fandomhigh | Advanced Takeout, Monday, May 15, 2017

Steve...had no real concept of what time zone he was in right now. He was clinging to an enormous cup of coffee and dressed in his stealth suit. "Sometimes, you're hungry but are completely out of the will to cook and don't feel like leaving the comfort of your sofa," he began.

Tony somehow managed to be the bright-eyed and bushy tailed one of the pair today. Something was very wrong. "Or feel like talking to someone to get the food," he added. "Which means we'll be learning all about the wonder of online ordering."

He waved at the small collection of tablets for the students to pick up for this exercise.

"This is really one of the best things about living right now," Steve had to admit. "All kinds of food will just show up at your house."

"You will need money, though," Tony said quickly. "Cash or a credit card. Today will just be for practice, so these aren't live sites. Just some copies I dummied up for you guys."

Steve nodded. "Since food won't really show up, maybe pretend to explore a cuisine you haven't already tried. I like Thai."

"Next week we'll get you some real food," Tony promised. He'd have to put it in his calender to remember. "And practice the awkward delivery guy interaction that will become part of this whole process."

Please stop picturing either teacher as a pizza delivery boy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One teacher was going to the real website to order Thai before his co-teacher got more hangry.

Like you do.

The other teacher was clenching his jaw hard enough to break rocks, yeah. Bring on the Thai food!

"Bad trip?" Tony asked. Because you were going to crack a tooth there, Steve-o.

Steve nodded sharply. "Everyone's alive, but there were some...communication glitches. I have a meeting with Fury this afternoon."

"Communication glitches?" Tony asked slowly.

"Natasha was running from a different playbook than the rest of us," Steve said.

Tony did not look surprised by that. For some reason.

"She can be a bit... tricky to pin down. But you've spent more time with yours than I have mine."

"And if I had been looped in at the beginning, it would have been fine," Steve said, still frowning, "but learning halfway into an op that she can't be back-up because she's doing something else...that's how people get hurt."

Tony considered that, idly tapping his fingers on the desk. "Orders from Fury?"

"Probably," Steve said. "I'm going to ask today."

"Be ready to get the run around," he replied dryly.

But he was still concerned. It was almost as though CAWS was a mash up of Red Zone and Secret Invasion or something.

"Well, Fury," Steve said, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "He's not exactly a straight shooter."

"He is," Tony replied with a quick smile to attempt reassurance. "In his own way."

"On a scale of Fury," Steve said, "but I don't grade on a curve."

"You might have to learn to," Tony said, checking on the ETA of the food. He was trying to make sure students would be gone by then so he wouldn't feel guilty about not getting any for the class. "He's a good man. Even if I don't agree with him all the time."

Steve rolled his eyes.

This kind of moral absolutism would get him in trouble one of these days...

"I can't lead if I don't know all the parts in play," he said stubbornly.

It would never!

"That is a legitimate complaint," Tony agreed. "A team can't function without trust."

"Otherwise it's just a bunch of guys running around shooting guns," Steve said.

"Or a bow and arrows," Tony said, trying to lighten it up a little.

Yeah, it wasn't his best work.

Steve drained his coffee and dropped into a chair. "Yeah, or sharp sticks or whatever Barton's gonna use next."

Tony sighed, giving the back of Steve's neck a comforting sort of squeeze. "Offer stands to get SHIELD off your back."

Steve was basically a wall of tense muscle, so the little squeeze was very appreciated. "Thanks, but I'll pass this time," he said.

That was why Tony's hand lingered for a moment. Yes.

"Best advice I can give you here is to go with your gut." But stay flexible, he wanted go add, but... yeah.

Flexible was not really Steve's strong suit.

Steve nodded. "Better to clear the air, right?"

Re: Talk to the Teachers

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 16:22 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 16:31 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 16:33 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 16:48 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 16:51 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 19:46 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 19:55 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 21:22 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 21:28 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 21:49 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 21:54 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-16 22:14 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-16 22:18 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-17 01:20 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-17 01:28 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-17 01:35 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-17 01:46 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-17 02:12 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-17 02:37 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-18 01:30 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-18 01:53 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-18 20:30 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-18 20:48 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-18 21:38 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-18 21:52 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-19 01:01 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-19 01:03 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-19 01:14 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-19 01:16 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-19 01:27 (UTC) - Expand

imafuturist - 2017-05-19 01:39 (UTC) - Expand

heroic_jawline - 2017-05-19 01:54 (UTC) - Expand