ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

[mucked]

Who: Crew of the Starstruck
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Y, aboard the ship
When: All month

[ welcome to february. y'all know the drill. ]

Comments

[uprightness]

Even if it does.

[ and it does, indeed. He takes one step forward; eliminates some of the distance between them. ]

Sometimes you gotta obey the protocol.

[mucked]

Never had much respect for protocol. [ her steps slow, however, until she stops walking altogether. she invites his nearness -- despite her earlier 'warning' about saving it for the tent. ] Nor have you, really. Historically speaking.

[uprightness]

That's right.

[ here is a woman who helped him go behind enemy lines, defying above two dozen rules on the way. No one would associate either of them with maintaining protocol. Quick and easy, he wraps an arm around her waist, covers a bit more distance. ]

But there are exceptions to that.

[mucked]

[ exceptions to exceptions, hm? peggy thinks she ought to feel awkward -- standing here only a handful of yards from the shuttle with luggage on her back and him sneaking his arm around her. it's nothing like that picture of the navy man coming home and sweeping his sweetheart into a kiss. but then again, she'd never ached for that manner of spectacle. not really. ]

So, [ she squares her shoulders and seems to dare him, ] go ahead and ask.

[uprightness]

Peggy.

[ it feels like there's no one for miles but him and her and yet his voice drops, lowers, creating a sense of intimacy that such a request merits. He leans in until their foreheads touch, almost as if he aims to whisper it in her ear. ]

Will you be my Valentine?

[mucked]

[ so bloody sentimental. peggy's mouth pinches into a hard line -- if only to keep herself from grinning. if she doesn't at least try to maintain her cynicism, then she fears they'll both start to float a few inches off the ground. she suspects he's plying her emotions on purpose, hoping to reveal her glitch again.

peg plants the soles of her hiking boots and grabs him (a little too securely) by his forearms. like willing him to stay on the ground. ]

Of course I will, [ she tries to play it off as jaded; exasperated; obvious. ] Not like I've got any better offers queuing up behind you.

[ but there's a glimmer in eye -- an intensity in her stare. she is grateful for this. ]

[uprightness]

[ his huff lasts no longer than a moment and then he sweeps down, presses his lips together, ignoring an earlier warning in favor of stealing a kiss from her. ]

You say the nicest things.

[mucked]

[ -- aha, there's the captain rogers whose insubordination she knows and loves. and for a flicker of a moment, the pair of them do feel...lighter. buoyant, almost, while their lips lock. peggy relishes their kiss for as long as she dares before ending it. worrying they might lose their footing on the soil, she presses a hand against his chest and gently coaxes them apart. ]

And you ask the cleverest questions, [ she answers with equal sarcasm, eager to deflate a bit of her own fine mood. ]

[uprightness]

I know that tone.

[ but the accusation is light. He's becoming rather attached to this glitch of hers. Harmless and the hint of lightness that comes with it is nothing short of sweet. ]

Clever or not ought to be asked.

[mucked]

[ she pauses a moment -- collects her wits once again -- and licks her bottom lip. like chasing the last crumb of sweetness from his kiss. ]

Come, now -- if we keep carrying on like this, we won't make it to the campsite before dark. [ business-like. ]

[uprightness]

Yes ma'am.

[ he looks up at the mountain, the clear sky above it. A smile forms, it's been a while since any of them has seen such sights. ]

There's a trail?

[mucked]

[ once again, he toes the line between back-sass and respect. and, once again, she finds herself smiling with altogether too much ease. peggy retreats another step -- studiously hiding her reluctance to let go of him. ]

There's meant to be. [ she shades her eyes against the mid-day sun and, raising her other hand, points out a narrow desire path running through the underbrush. it leads to somewhere stonier, and then curves into elegant switchbacks as the path climbs. ] Looks like we'll be going single file, soldier.

[ a gentle dig. certainly well-intentioned, and not meant to dredge up too many bad memories. she only wanted to echo him his ma'am. but she didn't want to trot out the captain america name. not now. ]

[uprightness]

Looks like.

[ he agrees, surveying the road in question. It's not a dangerous climb but it's not really a stroll through the woods, either. a rather pleasing balance, that is, a good opportunity to stretch muscles and put them to work somewhere that's not the training room on the Iskaulit. ]

Well, you lead the way.

[ it's not clear if it's the date that does it or the time alone and not on a crowded spaceship - but he's quick to indulge himself one last time before the hike, sweeping down to kiss her cheek. ]

I'm right behind you.

[ easily and comfortably as that. this, apparently, is what today is going to be like. ]

[mucked]

[ those duffel bags do indeed feel a tiny bit lighter. they don't float -- not exactly -- but they feel less and less like they're carrying a full complement of camping supplies. peggy's nose scrunches. belligerent, maybe, but happily so. ]

Had I known you'd take so well to camping, I might have bought a tent weeks ago. [ her voice stays neutral, but there's a spirited bounce in her step when she turns away from him -- cheek still burning from his kiss.

the hike isn't too long. but it takes the better part of the early afternoon -- nothing, really compared to some old army marches or training jogs. peggy resists any suggestion to take breaks. she argues that they can catch their breath when they get to the campsite. ]

[uprightness]

-- I forgot how strict you are.

[ his tone is more appreciative than it is critical, however. as if he quite likes the fact that she turns down his best attempts at making stops to rest. All in all, it's a beautiful way up and a rather decent work out. The air becomes even clearer the higher they go, fresh and cool. ]

You're not going to make me run the home stretch are you?

[mucked]

No, I'll spare you that trial. [ she answers with a winsome grin -- rare, but less rare when in his company. she's mostly motivated not to run the last stretch because she knows she'd never keep up with him. which would only be marginally worse than knowing whether he hung back to keep pace with her. instead, during the last approach, the path widens and allows them to walk side-by-side. hand in hand.

until the reach a rocky buff overlooking a peaceful body of water. ]

[uprightness]

Much obliged -

[ and he's so focused on the curve of her grin and her hand in his that for a second he neglects the view. It's a wild yet calming mixture of greens and blues and he does eventually take a moment or three to simply take it in. ]

I could look at it for hours.

[ and even then, he might not be able to capture it on paper. ]

[mucked]

[ she's chuffed. she's utterly chuffed. it shows in how her smile persists and (especially) in the way her curls become suddenly weightless. long (longer than she wore them in wartime), they now float almost as though they were underwater. she watches him watching the view.

and -- with a therapeutic stretch -- she drops her duffel bag onto the ground. ] I'll admit. It's more picturesque than I expected.

[uprightness]

[ and to think, back at home he thought a man walking on the moon was extraordinary. it all looked so alien and odd. this planet, aside of the locals, is almost familiar. Steve has never traveled for the sake of travel but he imagines some parts of earth look quite like this, beautiful and quiet and filled with a silent sort of grandeur.

it's a rare sort of peace, the kind that seeps just beneath the skin and chases away any tension in its path. ]

This was a good idea.

[ it's a compliment that's likely to be repeated during the day. ]

[mucked]

I know.

[ by some stretch, she manages to sound both cocky and coy in the same breath. peggy hadn't spent too long planning the trip -- rather, inspiration had struck her rather quickly and with force. and so she's left a little in awe of her own idea, especially now that they're up here and witnessing the planet's ring as it stretches and curves before them.

slow and easy, she takes a step ahead of him. but only so she can grab for his arm and pull herself closer. ] Happy 14th of Whenever.

[ there are no februarys in space. ]

[uprightness]

[ beautiful as the planet is, steve gladly shifts his attention away from the view when she moves closer. instinctively, he wraps one arm around her waist, raising the other one to touch her cheek; her proximity is both warm and comforting. ]

Happy 14th, Peggy.

[ he watches her for a moment before relenting, ]

of Whenever.

[ multiple months, years, who even pays attention anymore, really. ]

[mucked]

[ it feels as though they're alone together. further from the audience: a fraction of a way up a mountain, distant to the fleet itself, and surrounded by wilderness. that superficial sense of isolation makes it all the easier to lean on him. to relax. ]

I was thinking maybe I would raise the tent while you found us some firewood. [ though she's clearly in no hurry to break apart. ] While we still have daylight.

[uprightness]

Sounds like a good idea.

[ delegating duties and chores. Teamwork - efficient and natural. They work well together, he and her, always have.

He's rather fascinated, however, by the way tension seems to lifts itself from her when she leans closer. ]

Should be easy enough to find.

[mucked]

There's a small hand-axe. [ she nods back towards their 'luggage' without actually turning around. ] Nothing heavy duty, but I suspect it'll serve.

[ whatever else might be evident, it's clear that she's been looking forward to this opportunity. fortune's favoured them with fine weather and a lovely system. and her augment's dysfunction isn't that much of an obstacle, in the end. ]

We'll only need enough for cooking and for light. The night itself shouldn't be too chilly -- nothing like winter in France.

[uprightness]

[ his sigh is long-suffering, as if breaking this embrace is a terrible, unspeakable toll. Even when he does take a step back, his hands slid down her arms, thumbs resting on her palms as if he is reluctant to break the contact entirely. ]

And some to spare, just in case.

[ there is no helping it, then. ]

I'll be back in a bit.