The city of New York was enjoying one of the first spring days of the season. You could find Steve Rogers leaning against a tree in Central Park, sketchbook in his lap. It had been a month since he was freed from the ice and re-entered into the world that left him behind. SHIELD got him a beautiful, completely furnished apartment, five blocks away from their headquarters. Close enough to keep an eye on the Captain, but far enough away for him to live a healthy life.
But how could anyone live a normal life when the world that you once knew left you behind. New York may still have the same name, but the people and city have changed from what he knew. Clothes and food were different, some being a good thing and no longer needing to boil everything.
What bothered the super soldier was how they would talk to one another. No one respects the person next to them. There is rarely any laughter in the streets, even in the park. Everyone had their noses stuck in a phone, not paying attention to the world around them, except for one woman who has a young boy with her. She was teaching the boy how to play catch. His baseball mitt was significantly larger than his head, making it hard for him to open and close the glove.
"Heads up!" Steve heard before looking up from his sketchbook and saw the baseball heading towards him. Raising his hand, the super-soldier caught the ball quickly. Standing up, he met the two closer to where they were standing.
"Here's your ball, buddy," Steve said as he gently tossed the newly bought baseball into the mitt of the young boy.
Putting a huge toothless smile on his, a smile that no adult could say no too. Making Steve think that this little boy probably got almost anything and everything he wanted, "Thanks, mister!"
"I am so sorry about that. He has a great arm but horrible aim." The young woman said, ruffling the little boy's hair. Now that he had a good look between the two, he saw the resemblance of the two.
While the boy had dark curly hair compared to her straight blonde hair, he could tell they were related when they both looked up at him with brilliant bright green eyes.
"It's alright," Putting his hand out towards the woman, "I'm Steve."
"Emerson." She shook his hand with a tight grip, making him smile softly to himself. At least some still know how to give a proper handshake. "And this trouble maker is my son, Liam."
"Hi, do you think my mommy is pretty? Is that why you keep looking over at us?" Liam asked, looking up at Steve.
Seeing the look on Emerson's face, he realized that explaining was the right move. He didn't want to seem like a creep, "Uh, that's uh, not why I was looking over at the two of you. Not saying your mom isn't pretty. Because she is, doesn't look old enough even to be a mom."
"See mommy; I told you he thought you were pretty! That's why he kept looking over at us!" Liam exclaimed, pulling on her shirt before Steve could finish explaining.
Raising her eyebrow, Emerson looked at Steve. Knowing and hoping that there was more to the story, "Well, is that why you keep staring?"
"You two are the only ones in this park who don't have your noses stuck in a phone. So I decided to draw the two of you."
"You draw, can we see it? I mean, if we're your models, we should see the drawing." Emerson said, staring at the strange but handsome man. She pegged him as a jock type, not an artist. Guess that's what she got for judging a book of its cover.
Nodding his head, he leads them to the tree he leaning on earlier. Steve pulled out the drawing. "It's not quite done yet; I still have to do some more shading."
Looking at the drawing in awe, Emerson was amazed. The picture looked just like them, Liam was laughing as he was looking at the ball and she was smiling while watching her son. He got their features perfect; not a hair was out of place. "Wow, Steve, this is amazing. Are you a professional artist?"
Shaking his head, "not it's just a hobby."
"Are you sure about that? Because this is amazing! I can only draw stick figures, and even they aren't that good." She said, handing him the picture back.
"Thank you." He said, scratching the back of his neck. It had been a while since someone praised his artwork. "Uh, do you want it?"
"Of course! As long as you sign it at the bottom, so if you ever become famous, I will have an original drawing before all the fame." Emerson said with a giant smile on her pink lips.
Nodding, he did as she asked. He was handing the drawing back to the woman. He watched her gently put it in her bag. She was making sure not to ruin the picture in any way. Not too long after, Steve realized that they were standing in complete silence for more than a minute. Clearing out his throat, the super-soldier nodded his head towards the mother and son, "Well, I'll let you two get back to your day."
Feeling Liam tugging on her pant leg, Emerson knelt to her son's height instead of agreeing with Steve, "What's up, buddy?"
"Ask him to get ice cream with us," Liam said as softly as a six-year-old could, which wasn't as quiet as Emerson would hope it to be.
Looking up at Steve, knowing that he heard Liam, "What do you say want to get some ice cream?"
"Ice cream sounds perfect," Steve said with a smile on his face before picking up his notebook. "So, where are we going to go?"
"We know just the place."
They were walking four blocks away from Central Park in the most comfortable silence you could have with a stranger that your son invited. Emerson was excited when they made it to Scoops, her and Liam's favorite ice cream shop. The two came here so much that the owners thought of Emerson and Liam as their own family.
"Oh, there they are! My favorite customers!" The middle-aged woman said behind the counter; her black hair was pulled back, only a few strands of gray hair were falling into her face. Red framed glasses were sitting on top of her head, making her look like a librarian. She stood about four inches shorter than Emerson; Steve felt like he has to look down at her. Something he was still not used too. "Oh, and you brought someone along? Is this a new boyfriend, Em?"
Looking over at Steve, Emerson noticed a light blush rising from his neck into his cheeks. Shaking her head, the blonde knew that this was going to happen when Karen saw the good looking man she brought with her. It was rare enough whenever Emerson would bring her best friend Sean, let alone someone she just met. "No, Karen, we just met like ten minutes ago. Liam invited him along, but this is Steve."
"Steve, it's nice to meet you. Do you have a girlfriend?" She was shaking his hand.
Shaking her head, he looked at the older woman with a confused look, "No, ma'am, I don't."
"Really? You look like that, and you don't have a girlfriend?" Karen said, cocking her head to the side. "Emerson, make sure you fall for this one. He had a firm handshake. Do you know what that means?"
"Karen, come on? That is no way to talk to customers." An older man said as he walked over the other group, saving Emerson and Steve from any more embarrassing moments. "I'm Henry, Karen's much more thoughtful husband."
"Steve. This is a great place you got here, sir." Steve said, shaking his hand, making sure to give him a firm handshake.
"It would be better is you had some ice cream, I'm sure. Go sit down, you three, and I'll get you whatever you want on the house!" Henry said, ruffling Liam's brown hair. "Chocolate today, Liam?"
"Uh-huh, thank you, Henry," Liam said, climbing up on to the closest booth.
"What about you two?" Henry asked, looking between Emerson and Steve, who were awkwardly standing next to the booth.
"I'll just have a chocolate milkshake," Emerson said, shaking her thoughts away and sliding in next to her son.
Sitting across from the two, Steve replied, "I'll have the same."
After watching Henry walk up to the counter, Emerson gave her full attention to Steve, studying him for a bit before asking. "So, Steve, what do you do for a living?"
"Uh, I used to be in the military." He answered as simply as he could. He was already briefed by Director Fury that he was not supposed to talk to civilians about his true identity. But he still couldn't lie to them, especially to someone as nice as Emerson. It was not part of his nature.
Nodding her head, she was happy she wasn't entirely wrong at the park with thinking he was a jock of some sort. His muscles gave enough away to narrow down what he did for a living or a hobby. He was also out in the park during prime business hours, knowing that he didn't have to wake up every morning to put on a suit. "Are you on leave now?"
"I guess you could say that," Steve said with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn't know what you could call waking up from an almost seventy-year nap. Calling it a leave, at least, made it sound better. "What about you?"
"I have my bakery actually, called Bake Away. It's on the Upper West Side. Karen and Henry helped me out a lot when I first opened. It's doing pretty well." Emerson said as Henry came back with the ice cream and milkshakes.
Steve could tell that she was immensely proud of her accomplishments. Owning a bakery along with raising a six-year-old son. He was impressed with the modern women, they knew what they wanted, and they weren't going to stop until they got what they came for. It reminded him of Peggy, who didn't let any man tell her she couldn't do something because of her gender.
Taking a sip of his milkshake to get rid of his thoughts of Peggy and the life he could've, should've, had. He was greeted by the most fantastic thing his tastebuds have had in a long time. "Oh, wow, this is amazing."
He was laughing softly as Emerson tucked a couple of napkins into Liam's shirt. The six-year-old was the messiest eater when it came to ice cream, and she just bought him this shirt and didn't want it to be ruined just quite yet. "Karen and Henry are the best at milkshakes, has it been a while since you've had one?"
"No, actually I haven't, it's been a while since I've had anything sweet."
"Well, if you are ever craving something sweet, you are more than welcome to come to the bakery. We live right about it."
"I'll remember that," Steve said, staring at the beautiful woman in from of him. He took in her appearance at the park, but there was something about the lighting in the shop that made her look stunning. Her blonde hair was cut to her shoulders, with side bangs that fell into her face, making him want to push them back to look at her bright green eyes. Her porcelain skin had a small number of freckles on her cheeks, which weren't noticeable unless you were studying her face. She wasn't that short either, at least 5'8, and her frame looked like she worked out. For being a single mother, she looked good. At least he hoped that's what she was.
"We better go," Emerson said after looking down at her phone. "Liam has a big day at school tomorrow."
"Oh yeah? What are you doing?" Steve asked as they got out of the booth.
"We're going to Stark Industries!" Liam exclaimed as he jumped up and down.
Laughing at her son's excitement, "Iron Man is his favorite real-life superhero. Mainly 'cause he's the only one he's seen."
He was nodding his head, smiling softly at the little boy. If he only knew who he was talking to now. "Well have fun buddy, I'll see you around."
"Okay, bye, Steve," Liam said as Emerson hailed down a taxi.
Opening the door for Liam to get in, she turned back to Steve. "See you later. Remember, if you want any sweets at any time, Bake Away Bakery."
"Trust me, I'll remember," Steve said as she got in the taxi. "See you soon."
"Bye, Steve," Emerson said before the taxi pulled into the busy streets of Manhattan.
—-
The next day Steve found himself in front of Bake Away Bakery. He had been standing outside of the store for at least ten minutes, working up the courage to walk inside. Anyone who had wanted in and out of the bakery has given him odd looks. But they didn't know what was running through his head. Was Emerson serious that she wanted him to see him again, or was it just a polite way of saying goodbye?
But why would she continue to remind him what her bakery was called? He wanted to know more about her and spend more time with her and her son. He knew he needed to get accustomed to the new century, and she looked like the right person to help him. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the bakery and was greeted by a warm smell of vanilla.
"Hi, how can I help you?" A short, redheaded girl said behind the counter of all the sweets you could imagine.
"Uh, is Emerson in?" Steve asked, trying not to shove his hands in his pockets. A nervous trait he has had since a young boy.
Nodding her head, she gave him a once over, before saying, "She is in the back, I'll go get her for you."
"Thank you," Steve said as she stepped into the back room. Looking around, he saw all the variety of cupcakes, cookies, brownies, small cakes, and any other pastry you could name. The bakery was decorated in a light pink and mint green. There were a few tables for customers to sit, relax, and enjoy their baked goods.
"Steve, hey!" Emerson said as she walked into the main room. "You just couldn't resist, could you?"
"You caught me, Is Liam still at school?"
Nodding her head, "Yeah, and then he is with his dad for the rest of the week through the weekend. I have a couple of weddings I'm prepping for."
"Oh, is this a bad time?" Steve asked, gently wiping the frosting off her cheek.
Shaking her head and trying to keep the blushing from showing, "No, I could use the distraction. Hey, Kylie?"
The redheaded girl popped her head out from behind the counter, "Yeah, boss?"
"Steve and I are going up to the apartment, call me if you need help. Noel should be here soon." Emerson said, taking her apron off, before adding, "And take the cupcakes out of the oven in like five minutes."
"Will do, boss," Kylie said, nodding her head and going back to work.
Steve followed Emerson into her apartment and could help but think about Liam's dad. How much was he in the picture, enough to have his son for periods when Emerson needs the help, he was guessing.
"And here we are," Emerson said as they walked into her apartment. Tastefully decorated with a red could that had black and grey throw pillows. Pictures were all over the apartment, on the walls, and the mantle. Liam was the main subject in each image, either with friends or family. But from what Steve could tell none with his dad. "If you're looking for a picture of Liam's dad, the wedding photo has him in it. Not our wedding, thank god, but my sisters. It was when we were trying to make the whole family thing work."
"Why didn't it work out with him?" Steve asked as his eyes scanned the wedding photo until he found Emerson holding a two-year-old Liam standing next to a shaggy-haired man. He was about two inches taller than Emerson herself, he had a smirk, and for some reason, Steve wanted to smack that smirk right off his face.
Snorting, she sat down on the couch, tucking her legs under her, "He's an ass. I was eighteen when Liam was born and thought he was the one for me. We broke up ten minutes after that picture was taken. My sister is pissed that Josh is stuck in her wedding photos for the rest of her life."
"How often does he get Liam?" Steve asked, sitting next to her.
"One weekend a month. His job makes him travel a lot, so he's rarely in town. So the weekend he's in town, that's the weekend he gets to spend with his son. Josh came back early, and I have this huge wedding, which is why it's a little longer this time."
Nodding as he turned to face her, "Does Liam like him?"
"Yeah, he does." Emerson said, resting her cheek into her palm, "Josh isn't a horrible person, his personality is just ass like. But he's a decent enough father. Horrible boyfriend, but a decent father."
"So, since you know, I don't have a girlfriend. Do you?" Steve asked as he could tell she was feeling uncomfortable with the Josh talk and he wanted to know if he accidentally crossed any lines.
"Have a girlfriend?" Emerson smirked, "No, I can't say I even tried something like that before."
"An, that's not what I meant, sorry. Do, do you have a boyfriend?" Steve stumbled out.
Shaking her head, "No, I don't. Usually, once I tell them I have a son, they make up an excuse that they have to go."
"I'm sorry it hear," Steve said, even though inside, he got a warm feeling. "It must be tough to be a single mom."
Nodding her head, she let out a deep breath. It was rare when she could sit down and just take a break. Luckily for her, Steve was pleasant to talk to and nice to look at. "It is, but I got a handle on things. My parents and sister help out a lot. Especially not that I have the bakery open. My mom watches Liam whenever I have to make deliveries. But now that I have the staff to work the front of the store, I can spend most of the time baking."
"If you ever need any help watching Liam, I'll be more than happy too," Steve said with a small smile on his lips, to try to cover up the surprise he felt when he heard what he offered. "Liam's a great kid."
"Oh, he's the best," Emerson said, standing up after looking at the time. "Do you want to help me make some cupcakes? I have a wedding that needs 300 cupcakes tomorrow along with 300 cake pops. And an actual cake. I wasn't going to be an idiot and turn down that job."
"I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'll try," Steve said as he stood up to follow her back down to the bakery.
Smiling softly, "Don't worry. You are just doing to be putting the ball on sticks and then dip them. You'll be great, and if you mess them up, I'll let you eat them."
Smiling back, he brushed her bangs out of her face, "Emerson, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship."
