Happy birthday, old man

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

[ooc: Backdated to July 4th.]

The weird part about having a birthday on a national holiday is that you can never forget that it's happening. No matter where he was in the States, there were parades and fireworks; even in Europe the Howling Commandos always made a big deal of the twin occasions, even if it meant embarrassing Steve.

Especially if it meant embarrassing Steve.

So the weird part about being on the run in Morocco on the Fourth of July is that it's just another day. Steve wakes up in a quiet, mid-grade hotel, gets breakfast at a side-street cafe, and passes some time writing and drawing and watching the city pass by.

(The drawing is Bucky, T'Challa, Shuri, and Sharon -- cartoon versions of them, like T'Challa with panther ears and Sharon as a slinky vixen -- in front of the panther statue in Wakanda's capital.)

When he gets back to his hotel, ready to siesta out of the heat of the day, the door doesn't open to his room.

Milliways. It always makes him smile.

Comments

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

The rat squeaks and scampers off.

"He's going to come back with cupcakes," Steve says. "Bet you."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You never know. He might bring a whole cake."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"That's true, there are two of us. We could polish off a cake between us."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Easily," he agrees. "Doing anything else to celebrate today, besides cake?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve crosses his arms and rests them on the table. "I was spending my birthday in quiet contemplation," he says, somewhat loftily. "Then the Bar brought me here. I think the universe wants me to do something else."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky gives him a dubious look.

"Quiet contemplation? Seriously?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Well..."

He takes out his sketchbook and opens it to his latest sketch so Bucky can see. "And missing my friends."

[nerves_of_ice]

He brushes his fingers very lightly over the edge of the paper, careful not to touch anything that he might smudge or blur.

The corner of his mouth quirks up in amusement as he takes in Sharon's image. "A fox?" Bucky glances up at him. "Ever think of going back to being an artist?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"There's this website where people can post their art and other people can leave comments," Steve says. "I posted there for a little while, but since I used my real name and my style is pretty distinctive, I figured I should stop."

He shrugs. "It's never been more than a hobby."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky eyes him a little carefully - after all, Steve's drawing has been part of his friend's life for almost as long as he's known him - but is interrupted by the arrival of three rats. One is carrying a drinks tray with a beer for Steve and a cut-crystal glass of Scotch for him, and the other two are balancing a cake made out of cupcakes in red velvet, vanilla, and what he thinks might be blueberry-yellow cake, all with chocolate icing.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve covers his mouth to hide his smile.

"That looks great, guys," he tells the rats.

[nerves_of_ice]

One of them squeaks imperiously at them, and Bucky leans down to take their drinks one at a time, leaving Steve to claim the cake.

"Thanks for that," he says, laughing a little.

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve takes the cake and places it on the table. "Yeah, thank you," he says to the rats.

"I'm just glad there are no sparklers this time." He takes a cupcake and peels off the wrapper.

[nerves_of_ice]

"Quiet, you'll tempt fate," Bucky scolds him. "Anyone planning any surprises for you, you think?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve huffs. "Doubtful. I'm on my own at the moment. Anyway, nowadays surprises are usually less than pleasant."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Then I'm glad you have this one, anyway," Bucky tells him, and touches the edge of his glass to Steve's.

"I hadn't ever expected to see you around here again," he observes. "Given - well. You said the door took you by surprise. Is that a good thing?"

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve tips his glass toward Bucky. "Thanks, Buck.

"It's a good surprise. It's nice to have a place where I don't have to look over my shoulder all the time."

He smiles wryly at Bucky. "And if I run into friends, so much the better."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I hear you there," he says. "On both counts."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Have you been coming here all this time?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Off and on," Bucky says, with a small shrug. "You know how weird time gets here."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

"Yeah," Steve says wryly. "I do."

He hesitates, worrying the cupcake wrapper, then says, "Have you seen Orpheus at all?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"No," he says, quietly. "I haven't. Not since you stopped coming around, before."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

Steve sighs and murmurs, "That's probably for the best."

[nerves_of_ice]

It sure as hell is, he thinks, but out of respect, all he says is, "You're a good man, Steve."

[thekidfrombrooklyn]

“What makes you say that?” Steve says, still wry. “Because I’m curious about the fella I almost married?”

He sips his beer, and adds, “To be honest, I pretty much just miss him when the nights are long.”