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usoppshoneydew · 1 month ago

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Baker! Simon x General store owner! Reader

Baker!Simon first hears of you through the little old ladies that always frequent his bakery( honestly their gossip channel is his best source of intel outside of price and laswell). While he bags their focaccia bread and red velvet cake they tell him about the new store owner moving into the building that's being constructed across the street. They tell him that it'll be a small general goods store with an apartment built above it. He knows all this already of course. The moment he saw the construction crew he asked Price to set up a background check for everything relevant about the new tenant, and didn't receive anything concerning, so now he lets the elders tell him the little details, more for their happiness than his own.

Around recipe swapping he finds out that you're a young woman who received the space through your grandparents. Apparently your grandparents used to live here and they were the ones who told you about it. You'd be arriving in about a week or so, and (they mentioned this more than a few times) you're single and quite the beauty. That doesn't really peak Simon's interest, not being someone that pays a lot of attention to looks anyway. As long as you're not here as a cover for something shady, and you're not a pain in the ass for a neighbor, he's content with the new change. He knows why they keep mentioning those two things. Being tall, large, handsome, and single makes him the most eligible man in this small town, and they do a lot to set him up with anyone he hasn't rejected already. There's no point though, Simon isn't interested in being with someone. He just wants to take his retirement one day at a time.

And he's sure he'll always feel that way, even when your moving day arrives. It's hard to get a glimpse of you through all the movers and the truck parked out front, and any time he does glance through his shop window and see you, it's the back of your head, the patterned wrap you have swirled around it, or your legs sticking out of the truck when you sit to take a break. It doesn't matter to him though, with something new going on in town, everyone is finding a reason to go out, and that means a lot of people are stopping by for a sandwich( meat provided by the butchery Johnny works at) or a muffin. It's only when it's getting later in the afternoon, when things have slowed down, that he gets a proper glimpse of you for the first time. He's wiping down his counters when he hears the chime above his door and that's when he sees you.

He'll admit that you're good looking, pretty in a subtle way but that might just be because you're exhausted, anyone would be after moving to a new place. You don't even pay Simon much mind, using the base politeness to order a veggie sub, likely having not eaten all day, and leave after paying with a small thank you. To Simon it looks like the little old ladies have failed in setting him up once again.

Baker! Simon who's sweeping the front of his store when opening day finally arrives for you. He's seen how busy you've been up until today, setting up the interior and exterior of your store. He saw you place crates outside along with a few flower planters, glanced at you putting up what looked like a selfmade open sign, and even a little cloth canopy over your door during his smoke break, and observed you carrying in wooden planks for shelves while he was waiting for his cake to finish baking.

He takes time to glance over at your store every now and then, just being observant as always, and notices that you don't struggle with business on your first day. That's not surprising though considering how tight knit the community is here, and everyone has been talking about the new store since the construction started. Again the buzz around your business brings customers to his, and Simon can say that he appreciates that much.

You walk into Simon's store again that afternoon and order the same thing you did when you moved in, a veggie sub. You're still tired after a full day of work but there's significantly more energy in your demeanor this time. Instead of leaving after getting your food though, you lean against the counter and introduce yourself to him. Even if he doesn't really want to, he dusts the flour off on his apron and takes your hand in his when you offer it for a handshake. You tell him about how the little old ladies in town have been mentioning him to you a little more than necessary and when he told you he can relate, you laugh a little. He hadn't meant it to be joke but he can't help but smile a little too. Because of the elderly ladies of course, that's all. You don't stay long, letting him know that you've got to clean up for the day, but when you leave you let him know that you enjoyed the food and you'd like to come by for lunch more often, before stunning him with a sweet smile. Simon is embarrassed to say that he didn't get a chance to respond before you walked out and instead just stood there with his heart beating a little faster than usual.

Baker! Simon who doesn't approach you much on his own after that. His heart beating like that earlier had to have been a fluke. He's so confident that he purposely avoids interacting with you more than necessary, because he's so sure that he's not suddenly attracted to you after that small moment you had, after all it's not like he's an easy schoolboy whose opinion changes after some eye contact and palpations of the heart.

He might not be interacting with you but everyone else is. Johnny says he's already been over a few times to check out what you sell. He came across the street to show off the dumb little ghost keychain he bought, only to leave it behind on his counter. Apparently Kyle has interacted with you plenty of times by now. He helped install your shelves and even the little canopy over your entrance and the border of your store. Simon is really surprised when he finds out that you've already asked Price to start selling the apples from his farm in your store. Everyone in town has been in your store but him and Simon won't admit that he feels a way about that.

Baker! Simon who visits your shop for the first time one night after a mishap with a bread knife. Someone above must've had an agenda because Simon has never cut himself while cooking, ever. He's simply too skilled with a knife to ever make a mistake like that, but by some divine intervention he grazes his nail and when he went to look for a bandaid in his office drawer, he was all out. So as much as it embarrasses him to do so, after avoiding you for a week, he trudges across the street to your store.

The moment he walks inside, you look up from the notepad you're writing on and give him a once over, he can see the gears turning in your head, likely wondering if you should greet him or grab the broom in the corner to swing on him with. It's understandable, it's late at night now, he's a large man, and you don't know him all that well. A small part of him is actually relieved respects that you take care to look after yourself, must be nice for your loved ones to know that you don't walk around with your head in the clouds. He knows why you're weary so he's quick to make his intentions known.

“ ‘m just trying to buy some bandaids.” he lets you know and puts his hands up, unintentionally showing you the small cut on his thumb that's still bleeding lightly. You don't blush, well maybe you do but not in the way Simon does, not visibly, but you make a face like you're slightly embarrassed to be caught with your hackles up. Even though he didn't ask you to, you took it upon yourself to grab what he needed, throwing in some peroxide and cotton balls too. He's sure it's just because you don't want him to get blood on any of your merchandise. At least that's what he thought until you rejected his money and bagged up his things nicely. Of course he didn't want you to do that, tries to get you to take it but you tell him to just save you some leftovers, give you a free slice of cake or something. Simon thinks of something better, and offers to let you sell his bread in your store.

Baker! Simon who personally delivers the bread you ordered to your door. He could simply let his new intern carry it across the street, but he wants to make sure it gets to you properly, that's all. Sure, he'll ask how your day is if there aren't many people inside,maybe even do some odd jobs for you, move some crates and bags to the back of the shop, but that's all just being a gentleman really. Who cares if he does all this while you tell him about the series you dropped last night, explaining the entire flawed plot to him from the beginning because he has no idea what show you're talking about.

Baker! Simon who starts to spend more time with you after that. Stopping by your store before you close for a small drink, making you laugh when he goes for a strawberry milk, or you'll go to his bakery for lunch opting to lean against the counter with your food while you both talk about what your regulars have told you today. When you have to keep moving out of the way for customers, he eventually invites you behind the counter to eat, it's nothing but a simple stool to sit on but it's better than standing right? It gets to the point where Johnny jokes that the two of you spend more time at each other's shops than your own.

Baker! Simon who gets Kyle to install a small eating area in his bakery, just so you can sit and chat during your lunch break, thinking you'll be more comfortable with that, a new counter by the window with a couple of barstools lined up, only to feel a little lonely when you sit there instead of behind the counter with him like before. Little does he know, you liked sitting in the back with him more too. Fortunately for both of you, customers fill that area quickly and what do you know? The only place you can sit is behind the counter with Simon.

Baker! Simon who peeks at you through his shop window way more often than he used to,when you're sweeping the front of your store, or watering the plants you have outside. He looks over the most during Golden hour. It's like the sun loves your skin the most during the late afternoon and decides to make it shine. It's so captivating that if Simon isn't careful, you glance over at him and catch him looking at you, and all he can do is go back to his bread with a burning face and ears.

Baker! Simon who keeps his store open just a little longer so you don't close up your shop all alone, keeping close watch for any suspicious characters so that the mace he gave you a while ago will never have to be used.

Baker! Simon, who recommends a recipe for you to try at home and surprises himself with how smoothly he offers to show you how to make it first when you both have time off. You both set up a time before opening hours. You show up early even if you don't have to and it makes Simon's heart act up again. What can he say? He likes when people are punctual.

Baker! Simon who not so subtly asks if you want to start meeting up outside of business hours. Not at the general store and not at the bakery. He starts with group activities, like inviting you and your friends to the camping trip he's got coming up with his boys, or perhaps just dinner at John's house. Then he gets a little bolder and suggests one on one things,maybe a movie at the theater in town or lunch at the restaurant on the far side of town. When you ask him if he's asking you out on a date, he surprises himself again by saying yes, because that's exactly what he's doing. Maybe the old ladies succeeded in setting him up after all.

Taggies: @cookieswithay