Who: Steve and Sharon What: A random run-in When: Recently Where: A Grocery Store Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Closed/Complete
Life was going fantastic for Steve. He had the girl of his dreams, quite literally, a job he didn't hate, and he was living in a beautiful - yet strange - city with his best friend. It could only go up from there, and Steve was excited to see what life would have in store for him. For now, however, he was focusing on buying groceries for the week for himself and Bucky.
With a list in hand, Steve cruised through the produce section and then hit up the bread aisle. He was about to turn down another aisle when he spotted a familiar figure. "Hey, Sharon!" He greeted her with a small wave, "How're you doing?"
Sharon stopped abruptly and turned at the sound of the voice. She knew that voice from her Dreams, and though Peggy and Steve were dating, and Sharon herself was dating Bucky, she and this Steve hadn’t actually spent all that much time together. Not yet, anyway. She was looking forward to getting to know him, though. If he was anything like the man in her Dreams, she was sure she’d like him very much. And he was Bucky’s best friend. That meant a lot to her, too.
“Hey, Steve!” She pulled her cart over to wrap an arm around him in a quick, greeting hug. Viv, now almost ten months old, was sitting in the front of the basket, chewing on a small tupperware filled with Cheerios. “Pretty good! Just trying to figure out the menu for this week.”
A bright smile pulled up the corners of Steve's mouth and he returned the one armed hug. "Good deal, and I understand that." He motioned to his own basket, and then glanced over at Viv. "Hey there beautiful." He reached out, tickling Viv's side lightly with a chuckle. He was happy that Bucky had found Sharon. They seemed good together, and he was just happy to see Bucky happy.
"I keep saying that I'm going to start buying groceries at the first of the month and do that whole freezer meal thing, but I've yet to actually do it." Of course, that would mean buying a bigger freezer since the freezer in the side-by-side refrigerator that he had wasn't big enough for that.
“I think people who can do that kind of thing are amazing,” Sharon offered in agreement. She gave a little laugh. “If I had that kind of time, even once a month, I’m not sure I’d spend it making meals. I’d probably spend it sleeping.” Or visiting with Bucky, she thought. But that part might be TMI to spill in front of his best friend. Sharon’s time was incredibly valuable--being a single mom with a full time job and full time crazy in Orange County. She had help, of course--Aramis and Porthos were incredible fathers, and Sharon had Veronica, Leon, Peggy, her mother… lots of people around to support her. But she was still very busy. Sometimes she felt like she was spinning nonstop and she couldn’t control it.
“I also wonder what freezing and thawing must do to the flavor of the food.” She’d heard of people buying bulk milk and freezing it to drink all month. It just sounded nasty.
Steve couldn't argue that point. People who had time to do stuff like that were pretty amazing in his book too. While Steve didn't have children of his own, he did spend a lot of time around kids at the hospital and knew just how time consuming life in general could be. He chuckled softly, "I can't say as I would blame you on that one." Steve wasn't afraid of sleeping, the dreams weren't that awful most of the time when they did hit him, and he was curious as to what else might happen in them.
"I know with flash freezing it keeps the flavor, I think it might do the same thing with foods like that, but I wouldn't swear to it." Loaves of bread were something that Steve didn't like freezing and thawing. His mother, God rest her soul, had always tried to find ways to save money, so when bread went on sale she'd stock up and put a bunch in the freezer. Steve ate it, sure, but that didn't mean he liked it. "I'll have to try it at least once to see what happens, but today is definitely not the day that I'll be doing that."
“I’m just here to collect groceries for the week,” Sharon said, giving him a warm smile. “I don’t have time this week to figure out meals and freezing and all that stuff.” She turned to Viv in the seat of the cart and dug out a few more goldfish from her purse to put in the tupperware the baby was playing with. “Now that my roommate’s moved out, I’m solely responsible for keeping the fridge stocked,” she explained, almost sheepishly. “I’m thinking tonight might be a wine night, actually.”
Steve could imagine how sparse Sharon's time was, especially with Viv and everything else going on in her life. Chuckling, Steve gave her a sympathetic smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you did make it into a wine night. Everyone deserves to relax." New mothers especially did deserve a break. "If you ever need any help with anything? Be it a night away, or even someone to help with the shopping, let me know okay?" Steve offered with a smile, "I'd be happy to help."
“I will absolutely do that,” Sharon said, and she meant it. There were few people in the world that she would trust more than Steve Rogers when it came to care for her daughter. Peggy, her mother, Aramis and Porthos… maybe Leon. Definitely Veronica. Maybe Logan (even though he was the only one in their relationship who changed diapers.)
“You’re very kind to offer. I’m just… um. I’ve only got a few more things on my list, then I’ll be heading home to try and cook something yummy for dinner.”
Steve really did hope that Sharon would take him up on his offer if she ever did need the break. Steve was decent with kids, okay, he was really good with them and one day hoped to have some of his own. "Of course, anytime really." Steve replied with a small nod, "I'm sure you'll make something great."
Of course, he'd never personally had Sharon's cooking, but he was fairly certain that she was a fine cook. "One night you and Viv will have to come over, and I'll see if Peggy wants to come over and I'll cook dinner for all of us."
Sharon gave a little laugh. “That makes one of us. Right now I’m leaning toward Fritos and Oreos.” It was mostly teasing, but there were hints of truth in there. Sharon wasn’t much of a cook, and preferred easy things at the end of the day so she could spend more time with Viv than she spent cooking.
“Really? I’d like that a lot.” Sharon said, smiling warmly over at him. “I want us all to spend time together.” It made sense, didn’t it? Peggy and Sharon were cousins, and Steve and Bucky were best friends. The four of them should be spending more time together, right?
"Hey," Steve gave a small sideways tip of his head, "sometimes it's easier to eat whatever is easiest." Steve wasn't one to judge, and the way he saw it was that sometimes junk food was easier than trying to plan a meal. He'd done it a few times himself.
"Same, I'll ask Peg if she wants to do a double date soon." It would be fun in his opinion for the four of them to hang out and he figured Bucky would be okay as long as he had Steve and Sharon around. "Well, I won't keep you. Don't be a stranger alright? I'll get info to Bucky about the double date to let you know what the plan is."
“That sounds absolutely perfect.” Sharon said, giving him a bright smile. It was a pretty good feeling knowing that they were all so close. Double dates should be lots of fun. “We’ll talk more soon.” Then she turned to finish up her shopping trip.