ｂｉｒｔｈｒｉｇｈｔ( ᵃᵘᵗºᵖˡᵃʸ )

“I would’ve helped you if you said something before, you know.” James was pretty much a permanent fixture in the gym most days, and he did happen to know a thing or two about weight training. Still, something about his brother’s sudden interest in the extra workouts seemed off. “You’re gonna hurt yourself starting with weights like this.” 

He should probably go deal with the fact there’s murder being discussed amongst the team, but what would their little family be without the occasional threats of violence towards one another? If there was an actual situation going on, James would handle it. One of the perks of being team leader and all that. He only chuckles in answer, shifting off to the side a little so his sister has room to sit. He always had time for his siblings when they wanted to talk, but when they wanted to talk about feelings? Well, that was a different story. “Food’s better here---that’s nice. And I can actually go on a run without hitting a glass wall.” They were only semi-serious answers, since deflecting was what he did best. Leaving their safe little dome when they had and seeing the terrible apocalypse world outside hadn’t done any of them any favors. He still worried they’d all get sent back there if they somehow outlived their usefulness, but it wasn’t as though he’d willingly share those fears with the rest of the team. Instead, he nudges Torunn’s shoulder playfully, eager to turn the conversation away from himself. “You adjusting okay?”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Old-you also thought you could still pull off the goatee.” 

He wheezes, sound punctuated with a sharp cough. Just another hazard of the superhero gig, no guarantee of coming back in one piece all the time. He happened to be luckier than most, super soldier genetics already hard at work to repair the damage. These things just took time. The blond holds an arm out, shield brandished threateningly. If there’s one thing he hated, it was people trying to sneak up on him.  "Back off. 

Thinking before he acted had been something James was prone to doing even as a child, and it was something he was prone to doing even now. It would have been smarter to make sure the stranger he was running full speed at was in fact the person he was looking for, but he hadn’t made the connection it wasn’t until it was too late. He quite nearly skids to a stop a few feet away from the man, glancing back from the other’s uniform to the glowing weapon in his hand. That certainly wasn’t Cap. “Sorry, I thought---” He averts his gaze to the ground, nervously drumming his fingers along the side of his shield. Disappointment and a hint of sadness is evident in his tone. “You looked like someone I knew.” 

                    ‘ What DON’T your parents know how to do? ’                                               ‘ Have an ugly child. ’                        || indie & selective j.ames r.ogers of m.arvel universe 555326 ||                                                || penned by taylor ||

It’s not as though he really wants to sneak away from the team for a nap, it’s just that last mission took more out of him than it should have. A little extra beauty sleep seemed to be the obvious solution to that problem. Except, he should have known better than to think his absence wouldn’t be noticed. There’s noise from outside the room and he just knows one of his teammates got elected to come find him. He sits up and blinks his eyes open, voice still heavy with sleep.  “Somebody better be dying, Torunn.” 

“You should get the red one, it's pretty.” It’s a quiet observation, said from behind the safety of his phone screen. He’s not even sure if she wants his opinion on clothes, but it’s much too quiet in the department store for his liking and he so desperately wants to spend time with Natasha. 

He’s pointedly blocking the doorway, arms folded over his chest. It may be his best concerned team leader pose he’s pulled off to date. “Hill said you didn’t check in at the infirmary when we got back. You wanna tell me why?”