12 Days of Christmas Part 2
Avengers Holiday Party
Anya had mistletoe and Lucy had a camera; together they had a mission. And a plan.
"Daddy, can I have a glass of wine to take the edge off?"
"No, that is exactly why one should not have a glass of wine. Life has many edges, and alcohol isn't there to take them away."
Amelia pouted but Peter pouted right back and she gave up with a flounce. Carol raised an eyebrow as she took her daughter's place at Peter's side.
"What was that about?"
Peter was quiet a moment before answering. "She wants to feel like an adult."
"I hate feeling like an adult."
"That's why you're my favorite, Caroly."
"Now kiss!" Carol and Peter both jumped.
"Hello Anya."
Carol scrunched her nose at the sprig above her head. "What's this?"
"Mistletoe!"
"Isn't is supposed to be hanging?"
"Hanging's for --" Anya shook her head with impatience. "Just kiss."
Carol looked like she wanted to protest but Peter shook his head at her with affection and obliged. Lucy recorded Peter and Carol kissing under the mistletoe. Anya grinned, crossed their names off her list, and didn't complain when they shooed her away.
She had many more names to go.
Most of the adults were easy. They were used to Anya, comfortable in their relationships, and wanted to encourage Lucy. Luke and Jess, Misty and Danny, Steve and Sharon, James and Natasha were checked off quickly. Pepper was reticent but in the end, she's married to Tony Stark. So. Check.
Anthony and Vincent and Trick and Ginny were also easy. Anthony and Vincent because Vincent is a) insane and b) lovable and Anthony loves a) Christmas, b) traditons and c) Vincent. Their kiss was long, deep, and unsolicited.
Trick is a showman. When Anya approached them he winked, spun Ginny around until they were tied together in his scarf and she was blushing as red as it's yarn and stayed her giggles with a kiss.
Halfway there. Anya thought Jake and Amelia would be easy too, but they were missing. She surveyed the room and decided on Bobby and Bianca.
"Anya..."
"Oh stop, you're cute."
Bobby rolled his eyes and leaned in to give Bianca a quick and awkward kiss. He turned back to Anya.
"Happy?"
"Ecstatic." She pat his head and walked off to her next mark. Bobby turned his attention back to his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry."
Bianca shrugged. "It's tradition." Bobby leaned in to kiss her properly.
"Bobby!"
He pulled back with an annoyed look. "What."
Anya nodded toward his mother. "Clint or Jess?"
Bobby rolled his eyes again but upon consideration, grinned, and answered, "Let her choose."
Anya laughed and bounded toward Bobbi, seated between Clint and Jess Drew and discussing something entirely boring related to their trip. She perched the mistletoe over Bobbi's head.
"Now kiss!"
"What?" Anya shook the sprig. "Kiss who?"
"Whoever you want."
Bobbi's eyes flickered from Clint to Jess.
"I hate mistletoe," said Jess.
"Isn't it how it works that we get to kiss her?" asked Clint.
Anya shook her head. "I don't know, your grammar is confusing me."
Clint frowned. "What?"
"What what?" said Anya.
"What?" repeated Clint.
"Oh for God's sake," said Jess and she pulled the mistletoe over her head and kissed Bobbi.
Clint scowled. Anya clapped her hands. "You got that, right?" Lucy nodded. "Ta!" And away they went.
"Where's the Asgardians?"
"Upstairs," answered Dani. "Ping-pong." Anya nodded and turned toward the stairs.
"Asgardians don't like mistletoe," said Val. "Our Asgardians anyway."
Anya waved a hand. "Don't be silly." She paused and held her mistletoe between Dani and Val. "Now kiss!"
Dani and Val looked at each other. Val kissed Dani's cheek, linked arms and walked away. Anya shrugged. Close enough. She sped up the stairs, Lucy right behind.
Ben and Lindy were seated on the top step to watch the party.
"What is it?"
"Mistletoe." Anya bounced. "It's a Christmas tradition. You kiss under it."
"Why?"
"Because kissing is awesome," answered Anya. Duh.
"But why is it a holiday tradition?"
"Because holidays are awesome." Lindy blinked. "So kissing for holidays is double awesome."
Lindy peered at Anya's sprig. It was so unassuming. "But why do people need a reason to kiss?"
Ben intervened before Anya could say reasons were awesome. "Sometimes holidays can be stressful, so it's a reminder to pay attention to the important things.
The thoughtful frown reappeared. Lindy couldn't decide if he meant kissing was important or if he meant who is kissed was important. If he meant her. Ben touched a finger to the bridge of her nose; her frown relaxed and he brushed her lips once for the camera, and then again, because she was important.
"Do you know where Jake and Amelia are?" Ben shook his head. Anya sighed and walked off towards ping-pong.
Jake glanced up. "I think they are looking for us."
Amelia responded by pulling her feet up and curling even closer to him. "I want to stay with you."
"Okay."
"Forever."
"Okay."
"I mean it, Jake."
He glanced down. They were tucked into the space below the stairs. Jake would call it hiding in plain sight; Amelia would call it personal space.
"I mean it, too."
She took a breath and nodded. "I know." He brushed a hand over her hair. "I want to go with you. I'll miss you."
"And you would miss your family if you came with me." Amelia tilted her head up to meet his eye. Her expression said he was right, and she knew it. "No matter how much time you spend away with your family, or at college, or apart from me for any reason, I will always be here for you."
"I know," she said again and replaced her head on his chest. "I know."
"I can't believe you lost her."
"I didn't lose her, she ran away!"
"That's what kittens do. They're curious."
"Curiosity kill--" Henry turned a little pale. "Let's find the cat."
Becky smirked and turned and bumped into Anya and her attack mistletoe.
"Now kiss!"
Becky's eyes narrowed but Henry was distracted by Anya's disheveled appearance. "What happened to you?"
Anya made a face. "Asgardians don't like mistletoe."
"Oh." That didn't really explain it, but Henry wasn't certain he really wanted to know.
Anya shrugged and wagged her mistletoe. "Kiss!"
"Kiss wh--" But he was interrupted by Becky's impatient but not unpleasant kiss. Anya dropped the sprig and crossed their names off her list.
"Uh..." said Henry.
"Cat," said Becky.
"Cat!" said Amelia and she held up the missing kitten.
"Amelia!" said Anya and she swung her mistletoe over the girl's head. "Jake!" Finally. "Now kiss!"
"Huh?" Amelia frowned and handed the cat over to Becky. "Anya. Go away."
"You can't hide all night, arana hija."
"I'm not --" She shook her head. "Go away!"
"You are stunting the creativity of a great American filmmaker."
Amelia glared. She didn't want to kiss on command. She didn't want to play Anya's stupid game. She just wanted to go back to hiding with Jake. She wanted to go to sleep and wake up on New Year's Eve. With Jake. She should have just left the kitten. Now she had to deal with with Anya's demands and Henry was watching her. And Becky and Ben and Lindy and everybody because Lucy was filming it all. Fine.
She turned and kissed Jake hard. She was angry. Too angry to hold it in. But Jake put his arms around her and she relaxed. When they pulled apart her anger was gone. She took a deep breath and brushed his lips again, softly, with just love. Lindy glanced at Ben; he nodded, yes, that's what he meant about reminders.
Anya crossed their names off the list.
"Miss Lucy, we did it."
"Not yet!"
"Who'd I forget?"
Lucy giggled.
"Oh." Anya ran off toward the living room. "Rikki!" Lucy scrambled after, and the others followed slowly, in pairs. Henry and Becky returned to the sofa, kitten in hand. Jess pulled Lindy aside. Someone put music on. Trick jumped up, pulling Ginny along with him.
"Dance with me!"
She giggled. "You always want to dance."
"Yes!"
She giggled again and let him twirl her around their impromptu dancefloor. Amelia walked over to her brother.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself."
"Having a good time?"
"Sure." Amelia frowned. Ben looked away. "Lindy's with her mom."
"I know. Jake's helping her bring gifts to the car."
"Oh."
Amelia looked past him to Trick and Ginny dancing. She was used to how touchy-feely-physical they were because she saw them every day in school. But Ben didn't.
"You okay?"
He nodded, but she could tell he was uncomfortable.
"Really?"
He finally looked at her directly. "She's happy."
Amelia bit her lip. She wanted to ask if he was happy, but she could tell he didn't want her to.
"I want to dance."
She didn't give him a chance to refuse, just pulled him into the center of the room to dance with her beside Trick and Ginny. It was weird for thirty seconds. Then Ben grinned, spun Amelia around and they fell into a routine. When Jake and Lindy returned, Ben twirled his sister toward Jake and held a hand out to Lindy.
"I'm named after a dance."
"I know." He winked.
Anya had mistletoe and Lucy had a camera; together they had a mission. And a plan.
"Daddy, can I have a glass of wine to take the edge off?"
"No, that is exactly why one should not have a glass of wine. Life has many edges, and alcohol isn't there to take them away."
Amelia pouted but Peter pouted right back and she gave up with a flounce. Carol raised an eyebrow as she took her daughter's place at Peter's side.
"What was that about?"
Peter was quiet a moment before answering. "She wants to feel like an adult."
"I hate feeling like an adult."
"That's why you're my favorite, Caroly."
"Now kiss!" Carol and Peter both jumped.
"Hello Anya."
Carol scrunched her nose at the sprig above her head. "What's this?"
"Mistletoe!"
"Isn't is supposed to be hanging?"
"Hanging's for --" Anya shook her head with impatience. "Just kiss."
Carol looked like she wanted to protest but Peter shook his head at her with affection and obliged. Lucy recorded Peter and Carol kissing under the mistletoe. Anya grinned, crossed their names off her list, and didn't complain when they shooed her away.
She had many more names to go.
Most of the adults were easy. They were used to Anya, comfortable in their relationships, and wanted to encourage Lucy. Luke and Jess, Misty and Danny, Steve and Sharon, James and Natasha were checked off quickly. Pepper was reticent but in the end, she's married to Tony Stark. So. Check.
Anthony and Vincent and Trick and Ginny were also easy. Anthony and Vincent because Vincent is a) insane and b) lovable and Anthony loves a) Christmas, b) traditons and c) Vincent. Their kiss was long, deep, and unsolicited.
Trick is a showman. When Anya approached them he winked, spun Ginny around until they were tied together in his scarf and she was blushing as red as it's yarn and stayed her giggles with a kiss.
Halfway there. Anya thought Jake and Amelia would be easy too, but they were missing. She surveyed the room and decided on Bobby and Bianca.
"Anya..."
"Oh stop, you're cute."
Bobby rolled his eyes and leaned in to give Bianca a quick and awkward kiss. He turned back to Anya.
"Happy?"
"Ecstatic." She pat his head and walked off to her next mark. Bobby turned his attention back to his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry."
Bianca shrugged. "It's tradition." Bobby leaned in to kiss her properly.
"Bobby!"
He pulled back with an annoyed look. "What."
Anya nodded toward his mother. "Clint or Jess?"
Bobby rolled his eyes again but upon consideration, grinned, and answered, "Let her choose."
Anya laughed and bounded toward Bobbi, seated between Clint and Jess Drew and discussing something entirely boring related to their trip. She perched the mistletoe over Bobbi's head.
"Now kiss!"
"What?" Anya shook the sprig. "Kiss who?"
"Whoever you want."
Bobbi's eyes flickered from Clint to Jess.
"I hate mistletoe," said Jess.
"Isn't it how it works that we get to kiss her?" asked Clint.
Anya shook her head. "I don't know, your grammar is confusing me."
Clint frowned. "What?"
"What what?" said Anya.
"What?" repeated Clint.
"Oh for God's sake," said Jess and she pulled the mistletoe over her head and kissed Bobbi.
Clint scowled. Anya clapped her hands. "You got that, right?" Lucy nodded. "Ta!" And away they went.
"Where's the Asgardians?"
"Upstairs," answered Dani. "Ping-pong." Anya nodded and turned toward the stairs.
"Asgardians don't like mistletoe," said Val. "Our Asgardians anyway."
Anya waved a hand. "Don't be silly." She paused and held her mistletoe between Dani and Val. "Now kiss!"
Dani and Val looked at each other. Val kissed Dani's cheek, linked arms and walked away. Anya shrugged. Close enough. She sped up the stairs, Lucy right behind.
Ben and Lindy were seated on the top step to watch the party.
"What is it?"
"Mistletoe." Anya bounced. "It's a Christmas tradition. You kiss under it."
"Why?"
"Because kissing is awesome," answered Anya. Duh.
"But why is it a holiday tradition?"
"Because holidays are awesome." Lindy blinked. "So kissing for holidays is double awesome."
Lindy peered at Anya's sprig. It was so unassuming. "But why do people need a reason to kiss?"
Ben intervened before Anya could say reasons were awesome. "Sometimes holidays can be stressful, so it's a reminder to pay attention to the important things.
The thoughtful frown reappeared. Lindy couldn't decide if he meant kissing was important or if he meant who is kissed was important. If he meant her. Ben touched a finger to the bridge of her nose; her frown relaxed and he brushed her lips once for the camera, and then again, because she was important.
"Do you know where Jake and Amelia are?" Ben shook his head. Anya sighed and walked off towards ping-pong.
Jake glanced up. "I think they are looking for us."
Amelia responded by pulling her feet up and curling even closer to him. "I want to stay with you."
"Okay."
"Forever."
"Okay."
"I mean it, Jake."
He glanced down. They were tucked into the space below the stairs. Jake would call it hiding in plain sight; Amelia would call it personal space.
"I mean it, too."
She took a breath and nodded. "I know." He brushed a hand over her hair. "I want to go with you. I'll miss you."
"And you would miss your family if you came with me." Amelia tilted her head up to meet his eye. Her expression said he was right, and she knew it. "No matter how much time you spend away with your family, or at college, or apart from me for any reason, I will always be here for you."
"I know," she said again and replaced her head on his chest. "I know."
"I can't believe you lost her."
"I didn't lose her, she ran away!"
"That's what kittens do. They're curious."
"Curiosity kill--" Henry turned a little pale. "Let's find the cat."
Becky smirked and turned and bumped into Anya and her attack mistletoe.
"Now kiss!"
Becky's eyes narrowed but Henry was distracted by Anya's disheveled appearance. "What happened to you?"
Anya made a face. "Asgardians don't like mistletoe."
"Oh." That didn't really explain it, but Henry wasn't certain he really wanted to know.
Anya shrugged and wagged her mistletoe. "Kiss!"
"Kiss wh--" But he was interrupted by Becky's impatient but not unpleasant kiss. Anya dropped the sprig and crossed their names off her list.
"Uh..." said Henry.
"Cat," said Becky.
"Cat!" said Amelia and she held up the missing kitten.
"Amelia!" said Anya and she swung her mistletoe over the girl's head. "Jake!" Finally. "Now kiss!"
"Huh?" Amelia frowned and handed the cat over to Becky. "Anya. Go away."
"You can't hide all night, arana hija."
"I'm not --" She shook her head. "Go away!"
"You are stunting the creativity of a great American filmmaker."
Amelia glared. She didn't want to kiss on command. She didn't want to play Anya's stupid game. She just wanted to go back to hiding with Jake. She wanted to go to sleep and wake up on New Year's Eve. With Jake. She should have just left the kitten. Now she had to deal with with Anya's demands and Henry was watching her. And Becky and Ben and Lindy and everybody because Lucy was filming it all. Fine.
She turned and kissed Jake hard. She was angry. Too angry to hold it in. But Jake put his arms around her and she relaxed. When they pulled apart her anger was gone. She took a deep breath and brushed his lips again, softly, with just love. Lindy glanced at Ben; he nodded, yes, that's what he meant about reminders.
Anya crossed their names off the list.
"Miss Lucy, we did it."
"Not yet!"
"Who'd I forget?"
Lucy giggled.
"Oh." Anya ran off toward the living room. "Rikki!" Lucy scrambled after, and the others followed slowly, in pairs. Henry and Becky returned to the sofa, kitten in hand. Jess pulled Lindy aside. Someone put music on. Trick jumped up, pulling Ginny along with him.
"Dance with me!"
She giggled. "You always want to dance."
"Yes!"
She giggled again and let him twirl her around their impromptu dancefloor. Amelia walked over to her brother.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself."
"Having a good time?"
"Sure." Amelia frowned. Ben looked away. "Lindy's with her mom."
"I know. Jake's helping her bring gifts to the car."
"Oh."
Amelia looked past him to Trick and Ginny dancing. She was used to how touchy-feely-physical they were because she saw them every day in school. But Ben didn't.
"You okay?"
He nodded, but she could tell he was uncomfortable.
"Really?"
He finally looked at her directly. "She's happy."
Amelia bit her lip. She wanted to ask if he was happy, but she could tell he didn't want her to.
"I want to dance."
She didn't give him a chance to refuse, just pulled him into the center of the room to dance with her beside Trick and Ginny. It was weird for thirty seconds. Then Ben grinned, spun Amelia around and they fell into a routine. When Jake and Lindy returned, Ben twirled his sister toward Jake and held a hand out to Lindy.
"I'm named after a dance."
"I know." He winked.