[OPEN] apple pie is officially banned from this party, aka Steve Rogers' birthday

[anotheroldsoldier]

who: ANYONE
what: 616 Bucky, Peggy, and 616 Tony throw a birthday party for Steve.
when: July 4th, afternoon into the evening
where: A nice park
warnings: Birthday fun. :v


Steve Rogers, former (and still) Captain America, was born on the Fourth. It was pretty much fated. That said, he deserves a party that has nothing to do with Independence Day, and that's what Bucky, Tony, and Peggy set out to do. They rented a nice little park with some good open, grassy space perfect for a pick-up game of football (American, of course). On one end of the park, in the relative shade of a couple of large trees, they've set up two long tables - one for food, and one to deposit presents for the birthday boy on. The picnic tables already in the park have nice blue tablecloths to eat on. A banner hung between the trees proclaims, "Happy Birthday, Steve!", in blue letters on white.

The decor tries to stay away from Fourth of July colors - there isn't a speck of red, just shades of blue and white, and it's all very put-together and classy looking (thank you, Peggy and Tony). It's the sort of party they thought Steve would want, outdoorsy and casual, just a gathering of friends and whoever else wants to come by to wish the birthday boy a happy one.

Invites
Invitations have mostly been word of mouth and texts sent to people Steve is friends with, nothing too fancy. They just say to drop by and wish Steve a happy birthday, have some food, and spend some time hanging out; Rogers wouldn't want anything fancy anyway. That said, they won't turn anybody away from the barbecue if someone decides to just crash the party, as long the behavior stays respectful.

Food
The food is mostly standard American barbecue fare. Two large grills have been set up near the tables and someone (often Bucky) is usually cooking on them - an array of burgers, hot dogs, steaks, even some ribs and chicken. Side dishes are laid out on the food table, the usual simple things. Here and around the picnic tables are a good place to mingle; there's plenty of food for everyone, and metal tubs full of ice and bottled soft drinks. There isn't much alcohol present at this party, though, just one of the tubs set aside with beers in it.

There's also a massive cake for Steve, with close to a hundred candles dotting its layers - Bucky's idea, payback for the time he couldn't see his own cake for all the candles.

Tossin' the Old Pigskin
They're all (mostly) adults here, so there aren't 'party games' necessarily, but there are a couple of footballs and some frisbees in the grass for anyone who wants to play a game in the lush field. Just be careful if the heavy hitters decide to arrange a game, it could get pretty out of hand.

Comments

[buildsomething]

[Tony will admit that he probably hasn't been paying as much attention as he could have. It's pretty easy to get lost in his head, even when he's feeling a little uncertain about things.

That said, he doesn't think Steve is paying too much attention either, given that he's suddenly offering Tony ice cream. Tony blinks once and then graces him the driest expression he's capable of before he's even registered the impulse.]

Brain freeze? Really?

[And after all of the unimpressed looks about capisicle jokes, too.]

[stevegrogers]

[ In his defence, he felt in over his head and it took away from his pay attention to everything delightful feature. Regarding Tony for a moment, he took a few more minutes drinking his ice cream float to save himself from having to answer right away.

Civility on his birthday? Why should he expect that? ]

Does that mean you don't want any?

[buildsomething]

[Oh, Tony knows that look, and he resists the urge to sigh. Apparently they're back to catching on each other's edges every time they talk. Not one of Tony's favorite stages.

But they got through that once, and they can do it again. So Tony makes himself settle, crosses his arms across his chest, and lets one side of his mouth kick up slightly.]

Sure. Why not?

[stevegrogers]

[ The defensive air on Tony's end nearly earned a sigh but he managed to keep it in. Offering a lopsided smile instead, he grabbed for another cup, soda and ice cream to mix everything together. He held it out for Tony to take when he finished. ]

I'm glad you came.

[ He really wanted things to be different between them. But he couldn't just assume Tony decided to come for his sake. ] How are you settling in?

[buildsomething]

There are three of me. [It's deadpanned as Tony reaches to take the cup, but it really says it all. He can't help but shrug a little.]

Everything is weirder than usual and I think I've given up on trying to make sense of it. But hey, happy birthday.

[He punctuates it by lifting the cup in a small, lazy salute. There, that was almost normal.]

[stevegrogers]

[ In a very rare show of emotion, Steve shook his head and responded with: ] But you mean a lot to me. [ Even without all the memories of what transpired, Steve knew there had to be lingering doubts. Fears, nearly, of their bond not meaning much in the end. Not as much as with others. Abandonment issues scattered through both of them, driving them at times in the very worst ways. ]

Tell me about it. I never thought I could get weirder than ending up unfrozen in a future time era but this wins. [ With a tiny widening smile, he nodded his head. ] If anyone can figure it out, you can, Tony.

[buildsomething]

[And Tony just. Stops. Goes completely still in the process of raising his cup to his mouth.

It's exactly what he wants to hear. Almost worryingly so. But Steve still doesn't know all the details and Tony doesn't know how to explain them.

Not something he's going to do on the guy's birthday, regardless. So he forces himself to continue the movement and take a drink, even if he makes a slight face at how sweet the thing is.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. [If he was aiming for sarcastic, it doesn't quite make it. But points for trying.

Tony clears his throat.]

Yeah, maybe. I don't even know what I'm working with at the moment.

[stevegrogers]

[ The pure surprise on Tony's face made Steve pause as well. The words weren't exactly a revelation were they? Apparently so with the way Tony reacted and it twisted up his heart for some reason. Had things really turned so sour between them that even a kind word shocked Tony so completely? ]

Always. [ He murmured the word softly, drinking more of his ice cream float, delighting in the sweetness since he could never really stand it before the serum. Then waking up after the ice never really allowed him much time to indulge in sugary treats. ]

[ With a sigh, he nodded his head. ] I was going to go for a walk later to explore things. Do you want to go with me? [ If Tony rejected his offer it just might sting more than he'd ever admit to. ]

[buildsomething]

[Tony shifts a little, not quite sure what to do with the intensity Steve is throwing at him. But after a moment, he nods once.]

Sure.

[His mouth flickers into a quick, only slightly uncertain smile. They're going to have to figure each other out again, one way or another. And even if Tony's not completely looking forward to it, they do really need to talk.]

Be good to get a sense of the place. And I know you won't let me get eaten. [He can at least try to give a little honesty back.]

[stevegrogers]

[ Letting out a slow breath, he nodded his head, wanting more than anything to put the rest of the pieces together. Pieces he knew he wouldn't like but needed nonetheless. They needed to talk and doing something proactive would make both of them feel better. ]

Nah, it'd be too much paperwork to let you get eaten. [ Smiling timidly, he gestured over to all the food. ] Have you eaten anything yet? [ He remembered all too well how Tony never took very good care of himself. ]

[buildsomething]

[Well, they've apparently made it through the first bit of awkward. Tony lets out a long breath of his own.]

What, doesn't your ice cream nightmare count? [He salutes Steve with the glass and takes another sip. Still too sweet, but it's honestly not that bad.]

[stevegrogers]

[ With a mock gasp, he tried to look affronted as possible as he finished his ice cream paradise. ]

Too sweet for you, Stark? I'll keep that in mind when I offer you things. [ He gestured over towards the table and the grill. ] Might be something more to your tastes over there.

[buildsomething]

[Tony rolls his eyes, but there's no actual irritation behind it.]

Yes, fine, I get it. I'll eat something. Just for you.

[stevegrogers]

[ A tiny smile tugged at his lips and he nodded his head in a pleased way. It nearly felt like a breath of fresh air and he felt a little less on edge because of it. ]

Happy birthday to me indeed. [ With a wink, he walked over to the glorious table of food, picking up a plate for Tony to hand to him. ]

[buildsomething]

Is that really all it takes? [The look Tony gives him is all dry as he plucks the plate out of Steve's hands. And he's well aware that he's going to need to start filling it soon, before Steve takes it upon himself to do it for him.]

I'll keep that in mind.

[stevegrogers]

I'm really easy to please. [ The response held a hint of something else because Steve never expected anything and tended to be surprised when anyone focused on him for anything. Well, besides saving the world and being Captain America. Though, he supposed the latter didn't matter now since he already felt the persona had slipped away from him. ]

[ Nudging Tony forward, Steve grabbed for two burgers but mostly filled his plate with sweets. ]

[buildsomething]

[Tony huffed a little at the push, but obediently went to gather a few things, even as he shot Steve a look out of the corners of his eyes.]

Yeah, that's a lie. [It's teasing, though, given the faint smile on his face. And then Tony straightens and gives him a dramatically serious look in what's clearly an impression of Steve's own severe expressions.] 'You can't just buy the Dodgers, Tony.'

[stevegrogers]

[ Oddly enough, at least with the two of them lately, a tiny smile in return filled Steve's face. How ridiculous but he felt pleased Tony started piling food on his plate all the same. ]

Okay, first off I do not sound like that OR look like that. [ He shook his head with a slight laugh. ] And second, you can't just buy the Dodgers! People don't just do that on a regular Tuesday evening.

[ He paused for a second. ] Besides, you weren't buying them for me.

[buildsomething]

[Most people aren't also multi-billionaires, but Tony resisted the urge to point out that little piece of obviousness. Instead he just turned to give Steve a look as he finished balancing out his plate.]

Who else would I have been buying them for?

[stevegrogers]

[ Well, it finally happened - Tony managed to struck Steve speechless. It took him almost a minute to be able to say anything because really? After the initial surprise wore off, a bright smile filled his face in its wake. Who would have ever thought Tony Stark had such a sentimentality for him of all people. ]

Well, now, you know I'm happy with much less. [ He nodded at the plate of food Tony had. ] But what would people have thought, Tony. Such a grand gesture and all.

[buildsomething]

That's...kind of what I do. [Tony quirked an eyebrow at him.] Grand gestures. You've met me, right?

[Not that he'd ever been entirely serious about buying a baseball team, mostly because he knew Steve would never have actually gone for it. Tony had pretty much just said it to tease him, the first time. Back when they were still working out how to navigate their respective emotional minefields.

It's strange to be back there again. Slightly wary, but trying. At least they know where most of the limits are now. Which was why Tony shot him a too-innocent look and popped a potato chip into his mouth.]

It's funny how you can get all squirrely over getting a sports team as a gift and not, say, a multi-million dollar piece of armor.

[stevegrogers]

[ The dynamic they shared with one another never made any sense and Tony pushed him unlike anyone else, which at times he enjoyed because it kept him questioning. They saw the world in completely different shades and Steve appreciated Tony's outlook and approach far more than he would ever admit to.

Like the guy needed any help in the ego department.

With a roll of his eyes, he picked at a few chips on his plate. ]

Grand gestures all have different places they come from. [ He would have said more but the next quip took all his attention away. ]

Well, that is used for good and helping others. But what in the hell costs multi-millions that I have - [ With a stricken look, he fixed the sentence with - ] Had. [ Being without the shield made him feel naked, the same without the uniform. He knew he put far too much emphasis on both but what else could he really do? ]

[buildsomething]

[And Tony just barely resisted the urge to wince in return to that look. There was a lot tied in with Steve's shield at the moment. For both of them.

In true Stark style, he attempted to counter by looking as unconcerned as possible. Because that would definitely help.]

You know I had to craft most of that body armor specifically for you, right? [For most of them, really. Not just the fitting by the alloys, making sure that they were flexible enough for the ridiculous nonsense Steve pulled without blinking.

It wasn't like he'd minded. But some serious work had gone into that gear.]

[stevegrogers]

[ For a silent moment, Steve regarded the words and eventually a smile lit up his face again. Dwelling on certain things wouldn't help anything and he knew he needed to come to terms with it. Here in this place, he wouldn't be Captain America either, and it would take some getting used to. ]

That means you had to spend a lot of time on my form huh? [ He ate a few more chips, the smirk remaining on his face. ] You probably know the lines of my body better than anyone. [ Messing with Tony would be preferable than his inner emotional breakdown. ]

[buildsomething]

[Tony paused for half a second before both his eyebrows lifted. That was...almost a dirty joke. Who knew Captain Language had it in him?]

Sure. I probably know more about your body than you do.

[He can't help but smirk back. Two can play at that game.]