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

[stands_for_hope]

Clark watched him with a warm smile.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you and Lois shared DNA."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Might as well," he shrugged. "Between her being Dum-Dum's granddaughter and growin' up on the same base where I trained, it's pretty close." But a last little touch of his comb and he considered himself done. "...And this is just what I needed. I can deal with this one-handed."

[stands_for_hope]

"So I can see. Make your young man weak-kneed with just one hand," he teased before opening the door for Jim to slip out.

"Dinner smells good, though."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Then he really did learn to cook." But he shook his head, heading out. "We cooked about even when we lived together. People used to joke about him bein' my wife. I used to kick their asses over it about half the time."

[stands_for_hope]

"And the other half?" He had to admit he was curious. Jim was much more likely to mention growing up around Steve.

[kolodnoykovki]

"The other half was from people we both were friends with, and they were being friendly jerks instead of just jerks."

[stands_for_hope]

"That sounds nice," he admitted, thoughtful and a little quiet as he followed him back towards the kitchen.

"Not the, ugh, fighting. But the rest of it. I hope you know what I mean."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Do I need to kick somebody's ass for you?" he asked, glancing back to Clark. The phrasing had been plain enough for him to figure Clark had a non-friendly jerk in his life somewhere.

[stands_for_hope]

"Pete and I figured things out eventually," he said, not really meeting Jim's eyes, though likely not for the reason Jim would suspect.

Pete Ross had certainly changed after the accident on the bus, and for the better in a lot of ways, but they'd never exactly gotten close. Instead, the other boy had made gentle forays into the life of Clark Kent, but his mother's influence (and Jonathan Kent's) had largely kept it at that. Not to mention the roiling pit of conflicting emotions he still had to this day about the whole thing.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Hey." He slung an arm around Clark's shoulders. "Nobody messes with my friends. And you're too damn nice sometimes. Anybody bugs you, you tell me, I'll make sure they stop."

And then, he kicked in the Russian accent. "We Russians, living in the cold gives short tempers."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark laughed, leaning into the arm.

"That would be far more believable if I didn't know you're about as Russian as the dressing,"

Clark's arm went around Jim in turn and he gave a slight squeeze.

"But I appreciate it all the same."

[kolodnoykovki]

"The point is that they don't know," he smirked. "And I mean it. You're my brother. I'm supposed to take care of you."

But then they were in the dining room again. And Clark was right - it did smell good. "You really did learn how to cook, didn't you, Stevie?"

[stands_for_hope]

Steve looked up from glancing into the oven to watch the pasta... and then nearly fell off of the chair. He actually did fall, one hand flung out and down to push him off the ground and right him. And, as expected, Steve's ears were bright pink.

"Hey! Lookin' good, Jim."

The blush slipped down to his cheeks.

"Wow."

Diana and Lois both looked between them and then at Clark, as if it was his fault. Clark spread his hands.

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing. "Remind me to tip my barber," he grinned, nudging Clark. "I think somebody likes it."

But all casualness, he headed over to the table and took a seat. "Is it about time for me to get the salad ready?"

There was something just slightly different about him, though, beyond his new haircut. A little bit of inherent pride. Maybe even slight preening.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve's hand settled on his shoulder for a moment, almost a pet before he nudged him for the withheld laugh. He couldn't really be annoyed, though. Not with Jim lookin' like that. Not with Jim preening at him like that. And especially not with Jim well aware of how much Steve wanted to kiss him, dinner be damned.

"Give it another few minutes, unless you like your salad room temperature."

He shoved Jim's shoulder again.

"And of course I like it."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Gonna make my life a little easier. I can actually deal with this with my one hand without yanking myself bald." And it did make him feel a little better - a little more like he fit in his own skin.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Well, my compliments to the barber," Steve said with a faint smile and a nod of his head, "hopefully, he likes the dinner."

Clark gestured to the oven.

"It smells really good.'

Diana agreed with a warm smile.

"The style suits you, Jim."

Lois just smirked at him.

"Now you're hot, affluent uncle Jim. All the other girls are going to be jealous."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Now I can visit Margot and she'll actually know who I am," he smirked. "Not sure if I'll keep it like this, but we'll see. Right now, I'm glad to get it out of my face."

But it was Bucky Barnes. Longer hair was Winter Soldier. He had to figure something out.

"And I definitely can't complain about my barber. He might get first pick of the pies I bought for dessert."

[stands_for_hope]

"Margot would know you even if you had a beehive and sunglasses," Lois said with a little grin. "But it does look good. Now I can see why you thought you had a shot with her."

Diana looked him up and down.

"Aesthetically, you are pleasing regardless of the style of your hair. But you sit straighter now, seem prouder now. This manner of confidence suits you."

Steve was just... smiling to himself, not saying anything else as he checked the timer on the sausages in the toaster oven. But there was definitely an extra spring in his step.

Clark, however--

"Pie?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Not my fault they didn't cut my hair between missions," he protested, but gave Diana a nod of thanks afterward.

As for Clark, well - he stood up, went to the fridge, and pulled out his bag that held four stacked pies, placing the whole thing in the center of the table before pushing the bag down to display them. "Apple, blueberry, banana cream, and chocolate. Dessert, after Steve's baked ziti."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark grinned and his eyes settled on the blueberry pie.

"And I think I just replaced the whipped cream the other day."

"I bought whipping cream to make some fresh," Steve offered as he turned back to the kitchen table group.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Whipped cream and ice cream - I think we're set. Soon as the pasta's done, I'll stick the apple and blueberry into the oven to get warm." It sounded like a great way to celebrate their newly rearranged double-apartment.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Jim always has known how to celebrate," Steve said with side eye at Lois. "Never passed a birthday without a full set of fireworks just for me."

And that was a smile at Jim, an old joke from when they were kids.

[kolodnoykovki]

And Jim did laugh, reaching over to give Steve's arm a playful shove. "Never cost me a penny, either. Everybody celebrates this punk's birthday."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Diana frowned, confused, and Lois snerked as Clark smiled over at the girls. Steve was the one who explained, though.

"My birthday is July 4th, which is also considered a holiday in this country, dedicated to our declaration of independence from the country we were previously a colony of. And this lug," he wobbled Jim's flesh and blood shoulder good naturedly, "he tells me when I'm turning eight that he'd gone and saved up his pennies and paid the fireworks folks for one extra firework, just for me. Kept up the joke for years too."

And he'd been joking at the first, but his voice had gotten more and more fond as he'd kept talking.

"Somehow, it was always my favorite one."