open post (steve rogers)

[assembles]

steve rogers / captain america open post.

※ looking for a thread with an all-american super soldier?
※ respond with any character, canonmate or otherwise, and a prompt.
※ open to any format (prose, brackets, commentspam).
※ open to any canonpoint (within marvel cinematic universe).
※ if you don't have any prompt ideas, feel free to throw the ball into my court!
※ you can always refer to the random scenario meme for inspiration.

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[assembles]

[ It's been a long, long time since Steve's life has been anything approaching normal, and so he finds that he doesn't miss it as much as plenty of his fellow Avengers might. Even if he'd had a fairly uneventful childhood, his physical state back then had still made everything a struggle. Sometimes he does reflect on how those were simpler days, and of course he misses the easy friendship that had existed between him and Bucky, something that never had to be questioned by either of them, but Steve's had plenty of opportunity to accept that he can never return to that time.

Even so, he will take these sorts of moments where he can get them, especially now. A fleeting chance to chat with a friend while making dinner, something so down-to-earth and mundane that he knows it could never last. That doesn't mean he can't enjoy it in the here and now, though.

There's a few little tells that Steve can't help but pick up on, though he can't really hold it against Sam. He can feel the way that Sam's gaze runs over him, up and down, cataloguing everything from how he's holding himself to his posture. It's true that this particular excursion didn't lead to any combat, meaning that Steve's in as decent shape as he can be considering their situation. Given how cagey he can get about how he's feeling, Sam's had to resort to these methods. Steve could apologize for how difficult he can be (at the moment, he's got the self-awareness to do that), but he knows it would only make Sam that much more frustrated at him. So, better to just let that moment pass in silence.

He does smile, if only briefly, as he notes the way that Sam adds more chicken to his pile, tripling the portion because he knows how much Steve can put away. It's been particularly inconvenient in their current situation, when sometimes all they get to eat is vending machine or convenience store food, but tonight will be a treat. When it comes to safehouses, this is one of the nicer ones they've stayed in. Even with all of their worries weighing them down, it would be a waste not to make the most of the little time they have here.

At Sam's question, he scoffs out a laugh and shrugs one shoulder. ] When you're desperate, maybe. [ He's also had way too much train car food, but it all beats the rations he used to have to choke down during the war. He's told Sam and Natasha about that plenty of times already, though.

While Steve isn't thrilled about being benched, and shoots Sam a look at that little tease that makes that abundantly clear, it's not like there's much to be done for it. And Sam's already cheering him up, so better not to dwell. At the mention of sweet tea, his eyebrows lift up with interest and he immediately heads over to the fridge. Sweet tea had been a fairly new concept to him, growing up in New York, but he has to admit that it hits the spot sometimes, despite the sheer sugar level content being a little terrifying.

He grabs the jug and pours them both a generous glass, dropping Sam's off on the counter next to him before settling in at his side again.

After a sip, he remarks, ] You're a regular handyman. Well, I guess the upside of being benched is now I don't have to worry about you dying of boredom. [ He bumps Sam's shoulder with his own. And then, after another sip: ] This is great, by the way.

[falcony]

[ it didn't take long for sam to notice that much - that steve, and natasha for that matter, have very little in the way of normal going for them. for steve, he wonders if it's been decades. if he really has a sense he's trying to reach back for. for nat, well - sam really has no idea. but he knows there is nothing normal about the way she moves between missions and rooms, nothing normal about how she and steve seem to exist on an entirely different plane. something that sam isn't sure is exactly healthy.

and yes, okay, he knows what it's important to buckle down and get to work. but more often than not, they also need to remember they're human. and that there are times between missions and work and keeping their head down and keeping themselves from getting caught that sam has taken it upon himself to remind them what normal is supposed to, kind of, feel like. 'kind of' if only because sam is working with dredges here and he does what he can with what is provided.

steve lets him do his once over, lets him hit his checklist because while he trusts steve and nat with his life and then some, sam doesn't trust either of them - especially steve rogers to be honest with his own wellbeing. and maybe that's sam's own anxieties taking shape, but he appreciates steve letting him have it all the same. and yes, it does appear that there hadn't been any combat, which is immediately relaxing. sam nods, if only to himself, as his attention turns back to the chicken. to the work at hand.

he doesn't see steve's little smile, with his eyes back on the chicken, but he can imagine it. can tell that steve is thankful for the food. they rarely have time for meals, even with all the time they have trying to hide away from the eyes of the world, and sam decides that even if it's just him and steve for tonight, he might as well make what they have. the leftovers will keep for nat, and if they don't, well. maybe she'll pick up a bit more next time. sam does his best under these conditions. ]

See- when you're desperate, it's the only idea. Doesn't make it good. [ he shoots steve a look, the sort of you know i'm right and i'm not giving up ground, here arch of his brow that steve knows well, by now. at sam's teasing, steve shoots him a look that pulls a laugh out of sam, his hands lifting up in a mock-defensiveness. okay, okay, maybe that hit a little close to him. thankfully, sam knew he had the ground to give, considering steve's immediate reaction towards the sweet tea. it pulls a pleased kind of grin out of him (steve's love of sweet tea always tends to) as he finds the closest thing to a skillet he can find and goes about lighting the stovetop.

normal things. easy things. slowing down and relaxing. of course he'd prefer they were all out on a porch somewhere, preferably back home, but he'll take his moments where he can get them. ]

Oh, yeah, because I'm the one who needs to be entertained. [ another tease. they both know that given the time and boredom, sam would find other things to entertain himself with. but the insinuation is that steve is the one who needs to be babysat, which they both know isn't true.at the shoulder bump, though, sam rolls his eyes. ] Of course it is. It's my nana's recipe- everything she made was great. [ except that even he can't hold back the way his smile broadens, and with the chicken on the stove, he reaches for his own glass. takes a sip and turns to lean against the counter right to steve's side. ] But I will give you this- it's a damn good batch.

[ he sits there for a moment in comfortable silence, watching his food, feeling better himself with steve there. he takes another big sip and sets his half-empty glass down on the counter, pushing himself back over to the stove to check on the chicken. ]

Well, if you're here to make sure I don't die of boredom, you got any grand plans for us tonight?

[assembles]

[ It suddenly feels like they're not actually talking about resorting to train snack car food for lack of a better option, but something else entirely. Sam's not exactly subtle with the point that he's trying to make, and Steve's eyebrows lift up almost apologetically in response. Making rash decisions because he's been backed into a corner isn't exactly his fault, but Steve's also the sort of person who will dig his heels in and refuse to give ground, making a situation hit that "desperate" point even if it doesn't have to.

That's how they ended up in this mess.

Sam's ribbing isn't malicious, though, and Steve actually enjoys the way that he'll give him a hard time, never letting him get away with much of anything. It reminds him of a certain someone, whose absence he continues to feel every day, but he isn't going to go there. He's well aware that Sam isn't Bucky's biggest fan.

(Sam had thrown his life away to help Steve keep Bucky safe anyway. Steve will always owe him for that.)

Of course, it doesn't stop there, and Steve can't actually argue the point that if one of them is going to go stir crazy, it will be him first. He's no good at laying low and spinning his wheels like this, but he's had to learn over the past months, and so he won't complain. Better to just focus on what's in front of him.

Which is Sam singing his nana's praises. Steve's expression lightens at that. Sam always gets this look on his face when he talks about his family, a fondness that he can't contain and that crinkles the edges of his mouth and eyes. Steve appreciates when Sam's family comes up in conversation, if only for that reason. ]

Is the chicken recipe hers too? [ He nods toward the skillet, where the breasts are cooking steadily. ] If so, I'll prepare for it to knock my socks off.

[ Seasonings — how did he ever live without them?

As for plans, he hadn't really had anything in mind, but now it feels like it's up to him to come up with something. He glances to the opposite wall, brow knitting in concentration as he has another sip of the tea. ]

As remote as it is out here, we probably don't want to risk spending much time outside. [ Which is a shame. It narrows their options considerably. ] We could... I dunno, play a game. [ He shrugs, not sure that it's much of an idea. ] That's usually what we'd resort to when there was downtime on the front.

[falcony]

[ maybe they aren't talking about the food anymore. maybe sam is making a point about much larger matters, about choices that have led them all to this point. it's not a critique, necessarily, and it's not even a rib. not in the way that sam has become used to giving steve shit every now and then. if anything, the comment is a simple correction - a reminder, because he finds it's important to remind every now and then - that he sees. he knows. and he's not going to stray away from pointing it out. whether it's about food, or something else.

sam made the choice to be here. to follow steve here, and wherever else it is they want to go. but he's not only a soldier, and he's not only steve's shadow. he thinks of them as friends, first, and friends will call out even the small things - like how if sam sees steve go another day eating only train station vending machine crap for a meal, super soldier metabolism or no, he might just scream.

( maybe sam is getting a little stir crazy.

and he sees it too - the way steve catches sam's expressions, when he brings up home. his family. the people that matter to him. at first, sam had been worried that it struck a nerve for him. that he was bringing up open wounds, making steve wishful for a life he didn't have. but he soon learned, or at least believe he's learned, that isn't the case. that maybe steve likes hearing about these people he hasn't met, and some he never will. so sam doesn't hold back, offering up information, stories, comments about family members like steve might one day know them too. ]

Oh no, chicken's my Titi's. Nana was more of a fried chicken queen, but I didn't have the stuff here to make it. I swear- next city we chill in, I'm forcing a grocery store run. I just need five minutes in one, that's it. And don't offer to go- last time I gave you and Nat a list, half of what I needed was wrong or just missing, and I know y'all ran into trouble, but still. I'm not completely useless here.

{ he says next time with the kind of familiarity of someone who knows that this process - them on the run, with countless eyes aiming for the targets on their backs, isn't ending any time soon. there is nothing dark, or sad, or worried about it. the fact of the matter is, sam knows this will be their lives for the foreseeable future. sam is just ready to make the most of it.

which also means making the most of quiet nights like this, where this tiny kitchen is starting to smell like a home, and he and steve are chatting about plans for the evening. if sam lets his guard down at all, he could almost imagine this exact scene in his apartment back in dc. except with maybe a few more options for how to spend their time.

he nods in agreement about not spending too much time outside, though sam would have done just about anything to simply go on a walk today. but he knows why, so he doesn't focus on it. instead, when he's done fussing with the stove, he turns back to steve with a small grin. ]

Play a game? And what kind of games did you and the boys play back in your day? Because I'm killer at Go Fish. [ he laughs a little rubbing at his chin as he thinks a bit himself. ] The guys and I had video games when we were stationed, but that's not helpful here. I know there's a deck of cards somewhere... [ his eyes scan the room, as if there might be an answer somewhere on the counter space, and his eyes fall upon the phone, still playing music. he considers it, for a moment, before thinking oh what the hell. ]

Or- we could dance.

[ worth a shot, right? ]

[assembles]

[ What are friends for if not to call each other out and tell it how it is when it's necessary? Steve's never been one to surround himself with people who just want to agree with everything he says. If a friend doesn't challenge him, then chances are that they weren't really a friend to begin with. Even among the Avengers, it's hard to think of anyone among that group who hasn't stood up to his decisions at one point or another, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

But on top of that, Sam's also stayed with him through thick and thin, landing them in the French countryside of all places. Which isn't the worst place to be, to be sure, but that's not considering all of the other less savory places they've had to hole up while on the run.

The thing that had stood out about Sam from the beginning was that even from their very first interaction on their jogging route in DC, he'd felt like someone Steve could be friends with. That instant click is something that Steve hasn't experienced much since waking up in the future, and it's why when all of SHIELD was after him, Sam was somehow the person he thought to go to despite them having only just recently met.

All of that feels like so long ago now, but Steve's pulled back out of his thoughts when Sam starts discussing fried chicken. He will admit, he's been eager to try it, and so he isn't going to argue with Sam's promise to get the necessary ingredients for it when the opportunity presents itself. Steve huffs out a laugh from his nose when Sam takes a shot at his shopping skills — or lack thereof. ]

Look, Nat's the one you need to fight when it comes to that kind of stuff. But yeah, I think ducking into a store for five minutes will probably be okay. And worth it, if everything you've said about this fried chicken is true.

[ When it comes to who's most likely to get recognized, Steve obviously tops the list. Sam's a bit more capable of blending in.

As their conversation shifts to what the night ahead might entail, Steve can't help the brief laugh that spills out. Go Fish of all things, huh? ] Usually it was poker, but... [ There's not any easy way to play that with two people, as far as he's aware, but they could probably figure out some other card games that would work. Yeah, even Go Fish, if Sam is serious about that. Video games remain largely a mystery to him, even though he's had multiple people now tell him that he needs to be introduced to them, and so that leaves...

Wait, what? ]

Dance? [ Steve's gaze follows Sam over to the source of the music. He can't actually tell if this is a joke or not. Sam didn't say it in a teasing tone.

Of course, dancing only makes him think of one thing, or rather one person, and that's Peggy Carter. It's been so long since they made that promise, and while that might seem like an obvious thing to say, Steve isn't thinking in total years but in the amount of time since he's been awake. It feels long ago even for him now, and while that wound will never quite heal up, he knows that Peggy's gone now and whatever they'd both been waiting for, it's never going to come.

After a long pause, he heaves out a sigh. He hadn't meant to keep Sam waiting, but that distant look he'd had on his face probably spoke volumes. ]

You know, I never really learned how. Not sure you want me stepping on your feet.

[ He still isn't making eye contact, choosing to watch the cooking chicken in the pan instead. ]

[falcony]

[ to call each other out, to say the things he should probably be thinking. since the beginning sam has always offered steve his thoughts, his ideas on strategy, his opinion on next steps. and whether or not they followed them, there had always been the feeling that steve listened. that steve took it into account. it was a kind of trust and respect that sam caught onto, that he likes returning, and maybe that's just one more reason why all this works. steve surrounds himself with people who will call him out, who will speak their mind, and he's not afraid to hear it. that's the kind of person sam wants to follow, and it's the kind he's willing to, for as long as it takes.

the snort from steve has sam smirking, just a bit, to himself. he does have a point. ] And don't think I won't fight her, too. The chicken is absolutely worth it, and I'm telling her you agree with me. [ which might be a stretch, but hey, sam has been given very little out here when it comes to the day to day, so he's starting to hyperfocus. which. might not be the best idea. but it's better than going completely crazy, right?

steve laughs, makes some comment about poker, and sam is already shaking his head and making a face, even before the words are fully out of him. ] Nope, absolutely not. Poker is outlawed after Nat kicked both of our asses last time. No more poker in the safe houses. I refuse to lose that badly ever again. [ sam is quite adamant in his reaction, which could probably be seen as a little overboard or dramatic, but if steve remembers the last poker night they tried too have, it would make sense. or at least makes sense to sam - natasha was absolutely cheating last time, and until he can prove how, he refuses. nope. no more.

which is why he goes out on a limb, speaks his mind even if it isn't an obvious choice on something to do with a free evening. sam offers it, but as he turns to see steve, part of him regrets bringing it up. the look in his eyes is distance, heavy and complicated, and immediately sam knows he's stepped...well. not on a land mine, necessarily, but out on the ice. it's the same look steve had at peggy carter's funeral, which is part of the reason sam can put two and two together. dancing. he missed a dance. god, there's a sudden feeling of guilt under all of this, and all the while sam tries to parse out if this is a 'apologize and change the subject' type of situation, or a 'push a little further'.

so sam takes something of a middle road, shrugging once, even if steve can't quite see it. ]

It was just a suggestion, but I'm a great teacher. If you did want to learn.

[ if steve does look back over to sam, then, it will be to a small smile. encouraging, in a way, for steve to talk if he wants to talk, but without pushing the matter too firmly. he doesn't even know where to begin when it comes to trying to understand what steve has gone through, or is going through, at any given moment. but if the last couple of years have taught sam anything, it generally helps to just be there. to not make it weird. and to keep the conversation going, if it's not the right time.

so if steve doesn't look like he wants to, or if the quiet does go on for a little too long, sam will gesture for them to head out to the living room. suggest that they check the cabinets to see if there might be any board games lying around. ]

[assembles]

[ The last thing that Steve wants it to be used as a bargaining chip in some fight over chicken, and yet he doesn't protest when Sam makes such a bold claim. Surely Natasha will relent just this once, understanding that they need something to focus on here and there, something to keep them going — even if it's as simple as sneaking through a grocery store to get some ingredients for fried chicken. Sometimes that's enough.

Either way, Steve will cross that bridge when they come to it, which will only be when Natasha comes back. That might not be for a few more days, depending on how deep the rabbit hole goes when it comes to hunting down Wanda.

Speaking of Nat, that adamant refusal of poker may be a little over-the-top, but it's also valid. Steve's had his fair share of difficult poker opponents, and yet Natasha was on a whole other level, to the point that it went past the point of being fun in some cases. Well, she had fun with it, but she also understood by now that poker was basically a can of worms among their little group.

Thankfully, there were other options. Like... dancing.

Steve's torn, in all honesty. This may be an old wound, but it's one that's easily reopened, as he's just learned. Sam had no way of knowing that this was a sore spot that shouldn't be prodded at, but Steve also wonders if it's fair to let something as innocent as an offer to dance compromise him like this. The fact is that Peggy would call him ridiculous for this reaction. More than that, she'd probably want him to learn; she'd want someone else to take up that mantle in her absence. (Wouldn't she?)

Naturally, Sam does pick up on his hesitance and continues to extend that olive branch while also offering Steve an out. That level of consideration is something that Sam's always managed with ease, and yet Steve appreciates each instance of it. As much as he doesn't like being treated like he's fragile, Sam somehow is able to respect his boundaries without making him feel as if he's coddled. ]

Well, now I have to ask where you learned. [ Steve's eyebrow lifts up as he quirks a small smile. ] And what kind of dancing are we talking, here?

[ It's hard to imagine they'll be waltzing or anything quite so formal. That sort of thing is part of bygone era save for extremely special occasions. Steve hasn't quite agreed to the offer yet, but he is showing an interest in the subject, so that's likely a step in the right direction. ]

Either way, we should eat before we do anything else, right?

[ He's an awful cook, but he has to imagine this chicken is almost done. He nods toward the stove, wondering if Sam may have gotten distracted for a moment. ]

[falcony]

[ and why wouldn’t he want to be that bargaining chip? sam knows of nothing that could be more honorable, nothing that could be more worthy, than getting his nana’s fried chicken to the table. it would depend, probably, on where it was they decided to run off to - would depend on the grocery store, the supplies on hand - but sam is good at adapting. good at making the most of their situation. good at keeping going. and that is what he’ll do.

natasha was out for the night, probably the next couple of nights, so sam knows the poker conversation has reached its end - but it doesn’t stop sam’s mind from wandering to her. to wanda. to their little family, their little team. he worries, because he can’t not worry, but he knows that steve rogers carries enough concern in that stupid blond head for all of them, so sam doesn’t focus. chooses, instead, to make jokes. to try for ease. to crack into comments and places and lives that none of them want to talk about - not really - so sam goes out of his way to say it first. to talk. to fill the space.

it leads him into complicated territory - because sometimes diving off rooftops brings you to the ground faster than planned - but sam’s good at this. can keep this going. knows, even if they reach an impasse, he can work them all out of it.

and where it concerns steve rogers - god, where does sam even start, if not as a friend? concerned for him, first, without shying away from the fact he was just a soldier, once, even if he’s captain america, now. so sam waits, sam offers both the place to test this unsteady ground, but a path away from it too. because steve rogers is more than just cap, and even if that more is littered with discomforts, it is worth returning to. so when steve offers a half-step in that direction, sam warms to it. smiles. shrugs, easily, like there’s nothing complicated about this at all. ]

Nana herself, actually. Then Mama, then my sister. You didn’t really get the option to pass when a Wilson woman wanted to dance. [ there is half a moment of memories, there. of family reunions, of weddings, of funerals. graduations and memorial day barbecues and everything in between. sam isn’t even taken by the list of them because they are as much a part of him as breathing.

he laughs, though, when steve asks what kind of dancing. soft and simple. ] Depends on the music. Swing, two step, could just be dancing for dancing’s sake. It didn’t always need a name, back home. Why- looking for something in particular?

[ and that was sam pushing boundaries, sam edging back into that potentially tense territory. if steve wanted to talk about it, this would be the last time sam would push. if he didn’t, well, it would be easy to adjust from here - like a flight path, like wings in the wind.

then it was steve’s turn to catch him mid- thought, sam’s eyes going a bit wide as he turns back to the stove. ] Shit-

[ the next few moments are filled with a flurry of movement, of sam back to the stove, to the chicken that was a little crispy, now, but not inedible. sam talks through most of it - comments about how the women in his life would have his hide, how steve can never tell sarah about this, how the chicken should be fine as long as they get some of this sauce out-

and, with a few of those minutes passed by, there are plates. of chicken, of veggies, maybe even some rice. sam did what he could with the meal, and what he could isn’t actually all that bad. and once it’s plated, once steve’s got his own dinner set, sam will stand with his hands on his hips. ]

Well? Try it, I wanna know.

[assembles]

[ It's true that Natasha and Wanda are never far from Steve's thoughts and he'll continue to worry about them until he hears some kind of word, but he also knows that he needs to be patient. Natasha has done her best to instill that trait in him despite the fact that it's not his nature. He isn't the sort of person who can just sit around on his hands when he could be doing something. But this is her world, not his, and so Steve has done his best to wait when she tells him to, when she insists she's got things under control.

He trusts her. It's as simple as that. Just like he trusts Sam to be there for him in this excruciating waiting period, even if that means that they're making a meal together (well, Steve's mainly just supervising) and talking about poker and dancing and whatever else might come to mind.

There's still this sense of guilt, this imperative that he should be doing more, but Steve manages to bury it down and focus on Sam, on the here and now. And of course, Steve also wants to make sure that Sam stays steady through all of this too. He'll put on a strong face just like the rest of them, but living like this isn't easy (their current safehouse aside) and Steve feels responsible for making sure that every member of their little band of fugitives is okay, in the end.

So Sam learned how to dance from the women of his family. He should have guessed, as it seems like that's where so much of Sam Wilson came about, built up brick by brick by this long legacy. Steve's own family had just been his mother and Bucky, pretty much, and he wonders what it would have been like to have a huge family like Sam, to always be surrounded by that sort of love and support. It really does explain how Sam is the way that he is — rock solid, an anchor, and so full of consideration and love for others.

If anyone was going to teach him to dance, why not Sam Wilson?

Of course, then it becomes clear that Sam had forgotten the food and so Steve isn't given any opportunity to answer that question as he rushes over after him, doing his best to provide any help that he can in salvaging the meal. He gets the plates ready, at least, and scrubs out the dishes as soon as Sam's done with them just to make sure that no lasting damage is done to any of the pans. Nothing has burned, there's no actual disaster and Steve can only assume that Sam is being overly hard on himself, but he is glad he said something when he did.

They then find themselves seated at the kitchen table, steaming plates of home-cooked comfort food laid out in front of them. Just from the smell, Steve can tell this is going to be amazing, though it's hard not to feel like he's on the spot with Sam waiting for his verdict. He makes sure to grab a generous forkful with chicken, veggies, and rice so he can enjoy it all in one bite.

And then, after chewing it all thoroughly and swallowing it down: ] I'm not sure why you even have to ask. It's delicious, Sam, just like everything else you cook. [ Maybe Steve isn't the hardest person to please considering the sort of food he'd eaten growing up, but he is being entirely genuine with his words. The fact that he immediately goes in for another bite is probably another indicator of how he likes it. ]