shrugs, box still in his arms. “That's cool. I’m happy you like it though!” He manages a half-smile before he curses under his breath when the shrug beforehand manages to knock some of the tape out of the box, so he scurries around once more to set it down.
Your shoes brushed over grains and you raised your brow, looking down only to find sand circling Stevens bed. You step aside from the sand and see your soles imprint on them, tilting your head in curiosity as you sneak down to run a finger through it. You didn't know what you expected but of course it’s perfectly normal sand, only it encases Stevens bed in a half-circle. A glint of metal finds its way to you which makes you halt your movement to stand, finishing the metal from the side of the bed. You find it looped around a post on the foot of the bed and a rope connecting the loop to a leg cuff?
“Interesting choice of decor Steven,” You smirk and bring the cuff when you stand. “Is it a kink thing or a condition-”
When you see Steven, his body goes completely rigid, eyes fixed on the cuff in your hands. A steady blush blooms on him before he stammers and comes to you, hands fumbling as he waves them around.
“I- it’s uh, nothing! I just- it’s just, I don't- It’s not, uhm…” His eyes snap to yours for a second before it falls to the floor. Your brows furrow and gently settle the cuff on the edge of the bed, cautiously making your way to Steven.
“I- it’s not… a sexual thing, I just-” He reaches a hand to rub at his arm. “I have insomnia, a-and I sleepwalk, s-so I have the cuff and sand, around my bed, to make sure I don’ go anywhere,” He shrugs, face fully submerge in his baggy collar.
You took a minute to register the information, before nodding and gently entwining Stevens trembling fingers with yours, making the man hesitantly meet you. “If you’re worried thinking it's weird, it really isn't,” You run your thumb atop him, fingers shy against yours.
“It's a condition ain't it? Can’t be helped then. I won't go anywhere, if you’re also worried about that,” A cheeky smirk makes its way to your lips when Stevens eyes grow wider. The two of you stand in a warm silence, his eyes searching around your feature while you focus on the hazy red on Stevens cheeks, slowly trailing down and meeting his lips. As if on queue, the kettle blares with its beeps and Steven not only pulls himself away but manages to stumble across his own apartment while he offers you a drink. You find yourself chuckling and agreeing to tea.
Your hand trails along the hardwood of the table, mountains of books balance themselves on top of it while some are skewed about on the floor, in piles or in filing boxes. You glance around the table before spotting an opened book. The pages are slightly wrinkled, albeit in perfect condition despite it looking like an old hardcover work. You skim through its content, careful to put a hand where it had been opened, and found it's surrounding the gods of Egypt and their history surrounding them, while below the title reads a number four in roman text.
“Steven, are these-”
“Oh- Haha, it’s my um, my nightly readin’,” Steven hands a warm cup filled with tea into your hands while he carries his own, a shy smile on his lips.
“Must've forgotten to close them,” You hum and took a sip of your tea. It’s lightly sweetened with a tang of lemon in it. You smile thinking of what tea brand Steven uses that makes his tea tastes just a bit earthy with an aftertaste of sweet lemons. You miss when Steven closes the book and sets it aside, in favor of making room to put down his cup, his eyes expectant. You set down your cup and meet his wandering browns.
“So, about those Egyptian history books?” You shift to turn and lean on the table, head tilting. Steven perks and nods while he makes his way to a tall bookshelf, at this point it can be called a wall and brings a ladder to balance it against the shelf. He climbs the steps and stops once he reaches a height and begins tracing a finger along the lines of the spines. You make your way beneath the ladder and find a proper view of Stevens curves, just hidden under a baggy pair of jeans. You smirk but completely cut your thoughts short when Steven pauses, then hurdles a book your way. You immediately catch it, an inch away from smacking your face and engraving its front title to your face, you cradle it beneath your elbow.
“Oi Stevie, what the hell?” He barks out a laugh before he hurls another your way. You were swift to catch it, and Steven pulls on another book, skims through it, then tumbles it down to meet you with an ‘oof’. He drops the final one, ending on three thick, hardcover books, and you finally catch your breath while the pile of books heavy on your arms.
“Steven! What in the fuck man!” Your voice teases while you manage to peek from atop the pile, finding a gleaming Steven with cheeks pulled taut and laughing whilst still on top of the ladder. The angle makes your head tilt up to meet his shining feature as if looking up to a cheerful angel, his tan skin glowing with the evening rays. You swear you saw sparkles surround him, though it might be dust particles from all the books, and he slides down the ladder, patting your shoulder as he makes his way back to the table, a playful smirk on his lips.
If you could just kiss that cheeky mouth of his.
“Come on then, those are all the books,” He makes a show of patting down his clothes from nonexistent dust and you huff, bringing the stack and making sure the cups are out of the space before settling them down, the stack making a comically small gust of wind and dust from underneath it as they meet the table. Steven hauls a book from the pile and sets it aside from the other, flipping it open before patting a seat next to his, his smile spreads to you as you sit down and Steven begins.
Two books into Stevens theatrical explanation about the beginnings of ancient Egypt, you turn to the consistent shine that Steven has whenever he's explaining the things he's passionate about instead of the actual contents of said explanation. You note that Steven talks with his eyes, hands moving to accompany them with nimble fingers that drag across worn pages of the books. The more you move your focus to his features you notice his high cheekbones, sharp jawline and a hard edge to his eyes, all of that contradict his personality. His eyes light up whenever he comes across the bits he takes to heart, glancing at you and back to the book, each time meeting eyes with you, he flashes a smile that grows wider. You wonder just how people missed such an attractive person, behind his shaky demeanor, Steven hides a charming part of himself.
“You’re really handsome Stevie,” You lean on the table, your arm supporting the side of your head. Steven pauses.
“P-pardon?”
“You’re handsome, Steven. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I- i don't, um,” He stumbles, face immediately growing red. You chuckle, leaning closer to the stammering man.
“No, uhm, no one has ever told me that…” And yet again, you wonder just how people missed such an endearing man, and you managed to luck yourself with him.
Stevens eyes land on yours with anticipation. His body moves closer, abandoning the open pages of his book as he’s a breath away from yours. You instinctively lick your lips and Steven’s eyes fall to it before glancing up to meet your eyes. Your body leans to his and finally meets in a kiss, short and hesitant before you push into a more wanting kiss. He gasps, allowing you to slide inside his mouth. Steven whimpers when he feels you against his tongue, earning a pleased hum. He tastes of sweet lemon, his slightly quivering lips with yours. You push deeper, hands moving to cage the man between the chair and one that makes its way to his hips. He makes a strangled noise and reaches for your shirt collar, grasping it, before leaning back to struggle a breath before you tug him back into a bruising kiss.
The hand that was previously holding Stevens seat moves to cup his jaw. Steven leans into the touch which makes the frame of his reading glasses click against your hand, taking it and setting it on the table, your hand makes its way behind Stevens ears and into his soft curls. He moans from the contact and wraps his arms around your neck, pulling you closer with his sudden surge of confidence. You pull back once you feel your lungs protest and so does Steven. His eyes are hooded, breathless with a wonderful hue of red along his cheeks and down his neck. You place your other hand to his jaw, cradling his frame, before moving your right to brush a stray hair from his brows. Steven’s eyes flutter close when you place a warm kiss, longing with a promise laced for more.
“How about a second date, hm?” His eyes shot open with raised brows, which made you jump back and mimic his expression.
A minute passes.
Laughter abruptly fills the room when the both of you hunch over, unable to contain the sudden change of pace that you proposed, Steven buries his face into the crook of your neck when he hunches while you laugh at the side of his neck, fervently close to the back of his ears which reddens. After a solid minute of giggling, you finally managed to swallow the last of yours and Steven does so, pulling back while still keeping the proximity of you with his hands on your upper arms.
“Dinner? I-i can uhm, pick the place?” He meets your eyes. “N-next week?” Steven beams when you nod, not trusting your voice unless it releases another string of laughter.
–
“You sure I can't walk you to the stop?” You haul your bag and turn to see Steven, his hands fidgeting at his front but he stands with ease, his shoulders usual tense nonexistent. You huff in delight before reaching to take hold of his palm, brushing his wrist in a reassuring motion, beckoning him to stand in your proximity. Your lips met his in a chaste kiss that sent a shiver down Steven, surprised by the gesture.
“I’ll be fine love, it’s late and like you said, you hardly get any sleep,” A chuckle left you as you run along Stevens upper arm in comfort. “Better get a head start,” You quip.
Steven accompanies you to his door and watches you exit, before he swoops in for a hesitant peck on your cheek and flushes immediately, which makes you giggle as you leave his flat and into the outside corridor. As you walk down you wave back to see Steven still standing near his door frame and answer your wave with his enthusiastic one. You heard him close the door with a click, before thumping and a cheery voice followed behind the doors, which makes you huff a laugh. You exit the apartment building and into the London air, a dimly lit fire warms inside your heart as you make your way home.