Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
8am. the sun streaming through steves blinds, his small cat names socks sat between his legs as steve read from the murder mystery novel he was keeping up with, stroking the cat and flipping the pages, he was relaxed this morning. an hour until work. he decides to get up, go downstairs for breakfast. he hummed merrily to the song stuck in his head as he poured himself some cereal he bought the week prior. he felt good about the day.
he made himself look as dapper as he could, brushing and flossing his teeth, knowing his slicked hair and clean clothes would be ruined by sweat throughout the day from working in the june heat of brooklyn, never the less steve ironed his favourite white shirt, threw it on and buttoned it up. he pulled the trousers on over his skinny legs and tied the brace suspenders over his torso, pinned his name badge onto his shirt and filled the cat bowl with new food before leaving.
he picked the newspaper up from his doorstep as he left, skimming the page. it was filled with the usual, fallen soldiers names and new wedding dates from across the town. he placed it in the mail basket before walking to work. it was hotter than usual today, he was already beading with sweat before he even got to work, the streets were busy. filled with civilians on bikes, people passing him with a glance and a smile, he was walking merrily until a small group of off-duty soldiers were walking his way. it always made steve cautious.
he looked away. "hey, ain't that the pretty boy james bumped into last night?" one of them said through the pipe smoke puffing from his mouth. "i think it is, rogers, the flower boy" the three giggled in unison at steves expense, making him feel embarrassed. he brushed it off as he arrived to work. peggy already busying herself with preparing orders and packages for new arrivals. dustin was sweeping the floor and margaret was cleaning the front desk of the booking section.
"morning" peggy pats steves head as he ties the florist apron around his skinny waist, preparing the orders till. the shop opened in half an hour and steve was ready.
customers started swarming in around eleven, it's always so busy, always so many birthdays, birth, proposals, weddings, funerals. seemingly there was a flower for every event imaginable, in all colours, shapes and sizes. black, yellow, pink, white, blue, green. it depended on the mood, day, person on what they wanted. steve could look at the pinup-looking girls with red lipstick with a black mole next to their mouth, with hairspray slick hair and bandanas, knowing straight away they'd ask for the order of white lilies and daffodils for their father who's in the hospital. steve knew the excited couples need half a dozen bouquets for their white-dream weddings that he feels occur everyday. steve knew the place and the people like the back of his hand.
until that afternoon. a face he'd never seen before, but a pretty one at that. tall, blue eyes, uniform. he was one of them, the daunting words his mother told him were reminded as soon as he walked in.
"miss carter" the voice from the other night calls. he was sauntering around the shop like a lost dog looking for peggy. "ohhh miss caaarteeerrr" he drags the word with him, cupping his hands around his mouth. it distracted steve from the woman trying to pay for her lillies. peggy's head peaked round from the back and squealed. ""james!!! oh how lovely for you to be here my dear" she wraps her arms around him in an embrace before he pulls away. "now, peggy, ya wouldn't say you have my lavenders now, would you, my dear?" he was playing with her hands as he looked at her, twisting her wedding ring between his thumb and finger with a devilish grin on his face. what did he want. his eyes were heavy and his boots were black, he wasn't dressed like a soldier. he had a leather jacket on with black bootcut jeans, ripped at the knees. black hold boots on his feet with black nail polish smudged on his nails, probably stolen from his mother.
"i'll be right back with them, james. just you wait." as peggy scurries off to the back, he heads toward steve, leaning his arms on the counter in front of him.
"i know you." he pauses, chewing his gum between his teeth, taking in all of steves facial features with his baby blues. "you're sarah's boy, huh?" steve gulps. "mhm, why's it of any importance to you?" steve felt brave. "oh it isn't, you just have her face yknow, she was a pretty girl" he was tedious, spiteful with his words. "and you are?" it stinged for steve to remember his mother. "sargeant james buchanan barnes" steves heart dropped.
