Adjunctive: Bedding In

[rekindledtitan]

It’s been a couple days since Steve ran into the representatives (and proprietors) of Lucina Envirotech at the fair. He hasn’t heard much since then aside from Gil texting him with a friendly ‘thanks again for your help, it was nice meeting you’. And with the excitement of the fair over, their scenic little town has settled back into its quiet routine. No word on how the would-be tech entrepreneurs are getting on with proselytising to the old farmhands of Robinwood. But he is going to get a message about mid-morning then, while the sun is shining in through the windows.

Hi, Steve. Bryn and I are planning to get some lunch at the Bluebird Grill. Would you like to join us?

And immediately after:

No pressure if you can’t make it or you don’t want to. It’s just if you were in town and felt like it.

(And then nothing, because Bryn has intervened and taken his phone away.)

Comments

[rekindledtitan]

"Really?" He likes the idea? Gil's giving him a pleased, hopeful look. "I mean- yes, we'd better look into it too. I've never made anything like that either, but... you did some metalworking before, right, Bryn?"

"Some, yeah. Stitched a few things before, too. How hard can it be?" She shrugs, trying to hide her smug smile by looking back down at her menu. "We'll figure it out together."

[juststeverogers]

"Didn't peg you for much of an arts and crafts type." Steve can't help but to grin a little brighter when his new friend admits to her hobbies. Especially ones he's never tried before. More physical arts were never really much of an option when space and physical limitations were getting in the way.

"When you're not planning roadtrips what do you two do for fun? I spend a lot of time online for work and off, but I like watching baseball now and again. The fairs. Just driving out in the countryside, when I can find a reason for it."

[rekindledtitan]

Bryn looks up to shoot him a grin. "Had to make our own field repairs back in the army. Before that- my dad works for the local theater back home. The two of us used to help with staging and props after school - well, I was on props, Gil used to be holed up in back fixing the sound and lights."

"It was safer back there," Gil half-grumbles. Steve's smile is really cute and he can't help noticing. "Um. We've been getting back into hiking, too. I suppose I'm more of the type to curl up by the fire with a good book - Bryn's usually the one who rousts me out to get some fresh air.

"Don't listen to him," his friend advises Steve. "He loves exploring new places, you just have to get the laptop out of his hands first."

[juststeverogers]

"You were in the army?" And again Steve's interest is piqued. "My best friend used to be too. Did they have you do a tour or just...you know. Local stuff? There was no way I'd ever have gotten in, though I did try when he enlisted."

He lets the topic slide right by when Bryn talks about theater and helping there. His smile regains some of the luster that was lost when talking about the military. Even if he'd been interested, it was a bittersweet memory.

"I don't mind going outside here and there but my asthma hates the pollen seasons. Otherwise..." Steve gives a slow nod here. "It's been nice. Different to home, but still nice."

[rekindledtitan]

"A few tours, yeah. Didn't quite finish out the last one- medical discharge," she adds, compelled to be honest about how long she actually served but also not wanting to give the wrong impression about why she had to leave. It's still a raw subject, though. She's glad to shrug it off, but her glance does linger - catching that past tense description of his friend.

Gil's definitely taking it in - he gives Steve a sympathetic smile, thinking of how often he worried about his best friend while she was gone. How much he still worries since she came back.

"Oh- yes, I can imagine the pollen levels get... more intense than in the city." So many pretty fields and flowers here. "Do you go to a bar to watch baseball games, like with football?"

[juststeverogers]

Steve drops his gaze. He nods once. "You made it out though." He murmurs so quiet he probably can't be well heard in the moment. Like Bryn, Steve is well glad enough to move on.

"Well, in the city you deal with pollution that time of year, so it's really just a 'pick your poison' kind of thing." He shrugs but the rest has him considering. "Ah, I...don't actually have many local friends here. Sometimes, if my neighbor invites me over I go to her house and watch with her and her husband. But usually I just have a game up while I'm working on my art."

[rekindledtitan]

Bryn must catch it, from the half smile she quirks at Steve. She came back all right, one way or another. It doesn't sound like his friend was so lucky. That must have hurt. She doesn't like to think how Gil would have taken it if she'd gone off without him and then failed to come back.

Maybe that's why he's also so willing to change the subject. "Ah. That sounds nice too, honestly. I've never actually watched a baseball game, but Bryn used to drag us out to watch football sometimes. Staying in to watch it was a lot more... peaceful."

[juststeverogers]

If Steve wasn't immediately interrupted for thinking by the waitress coming back to take their orders he might have considered that these two are from across the pond. As it stands though, he does put his foot in his Yank mouth by nodding along once they've given over their menus.

"I gotta admit I don't know much about football. I'll follow the Bills now and again if they make it to playoffs but both Jets and Giants fans are a pain in the..ah. Aha." At least one politely blank look is being thrown his way.

"Football. Right. The uh, the other one. Soccer." Steve glances aside. "I know even less about that. Not a lot of exposure."

[rekindledtitan]

"Oh! Yes, I see." Gil chuckles at his own moment of confusion, while Bryn's smiling at the waitress. "I know it's not as, um, all-pervasive over here. But I mean.. we're in America now. Maybe you could teach us how baseball works sometime so we can follow along."

[juststeverogers]

"It's definitely gotten more fans in recent years, especially outside of the South. But my family and friends were never all that interested outside of the Olympics and I sure as hell wasn't going to be playing even in school." Back when Steve's health was even worse off than it is now.

"I'd trade you though. I know a fair bit about baseball, and you both seem to know a lot about football, so. Educational all around. Though I've been told some people find baseball to be a little...well. Boring by comparison to other big name sports."

[rekindledtitan]

"It sounds like a change of pace from a pub full of roaring supporters. Not that the atmosphere can't be fun, but... I'd give it a shot."

"If there are team shirts and someone to cheer for, I'm there," Bryn agrees cheerfully. "Plus beer, obviously. Don't worry, we'll give you the rundown. Explain why the Guardians are the best team..."

At least until she needs to make an excuse to leave, she suspects. These two seem like they're getting on pretty well. Hell, they all are. Steve's a likable guy. Maybe this move to a place they never heard of a few months ago could pan out after all.

[juststeverogers]

"You can either pay for an overpriced jersey or we get some fabric paints and a bag of teeshirts to make our own." That is a fan past time Steve has done before. It's been a long time though. "Lucky for you two, craft beers Have penetrated this far into the country finally. So there's a chance of getting something that isn't just water."

[rekindledtitan]

"Making our own sounds like more fun, anyway. And I'm sure we can get our hands on the supplies easily enough..."

"Sounds good to me, on both counts." Bryn folds her arms on the table. "Just let us know when there's a game coming up and we can get together ahead of time to gear up. You live pretty close to the v- uh, the town, right?"

[juststeverogers]

"Oh yeah. Nothing an online shop can't supply if the local craft store doesn't carry what we want." That's a place Steve avoids stepping foot into if he can help it. He's got a bad habit of buying way too much if he does shop there.

"Sure." Steve's gone back to sipping at his water. He looks up again at the question. "I live closer to the fairgrounds actually. About fifteen minutes or so outside of town. It's not too far to drive in for things, but definitely not a 'walk to anywhere' kind of place."

Cheaper to live in the middle of nowhere.

[rekindledtitan]

"It sounds nice and quiet." Maybe a bit lonely. "It's good that you found a place, either way. There aren't a lot of options for renting around here from what we've seen."

"Not if you don't want to take up farming," Bryn adds. She taps her chin. "I mean, I'm sure I could handle a pitchfork, but..."

[juststeverogers]

"A far cry from the apartment I used to have in Brooklyn, that's for damn sure." Steve's become rather fond of the animal neighbors he's seemed to accumulate. Critters that drift in and about his yard chewing on all kinds of plants. "Though if I can ever get my stamina up for spring, I could have a garden if I wanted, and that's a tempting thought."

Didn't really happen this year, but maybe next.

"Yeah, most of the options for renting are...not great, from what I've heard. I take it you two didn't much care for the place you'd scoped out?"

[rekindledtitan]

Gil's eyes light up at mention of a garden, and he nods enthusiastically until Steve reminds him of their viewings; then he grimaces.

"No... not really. We weren't expecting anywhere too spacious but the kitchen facilities weren't, uh, ideal and Bryn didn't like the look of the weatherproofing. And I think the landlord got the wrong idea about the two of us. I tried saying we were foster siblings but I don't think he believed me."

"Should've," Bryn comments. "It's practically true."

[juststeverogers]

The wrong idea, huh. Meaning potentially only one bedroom. Steve can't help but to wince.

"The only reason I was able to afford a house out here was because my late great-aunt owned it, and her daughter agreed to sell it to me at below-market price. Even still, I'll be paying it off until I'm damn near dead. It needs renovations too, but I'm pretty slow at DIY projects. Only one of me, and my great-aunt raised her kids and grandkids in that place." Not a lot of free time, even less energy.

"T'd been looking at rental properties in this general area before, but couldn't ever find anything that looked worth the price." Steve gets it, he does. But what he's describing sounds like a house too big for one person with too many projects needing done that Steve can't really do himself.