Who: Steve Rogers and Rogue When: Backdated to right after her arrival What: Meeting the new roommate Where: 9-C Warning: Rogue makes Steve blush? Status: Complete
Steve knew he needed to get a job and soon. There were two other roommates in the apartment, and he needed to start pulling his weight. Even James had gotten a job, and he’d only been here a day longer than Steve. James. His son. Steve still hadn’t dealt with that, but one thing at a time. He had an idea of what he wanted to do, but he’d been dragging his feet. Even a long shower hadn’t given him any insight on why that was so he decided to stop, go out there and just do it.
Scott and Christine were gone. Probably to jobs of their own. Steve thought he had the apartment to himself so he walked out of the bathroom with only a pair of boxers on. He was scrubbing a towel at his hair as he walked out toward the kitchen. He didn’t notice there was a new person there until he almost bumped right into them.
When Rogue had let herself into the apartment with the key she’d been given, she wasn’t really sure what to expect. There had been the mention of roommates, and it was pretty obvious that other people did live there - and she actually could hear the distant sound of the shower running. For the moment, though, she decided not to worry about it, and just take a look around. After finding a room that was obviously not in use, Rogue had taken off her boots and left them by the bed, then wandered back down the hallway to the kitchen, idly tugging at one of the long gloves she wore.
She took a few minutes to poke around the kitchen and never noticed when the shower cut off. Finally, she decided to get some water and poured herself a glass from the tap. Just as she was turning around to head back to the bedroom, she found herself nearly walking headfirst into a very broad, very naked chest and stopped at the last second, then looked up and gave the man a sassy smirk.
“Uh...hey, sugar. This your way of sayin’ hi or what? ‘Cause if so, ah gotta say that ah approve.” Her Southern accent was a heavy one, and bright green eyes studied him curiously from behind the stark white streak in the front of her auburn hair that threatened to drop into her face. “Or is this the part where you accuse me of breakin’ in?”
“Uh…” Steve never sounded so intelligent before. Bucky would probably be laughing his butt off right now since Steve’s cheeks took on a little more color. “Sorry, I...thought no one was here.” And now he was very grateful that he’d taken a clean pair of boxers into the bathroom instead of his original plan. Ahem.
“No. I’m not going to accuse you of anything.” Had a man his size ever had such an awkward look on his face? “I take it you live here, too now?”
“Accordin’ to the note ah got, you’d be right,” she said as she held up a slip of paper, then dropped it casually on the counter beside them. Easing back so she was just out of arm’s reach because, honestly, she didn’t actually want to hurt the guy, Rogue took in his full form, deliberately letting her eyes drag from toe to head and back down again.
“So what’s your name, pretty? Mine’s Rogue,” she declared before taking a sip of the nearly-forgotten glass in her hand. The fact that he was a blusher pleased her further, and all kinds of delicious ideas leapt to the forefront of her mind.
“Pretty?” This time Steve tightened his lips together. She talked like Tony...a Southern Tony. Yeesh.
“Steve,” he said then gave this woman a tight smile. Steve crossed his arms over his chest. The towel handed down...which didn’t really do much to hide anything. “Welcome to Goodland.”
“What’s the matter? Big strong guy like you can’t handle bein’ called pretty?” Smirking again, she mentally put his look and name together with the name Sam had given her - and with the Captain America she remembered, and inwardly blanched. Of course they had to do room her with this guy, but if he was from another world than he wouldn’t know her own sordid past.
“Thanks, sug,” Rogue replied, and after one more long look, she gave him wide berth as she slipped by to head for the couch. “So gimme the rundown on this place. The town, the apartment, our roommates, whichever.”
“Mind if I get dressed first?” Because wow he was done being stared at, thank you. For a wild moment Steve wondered what Nat would make of this girl, but was equally glad she wasn’t here. She might have thrown in with her.
Regardless of how she answered his question he returned to his room. A few minutes later he came out with combed hair, wearing a button down and a pair of khaki pants. (The neck of the shirt couldn’t fit around his neck.)
“Rogue,” he said as if trying the name out. Must be a codename, but if it was and she hadn’t given him her real name he’d respect her privacy and not ask further. “Our roommates are Scott McCall and Christine Chapel. McCall is quiet. Seems like a good kid.” Everyone was a kid to him. “Ms. Chapel is a nurse. Nice.” He didn’t know them well. “The town? Looks like New York but isn’t. That’s pretty much all I got. I’ve gone around on runs and it all looks right to me. Except the ostriches.”
“If you insist,” she replied with a little laugh, though he probably felt her eyes on his back all the way down the hall. By the time he returned, Rogue had finished off her glass and was lounging on the couch, appearing far more comfortable with this entire situation than she actually was. She was supposed to be meeting Charles, but wanted to put that off just a bit for as long as she could. There might’ve been a slight pout at seeing him now fully dressed, but Rogue didn’t comment right now.
“A nurse, and you. Ah wonder who’s brilliant idea it was to stick me in here.” Rolling her eyes a bit, she sat up somewhat. “Yeah, what’s the deal with the birds? Ah know that’s the name of this place, but whoever’s in charge does know most people don’t take that kinda thing literally, right?”
“You think you won’t fit in, or are you too cool for us?” Steve was feeling a little more on solid ground now that he was dressed. A bottle of water would help finish it. After shutting the door to the fridge he walked into the living room.
“No clue,” he said as he opened the water bottle. “They’re just kinda...there.” He shrugged then took a drink. “So you seem to be adjusting to this whole entity kidnapping you here thing. Does this happen to you often?”
“Just not big on roomies in general,” she replied easily as she watched him absently, not really as flirty now. When he went on, Rogue shrugged in return, practically echoing his own movement.
“Nah, but ah tend to just go with the flow. Easier to get through life that way.” Nothing had ever been permanent for her, even when she’d desperately wanted just one thing to be.
Steve thought he was beginning to see the real person which was a nice change from Marlene Dietrich. He came around the sofa to take a seat on one of the recliners. “Maybe you could ask this entity thing for your own place. Not that you aren’t welcome here, but you should be comfortable.”
Go with the flow. That was something that had been forced on Steve. He had never enjoyed it. He couldn’t imagine anyone would. “Doesn’t sound like a happy way to go through life.”
“Might think about that. Does this entity do that kinda thing a lot for people?” Rogue asked curiously as she ran a hand through her hair. Flashing him a small grin, Rogue followed it up with a laugh.
“Yeah, well, life is for surviving, right?” It was a flippant question, and since she wasn’t exactly in the mood to delve into deep conversations, she glanced down at her phone. “I’m supposed to meet someone soon at this coffes hop nearby. You know where it is?” And she rattled off the name.
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a shot, right?” Steve shrugged. So far he hadn’t been put out...other than being brought here in the first place. He worried about what was happening back home, but that was so far out of his control he couldn’t allow himself to stress about it too much.
“Life is for living,” he corrected. Just surviving was what pigeons did. People were better than that. He did go with the change in topic with a smile and a nod.
“Yeah I know where it is.” He stood up as he jerked his head toward the door. “C’mon. I’ll show you before I go job hunting.”
“Just a second,” she replied as she wiggled her bare toes in his direction as explanation for the delay, then slid gracefully to her feet and made her way back down the hall to the room she’d picked for herself. A couple minutes later, she returned with her boots on once again, laced to above the knee, and her gloves tugged back into place.
“Alright, I’m ready to go.” And on that note, she breezed past him and out of the door as though she didn’t have a care in the world.
She was a swift and nimble little thing. Steve watched her go off then come back covered hand to foot. He thought she’d die of heat stroke, but maybe this was some kind of rebel fashion statement. Who was he to judge.
He watched her zoom out the door, sighed then obediently followed.