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]

"Damn straight." But then, swallowing a laugh, he added, "...Or should that be 'damn bi,' now?"

The laugh didn't stay swallowed for long.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Entirely up to you," Steve says, the laughter more than a little infectious.

"You call yourself what you like. As long as it's still me and you."

He started in on the conditioner, sticking mostly to the ends but letting his other hand massage a little at the scalp again since Jim seemed to like that.

[kolodnoykovki]

"It's always gonna be me and you, Steve," he promised. "To the end of the line, right?"

His eyes half-closed with the touch of Steve's hands. That was a feeling he wasn't going to get over easily.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"To the end of the line," came immediately. He leaned in close and took a kiss then, since the conditioner had to sit on for a minute or two anyway.

[kolodnoykovki]

A contented sigh and he returned the kiss. Here, now, he felt safe. Just the two of them, nobody to call names or threats. Nobody to say he's less of a man for who he loves. His arms wound up around Steve's shoulders and he held on, letting himself soak in bliss.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve took his time kissing him before pulling back and gently tipping Jim's head to start washing the conditioner out as well. Jim got a couple of kisses along the jaw while that was taken care of, mostly because he could.

"Feel better?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Mmm. Mmhm," he nodded, smiling contentedly. "I feel amazing. You're... You are damned good at this. But now it's my turn."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

The smile he got in return was pure sunshine.

"Wouldn't dream of stopping you."

[kolodnoykovki]

The sight had Jim smiling in return. "You've always had the best smile." And then he was lathering up a cloth to get started.

His touches were long and smooth, curving lovingly over first his shoulders and then his arms. Every contour was traced, given a gentle soaping before he let the water rinse the suds away so he could bestow a warm kiss.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I'm going on the record to say you're biased," Steve said softly, keeping his eyes closed to soak in the touches, the experience. He was utterly pliant; if Jim needed to move him, he could.

[kolodnoykovki]

With Steve's arms propped on his own shoulders, he started his work on Steve's chest. He'd done this before but it was so very different then. Much narrower, swabbing away sweat and trying to give some kind of ease to all his coughing...

Soap or not, he leaned in for a kiss to Steve's collarbone, loving and grateful at once. He was well. He was healthy. And now, he'd always be. While that made a part of him feel useless, it made more of him so happy. Steve had what he'd always deserved.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve's breath was slow and even and the smile on his face said he was pretty damn content. Absently, he let his fingers twiddle behind Jim's head, keeping his eyes closed. It was kind of a fun game, letting the touches surprise him.

[kolodnoykovki]

The curiosity came out of nowhere as his hands spread the soap generously. An impulse that he couldn't have predicted. But he smiled when it came and he obeyed it without too much thought at all. With his hand at Steve's side, he leaned down to brush his lips over one nipple, eyes lifting to see if that was good or bad.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

That got a swift intake of breath and a tightening of muscles, Steve's mouth opening just wide enough to bite his lip a little. Below, the aforementioned traitorous portion of Steve's anatomy (which had been settling down a little after washing off Jim, went back to attention and Steve's legs shifted apart a little for better balance.

No complaints.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Wow."

The word escaped before his brain caught up.

"You're... Mm, this could be fun." He was so sensitive. Finding the little places to touch to make Steve react... He hadn't intended it, but now he was enjoying the thought.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He opened one eye.

"I'm... pretty sensitive. In general. Especially when I'm, uh... focusing on it," he explained, as he'd had all of his attention on the touches and the strokes and the kisses. He hadn't expected that but he certainly wasn't complaining.

[kolodnoykovki]

"I've just..." Steve knew, but he wanted to put it in words anyway. "I've never been... allowed to do this. Not like this."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He kept his eye open.

"Just... touch me? Or take your time with things like this?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Both. I mean..." He nuzzled at Steve's shoulder. "You know I've been with women. But it never felt like this. I never felt this... curious."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve's lips curled up on one side as one arm bent to let him hold Jim, just a little.

"Little different than what you're used to. And I guess I'm... kinda curious myself."

He opened his eyes to look at Jim again.

"You know. Considering. So we're, uh, we're both learning things."

[kolodnoykovki]

He brushed his nose to Steve's. "I feel free. Like I can explore and be curious and learn how all this works. It's one thing to hear it from the people we used to live beside but this is different."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

His muscles visibly relax at that, at the nuzzle to his nose.

"Good. That's how you should feel."

His smile extends to both sides now.

"You listened to them too? Trying to... to figure things out for if you ever--"

It'd been the most distant of pipe dreams, but never let it be said that Steve ever missed an opportunity to learn something useful.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Ehh..." He shrugged, slightly self-effacing. "I played drunk a few times and listened. Asked questions. I... No offense but some of it, there's no way I'm gonna do, but... I think I can handle more of it than I can't."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"I never even thought about that part too much. What I'd wanna do. I'd just shoot the shit during a game or two of pool, let them drink, pretended I was focused on the game... I was too busy just listenin' to even dream of it actually happening."

He shrugged.

"I figure we do what feels right and leave the rest of it to other folks. From what I understand, long as everyone comes out feelin' good, you did it right."

He leaned his forehead to Jim's.

"So we definitely did it right."

[kolodnoykovki]

He stepped forward, arms around Steve, washcloth going over his back absently. There was still that to take care of, after all. "Do you have any idea how good it feels to know I'm the one who made sure you're not a virgin anymore?"