fateandfortune | The Sweet Gestures Meme

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The Sweet Gestures Meme

the sweet gestures meme

Everyone loves sweet gestures—little things that remind someone that you love them, that you think of them, that you care for their general, and other things. A gesture could be made towards a friend, a family member, or some other loved one. Maybe towards a total stranger you think deserves something to make them smile.

prompts

1. LOVE NOTES ❤ Everyone loves love notes, and they don’t even have to be romantic. It could be simple as ‘have a good day at work’ or even something funny to brighten someone’s day.

2. BREAKFAST IN BED ❤ Especially on a Sunday morning or after a long, late shift at work, breakfast in bed with their favorite foods is surely the way to start the day off right.

3. PHONE CALL ❤ Who doesn’t like a phone call from someone they love, for no reason? A nice conversation can be all someone needs to have a better day or make a good day be a great one.

4. SWEET TREAT ❤ Late at night when you’re both tired from work or just general day-to-day things, something sweet from the local bakery can be just the thing you need.

5. MASSAGE ❤ While a wonderful idea, swapping massages can be a good idea too, or doing it after a nice bubble bath you made for them, or just randomly.

6. RANDOM HUG ❤ Even if they are not having a bad day, how could a hug not bring a smile to someone’s face?

7. SMALL GIFT ❤ It could be a piece of jewelry that caught your eye and reminded you of them, a stuffed animal you won at the carnival… just something small and sweet that you are sure they are going to love no matter how cheap or expensive it is.

8. FLOWERS ❤ From a florist or from a random patch of green, the surprise of flowers for someone you know and/or love is always welcomed! Look into their meanings to make the bouquet, big or small, become extra special.

9. RENT A MOVIE ❤ Sure, you might not like the genre of the movie, but if the other person does, then that is all that matters.

10. SLOW DANCE ❤ Middle of the living room, randomly while on a date, or maybe that is the whole purpose of the date. Slow dances are so underrated.

11. SURPRISE GETAWAY ❤ Yes, that is just what you guys need: a vacation from things, even if it’s just for a day or two and is not half way across the world. From a family vacation to a romantic spur of the moment, everyone loves going to a new place.

12. SURPRISE KISS ❤ Who doesn’t like a surprise kiss? A soft one on the cheek, a kiss being the thing to wake you up in the morning, or a big one right when you walk through the door.

13. HOLD HANDS ❤ There is nothing like holding hands. It’s a simple and intimate gesture, and if you do it the right way, it could have a whole different meaning.

14. COOK DINNER ❤ Come on, give it a go. Who cares if you’re not the best cook in the world or possibly the worst? It’s the thought that counts.

15. WILD CARD ❤ Was there something missed? Did you have another scene in mind? Want to roll again?

POSTED BY luuupin @ allmymemes

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At first, Steve thought he had gone and said exactly the wrong thing. Rogue had been understandably vague when discussing it that first day, but Steve could just imagine, with her powers being uncontrolled at the time, that physical intimacy had been a deal-breaker far too often with anyone she'd tried to get close with. And here he was, saying he'd really like to have sex with her. He was a complete idiot.

But then she wrapped her arms around him, and automatically, Steve's hands moved to hold her waist to steady her, the blanket caught between them and wrapped around her. He managed a nod and half-smile. "Not...worrying, exactly. More like... slightly anxious anticipation."

Steve was about to lean in and kiss her again, less chastely than previously -- when something hard hit and bounced off his back. Even as he began to turn his head to see what it had been (but not letting go of Rogue), he heard a woman shout "Jesse!" He saw her come jogging over to them, bending down to pick up some kind of large, bright green and black ball, vaguely shaped like a football, with spiraled grooves carved into it.

"I am so, so sorry!" she apologized, even as a boy of about 10 came up beside her. She turned and glared at him. "What have I told you about this thing?!"

Jesse shrugged, trying to look careless, but also obviously uncomfortable. Steve knew the feeling. "Not to throw it in the house?"

"NOT where people might get hit!" His mother corrected fiercely. "Now apologize!"

Jesse sighed, digging his toe into the ground and pushing his hands deeper into his cargo shorts' pockets. "Sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you."

Steve smiled, letting go of Rogue so he could fully face the boy. "It's fine, son. But-- maybe you should listen to your mom when she tells you something. It-- she's just trying to look out for you, so you don't get in trouble."

Looking even more uncomfortable, Jesse just nodded.

Not sure what possessed him to do it, other than the weather and the good mood he was in, Steve jerked his head. "Tell ya what. Only time I ever got in trouble was when I didn't listen to my ma. Wanna see how I turned out?" He moved over to his bag, picked it up and came back over to Jesse and his mother. He knelt down and said softly, "Can you keep a secret?"

Jesse's eyes grew big, and he looked at his mother, who shrugged helplessly, just as confused as he was. Finally, Jesse nodded.

"Always listen to your mom," Steve said, before opening his bag, just enough to reveal the edge of his shield, "and maybe someday you can be just like me."

"Whoa, cool! You're--!" he stopped just short of shouting the whole thing, catching Steve's wide-eyes and the finger he'd thrown against his lips to signal silence. Jesse nodded frantically, bouncing in place with excitement.

Handing the ball back to her son, his mother said, "Go back to your friends. Play out in the field, not near the blankets!" She shouted after him, before turning back to Steve. Her eyes were still a little wide, and she said again, more fervently, "I am so sorry!"

Standing back up, Steve shook his head with a smile. "It's no problem, ma'am. Just, uh-- don't hold this over his head, except for the really important stuff, okay?"

She laughed a little. "Does doing his homework count?"

Steve shrugged. "Only until about 10th grade."

Eyeing Steve speculatively, she nodded. "I'll take it. I'm sorry, for the interruption." She glanced over quickly at Rogue, before smiling at them and starting to turn. She stopped midway, though, and turned back to say fervently, "Thank you. For--" she nodded at his bag. "What you're doing. It means a lot, to a lot of people."

Steve nodded again, watching as she began to pick her way back through the sea of people and blankets and baskets, back to her own spot.

Slightly anxious anticipation. That was certainly a phrase she could relate to. Rogue was very much looking forward to that night, to taking that step with Steve and gaining an even stronger level of closeness between them. There was still so much they didn't know about each other even on the most basic levels, but there would be an added sense of comfort and ease once they shared that level of intimacy. It was something that she was eager to experience for a number of reasons.

Rogue didn't quite know what was happening when Steve seemed like he was going to lean in to kiss her and then suddenly didn't, but it was easy to piece together when she saw the frantic mother and the strange ball that she vaguely recognized as something the kids at the mansion had played with once. She watched the exchange between mother and son with a kind, understanding smile and even a bit of longing before turning her attention to Steve as he addressed the boy and--

She didn't know what made him share his secret with the boy, but she knew instinctively that it was going to change Jesse's life. Steve was a hero to so many people in the city, and to have a hero be made real - she knew how inspirational that could be for a child.

And then Jessie's mother thanked Steve and Rogue couldn't stop the swell of pride and hope in her chest. He deserved that thanks, she'd seen what had happened that day, and she was so grateful that the other woman had taken the time to express her feelings on the matter. In her opinion, Steve needed to hear that thanks, needed to know that this future world needed him as much as his old one had, and she was fairly certain that he'd get tired of hearing her say how proud she was of him. Still, she had to say it at least a few times.

As Steve watched the woman walk away, Rogue slipped back into place at his side, sliding her arms around his middle and leaning her head against his shoulder. "That was a really sweet thing you did, sugar," she said, giving him a light, affectionate squeeze. "I'm so very proud of you for everything you've done since you got here. There's so much I probably don't even know about, but every little thing I learn is just making me fall more in love with you." She wasn't even sure how that was possible, with as crazy as she was about him already, but she wasn't going to question it.

Steve thought about what the mother had said; he was making a difference, as Captain America; people looked up to him still, in a way he hadn't expected. He remembered the kids cheering for him during his USO shows, and the soldiers who had booed him offstage. He realized now that those kids who had loved him, had passed on those memories to their own children; he hadn't been forgotten, he'd known that, but it was finally sinking in that he was still relevant. Just by virtue of memory and idealization, he could make a difference even when there wasn't an army from outer space to fight. He just needed to figure out how, exactly...

Lost in his own thoughts from the mother's thanks, Steve started slightly when Rogue hugged him, but he slipped his arm around her, the position feeling far more natural and comfortable than it probably had any right to, after such a short amount of time. He just watched Rogue, listening to her words and letting them fill him up with pride and happiness. Besides the whole alien army thing, he'd done basically a whole lot of nothing, just playing catch-up to the contemporary world.

Kissing her forehead, Steve said ruefully, "Stopping an invading alien force is about the only thing I've done. And destroy about 3 dozen punching bags." No... he'd done one other thing. He'd gone to visit Peggy. That hadn't turned out nearly as well as the Battle, though; and the City would be recovering from that for years, probably. He didn't know how long he'd take to heal as fully as possible from Peggy's deterioration.

Here was an opportunity, he thought, to question Rogue about what she'd done in the past; not the heartbreak of the war and her imprisonment, but before that, when she'd taught at a school, when she'd been on a team of superheroes herself. Or at least, let her know that it was alright to tell him about it, if she felt like it. "Someday... if you're okay telling me about it... I'd like to hear about what you've done, too. I already can't imagine being prouder of you, but I'd like to hear about it, to prove I'm right."

Playing catch-up with the world was perhaps what she was most proud of him for, which she wasn't entirely sure Steve would understand. Battling an alien army was impressive, but Steve had fought armies before, had led men into battle and both succeeded and failed. Stepping into a world that wasn't his own, though? Making the effort to learn to survive and trying to cope with all the many changes that had occurred in seventy years? That was something to be proud of, whether he saw it or not. So many people would have rejected the whole situation, stayed hidden and holed up away from the world, but Steve had gone out and seen it. He was embracing this new path as best he could and she would never stop being proud of him for that.

Hearing that he was proud of her was a very different thing. She didn't think she'd done much to be proud of herself, but then he didn't know much of anything about her past. He didn't know about all the many ways she failed in the war, about the things she'd been forced to do in that lab. He didn't know about the dozens of children who had died because of her...

It wasn't what he meant when he asked for stories with that wonderful look in his eyes, though, and she knew it. He wanted to hear about before the war, about her crazy adventures with the X-Men and perhaps even her days as a teacher. That would be easy enough to share, she could almost look back on those days without any darkness clouding the good memories. "And I'd like to tell you about it all," she assured him, and it was true in this case. "There's a lot to tell, really. We'll have enough stories to last us a good long while."

Rogue had survived, and no matter what issues she still dealt with, she was far more put-together than anyone had any right to expect from her after her ordeals (and Steve wasn't even aware of all of them). If Steve knew nothing else about Rogue, it was that she had an indomitable spirit, and that was always something to be proud of. And he wouldn't hear a word otherwise, from her or anyone else.

Steve smiled in relief when she agreed to tell him, seeming genuine. "We do have some time before the fireworks," he responded, "and I believe we were gonna try to find some place with shade." Looking at her face, he couldn't tell if she was already starting to get a little pink, or if it was just an illusion caused by the sun on her red dress. "Now might be a good time to do that," he added, efficiently finishing folding the blanket.

Edited 2016-06-15 16:05 (UTC)

Even if he didn't want to, it was inevitable that Steve would hear Rogue's own opinion on the matter of her survival. It was a complicated one, to be sure - she had a severe case of survivor's guilt for all the lives that had been lost not only trying to protect her, but also at the cost of studying her powers. But she was also aware that had she not survived, no one would have been there to take over when Kitty was injured, and they never would have been able to complete the mission. Her survival had served a purpose, but at what cost?

Complicated.

Rogue smiled at Steve and grabbed the cooler again. "Yes, now's a very good time," she agreed. "I can feel the lobstering starting, and I'll warn you now that I get cranky when I'm sunburnt." She got cranky at a number of things, really, but he could learn all about those later.

Survivor's guilt was something Steve was quite familiar with, and while her own situation may be more complicated than his own, it didn't mean that Steve couldn't sympathize with it. They'd just have to cross that bridge when they came to it, together.

"You are looking a little pink," Steve said. He nodded toward the nearby entrance of the park. "We can head toward the road, see if there are any benches in the shade there." There were trees planted along the edges of the park, surely there must be places for people to sit and enjoy the park without being roasted in the heat. If nothing else, they could spread the blanket out under one of them. There wasn't as much open space there, which was why they hadn't chosen a spot there in the first place.

A cranky Rogue was something Steve couldn't really imagine, she was always so sweet and caring and nice - but he kind of wanted to see it. Not that he wanted her to be in a bad mood, but... well, no one had ever accused him of making wise decisions.

Lord, Rogue hoped she wasn't going to end up burnt from their lounging in the sunshine. She wanted to be able to press her bare skin to his that night, and wrap her legs around him without them screaming in pain from being baked in nature's oven. If she wasn't able to have good and proper sex with him that night because she'd been too content sprawling around like a cat, she'd never forgive herself.

That terrible prospect made Rogue loop her arm through Steve's and give him a tug in that direction. "Come on, then, slowpoke!"

Steve really didn't want to see Rogue cranky. It wasn't a pretty sight. And when she got really riled, she could be a true southern spitfire. He might think he wanted to see that now, but all the men in her life had learned to head for the hills when she was in a mood.

Steve never ran from trouble, that was for sure. It was something Bucky had always complained about, that Steve's internal compass must be broken, because he inevitably headed toward trouble instead of away, like any sensible person would.

Steve laughed at her sudden burst of energy, not knowing the thoughts behind it, but he was game. In a playful mood, he had enough presence of mind to warn Rogue, "Don't freak out," just before bending down to scoop her up in his arms, intending to run them over to the shade.

Undoubtedly, Rogue would end up pointing that out to Steve as well, because in her mind it was tantamount to clinical insanity to stay in her path when she was on the rampage. Even Remy had taken cover, though admittedly half the time it seemed like he was the one causing the bout of anger.

She squeaked when he picked her up, an arm automatically looping around his neck while she kept a firm hold of the cooler. Dropping his birthday cupcakes seemed like a very bad idea, but she couldn't deny that a thrill ran through her at being carried in his arms like that.

"Just don't drop me!" she exclaimed in as quiet a voice as she could manage while he ran.

Steve laughed, partly at her words, and in part from the sheer joy of the whole thing. "Please!" he exclaimed. "I've carried a motorcycle with three girls on it, a slip of a thing like you nothing!" He'd actually once lifted the front of a tank before, but he didn't think that needed to be said right now. He hadn't lifted it completely off the ground, just the front end, so it wasn't quite as impressive as the motorcycle.

He didn't run as quickly as he really could have, because he didn't want anyone to notice just how fast he could go while carrying another adult, but also because he really didn't want Rogue to freak out at the speed. It was a bit much if you weren't used to it.

It wasn't that far to the edge of the trees, and sure enough, Steve spotted a bench not too far away, settled between two trees planted close enough together that their respective shades overlapped, forming a cool oasis from the sun. He thought, briefly, about just sitting down while still holding Rogue - but quickly realized that was probably a bad idea, because then she'd be sitting in his lap, and - well, they were trying to stay decent, and there were still a lot of people around, even if they were a little more secluded, now.

Instead, Steve bent and gently set Rogue down on the ground beside the bench. "There. Safe as houses." He didn't even sound winded at all; it might as well have been a leisurely stroll without any extra weight being carried, for the way he felt afterward.

Rogue could tell that Steve wasn't going as fast as he really could, from the way he moved and the sound of his breathing. She knew that he was physically enhanced, and that most people probably would panic a bit at the higher than normal speed, but for her own part she was mostly just disappointed. For half her life, she'd been surrounded by enhanced people, and she really kind of wanted to see what he was capable of. But there would be plenty of time for that later, of course.

She rolled her eyes at him as he set her down, placing the cooler on the bench before straightening out the skirt of her dress and smoothing her hands down the sides to avert wrinkles. The bench with its shade was perfect, and she had no doubt that another happy couple would have wandered by in a few minutes to claim it if they hadn't.

Plopping down beside the cooler, she laid an arm along the back of the bench and looked up at Steve with a playfully suspicious gaze. "Three girls on a motorcycle, huh?"

Someday, and someday soon, Steve would show Rogue just how strong and fast he was, if she wanted to see that. In the middle of the park while on a date wasn't exactly the best time, though; New Yorkers were good about being blasé about celebrities, but he was sure he'd get mobbed by people who suddenly recognized him if he did something like show off his real strength.

Watching her straighten out her dress, Steve was filled with affection all over again for this incredible girl. Her look and the question that followed only enhanced it. He couldn't play it cool, so Steve just grinned as he sat down beside her. "Yep. They were wearing really short skirts - short for the time, anyway - and I was dressed in tights. It was a thing."

Getting mobbed by fans and curious citizens wasn't something Rogue was overly excited to experience, so she was fine with waiting to see that side of Steve. It was certainly still a side she wanted to see, she wanted to see all sides of this amazing man, but she could be patient.

Rogue listened to him give further details of what sounded like a fascinating story and just grinned right back at him and shook her head. "You know you're gonna have to tell me that story sometime, right? That's far too intriguing for me to pass up. I wonder if there are pictures of it somewhere, too..."

Steve shrugged, a little embarrassed about the whole thing, now. It seemed so cheesy, after seeing all the things people were used to now. "There's not much to tell, honestly. It was a stage show, set up to get people to donate to the war. 'Each bond is a bullet in the barrel of your best guy's gun.'"

He remembered lots of camera flashes, during the show as well as the long, tedious lines where he stood and held crying babies and let girls kiss him on the cheek while the cameras went off, and said ruefully, "Oh... I'm sure there are, somewhere. If you're really lucky, there's probably some film footage, too." He wasn't expecting to be lucky enough that any there might have been would've been tossed by now, anyway. "I'm sure some of the other promotional films I made survived somewhere, anyway."

Only after he said it did he realize the ammunition he'd just given Rogue, and got a frantic look on his face.

A stage show, likely with the USO if she remembered that bit of history correctly. They'd done a lot of work to sell war bonds back in the day, and apparently Steve had done his part in that. Not so willingly, though, if his attitude now was anything to go by.

Her eyes lit up when he mentioned the film footage, and especially the promotional ones that very likely were still in existence somewhere. Especially with the new hype surrounding his alter ego, restored copies of that old footage were bound to be surfacing on the internet now. Leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek, she gave his knee a gentle pat with her hand and assured him, "Don't worry, I won't make you watch them with me." But he could bet she'd be watching them herself.

She was right that he hadn't been particularly willing to do the show. He'd done it because it was the only option he'd seen at the time. He could be, as Peggy had so aptly put it, either a lab rat, or a circus monkey. He'd chosen the monkey, because at least then, he'd be out doing some form of good for the war effort. It had gotten him to Europe, where he'd finally been able to show he could do so much more, at least. He'd been able to do it at the time with good grace, because he'd known it was the only way he could help - and after the first few shows, he was a little ashamed to admit that the cheering crowds had boosted his ego, and he'd begun to enjoy himself. If he performed the same show now, however, he was sure everyone would just be laughing at the entire thing, how dated and archaic it would seem to them, and it would be like performing for the 107th all over again.

"Oh, God," he groaned, now imagining her watching something he'd done and laughing at it. "It was ridiculous," he tried explaining to her. "The acting - well, there wasn't really any acting, it was just reciting lines and trying to look like we had any idea what being in war was really like. It was awful." He could not emphasize enough how truly bad it was.

There was something in his voice, in the lines of his face that perfectly broadcast just how embarrassed he was by this part of his past. It just about broke her heart to see it, really. She turned on the bench to really face him, keeping a hand on his knee and moving the arm on the back of the bench a little closer so she could comb her fingers through his hair.

"Oh, sugar. No one over here knew what war was really like, it had been so long since we'd really been in one. And that war was... There were so many things that no one knew about until later." Things that she remembered. "Here in the US, we're so far away from everyone else that we forget to pay attention to anything beyond our own borders, even now with people all over like they are. I guess... What I'm trying to say, sugar, is that you shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed by that. You were trying to help in any way you could, everyone was, and honestly I don't think most people could stand knowing what war's really like."

Her message had taken a darker turn than she'd intended starting out, but she believed everything she'd said. It was hard to know if it would have any impact on how he felt about things, but she couldn't have just let things sit like that.

The entire conversation had turned a little morose and dark, and it wasn't Rogue's fault at all. Steve was grateful for her words, although he was still embarrassed by the entire spectacle. It had been a way to get money for the military, which they had needed at the time; but no matter how altruistic it might have been, it had still been a politician's scheme, and he'd begun to believe his own hype, that he was Captain America, when at the time, he'd just been a performer for the masses.

Steve slipped his arm around Rogue's waist and leaned against her. "Yeah, you're right. Doesn't make it less embarrassing," he added ruefully, "but it does help. You're a very smart lady. Gonna have to keep you around, I think," he teased.

They'd all done embarrassing things in their past, but she supposed having acts committed to film that had survived seventy years won Steve a bit more sympathy. She still planned on watching the films when she had the chance, but she wouldn't say anything about them to him unless he brought it up specifically.

"I sure hope so," she told him with an affectionate smile. Moving the hand on his knee to his shoulder, she lifted her legs to swing them over his lap, her skirt draping down to shield his lap and anything that might result from the kiss she was about to give him. It wasn't full of fiery passion, but rather deep fondness and adoration, and of course love.

It wasn't the show itself that he was embarrassed about, so much - he'd certainly done many embarrassing things in his lifetime (usually having to do either with a girl, or trying to prove he was capable of something) - but the fact that he'd bought into his own hype. He'd had crowds cheering for him, adults as well as kids watching his films and being excited. And then he'd been booed offstage and he'd realized, the Emperor has no clothes on. He may be optimistic about the world, but he knew how it worked, and it was rare that he got duped so completely, and he'd had no one to blame but himself.

Steve had just enough time to realize what she was doing, and start to protest, "Rogue─" before he had a lapful of petite brunette and his mouth was otherwise occupied. He didn't try to pull back or stop her, though, instead sighing into the kiss and relaxing, his arms wrapping under her arms and around her back, holding her to him, kissing her slow and deep, letting it simmer and slowly build. Without conscious direction, his hand began sliding down her back, to rest at the curve of her hips, pulling her incrementally closer to him. She'd certainly be able to feel how the kiss was starting to affect him.

Rogue wouldn't have listened to Steve's protests even if he'd been able to get more of them out beyond her name. It wasn't like she was straddling him or doing anything that would be inappropriate in public -- they just looked like a very cute, happy couple snuggling on a park bench together. No one else was going to have any idea about how the kiss was affecting Steve, and while Rogue could tell, she wasn't going to point it out unless he was the one to bring it up. She was pretty darn flattered, though.

Melting into the kiss, Rogue's sigh of contentment quickly turned into a quiet moan of pleasure. She could spend hours on that bench, kissing Steve, and not tire of it for a single second. Her arms tightened around him as she pulled herself just the tiniest bit closer.

That moan shot through him, and his arms tightened, pulling Rogue until she was sitting fully on his lap, his hand sliding down to cup her thigh and keep her from sliding. He pulled back from the kiss just enough to murmur, "We're not actually gonna make it to the fireworks, are we?" before going right back to kissing her.

Steve had seen plenty of fireworks displays in his life. Sure, it was tradition to watch them on his birthday; but he'd never had sex before, and with Rogue in his arms and his lap and obviously more than willing, he knew if he had to make a choice, it wasn't gonna be fireworks.

They could always watch them next year.

Having Steve pull her into his lap was beyond thrilling, and in that moment she wanted his hands all over her, prying public eyes be damned. She was madly in love with this man and wanted to wrap herself around him and never let go. It was only seconds before Steve asked his question that she realized there really was no way they were going to be able to wait until after the fireworks to tear each others clothes off.

Pulling back from the kiss, she slid her hands up to cup his jaw and shook her head just a little. "It's still hours before they start," she pointed out quietly. "We can try to take a break later to catch them."

'Try' being the optimal word, of course.

Steve huffed a laugh, his thoughts aligned with Rogue's - they could try, but that didn't mean they'd succeed. "God," he groaned, his hands moving restlessly over her back and sides, staying within public decency areas only through innate politeness. "If we're still going by then, I think we should take a break just to celebrate our stamina."

Resting his head for just a moment on Rogue's shoulder, he tried to get his brain back in working order. So, they were definitely doing this, then. Which meant... leaving the park, right. "Okay." He pulled back to look at Rogue, watching her reaction, just to make sure. "My place?"

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