The Metropolis Not!Vengers in... Location, location, location!

[stands_for_hope]

[continued from here]

Steve wakes up slowly, happy and warm and content enough he's not sure where he is at first. The clues he gets initially aren't helpful because they're such universal parts of his life, as far as his hindbrain is concerned, that they're just a part of 'how he should wake up'.

There's a warm body up against him, deep brown hair pressed up against his nose and mouth that smells like home, a ratty old mattress beneath him that's too firm for anyone but someone like him--

And a metal arm across his stomach. Huh. That shakes some things loose.

It doesn't halt the grin on his face, though. That's... probably never going away, or at least it won't be budging anytime soon (probably until Jim looks at him, disgusted, and tells him to 'stop lookin' like a loon'). Instead, he just reaches over to grab his phone from the the bedside table (amazing the things that survive a plain crash when they're kept in the right pocket) and peers at the time.

Huh. Nearly two. That's fair. But--

"Hey, sleepyhead. You get some good rest?"

Comments

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I didn't actually!" and Captain America or not, that was a squawk, "That's just the story Clint's put out to get back at me for leaving him to tell Tony I'm moving out for a bit."

And Jim got a flat look.

"Elephant? Where would I even find an elephant?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"I know you didn't, punk, and I wouldn't put it past you to find one of those huge eagles out of that book you're always reading. Elephant's gotta be easier to find than that."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"The Eagles aren't like a taxi you can just whistle up. Why everyone seems to think that..."

But that was a discussion for an Internet forum and another day.

"So... I've got my hat, my--" he looked to Jim, "we stickin' with 'best friend' with Clark and Lois and everyone or--"

[kolodnoykovki]

And wasn't that the question? Jim exhaled, sitting up and turning to face him. "I... I dunno. It's... It's one thing when we're around... us." He twirled his finger, drawing an invisible circle around the apartment. "But I'm... I dunno what word..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Could always just call you my best guy," he said with a little twist of his lips.

"Folks around here'll know what I mean. Everyone else'll just assume I'm being old fashioned." The smile turned a little withered. "They usually do that anyway."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Works," he said, nodding. "I'll go with that."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He leaned over and pressed a kiss up on Jim's forehead.

"C'mon. Let's get out and see if we can get something done before it's dinner time."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Clothes. Bed. Art stuff. Milkshakes?" Slowly, he sat up and headed for his chest of drawers. Jeans, T-shirt, sleeve...

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"If you know where to get a good milkshake around here, I'm game," he admitted as he pulled himself out of the bed and straightened himself up. For once, he's sort of swimming in a t-shirt like he used to, because of all people, Clark's actually bigger than him. The jeans are belted as well.

"Might wanna grab a toothbrush and some other things as well. Can you think of anything we might need around here?"

[kolodnoykovki]

Glancing back at Steve, he saw one thing he needed, and he got it. He stepped over, pulling his collar aside to brush a finger admiringly along the line it exposed.

"Some more food," he suggested. "You an' Diana have appetites like horses. Good to see you eat, but we gotta keep the pantry a little fuller with more people eating."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He reached over to pat Jim's metal shoulder.

"And a couple of lotions to try on the skin there," and his other hand settles on Jim's flesh-and-blood shoulder.

Then he was pulling on the Brooklyn Cyclones hat, tugging it down to cover his face and hair.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Grow a beard," Jim suggested. "Nobody'd ever expect Captain America with a beard."

He picked up his comb and quickly righted his hair. There was only one problem. No gloves in the bedroom and he still needed--

"Here," he said, pushing a thin, cloth-covered elastic band toward Steve. "Pull it into a ponytail. I can't do it without one of those plastic gloves."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He slipped around behind Jim and took the elastic, combing the longer hair into place with his fingers. Then he was slinging the elastic carefully around the ponytale and finishing up by straitening the hair around Jim's ears from puffing up.

"A beard? You think I could look good with a beard?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"I think you could look less Captain America with a beard. ...And you've got a jaw now, so who knows, it might look good." He smirked over his shoulder before yanking a T-shirt out of his drawer (heathered blue - it'd do), a pair of jeans, and then a sleeve (green - good enough). All he lacked was socks and boots.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I always had a jaw. I just didn't have the face to fill it up," Steve said with a shake of his head as he watched Jim at it.

Then he was sitting down to pull on his own boots and a fresh pair of socks that had somehow made it's way into the room. Steve didn't question it.

[kolodnoykovki]

He changed easily enough, deodorant under one arm, pants soon enough belted around his waist, and then he was sitting down to put on socks, boots - and knives in his boots like always. Last came his wallet, slid into his front pocket. Some habits just weren't easily broken.

"Ready?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He checked the bed to make sure that his wallet hadn't fallen out while he was curled up and nodded as soon as both of his boots were tied. He smiled a little as he saw Jim stash his knives.

"I should probably pick up something a little less, uh... ostentatious than the shield at some point."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Do you want a knife or a gun?" he asked, glancing over. "I've got both. Easier to conceal a knife, though."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Knife oughta do me for anything less than... well, the kinda thing I'd use the shield for."

[kolodnoykovki]

One nod and he was digging into one of the drawers, pulling out a five-inch blade with a sheath that would easily fit down a boot. "Here. Shouldn't need anything bigger than that just on a day out. I don't think Hydra's willing to poke a new head into Metropolis just yet. Or at least not ready to make it obvious."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He took the knife easily enough, sticking it down the side of his boot and letting the slightly too-long jeans cover the hilt.

"Thanks. I'll admit, after everything, I can't say I love walking around entirely unarmed."

He straightened his shirt out and resettled his hat.

"Clothes last since they'll probably be the most bags?"

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim nodded. "Bed first, so they can deliver it tomorrow? I'll look up bed places. New phone." He picked it up from the bedside, showing it off. "A hell of a lot better than the old one."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He grinned and shoved his own phone into his pocket, a Starkphone with a centrally cracked screen. It'd been that way for a few weeks, but being as it still worked, he wasn't complaining about it or looking to replace it.

"I was skeptical about these things at first, but they're kinda amazing. Yours looks nice."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Brand new," he nodded. "Has a keyboard on it, see?" He slid the full board out from behind the screen. "Because one hand and one of these touch screens is stupid. I bought it 'cause I was texting you all the damn time."

Then it went into his pocket as well. "Okay, let's head out."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve stole one last kiss to Jim's cheek before trotting out the door past him, throwing a wave to Clark once he reached the living room as the other man was reclining with a copy of the paper and a fresh cup of coffee.

"Going out?"

Steve nodded and gestured back behind him to Jim.

"We're gonna grab a few necessities for me to use until my things arrive."

"That's fine. I'll watch the fort till the ladies get back."