"I think we should. I think they'd love it." Any being that loved French fries so much should equally enjoy tater tots. And they would get some serious VIP privileges for that.
Carol thanked the server for her own cup of the basically-coffee and then took a long sip. It still wasn't as good as most Earth-based coffee, but it was pretty decent. She watched Steve take a sip and finally, ultimately relaxed when he didn't seem to hate it.
"Yeah, I know. It's one of the things I like about you." One of the things she liked about pretty much all the Avengers. Maybe it was the saving of the world(s) that brought things into perspective, she wasn't sure, but they had this openness and appreciation that she liked to surround herself with.
The server came back for their food order and Carol ordered the taco-but-not and also a bizarre leafy and blobby thing that was actually super delicious. You really had to get past the presentation, though.
"Then it's decided. Next time we're in the neighborhood, we'll bring 'em one of those big wholesale sized bags. It'll be tot city." Which sounded ridiculous, but it made him grin. It was such a simple thing, but it wasn't, either. It was a promise that they would be back--not just her on some lone tot delivery mission, but them together. A tot team, if you liked.
Her next comment prompted a little hemming and hawing. Even after all this time, Steve didn't take compliments well, especially when delivered by a beautiful woman. "You're that way too, though, aren't you?" he asked. "You'd have to, with the life you lead. Out here in the universe," he clarified.
Then the server was back, and Steve quickly ordered the fries, and the dish that supposedly tasted essentially like chicken. He was being adventurous enough without ordering something too far out of left field, he supposed. Once their orders are off to the kitchen, he turns back to her.
"How are your friends, by the way? Talos and his family?"
"Agreed," she said, smiling across the table at him. She understood the nuance of them being a tot team to deliver it together at a time in the future. The thought of there being a tot team in the future was exciting and comforting.
"Yeah. I am that way. Which is why I like seeing it in others." Carol did her best to try and wrap that up because she wasn't great at compliments either. Self-compliments, definitely. But when they came from others and she hadn't done anything in particular, she usually dodged them.
But they're both saved from further compliments when they made their orders. He made some good choices for his first alien meal. Carol took a sip of water from her glass and winced briefly when he mentioned Talos. "Talos...is gone," she managed to get out so she could explain her reaction. "Like Fury." And Bucky and Sam and Maria and Monica. "But his wife and daughter are good." All things considered. "His daughter is one of the leaders of their government. I know he'd be so proud."
Steve could have kicked himself for that expression on Carol's face. Of course she would have lost people, too. The effects of the snap weren't limited to Earth--half the universe was decimated--but it was easy to forget, sometimes, just how far-reaching the damage actually was.
"I'm so sorry," he said, head bowing slightly under the weight of all the bad decisions he'd made that had brought them here. His hand reached out for a moment to touch the back of hers where it rested on the table, but he didn't maintain the contact for long. "I'm sure he would be proud. Leading isn't easy, especially given the circumstances. I'm sure she's doing a great job."
He smiled, then, in an attempt to clear away the sudden gloom that the mention of the Snap produced. Every mention of the decimation was like a kick to the gut for him, but he couldn't let it affect him for long or he'd always be fighting off all the negative feelings that came with it. He'd told other people so many times that all they could do was move on and try to live their lives, but he was slow to take his own advice.
Carol didn’t hold it against him that he had brought it up. How was he to know? She didn’t have an itemized list of everyone she lost—hell, she didn’t even know everyone she lost. Carol had put out feelers for friends and acquaintances on other planets, but most were too busy dealing with the aftermath to respond to her. She understood that.
“Thank you,” she replied, giving him a small smile to show that she wasn’t upset with him for bringing it up. The touch to her hand felt nice and she flipped it over as he pulled his hand back so their fingers could brush against each other. It was a nice physical reminder that she needed to keep moving forward instead of just burying herself in work. “She’s doing really great.”
Carol knew all to well about the kick to the gut they got when remembering everyone who was gone. It would probably be a long time before that wasn’t the default reaction. But she doesn’t want it to cloud what might happen with Steve. So she reached out to touch the back of his hand. “So I have a loose agenda for us, but is there anything you’d like to do or see while you’re out here?”
Steve couldn't even fathom the idea of trying to make a list of everyone who had been lost to the snap, even just on Earth. They were still working on it, as far as he knew, but it was impossible to tell who was actually lost in the incident and who had just used it as a smokescreen to disappear into. Regardless, some of the most important people to him in all the world were gone, so they had an understanding on that much.
When Carol reached back across the table, Steve exhaled softly and turned his hand to clasp hers. It was thanks and condolence and camaraderie all in a simple gesture, and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a small smile.
"Well, you did mention a space dog planet, so I'm pretty keen to see that," he said, arching a brow at her.
It was a simple gesture, but one that also made Carol smile. Outside of greetings and farewells, she's not sure when the last time was that she just held someone's hand. It feels nice, even if their uniform gloves are preventing their palms from fully touching.
"I did," she relented with a laugh. "I mentioned the space dog planet and we're definitely going. I found one where they are big enough to ride and friendly. So if you want to do that, I'll be happy to take a picture and send it to Thor." And probably Natasha. Carol was sure that she'd want to see Steve out enjoying himself.
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no subject
Date: 2019-06-12 11:16 pm (UTC)Carol thanked the server for her own cup of the basically-coffee and then took a long sip. It still wasn't as good as most Earth-based coffee, but it was pretty decent. She watched Steve take a sip and finally, ultimately relaxed when he didn't seem to hate it.
"Yeah, I know. It's one of the things I like about you." One of the things she liked about pretty much all the Avengers. Maybe it was the saving of the world(s) that brought things into perspective, she wasn't sure, but they had this openness and appreciation that she liked to surround herself with.
The server came back for their food order and Carol ordered the taco-but-not and also a bizarre leafy and blobby thing that was actually super delicious. You really had to get past the presentation, though.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-14 01:26 am (UTC)Her next comment prompted a little hemming and hawing. Even after all this time, Steve didn't take compliments well, especially when delivered by a beautiful woman. "You're that way too, though, aren't you?" he asked. "You'd have to, with the life you lead. Out here in the universe," he clarified.
Then the server was back, and Steve quickly ordered the fries, and the dish that supposedly tasted essentially like chicken. He was being adventurous enough without ordering something too far out of left field, he supposed. Once their orders are off to the kitchen, he turns back to her.
"How are your friends, by the way? Talos and his family?"
no subject
Date: 2019-06-14 01:49 am (UTC)"Yeah. I am that way. Which is why I like seeing it in others." Carol did her best to try and wrap that up because she wasn't great at compliments either. Self-compliments, definitely. But when they came from others and she hadn't done anything in particular, she usually dodged them.
But they're both saved from further compliments when they made their orders. He made some good choices for his first alien meal. Carol took a sip of water from her glass and winced briefly when he mentioned Talos. "Talos...is gone," she managed to get out so she could explain her reaction. "Like Fury." And Bucky and Sam and Maria and Monica. "But his wife and daughter are good." All things considered. "His daughter is one of the leaders of their government. I know he'd be so proud."
no subject
Date: 2019-06-17 12:17 pm (UTC)"I'm so sorry," he said, head bowing slightly under the weight of all the bad decisions he'd made that had brought them here. His hand reached out for a moment to touch the back of hers where it rested on the table, but he didn't maintain the contact for long. "I'm sure he would be proud. Leading isn't easy, especially given the circumstances. I'm sure she's doing a great job."
He smiled, then, in an attempt to clear away the sudden gloom that the mention of the Snap produced. Every mention of the decimation was like a kick to the gut for him, but he couldn't let it affect him for long or he'd always be fighting off all the negative feelings that came with it. He'd told other people so many times that all they could do was move on and try to live their lives, but he was slow to take his own advice.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-17 02:23 pm (UTC)“Thank you,” she replied, giving him a small smile to show that she wasn’t upset with him for bringing it up. The touch to her hand felt nice and she flipped it over as he pulled his hand back so their fingers could brush against each other. It was a nice physical reminder that she needed to keep moving forward instead of just burying herself in work. “She’s doing really great.”
Carol knew all to well about the kick to the gut they got when remembering everyone who was gone. It would probably be a long time before that wasn’t the default reaction. But she doesn’t want it to cloud what might happen with Steve. So she reached out to touch the back of his hand. “So I have a loose agenda for us, but is there anything you’d like to do or see while you’re out here?”
no subject
Date: 2019-06-18 08:21 am (UTC)When Carol reached back across the table, Steve exhaled softly and turned his hand to clasp hers. It was thanks and condolence and camaraderie all in a simple gesture, and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a small smile.
"Well, you did mention a space dog planet, so I'm pretty keen to see that," he said, arching a brow at her.
no subject
Date: 2019-06-19 01:46 am (UTC)"I did," she relented with a laugh. "I mentioned the space dog planet and we're definitely going. I found one where they are big enough to ride and friendly. So if you want to do that, I'll be happy to take a picture and send it to Thor." And probably Natasha. Carol was sure that she'd want to see Steve out enjoying himself.