Fic: Happy Birthday, Dad!
Title Happy Birthday, Dad!
Author To-Shiki
Rating PG-13 mention of shower scene, nothing graphic
Pairing Steve/Tony/Thor, Logan+Remy
Warning no beta was used/harmed/consulted in the making of this fic. All mistakes are mine. Considering it's 1 am, there should be a few.
Word Count 3,275
Disclaimer They so aren't mine. Beacuse if they were...we would all be rich because I would turn all these fics into canon
Notes So AU it's almost crack! Kids Universe. And look! Only two days late. That's better than for my own family lol Also, the whole birth thing will be explained in 'In the Beginning' when I get it typed up.
Summery The youngin's go shopping for Dad's birthday presents and make breakfast. Prepare yourselves...
“Happy Birthday, Dad!”
July 3rd, 2009
10:24 a.m.
“Okay. I’ve got purse, wallet, keys…” Carol looked up from where she stood at the kitchen counter. “Logan, you got the boys ready?”
Her oldest brother grunted a ‘yes’. It was a slight lie. Both young boys were wearing their swim trunks and flip flops. Logan had a dirty white wifebeater and torn jeans with scruffy army boots. He was attempting to finish getting Danny and Peter ready to go to the mall with the rest of the kids. Neither was cooperating with him.
Jessica Drew was sitting at the counter with Clint, waiting impatiently. Both had on tank tops, cutoff shorts, and sandals. Carol herself was dressed in high heels, short jean skirt, and tube top. She tapped her foot on the titled floor.
“Do you need help?”
“No.”
Danny and Peter laughed at the low growl that had accompanied Logan’s answer. They were being difficult on purpose. It wasn’t often that they got to go out with the older kids and they wanted to make it last as long as possible. Although it seemed as if Jessica Drew had finally run out of patience when she stood up and put her hands on her hips.
“You two get your shirts on and into the car first and I’ll buy you ice cream cones!”
With the magical words of ‘ice cream’ they slipped on their shirts, ducked out from under their big brother’s reach, and ran out for the truck waiting in the driveway. Logan glared at his younger sister as she and Clint followed the younglings. Carol huffed, grabbed her purse and locked up behind her and Logan.
“You know they’re going to have a fit when they find out you’re bribing them.” She warned Jess.
She merely waved it off and continued to strap Danny into his booster seat while Logan did the same with Peter. While Logan hated having his precious truck’s image ruined with the seats, he knew that both boys would be miserable the whole day if they didn’t get a chance to ride in his new truck.
“Alright, everybody buckle up. We’re going!”
~*~
“WOW!”
The three youngest boys couldn’t resist running toward the huge fountain in the middle of the mall. Thankfully all three older siblings had a hold on them. The fountain had been installed earlier in the week. It had three pillars made out of wood with little spouts for water every three feet. The highest pillar stood thirty feet high with the other two at twenty-five and twenty feet. The collection pool around it had a brick ledge wide enough for people to sit on and lights in the water shining up to hit the pillars.
“Come on, you guys. We have to get dad’s birthday presents as fast as possible, remember? We have to wrap them before dad gets home from work.” Carol tugged Daddy closer to her as they passed the fountain. The boy loved water but still hadn’t mastered the art of floating. “You guys have your money?”
All three boys reached into their pockets and each withdrew two ten dollar bills and one five dollar bill. One ten had been their allowance and the other fifteen dollars was courtesy their Daddy and Pops helping them out.
“ Okay, okay. You could have just said ‘yes’.” She put her hands on her knees and leaned in close to them. “Do you guys know what you’re going to get Dad?”
Three blank stares answered her. She looked up at her brother and sister for help.
“Clint and I’ll go this way,” Jessica Drew pointed off to the left where most of the sporting goods stores were located. Clint looked fairly ecstatic at the idea of going with her to look at equipment.
“Will they have bows and arrows like in ‘Robin Hood’, Jess?” he asked her, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“We’ll see.”
Logan grabbed Peter under the arms and swung him up onto his shoulders. “Me and the Shorty here’ll go that’a way.” He waved his hand in a vague direction of the food court. He hadn’t eaten yet that morning and it was approaching lunchtime.
Carol rolled her eyes. “Alright. Danny and I’ll go over there. Meet back up in the food court in, say, an hour. Will that work?” Muttered ‘uh-huh’s and turned backs answered her question.
“Alright, kiddo. Let’s go get Dad his birthday present, huh?” She looked down at her little brother, hand firmly held in hers.
The little blond menace nodded vigorously. He let his big sister lead the way to the department store to the right of the fountain. Thoughts of all the wonderful presents he could pick out floated through his mind until one thought made him stop abruptly. “Sis?”
“Yes, Danny?” She was a little worried about the suddenly serious expression on her brother’s face. It didn’t belong there. Not yet.
“How old is Dad?”
Oh how to explain this to a child? It was hard enough to explain to adults that one of the unexpected results of the Super Soldier Serum was that Steve Rogers’ cells continuously regenerated. He hasn’t aged a day since he was injected in 1941. While he’s really 92 years old he only feels and looks like he’s in his twenties. Even in this day and age people found it hard to believe that there was a chemical out there that could virtually stop a man from aging.
“You know how Pops is as old as the dinosaurs?” She waited until he nodded before saying, “Dad’s almost that old, too.”
Danny’s eyes went huge at the thought of having two dads that old. He couldn’t wait to tell Jarvis how old his Dad was!
Something shiny on his left caught his attention. There was the video store. “Let’s go in there!” He proceeded to drag his sister into the store where he knew a bunch of videos that his Dad would like were residing.
And maybe Carol will buy him that fighting movie that he’s been wanting if he’s really good.
~*~
She had lost him. Somehow in a store the size of the mansion’s training room she’d lost her little brother.
“Fuck,” she whispered under her breath. “Where the hell did he-“ She stopped and slapped her palm against her forehead. “Of course. The archery crap.” She turned on her heel and marched over to the far corner of the sporting goods store.
She wound her way around racks full of uniforms, track shoes, golf clubs, and other items for sports freaks. Within seconds she was in the area reserved for arrows and bows and practice dummies. There in the center of a semi circle of onlookers was her little brother. He was showing the store attendant how to properly hold the bow and arrow.
Sometimes she worried about how quickly they were all growing up.
She let him hand the equipment back to the older boy and correct him on his stance before getting his attention. “Clint! We’re looking for something for Dad not you.” He pouted and walked away from the guy without a word. She laid a hand on his shoulder and pointed over to where the weight machines stood. “Why don’t you go over there and see if any of those look like the one that Dad wore out last week.”
It was a cheap shot but it got him to go over there. While he was distracted she walked quickly over to the attendant. After a few minutes of discussing she had a general idea about the stuff Clint had been looking at. She pulled out her phone and asked if it was okay to send a pix to her dad. He nodded and she quickly snapped a pic and texted:
Daddy. Get clint this for bday.
~*~
“You want down now?”
“Yeah.”
Logan grabbed his brother and carefully ducked his head as he pulled his little brother off his shoulders. He was honestly amazed that Peter had held out as long as he had. Normally the hyperactive boy would have been wiggling to get down and run around after five minutes. Logan was beginning to wish he’d brought along the spider backpack/leash that had been left on the kitchen counter.
Peter ran up to one of the windows and pressed hands and face against the glass. It fogged up when he breathed on it, causing him to giggle and smear his fingers through the condensation. He cringed when his big brother grabbed his hand and tugged him away from his newest fascination.
“Come on, runt. We gotta get Dad a present and then eat. I’m starving!” Logan swung his brother up onto his hip and held him in place. “Now, where should we go to get Dad something for his birthday?” He slowly turned around letting his brother get a good look at all the stores as he pointed them out.
Peter considered each one very carefully. Birthdays were a big thing for four year olds. Presents were even more important than cake and ice cream.
“THERE!” he shouted, bouncing and swinging his legs. He started struggling to get down when Logan tightened his hold.
“Alright. Alright! Just hang on a sec, runt.” Logan set his brother down and ran after him toward the art supplies store the boy had spotted from his perch.
30 Minutes Later…
“Oh my fuc-I’m gonna kill that brat!”
Logan ran his hands through his hair, plastic bag full of artsy stuff dangling from the crook of his elbow. Now he was really wishing he had brought the child leash along. Within the span of putting the objects and his money on the counter for the female clerk to scan and Logan taking the receipt Peter had disappeared.
He stalked up and down the aisles of the store, peeking around displays trying to find him. After nearly ten minutes of searching he gave up finding him in the store and walked out, glaring at anyone that got in his way.
For the next twenty minutes he prowled first one side of the mall then the other. He went into shops, asked if anyone had seen his brother, and upon getting negatives responses he left for the next store. He ignored his cell phone vibrating and ringing loudly in his pocket. Peter didn’t have a cell phone on him and couldn’t even remember the home phone much less his big brother’s cell number.
The third time someone tried calling him in a row finally broke his concentration. He snatched it out of his pocket, flipped it open without even bothering to look at the caller ID, and snarled, “WHAT?!”
Silence from the other end. He could hear somebody breathing. He breathed hard into the mouthpiece, letting the slowly building growl of frustration out. Only ten minutes left until he was supposed to meet up with the others and he still couldn’t find his little brother.
“L’gan? Dat you, homie?”
Logan stopped pacing by the fountain and stared at his phone out of the corner of his eye. What was Remy doing calling him?
“Rems? Sorry.” He covered his eyes with his free hand, the heavy bag swinging against his chest at the motion. “Sorry, bud. I can’t talk right now. Something’s come up. Sorry.” He felt bad hanging up on his boyfriend but he had to find the brat quickly. Even with the holiday coming up there were still plenty of creeps hanging out at the mall.
“Dat’s a’right, ‘Gan.” In a slightly muffled voice he said, “Remy thinks L’gan’s busy, chitlin.” Clearly he was talking to someone else, but who? Louder Remy spoke directly into the phone, “What you want me do about de little one here, hehn?”
“What?” He was going to kiss Remy full on the lips if that sentence meant what he thought it did.
Remy chuckled at his confused boyfriend. “What,” he repeated slowly, “you want me, Remy, to do ‘bout yo’ littlest brother here?”
“Where are you?” Logan jumped up onto the brick ledge of the fountain and searched the crowd.
“We be at de fountain, near de mall entrance.” In the background Logan could hear Peter ask Remy, “Am I in twouble?”
“Yes, he is,” Logan grumbled into the phone as he walked on the ledge to the other side where he could see his missing brother and wonderful boyfriend standing. He snapped his phone shut as he approached the two.
He tried his hardest to stay mad at Peter. Staring down at him, arms crossed, and glare firmly in place he lasted all of three seconds against the Puppy Eyes of Doom directed his way not only from his brother but his boyfriend as well. “No fair double teaming against me.” A sigh escaped him.
Both boys merely grinned.
“Where’ve you been, ‘Gan? We’ve been waiting for you forever!” Peter jumped up and down. “Look what Remy got me! Look! Look!” He held up the trinket Remy bought from the vending machine nearby. Without even letting Logan get a closer look at the clump of cheap plastic he asked, “Is it time to eat yet?”
“Yes,” Logan nodded. He motioned to the food court, clearly intending to have Remy join them. “Let’s go eat so we can get out of here.”
Remy smirked and slipped his hand into his boyfriend’s back pocket and followed the littlest Rogers-Stark to the food. “Ya mind if dis po’ boy spend de night wit you?”
“Hell no.”
~*~
July 4th, 2009
Butt-crack of Dawn
Steve knew his kids were up to something. It was pretty obvious when all six of them plus Remy were up at 6 o’clock in the morning hanging out in the kitchen. He had gotten up half an hour earlier, leaving Tony and Thor still fast asleep, and prepared to go on his morning jog. Just as he was leaving out the front door he could hear all of them talking in hushed tones as they crept towards the kitchen.
Dread slowly built up in his gut. Logan and Jessica Drew hated cooking anything with a passion. He sincerely hoped that they weren’t going to cook. A prayer went up asking for Danny and Peter not partaking in the actual cooking as well.
All of their kids were a danger in the kitchen, truth be told.
Returning from his jog, he stepped into the shower behind Thor. He reached around and grabbed the soap and washcloth as his husband turned around to greet him properly. They both made quick work of cleaning each other off, bringing each other off, then cleaning up again. Both had just pulled up and tied their lounge pants when Danny peeked his head into the room.
“Dad! You’re supposed to be in bed!” He pulled his head back out and yelled down the hallway, “Dad’s not in bed! Now what?” Tony twitched from where he lay in the middle of the giant bed but otherwise didn’t wake up, despite how loud Danny was being. One of the other kids gave a muffled answer that had him sticking his head back into the room.
“Dad! Pops! Get back in bed. Carol says so!” With that he disappeared back into the hallway.
Both blonds smiled and obeyed the second youngest. The jostling of the mattress woke Tony enough to grumble a sleepy complaint as both men settled down. Only a few minutes passed by before all six offspring of the three men burst in laden with trays full of food and drink and arms cradling brightly wrapped presents. Remy smirked and leaned against the door frame with his arms and legs crossed.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!”
The three youngest were carefully balancing the trays of breakfast, Clint getting to carry the one with the most food that was going to Steve. It was the ‘Special Birthday Breakfast’ tray. It included eggs, bacon, sausage, milk, juice, toast, oatmeal, homemade hash browns (with Jarvis’s help, of course), and little cups filled with butter and three different jellies. The two non-birthday trays had only eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and coffee. One tray had an extra large cup of coffee. Three guesses as to who got that one and the first two don’t count.
Thor and Steve were given their trays while Tony’s was placed on the side table. He’d get his as soon as he’d woken up enough not to spill it all over himself in his haste to inhale the coffee.
“Look what we made you, Dad!” Peter exclaimed fairly vibrating from where he sat on his knees at the foot of the bed.
“With Jarvis’s and Remy’s help,” Jessica Drew added. She was holding the presents her and Clint had bought yesterday. Carol and Logan were in a similar state; both holding onto the presents while Clint, Danny, and Peter regaled their dads on their exploits in the kitchen so early in the morning.
The boys had barely left them finish their breakfast before insisting that Steve open his presents ‘nownownow!’
With a chuckle he did as requested. Carol handed over hers and Danny’s presents first. Carol had bought him a new set of inking pens and paints while Danny had thought of getting him a 3 DVD set documentary on World War II.
“Carol said you’d like that more than the martial arts movie I had picked out.”
Steve smiled and thanked them.
Then Jessica Drew handed Clint their presents to give to their Dad. She had bought him two new jogging suits with a pair of sneakers. Clint’s present included a rock to make it weigh something. Inside was a pamphlet of the new exercise machine being delivered to the mansion on Monday.
“Jess had to help me. I was a coupla dollars short,” Clint whispered to Thor. The thunder god just smiled indulgently, knowing that she had used the credit card he’d slipped her before he left for work yesterday.
Finally Logan presented him with the gifts from him, Remy, and Peter. He and Remy had bought him a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant. Peter had gotten him a new sketchpad and a packet of #2 yellow pencils and a sharpener.
“I thought of it all by myself!” he announced proudly. “I even remember to get the sharpener with the cover on it. So’s that way it’s less messy.”
“Thank you, Peter. Thanks all of you. I think this has to be my best birthday ever.” Steve smiled and shooed the kids out of the room. “Okay, lemme get your daddy up so we can go out and celebrate.”
“YAY!”
The all quickly exited, the older four giving one last ‘happy birthday’ before closing the door.
Thor pulled Tony up and leaned him back against the headboard while Steve grabbed the cooling cup of coffee awaiting the sleepy billionaire. Tony opened his eyes enough to be able to grab the cup and bring it to his lips. Inhaling the strong fragrance wafting up, he smiled and handed the cup over to Thor. As Thor placed it on the side table next to him Tony straddled Steve’s legs. He grabbed both of Steve’s hands and placed them on his bare stomach.
At Steve’s puzzled expression he leaned down and kissed him. Pulling back to just barely separate from him he whispered, “happy birthday, dad.”
It took only a split second for the man of the day to realize what Tony’s birthday present was. He glanced over at Thor to confirm. Thor’s smile could have brightened the room when he nodded. “It’s yours. Happy birthday, Steve.”
Happy (Belated)Birthday, Cap!
Who should it be? ^_^
Author To-Shiki
Rating PG-13 mention of shower scene, nothing graphic
Pairing Steve/Tony/Thor, Logan+Remy
Warning no beta was used/harmed/consulted in the making of this fic. All mistakes are mine. Considering it's 1 am, there should be a few.
Word Count 3,275
Disclaimer They so aren't mine. Beacuse if they were...we would all be rich because I would turn all these fics into canon
Notes So AU it's almost crack! Kids Universe. And look! Only two days late. That's better than for my own family lol Also, the whole birth thing will be explained in 'In the Beginning' when I get it typed up.
Summery The youngin's go shopping for Dad's birthday presents and make breakfast. Prepare yourselves...
“Happy Birthday, Dad!”
July 3rd, 2009
10:24 a.m.
“Okay. I’ve got purse, wallet, keys…” Carol looked up from where she stood at the kitchen counter. “Logan, you got the boys ready?”
Her oldest brother grunted a ‘yes’. It was a slight lie. Both young boys were wearing their swim trunks and flip flops. Logan had a dirty white wifebeater and torn jeans with scruffy army boots. He was attempting to finish getting Danny and Peter ready to go to the mall with the rest of the kids. Neither was cooperating with him.
Jessica Drew was sitting at the counter with Clint, waiting impatiently. Both had on tank tops, cutoff shorts, and sandals. Carol herself was dressed in high heels, short jean skirt, and tube top. She tapped her foot on the titled floor.
“Do you need help?”
“No.”
Danny and Peter laughed at the low growl that had accompanied Logan’s answer. They were being difficult on purpose. It wasn’t often that they got to go out with the older kids and they wanted to make it last as long as possible. Although it seemed as if Jessica Drew had finally run out of patience when she stood up and put her hands on her hips.
“You two get your shirts on and into the car first and I’ll buy you ice cream cones!”
With the magical words of ‘ice cream’ they slipped on their shirts, ducked out from under their big brother’s reach, and ran out for the truck waiting in the driveway. Logan glared at his younger sister as she and Clint followed the younglings. Carol huffed, grabbed her purse and locked up behind her and Logan.
“You know they’re going to have a fit when they find out you’re bribing them.” She warned Jess.
She merely waved it off and continued to strap Danny into his booster seat while Logan did the same with Peter. While Logan hated having his precious truck’s image ruined with the seats, he knew that both boys would be miserable the whole day if they didn’t get a chance to ride in his new truck.
“Alright, everybody buckle up. We’re going!”
~*~
“WOW!”
The three youngest boys couldn’t resist running toward the huge fountain in the middle of the mall. Thankfully all three older siblings had a hold on them. The fountain had been installed earlier in the week. It had three pillars made out of wood with little spouts for water every three feet. The highest pillar stood thirty feet high with the other two at twenty-five and twenty feet. The collection pool around it had a brick ledge wide enough for people to sit on and lights in the water shining up to hit the pillars.
“Come on, you guys. We have to get dad’s birthday presents as fast as possible, remember? We have to wrap them before dad gets home from work.” Carol tugged Daddy closer to her as they passed the fountain. The boy loved water but still hadn’t mastered the art of floating. “You guys have your money?”
All three boys reached into their pockets and each withdrew two ten dollar bills and one five dollar bill. One ten had been their allowance and the other fifteen dollars was courtesy their Daddy and Pops helping them out.
“ Okay, okay. You could have just said ‘yes’.” She put her hands on her knees and leaned in close to them. “Do you guys know what you’re going to get Dad?”
Three blank stares answered her. She looked up at her brother and sister for help.
“Clint and I’ll go this way,” Jessica Drew pointed off to the left where most of the sporting goods stores were located. Clint looked fairly ecstatic at the idea of going with her to look at equipment.
“Will they have bows and arrows like in ‘Robin Hood’, Jess?” he asked her, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“We’ll see.”
Logan grabbed Peter under the arms and swung him up onto his shoulders. “Me and the Shorty here’ll go that’a way.” He waved his hand in a vague direction of the food court. He hadn’t eaten yet that morning and it was approaching lunchtime.
Carol rolled her eyes. “Alright. Danny and I’ll go over there. Meet back up in the food court in, say, an hour. Will that work?” Muttered ‘uh-huh’s and turned backs answered her question.
“Alright, kiddo. Let’s go get Dad his birthday present, huh?” She looked down at her little brother, hand firmly held in hers.
The little blond menace nodded vigorously. He let his big sister lead the way to the department store to the right of the fountain. Thoughts of all the wonderful presents he could pick out floated through his mind until one thought made him stop abruptly. “Sis?”
“Yes, Danny?” She was a little worried about the suddenly serious expression on her brother’s face. It didn’t belong there. Not yet.
“How old is Dad?”
Oh how to explain this to a child? It was hard enough to explain to adults that one of the unexpected results of the Super Soldier Serum was that Steve Rogers’ cells continuously regenerated. He hasn’t aged a day since he was injected in 1941. While he’s really 92 years old he only feels and looks like he’s in his twenties. Even in this day and age people found it hard to believe that there was a chemical out there that could virtually stop a man from aging.
“You know how Pops is as old as the dinosaurs?” She waited until he nodded before saying, “Dad’s almost that old, too.”
Danny’s eyes went huge at the thought of having two dads that old. He couldn’t wait to tell Jarvis how old his Dad was!
Something shiny on his left caught his attention. There was the video store. “Let’s go in there!” He proceeded to drag his sister into the store where he knew a bunch of videos that his Dad would like were residing.
And maybe Carol will buy him that fighting movie that he’s been wanting if he’s really good.
~*~
She had lost him. Somehow in a store the size of the mansion’s training room she’d lost her little brother.
“Fuck,” she whispered under her breath. “Where the hell did he-“ She stopped and slapped her palm against her forehead. “Of course. The archery crap.” She turned on her heel and marched over to the far corner of the sporting goods store.
She wound her way around racks full of uniforms, track shoes, golf clubs, and other items for sports freaks. Within seconds she was in the area reserved for arrows and bows and practice dummies. There in the center of a semi circle of onlookers was her little brother. He was showing the store attendant how to properly hold the bow and arrow.
Sometimes she worried about how quickly they were all growing up.
She let him hand the equipment back to the older boy and correct him on his stance before getting his attention. “Clint! We’re looking for something for Dad not you.” He pouted and walked away from the guy without a word. She laid a hand on his shoulder and pointed over to where the weight machines stood. “Why don’t you go over there and see if any of those look like the one that Dad wore out last week.”
It was a cheap shot but it got him to go over there. While he was distracted she walked quickly over to the attendant. After a few minutes of discussing she had a general idea about the stuff Clint had been looking at. She pulled out her phone and asked if it was okay to send a pix to her dad. He nodded and she quickly snapped a pic and texted:
Daddy. Get clint this for bday.
~*~
“You want down now?”
“Yeah.”
Logan grabbed his brother and carefully ducked his head as he pulled his little brother off his shoulders. He was honestly amazed that Peter had held out as long as he had. Normally the hyperactive boy would have been wiggling to get down and run around after five minutes. Logan was beginning to wish he’d brought along the spider backpack/leash that had been left on the kitchen counter.
Peter ran up to one of the windows and pressed hands and face against the glass. It fogged up when he breathed on it, causing him to giggle and smear his fingers through the condensation. He cringed when his big brother grabbed his hand and tugged him away from his newest fascination.
“Come on, runt. We gotta get Dad a present and then eat. I’m starving!” Logan swung his brother up onto his hip and held him in place. “Now, where should we go to get Dad something for his birthday?” He slowly turned around letting his brother get a good look at all the stores as he pointed them out.
Peter considered each one very carefully. Birthdays were a big thing for four year olds. Presents were even more important than cake and ice cream.
“THERE!” he shouted, bouncing and swinging his legs. He started struggling to get down when Logan tightened his hold.
“Alright. Alright! Just hang on a sec, runt.” Logan set his brother down and ran after him toward the art supplies store the boy had spotted from his perch.
30 Minutes Later…
“Oh my fuc-I’m gonna kill that brat!”
Logan ran his hands through his hair, plastic bag full of artsy stuff dangling from the crook of his elbow. Now he was really wishing he had brought the child leash along. Within the span of putting the objects and his money on the counter for the female clerk to scan and Logan taking the receipt Peter had disappeared.
He stalked up and down the aisles of the store, peeking around displays trying to find him. After nearly ten minutes of searching he gave up finding him in the store and walked out, glaring at anyone that got in his way.
For the next twenty minutes he prowled first one side of the mall then the other. He went into shops, asked if anyone had seen his brother, and upon getting negatives responses he left for the next store. He ignored his cell phone vibrating and ringing loudly in his pocket. Peter didn’t have a cell phone on him and couldn’t even remember the home phone much less his big brother’s cell number.
The third time someone tried calling him in a row finally broke his concentration. He snatched it out of his pocket, flipped it open without even bothering to look at the caller ID, and snarled, “WHAT?!”
Silence from the other end. He could hear somebody breathing. He breathed hard into the mouthpiece, letting the slowly building growl of frustration out. Only ten minutes left until he was supposed to meet up with the others and he still couldn’t find his little brother.
“L’gan? Dat you, homie?”
Logan stopped pacing by the fountain and stared at his phone out of the corner of his eye. What was Remy doing calling him?
“Rems? Sorry.” He covered his eyes with his free hand, the heavy bag swinging against his chest at the motion. “Sorry, bud. I can’t talk right now. Something’s come up. Sorry.” He felt bad hanging up on his boyfriend but he had to find the brat quickly. Even with the holiday coming up there were still plenty of creeps hanging out at the mall.
“Dat’s a’right, ‘Gan.” In a slightly muffled voice he said, “Remy thinks L’gan’s busy, chitlin.” Clearly he was talking to someone else, but who? Louder Remy spoke directly into the phone, “What you want me do about de little one here, hehn?”
“What?” He was going to kiss Remy full on the lips if that sentence meant what he thought it did.
Remy chuckled at his confused boyfriend. “What,” he repeated slowly, “you want me, Remy, to do ‘bout yo’ littlest brother here?”
“Where are you?” Logan jumped up onto the brick ledge of the fountain and searched the crowd.
“We be at de fountain, near de mall entrance.” In the background Logan could hear Peter ask Remy, “Am I in twouble?”
“Yes, he is,” Logan grumbled into the phone as he walked on the ledge to the other side where he could see his missing brother and wonderful boyfriend standing. He snapped his phone shut as he approached the two.
He tried his hardest to stay mad at Peter. Staring down at him, arms crossed, and glare firmly in place he lasted all of three seconds against the Puppy Eyes of Doom directed his way not only from his brother but his boyfriend as well. “No fair double teaming against me.” A sigh escaped him.
Both boys merely grinned.
“Where’ve you been, ‘Gan? We’ve been waiting for you forever!” Peter jumped up and down. “Look what Remy got me! Look! Look!” He held up the trinket Remy bought from the vending machine nearby. Without even letting Logan get a closer look at the clump of cheap plastic he asked, “Is it time to eat yet?”
“Yes,” Logan nodded. He motioned to the food court, clearly intending to have Remy join them. “Let’s go eat so we can get out of here.”
Remy smirked and slipped his hand into his boyfriend’s back pocket and followed the littlest Rogers-Stark to the food. “Ya mind if dis po’ boy spend de night wit you?”
“Hell no.”
~*~
July 4th, 2009
Butt-crack of Dawn
Steve knew his kids were up to something. It was pretty obvious when all six of them plus Remy were up at 6 o’clock in the morning hanging out in the kitchen. He had gotten up half an hour earlier, leaving Tony and Thor still fast asleep, and prepared to go on his morning jog. Just as he was leaving out the front door he could hear all of them talking in hushed tones as they crept towards the kitchen.
Dread slowly built up in his gut. Logan and Jessica Drew hated cooking anything with a passion. He sincerely hoped that they weren’t going to cook. A prayer went up asking for Danny and Peter not partaking in the actual cooking as well.
All of their kids were a danger in the kitchen, truth be told.
Returning from his jog, he stepped into the shower behind Thor. He reached around and grabbed the soap and washcloth as his husband turned around to greet him properly. They both made quick work of cleaning each other off, bringing each other off, then cleaning up again. Both had just pulled up and tied their lounge pants when Danny peeked his head into the room.
“Dad! You’re supposed to be in bed!” He pulled his head back out and yelled down the hallway, “Dad’s not in bed! Now what?” Tony twitched from where he lay in the middle of the giant bed but otherwise didn’t wake up, despite how loud Danny was being. One of the other kids gave a muffled answer that had him sticking his head back into the room.
“Dad! Pops! Get back in bed. Carol says so!” With that he disappeared back into the hallway.
Both blonds smiled and obeyed the second youngest. The jostling of the mattress woke Tony enough to grumble a sleepy complaint as both men settled down. Only a few minutes passed by before all six offspring of the three men burst in laden with trays full of food and drink and arms cradling brightly wrapped presents. Remy smirked and leaned against the door frame with his arms and legs crossed.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!”
The three youngest were carefully balancing the trays of breakfast, Clint getting to carry the one with the most food that was going to Steve. It was the ‘Special Birthday Breakfast’ tray. It included eggs, bacon, sausage, milk, juice, toast, oatmeal, homemade hash browns (with Jarvis’s help, of course), and little cups filled with butter and three different jellies. The two non-birthday trays had only eggs, bacon, toast, juice, and coffee. One tray had an extra large cup of coffee. Three guesses as to who got that one and the first two don’t count.
Thor and Steve were given their trays while Tony’s was placed on the side table. He’d get his as soon as he’d woken up enough not to spill it all over himself in his haste to inhale the coffee.
“Look what we made you, Dad!” Peter exclaimed fairly vibrating from where he sat on his knees at the foot of the bed.
“With Jarvis’s and Remy’s help,” Jessica Drew added. She was holding the presents her and Clint had bought yesterday. Carol and Logan were in a similar state; both holding onto the presents while Clint, Danny, and Peter regaled their dads on their exploits in the kitchen so early in the morning.
The boys had barely left them finish their breakfast before insisting that Steve open his presents ‘nownownow!’
With a chuckle he did as requested. Carol handed over hers and Danny’s presents first. Carol had bought him a new set of inking pens and paints while Danny had thought of getting him a 3 DVD set documentary on World War II.
“Carol said you’d like that more than the martial arts movie I had picked out.”
Steve smiled and thanked them.
Then Jessica Drew handed Clint their presents to give to their Dad. She had bought him two new jogging suits with a pair of sneakers. Clint’s present included a rock to make it weigh something. Inside was a pamphlet of the new exercise machine being delivered to the mansion on Monday.
“Jess had to help me. I was a coupla dollars short,” Clint whispered to Thor. The thunder god just smiled indulgently, knowing that she had used the credit card he’d slipped her before he left for work yesterday.
Finally Logan presented him with the gifts from him, Remy, and Peter. He and Remy had bought him a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant. Peter had gotten him a new sketchpad and a packet of #2 yellow pencils and a sharpener.
“I thought of it all by myself!” he announced proudly. “I even remember to get the sharpener with the cover on it. So’s that way it’s less messy.”
“Thank you, Peter. Thanks all of you. I think this has to be my best birthday ever.” Steve smiled and shooed the kids out of the room. “Okay, lemme get your daddy up so we can go out and celebrate.”
“YAY!”
The all quickly exited, the older four giving one last ‘happy birthday’ before closing the door.
Thor pulled Tony up and leaned him back against the headboard while Steve grabbed the cooling cup of coffee awaiting the sleepy billionaire. Tony opened his eyes enough to be able to grab the cup and bring it to his lips. Inhaling the strong fragrance wafting up, he smiled and handed the cup over to Thor. As Thor placed it on the side table next to him Tony straddled Steve’s legs. He grabbed both of Steve’s hands and placed them on his bare stomach.
At Steve’s puzzled expression he leaned down and kissed him. Pulling back to just barely separate from him he whispered, “happy birthday, dad.”
It took only a split second for the man of the day to realize what Tony’s birthday present was. He glanced over at Thor to confirm. Thor’s smile could have brightened the room when he nodded. “It’s yours. Happy birthday, Steve.”
Happy (Belated)Birthday, Cap!
Who should it be? ^_^