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]

Jim saw what might've been a speck further on in the sky - and he shook his head a little. "Well, at least he could say goodbye," he sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wonder how he can do that, besides practice. Actually figure out one sound out of... however many."

[stands_for_hope]

Lois sighed a little and leaned her head on her hand.

"He explained it to me once. Something about processing to match the senses and listening for certain strings of words and a lot of time spent working on it with his mom growing up."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'll take your word for it." Jim exhaled a sigh. "Better him than me. I can take a shot from yards away, but I'm just normal when it comes to hearing. ...'Least it's not as bad as Clint."

[stands_for_hope]

"I was wondering if those were for normal use or something tactical."

She tapped her own ear.

"I'm pretty good at picking out certain things, but that's mostly training."

[kolodnoykovki]

"He wears them, but he doesn't turn them on some of the time - did you notice that? He just kind of lets the conversation go on around him, then he'll reach up like he's scratching his ear." Jim chuckled. "I'm pretty sure not many people notice."

[stands_for_hope]

Lois laughed.

"Ooh, I'm going to watch him now. When'd you notice?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Last time I saw him, when he was staying in what's the living room now. I think he might've been the only person who didn't hear the argument between me and Steve."

[stands_for_hope]

"I can't imagine anyone missing that. Your boy has one heck of a set of lungs when he gets cranky."

[kolodnoykovki]

"He always has," Jim nodded, "even when he was tiny. Loudest little guy I've ever known - and usually with words that'll get him in trouble. Little bit like walking a small, angry dog with a greased leash."

[stands_for_hope]

"You know, Grandma Margot had told me that he was defensive of the girls, but seeing him at Mekong a couple weeks ago was an eye opener."

Standard story: there'd been a guy, there'd been a girl, guy had bothered girl within eyesight of Steve Rogers, there'd been Words...

"Not that I wouldn't have stepped up to help her if he hadn't. But I'm assuming it got a little tiring back when."

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim shook his head. "Back then, it was worse. Guys jumped to beat each other up faster. And Steve was smaller, so he would've been easier to beat up."

[stands_for_hope]

Lois looked at the water bottle she'd bought and popped the top, obviously thinking.

"Can't say I wouldn't have appreciated it if it was me, though. Girls deal with a lot of shit in a day. Having someone step up..." She sipped at her water.

"It matters more than you'd think."

She couldn't help a crooked smile.

"And at least it wasn't Diana. Diana might have done something permanent."

[kolodnoykovki]

"There's a part of me that wants to aim her at that asshole I almost hit earlier," he admitted with a smirk. "But I think I might actually have a little more self control."

[stands_for_hope]

"Don't do it unless you want to find all the pieces and then bury them," she said with a smirk.

[kolodnoykovki]

"I've done worse," he said with a faint laugh, "but nah. I think one good punch will do it. I'll even only hit 'im with my right arm."

[stands_for_hope]

"Still wanna see it," she said in a sing song voice.

"Not that Clark hasn't gotten in his licks. He almost broke Lombard's nose with one of his 'slips' after he bothered Jenny."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'm plannin' on leaving him with a nice big black eye. He deserves it, the way he treats people - not just Clark but that girl, Jenny, and I'm betting the rest of the women in the office."

[stands_for_hope]

"Here here," and she raised her bottle before taking a long pull from it.

"Now, unfortunately," she said with a breath out, "I need to get back to the office since I probably have to cover for Clark a bit."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'll walk with you," he offered, popping a rangoon into his mouth. "Who knows, I might get to punch Lombard while I'm there."

[stands_for_hope]

She smiled at that and stood up, gathering her containers into a baggie to bring to the garbage.

"Sure you're all done?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Yeah, that was the last of it," he agreed, gathering up his things as well. "I'll probably grab a snack somewhere later this afternoon, but--" But he had plans, and just the thought of his plans made him smile. "Hey, uh. The boardwalk. Does it have any good places to eat?"

[stands_for_hope]

She grinned as she hooked her arm around his.

"Oh, I can tell you a few different places. What're you lookin for?"

[kolodnoykovki]

It was second nature to tuck her arm close to him - a polite way of telling people to back off. "Someplace for two guys in nice suits to have a good meal together that won't come back up on the ferris wheel. The boardwalk here ain't much compared to Coney Island, but just the thought of it is nice."

[stands_for_hope]

"Ooh, I see," she said, leaning in conspiratorially, "well, if you want to bring him out in a nice suit, you want to bring him down to Pier 95. Trust me on that."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Pier 95," he echoed, nodding. "All right. Gotcha. And I mean, not like... Well, for us, it'd be a normal suit. We wore 'em all the time."

This was harder to explain than he thought.