Steve's mysterious birthday gift
Post CACW, fluff, angst, sweet, no salt
There is an extra package sitting on top of the loosely assembled pile of gifts. He has counted them all one by one. Nat's beautiful, hand knitted shawl was delivered from India. Wanda's coloring book for adults came from Hamburg. Bucky's hand made (from goat hair?) brush set was delivered by a surly looking undercover Wakandan spy. While Sam's collection of records was handed by the man himself.
But this one, this tiny unassuming one gave Steve a pause. If his treacherous little heart was right—god, he hoped he was right, and it came from where he thinks it did? Then Steve swore to himself he wouldn't waste any more days staring at the horizon. Just waiting and yearning for the startling streak of red to appear.
But if he was wrong and this little silver box turned out to be a bomb or toxic package or a homing signal...
Sam nudged his ribs, eyes wide and worried.
"Want me to send it to the Dora?"
The thought of Wakandan security tearing this unknown thing apart sent a terrible shard of pain through his chest, making him snatch it from the pile in haste.
Ignoring Sam's surprised flinch, Steve tore through the packaging.
Inside was a carefully crafted pocket watch. A little silver thing with a key that stole his breath away. Cheap metal scarred over and over. The kind which was invaluable.
It was an expensive, terribly expensive gift. Not of money but of time and resources. He doesn't even know how the sender got his hands on it.
He had known it to be lost with many things. Forgotten. A passed away relic nobody cared about. The one thing his mother carried with her. Her last connection to the home she left behind when she came to Brooklyn. The remnant she had to pawn off to survive one of the harshest winters they had ever known.
Steve remembered talking about it under the influence of Thor's Asgardian drink. He recalled curious eyes, sharp and focused. Eyes of the man who knew the value of memories, but not money.
"Oh," Steve breathed over the watch, thumbed it along the edge. He closed his eyes and took a moment to send out a prayer for his mother. Then pressed his lips over the watch.
Sam's eyes were on his. His silence not prying, not pressing for answers like Nat would. Only eternally patient and calm like he always was.
"This was my mom's. Well, my Nana 's I think. She had to pawn it off before. I thought -" His words caught up in his throat, so he cleared his voice and tried again. "I didn't..."
He closed his eyes and laughed silently.
"God, Tony's just- he's so stupid."
They were worlds apart. Ripped away from each other by their own volition. Unable to reach out because Steve was a criminal and Tony was still hurting, still curling around the wound over his heart. And yet...
Yet ...
Steve could almost hear it whispered over the immortal flame of a lone candle. A hand that held a tiny burnt cupcake smelling too strongly of vanilla and orange. A man torn between the past and the present confronted by a man always looking at the future.
Sam held out a card for him, looking solemn and pained, and a little bit jealous.
Steve would come to mull over it later, about his friend's distant gaze settled over the sky and the gun metal greys of his wings.
But right then, he took the card with gentle care, saw the generic wish written in familiar chicken scratch and ended up staring at the idiotic frowny face at the bottom for a long time.
He felt warmth bloom across his chest. Like his mother's gaze. Bucky's hand on his shoulder. Nat's smile. Wanda's humming. Sam's steady wisdom.
It was a bit like morning hope.
The kind that brought a streak of red and gold.
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Jazz takes care of a de-aged Danny, and they lay low in Gotham. But just because Danny’s body is younger doesn’t mean his powers have lessened. In fact, they’ve only grown harder to control. Having the energy of a child makes containing his powers harder (just like when he first got them) until they realize that Danny’s powers are much easier to control when he can get rid of some of his excess energy. Jazz hears about a free gym open to all that is also meta-proof (more durable) from a wonderful woman at the library. (Lookin at you Babs)
The gym has a gigantic kids play area, along with classes for all ages and a training area complete with an American Gladiator style obstacle course for adults. Jazz will use the obstacle course sometimes when her boss has fully ticked her off. Stephanie and Cass volunteer there whenever they can. Jason always sends the alley kids there too because it’s close by and a safe place. Dick leads a class there whenever he can.
Dick actually holds the record for the obstacle course. Until Jazz gives it a go after a particularly trying day. She doesn’t realize there’s a record. She never would have used the course if she’d known. Training with Pandora and Fright Knight gave her plenty of advantages with how she can use her liminality and she definitely doesn’t need to stand out.
But again, she doesn’t know there’s a record. Or that someone saw her going repeatedly through the course (Stephanie) and decided to time her on her next go. (She doesn’t film without permission because she’s respectful of boundaries like that) She does post Jazz’s time in the Batfam group chat to take Dick down a couple notches though.
Or someone else (not Batfam, just a random citizen) takes a video of her doing the course and posts it on the internet and now they (Jazz and Danny) have to stay one step ahead of Vlad, the Batfam, their parents, and avoid the GIW. How hard can it be?
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Danny goes on Vacation and leaves his job to his Co-workers
So! Danny hasn't had a break from his Hero Career since the day he turned into a Ghost. He has been constantly fighting battle after battle against his worst enemies one after the other.
Even after joining the Justice League, he didn't really have a chance to take a break. He never really asked for help because it didn't seem like a big enough deal to bother them with. He just kept on working.
Until the day he accidently mentioned this to one of his Co-workers, and they practically Force him to take a Vacation.
He has been fighting Crime, nearly every single day since he was 14, with at most a day or two in between battles for all that time, and he is now entering his 20's. They are horrified that he never asked them for help, no matter how easy the job may have been.
After a while of convincing him, they eventually get him to agree to tale a Month-Long Vacation.
He actually gets really excited after he agrees, and he is planning on exploring deep space for the entire month. He is actually really looking forwards to it now, and seeing this everyone who volunteered to take over his Patrols all promise that they will absolutely not bother him until the trip is done.
So, Danny leaves for his Vacation and the other Heroes set up shop in Amity Park.
Danny left them instructions on how to deal with Ghosts, how to pacify specific Rogues, and how to sent them back to the Ghost Zone when they are done. They feel like they are fairly well prepared for their Month Long Mission, especially since Danny described it as a very easy job.
Then the first Rogue Attack happened.
The team dispatched there, made up of a few mid-level JLA Members and some JLD Members for safe measure, takes nearly an Hour to defeat the Ghost. And they barely manage it.
They are surprised at how hard it is, but are even more surprised when they find out that the "Box Ghost" is labeled as a Low-Level Nuisance.
So, they call in a few higher level members to help. They do not want to interrupt Danny's Vacation.
Then they have to call in more JLA members, and again, and again.
By the time Danny managed to get back from his Vacation, the Founding Members and all JLD have been called in.
He thanks then for the opportunity to finally have a break.
Danny: Seriously, thanks guys. This was the best break I've had in years.
JLA: *out of breath and haggard* yeah dude...no problem...let me just sit down for a minute...whew!
Danny: Oh, I can't wait for the next time I can go on vacation!
JLA: *looking like this: 😐* ...yeah sure bro...
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Thinking about how Leo says he uses his jokes to cope and y’know, thinking harder on it I think it may very well be because of what else uses one-liners and puns and that type of humor.
Specifically, 80’s action movies and campy sci-fi. Even more specifically, the protagonists of these.
So I can imagine why, exactly, Leo leans toward this brand of humor. It’s directly linked to things he loves! But even more than that is why I think it’s used as a coping mechanism.
In these genres, these quips tend to be said by the winner - or, if not a winner, then someone who will stay alive. So there’s a confidence behind them, an assurance, almost, that even if things go wrong, things aren’t ever too serious. There’s no bad endings here! It’s all good fun, even if the stakes seem high.
Leo canonically has been known to steer his brothers away from the more brutal villains and toward more fun, lighthearted activities and not-so-dangerous criminals. So for Leo, these jokes definitely make things less heavy, make the situations they find themselves in less intense.
It’s kinda not just coping, but also can be seen as a form of escapism. A safety blanket. A way for Leo to defuse the tension of knowing just how dangerous their lives are and replace that with a levity which implies that things will be okay.
Unfortunately, levity alone does not alter reality.
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