Superman, Firebrand, and the Metropolis Gang in... the World's Mightiest Duckling

[stands_for_hope]

[continued from here]

It took a few weeks, but soon enough, the apartment had become an entirely settled little commune between the five of them. Steve's things had arrived as Clint had promised, they'd been installed in the new apartment, and the group had made the changes they'd discussed for everyone's comfort with one addition: with Steve bunking with Jim, the room he'd initially intended to take had become a general office/library/art room for everyone to use when they felt like a bit of time alone. For as silly as the concept sounded, all of them had ended up using the room a time or two and it had definitely kept things peaceful despite the addition of two new people.

Considering that the apartment was home to four superheroes and a world-famous journalist, it was amazing how easily they all fell into a routine. Jim, Lois, and Clark would usually leave for work around the same time and Steve, always an early riser, had taken to making them something to munch for breakfast on the way after he returned from his morning run. Having also gotten a position at the community center (teaching kids art and art history), Steve would leave with Diana an hour or so after that. Everyone filtered back into the apartment at different times and whoever was feeling up to cooking would usually start dinner when they got in. If no one was feeling up cooking, one of the two 'old' men would treat takeout.

Today, however, Jim's site was currently closed for due to an issue with the plumbing contractors and some unfortunate flooding that had occurred overnight. That was why Clark texted Jim and invited him to come visit he and Lois at the Daily Planet offices and go out for lunch together.

Comments

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve purred happily into the kiss and took his time with it, doing his damnable best to let Jim know how amazing everything was: the night, the restaurant, the clothes, Jim. Everything.

He breathed in softly when he got the chance before looking up at Jim.

"I've wanted to do that... pretty much since we stepped out."

[kolodnoykovki]

"So have I," he agreed softly, fingers stroking along Steve's cheek, into his beard, down along his neck - being selfish for just a few seconds. "God, I wish I'd done this years ago. Wish I could've been brave enough."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve shook his head and dipped down to kiss one of Jim's fingers.

"It's happening now. That's more than I could have ever hoped for."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I never thought the two of us would be... together. I thought roommates or living next door... Figured I'd just spend my life jealous of the dame that finally landed you." The kiss to his finger went right through him, leaving him very aware of his skin in the best way.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

That got a soft laugh out of him.

"Pretty much what I was expecting."

But he'd seen how the kiss had affected Jim and he never could leave well enough alone, so it was practically expected that he leaned down and kissed another of them.

[kolodnoykovki]

"God, Steve..." Jim took a shaking breath before exhaling a helpless laugh. "It's kind of crazy sometimes. You do something like that and I can even feel it in the arm I can't feel anymore."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve flushed a little and didn't kiss the fingers this time, but he did nuzzle them with his nose, soft and slow.

"I just... really like kissing you. And they were right there."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I love it when you kiss me. It's..." He trailed off, smiling. Words couldn't quite describe it - or at least not any that came to mind with Steve touching him like that. But the thought surfaced, a tiny reminder that widened his smile. "One time - once I remember anyway," Jim started, voice quiet and warm, "I dreamed about kissing you. I don't remember how I'd got the money in the dream, but I'd bought this big ol' apartment for us somewhere uptown. It had this whole room that was nothing but glass, ceiling and walls, with this amazing view of the city. We had one of those couches like you always see in the movies, where the ladies laid back and relaxed - fainting couch or whatever - there in that room.

"I was layin' there in our balcony room, watching it rain on the windows above me, and the radio was playing. And then you came in." His voice had turned wistful, eyes mostly closed. This had been one of the happy dreams - probably one he'd had during summer, maybe even during a storm. Half and half, those storms. Either they'd made Steve feel better by damping down all the smoke and pollution or they'd kicked up the pollen from the flowers and trees and grass and had made him worse. No way to tell which was which, but he'd always had his hopes. "You had a whole room for your art there, and you'd been busy. Had the charcoal up your fingers, a little on the side of your nose, wearin' one of your white shirts with the sleeves rolled up, neck loose, and you smiled at me. Said something about watching the rain, can't really remember that part. But I remember telling you... I said, 'You don't have to worry about it here, Steve. I took care of everything. You're gonna be fine.' And the next thing I knew, I was standing there beside you with my hand on your cheek, and you looked up at me and you looked like an angel."

Jim swallowed because that... That, at least was still as vivid and still as true as the night he'd dreamed it. "And then I was kissing you and you had your arms around my neck, and it was perfect. S'one of the best dreams I ever had."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"That sounds like a pretty nice dream," he said quietly, peering across the space between them as his thumb rubbed slow circles at the base of Jim's neck, his cheek brushing past Jim's fingers.

"Doesn't sound too far off from how we've got it now. An apartment, space for my art, my arms around you and a bit of kissing. Maybe not how you imagined it, but... we got there. Even if I need to shine my halo a little."

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim smiled at him, gentle and warm. "Your halo's just fine, Steve. Never been brighter. ...But now I wanna make us a glass room like that on the roof..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I bet everyone would like a nice sun room up on the roof," and now he was thinking about it too.

[kolodnoykovki]

He leaned in and brushed another kiss to Steve's lips. "Almost forgot about the boardwalk, thinking about kissing you in a sunroom on the roof..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"A happy thought to look forward to," he said softly before leaning in for another kiss.

[kolodnoykovki]

A pleased hum and Jim let the kiss linger, rubbing at the back of Steve's neck - after all, he wouldn't want to muss his perfect hair.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve was content to linger, was content to stay right there for as long as Jim wanted to be there.

"This whole thing was perfect," he said softly when he had to breath, "you're amazing."

[kolodnoykovki]

"You deserve it," he murmured quietly. "You've always deserved somebody who would treat you right."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"So do you. I'm gonna have to figure out something good for next month."

Though he already had a few ideas.

"Good thing I fell in love with a fantastic fella."

[kolodnoykovki]

He took a long, slow breath when he heard those words and he wrapped his arms tight around Steve, burying his face into Steve's neck. "I love you too, Steve."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve ran his hand down the back of Jim's hair a few times, just... holding him. Breathing him in, tucking up against him in return.

[kolodnoykovki]

His lips brushed Steve's neck - just a brush before he whispered, "I've loved you since I grew hormones." There was just enough humour in his voice to make it at least half a joke, despite its truth.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He shivered at the brush of lips before his mouth curled into an amused smile.

"Oh, if we start in on that kind of thing, I'm going to embarass myself. But it's been just about as long for me."

Steve drew back a little to at least catch one of his eyes.

"Do we wanna walk or just find that hotel and get ice cream brought to the room like a pair of lazy bums?"

Because as much as the walk sounded nice, he almost couldn't imagine waiting that long to kiss him more.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Mm, I thought you wanted cotton candy and a barefoot walk on the beach," Jim teased, brushing his nose to Steve's. "Changed your mind?"

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He nudged Jim's shoulder but not far enough to dislodge him from his own shoulder.

"I want you."

And then Jim could probably feel his cheeks heat even in the darkened car.

"I mean, I don't want to wreck your plans. That is. I'd love that too. But I keep wanting to kiss you every time I look at you so I'm trying to. Be strategic."

[kolodnoykovki]

With a soft laugh, he brushed another kiss to Steve's lips. "Well, I kind of need to find a hotel first," he admitted, eyes gleaming. "I only came up with that idea on the way to the apartment. So do you want to pick one out while I drive? Get one that's top of the line."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"And close by," he said, leaning up to press a peck to Jim's cheek before leaning back to pull out his phone. Steve was surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) quick, pressing the screen with some finality before putting his ear to the phone.

"Yes, hello... do you have a suite open for rent tonight? Yes, tonight. No, just for the night. Yes, exactly. And when can we-- perfect. Do you have room service? Yeah, yeah, sorry, just--- right. Fantastic. We'll be there in about... ten minutes, I think? Right, under Rogers. Two. Right, that's--" and he dictates the number to his credit card by memory before smiling, "perfect. Thank you very much. See you soon."

He pressed the red button on the screen before turning back to Jim.

"There's a hotel three blocks over, very nice, great reviews," blush "nice big bed."