Authors Note:
For those of you who are a fan of Tides don't worry I'm still working on it but this is a new project I've been working on for a while. First and foremost this is an OC love story. If you are not a fan of those then you probably not going to like this. Second of all this story is going to be really really dark in some aspects. Hence the rating. I'll put trigger warnings in the author's notes. It may not seem like it now but it will get there. None for this chapter though. So as always please review and let me know what you think.
Shamira was going to kill Astrid. Legitimately straggle her with her bare hands. It's not like she couldn't do it. Not only was Astrid running late for their dinner reservation but Bucky would probably not want to go out with her again. Which was a shame because Bucky was one of the best looking guys in the city and actually decent in bed. Something that Shamira was grateful for. But at this moment he was probably thinking this was all an elaborate ruse against his friend Steve. Who seemed to be both curious about the situation and wanting to be anywhere else. Shamira tapped her foot and sighed. Astrid was probably caught up in something. Whether accidental or on purpose remained to be seen.
Shamira, Steve, and Bucky were sitting around the waiting room of the hospital Astrid worked at so they could finally go on the double date Shamira had set up. When Bucky first broached the idea, Shamira was skeptical. Astrid was very very very particular about guys. Shamira remained doubtful until she actually got a look at Steve. Perfect match would be an understatement. Man was essentially a stick with legs. She ran into Steve when he came over to Bucky's place to pick up something. Bucky dropped everything with her to immediately help him. Those two were incredibly close. Made Shamira like Bucky even more. He might actually understand the relationship she has with Astrid.
Just as Shamira was about to walk up to the nurse again to ask where the hell Astrid was, Astrid's voice cut through the waiting room. Her German accent faint but recognizable.
"I swear! Did you get your medical license out of a cereal box?!" Astrid walked into the waiting room in surgical scrubs. She was followed by another guy also dressed for surgery.
"I'll let you know-" the guy stated to say.
Astrid stopped. Turning around immediately and got in the guy's face. Despite him being taller than her. "I don't care. In my OR you follow my instructions. The next time you do something so monumentally stupid I'll make you eat your teeth if you're lucky." That growl in her voice sent shivers down Shamira's body. She never wanted to be on the receiving end. "Then I'll make sure you'll never be able to even look at a scalpel again. Because unlike you I actually got my license at a university and actually know what I'm doing." Shamira saw Steve and Bucky exchange glances. She was more interested in Steve's reaction, however. And he was looking at Astrid in awe. Good, this was already going well.
Astrid was continuing her rant. "Now why don't you run along and find something you are actually good at if there is anything. Though to start you can help the nurses fix your mind-blowing idiotic mistake. Maybe you'll actually succeed in learning something." The guy glared at her before turning away in a huff. While Astrid walked up to an older woman who was sitting with what looked like her daughter.
"Ma'am," Astrid stated her tone now soft. "Your husband is going to be fine. He's currently recovering but you'll be able to see him in a few hours."
"But what about..." she gestured in the direction the other doctor headed.
"There was a complication but nothing that I could not handle. Like I said, your husband will be fine."
The woman was speechless for a moment before getting up. Too overcome to say anything before finally saying thank you and hugging Astrid tightly. Astrid returned the hug as the woman repeated the phrase. Only Shamira could see how uncomfortable Astrid was. She hated to be thanked for doing what she thought was the bare minimum.
Astrid let go of the woman. "The nurses will direct you to where you need to go." The nurse at the desk smiled at Astrid giving her a nod. The woman let her go and followed the nurse. Her daughter right behind her.
Astrid turned looking directly at Shamira. She at least had the decency to look sheepish. They were going to a nice place. Reservations were hard to get.
"Sorry," Astrid stated walking up to Shamira and the tall guy standing next to her. Astrid really hoped that this wasn't her date. Shamira said that she would really like the guy but so far she wasn't impressed. Seemed like every other typical guy that tried to woo her. That and she was exhausted from the surgery she just performed. She was honestly hoping they would have left without her. "I got stuck in a surgery that became far more complicated than it should have been."
"You're a surgeon?" the guy asked looking at her skeptically.
Astrid sighed completely used to this response. Throwing a what really look at Shamira before answering the question. "Dr. Astrid Schmidt, at your service and you are?"
"This is Bucky," Shamira replied. "Remember? The guy I told you about." She should have meant the guy she wouldn't shut up about. Astrid couldn't suppress the sigh of relief. Though she wondered who her date was then. Shamira rolled her eyes and pulled out a 5'4 guy from behind Bucky." Astrid's brain stopped for a second as she processed how cute the guy was. Soft blond hair, beautiful blue eyes. A touch of red covered his cheeks as he looked up at her. Astrid also blushed. Shamira wasn't wrong. "And this is Steve Rogers."
"Ma'am," he stated holding out his hand. She took his hand in hers surprised by how warm it was. As she was about to say something a voice interrupted.
"HELP!" a woman cried out bursting through the doors of the hospital carrying a bleeding man into the waiting room. "My husband has been stabbed!"
Not even a second had passed before Astrid moved into action. :"Get a gunnery!" Astrid shouted at one of the other nurses before fully turning her attention to her new patient. Pulling out her mobile surgical kit she unrolled it. Revealing all the tools of her trade. She took the man from the woman's arms and laid him carefully on the ground. Time was of the essence. Astrid quickly took a pair of scissors and sliced his clothing off. Looked like he had been stabbed once right above the kidneys. She immediately set out to stop up the bleeding which started to pool on the floor. In what felt like hours but was only moments she had sealed up the wound to the point where he was no longer about to bleed out. She passed him off to the chief surgeon who came in to finish the work. A stern fellow he only gave Astrid a quick glance before directing the nurses. The patient was placed on a gurney and rolled away for surgery.
Astrid turned back to her three companions. Blood now covering her. Shamira was shaking her head. Chuckling and muttering curses at her in German. Of course, something like this would happen. The universe could never give them a break. While Steve and Bucky looked at her amazed.
"Excuse me for a moment," Astrid said gesturing towards the locker room. "I'm going to go change. Be right back." Astrid pretty much sprinted to the women's locker room. Ready to get out of the surgical garb. Thanking Shamira profusely that she had convinced her to bring a dress to work.
"She normally like that?" Bucky asked. He followed her with his eyes as she disappeared down a corridor.
"Pretty much," Shamira answered still chuckling. "Astrid always did have a flair for the dramatic."
"Why do I have a feeling that she would say the same thing about you?"
"I never said that she was the only one."
She came out quickly in a beautiful navy blue and polka dot dress. Shamira felt a warm fuzzy feeling as she heard Steve swallow a lump in his throat. Most women were good-looking but Astrid was on another level altogether. Her pitch-black hair perfectly curled framing her green eyes. At 5'7 she was also pretty tall. A fact that she often used to her advantage.
"Shall we go?" she asked them. Bucky took the lead. Hooking his arm with Shamira's. Astrid let them walk a little further ahead. Slowly her pace to walk with Steve. It gave her time to talk with her date. Who didn't seem to know what to say.
"So you're a doctor?" Steve asked. "I mean of course you are. I saw you..." he gestured with his hands. "Just surprising why a beautiful dame like you would want to be a doctor." His brain faltered for a second as he realized what he said. "I mean woman. Such a beautiful woman. Not that beautiful woman can't be doctors."
Astrid laughed slightly. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of him yet. Good looks could only take you so far. He did manage to call her beautiful three times though. That was something. Not that she usually responded to flattery but from him... it actually sounded genuine. "You have no idea how to talk to women do you?"
Steve let out a huff. "Honestly this might be my longest conversation with one. Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."
Astrid gave him a small smile. "You must have danced."
"Well asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying. And the past few years, it just didn't seem to matter that much. Figured I wait."
"For what?"
"The right partner."
Astrid shook her head. This guy was something else entirely. "Let me help you out then. Since this is your longest conversation with a woman." Steve gave her a small smile. She felt the butterflies dance in her stomach and she wanted to do nothing more than make him smile again. "Due to... special circumstances, I got my medical degree in London when I was 19." Steve's eyes went wide and Astrid blushed. She never liked bragging. Which is why she didn't mention she got her German medical degree when she was only 16. "I have a special gift."
"You're incredible."
She shrugged. "Really I'm just good at what I do. And didn't give them much a choice." Took a lot of manipulation on Astrid's part. Not only was she a woman but also one of the youngest surgeons in the city. "Though I'm originally from Germany. Lived there till rather recently." Astrid was testing the waters. Due to the start of the war, aggression against Germans was at an all-time high. Not that it wasn't unwarranted. It chilled Astrid's blood to think about what the dictator was doing to her homeland. However, Steve didn't seem to bat an eye. Instead seemed to be hanging onto her every word. "Where are you from?"
Steve looked around them. At the city where they lived. "Brooklyn, born and raised."
"Local boy then. Your parents must be happy you stayed close." Something in his step faltered and Astrid knew she said the wrong thing. She could have cursed herself. She felt so relaxed with him that she let her guard down. This was still the first date. She would have to be more careful with her words.
"My father was killed in action before I was born. Mustard gas. My mother was a nurse, got tuberculosis. Couldn't shake it."
"I'm sorry," she replied unsure of what else to say.
Steve shook his head. "Don't be. You didn't know. What about your parents? They must miss you. Having moved so far away."
"My mother was killed by the Nazis when I was 12." Astrid knew she had promised to keep her past in the past but she saw no harm in telling Steve. Not after he had been so open with her. "My father... also died recently. It's what prompted Shamira and I to move." She thought she could hear Steve's breath stutter.
"Looks like we have that in common," he mumbled.
Astrid let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. This is not how I intended our first date to go. What do you do for a living?"
"Just as Steve was about to open his mouth Bucky interrupted. "He's an artist. A really good one. Got a degree and everything." Looks like those two were listening in.
"Really?" Astrid asked looking down at Steve who was blushing once again. "A man of many talents then."
"Not one of which includes talking to women apparently."
"He seemed to be doing quite well talking to me."
"That's because you don't know how to talk to guys on dates either," Shamira added in. "Like what is this your first date with a fella ever?"
Astrid pretended to think about it but she knew Shamira was right. She shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say. I'm very particular about men."
"Also, we are here." Astrid felt the disappointment creep into her chest. She wanted to spend more time talking with Steve. Just the two of them. Learning everything she could about him. Though once they got inside the restaurant Astrid had to admit that Shamira was right about the place. It was really nice. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and tasteful wood decor. Their good mood was killed immediately though. As they walked in they were met with the disapproving glance of the maitre d. A small sniveling man that Astrid took an instant dislike to.
"I'm sorry," he huffed looking over the four of them as if they were insects. "We don't allow your kind of people in."
"What kind?" Astrid asked, her accent bleeding though heavily. "Germans, Jews, or..." she glanced at Bucky and Steve. "What are you?"
"Irish," they both answered glaring at the maitre d. Didn't seem to affect him at all.
"Jews," the man hissed staring directly at Shamira. She glared straight back at him. No way she was going to let this man get to her. She knew she looked Jewish. It was kinda hard to miss but in no way shape or form was she ashamed of it. Bucky was about to say something but Astrid jumped down the guy's throat first.
"If I weren't in such lovely company, I would rip out your intestines with a spoon and slowly feed them to you," Astrid stated in a tone that made it sound like she was actually considering doing that. "I feel sorry for the people who could have used the oxygen that you are allowed to breathe. My companions and I will be going now. I just hope that for your sake that you won't be needing medical attention anytime soon." The man paled and blinked a couple of times shaking slightly. Astrid gave him a cheeky smile and walked out.
"Well that was fun," Astrid stated to the others. The three of them turned to her in various states of amusement. Bucky and Steve still processing what exactly happened while Shamira gave Astrid a knowing smile. This wasn't the first time and sadly it wasn't going to be the last. Add it to the list of places to boycott.
Astrid clicked her tongue a couple of times. "Honestly though I'm in the mood for a sandwich. There's a deli not far from here that's to die for." She started walking off in the direction of the diner.
Bucky and Steve glanced at each other as if not sure what to expect. Turned out to be a little hole in the wall Jewish deli. When Astrid walked in she was enthusiastically greeted by the owner who told her everything was on the house for her and her friends. They snuggled into a little booth in the corner. Astrid and Steve sitting across from Bucky and Shamira who kept exchanging knowing glances.
As conversation flowed between them and the food arrived Astrid actually found that she was having fun on a date. She wasn't sure it was even possible. But looking at the smile on Steve's face sent her heart into a flutter. Right here, right now. Crammed into this tiny diner was where she was meant to be. She found herself moving closer and closer to Steve. Him to her as well and soon he was leaning against her. Bodies pressed together. She wondered if everyone else could hear her heart pounding away.
"Astrid you're absolutely right about this place," Steve said. She felt like her heart was about to explode. "This is the best Reuben I've ever had." She saw his eyes darting about the place. "How do you know the owners?"
"I saved their son's life." They all paused and turned their attention to her. "He was found beaten up in an alley right across from this diner. They think he was ambushed when he was locking up. When he finally got to the hospital, my 'esteemed colleagues' weren't sure he was going to make it. Too much of a lost cause to quote directly. I made sure that he wasn't." She clenched her jaw. That case still pissed her off whenever she thought about it and it wasn't only her colleagues. Shamira had to talk her out of going after his attackers and making sure that they wouldn't hurt anyone again.
"You're one of a kind Astrid," Bucky uttered.
"You are right about that," Steve replied. Astrid for the umpteenth time that day blushed. Steve just had a way of getting to her that no one else had.
After they finished their food and an argument between the owners and Astrid overpaying, she lost, they started walking back home. Astrid had to work the next day so they decided on having an early night.
It was a quiet walk back. Turned out that none of them lived far so Steve and Bucky offered to walk them back. This time her and Steve taking the lead while Shamira and Bucky were a bit behind them. Probably figuring out when they could hook up next. Her and Steve were enjoying each other's company. Astrid was tempted to reach out and grab his hand. It wouldn't take much. Their fingers were brushing against one another. All she had to do was reach out. Just as she was about to she heard wolf whistles next to her and a group of three guys appeared in front of her.
"Hey broad," the biggest one called out. He was clearly their leader. He looked like he had been through a meat grinder. "Why don't I show you a good time?' His two goons chuckled, looking exactly like what would happen if you turned a slab of meat into a human. "Show you what it's like to be with a real man." The sneer he gave Steve said it all. Despite herself, Astrid flinched but glared up at the guy. Before she could say anything Steve stepped up in front of her.
"Why don't you leave her alone?" he told them. It would have been much more intimidating if he didn't look like a string bean.
"Ah real tough guy here," he let out a hearty laugh with his two goons joining him. He cracked his knuckles. "Why don't we teach this punk a lesson?"
Steve puffed himself up as if ready for a fight. Astrid however wasn't going to let that happen.
"He's more of a man than you'll ever be," she spat. "Touch him and you'll be lucky to see the next sunrise." Her voice was low but deadly. She wasn't playing games.
But it didn't seem to have an effect. The man snickered. Coming closer to her. He reached out as if to brush her hair. "Maybe we should teach you a lesson as well." His intentions clear. Astrid had seen that look on a man many times before. And she knew what had to happen next. Before Steve or her opponent could do anything Astrid grabbed the attacker's hand and twisted it. Hard. It felt like the crack could be heard for miles. The man pulled his hand away, clutching it. Screaming bloody murder. Bucky and Shamira ran up as well. Ready to join the fight.
"I just broke your hand and wrist," Astrid growled. She pointed at the other two. "I would leave before I do the same to you two." The two guys grabbed their comrade who was screaming curses at her, dragging him off to who knows where.
"Can you go one day without beating someone up?" Shamira huffed. "Your lucky we live in New York and no one cares about this sort of thing."
Astrid scoffed. "Please like a man like that would say anything. Besides I went easy on him."
"Well, that's true."
"This happens to you often?" Bucky asked looking in the direction the guys disappeared down. "How do you even know how to do that?"
Astrid turned her attention towards him and Steve. Particularly Steve who was giving her a look Astrid didn't quite recognize. "More than you think." She sighed pinching the bridge of her nose. "Also I'm a doctor. I know how to break every single bone in the human body." That was a little bit of a white lie. She placed a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Thanks for having my back."
"I always will," Steve responded. The four of them stuck closer together after that until they reached her and Shamira's apartment. Once they reached the door Shamira and Bucky said their goodbyes and Shamira went inside. Bucky said something about waiting outside for Steve. Leaving Astrid and Steve alone in the hallway.
"Well that' didn't go as intended," Astrid stated rubbing the back of her head. "But perhaps our second date will go better."
Steve's eyes shot up to the top of his head. "Second date? You want a second date?"
Astrid felt her blood freeze. She really thought the two of them had a connection. "I mean if you don't want..."
"No, no." Steve was shaking his head. Panic flying into his eyes. "I just didn't expect it. That's all."
Astrid shrugged. "Why not? You're a really good guy Steve and pretty cute too." Steve made a sound that seemed like he swallowed his own tongue. Astrid let out a small laugh. "I'm free on Thursday after 6. Do you want to get together then? You can pick me up at the hospital."
"Yes!" He was unable to hide his enthusiasm. Astrid smiled and bent down. Kissing him on the cheek. If it was possible for his entire body to turn completely red it would have.
"Goodnight Steve."
"Goodnight Astrid." She continued smiling as she closed the door. Before turning to Shamira who was looking pretty satisfied with herself.
"You see?" she stated. "I told you he was the perfect guy for you."
"You," Astrid pointed at her. "Can shut it." Shamira let out a laugh as shook her head and went into her bedroom. If it wasn't for her talents there was no way that she and Shamira would be able to live here. Shamira followed her. Jumping on the bed.
"Come on. You have to admit I'm right. He's super cute and clearly likes you."
"He's very cute." Astrid sat next to her on the bed. Both of them lying back until their backs hit the bed. "But how can you be sure he likes me?"
"Because I'm not blind." Shamira rolled her eyes. "Besides if you wanted to be sure all you have to do is read his mind."
"You know I don't like reading good people's minds without their permission. It's an invasion of privacy. Plus I'm pretty sure that's not a great basis for a relationship."
"Fair but onto more important subjects. What do you think of Bucky?"
"I actually like him compared to the other boys that you've been going out with."
Shamira let out a scoff. "You hate all the guys that I go out with."
"Maybe there is a reason for that." Shamira smacked her in the shoulder before sitting up.
"Seriously though. It was good. To see you have such a good time. You needed it. You've been too wound up lately."
Astrid sat up as well. Running a hand through her hair. "I just feel like we are playing a dangerous game here."
Shamira took both her hands into hers. "Hey. If this all goes wrong, we'll run to some state in the middle of nowhere and run a farm. Or raise chickens or whatever you want to do. But for now, let's actually enjoy living in a city." Astrid knew Shamira was right. It would just take time. They had only been in the city for five months now. It was going to take time. Astrid only hoped that the way wouldn't follow them here. They were some things she was really starting to enjoy in Brooklyn.