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cap_ironman2009-01-30 08:37 pm
ani-bester.livejournal.com) wrote in cap_ironman2009-01-30 08:37 pm
Entry tags:
Fic/Art: A Thousand Words [G] (Marvel Adventures U)
Title A Thousand Words
Author/Artist Ani_bester
Rating G
Universe Marvel Adventures
Characters Steve, Hank, Storm, Tony, and a dash of Peter
Beta Ellyr_in_Ink heroically read through this mess
Summery Hank wants to get flowers for Jan, so Steve helps out in his own "everybody else first" kinda way.
"Aw, shoot."
Steve paused on his way to the infirmary and turned to look at the source of what had to be the most heartbroken sound he could recall hearing recently.
He saw one of the newer Avengers, the inventor Hank Pym, hunched over a table, dejectedly staring at a pile of petty change.
Shifting the large bouquet of flowers a little, Steve walked over to the younger man. "What's wrong, Hank?" he asked, hating to see any of his friends so forlorn.
Hank didn't even turn around. Instead, he heaved another sigh and gestured to the pile of coins. "I wanted to get Jan some “Get Well” flowers, but that stupid car of mine broke yesterday and well, this is all I have left until the next paycheck comes through." He sighed again. "And I'm sure she'll be well by then. Which is good, but then—,"he blushed a little. "Well, I won't have an excuse to give her flowers without, ummm, you know being obvious that I just . . . . oh man." He trailed off and rubbed the back of his head. Steve could only assume the man's face was as red as the back of his neck.
Steve remembered how hard it had been to work up the nerve to say anything to Tony and found himself taking pity on his teammate. He looked at the flowers he held in his hand then made a quick decision.
"Here, Hank," he said, holding the bouquet out. Hank turned to see what was being offered to him and gasped when he saw the collection of wild roses interspersed with other vibrant flowers.
"You, you got flowers for Jan, too?" he stuttered.
"No, for Tony. But trust me, he'll understand."
Hank turned even redder. "Right," he mumbled. "I knew that." Then he shook his head. "I can't take your flowers, Steve. I mean you got them for Tony. What'll you give to him? It's my own fault I don't have money. And they must have cost a bundle. More then I could have spent even without the broken car. I can't pay you back."
Steve smiled charismatically and continued to hold the flowers out to Hank. "Look, consider it repayment for helping me get those ants out of the training room. An exterminator would have been at least the cost of these."
Hank, however, still hesitated; his hands remained at his sides and away from the proffered flowers.
Steve grinned at the nervous man. "I will order you to take these to Jan if I have to, Hank, so you might as well accept them."
That prompted Hank to stand and take the flowers from Steve. "Are you sure?" he asked one last time as he took possession of the expensive arrangement. "What'll you give to Tony?"
"You think Captain America can't afford to buy more? Don't worry about it."
"But-"
"Go, Hank."
Hank grinned sheepishly and heaved the large arrangement into a more steady position before heading off to Jan's room.
"That was sweet of you."
Steve turned to find Storm standing behind him.
Steve shrugged. "She'll appreciate them from him more then Tony would appreciate them from me."
Storm looked skeptical but didn't question him; instead, she raised a different point. "So what will you get Tony? If I recall, Captain America couldn’t afford to pay his share of the meal this afternoon. Looking at what you just gave Hank, I can guess why."
Steve flushed a little. "I'll think of something. And besides, Tony likes it when I'm creative."
"Didn't want to know that," came Peter's voice from somewhere on the ceiling.
Steve tossed an exasperated look in the direction of the taunt, trying hard to ignore Storm's soft laughter behind him.
"Spiderman . . ." Steve grumbled in warning.
"You know, if you think you’re gonna draw me out with your stern voice of displeasure, you should know I've been working on building immunity."
Rather than responding to the barb, Steve stood silently for a moment. Then, his entire face brightened. "That's it!" he exclaimed.
Storm looked confused. "What's it?"
"Draw! Do the monitors have a clear view of Tony's room? Including the bed stand? From any angle?"
Storm thought a moment then nodded. "They should, but why?"
"Thank Peter for me!" Steve told her rather than answering the question. He took off down the hallway.
Peter dropped down from ceiling and stood beside Storm. "Why is everyone here crazy?" he asked as he looked down the hall after Steve.
***
Waking from a restless dream, Tony turned to the chair next to his bed. Sure enough, Steve was there, his large form sprawled out in the comparatively small chair. The co-leader of the Avengers was sound asleep and snoring softly.
Tony had to smile. Steve was normally so active and watchful that Tony always found the sight of Steve being still endearing. After all, not everyone got to see Captain America like this. After a few moments of gazing at his boyfriend's tranquil form, Tony turned toward his bed stand to see the clock. It must be late, he assumed, if Steve had fallen asleep.
To his surprise, it was the middle of the afternoon.
Tony sighed. He was beginning to prepare the talk he was going to give to Steve about not needing to stand vigil for a minor concussion and some scrapes and bruises when something just past the clock caught his eyes.
A small vase of flowers stood there. The vase was a deep blue, decorated only with a single white star. Delicate pink roses and daisies filled it, accented by tiny white flowers and bright green leaves that Tony couldn't place. He reached out to touch the arrangement then stopped as he realized that neither the vase nor any of the flowers were real. They, and the entire background, had been painted with such care and in such exacting perspective that the picture blended seamlessly with the real background of the table. Had it not been for the black frame, it might have taken Tony even longer to realize that he was looking at an illusion.
A small tag hung from the frame. Reaching up, Tony flipped it over and read the simple inscription.
"I love you, Tony."
Feeling suddenly very warm, Tony turned back around to look at Steve and noticed what he'd been too blurry eyed to take in a few moments ago. Paint flecks covered Steve's large hands; his thumb was covered in the blue of the faux vase. The pink of the roses was streaked across his cheeks, just under his eyes.
Tony imagined Steve working late into the night, rubbing absently at his eyes to try and stay awake and forgetting the paint that covered his hands. Steve had even managed to get a bit of green on the tip of his left ear.
Careful to move silently, Tony made his way over to Steve and kissed him gently on the cheek.
Steve started a little, waking up just enough to recognize Tony.
"You should be in bed," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.
"I know," Tony said as he walked back to the bed, "but I wanted to say thank you."
Steve opened one eye and smiled. "You're worth it."
-End
Author/Artist Ani_bester
Rating G
Universe Marvel Adventures
Characters Steve, Hank, Storm, Tony, and a dash of Peter
Beta Ellyr_in_Ink heroically read through this mess
Summery Hank wants to get flowers for Jan, so Steve helps out in his own "everybody else first" kinda way.
"Aw, shoot."
Steve paused on his way to the infirmary and turned to look at the source of what had to be the most heartbroken sound he could recall hearing recently.
He saw one of the newer Avengers, the inventor Hank Pym, hunched over a table, dejectedly staring at a pile of petty change.
Shifting the large bouquet of flowers a little, Steve walked over to the younger man. "What's wrong, Hank?" he asked, hating to see any of his friends so forlorn.
Hank didn't even turn around. Instead, he heaved another sigh and gestured to the pile of coins. "I wanted to get Jan some “Get Well” flowers, but that stupid car of mine broke yesterday and well, this is all I have left until the next paycheck comes through." He sighed again. "And I'm sure she'll be well by then. Which is good, but then—,"he blushed a little. "Well, I won't have an excuse to give her flowers without, ummm, you know being obvious that I just . . . . oh man." He trailed off and rubbed the back of his head. Steve could only assume the man's face was as red as the back of his neck.
Steve remembered how hard it had been to work up the nerve to say anything to Tony and found himself taking pity on his teammate. He looked at the flowers he held in his hand then made a quick decision.
"Here, Hank," he said, holding the bouquet out. Hank turned to see what was being offered to him and gasped when he saw the collection of wild roses interspersed with other vibrant flowers.
"You, you got flowers for Jan, too?" he stuttered.
"No, for Tony. But trust me, he'll understand."
Hank turned even redder. "Right," he mumbled. "I knew that." Then he shook his head. "I can't take your flowers, Steve. I mean you got them for Tony. What'll you give to him? It's my own fault I don't have money. And they must have cost a bundle. More then I could have spent even without the broken car. I can't pay you back."
Steve smiled charismatically and continued to hold the flowers out to Hank. "Look, consider it repayment for helping me get those ants out of the training room. An exterminator would have been at least the cost of these."
Hank, however, still hesitated; his hands remained at his sides and away from the proffered flowers.
Steve grinned at the nervous man. "I will order you to take these to Jan if I have to, Hank, so you might as well accept them."
That prompted Hank to stand and take the flowers from Steve. "Are you sure?" he asked one last time as he took possession of the expensive arrangement. "What'll you give to Tony?"
"You think Captain America can't afford to buy more? Don't worry about it."
"But-"
"Go, Hank."
Hank grinned sheepishly and heaved the large arrangement into a more steady position before heading off to Jan's room.
"That was sweet of you."
Steve turned to find Storm standing behind him.
Steve shrugged. "She'll appreciate them from him more then Tony would appreciate them from me."
Storm looked skeptical but didn't question him; instead, she raised a different point. "So what will you get Tony? If I recall, Captain America couldn’t afford to pay his share of the meal this afternoon. Looking at what you just gave Hank, I can guess why."
Steve flushed a little. "I'll think of something. And besides, Tony likes it when I'm creative."
"Didn't want to know that," came Peter's voice from somewhere on the ceiling.
Steve tossed an exasperated look in the direction of the taunt, trying hard to ignore Storm's soft laughter behind him.
"Spiderman . . ." Steve grumbled in warning.
"You know, if you think you’re gonna draw me out with your stern voice of displeasure, you should know I've been working on building immunity."
Rather than responding to the barb, Steve stood silently for a moment. Then, his entire face brightened. "That's it!" he exclaimed.
Storm looked confused. "What's it?"
"Draw! Do the monitors have a clear view of Tony's room? Including the bed stand? From any angle?"
Storm thought a moment then nodded. "They should, but why?"
"Thank Peter for me!" Steve told her rather than answering the question. He took off down the hallway.
Peter dropped down from ceiling and stood beside Storm. "Why is everyone here crazy?" he asked as he looked down the hall after Steve.
Waking from a restless dream, Tony turned to the chair next to his bed. Sure enough, Steve was there, his large form sprawled out in the comparatively small chair. The co-leader of the Avengers was sound asleep and snoring softly.
Tony had to smile. Steve was normally so active and watchful that Tony always found the sight of Steve being still endearing. After all, not everyone got to see Captain America like this. After a few moments of gazing at his boyfriend's tranquil form, Tony turned toward his bed stand to see the clock. It must be late, he assumed, if Steve had fallen asleep.
To his surprise, it was the middle of the afternoon.
Tony sighed. He was beginning to prepare the talk he was going to give to Steve about not needing to stand vigil for a minor concussion and some scrapes and bruises when something just past the clock caught his eyes.
A small vase of flowers stood there. The vase was a deep blue, decorated only with a single white star. Delicate pink roses and daisies filled it, accented by tiny white flowers and bright green leaves that Tony couldn't place. He reached out to touch the arrangement then stopped as he realized that neither the vase nor any of the flowers were real. They, and the entire background, had been painted with such care and in such exacting perspective that the picture blended seamlessly with the real background of the table. Had it not been for the black frame, it might have taken Tony even longer to realize that he was looking at an illusion.
A small tag hung from the frame. Reaching up, Tony flipped it over and read the simple inscription.
"I love you, Tony."
Feeling suddenly very warm, Tony turned back around to look at Steve and noticed what he'd been too blurry eyed to take in a few moments ago. Paint flecks covered Steve's large hands; his thumb was covered in the blue of the faux vase. The pink of the roses was streaked across his cheeks, just under his eyes.
Tony imagined Steve working late into the night, rubbing absently at his eyes to try and stay awake and forgetting the paint that covered his hands. Steve had even managed to get a bit of green on the tip of his left ear.
Careful to move silently, Tony made his way over to Steve and kissed him gently on the cheek.
Steve started a little, waking up just enough to recognize Tony.
"You should be in bed," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.
"I know," Tony said as he walked back to the bed, "but I wanted to say thank you."
Steve opened one eye and smiled. "You're worth it."
-End
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