sameoldsong | OPEN TO ALL (ALL RATINGS)

Steve still thought Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the most ridiculous sounding thing he could think of. He'd seen part of an episode of it before realizing that you definitely had to be a kid to enjoy that sort of thing. Not that it was unpleasant it was just... not for adults.

"She definitely had that exasperated look down," Steve admitted. She rarely gave him a disappointed look, not because he didn't disappoint her but that she was good at hiding it. Always using those times for correction and reflection. "And I think most people find it easier to do good with just a little accountability. Someone to remind them that it's worth doing the right thing. For themselves and for others."

Steve's not wrong, not at all. Sean knows part of the reason why he does the things he does - right down to occasionally doing illegal work - is because there's nobody to really hold him accountable for it. Yes, there's laws and stuff, but that's not the same, especially when Sean knows how much laws don't actually apply to those who have money. If Sean's less-than-legal jobs were to get busted tomorrow, he'd go to jail, but the guys he's working for wouldn't get more than a slap on the wrist. After a while, it gets easy to ignore the little voice in your head saying 'this is wrong, you shouldn't do this'. Especially when rent's coming due, because the landlord sure doesn't care about doing the right thing either.

"Well, you're doing a grand job of bringing accountability back, so cheers to that." And he lifts his beer to Steve in a bit of a toast. "I'll probably always be the sort of man who needs a bit of a kick in the ass to do the right thing, but I will do it, eventually. I just need a little reminding sometimes that taking the high road is worth it, in the end."

There's another of those damn gold commercials on the TV again and Sean glances over at it for a moment before he snorts and looks away. "You know, I've been here four years now and I'm still not used to it all, not by a long shot. I swear, I'll be forty-four and still trying to understand 'em. How many times can you play the same commercial in an hour? Just you watch though, it'll be back by next break, and all your breaks are shorter than ours too. I can't imagine how dizzy it's been for you to get used to things again. I was born in this century, and I feel like I'm always falling a little behind, like I'm in a race where everyone's got running gear on and here I am in my jeans and work boots. Like, so I bought a new phone about a year and a bit ago, and didn't realize half of what it could do until well after I got it. By chance I watched one of those tips and tricks video and realized I could have been having it go quiet at night this whole time, instead of getting woke up at 4am by texts. And wouldn't you know it, that was the key to finally getting a decent sleep. You can't be tempted to check your phone when you don't know you've gotten a message on it."

Which, now he's tempted to glance at his phone, see what he's missed. He ignores the impulse, knowing it'll seem insufferably rude to Steve if he pulls it out, even for a few seconds. "I suppose putting it on silent isn't really something you get to do though, which is a shame. Everyone deserves to shut the phone off and ignore the world for a bit."

"Well, I'm here to give your ass what it needs," Steve said with a grin, happy to motivate his friend to do the right thing. He wasn't naive or ignorant though, he knew just how hard it could be to make ends meet. That was why it was important for people to help each other out, especially in a world that so often seemed stacked against people trying to do the right thing. It wasn't enough just to stop HYDRA or aliens or whoever was attacking, people had to be good to themselves and each other though.

"I think it plays so much because they don't expect people to watch the entire thing. People aren't going to watch from start to finish but so this maximizes the number of people that pay attention because most are going to turn away after a bit," Steve said after a moments thought of staring up at the TV. It wasn't like in his day where if something was on the TV you either watch the whole thing or you missed it unless you were lucky to catch the rare rerun. Today you could watch just about anything over again since everything was recorded.

"And I get time away sometimes. I'm not saving the world right now," he pointed out with a grin as he took a sip of the drink. It wasn't half bad, especially since he couldn't get drunk so he had to just appreciate the flavor all its own. Really, he was here more for the company than anything else. Steve liked Sean, liked how the man rambled and didn't treat Steve like he was some sort of icon but an actual, real person. He didn't get a lot of that.

It's so, so hard not to laugh or go beet red as Steve's phrasing dips straight into wish-fulfillment territory. Sean manages to splutter a little laugh, and to keep it down to a dull flush. God, does he know what he just said? He might, and he might be fucking with Sean. Or he might not too, it's hard to tell. He splits the difference, returning innuendo without being too explicit about it. "T-thanks, I'll take it anytime."

He's got a point about tuning it out. Sean knows he finds it hard to stay focused sometimes, since it's so hard to tell what's actually important, and what's just part of the endless barrage of meaningless information. Sometimes it's easier just to tune out entirely, and hope someone would fill you in on the important things later. It had been a pretty good system so far - he nearly always got what he needed to know about just by listening to other people talk.

"Alright, true, true, and it's good you get breaks. I don't know what it pays, but I expect it's not much if any. I know it's the right thing to do but... it's a lot to ask from handful of people. Still, glad you're doing it. And if by some freak accident I end up with powers of my own, I'll count on you to steer me in the right direction. Maybe get me a costume of my own, though god only knows what I'd dress myself up in." Sean snorts as a mental image comes swirling in. "If Victor wasn't such an ass, I'd get him to design something. He's good with that kind of thing. He's a for real artist you know, got his sculptures in a couple of buildings around town. Victor builds these huge uh- oh! Kinetic sculptures! Like, the ones that move around and uh, y'know, wind makes 'em move or they've got motors and stuff. It's really neat."

To be honest Steve wasn't sure what he was doing. Was he flirting with Sean? He liked spending time with the other man and he had to admit there was attraction there... he was just terrible at making a movie. That had always been Bucky's thing. It wasn't even that Steve was shy, or at least not just that, there always just seemed to be something else that needed his attention or was more urgent. That and he was never sure if the attention was welcome.

"Just because you come into some powers doesn't mean you have to put on a costume. And you don't need powers to save the world. You watch out for others. You don't think it's a big deal, but you do."

So maybe Steve had been paying a lot of attention to Sean. And Sean was good people. The kind of people that didn't think they were necessarily all that good because they thought they were just doing what they were supposed to do.

It's a weird feeling having Steve Rogers look straight at Sean and tell him that he watches out for others, and just... lay it out like that. It's easy to shrug this stuff off normally when it comes from other people. Sean's not a good person. He's lazy. He makes the easy choice, rather than the hard one. He makes a chunk of his money working for people he knows are breaking the law, helping move shipments of stuff he just doesn't ask about. Because he knows if he asked, and he knew was in the crates, he might not be able to look the other way. If he knew was in there - drugs, or guns, or stolen goods - then he'd have to do something. And what can he do? He's just one person...

But when Steve says it-

"Maybe." Sean says, and for once, he's not downplaying. He means it. Maybe he could. Maybe he could watch out for others and do the right thing. It would make life harder than it already is but... maybe. He's pensive for a moment, "I'll try that a little more. I want to do better. And honestly, if I got powers and I didn't use them to help out, I don't know if I could live with myself. Not to be dramatic but... I don't know. If everybody else out there is using them, and I'm the one using my powers to just... I don't know, float fridge beers over to me? Move bigger boxes? That sounds fun for a bit, but it'd eat me up after a bit..."

He makes himself perk up after a moment though, giving Steve a smile. "That's not so bad though. Being a hero has it's perks. I'd get to hang out with you more often. Plus, depending on what I got, I might be able to do some neat tricks. Maybe I could talk to animals? That'd be fun."

"If there were people with powers using them to just help a little in their everyday lives, would you know about it?" Steve asked. Obviously he would hope that everyone, powers or not, would try and make the world a better place but he knew that not everyone could be a soldier or a superhero. Not everyone had to or needed to put on a costume. They all just had to try and make the world a better place and treat people with kindness. Then there wouldn't be a need for soldiers or heroes.

"And talking to animals would be useful. You could do a lot of good with conservation and things like that too. There's more than one way to save the planet," he reminded Sean. Steve wished the news wasn't always so focused on the Avengers and what they were doing. "And you don't have to have super powers to hang out with me more."

"That's true... and I know enough people who do have powers who use them only to ruin everyone else's lives." Sean agrees reluctantly. That's the part nobody likes to think about for too long.

But, he snorts a little at Steve's offer and like that, the easy smile is back. "I hope you realize I'm taking that as invitation to invite you out more. Because I will. I'm not like everyone else who says 'we should have a drink' and then never actually does that. I will text you to meet up again. For, well, more beers if you want, or whatever else you enjoy doing. Personally? I really like getting up on top of buildings and looking out over everything. Or finding all the statues around the city. I had no idea how many there were until I got one of those walking maps. They're absolutely everywhere, just tucked behind all kinds of corners."

"Just make sure to ask a lot. A lot of the time I'm away working or have to leave suddenly," Steve pointed out. It seemed like Sean would understand that but he wanted to make that clear. As much as he liked Sean, and he really liked Sean, he couldn't put the other man above what Steve did. As long as Sean understood Steve would make time for him as much as he could then hopefully they could continue... whatever this was.

"You'll have to show me some of your favorite statues. As for the tops of buildings... have you ever been to the top of Avengers Tower?"

Sean nods. "Oh no problem there. I get it, y'know, you've kind of got the world on your shoulders. So you take care of that, and I'll just pester you when you're not in another country, or there's not aliens coming out of the sky."

He likes Steve a lot. But one of the reasons he likes Steve is that he's a good man - a genuinely good man, not just someone who speaks big but won't be able to go through with what's necessary in the end. And a good person wouldn't choose somebody like Sean over the whole world, just like he knows that Steve Rogers would never choose himself over the world either. Hell, Steve already did pick the world over himself - that's why he's here in the 21st century, and why New York's still a place on the map, and not a radioactive crater.

He grins as the Avengers Tower gets brought up. "Never had the chance. If that's an invitation, I'll take it in a heartbeat. I see it all the time when I'm on the bus, and I looked up if they had the deck open to the public buuuuut... not so much."

"Why don't we go head up there after we finish our drinks then?" Steve asked, smiling at the other man, glad he could do something special for Sean that wasn't just saving the world. Getting up to the top of the tower wasn't something a lot of people got to do and if Sean liked being up there...

Of course, it was the equivalent of asking Sean back to his place after drinks and Steve wasn't sure if Sean would get any ideas. Steve still wasn't sure if he wanted Sean to get any ideas. He knew that he didn't want Sean to not get any ideas... because more and more he was liking the idea of Sean maybe being more than just a good friend.

"Oh absolutely, that sounds fantastic to me." Sean grins right back. He's been wanting to get up there for ages, but he figured that was one of the decks that would stay off limits, just like the other private towers. But, he'll get that view now! "You suppose it's alright if I snap a few pictures of the view from up there? I like sending them to my sister so she can see how big the city is. Eliza's always going on about how she can't imagine living in a place where you don't know everyone's business. I think the best part about the city is that nobody knows the dumb shit I've been up to except for me and whoever got caught up in it."

And he makes sure to drink his beer instead of just letting it sit and get warm, especially now that they've got a destination in mind. Sean's not banking on this being more than just a chance to see the view, but he'll be happy to see where it goes.

"I think that would be fine. It's not like you'd be revealing any security secrets, but I appreciate you asking first," Steve said, impressed by how thoughtful Sean was. Not a lot of people would have asked if it was okay to take a picture and would just have assumed it was okay. Sometimes it still amazed Steve that everyone could so easily take a picture of just about anything. At times it was a little scary to think of.

"And I could never imagine living anywhere but New York, not really. I've been stationed other places but this is always home. Or was... it's definitely changed over the years," he admitted. He wasn't going to be too sorry for himself though, a lot of people in the war had lost their homes in a lot worse circumstances. His had just changed without him.

"Oh sure, sure, seems like the fair thing to do. And I imagine you get enough folks just snapping photos without asking. Jesus, I'm a nobody, and I still catch people taking a photo of me now and then. That's the one thing I don't like about New York, y'know, people don't really seem to care about asking permission before doing stuff." It's the big reason Sean's never asked for a picture with Steve. He feels like if he did that, it would change things and probably kill any chance of them being real friends.

Sean nods and though he can't speak to how New York's changed, he can agree with Steve about not wanting to live anywhere else. "I knew the moment I stepped out of the airport and saw the city. Nothing's ever felt like home the way New York does. The city's just so alive, and so busy, and there's always something to do. Sometimes, I miss how quiet and green home could be sometimes, but y'know? There's parks all over the place, and it's not the same, but it's close enough. I don't know if there's anything like that here for you, but I hope there is. I hope there's some places that feel right still, like old neighborhoods."

"Have you tried being less handsome? People might not take as many pictures of you then," Steve suggested with a smile. Steve wouldn't have any problem with Sean asking for a picture, friends took pictures together all the time. If Sean was going to capitalize on Steve's fame he would have done it by now.

"And I know what you mean. She's a city with a life all her own, like a person. I get how it's not for everyone but some people? Some people it just clicks with and you feel like it's embraced you as much as you embrace it."

Sean snorts, and his face gets a little pink. "Oh, maybe, but like my brother says, God gave me looks because he didn't give me brains. Could be worse though, could be trying to get a snap of me when I'm making an ass of myself at a party. I've seen enough of them go around the internet at lightening speed."

God, you'd think Steve was a poet from how lovely some of things he says are. Sean didn't know much about Captain America other than what he'd read from the wiki and from movies and TV, and he'd known on some level that Steve was the sort of man who was good at giving inspiring speeches, but he never would have guessed he'd be the kind of man who could put feelings into words in this way. It puts a smile on Sean's face. "I like that. I like it a lot. Embracing you as much as you embrace it. If you ever end up retiring from saving the world, you should write stuff. You've got a way with words."

"I think you're selling yourself a bit short in the brains department too," Steve said, smiling and shaking his head. He was an only child but he had Bucky, who was basically a brother, to understand the sort of teasing that went on between siblings.

"Thanks, but I'd prefer to paint. I did a lot of that before the war and really liked it. I wasn't too bad either. And that doesn't require you to become a super soldier either so it's definitely an easier path in some respects."

Sean grins and waffles his hand a little. "Maybe, but I mean, God was pretty generous with the looks."

"Oh yeah, really? I didn't know that." He tries to imagine Steve as a painter. It's funny how it's easier to picture him sitting at a desk with a notebook to write in, than it is to think about him painting on a big easel. "What sorta stuff did you paint? Landscapes, or portraits, or was it more symbolic sorta stuff?"

"That he was," Steve said with a bit of a laugh, taking a sip of his beer in attempt to hide the blush that crept into his cheeks. Sean was very handsome, there was no denying that. And Steve was interested in him for more than just that but there was no denying that aspect to him as well.

"And I liked landscapes and portraits. Which I know is really different but I like painting things that are there," Steve confessed. While he really loved a lot of abstract work that wasn't where his heart was and he'd never been particularly good at it. "There's so much beauty in the world and in people I like the challenge of capturing that."

"There is, isn't there? I'm not an artist and it gets me sometimes, just... staring out at the sun coming up over the harbor. Or seeing a handsome man on the street, and you can feel the whole world stop as he walks on by you. Lovely places, lovely people." Makes sense. Steve seems so practical in a way that reminds him of his grandparents - and hopefully Steve wouldn't mind the comparison if Sean accidentally blurts it out at some point.

For now, he keeps his foot firmly out of his mouth. Steve's cheeks are a little pink and Sean bets it's not from the beer, or how warm this place is. It's an encouragement for Sean to bump a foot up against Steve's under the table and to leave it there, just pressing lightly against him. "After you take me up to see the tower, I've got to take you to the High Line. As friends, or as a date, your choice. You'll love it either way, it's beautiful, and I bet you'll see plenty there worth painting."

"The High Line? Alright, it's a date," Steve said, smiling even as he felt his face flush a bit again. It had been a long time since he'd gone on a proper date and never with a guy before. But he liked Sean and he was attracted to the other man so... isn't that what the prerequisites were for going on a date with someone?

His foot pressed back against Sean's, the connection sending a sort of energy shooting through him that seemed to combine with the butterflies in his stomach and turned into something that felt a lot like arousal. Steve really liked the feeling.

"You about ready to head out?" Steve asked, suddenly very eager to take Sean somewhere they could be more alone. He wasn't ashamed, far from it, but he didn't want his relationship with Sean to be anyone else's business.

Sean just about beams when Steve confirms that yeah, it's a date. And! He's quick to finish off the remains of his beer, giving Steve a nod. "Absolutely."

He stashes a few bills under his glass for whoever tidies up after them, and when Steve's ready to stand, Sean slides out of the booth to join him. Their departure gets about as much attention as the entrance, which is to say absolutely none. He waits until they're outside and falls into line beside him, letting their arms brush as they walk to the nearest train station.

"Thanks for coming out with me. This has been fantastic."

Steve added a bit of money as well for tips and a drink. Even if no one really came to check on them Steve was willing to pay for that sort of anonymity and privacy. It wasn’t often that he really wished he had something like that, his work consumed so much of his life and often he was in the privacy of Avengers Tower but it was nice to go out and not be bothered. He’d have to come back here again. With Sean of course, he was already thinking of it as “their spot”.

“Of course, it sounded like you could use a little time to get out of your head and I was happy to help you with that,” Steve said. To be honest he’d enjoyed it as well, just having some time to be Steve the guy and not Captain America. It wasn’t even difficult to keep up with what Sean was saying, making the fact that he was a man out of time so pronounced.

"Christ, did I ever." A night out, some good drinks, and even better company was just the thing Sean needed to pick himself up after being humiliated. He's still got to do some damage control, but that can wait until tomorrow.

He ends up bumping a shoulder into Steve on purpose, giving him his best flirty smile. "I'd be happy to help you out with anything you'd like too."

Steve flushed a bit at the smile Sean gave him. It wasn't that he was entirely unused to the attention even it was just that this was one of the first times he'd actually wanted to reciprocate and he wasn't entirely sure how. He bumped his shoulder playfully against Sean's and gave him a bit of a smile.

"Just talking to me like I'm a normal person helps," Steve admitted, though he realized that didn't sound very flirtatious. He really wished he was better at this. "Although maybe I can think of a few things you might be able to do back at the Tower?"

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