originally published may 22, 2022
pairing: steven grant x fem!librarian!reader
request: How about Steven and a librarian!reader, who's also sort of like Steven? A bit insecure, shy, etc. He meets her when going to research more Egyptian history or something. It's post-Moon Knight so, Steven has a little more confidence than before. - @blackwidownat2814
summary: steven has a crush on a little librarian.
word count: 2,412
warnings?: fluff, general awkwardness, pet name (love), not proofread
Why are you even going to the library?, Marc asked as Steven caught his reflection in Gus's fish tank. Steven, suddenly aware of the state of his hair, started combing his fingers through it, trying to make it look somewhat presentable. Don't you have a million books here?
"It's always good to support your local libraries," Steven dismissed, giving up on his hair. He was almost certain he was making it worse. "The more ya use them, the more fundin' they get. They're very important to the community."
And that's why you keep buying a billion more books?
"Didn't you just say I had a million? Make up your mind, Marc," Steve said. "Anyways, got lots of books to check out. Laters, gators."
Steven had started going to the library years and years ago to research more into Egyptian history and the mythology. Back then, he was really struggling to make ends meet with a job that just barely paid minimum wage. So, he couldn't really afford to buy the books he was interested in. The library was his only choice. And it was the library where he fell in love.
Not with the books, though.
With you.
You were a recent graduate with a Master's in Library Science. An American, he had realized quickly when he heard your accent, though it was clear enough that you had been living in England for quite some time. He'd wondered if you'd also gotten your bachelor's in England, too. Regardless, you had only recently started working at the library, nervously flitting through the shelves, trying to organize them.
"Last librarian didn't care one bit about making sure this place run smoothly," he'd heard you muttering to yourself as you pushed a cart around. "Clearly didn't care about the patrons either. Who the hell has this many James Patterson novels? Do people even still read these? Not a single person's checked one out in the last month I've been here. And yet they take up a whole damn shelf! We could put so many better things there! Ugh, I should put some of these in the sale pile, bet no one would even notice to care."
Steven had cleared his through, waving slightly to catch your attention. You jumped when you saw him, nearly tumbling over your cart. "Oh dear! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give ya a fright. It's just my first time at the library, ya know, and I don't really know my way around and it's been a long time since I've been in one, so I'm not quite sure where to begin looking, or if you'd even have any, but, um, do you happen to have any books on ancient Egypt? The history of it, I mean?"
You were clutching your hand to your chest, trying to catch your breath. "Um, yeah, we do! They're in the nonfiction section. Though, I suppose you would have guessed that...Um, if you go straight down this way, you'll see the stairs. Take 'em straight up to the second floor and go to your left. It's all organized by the Dewey Decimal System, which is a terrible system and I'm thinking of overhauling it. Just need to figure out a better way to organize, ya know. Um, it should be the 900s. I think maybe in the 930's? If I'm wrong, there should be a few diagrams listed on the ends of each shelf to direct you. We actually just got these really interesting book the other day. The Book of the Dead, I think? I don't think anyone's checked it out and...I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"I ramble too!" Steven said. "I think people think it's annoying. Actually, I know they do. My co-workers are all the time rolling their eyes and ignoring me whenever I go off on a tangent."
You smiled a bit. "Well, my fellow rambler, feel free to go off on a tangent with me about whatever amazing book you decide to check out, okay? I've been wanting to learning more about ancient histories, and I think you could be a great person to learn from." Your face fell slightly, your eyes going wide. "Not that you should feel like you have to! It's totally your choice. Like, if you'd rather only talk when you have questions about the library or are checking out a book, fine by me! I don't want you to feel like you're being shoe-horned into a friendship! Shoot, I'm so bad at this..."
"No, no, you're perfectly well! Wonderful, even!" Steven flushed, realizing his words. "I-I mean...I would love to talk to you about the books I read."
"It's a date then!" You frowned, your brows furrowing together. "Not, like, a real date, I mean. Unless you want to make it a real date! That would be fine, too. But, I-I mean..."
"Maybe start as friends?" Steven suggested. Then he held out his hand, trembling slightly. "Hi friend, my name's Steven. With a 'V'."
"Oh, good. Stephen's with a 'PH' are right assholes. Met one back when I was on vacation in New York a few years ago, and I swear I've been met a more pretentious asshole in my life. And...I'm rambling again, aren't I?" you said. "What were we talking about? Oh! Right, I should introduce myself. I'm Y/N."
And from there on out, an awkward sort of friendship began to bloom.
Any time Steven finished a book, he would come to talk to you about what he learned, what his favorite parts were. And you would always listen, face propped on your hand, nodding along, asking questions when you were confused and when you could tell he was particularly interested in stuff. You liked when he went on tangents. Said it made you feel better when you went on tangents yourself.
But Steven loved your tangents. He loved the way your eyes would brighten, how you spoke with your hands, waving them around as you talked about your favorite books. Steven liked to read what you read. He felt like that gave him a good insight into who you were. He liked knowing you were a fan of romance. Sometimes, he would daydream about what his life would be like if he could finally man up and ask you out on a real date, if he could sweep you off your feet, if he could make you feel like your life was a fairytale.
Steven had always been so sure that that would remain a fantasy. He was an awkward sort of guy. The few times he had tried asking you out, you'd been totally oblivious. But now...After everything that happened with Marc and Khonshu and Layla and defeating Harrow and Ammit, Steven was ready to give it a crack at it again.
And, he owed you an apology, too. He did sort of disappear without a word.
When Steven arrived at the library, he found you in the the children's section. Oh, that's right. You always had an hour's worth of activities planned for the children each week.
He looked at the books scattered about, a small smile on his lips. The Kane Chronicles? Magic Tree House: Mummies in the Morning? The Egypt Game?
"Hi, love," he said, when he got closer.
Your head jerked up, your eyes going wide.
Then—
"Steven!" you shouted when you saw him, jumping up and throwing your arms around his waist. You squeezed him tight, burying your face in his chest, like you were scared you were going to lose him. "Oh, Steven, you doofus! You had me worried sick! Where the hell have you been?!"
Oh. I see why you like the library now, Marc said. Steven could practically see him wiggling his eyebrows.
"Sorry, love, I got a bit busy," he said, wrapping his arms around you. Oh. Oh, he liked this.
"I couldn't find you at all," you mumbled. "Even went to the museum you said you worked at, and they told me you'd been fired! I was so worried something happened to you."
"I'm sorry, love," Steven said, fighting the urge to kiss the top of your head. "I...just needed to get out of the city for a bit. But I'm back now, and I'm gonna make it to you, yeah?"
You pulled away, sniffling slightly. Oh, he hadn't meant to make you cry. "Deal. But you gotta start by helping me clean up here."
"Of course, love," he said, kneeling down, collecting the scattered papers and crayons. "So, what'd you do with the young'uns today?"
You ducked your head down. "I thought it would be nice to tell 'em some stories about ancient Egypt. Pulled some fiction books, too, in case they preferred that. Printed off some coloring pages."
"What is because you missed me?"
Damn, Steven. That was almost smooth, Marc said.
"Maybe," you mumbled. "You're one of my only friends." Then, your head jerked up, as if you realized what you said. "I mean, I have other friends. I totally have other friends. I'm in, like, a bajillion group chats and stuff. And, and..."
"It's okay," Steven said, reaching out, grabbing your hand, "You're one of my only friends, too."
You stared at where your hands connected, trying to figure out what to say. You almost looked like you were going to say something about him holding your hand. But then you clicked your tongue, saying, "Would you like some of the leftover coloring pages? I was just gonna leave them out on the circulation desk or maybe over here, in case other kids swung by and wanted to color. But, uh, you're free to take some, too."
Steven shook his head. "As fun as that would be, I don't know if I'm the right demographic to be coloring."
"Anyone can color though. I mean, they make adult coloring books, don't they? So clearly coloring is a rated E for everything sort of thing," you said. "But honestly, kid's coloring pages are so much better than the ones they make for adults. Like, adult's coloring books are so detailed and really hard to see sometimes and it can get really hard to focus, so I don't really see how anyone can relax coloring those pages. But kid's coloring books? So easy. Don't have to think too hard, you feel less guilty about coloring outside the lines since you don't feel like you're ruining someone's work of art. Not to say that kid's coloring pages aren't works of art but...Shoot, I'm rambling, aren't I?"
Steven couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face. "It's alright, love. I don't mind. You know that." He cleared his throat. "So, what's the best coloring pages you've got?"
"Oh, um, a lot, actually! There's the Sphinx, some pyramids, an ankh. I think there might be a few of some gods and goddesses?" You hummed quietly, flipping through the sheets you had in front of you. "Looks like we got Osiris, Set, Isis...Um, ooh we got Taweret! I didn't know we had her, actually. I think I'll keep that one for myself. And...uh, I don't think I know this one?"
Steven looked at the page you were showing him, almost laughing to himself. "That's Khonshu, god of the moon. Though, honestly, he looks more like a bird brain in real life."
"Huh?"
His eyes widened when he realized what he said. "Oh, uh, I mean...I just went to Egypt, ya see. Saw some of the art and stuff, ya know. Just thought he looked more like a bird brain."
"Oh, ok!" You pushed the page towards him. "D'ya wanna color him in then? Make him look a bit more accurate?"
"Can we color together? If you're not too busy?"
Go, Steven, go! Go, Steven, go!, Marc cheered.
You smiled softly, reaching for the basket full of crayons, placing them where you both could reach. "I've always got time for you, Steven."
And so the two of you knelt at a table meant for children, Steven ignoring the aches in his knees, focusing instead on how much he enjoyed being with you. How you focused so intently on your coloring. How you didn't care too much about making sure things stayed inside the lines, instead working on the masterpiece in front of you.
"That looks really good," Steven said as you placed your crayons back in the bin.
You smiled at him, glancing at his. "Yours, too. Hey, maybe we could trade? I take yours, you take mine."
"You want my coloring page?" Steven asked.
"Yeah, well, I mean, if you want to switch! You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm sorry. It was a stupid idea, you can just forget about it—"
Steven reached across the tiny table, grabbing your head. "I'll trade coloring pages with you if you promise to go on a date with me tonight."
"A date? You wanna go on a date with me?"
"I wanna go on a million dates with you, love," Steven said.
You smiled a bit bigger. "I-I didn't think you liked me like that, Steven."
"Why wouldn't I? You're brilliant! You're so smart, and you're so kind. You love this library as if it were your own child. You're always nice to people, even if they don't deserve it. You listen to me ramble, and you actually care about what I say...Love, you're amazing, and I would be so lucky to date you."
You leaned over, your lips brushing over his cheek. "I would love to go on a date with you, Steven."
"Good," Steven laughed, "because I've asked you out three times already, and this is the first time you noticed."
You ducked your head down. "Oh. Oh, dear. Well, thank you for sticking around. I've always been a bit oblivious."
"Well, at least we can be oblivious together," Steven said. He reached for your coloring page, switching it with his own. "I'm gonna go figure out what we'll do for dinner, then I'll come by when you get off work, yeah?"
"I can't wait," you said. "Oh, and by the way, if it matters in what you decide, I'm a vegetarian."
"Me too!"
Okay, so what we're saying is, no steakhouse?, Marc grumbled.
And Steven thought back, "Definitely no steakhouse. We both know what happened the last time I ate steak."