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 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.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Gonna hold you to that," he warned. And he did not covertly brush the back of Steve's neck on the way down. "And I gotta say, you did good on this, Steve. You really did learn to cook. And I don't think anybody's gonna call you a housewife for it here."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Well, if they do, I'll take it as a compliment," Steve said with a little smile.

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim chuckled and reached out to dish himself up some salad with bits of sausage alongside his pasta.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve took some of both once Jim was done, then passed the bowls to Diana.

[kolodnoykovki]

A little dressing later and Jim set in to eat, his foot nudged up against Steve's.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve leaned into the touch, as he seemed apt to do every time. While he wouldn't initiate contact, leaving Jim to lead the way, it was obvious that he encouraged and drank in every bit of it.