Tattoo | #140616
"I've got these letters tattooed on my arm
That remind me each second of where I come from…"
'Home' by American Authors
The Howling Commandos were drunk.
If Steve was being honest with himself, that in itself wasn't unusual. (Dum Dum always tried to buy everyone a round of drinks after every successful mission, and unfortunately, he succeeded in his quest more often than not.) The problem was that they were drunk and staggering towards a pop-up tattoo parlour.
"Guys, I think we should head back to base." Steve hazarded, "Colonel Phillips is going to kill us if we're late to roll call tomorrow."
Bucky cackled next to him,
"Really, Steve? 'We'll be late'? That's the best you've got?"
"Hey, remember when Falsworth managed to sneak a dame into camp?" Gabe snickered.
"He was definitely up that morning!" Dum Dum whooped.
The Commandos erupted into laughter, and even Steve smiled wryly at the memory.
"So, don't you go cryin' about being 'late to roll call'." Bucky said, poking Steve in the chest. "Live a little, Cap."
Steve rolled his eyes at his best friend and steadied him,
"Then can we at least stop heading towards that tattoo place? I don't want you boys doing something you'll regret."
"But Mother, please," Dugan pleaded mockingly, "All the other boys are getting one!"
The gang guffawed as Jim nudged Steve,
"Don't tell me Captain America is afraid of a wittle needle?"
That set off another round of snickering.
"Don't even get me started on needles." Steve snorted, "I've seen enough of those things to last me a lifetime."
And paid the price, he mused, glancing down at his muscular frame. It was still a bit of a shock despite it being months since the Project.
"Relax, old boy," Falsworth said cheerfully, clapping Steve on the shoulder, "It doesn't hurt a bit if you're sozzled."
"But haven't you heard?" Bucky lowered his voice to a conspiratorial stage-whisper, "Rogers can't get drunk."
Dugan took off his bowler hat with a sweeping gesture and held it to his chest,
"Dear god."
"A moment of silence for our comrade." Jim said sombrely.
The Commandos went silent. After a few seconds, Steve got worried. Had they fallen asleep on their feet? Suddenly, Dum Dum took a swig from his bottle,
"And forward, boys!"
With a cheer, the Commandos set off once more.
"This is a bad idea, Buck." Steve muttered as they reached the parlour.
As the rest of the men stumbled in, Bucky and Steve stopped at the door.
"Don't worry, Steve." Bucky said, sobering up slightly, "I'm sure your Ma wouldn't mind." Steve went still and Bucky forged on, "She'd be proud to see her little boy fighting for his country. I'm sure she would've wanted you to get a stupid tattoo rather than a permanent injury to remind you of the old army days."
"I guess." Steve sighed. After a beat of silence, he turned to Bucky with a small smile, "What're you going to get?"
Bucky gave him a devilish grin,
"You'll see."
When they entered the parlour, they found Dugan discussing various poses for the pin-up girl they were putting on his bicep. Even without alcohol in his system, the night passed in a blur for Steve. Much to Dugan's chagrin, he wasn't able to kiss his pin-up girl, causing the parlour to erupt into raucous laughter. Falsworth, on the other hand, went for something more patriotic; a tattoo of the UK flag. Dugan proceeded to rant about the Howling Commandos camaraderie and the allies, while Falsworth smirked at him and turned; on his other arm was the Howling Commandos insignia. That shut Dugan up, until he realised he needed one.
"You're all getting one too!" he had crowed to the rest of them.
And so they did. Gabe also got an American bald eagle, while Jacques requested crossed guns. Morita got a sword crossed with a gun, which sparked a friendly debate with Jacques on who wore the crossed weapons better. Bucky ironically requested Captain America's shield with the words, 'Heroes don't wear capes. They wear dog tags.' circling it. Steve found that particularly amusing.
Finally, it was Steve's turn.
"Well, if it ain't Captain America himself!" the tattooist grinned, "I know what you'll be wanting; a swooping bald eagle with the American flag flying high behind it."
Steve shook his head and chuckled,
"No, thank you, Roy. Give me a Howling Commando, please."
"And?" Dum Dum prompted.
Steve hesitated,
"I'll think about it."
Dugan grinned and winked conspiratorially at Roy,
"Take it easy on this one, Roy. Doesn't like needles."
Roy gasped dramatically as he set up his equipment,
"Captain America's weakness is needles? Hold the press!"
Bucky patted Steve on the back and stayed by his side as Roy got to work with the emblem. By this point, Bucky had sobered up considerably, and so, quite seriously, he asked Steve a question,
"So, what are you going to get?"
Steve winced slightly as the needle pierced his skin again. Still, he managed a mischievous – if not pained – grin at Bucky,
"You'll see."
"There you are, sir," Roy said with a flourish, "You are now officially a Howling Commando."
They all laughed as Roy moved to Steve's left arm,
"And the second one?"
Steve chewed his lip. "Got a pen and paper?" he asked.
Roy nodded, passing him a battered looking notepad and pen. Quickly, Steve scratched out a message, flanked by two ribbons. One ribbon bore the words, J & S Rogers, while the other said Agt. M'P'C.
Roy read the rest of the writing with a smile,
"Naturally." he winked at Cap, "And here I thought you didn't want the bald eagles and American flags?"
"What does it say?" Falsworth asked, reaching for the paper.
Roy snatched it off the table,
"You'll find out soon enough."
With that, he got to work.
The second tattoo was easier for Steve to bear, despite the fact that it took much longer. As the writing became clearer, Bucky peered at it and smiled; Roy was right. when the tattooist had finished, he sat back and admired his handiwork,
"I must say, fellas, this one was the trickiest of the night."
"Even harder than Dugan's lady?" Morita quipped.
The Commandos laughed as Steve read the words tattooed onto his arm.
"Mark Twain." Bucky chuckled, shaking his head.
Steve shrugged with a smile,
"I couldn't resist."
Dugan raised an eyebrow at him,
"You got Twain on your arm?"
Gabe peered at the quote and read it aloud,
"'Each must for himself along decide what is right and what is wrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man.' – Mark Twain."
"My god." Falsworth groaned.
As the Howling Commandos laughed at Steve's choice of tattoo, even in their alcohol-affected state, Steve couldn't help but smile.
Bucky threw an arm around him,
"You're going to regret that you know."
Steve grinned back,
"I doubt it."