Frank lifts his hands up and places them in his pockets without shifting. He does notice the good balance and he's not about to force the issue. If the kid falls that's on him, right? He's trying the aloof thing, too, and he thinks he's pulling it off. Like when that question hits him, he has to laugh a little, the deep rumble moving his shoulders for just a moment.
Miles doesn't even notice the absence of Frank's hands. The rumble weirdly doesn't even compromise Miles stance whatsoever. It's like he's glued in place regardless of what Frank does. Miles tries to play his concern off, adapting a cool tone like it doesn't bother him either way. "It's cool if you're in Fight Club. If someone is hassling you, that's what Cap is for, right?" It comes out so smooth. His dad would peg in a minute he's mimicking his uncle. This is a stranger so Miles thinks it goes over well.
He pauses for a second to inspect his work. It's turning out better than Miles could have hoped. The sunflowers might need a little pop before he calls it, but he is ready to move onto the sky. "Let me down for a second, viejo. It's time to get some blue in here."
Real cool. He lifts an eyebrow but doesn't respond to that. It's the follow-up that gets him. "Yeah, uh, think he's got bigger fish to fry these days than me fallin' down some stairs." Goddamnit, Miles. He stoops a bit to oblige the request, though he does roll his eyes a bit at the nickname. And he unironically sees zero hypocrisy in being offended. "What's your name anyways, kid?"
Miles hops down with a surprising amount of grace considering he's clearly heading to the most awkward part of puberty if those super long legs are any indicator. "I'd say talk to my dad, but don't actually do that if you're in fight club. He'd definitely have a problem with that." He walks on over to switch out his cans. He opts for blue and white this time. He smiles at Frank's question.
(Not that he ever stopped smiling. The kid is pretty sunshin-y when he's not painfully awkward.)
"Miles. What's your name, viejo?" He's already walking back to return to Frank's shoulders in true kid style. Just climb all over adults. It's cool!!! You live to go along with his whims, etc.
Miles hops back on without skipping a beat. He's rushing through the vision in his head with expert precision. He couldn't sound or look any happier. "Nice to meet you, Frank. And thanks for helping me out with this. Not every day Captain America gives you a mission, you know? This has to be great." The sad part is he hasn't even figured out Steve is paying him via his dad to avoid getting the money back. This is purely a passion project for Miles.
"Trust me, I get it." A smile works its way into his tone despite himself, watching the flowers start to really pop once colors are added around them. A wanness enters his expression, remembering Frank Jr. painting at the table. And then on the table, and then on the wall... "You won't let him down. He picked you for a reason."
He doesn't know this guy at all, but Miles has gotten better at accepting feedback. He had to after losing the guy whose word he trusted most. A warm smile crosses his face as he continues on. "Thanks, man. I appreciate that." He keeps at the grind until finally Miles' sunflowers are complete.
He is hyped up by this point. Miles taps Frank's head before asking to be let down. "Come on! Let's take a look at this." The excitement jumps out of his voice. It's practically screaming, 'Let's do this!!!'
He rolls his shoulder to launch Miles off to the ground, a big mitt of a hand immediately going to his scratchy chin as he surveys the work - like he knows a damn thing about art.
He lands smoothly on his feet. "Showing your age, viejo." Miles quips as he hurries to shuffle back to get some space. His mood doesn't get any less brighter as he surveys his creation. "Yeah-! That's...." The teenagers is swiftly returns to Frank's side to clap his arm with a surprising amount of strength for such a small kid. "I think we pulled it off, Frank! Take a few steps back. We gotta big picture this!" He'll just helpfully drag the giant man with him. No big deal!!! Hormones or something. Lala. Just move!!!
Frank shoots him a glare, but doesn't bother countering. Nor does he try and fight being shoved around. Once Miles eventually puts together who he is, this whole night will probably be hilarious in retrospect. Once he's a few steps back, the true artistry does take form and he's silent for a long moment, admiring it.
"You do this kinda shit a lot?" Tag buildings. Seems like a good way to keep a kid out of trouble, to Frank.
Miles watches for his reaction. The silence seems like a good thing so he's happy. He shrugs at the question. It is a little loaded even if Miles isn't the kind to dwell. "Yeah when I can find a place that'll let me." He tacks on gently. "My dad is a cop. I can't even get a sticker on a street sign past him. Everything I put up has gotta be approved by whoever owns the buildings or you know where no one would ever find it." He laughs it off but, haha that's what he did. :) #Anywherecanwearthemask
"Yeah? I get it. My old man was tough too." Though he'd needed to be, to deal with Frank. It's more a reflection of himself being hard on his son, when he truly analyzes it, but as usual he tries not to. There's surely no judgment in his tone when Miles admits altering some out-of-reach places. It does give him an idea, however... "I might be able to find you some more real estate, if everything you do is this good."
It sobers him up that Frank can relate. Things have gotten better between the two of them, but their damage can't be erased overnight. He is right back to being hyped up at the possibility of more places to hit up. Miles smile is bright as can be as it sinks in that this guy may really hook him up. God he loves Captain America so much for setting this up. "Are you serious? Because I need you to be serious right now. My hopes are way up!" He pauses a beat before adding in smoothly. "The next one will be even better, you know. Cap didn't hire an amateur." Except......... he literally did. Shut up, Miles!!!
"You mean you didn't save your best work for the vets?" he asks, leveling Miles a look. He isn't serious, because he never is, but it's not like he ever lets on either way. This kid is just too damn wholesome, he has to give him a hard time. It's like, required. "Let me see what I can do." For some reason: people like him so it shouldn't be too hard to convince a few slumlords to let some free work get done. That's pretty much business as usual for him anyway. And he also knows a lot of sketchy places Miles probably hasn't been to yet that no one would ever find.
Edited (we were due for a one letter edit people) 2019-09-05 04:22 (UTC)
Miles opens his mouth, keeping it that way for a few seconds before snapping it shut. He points at Frank only mildly annoyed. He is getting what he wants. Something tells Miles that Frank is the kind of guy who gets things done. "You're messing with me." He lowers his hand and mumbles something along the lines 'I hope he's messing with me' under his breath. A quick look at his work confirms that no one has reason to doubt his commitment to the cause here!!!
Miles is scrambling to catch up with Frank on the way back to his own house. Go figure, right? "Hey, wait up!" He collects his cans along the way and tosses them into a school backpack. Tomorrow he'll back to seal with it, but for today it's all good to go.
He falls a step ahead of Frank since it is his house they are heading toward. "I appreciate you wanting to walk me, but I'm a big boy. I can handle myself." Not that he's kicking Frank out by any means. He hopes dude is ready to handle the fact Miles will have to say hi and charm basically everyone once they get closer.
And no he does not see the irony of calling himself a big boy. He's totally grown up!!! He grew an inch last week!!!!
"Uh-huh," he grunts noncommittally, not rethinking his course at all. Now that Miles is actively walking home, it's not like he can stop Frank from following him anyway. He takes one hand out of a pocket to gesture at his face. "If you think this is bad, you don't wanna see what Cap would do if I didn't see you home safe."
Miles studies it with a wrinkled nose. Damn he looks bad. He's not the kind of kid who runs to his dad for everything, but yikes. This dude needs help. He's Cap's friend so Miles' will stay in his lane. Probably. "Yeah, okay. If he ever got serious, you wouldn't even have a face left." He snorts. It sounds ridiculous, but actually Ganke did look into that. The force of most of the Avengers' fists would do some serious damage if they weren't holding back.
"And I did tell Mami I'd look out for my elders." :') Haha, get it? You're so old, Frank. :)))
He shrugs a shoulder. "Would probably be an improvement." And like, it's probably true enough. Frank doesn't worry about it for obvious reasons. Bemusement morphs into apparent offense in an instant though. Come on!! While his hand is still free, he shoves Miles towards the edge of the sidewalk. No wonder Steve likes him so much, what a punk ass. "Did she also tell you to stop callin' 'em old all the time?"
Miles breaks into a winning smile at that shove. He lets himself move a little before falling back into step with Frank. He got a rise out of him and what more can any teen ask for? "She might have mentioned it, yeah." He ducks his head. He is the model of innocence clearly. "But, you did start it by calling me kid." Miles retorts. The argument of all super mature people.
That gets a full-on eyeroll from Frank even while he hunkers back in on himself and focuses on matching Miles' pace. He's fast when he wants to be, but he does fall just a step behind him intentionally, keeping his eyes on every alleyway and door on the way down the road.
"You are a kid." But he knows this path bears no fruit. There's really no point arguing with a teenager, something he's intimately familiar with by now. "How old do you even think I am?"
Miles, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be paying attention at all. He's off in his own world like any kid. It's probably very worrying if you didn't know he can literally sense danger.... so basically everyone in his life is in a constant state of stress. Welcome to the club, Frank.
"Uh...." He studies Frank's profile. It is rough to age a guy whose face is ten different colors with a jacked up nose. Miles thinks for a second this is what Ms. Marvel's nose would look like if she didn't have healing powers. "I guess you've got to be in your forties, right? No white hair yet. You don't seem like the kind of guy who dyes his hair." He isn't even covering up bruises for crying out loud.
Frank understands troublemaking kids because he was one and he gave life to one- one and a half. And then he mentored two. He gets that and isn't fully worried, but the whole son of a cop thing is... weird. Familiar. He can't stop thinking like maybe if Frank Jr. had lived these two could've gotten in it together. Or maybe Miles could've kept him out of trouble sometimes. He swallows thickly, carrying on though all he honestly wants to do now is turn around and walk away, and not because Miles guessed too high. That barely even registers.
"Not yet, punk." But close, close enough being the implication. "You wanna be a detective like your dad?" With observational skills like that, he'd probably be decent at it.
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"Yeah, kid. I'm real clumsy."
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He pauses for a second to inspect his work. It's turning out better than Miles could have hoped. The sunflowers might need a little pop before he calls it, but he is ready to move onto the sky. "Let me down for a second, viejo. It's time to get some blue in here."
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(Not that he ever stopped smiling. The kid is pretty sunshin-y when he's not painfully awkward.)
"Miles. What's your name, viejo?" He's already walking back to return to Frank's shoulders in true kid style. Just climb all over adults. It's cool!!! You live to go along with his whims, etc.
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"Frank. Call me Frank." He doesn't see the point in lying, really. Plenty of Franks in this town, right?
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He is hyped up by this point. Miles taps Frank's head before asking to be let down. "Come on! Let's take a look at this." The excitement jumps out of his voice. It's practically screaming, 'Let's do this!!!'
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"It's bright," he points out helpfully.
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"You do this kinda shit a lot?" Tag buildings. Seems like a good way to keep a kid out of trouble, to Frank.
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"You live around here? I'll get you back." He makes it sound like something Miles doesn't have a choice in, already heading back the way he'd come.
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He falls a step ahead of Frank since it is his house they are heading toward. "I appreciate you wanting to walk me, but I'm a big boy. I can handle myself." Not that he's kicking Frank out by any means. He hopes dude is ready to handle the fact Miles will have to say hi and charm basically everyone once they get closer.
And no he does not see the irony of calling himself a big boy. He's totally grown up!!! He grew an inch last week!!!!
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"And I did tell Mami I'd look out for my elders." :') Haha, get it? You're so old, Frank. :)))
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"You are a kid." But he knows this path bears no fruit. There's really no point arguing with a teenager, something he's intimately familiar with by now. "How old do you even think I am?"
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"Uh...." He studies Frank's profile. It is rough to age a guy whose face is ten different colors with a jacked up nose. Miles thinks for a second this is what Ms. Marvel's nose would look like if she didn't have healing powers. "I guess you've got to be in your forties, right? No white hair yet. You don't seem like the kind of guy who dyes his hair." He isn't even covering up bruises for crying out loud.
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"Not yet, punk." But close, close enough being the implication. "You wanna be a detective like your dad?" With observational skills like that, he'd probably be decent at it.
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