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

[kolodnoykovki]

"Seriously," Jim agreed. "We all know Steve couldn't walk uphill anywhere 'til he joined the Army."

He'd owe Steve a kiss for that one later.

[stands_for_hope]

"Of course he couldn't," Lois said, as if this was obvious. Clark took the opportunity to reach forward and pulled open the door to the deli.

"He rode on your shoulders. Obviously."

And she strode in smugly.

[kolodnoykovki]

"No, he rode on my back." And then, as if it was so obvious, he leaned over to Clark and said, "If he'd been on my shoulders, I would'a smacked him into doorways."

[stands_for_hope]

"Except according to you, he was about two inches tall," Clark pointed out in return as he grinned over at Jim.

Lois held back a giggle before pointing towards the stairs going up near the front register.

"Let's all get our food and meet back up to make fun of Steve upstairs."

[kolodnoykovki]

"All right, I'll meet you up there." He chuckled. "See you guys there."

And he headed toward the Mongolian BBQ in the back. He still had a thing for protein.

[stands_for_hope]

Lois joined him as Clark stayed near the front, picking out the pieces for a massive salad.

"...if you're going to deck Lombard, I want frontrow seats."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'm probably going to deck him. His attitude deserves it," he said smoothly, choosing bits and pieces to go into his dish. "And I'm going to convince him that our dear friend back there is under the protection of the Russian mafia. That should be fun." He kept his voice down, though he knew Clark could hear him - that wasn't who he was hiding all this from.

[stands_for_hope]

Lois had learned that pretty much, Clark could always hear her. So she had to rely on his manners to discuss things at a reasonable distance.

"Russian mafia works. Just don't lay it on too thick, since Perry likes his reporters unbiased by other associations."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Oh, no, not under influence - he's too much of a boyscout for that, even by my book." Jim shot him a smile over his shoulder, though. "But maybe doing an inadvertent favour, well. That's a possibility."

[stands_for_hope]

"Just let me know if you need my help with anything. Or someone to play the accomplice. I know why he's doing what he's doing and all, but that doesn't mean people have to be asses about it."

Once she had a good collection of meat and seasonings in her bowl, she passed it over to the chef.

"Lombard's the worst, though. He thinks that just because he used to be a star in the NFL that anyone cares what he thinks. Well, I certainly don't."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Yeah, he threatened to 'show me his arm.'" Jim stifled a laugh as he waited his turn. "It took some effort not to say mine was better."

[stands_for_hope]

She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"You're an absolute saint."

Then she bounced on her heels as she watched the cook make her food on the massive metal circle.

"He groped my ass the first week I took the job at the Planet, I punched him in the balls and reported him, and he's avoided getting within ten feet of me ever since. Not far enough."

[kolodnoykovki]

"...Okay, I'm glad you punched him, or else I would've had to seriously flatten him later." Reaching back, he dished out a few more mushrooms onto his plate. He'd found he liked those now. "I might'a dated my way through all the boroughs, but I didn't do that."

[stands_for_hope]

"You and Uncle Steve painted the town?" She asked with a little smile.

[kolodnoykovki]

"I painted. He... did rough sketches that never got off the drawin' board, poor guy." He shook his head with a sigh. "Can't complain now, but I felt damned bad for him then. He had no idea what to do, and ... it never worked."

[stands_for_hope]

"I can't even imagine that," she admitted with a shake of her head. "He's adorable. Did girls not like adorable back then?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"He had a bad habit of not talking, or if he did talk, being way too blunt. He couldn't relax." Jim shook his head. "Some girls gave him a little bit of a chance, but there were always rumours going around him, anyway." He handed over his plate, then, the scents already making his stomach growl.

[stands_for_hope]

"Rumors?" Because she couldn't imagine anything anyone could ever accuse him of. Steve was a stand up guy.

[kolodnoykovki]

"A guy that short, that narrow, that pretty, and that interested in art? 'Course there were rumours. I can't even count how many people ended up with black eyes over it, too." To say he'd been protective was an understatement.

[stands_for_hope]

She blinked, and then she gave him a little smile.

"I could see how he could be pretty," she mused, "but it's hard to imagine him as small. I mean, I know it was a change but... he fills the suit, if you know what I mean. And Grandma knew him after."

She held out her hand and took the container from the cool who waited for Jim's bowl.

[kolodnoykovki]

He handed it over without a second thought, but he did add a thanks and a momentary smile before telling Lois, "And I'm the other way around. I look at him and my head automatically looks about a foot lower. His shoulders were about as wide as one of mine. His arms were about the size of my wrist." And he lifted his arm to demonstrate. "He had scars, red spots, bruises... His chest hurt, his heart didn't beat right, he coughed until he lost consciousness sometimes... Scared the hell outta me."

He swallowed past that lump of old fear and shook his head. "I'm still not sure about this whole thing, but it kept him from dyin'. Maybe it made him into the person he would'a grown into if he'd not been so sick."

[stands_for_hope]

"Miss the old him?" she asked him, keeping her voice down.

"What about him? I'm sure it was weird as hell for him to adjust. And I see the way he sits; he curls up on the couch like I do, like you do when you're small. He ever talk about it?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Sometimes I miss the way he was. I think he knows that," Jim admitted. "And I know it's selfish, and I'm workin' on it, because no way in hell do I want him to go back. I want him healthy." But then he exhaled and rubbed at his face with his ungloved hand. "He doesn't say much about it, though. And I dunno if he had much chance to adjust. He went into the USO, then decided to walk into enemy territory to try to save me. I don't doubt for half a second it was weird. An' I wonder if he's ever talked to anybody about it. Or if they'd understand."

[stands_for_hope]

"I'd put money down he hasn't," she said with a shrug, "since both of you tend to, uh, 'soldier on'."

She leaned against the counter they were waiting next to.

"But hey, there's always gonna be stuff... and you guys seem pretty happy, if that smile earlier is any indication. Your little 'my SO is amazing and I love them' grin."

[kolodnoykovki]

"He forgave me for the worst lie I ever told. It doesn't get much better than that," he agreed quietly, that faint smile lingering around his face. His food was almost done and he leaned there against the counter with a sigh. "He's better than an asshole like me deserves. Kinda waiting for him to see the way Diana looks at 'im."