why are you guys so nice to me?
Everyone was so nice about my silly little ficlets yesterday that I wrote more. (Positve reinforcement!)
It was the job of Coulson's office to make contingency plans. Granted, they hadn't planned for ... this, but 24 hours into the crisis they had plans and people in place for any complication that might arise. But all Avengers plans had the same weak spot: the human element.
The alarm went off and Tony and Steve went to suit up. That was in the plan. They got suited up, Coulson came to get them and Pepper and Darcy came to look after the tiny superheroes. That was the plan. Natasha running inside to put on her sneakers and then screaming her head off when Tony told her very firmly that she wasn't going was not. He picked her up by her arms and held her legs against his stomach so she didn't kick him all the way to the nursery. Tony wondered if he could just keep the armor on until she was big again. She was swearing in Russian when Coulson strolled in, looking like someone who hadn't spent all day chasing Thor around a slightly muddy backyard. "How are we doing?"
"Well, I'm ready to go," Tony says, but he's not entirely sure Phil was talking to him. Not with Clint jumping up from his Legos and running over to hug Phil. "Thanks for asking."
"Sir," Natasha said, pushing her hair our of her eyes and trying not to appear like she'd just been throwing a temper tantrum. "Permission to assist on the mission."
"Permission denied, Romanov. You're too valuable to the Initiative to send out when you're this vulnerable." He seemed awfully serious for a man who was simultaneously tickling Clint Barton.
"But sir, I..."
"No one goes into the field without armor. Full stop." He lifted Clint up to blow a raspberry against his stomach and Clint just giggled and kicked.
"Hello?" Pepper called from downstairs.
"Thank God," Tony muttered, setting Natasha down. "We're up here!" he called back. Natasha stomped across the nursery and climbed up into the armchair. By the time Pepper and Darcy got to the nursery, Natasha had her nose in a book, but Tony knew she was peeking. Even regular sized, Natasha seemed fascinated by Pepper.
Clint had, in the interim, turned his best little-boy eyes up at Darcy. "Clint," Phil said, turning to face her. "You remember Darcy, right?" Clint nodded, then put his arms out.
Darcy smiled and lifted him into her arms, propping him on a hip. "Oh, hey there, little man." Clint just hugged her, his face accidentally squashed against her boobs, and smirked at Phil.
"Well, good to see he's still Barton in there," Tony said. "Pep. Kids should be fine, feed 'em or whatever."
"Their meals are pre-made and labeled in the fridge," Steve said, appearing out of nowhere. "If we're not back, bedtime is at 8. Thor's outside, don't let him bring Mjolnir in the house." Pepper looked outside to where Thor was prowling around the yard, trying to get the jump on Tony's hovering disc and dragging Mjolnir behind him, tearing deep ruts into the lawn. "Avengers," Captain America said in what was definitely his Captain America voice. "Be good for Miss Potts and Miss Lewis. Iron Man, let's move out." Pep caught the way Tony's eyes rolled, but he still followed Steve and Agent Coulson downstairs.
When she turned back around, Natasha was peering at her over the book. "Pepper," she said, nervously enough that it made Pepper fear what was coming next. "Can I try on your shoes?"
It was the job of Coulson's office to make contingency plans. Granted, they hadn't planned for ... this, but 24 hours into the crisis they had plans and people in place for any complication that might arise. But all Avengers plans had the same weak spot: the human element.
The alarm went off and Tony and Steve went to suit up. That was in the plan. They got suited up, Coulson came to get them and Pepper and Darcy came to look after the tiny superheroes. That was the plan. Natasha running inside to put on her sneakers and then screaming her head off when Tony told her very firmly that she wasn't going was not. He picked her up by her arms and held her legs against his stomach so she didn't kick him all the way to the nursery. Tony wondered if he could just keep the armor on until she was big again. She was swearing in Russian when Coulson strolled in, looking like someone who hadn't spent all day chasing Thor around a slightly muddy backyard. "How are we doing?"
"Well, I'm ready to go," Tony says, but he's not entirely sure Phil was talking to him. Not with Clint jumping up from his Legos and running over to hug Phil. "Thanks for asking."
"Sir," Natasha said, pushing her hair our of her eyes and trying not to appear like she'd just been throwing a temper tantrum. "Permission to assist on the mission."
"Permission denied, Romanov. You're too valuable to the Initiative to send out when you're this vulnerable." He seemed awfully serious for a man who was simultaneously tickling Clint Barton.
"But sir, I..."
"No one goes into the field without armor. Full stop." He lifted Clint up to blow a raspberry against his stomach and Clint just giggled and kicked.
"Hello?" Pepper called from downstairs.
"Thank God," Tony muttered, setting Natasha down. "We're up here!" he called back. Natasha stomped across the nursery and climbed up into the armchair. By the time Pepper and Darcy got to the nursery, Natasha had her nose in a book, but Tony knew she was peeking. Even regular sized, Natasha seemed fascinated by Pepper.
Clint had, in the interim, turned his best little-boy eyes up at Darcy. "Clint," Phil said, turning to face her. "You remember Darcy, right?" Clint nodded, then put his arms out.
Darcy smiled and lifted him into her arms, propping him on a hip. "Oh, hey there, little man." Clint just hugged her, his face accidentally squashed against her boobs, and smirked at Phil.
"Well, good to see he's still Barton in there," Tony said. "Pep. Kids should be fine, feed 'em or whatever."
"Their meals are pre-made and labeled in the fridge," Steve said, appearing out of nowhere. "If we're not back, bedtime is at 8. Thor's outside, don't let him bring Mjolnir in the house." Pepper looked outside to where Thor was prowling around the yard, trying to get the jump on Tony's hovering disc and dragging Mjolnir behind him, tearing deep ruts into the lawn. "Avengers," Captain America said in what was definitely his Captain America voice. "Be good for Miss Potts and Miss Lewis. Iron Man, let's move out." Pep caught the way Tony's eyes rolled, but he still followed Steve and Agent Coulson downstairs.
When she turned back around, Natasha was peering at her over the book. "Pepper," she said, nervously enough that it made Pepper fear what was coming next. "Can I try on your shoes?"