Trooper Station, Monday, May 17, 2021

[grenadesandohana]

Steve had missed work last week due to a slight case of...getting tortured (these things happened more often than he'd like), and then things had gotten complicated with Danny (which he was not thinking about) and then very messy for Annie (something he was also not thinking about because Google searching "how to kill a guy and leave no evidence" on a police computer was deeply, deeply stupid), so he was concentrating on things he could actually affect and that led to:

"Marksmanship practice time, guys," Steve said to the grumbling Troopers. "I'm going to win paintball this week."

Turned out that the Troopers couldn't aim for shit.

The Trooper Station was open! Watch out for flying paint.

Comments

[hatesparadise]

Look, they were fine. Everything was fine.

"Well, at least shooting shouldn't aggravate any of your injuries," Danny said as he found Steve continuing his Trooper boot camp.

[grenadesandohana]

"I'm fine, Danny," Steve said, hitting his target dead center.

Control the things you can control: Steve's personal mantra for when he was flailing in all other aspects of life.

[hatesparadise]

"Uh huh." Danny put a box of bribery donuts down for the troopers and Steve. "Ribs okay?"

[grenadesandohana]

"I didn't pull them that hard in class," Steve muttered.

He was a lying liar.

[hatesparadise]

"Do I need to drag you to the clinic?"

[grenadesandohana]

"Dragging would make them hurt more."

Don't be an ass, Steve.

[hatesparadise]

Danny just raised his eyebrows in a way that said 'try me'.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve made a face at him and shot the target again.

[hatesparadise]

"Have a donut," Danny said, rolling his eyes as he turned away to see the troopers descended on the box like armorclad vultures.

[grenadesandohana]

"I don't need a donut," Steve said. "I had a green juice."

Extra wheatgrass!

[hatesparadise]

"You're hangry," Danny shot back.

[grenadesandohana]

"That's not even a real word," Steve said, stomping over to get a donut.

The Troopers had already cleared out most of the good ones.

[hatesparadise]

"It most certainly is a real word," Danny replied. "And an accurate definition. You can't live off green juice."

[grenadesandohana]

"Why did you even buy the blueberry cake donuts?" Steve asked, glaring at Ralph who'd managed to make two Boston creams disappear despite wearing a helmet.

[hatesparadise]

"Because they're good dunked in coffee." And that was the only way they were good.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve wrinkled his nose up at that. "But then you have soggy donut floaters."

Or, even worse, gross chunks at the bottom of the cup.

[hatesparadise]

"Clearly you know nothing about proper dip protocol," Danny replied.

[grenadesandohana]

"I do not," Steve agreed easily. "Unlike others, I am not half malasada."

[hatesparadise]

"Ha ha ha," Danny replied. "If you're not gonna eat it, pass it over."

He said that last part to force Steve to eat the damn thing.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve broke it in half and handed part of it over.

[hatesparadise]

Which was... weirdly nice of him. And throwing Danny off a little as he'd expected Steve to down it. But it was fine. Everything was fine.

"Thanks."

[grenadesandohana]

"Welcome," Steve said. "Oh, I'll be home late tonight. Got a thing with Diego."

[hatesparadise]

"Should I get bail money ready?" he only half joked.

[grenadesandohana]

Steve thought about it a half-second too long. "Nah, I think we're good."

[hatesparadise]

"I don't like that pause," Danny replied.