"Mommy?" Liam shouted from the couch.
Kit turned off the stand mixer in the kitchen and wiped her hands on a kitchen towel.
"Yes, monkey?"
Liam leaned over the edge of the couch, "Why's everyone so 'cited?"
Kit grinned, her eyes crinkling, "Today's a very special day, Liam."
"How come?" he stuck his thumb in his mouth. Kit frowned. The thumb sucking had been on the way out. But ever since they had told him about the incoming babies...
Kit made a mental note to discuss it with Steve.
"Mommyyyyy," Liam whined, "I said, how come it's a 'pecial day?"
Kit laughed, "Sorry, kid. It's special because Aunt Betty and Uncle Bruce are bringing your new cousin home."
"Oh," Liam flopped onto his back, "Am I gonna like him?"
Kit leaned over the back of the couch, "I hope you do. Do you promise to be a nice boy?"
Liam nodded, "Can he play heroes?"
"If you ask him, I'm sure he will," Kit crooked her finger at her son, "How about you come help me bake a cake?"
Liam eyes widened, "Yeah!"
He jumped up and scrambled off the couch, hitting his knee only once on the way into the kitchen.
Steve waited with Bruce and Betty in the adoption agency.
"Is this...did you feel like you were going to vomit before Liam came?" Bruce asked quietly.
Steve nodded, "For a solid twelve hours. And then he was coming, so I wasn't focused on me anymore."
"So this is normal?" Bruce asked, needing reassurance.
"Perfectly normal," Steve clapped his hand on Bruce's shoulder, "It'll all be fine."
Bruce nodded, "Thank you."
"What's family for?" Steve shrugged, smiling.
"Are they comin' yet?" Liam banged his heels against the counter, watching his mom frost the cake.
"Soon," Kit waved the spatula in the air, "Daddy texted a little bit ago and they were almost home."
"I wanna meet Nickel!" Liam sighed dramatically.
Kit giggled, and whipped out her phone, opening the camera, "What's your new cousin's name?"
Liam looked disgruntled as he repeated, "Nickel! I wanna meet Nickel!"
"You'll meet him soon," Kit reassured Liam, sending the video to all of the Avengers.
"How soon?" Liam asked.
"Go watch one episode of Sesame Street and then ask me again," Kit flipped on the TV and Liam sat to watch the colorful Muppets.
She had just bought herself an hour. Time to finish that cake.
Liam fell asleep just twenty minutes into Sesame Street.
Kit covered him with a blanket and kissed his forehead before getting back to frosting the cake.
She was putting the finishing touches on the decorations when she heard Liam start talking.
"Uncle Bucky and Daddy are gonna shoot you right down!"
Kit frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together, "Liam, sweetie?"
He let out a snore that sounded too big for his body.
Sleep-talking.
Kit shook her head, "What are you dreaming about, little man?"
Liam rolled over in his sleep, face mashed up against the back of the couch.
Kit's phone chimed with a message.
-about 15 mins away. All ready? -
-will be as soon as Sleeping Beauty wakes up-
-good luck mommy... see you soon-
Kit smiled and put her phone into her pocket.
"Liam?" She gently tapped her son's arm, shaking his body a little.
Liam grumbled, swatting at Kit's hand, "No, mommy."
"Daddy's almost home," Kit sing-songed, knowing the promise of Steve would get Liam excited.
And true to past precedent, Liam's eyes flew open and he shot up into a sitting position, almost clipping Kit in the chin.
"Daddy?" He questioned, looking around the apartment.
Kit laughed, "In a few minutes. Why don't you help me hang up this sign?"
Liam rolled off of the couch and helped Kit tack up a "Welcome to the Family, Michael!" sign.
Liam's side was hanging much lower than Kit's, but that just added to the appeal.
There was the sound of a key scratching in the lock and both Kit and Liam's heads whipped around.
"Daddy!" Liam shrieked, flinging his body at Steve's knees.
"Hey, partner," Steve grinned, kissing Liam's forehead.
"Where are my people?" Liam asked, looking over Steve's shoulder.
Betty poked her head through the doorway, "Can we come in?"
Kit grinned and waved her hands, "Of course! Come in, come in! We can't wait to meet Michael!"
Betty went back into the hall, and they could hear her whispering in a soothing tone.
Bruce stepped into the apartment next, six-year-old Michael gripping tightly to his pant leg.
Bruce rubbed his back, "This is Steve and Kit. They're kind of like your aunt and uncle. And Liam is close to your age."
Steve gently set Liam on the floor, and the four-year-old peered curiously at this new family member.
Michael and Liam entered a low stakes staring contest, neither one wanting to look away.
"Do you live with Aunt Betty and Uncle Bruce?" Liam asked, shifting from one foot to the other.
Michael looked up at Bruce, hand still gripping fabric tightly. Bruce nodded.
Michael turned back to Liam, "Uh-huh. They brought me from the old place I lived. Now Betty said I can call her "mom" and Bruce said I can call him "dad." I like them."
Liam smiled, "I call my mommy and daddy, "mommy" and "daddy." They're lots of fun. And so are my other grown-ups! 'Specially Uncle Bucky."
Michael looked a little less frightened the more Liam talked. His grip on Bruce's jeans went slack, and he stepped out from behind Bruce's leg.
"Do you like superheroes?" Liam asked, and upon Michael's nod, Liam grabbed his hand and dragged him to the couch.
"I got lotsa heroes 'cause Daddy and my grown-ups are heroes," Liam shoved the Hulk figure into Michael's hand and took the Hawkeye figure for himself.
Michael looked carefully at the green plastic in his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, he started giggling and playing along with the story Liam was coming up with.
Bruce looped an arm over Betty's shoulder.
"I think they're going to get along just fine," Kit said, leaning against Steve's side.
The four adults watched Liam and Michael play with the action figures.
"Let's see how he does when he meets everyone else," Bruce laughed.
Just then, Michael followed Liam up into the couch and jumped, falling over the back.
"I think he'll be okay," Steve muttered as they all rushed forward to make sure he was okay.
Liam tugged on Kit's sleeve, "Mikey got a booboo. Can we get ice cream?"
Michael looked up, eyes bright, "Ice cream?"
Betty laughed, "Ice cream. You'll be fine."
Liam looked at his new partner-in-crime and they both cheered, jumping up and sprinting for the front door.
Both couples shared a look before Kit said what they were all thinking.
"We're in for it."
A/N: I'm back with more Avengers goodness. This is the first in a series of drabbles that will all take place within the Liam'verse. This also serves as your introduction to the first of many new Avengers kids. I'm going to strive to keep this in as chronological order as I can.
Please feel free to submit prompts of different drabbles that you'd like to see. They can either be sent in a PM here, or in an ask on my Tumblr (thewintersoldierdisaster)
There will be much more to come! Hopefully you like these kids as much as I do =)
I believe that the next thing I'll be working on, is a Carter/Bucky story. And to find out who Carter is, check out "Uncle Bucky's (reluctant) Babysitting Service" =)