@starspangledboy liked the valentines day starter call!
Valentine’s Day, even now, as death lurked in every corner of the world, retained it’s undeniable presence among all those who lived to see it. Deals had been made far and wide to counteract such obstacles as rations, lack of money, lack of everything, to ensure a wonderful day for lovers and couples at large, and Ashley had been more than eager to oblige.
For a tube of lipstick from the make-up supply box, she’d received a bottle of red wine. For a box of stationery and some pencils, an exchange by the Belgian border for some chocolates. For a locket she’d once kept pictures of her parents in, both now kept safe in her trunk, a radio, which, despite being old and battered, held more value now than ever before.
Once she’d arranged them carefully, Ashley then discarded the notion of dressing up; not that there was much to dress up in. A skirt borrowed from one of the few dancers she considered friends, and an old sweater she wore back home, sleeves stopped just above her elbows ( to save on the precious threads of wool, of course ). All in all, she was just about ready, and had been ready to sit down on the edge of his bed when she heard the familiar footsteps outside.
The smile couldn’t have been held back by anyone nor anything when he walked in. But saying the words felt somewhat uncertain. As if she might have forgotten the date, or maybe it no longer existed, swept away along with most of their traditions from before. So instead, she rose to her feet and walked over to him, each step careful and balanced, as if the floor beneath would fall apart otherwise. Once her hand rested against his, a shy caress of thumbs, a stolen kiss of skin, she felt her smile grow a little more.
“Hey…” A rueful chuckle escaped her, and she glanced up at his eyes; those impossible blue pools in which she almost drowned every day. “Is now a good time?” She found herself inquiring, a force of habit when she could never be sure if he was too tired, or about to leave on a mission, or preparing for the next day of strategies and theories and planning. The truth was, none of the time lately was much good. But he rarely ever confessed to that. And so she would, inevitably, follow suit.
Exhaustion had rather become the norm for Steve lately-- there wasn’t a day now where the blond felt truly well rested and there wasn’t a night where he wasn’t tossing and turning with thoughts racing in his skull. It became overwhelming at times. He’d been a thinker when he was smaller, but this serum enhanced literally everything and he found that went tenfold for his mind as well.
Steve knew his day would be busy, considering the date. Many a soldier down in the dumps, hitting the bottle the moment they wake up to forget about wives or girlfriends and children back home. Others, writing to their sweethearts, telling stories to anyone who would listen. Others still, flirting with the dancers and nurses, trying to woo them-- with how lonely the war could make people, it generally worked with some.
Steve was lucky enough to have his sweetheart right here with him.
And knowing it would be so busy this day, the soldier had been smart enough to do his shopping around for gifts days before-- even weeks before, when he was able to escape and get some personal time for once. He’d never taken advantage of the so-called wealth he accumulated with his act, but he’d damn well take advantage of it now.
After bidding farewell to very few friends he’d made, the blond was finally free for the day-- not many had assumed he would have plans, and perhaps he didn’t, but he was planning on making it special for Ashley. She deserved it, after all. After all the Valentine’s they’d given each other over the years, when he was small and they chatted for hours in the diner. The times when they would walk together in the park, or near the water-- the chill biting in at Steve’s frail bones, but he always offered her his jacket anyway.
He couldn’t stand the thought of seeing her cold, and he’d suffer for it if it meant she’d smile his way. Her smile got him through a lot. A beacon of light in his darkest days.
The blond feels something is off the moment he steps near his quarters, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end, like an aggressive dog sniffing out intruders in his territory-- though despite being on edge as he enters, Steve releases a content sigh upon settling bright blues on the woman in question. He drinks her in as she steps toward him, a smile cracking the exhaustion in his features. He’s alight now, with an eagerness that only Ashley could pull from him.
“Hey,” He rumbles softly, the touch of her hand to his has Steve’s eyes hooding as he gazes down at her. Her touch feels like home, and as he forces himself to drag his gaze off her to inspect their surroundings, take in everything she had done just for this special day, Steve feels his heart flutter-- it reminds him of his pre-serum body, and if this wasn’t home right now in this moment, he didn’t know where it could be.
Instead of answering her question, he simply turns his attention on her once more with a lop-sided grin. He lifts her hand in his slowly, above their heads, and takes a small step back so he can twirl her slowly and get a good look at all she’s wearing. The soldier releases a low whistle of appreciation, head tilting and a wink filled with boyish charm tossed her way as soon as she’s facing him again. “I gotta be the luckiest fella alive, darlin’.”
His accent is a little thicker-- it tends to do so when he’s tired, and although he is a little tired, he’s never too tired to spend a night with his doll. Steve pulls her into him, hands shifting to place on her hips gently to hold her in place. She really does look like a hundred bucks. Beautiful, breathtaking. She always was gorgeous. “You ain’t gotta fuss over me like this, doll. But...”
He can’t deny it, he’d gone a little all-out himself. Shifting and side-stepping, he very hesitantly releases his hold on her before moving to his chest at the foot of his cot. Crouching, Steve pauses before opening the lid, waving her over-- once she’s closer, he reaches out to shift her so she’s seated on the edge of the bed once more. “Got somethin’ for ya.” he admits bashfully, pulling out a corny Valentine’s card and a small box of chocolates, topped off with a small sketch book. The book, contained many pressed flowers. Flowers from his travels, dried and pressed between the pages.
“I know it ain’t much, but.. it reminded me of when we used to stay up all night in the diner.” he chuckles, shifting himself so he can sit on his heels, hands braced on either side of the woman, one even daring to shift and smooth over her calf adoringly. He’d pray to this woman, absolutely. And his position on the floor now, he certainly looked as if he were doing so. “Snackin’ and talkin’ poetry and, y’know... those cheeky cards we used to get each other.”