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

[kolodnoykovki]

"You and Clark and Lois. It's like I'm the mother duck trying to make sure you all get up the curb and don't fall down the storm drain. Except you do." He heaved a sigh and shook his head.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"You've always been one hell of a goose," Steve said with a straight face.

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'll show you a goose," he muttered, eyes gleaming.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve had long ago perfected the art of looking like an angel that you weren't quite sure was of the fallen variety or not. The expression on his face did just that.

"Looking forward to it."

[kolodnoykovki]

He didn't have long to wait. At a suitably crowded crosswalk, where no one was particularly looking, he gave Steve's rear a goose, all the while looking utterly innocent.

It wasn't just a chance to tease. It was a chance for him to find out that Steve had a little more ass than he used to.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

And Steve may or may not have hopped just the once before his ears turned pink and a private little grin lit his face.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Those damn ears of yours," he muttered through a grin, lagging his way through the crosswalk and on toward the apartment. He had fun with Clark and Lois but he'd never really taken a day off with them like this before. That made this special. Different.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Nothing I can do about the ears. Sorry. Can't be fixed. You're just gonna have to stick around in spite of them."

[kolodnoykovki]

"At least you didn't go so modern and pierce them or anything. That, I don't think I could deal with." It'd just look weird, anything on Steve's ears.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He made a face.

"Yeah, no. I'm not ready for that," he said with a shake of his head.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Let's keep it that way. Please. If you got a tattoo, that's one thing, but let's not get jewelry like that." He couldn't even imagine it. Not on Steve.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"A tattoo?" and that actually made him curious.

"Never thought of it."

He glanced over at Jim.

"Do you have one?"

[kolodnoykovki]

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. Not where I can see, anyway. I think it's mostly just scars."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I wonder if we even could," he said thoughtfully, "or a piercing, not that I want one. It might not even be possible."

[kolodnoykovki]

"We heal fast, not instant." He nodded toward his shoulder. "Otherwise this damn thing wouldn't be irritated all the time."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Trust me, I know," he said with an absent wave, "but you'd have to keep the piercing in pretty much all the time if you wanted the hole to stay. The tattoo would probably be fine, though.

And now, it was obvious that he was thinking about tattoos.

[kolodnoykovki]

And Jim was glancing at him as they walked, amused. "So, what, are you going to draw a matching tattoo for us?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He looked over at Jim thoughtfully.

"I'm thinking about it. And it's kind of fun to think about it."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Might want to make sure whatever you design is small enough to fit between my scars - or around 'em. I've got enough." He shrugged. "Can't remember how I got all of 'em, but."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I'll have to take a good look at you. See what kind of size I should be working on."

That also seemed to be a happy thought to him.

[kolodnoykovki]

"You can do that while we're trying out all those different medicine things. I'll find you a tape measure or somethin'." If there was anybody who he could be shirtless around...

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He ducked back a little and shifted a couple of bags so that his hand was free to pat Jim's back.

"I'll figure it out."

He took another couple of steps before he spoke again.

"Think the girls are back?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"I dunno. I keep hearing things about how women can spend all day shopping, but I don't know how much of that is humour and how much of it isn't." They were getting closer, though, both of them laden with bags - but he had to wonder how many bags the girls would bring in.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I'm just wondering how things went. Diana's island is... well, it's a lot different from here. And I remember how weird everything was for me and I had some context..."

He kept walking.

"I'm not gonna lie. I'm kinda glad Lois seems to be happy to show her around and make friends. I think it woulda been a million times harder for her without another lady friend around."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Could'a called -- Uh." Her name, he reminded himself. Her name, not her callsign. "Natasha. But I'm glad Lois is here, too. I think she'll be good for her."