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tsukinofaeriiSo. I was linked into this vid. And the plot bunnies charged en masse.
Warnings for AU Bang spoilers (sort of).Locked because the main story isn't posted yet, whee! Unlocked, since Girl!Steve is posted.
"No."
It was 1000 hours on a Monday, and the department store she and Jan were in was nearly empty—they'd decided to get their shopping done early, and now Stevie was glad they had. She'd thought she would pick up a few pairs of trousers, a shirt or two, the necessities for decency and be done.
Her shopping partner had other ideas. This was the third store, and they'd gone through every single item in every women's department in all three places. Stevie had no idea modern shopping was so complicated. Hundreds of different types of denims, in every color under the sun. Blouses and pullovers in every fabric she'd heard of, and a few she hadn't. More types of shoes than had any right to exist in one place. Unmentionables that earned the name.
She was one more store away from escaping back to Fort Hamilton and wearing a uniform for another month.
Jan glared over the dress she was holding up. Her make-up was fresh and bright, from where she'd had it done first thing that morning at the counter. Stevie had declined, which had been the start of the battle they were fighting now. According to Jan, there was no excuse to pass up a make-over. "What's wrong with this one?" She shook the hanger, making the skirt flare out. "Knee-length. Sleeves. No cleavage. What else are you going to nit-pick?"
It was a lovely olive green, tailored to imitate a suit, with accents in rose. Stevie's fingers itched to touch the fabric and see if it actually was silk, or just a good imitation. "It's too feminine," she blurted out. Against all of her self-control, her cheeks turned pink. She crossed her arms defensively and set her jaw. "It's just too— it's not me. I'm a soldier. Not a— a girl. Can't we just get some trousers?"
"Not a girl. Not...." Jan slammed the dress back on the rack. Her face twisted as if she were going to start yelling. High heels clicked on the tile as she took a step forward, poking Stevie in the chest belligerently. "What does that have to do with anything? You can be both, damn it!"
"You don't— you—" Words failed. She took a shaky breath, shaking her head. An invisible fist tightened around her throat, making it impossible to breathe.
A soldier and a woman... It was hard to wrap her mind around it, even though Jan was proof all by herself that women could do anything here. She was a scientist and a fighter and a woman. All of the clothes she'd bought for herself so far had been, and there was no other word for it, feminine. No one told her she couldn't do her job, or ignored her opinions, or made her hide...
"Stevie? Oh, honey." A hand touched her bicep. The anger had dropped out of Jan's dark eyes completely, leaving sympathy that was worse. "I'm so sorry. I forgot. Look, let's just go get some slacks. Would that do?"
"No. You're right." Stevie pulled away before the sympathy could turn to pity and reached for the abandoned dress. It really was pretty, with a full skirt, and the top tailored so it might even fit her shoulders. "It can't hurt to try it on, right?"
"No. It can't." Without seeing Jan's face, it was hard to tell, but she sounded like she was forcing a smile. "And maybe some jeans? This is a good store for them."
Jeans wouldn't be too hard, would they? Men and women both wore them. Maybe she could make it work. Stevie hung the dress over her arm and turned, making herself smile. "Sure thing."
Warnings for AU Bang spoilers (sort of).
"No."
It was 1000 hours on a Monday, and the department store she and Jan were in was nearly empty—they'd decided to get their shopping done early, and now Stevie was glad they had. She'd thought she would pick up a few pairs of trousers, a shirt or two, the necessities for decency and be done.
Her shopping partner had other ideas. This was the third store, and they'd gone through every single item in every women's department in all three places. Stevie had no idea modern shopping was so complicated. Hundreds of different types of denims, in every color under the sun. Blouses and pullovers in every fabric she'd heard of, and a few she hadn't. More types of shoes than had any right to exist in one place. Unmentionables that earned the name.
She was one more store away from escaping back to Fort Hamilton and wearing a uniform for another month.
Jan glared over the dress she was holding up. Her make-up was fresh and bright, from where she'd had it done first thing that morning at the counter. Stevie had declined, which had been the start of the battle they were fighting now. According to Jan, there was no excuse to pass up a make-over. "What's wrong with this one?" She shook the hanger, making the skirt flare out. "Knee-length. Sleeves. No cleavage. What else are you going to nit-pick?"
It was a lovely olive green, tailored to imitate a suit, with accents in rose. Stevie's fingers itched to touch the fabric and see if it actually was silk, or just a good imitation. "It's too feminine," she blurted out. Against all of her self-control, her cheeks turned pink. She crossed her arms defensively and set her jaw. "It's just too— it's not me. I'm a soldier. Not a— a girl. Can't we just get some trousers?"
"Not a girl. Not...." Jan slammed the dress back on the rack. Her face twisted as if she were going to start yelling. High heels clicked on the tile as she took a step forward, poking Stevie in the chest belligerently. "What does that have to do with anything? You can be both, damn it!"
"You don't— you—" Words failed. She took a shaky breath, shaking her head. An invisible fist tightened around her throat, making it impossible to breathe.
A soldier and a woman... It was hard to wrap her mind around it, even though Jan was proof all by herself that women could do anything here. She was a scientist and a fighter and a woman. All of the clothes she'd bought for herself so far had been, and there was no other word for it, feminine. No one told her she couldn't do her job, or ignored her opinions, or made her hide...
"Stevie? Oh, honey." A hand touched her bicep. The anger had dropped out of Jan's dark eyes completely, leaving sympathy that was worse. "I'm so sorry. I forgot. Look, let's just go get some slacks. Would that do?"
"No. You're right." Stevie pulled away before the sympathy could turn to pity and reached for the abandoned dress. It really was pretty, with a full skirt, and the top tailored so it might even fit her shoulders. "It can't hurt to try it on, right?"
"No. It can't." Without seeing Jan's face, it was hard to tell, but she sounded like she was forcing a smile. "And maybe some jeans? This is a good store for them."
Jeans wouldn't be too hard, would they? Men and women both wore them. Maybe she could make it work. Stevie hung the dress over her arm and turned, making herself smile. "Sure thing."
