Suit up (Literally!) It's a Birthday Bash! (For Verity and Clint)

[smartass_captain]

Guess who's back in the Nexus. Well, mostly back in the Nexus. Jim is standing outside his world's door and calling Verity's phone.

What? Genius level repeat offender remember? He bought a phone in the Nexus and got her Number from Clint's phone a while ago.

It's the morning of October first. The Nexus' resident lie detector is getting a call from an unknown Nexus number. Does he have to leave a voice mail message?

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[smartass_captain]

"It's not ideal..." Jim admits. "But you can beam two people back on one pad. Not recommended though." Jim's just glad he and Spock were still the same and not each other or something weird the time they did it.

"And Verity doesn't need any trouble on her birthday. We're supposed to be showing her a good time, not a transporter malfunction."

Those two words are the bane of Jim Kirk's existence. He just doesn't know it yet at this point in his five year mission.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Just be ready to catch me on the other side," she suggests. "I don't want to be involved in an anything malfunction." Now this is starting to worry her. Not enough to stop her, but enough for her to take it seriously.

"Of course the disorientation may have been because the last transporter I was in has a retrofitted PINpoint to allow for cross-dimensional travel. I'm not sure Blaze's portal was anywhere considered safe for human habitation." When in doubt, talk it out. It must drive the boys crazy. But it's her birthday so they can deal with it. "Have you tried that yet, Jim?"

You know, maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that within hearing of a transporter engineer...

[aw_hawkguy]

"Will do," Clint promises, adding, "and I can give you the birthday gift of that going over my head." Hi, transporter operator. Don't mind the weird foreigners. It's all space, right?

[smartass_captain]

"Beaming between dimensions? No." JIm chuckles in a way that is half 'there's no way' and half 'could be fun'. The engineer makes a distinctly Captain, NO expression at the chuckle, too.

"Three to beam down." Jim nods toward the engineer at the station and then everything gets all swoopy and wooshy for a minute. Kind of tingly too.

The first thing Verity notices when they are all solid again is that they are inside, which is kind of a disappointment for sightseeing. The second is that they seem to be in an entryway of sorts leading to a sprawling staircase. Kind of looks like the lobby of a planetarium.

[brave_heart_verity]

Looks like she'll have something useful to teach them after all, if they want. Once she gets Samus to teach her how to do it. That is going on her "to do" list. But don't think she didn't notice the disbelief. "Well, maybe it wouldn't work with your teleporter."

That poor, poor engineer. And poor Scottie.

Verity's not nearly so dizzy this time. Stable gravity at the end helps. It was so sparkly.

Inside is a little bit of a disappointment, but she'll still look around curiously. Staircases are promising.

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint's ready anyway, just in case. "Was that a smoother ride, this time?" Clint asks Jim, "or am I just getting used to it?"

[smartass_captain]

"Hm? I think you're just getting used to it." Jim shrugs. He doesn't even notice it all that much anymore unless something goes wrong. He adjusts his jacket before extending a hand Verity's way.

Clint can take the other one. They have a lady to escort.

[brave_heart_verity]

She's happy to let Jim take her hand, but Clint will have to offer his arm because dresses like this don't have pockets so she's got one of those fussy little purses (oh gods when did she turn into such a girl?). It's all good, right?

"So have you been here before?"

[aw_hawkguy]

Offer his arm, he shall. See, Clint Barton knows how to act in a tux, really. That time he wrecked a hotel and punched some guys and shot the new Swordsman in the neck was totally a fluke. He gets into fights in a tux almost less than half the time he wears one.

"Uh, I haven't. But you weren't asking me. Right."

[smartass_captain]

Jim will start up the stairs and it's when they wander into the dining hall proper that the grandeur really starts to sink in. The domed planetarium esque ceiling is completely clear, giving a wonderful view of the neighboring spiral galaxy that fills the sky with it's milky light.

The lights themselves are dim, bright enough to see without detracting from the view above them.

"We were at a diplomatic summit here once." Jim affirms, finding a host to ask about their reservation. He called in more than a couple favors to get a table here on such short notice. The get a table on the upper deck, a grand view of not only the entire sprawling restaurant but also a better view of the sky above them.

"The wine list is nearly as impressive as the view." Jim smiles a bit. "Happy Birthday, Verity." Once they're seated he'll push the small package he'd been carrying across the table to her.

New icon JUST FOR THIS. <3

[brave_heart_verity]

Oh.

Wow.

It's a good thing she has the two of them guiding her because she's not looking down. She's barely going to lower her gaze long enough to sit when she realizes they've reached their table. The purse and the rose are set down more by touch than by sight.

"It's." It's beautiful and sublime and overwhelming. It's why those words were invented. It's the sort of thing you know you should look away from but by which you'd be happy to be blinded.

"It's--" It's starting to make her feel a little dizzy. She has to look away, closing her eyes and giving her head a little shake as if to clear it. "It's the sort of thing that makes people believe in gods." An odd statement, considering, but she seems sincere. "Thank you, thank you both. This is so nice of you."

She was just hoping for a card. Being remembered would have been enough for her. She's not sure what to do about being spoiled. And there's presents? Wow. She picks up the package with a curious smile and unwraps it.

New icon is cute! Also, can I just admire your narrative prose?

[aw_hawkguy]

"Wow, Jim," Clint murmurs, "your universe has all the best views." He's able to help guide Verity, though, as years of experience as an Avenger have honed his skills at keeping an eye on multiple places at once. (It's so nice that he has a degree he can use.)

At their table, Clint smiles from his seat, assuring Verity, "you're welcome. And happy birthday, Verity." Okay, sure, it's Jim's universe and Jim made the reservations, but Clint helped.

He'll wait until Verity's opened Jim's present before offering his own.

I second all of this.

[smartass_captain]

The package is small and rather amateurly wrapped. It's wrapper has outed himself as not much of a present giver in his life. Inside the small box is a small rather ordinary silver key and a pamphlet.

The pamphlet is a completed and paid for subscription to a 'coffee of the month' offer from the commercial district of the Nexus. It needs the shipping address filled out yet, and since Jim doesn't know where Verity's new home is, he's left it blank.

There's no note or tag associated with the key.

Aww, thanks guys! /blushing

[brave_heart_verity]

It's the thought that counts. And wrapping paper is meant to be a temporary situation, folding neat corners isn't really necessary. (Verity's the sort to match the pattern all the way around when she wraps a box, but then, she's a perfectionist with a lot of free time.)

She picks up the key and turns it over, then reads over the pamphlet. The idea of coffee is always sure to get a smile. "Ooh, this sounds nice. We'll enjoy this. Thank you." The shipping requirements can be dealt with later. Or maybe she'll arrange to pick it up in person and save the delivery being from having to deal with Naugus.

But none of that explains the key, which she holds up with a questioning look.

I mean it, you bring poetry to your prose.

[aw_hawkguy]

"You got her a space car?" Clint teases, mock-confused. (Although, seriously, he doesn't know what the key is for, either.)

He's got a point.

[smartass_captain]

There's a second key, actually. This one fished out of Jim's pocket and tossed Clint's way. He knows the archer will catch it. Probably. He didn't pelt the damn thing, it should be easy.

"They're spares. For my house in Riverside. I can get you guys coordinates later. If..." He looks like he doesn't want to explain much. Why they might ever be necessary. "If you ever need a safe place to stay." Safe. As long as Jim Kirk has a say in it, his Earth IS safe. "You've got one. It's the family house."

Thank you. You're both very sweet. <3

[brave_heart_verity]

The idea of a space car makes her giggle. She knows how to drive a regular car, but adding a third dimension and subtracting much practical experience is a recipe for disaster.

Her gaze follows the second key into Clint's hand, and then she looks back at Jim while he's talking. And now she's speechless and crying a little bit. The latter part she tries to hide, but between makeup and glasses it's hard to get to the tears before they're noticeable. "Oh." There will be more words later, but for now, she takes his hand and gives it a squeeze.

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint catches the key because of course he does, though he nearly drops it again at what Jim says--not because he doesn't want it, but because he's surprised. "Oh. Wow. Jim... thanks. That's not saying enough, but... wow. Thanks."

No one who knows him has ever accused Hawkeye of eloquence.

[smartass_captain]

"Clint got you something too." Jim is fiddling with the wine menu, clearly a little bit uncomfortable with all the attention. It's not that big of a deal, it's just a house. It had never been a home, not to him. Except it was. And maybe, just maybe, giving his new family access to it would make it into a home. Not because they were even using it.

Because good things could finally come from those four walls.

He appreciates the hand squeeze. It gives him something else to focus on.

"S'what family is for, right?"

She will be the Queen of Pinterest!

[brave_heart_verity]

Right. She knows Clint got her something too, and she'll be excited about that in a minute, so stop rushing her. It's not going anywhere.

"Thank you." It's not nearly enough, but he's already looking uncomfortable and she doesn't want to make it worse. Plus, she still can't think of any words that are close to enough. She'll find other ways of thanking him. There's this whole probably-empty house that needs attention... "You two are the best family."

She gives Jim's hand another squeeze before finally turning her attention more to Clint and his present. "Your turn."

Your majesty!

[aw_hawkguy]

"Well, it's not a house," Clint admits, as the box when opened reveals... folders. A stack of folders, stamped with the various Avengers logos from throughout the years.

"I know you like stories," he explains, "so I pulled some copies of field reports--what actually happened on our missions, the stuff that doesn't make the news."

[smartass_captain]

"Yeah well, no one's lived in that house for about six years now. It's a contingency plan. If..you know. If either one of you or both need it." If either one of them needed to lay low for a while. If something happened to the Nexus again. If, god forbid, another planet went pop. It's not their home world, but it is their home now.

Just like it's Jim's. His mother gave it to him after Frank passed away, and well. Jim hadn't been able to get rid of it, even though he'd wanted to at the time.

"Holy hell, Clint. Isn't this like ten kinds of breaking the law?" He sounds impressed, not upset. That's the Kirk/Barton/Willis way!

[brave_heart_verity]

They'll make it a home again. Together. That's what family is supposed to do, right? If nothing else, it's a place to host Thanksgiving dinner. (They have to have Thanksgiving together, they're her family and she needs to feed them.)

"I'm sure it won't be hard to make it comfortable again," she remarks as she looks through the folders. Some of the names and places she recognizes, and it isn't long before she smiling in anticipation. "Oh, thank you! This will be fun."

[aw_hawkguy]

Clint offers Jim a shrug and a grin. "Who keeps a secret better than Verity?"

"Hey, yeah, we can make it all home-y." Thanksgiving dinner would be nice. Having a family for Thanksgiving would be really nice.

Yes family Thanksgiving dinner!

[smartass_captain]

Jim's not quite sure how they're going to get to Riverside at the moment, considering his door leads to his ship....which is definitely not anywhere close to the end of the galaxy Earth is at the moment. And moving farther every day.

He will have to be introduced to Nexus tech. For now he's just glad they seem happy.

Especially Verity, because birthday girl.

"Glad you like your gifts then." He smiles. Jim means it, too. "Hope these two idiots did a bang up job at something." Jim grins self depreciatingly. How he manages to make that look cocky even is beyond mortal men.