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]

He looked up at Jim.

"You wily sonnuva gun. And you wondered why the girls thought I was distracted."

[kolodnoykovki]

"It's hard to push you toward a girl while wishin' I could have you for myself," he answered, leaning up to press a light kiss to Steve's lips.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Not that it mattered. Why go out for burgers when you go home with filet mignon?"

He let his eyes slip closed, the soft blond lashes fluttering.

"You have no idea what that smile of yours does to my insides."

[kolodnoykovki]

"If it's anything like what you do to me... God, you're the artist and you're so fucking beautiful." His fingers slid up through Steve's hair. "Always have been. Always. Ivory and rose and gold and sapphire and I could never stand art museums 'cause all of it was just trying to measure up to you and fell so far short."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"You coulda been a poet with that kinda talk," he said, not opening his eyes. He could talk about happiness all the live long day, but Jim also gave him something just as rare for him: peace. The roiling monster in his gut that demanded he go out, do things, fix everything he knows needs fixing... Jim's the only one who made it quiet.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Y'know one thing I really like?" he asked in a murmur, hands sliding down until they came to his waist. "I can still almost stretch my hands all the way around you."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He shivered at the tone, just a little.

"Still skinny. They just piled some muscles on top."

[kolodnoykovki]

He laughed warmly, fingers sneaking just under his T-shirt. "Your hands are the same," he said. "Your hair's almost the same. But your eyes are definitely the same. Looked into 'em often enough to know."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"What's different about my hair?" He asked, looking up. Other than the warm hand under his shirt (a lovely addition as far as he was concerned), the two of them curled up like this was about as old a habit as anything he could remember.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Well... It's still soft," he murmured. "Still gold. But you've cut it too damn short for me to play with it right." Mischief gleamed in his eyes.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"It's growing out. Just doesn't go as quick as the beard," he said with a little shrug. "And I swear it gets lighter when it's longer. The sun just bleaches me."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Always did."

He leaned down, brushing another kiss to Steve's lips - they were perfect lips for it. "Mm, I'm just glad your beard's getting softer. It was a little hard to explain the whisker-burn to some of the guys at the site."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I almost shaved it off," he admitted, "though..."

He blushed.

"I kind of liked seeing a little something that showed we'd, um, you know. Just a little. And it healed quick enough."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Oh yeah, it healed fine, but now and then, they'd ask. I passed it off as razor burn." He grinned. "Makes me wish love bites didn't heal as fast, a little..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"If it did, I'd be marked up every day. Irish skin of mine. Shows everything."

He smiled up at him.

"I swear you like making me blush to my ears."

[kolodnoykovki]

Shameless, Jim nodded, looking into his eyes without hesitation. "Damn straight I do. I've always liked it when you blush."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

And under the weight of that look, he turned pink to the ear tips before he started laughing.

"Well, you're damned good at it, ya jerk."

[kolodnoykovki]

He grinned slowly, leaning down to nip one of those ear tips, lips closing over it for just a second. "I learn fast. Sometimes."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

And the sound he made at that was entirely inappropriate to any other place than exactly where they were, his stomach flexing at the sensation.

"Damn, Jim..."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I noticed how you reacted to that in the car." He spoke low and soft, lips never moving far from where he'd kissed. "I wanted to see you do it again."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

His breathing was ragged and his pupils were dilated, his eyes opened wide for a moment as he looked over at Jim.

"It feels really good," he informed him, his voice far away and soft.

[kolodnoykovki]

"I can tell." He drew a little line along the small of Steve's back with his fingertips before leaning down to do it again - to kiss, to trace the curve of Steve's ear with his tongue. A light, wet touch. He knew just what he was doing.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Utterly unraveling the stuff of one Steve Rogers, that's what he was doing. His eyes rolled back, his muscles fought to simultaneously melt and tighten, and his hand pulled in to make a fist of the blanket as the other one waved awkwardly in the air.

"Jim..."

He already sounded wrecked.

[kolodnoykovki]

He smiled against Steve's ear and breathed, "I love you. And I love how you sound right now."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"That's good," he said, sounding almost dazed, "because--"

And there was some kind of reasoning there, but then Jim had breathed out and the breath hit his skin and he was too busy making a noise and keeping himself from entirely flying apart to continue thinking it.