Not Happy, Not Independent, but still a Day to be Remembered

[red_room]

It's two days before when Natasha finally remembers.

There's fewer channels than there used to be but the world has somehow kept on spinning after Thanos. People need a news source. There's a somber section tacked on at the end of the morning program reminding people to contact their remaining loved ones and be safe this coming Independence Day and that's it. The next thing Natasha knows she's shattering a perfectly good souvenir coffee mug Tony stocked this place up with and swearing up a storm because it's about to be the Fourth of July.

Now, Steve's never been big on birthday celebrations. Tony threw huge parties for him the first couple of years after they all came together on Independence Day half as a joke and half because no one actually knew when his real birthday was. It was Clint who finally got it out of him that, yes, all joking and propaganda aside this was his actual birthday. The jokes were twice as bad that year. Lately though things have been a lot quieter. The team started to fall apart. Steve and Tony never did see eye to eye.

And now...?

If Natasha doesn't do something for Steve there's a good chance no one will. Oh sure, people might make some blog posts or tag an abandoned building in Captain America's honor. It's touching. Sweet. But they're not friends nor are those wishes for Steve Rogers as a person. The man himself certainly isn't going to do it. If he remembers his birthday at all it'll be to sit in his room listening to old records sipping alcohol that won't affect him while he remembers people who are dead. Birthdays should be for the living.

It's about time Steve remembers he's got people here.

The spy scoops up her phone, fingers tapping impatiently at the lock screen so she can make a call.

"Rocket. Tell me you're in this sector. We've got work to do."

Comments

[ididntasktogetmade]

Keeping busy has been good for Rocket, all things considered. The harder he works, the less he has to think about stuff he'd rather not, and if there's a bright side to this shit it's that there's never a lack of something to do. Even if it's just something as simple as supply runs, or just giving his fellow Avengers a lift someplace.

The Benatar is his now, but it's too big for just one person. The Avengers compound ain't exactly home yet either, but at least there's people there, people he's slowly coming to care about, who're tryin' their best to keep shit together and help folks. So even if a whole universe needs help, he keeps coming back to Terra.

Like now.

His ears perk up as the sound of Natasha's ringtone cuts through his music, and he hits the button to cut the tunes and pick up the call. If the boss is calling, it's either really good news, or really bad news. "Yeah, just on my way back in. What's up?"