sameoldsong | OPEN TO ALL (ALL RATINGS)

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?"

"God, I know this is going to sound corny, but it's easy because you really are a normal person, y'know? A bunch of absolutely insane shit happened to you and around you, but I bet you were exactly like this even before everything happened." He'll get back to flirting in a moment, but this feels a lot more important to focus on. It's fine, he'll work sucking Steve's dick into the conversation sooner or later, Sean's great at that. "Also, a bunch of absolutely insane shit has happened around me ever since I moved to New York, so I feel like we're at least on mostly equal ground. That's just New York! Everybody goes to work and nobody minds the occasional alien or explosion. Just don't walk slow, or someone's going to knife you."

Steve wasn't sure if Sean would ever know how much hearing that meant to him. Steve knew that he was a normal person and that there wasn't anything special about who he was. Sure his body was different from most people but that wasn't him. It didn't make him think any different that he had before, it only meant he was able to do all the things he tried to do before.

"Well, I was definitely more of a lightweight when it came to drinking. But thanks, I like feeling just like a person and not an icon of something. Not that I might being an icon but it's not what I want to be to the people I'm close to."

"Everybody needs a break, y'know? Especially if the thing you're taking a break from is like... fuck, it's a heavy thing." Sean can't imagine shouldering the burden as well as Steve does. He's got to be Captain America, he's got to put his best face forward and he's got to go up against all kinds of terrible stuff. And since everyone knows his name, it's not even like he can just easily disappear by taking the mask off. The best he can probably hope for is a night like tonight, drinking in a bar where nobody pays too much attention to who comes and goes. "Anyway, I'd be more than happy to help with that. I really enjoy spending time with you."

"Plus, you are incredibly hot." Sean grins a little, dropping back into flirting and teasing. "Another good thing about New York honestly, so many handsome men everywhere."

To be honest Steve didn't see being Captain America as a burden. It was just being himself with a costume on. Life had been so much harder for him when he wasn't Captain America, when he physically couldn't do all the things he felt compelled to do. Sitting on the sidelines would have been a thousand times worse than what he did now. But having someone care about him beyond that? That was worth more than he could ever express.

And when Sean made the comment about Steve being incredibly hot he flushed again, although this time it was as much out of arousal as anything else. This was definitely leading somewhere and he was feeling anxious as they got on the train, wanting to already be at the tower alone with the other man.

"There really are. Lucky for me I'm going home with the best looking one," he added, managing to grin and meet Sean's gaze.

God, Steve's already hot, but then his face just pinks up and Sean feels his heart melt a little. He's so handsome, and sweet and thoughtful- and Sean's lucky. So goddamn lucky. He also laughs and it's turn to flush up some, more red than pink. He grabs onto one of the train's straps automatically. "Hey, I can't promise much else besides the view, but it's a very good view at least."

It's quiet at this time of night, most of the other riders have their heads down in their phones. Sean ends up nudging Steve. "One nice thing about phones, huh? Nobody can spot you if they're staring down at 'em."

"Really? Because I was kind of hoping that there would maybe be more than the view? At least a little?" Steve asked. Unless he was completely misunderstanding the situation and all the flirting that Sean was doing was just he way he was. Some people were like that, Steve understood it, but he hoped that it wasn't like that because he really liked Sean.

"And that's true. A little sad that people are missing so much of the world sometimes but I like how it also brings people together," Steve said. While he didn't quite understand the near-addiction levels it sometimes went to he also knew there were benefits. "How many people don't feel so alone because of something or someone they've seen on the internet?"

"Oh! Oh, no, no, you're going to get a lot more than just a view. I mean, like- I was just cracking a joke about me looking good, but not exactly having a lot of other talents." He shoots a fingergun at Steve, saying about as delicately but directly as he can, "Call me an elevator, because as soon as the doors close, I'm going down. On you. In private, obviously."

"I love how it brings people together. I don't know what I'd do if I lived even twenty years ago and had to pay a fortune just to call my ma once a month. As it stands, I get international calling as part of my plan, and I can call her a couple of times a week." He digs his phone out and pulls his texts up, showing him one full of pictures and playful insults. "My younger brother texts me at all hours of the night with dumb stuff he sees online. And- oh! I should show you Eliza's store!"

A few more clicks, and he pulls up a little Etsy shop, full of homemade quilts. Sean scrolls down to find the listing he's looking for and shows it to Steve. There's a whole set of Avengers themed quilts for sale with everyone's associated logo. Sean stops on the one of Steve's shield. "She makes all kinds of quilts and pillows and stuff to sell online! It's her full time job these days, which is nice because I know how much she loves doing it."

Peggy had told Steve that he didn’t know anything about women. Apparently he didn’t know much about men either which likely meant it was less a “women or men” issue and more a “Steve” issue. One of these days he’d learn to flirt properly. Maybe.

“Sorry, that was just my terrible attempt at flirting,” he said, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. Fortunately Sean was good at flirting, or at least making his intentions known. Even if it made Steve blush a bit he was grateful to know where the other man stood. Both metaphorically and literally because it was nice when the other man moved closer to show Steve his phone.

“Those are good. I should order one for her and then send her a picture of me with it,” Steve said with a smile. Propaganda or merchandise with his likeness on it wasn’t anything new, they’d had that back in the War. It really did look like she did good work though and he could see how Sean would be proud of her.

"If you did, you'd make her year. And I can promise you that they're excellent quilts, top of the line. She also does other designs, if you don't want to wear your job around while you're sleeping." He goes back and scrolls to get to the other designs, the ones that aren't heros or popular TV shows or whatever people like these days. Eliza's also quilted a bunch of more traditional patterns too, coloured squares and flowers and pinwheels and all sorts of geometric patterns. "She made me one for Christmas a few years back and it's absolutely gorgeous. This is the stuff she's really good at buuuut, well, got to make a profit right?"

Sean very nearly finds himself asking if Steve's got distant relations he talks to but... Sean already knows the answer to that one. He decides to not dig his fingers into an open wound, picking something much lighter. "She's so crafty that it makes me feel a little guilty that I'm not. I keep swearing I'm going to learn to make stuff too, like knitting. Everyone can use more socks, right? I don't suppose you know much about knitting?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

So sorry this took forever!

No worries! I ended up unexpectedly busy the last week so it's all good!