Log: A March birthday

[punched_hitler]

Who: Steve, Winter, and a small group of friends (he would've invited Yelena, Kate, Cortana, Rue, Martin, and Jaeger)
When: March 10, dinnertime
Where: Winter/Yelena/Kate's apartment
Summary: A birthday dinner!
Warnings: None so far (warnings in any threads)



Steve maybe just kind of assumes Winter knows it's his birthday. So, it's not like he means for this to be a surprise party, exactly, but he does ask a small group of people he either knows are Winter's friends or thinks should be invited to get together for dinner on the 10th in Winter's apartment. And he doesn't bother to tell Winter, other than to somehow subtly make sure he plans to be home that night.

He can't imagine actually jumping out and yelling Surprise! at Winter is ideal. So, when Winter arrives back after work, it's simply to find that his friends are there and dinner is in the oven.

Steve is admittedly no great cook, but he also isn't sure he trusts the local restaurants right now. So he's been working on if not perfecting, at least learning to make a passable chicken casserole (and if anyone in said friend group doesn't eat meat, he'll make a vegetarian version as well). He knows it might be a little awkward for Cortana to sit through dinner with nothing to eat, so he's made up a little bouquet of colorful flowers to go on her plate so it's not just sitting empty.

He has asked people to bring something sweet (preferably chocolate) for dessert if they're able, figuring Winter can't possibly have too many treats. It is his birthday, after all! And Steve's learned to make enough chocolate cupcakes to go around so they can stick a candle on Winter's and sing him Happy Birthday at the end of the meal. Presents in addition to sweets are of course welcome but optional.

He's brought a couple of decks of cards if people want to stick around and play after dinner, but of course that doesn't have to be the only option for entertainment. And he absolutely makes sure everything is cleaned up again and in order before he leaves for the night.

Comments

[punched_hitler]

"Still gonna do better next time," he murmurs, but he won't push it. (He'll just actually do it, when the time rolls around.)

So he watches her, leaning forward a little. "Rue said tulips were in season."

[failedpromise]

Cortana is just a little bit entranced. "I've never really looked at a Tulip up close before." She's never experienced a lot of what would be considered normal human things, being a military AI.

"I don't know much about flowers." If she were still connected to a computer network, she could simply search information on them in a fraction of a second. It's strange, she thinks, how much has changed.

[punched_hitler]

"Mostly what I know is there are a lot of them, and I'm not sure I'd be good at growing them." He laughs a bit. "I can keep herbs in a window box alive, but flowers are different. Although I think tulips are pretty hardy. They're always some of the first ones you see in the spring, even when it's still cold."

And he likes the look of them. They're compact, but colorful. Still delicate, if hardy.

[failedpromise]

"Hardy, huh?" She examines the tulips again with a thoughtful expression. Then she smiles. "I like it."

If there's any intended symbolism, any potential commentary on Cortana's own fragile and yet enduring nature, it seems to be lost on her.

[punched_hitler]

That's okay, really - as long as she likes them, that's what counts.

"Thanks for coming, too. I know it means a lot to Winter." And Steve definitely likes seeing all of Winter's people together, for him.

[failedpromise]

"Well, Winter's friendship means a lot to me, too." If it's not already obvious. The both of them mean a lot to her, to be honest.

"Thanks for inviting me."

[punched_hitler]

"Absolutely." Steve's just as glad to have her here as Winter is. "It wouldn't be a party without the right people." And she's one of them.

[failedpromise]

She doesn't say anything to that, but a smile spreads across her face, radiant and beaming.

So many people she'd loved only saw her as a tool. Having people who care about her wasn't even something she thought was possible anymore after everything she did... and yet, here she is.