driftfleet | ( open ) may-mingling for those struck by stars

( 001; general )

[ may brings with it the understanding that a year has come and gone since he first arrived on the fleet. after being glitched during the last weeks of april and while he has no physical need for it, he starts on a routine once again, returning from jogs on the planet just to hit the treadmill. it's not that he had managed to forget any of that, it's not that his body needs to get used to strength again.

but it does give him some peace of mind.

so steve could be found either starting or returning from a work-out session. the arrival of the invitations and the information which preceded them makes him even more on edge. it's been a while since they've had a mission, after all. still, this comes with so little intel that he can't help spending precious time at the weaponry, making sure all the pistols are clean and working.

at all other times, he could be found in the kitchen, bent over either a book or a doodle of the asteroid's landscape. ]

( 002; wildcard;)

[ visitors + anything else goes here. ]

[ mid-afternoon, and peggy's in a rare moment of repose. although she, too, has been put on alert due to the invitation, she wears it well. and today sees her cradling a mug of tea (what else?) while leaning by the shuttle bay doors. you see, gentle readers, she knows when steve takes his treadmill sessions.

and she's not shy about playing the spectator.

indeed, despite the ball on the horizon and a conked-out jarvis in a coma, peggy's been in unusually decent spirits. perhaps her birthday actually cheered her up this year. or, maybe, she's not yet been able to shake the afterglow from about mid-april, last month. so she watches him from across the room, eyes up and just above the rim of her teacup. ]

Don't you ever sweat? [ she launches a salvo of colour commentary from the sidelines. ] It's not fair.

[ and maybe, just maybe, her attention drifts to his shoulders. broad, again, and notably unbruised. ]

Edited 2017-05-09 19:26 (UTC)

[ it's not that needs to get back in shape. he never needed it the first time, either. he embraced his new-found strength and took it on an immediate test-run, seeing the situation was nothing short of dire.

but it's the mission coupled with the weeks of being his old self again that leaves a mental need to make sure everything is as it used to be.

so far, so good.

unlike the punching bags in the gym aboard the iskaulit, the treadmill was meant for human use, rather than for those with enhanced speed. so even on the most demanding of settings, he makes the whole thing look like a lazy jog. ]

Not from this.

[ he grins at her, seemingly just fine with this manner of multitasking. ]

Maybe if we got an upgraded one.

Don't you dare. [ but her protest isn't so vehement that she so much as abandons the way she leans against the wall. indifferent, almost, except in how her gaze stays sharp and pinned to him. ] Muck with what's here, and I might find myself left in the dust of a gym that's outpaced me. I get that enough from you, thank you very much.

[ not that she's complaining. but she'd just enjoyed two weeks of being able to best him just about every physical way. adjusting, afterward, hasn't been easy. but it has been fun. ]

Don't think I can ever outpace you.

[ not in any way that really counts. it's still not his favorite pastime, running inside rather than enjoying an early morning sun and fresh air but it serves a purpose.

he's very much aware that she's looking at him. it's been years since they've been in this sort of scene and back then, he was the last of the group when it came to running, not the first. ]

Not really, anyway.

If it's all the same to you, I still won't be challenging you to a footrace. [ a playful grimace, if such a thing ever existed. ] I know how to pick my challenges, and that won't be one of them.

I think I can live with that.

[ it's not a challenging exercise but the conversation does make it that much more enjoyable. ]

Done for the day?

[ with work and duties and preparation for whatever it is the ball would bring with it. there's something else ( thankfully, much more pleasant ) to address, after all. ]

Just about. [ she takes a sip. peggy knows this next part is going to be a hard sell, so she needs to scrounge up what charm she has remaining to her. direct her energies into convincing him of her plan. ] All that's left to accomplish, I'm afraid, requires your help. If you'll give it.

[ she allows herself to sound as though she's pleading -- hoping, wanting, wishing. a dangerous trap. she toys with what she knows will be his most gallant desire to see the mission through. ]

[ oh no.

he frowns at her, apparently buying none of it. one cannot go a full year in a loving relationship with someone without feeling when they're being played, softened. If she's here charming him with requests for help, it's not going to be something he'll like. ]

What is it?

[ suspicious already. ]

[ she goes in with the soft lob: ] I need your opinion on a dress for this weekend. I'm down to two options -- but I find myself at an impasse. Can't decide. Fresh eyes might help.

[ surely he won't refuse the most simple task of sitting back and letting her model an outfit or two. and then, once that door's been wedged open, she'll hit him with the lion's share of her demands. ]

[ there are a few things steve learned after becoming captain america. feeling he is walking into a trap is one of them. of course, knowing is one thing and avoiding it is another. something's going on, and on the day of their anniversary, he sees her trap and walks in to it anyway. ]

I don't mind. But you know, I think you look swell in just about everything. Dunno if I'm the opinion you should really be counting on.

[ he likes her in just about every which style, in and out of clothes, after all. ]

[ now, just now, she approaches the treadmill. cup in hand, but still keeping a reasonable distance between herself and the machine. ]

There's swell and then there's party-appropriate. I trust you recall the difference.

[ maybe she's putting too much faith in him. who knows. either way, she suspects today will be entertaining.

for her, at least. ]

Never attended that many parties.

[ and those avengers and co parties in stark tower never demanded any form of formal wear. more importantly, he can't really see where she's going with this yet, but he jumps off the treadmill anyway, shutting it down and reaching for a towel. ]

Alright. I'll give it a shot.

Wonderful. Excellent. [ she leans her shoulder against the treadmill's front bar, not even bothering to hide a glimmer of victory behind her brown eyes. but she's not a heartless woman, and so: ] I'll need a spare hand to help with the zippers, regardless.

[ he's staring at her, opening and closing his mouth for a moment. absolutely a trap, she wants something and she's luring him, offering little gifts in the shape of a zipper lowered and by his own hand, too.

there's a catch but whatever it is, he doesn't really care at the moment. clearing his throat and nodding. ]

You got it.

Good.

[ -- oh, she's far too pleased with herself. quite aside from her goal for the afternoon, peggy takes a distinct pleasure in watching him worm his way around the realization. he may be taller than her once again, and barrels stronger, but peggy will so rarely cede her carefully cultivated upper-hand. moments like this one prove it time and time again.

she reaches out, catching him by his wrist. then leans in to catch a kiss on his cheek -- warm, a bit damp, but hardly sweaty. ]

Happy anniversary, darling.

[ and just like that, he's utterly gone for her. A happy state of mind in which he'd give her just about anything. Her lips press to his cheek and steve nearly gathers her up in his arms for a proper one before he remembers where they are. He leans in, his kiss falls just shy of her earlobe. ]

Happy anniversary, Peggy.

[ quite apart from her bit of mischief, she's got nothing planned. they'd had nearly a month of miniature celebrations as they ticked items off steve's list; surely, a day just to themselves is grandiose enough. or so she hopes. her fingers curl a moment against his arm, but the exchange of kisses is done almost as quickly as it begins.

truthfully, simply saying the words feels like fuss enough. it's been a long hard road to acknowledging it so easily and so warmly. ]

See? [ oh she can't help herself. ] We don't need any big dramatic announcements. The day'll perfect as is. You have my word.

Should I call off the skywriting, then?

[ it's a necessary joke, cliche as it might be. Still, there's a scheme here that he hasn't figured out yet. He doesn't let himself forget that. ]

Alright. Let's see those dresses. I'm still not sure I can help.

Don't you so much as joke about it, Steve Rogers. [ she claps back with a clear and present ferocity. if she doesn't snag on these awful ideas of his early on, they're bound to take root. ] Not unless It's the No. 32 Squadron. Saw them over Wembley when I was little girl -- they were in Sopwith Snipes, and I'll never forget it.

[ -- with that tall order made, she collects her mug and heads for the doorway. ]

A pity Sam isn't here, I bet he could have done a good job with it.

[ he's laughing as takes his place to her left. That's one hell of a mental image. ]

Could have called him and asked for a favor.

Not that I care to entertain this madness much further, [ she disclaims while they prowl the halls together, ] but what would you have had the poor man write?

[ -- be still her loving and curious heart. ]

Nothing much.

[ but his smile says otherwise. There would have been a thousand and one things to consider. but she is not wrong, they are all much more personal when he whispers them in her ear, ducking, leaning towards her as if to tell her a secret mid-walk. ]

Maybe I would just wish my best girl a happy Tuesday.

[ oh, heaven help peggy keep her stride straight and her balance impeccable. always a challenge when he dares to get close and ply a whisper near her ear. she glances to her left, eyeing him with equal parts warmth and dismay. ]

I suppose that's not so bad. [ so long as it remains hypothetical. ]

See? Maybe I can still surprise you.

[ sometimes honest simplicity is the way to go. With peggy, it seems to work just fine. Not enough to disarm her, to undo her careful posture her tone, but just enough for her to look at him just so. ]

You know they're probably all going to wear dresses with skulls on them.

[ he warns her as they near the room. What. It's a rock concert. ]

( open ) may-mingling for those struck by stars

( steve rogers ✮ ota )

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