11249/Poolside, Avenger's Mansion

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Poolside, Avenger's Mansion
Date of Scene: 20 May 2022
Location: Avengers Mansion - Rooftop Pool
Synopsis: Steve and Janet have an idle afternoon chat in (near) the Avenger's mansion pool.
Cast of Characters: Janet van Dyne, Steve Rogers




Janet van Dyne has posed:
There are few bigger flexes in New York than real estate, and a rooftop pool is one of the best ways to do it.

It's also a necessity for the Avengers; the paparazzi are everywhere and the celebrity status they carry is enough to make fans come out of the woodwork in droves once anyone gets made in public.

Janet's poolside; she's wearing a retro-style bikini right out of the 50s, white and yellow and black with contrasting solids, stripes, and polkas. And naturally, tailored for her. A pair of platform pumps in pristine white are next to her deck chair in the shade. The late afternoon sun is still warming the waters, and Janet's sheltering under a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, phone held close to her face to keep the glare off the screen. A gossamer robe in a kaleidoscope of colors flutters in the stray breeze from time to time, and Janet's ever-present secretary is sitting in the shade not far off in case Janet suddenly faces the looming threat of her ice-cold margarita running empty.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Nobody's gotten Steve into a Speedo yet; not out in anything resembling public anyway, so it's hardly a surprise that he comes to the pool wearing a pair of blue-and-white swim shorts. Fashionable they aren't, really, but they're functional, and that's more his speed. It's one of the first really nice days in the year, so he's honestly surprised to see the pool deck mostly empty. Maybe they've all gone out?

    He shrugs and heads over toward Janet, leaning down to offer her a kiss on the cheek, presuming she can pull away from her phone long enough. "Fancy seeing you here. Decide to take your meetings poolside? Or are you done for the day?" He has a towel and water bottle, too; he turns to set them down nearby. Clearly planning actually /use/ the pool.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet tears her eyes away from her phone long enough to flash a dimpled smile up at Steve when he arrives. Fingertips touch the side of his jaw and she returns the kiss to his cheek with like in kind. "I took a mental health day," Janet says, not really explaining anything at all. "By which I mean, I was staring at the wall in my office and realized it's too nice to sit inside looking at TPS reports. So I thought I'd come out here and enjoy the sun. And there's construction on the bridge, so sunning on my deck is no fun."

She sits up in the chair and curls her legs close, propping her weight up with one hand behind her and reaching for her margarita with the other. "What about you? No HYDRA goons to regulate? SHIELD resting happily between crises, for once?" An impish grin crosses her face and she lowers her glasses a little to give Steve an impudent glance.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    "TPS reports? What're those?" Sometimes the fact that Steve was born over a hundred years ago just doesn't show at all, and sometimes it sneaks in and blindsides the conversation. Most people who look his age wouldn't be looking at Janet with an honestly curious expression, a boyfriend trying to be interested in his girl's work. They'd have at least /some/ clue it's a reference.

    "As for me... been trying to find the right time to go visit Peggy. I hear she's doing okay, but... well..." He sighs. "It's HYDRA. Whatever they did, it can't be good." A shrug, and then he adds with a grin, "Anyway, we've /finally/ gotten some good weather, so I guess I... took a mental health day, too? Used to be we'd go to Coney Island or something, but I'd spend more time signing autographs than relaxing."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I took care of that for you," Janet tells Steve. "Peggy, I mean." She grins in delight at his reaction, moving her bronzed shoulders back and forth with a happy wiggle. "I popped into her office today. I mean, I wanted to check on her too," she clarifies. "And she disappeared before I could give her the new materity outfits last time. I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again. She gets kidnapped a little too often."

"Anyway, we've got dinner with her and Dan. 7 PM, at Rao's," she clarifies. "I figured they could use a night out and we haven't done anything with them in forever. So--" She spreads her hands like she's presenting a miracle, palms up and shoulder width apart. "I am prepared to be showered with your gratitude," she declares, assuming a beatific expression.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve's shoulders sag with relief. "/Thank/ you. I mean it. I've been trying to figure out how to just... 'pop over' but I think I was afraid she'd have... forgotten me or something. But thanks." He leans down to, indeed, shower Janet with kisses in gratitude, maybe muss her up a little.

    But her assistant's /right there/, so it's relatively brief before he straightens and stretches. "If we've got dinner at 7, I'd better get some laps in so I don't wind up with a cramp. Or is that /after/ eating?" He paces over toward the diving board, adding, "How is she, then? Doing okay? How's the, uhh..." He kind of gestures at his midsection.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet sure doesn't seem to mind the extra affection, regardless of who is around, and fingertips slip around Steve's neck to make sure he doesn't retreat until she's gotten a fair share of attention. When he breaks she emits a frustrated little sound but sits back against the lounge chair and watches appreciateively as he walks away.

"Hmm? Oh, no, honey, not tonight. Monday," Janet says. "Didn't I say Monday? Well I meant to. Anyway, you're off the hook," she promises him. Janet downs the last sip of her margarita and starts looking for her assistant, only for him to smoothly swoop in and swap the empty glass for a freshly chilled full one.

"And yes, Peggy is officially hella pregnant," Janet tells Steve, and makes a ballooning motion near her midsection. "Beyond that I don't know much in the way of details. She's like what, two months out? I told her she can use my suite at the hospital for the delivery, but I'unno if she's gonna take me up on that. I just want to keep the baby away from those nerds at the Triskelion, I don't trust 'em not to try and turn 'em into a meta on the way out," she says with a derisive snort.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    "Hey, they're good people over there. I'm sure they're just as worried about Peggy as we are." A pause, and Steve frowns. "...Can't really put it past them to try, though, I guess. I thiiiink it's about two months out, yeah?" He shrugs as he comes to the base of the diving board. "Anyway, Monday works just fine. I can ask her all the 'oh are you okay' and 'aren't we glad HYDRA didn't freeze you' questions then."

    He paces out onto the board. "Oh, speaking of kids--how's Nadia? I haven't seen her in a while, not since that whole business where you went off and rescued her." Again. Because everyone in their lives has a habit of getting kidnapped!

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"She's doing great," Janet says with a beaming smile of parental pride. "Absolutely running the show at GIRL. The spaceship thing was a slam-dunk success. The licensing rights for the hyperdrive system are going to be worth billions someday. The other girls are integrating really well. Some of 'em, they're struggling with host families and others elected to live on-site with counselors and adult supervision. They're just more comfortable in a dormitory situation than trying to connect with families. But Nats is keeping an eye on them and helping the real hard cases reset themselves."

"Nadia did say she'd love it if you came by the labs at some point," she reminds Steve. "You're welcome to swing in there, y'know. Just be prepared for fangirling from a bunch of adolescent former assassins. Hopefully none of 'em were hanging out with Bucky back then. That'd be awkward."

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve snorts. "Yeah, that... /would/ be awkward. But I'll drop in some time. I can handle autographs for the girls at GIRL." A pause, then he adds, "Bucky was there when we rescued Peggy, felt like old times. It was nice."

    He eyes the board, then takes a few swift steps toward the end and launches himself into the air. Not really a fancy dive, just a clean arc and cut into the water, then pulling himself across the pool with strong strokes to come up for air at the other end.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet watches the dive and the cross, though her appreciation is more in favor of the aesthetic view than any evaluation of technique. Her chair's abandoned and she crosses the concrete to sit in the pool near the deep end, laying down a towel so she can sit on the edge and let her feet dangle in the water.

"What's up with Bucky these days, anyway?" she inquires of Steve. "Is he still living with Wanda, or did they put the kibosh on that? I haven't spoken to him in..." she blinks. "God. A couple months?" she hazards. "I mean, that's not unusual for him, I guess," she allows. "I just figured he was off saving the world by cracking skulls somewhere."

Steve Rogers has posed:
    Steve reaches up a hand to sluice some of the water off his hair. "As far as I know. Last time I saw them together was when T'Challa took us to Wakanda, and they seemed pretty, uhh... tight, I think is the term? I don't see why they wouldn't be living together. I've got the same problem you do, he's busy all the time, I'm busy all the time. I guess that happens." Still a sad thing to face, growing apart as you get older. And they're both... /older/.

    He pushes off and swims back toward the deep end of the pool, not really challenging himself but more doing it because being in the water is enjoyable. "He ran up my back and threw knives at some guys," he says as he swims, proving he's /really/ not pushing himself. "That was actually pretty fun."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"I wasn't asking if they -should- be living together, I'm just asking if they still -were-," Janet clarifies. She flicks a few arcing fingertips of water in Steve's direction. "It just happened really fast for them, and that's not always a good thing. Especially in our little caped community. A little adrenaline during a fight, a brush with death, and next thing you know they're cohabitating and talking about getting a house in Manhasset. Then they break up. It's a vicious cycle," she says with a theatrical sigh. Janet puts her arms behind her head and stretches, twisting hips and ribs in opposite directions and gaining a soft but audible *crack* from her lower back.

"But I do agree you're busy way too often," Janet tells Steve. "Peggy at least respects the sanctity of date night. I think Fury starts these little global crises just so he's got an excuse to ruin date night," she says, and pouts at Steven.

Steve Rogers has posed:
    "Look, when I took on this gig I didn't /have/ date nights," Steve protests, though it's with a smile. "Hard as Bucky tried to help me out." He treads water for a moment, peering up at Janet, admiring her form silhouetted against the sky beyond. "If it really bothers you, I'll try to prioritize better. Maybe I need an assistant who can screen my calls. Only interrupt date night for world-ending crises."

    Then a frown. "You really worried about Bucky and Wanda? I mean, they seem happy enough, but you're right, it did all happen kinda fast." He shrugs. "I wasn't going to... y'know, pry. I'm glad we've avoided that cycle, though. God, who wants to live in /Manhasset/? I mean, it's pretty enough, but I'd miss the city."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
The solicitous offer from Steve provokes a pleased laugh from the socialite, and she smiles at him with approval. Janet props her arms up behind her to support her weight on her palms. Her feet wave in the water near Steve, kicking some gentle waves his direction. "Well, Bucky's just like his dog, he's all heart when you get down in there. And Wanda obviously cares about him a lot. She's always been... I'unno, standoffish? A little distant? Those two seem to be making it work though. So no, I'm not 'worried' worried. Just, uh..." She screws her nose up and looks skyward. "'Concerned'? That still feels too much of a word. It'll come to me."

"But yeah, the suburbs-- I think that would literally kill me. White picket fences and overly-friendly neighbors? The city has -character-, it's alive and breathing. We're in the art and culture capital of the world here. Plus the commute would suck," she observes. "And we'd have to deal with an HOA. There's a reason I bought my whole building, and it's that homeowner associations are miniature tyrannies. If I gotta live in a dictatorship, I'mma be the only dictator."

Steve Rogers has posed:
    "My apartment building's not so bad. Pezzini and Becker live in the same building, although I never see 'em lately. They both went and got boyfriends." Steve chuckles and shakes his head. "My landlord's not a problem, doesn't seem /entirely/ star-struck by Captain America living in the place, so..."

    He turns around in the pool to float on his back and peer up at the sky, one eye squinting a bit to keep out the sun. "I mean, I grew up in the city, I love it. Can't imagine living anywhere else. I guess people are happy enough, but..." A shrug. He ponders the sky for a long moment. "You coming in, or making dinner plans? The world isn't ending, I wouldn't say no to a burger."

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"If I get my hair wet, it's gonna take forever to dry and I'll just have to re-style it," Janet says. She gets to her feet and wipes them dry on her towel, then bundles it up and tosses it onto her lounge chair. Sitting, she puts on her pumps, then shrugs into the near-translucent robe and loosely belts it across her bare midsection. "But I'm ready for a bite to eat too. You finish your swim, give me ten or fifteen minutes to get dressed." She walks to the edge of the pool and hunkers down gracefully (in those heels even!) and gives Steve's wet brow a quick kiss. "Then I'll let you take me out for a bite to eat." She gives Steve's proud cheekbone a gentle caress and then heads away from the pool with a leggy stride towards the elevator leading to the mansion below.