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]

Steve trotted up to walk beside Jim again.

"What're you thinking of doing? Don't like it long?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Gets in my face," he said, wrinkling his nose. "Gets stuck in my hand unless I put a glove on. It's a pain, but goin' to the barber's even worse."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I could always cut it for you," he offered thoughtfully, "I mean... wouldn't be the first time."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Thought about that, actually." He shifted the bag in his hand. "Getting you or Clark or Lois or somebody to cut it. Right now, I just know I don't want it as long as it is. Needs to be either longer, so it'll stay in a better ponytail or shorter so it won't need one."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"It could work for you either way," and he seemed to be considering the aesthetic appeal in either direction.

"Is it a lot of trouble to take care of as it is?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Not really. Just kind of a pain in the ass having to keep up with the gloves. Learned that pretty quick, though - almost yanked out a whole patch of hair early on. It hurt like hell." And he rubbed at his head just remembering it.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve winced in sympathy.

"Do you need to pick up more gloves while we're in there?" he asked after a moment, spotting the supermarket on the corner.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Nah, they come in hundred boxes and I usually just use one a day." He shook his head. "It'll be next month before I need a new box."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Just wanted to make sure we didn't have to run out again once we got in," he said brightly as he trotted forward to open the door for Jim to step in.

[kolodnoykovki]

"We'll be fine," he assured, but followed him in, smiling to see Steve so happy. "Pies, a roast, some veggies..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"And I'll get the pasta and the sauce and the cheeses. Don't forget your sausage either!"

Steve was happy. Steve felt like the world was finally starting to slot into place for him and the idea of getting to cook for their little family back at the apartment made him feel good.

Some part of him worried that something would happen, that there was some way, somehow that he was going to screw all of this up. But he squashed it as firmly as he possibly could. He'd paid, in blood, sweat, tears, and years. If it felt easy, it was probably just because everything before that had been so hard.

[kolodnoykovki]

"There's this chicken kind that's got cheese in it. I saw it one time, wanted to try it. I think I'll get that." And then he looked down at their bags and shrugged. If they really wanted to check their bags after they got done shopping, fine - but-- "Tie the bag with the candy in it shut. Just in case."

He did the same with his before heading over to the produce section. It was still amazing to see this much fresh food in one place. A part of him thought he needed to get it home and store it, freeze it, just in case something happened and they couldn't have any in the future.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I'll try anything once," he admitted before he did as he'd been told. Of all the folks Steve would pause on an order from, Jim was not one of them.

"Meet you at the register?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Sure thing," he agreed, already picking out some things here and there. It took him a while, but when he got back to the registers, he had four pies, a nice selection of vegetables, a pack of croutons, and the sausages he'd talked about. And then, last but not least, he'd gotten a carton of good neapolitan ice cream - so everybody could have what flavour they wanted with their pie.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve joined him with a basket full of pasta, a few jars of sauce, several different containers of cheeses, a proper pack of meats to roast, and a carton of whipping cream. There was also a few different varieties of yogurt.

"They help me with snacking," he explained, "and I know Diana likes it."

[kolodnoykovki]

"It's not bad," Jim agreed, glancing into the basket. "And hey, if it makes you happy." With a shrug, he put them both into a decently short line. "This turned into more of a shopping trip than I expected."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Yogurt is delicious but I wouldn't say it makes me happy," he said with a low chuckle and a shake of his head.

"I just wanted to make sure that she had something familiar. And they definitely had yogurt."

[kolodnoykovki]

"The gyro cart is a branch of this good Greek place, if you want something familiar for her - I mean, I don't know how much Greek food's changed..." But then they were being checked out and Jim added more bags to his left arm.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve took a couple from the end and added it onto his before his own things were rung out.

"I'll ask her about it. We... didn't really talk about food much, other than a few mentions when she brought me food in my cell at first. When I met with her mother and everyone for a proper dinner, we were... kind of busy."

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim went very still when he heard one certain word, looking at Steve as he realised he wasn't being told the whole story. "Cell, huh?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He looked back at Jim, distinctly didn't wince, finished checking out while the cashier eyed him a little thoughtfully, and calmed her nerves with a winning smile before picking up his things.

"That was just the first night. Once things got straightened out, I got upgraded from 'prisoner' to 'ambassador'. Diana was a huge part of that."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Sorry, miss," Jim said. "We got separated overseas - now we're catching up."

Understanding dawned across her features before she gave them both a sincere, "Thank you so much for serving."

Jim's answer was a smile - and then he saw that their order got a military discount. Now that was convenient.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve was infinitely glad that she apparently hadn't looked at the name on the debit card he'd swiped. That would have created more questions than he would have felt like answering.

"Thank you very much," he said with a smile as she handed him his receipt and he took the rest of his bags. Then they were walking out and Steve was just waiting for the inevitable.

...it wasn't as if he'd been hiding it, after all. It just hadn't seemed all that important after the unpleasantness was done with.

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim exhaled. "Okay. I think you need to tell me the whole story," he said, "but it can wait 'til we're in actual privacy instead of walking down the street."

He didn't sound angry - and that was because he wasn't angry. Steve was back, Diana was nice. There was just some confusion about how things had happened.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Probably for the best. I can tell you right now, though, that the worst I got was a lumpy mattress."

He was glad that Jim didn't sound angry, but he also wanted to make sure he didn't get too worried or upset or any of the other things that could happen when someone you cared about was apparently in a cell.