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]

"And I'd go nuts in a lab," Clark admitted.

Steve and Diana both looked at Clark, who blushed.

"The, uh, super abilities aren't just physical. I can read and process information... rather well. But I've never had the creative spark when it came to that kind of thing. Writing works better for me. Not that I'm the finest reporter in this room even."

Lois grinned. "There he goes with the super smarts."

Steve nodded thoughtfully.

"The serum helped my memory some to," he said thoughtfully, "but I'm pretty sure I'm not too much brighter. Always been good at angles, after all."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I just had stuff zapped into my head," Jim shrugged. "I don't even remember all of it 'til I need to use it."

[stands_for_hope]

Steve looked like he wanted to say something but decided on the better part of valor as he turned to the stove as it started to buzz.

"If you wanna get the salad out, Jim?"

And Steve grabbed for the oven mitts.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Sure." He turned to the fridge and got out the vegetables he'd chopped up for salad, only now starting to mix it up so nothing would get soggy. And with his left hand, he got the sausage out of the toaster oven. That, anyway, was convenient - no need for an oven mitt with one hand that didn't feel anything. All he had to do now was to slice up the sausage and it'd be ready.

And maybe figure out why the thought of going to school put him off so much.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Diana?" Steve asked with a nod to the cabinet where they kept the plates. She got the message and pulled out the right number, stacking them next to Steve as he pulled out a serving spoon.

Lois looked over at Clark with a little smile.

"I love all of you with your cooking and your serving up delicious food. It's like... Fifth on the list of reasons I'd never want to live anywhere else."

Clark rolled his eyes at her playfully before turning to Steve.

"Don't worry about the dishes. Those are my job."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Well, Steve..." Almost absently, Jim sliced the sausage into coins. "It looks like we've spoiled our niece. Was that what we were goin' for?"

The sausage was chicken sausage with some Italian seasonings - even a little tomato to make it slightly red in places, and little pockets of molten mozzarella cheese. He arranged them on a plate and then put them and the bowl of salad onto the table, along with a pair of tongs. "What kind of dressing does everyone want, speaking of?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve grinned over at Jim.

"Oh, I don't mind it. She's a good girl."

Lois looked at him skeptically before turning to Jim.

"...he's so innocent. It's adorable."

Clark snorted into his hand.

Diana didn't say anything. She just watched and smiled before tilting her head up to Jim.

"I am willing to try anything and trust your judgement."

Clark nodded along. "I'm good with everything we have in the house, pretty much."

[kolodnoykovki]

That 'innocent' comment had him looking at Steve from behind slyly raised eyebrows and half-lowered eyelids - a silent statement that he could probably fix that 'innocent' problem. But then after hearing the answers, he was smiling, reaching into the fridge, and grabbing the caesar dressing. "This should be a decent counterpoint to everything, then."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve turned pink and his his ears, bright red before he started serving up plates of baked ziti.

Clark settled as well before accepting and passing a plate to Diana. Eventually, everyone had a plate except for Steve and Jim.

"Jim?" He held out the plate for him with a little less than half of what was left.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Thanks." His fingers brushed Steve's intentionally as he took the plate. "What about drinks?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve didn't quite drop the plate but he did pause for a moment before giving Jim a Look. It wasn't angry or even annoyed, but it certainly was a kind of heated.

Then he sat and leaned over to pull out a couple of bottles of Coke, glancing around.

"Anyone else?"

"Coke," Lois sat up.

"Coke," Clark agreed.

Diana nodded firmly, and Steve pulled out more Cokes.

[kolodnoykovki]

This time, it was Jim looking innocent before helping to distribute the drinks around the table. He knew what he'd done. He'd deal with it later. "Smells good, Steve. I'm glad I let you cook. I'm gonna have the oven taken up most of the day tomorrow with a roast - Steve's request, so I'm cookin' it, but anything else anybody wants to cook needs to be on the stovetop or microwave or whatever."

He considered that fair warning as he took a seat at the table, pushing out the seat beside him for Steve.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve took it with a ease, as if this was a well practiced dance.

"Sorry, Clark," Steve said with a duck of his head.

Clark waved that off as he started to dig in.

"I love the vegetables from the roast. It's fine."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Potatoes, carrots, green beans, might add a little celery, adds to the flavour," he mused, "but I'm gonna add some herbs and stuff, too, so it should all be good and tender by the time it's done." But he prodded at his ziti, then cut off a bit and popped it into his mouth.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve muttered something under his breath for a moment before digging into the food and all of the others followed suit.

[kolodnoykovki]

He patted Steve's leg under the table. He should've remembered that.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve reached down and patted Jim's leg in return to let him know that it was all right.

[kolodnoykovki]

"But speakin' of takin' lessons," Jim said after a couple bites, "I'm gonna take one on computers down at the VA, and might take one on sewing. These sleeves I've been getting aren't good for the arm, and they're in some of the ugliest colours I've seen unless I want every last one in black."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark looked up at that.

"You should tell Ma what you'd like. She's been itching to make you some things."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I just need..." He shook his head, thinking. "Something that'll breathe, but cover the thing from shoulder to wrist. These sleeve things are some kind of material that doesn't let the arm vent."

[stands_for_hope]

He considered for a moment before taking a large bite.

"I think I have an idea. I'll check in with her tonight."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Hey, if you're gonna call her, let me talk to her. I think we need to ask if a couple friends can come along to Thanksgiving." He had a Steve now, after all, and wasn't going to leave him alone at Thanksgiving.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I can definitely give her a call. She'll be glad to hear from us considering the news the last few days."

Steve winced a little.

[kolodnoykovki]

He reached up to ruffle Steve's hair, but still said, "No more planes."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"No more flying planes, I promise."

And he absolutely didn't lean into the hand in his hair.