An Very Avenger Christmas
all credit where it is due, I own nothing but some crazy ideas.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
Harry had been living with the Avengers near on three months when Tony idly noted that Christmas was coming and asked the still reserved boy what he would like Santa to bring him. Eyes too old and sad for his nine years Harry said, in a flat monotone; "Santa doesn't bring presents for Freaks." Tony blinked and breathed deeply, anger swelling up in him like molten lava. Oh Dursley was going DOWN.
"That was when you lived with your Aunt and Uncle. I bet even if Santa did bring you presents, and I am sure he did, they would not have given them to you because THEY were the Freaks. You are a very good boy and I will make sure Santa knows it!" Harry shot him a doubtful look. "How are you gonna do that?" he asked.
"I am Iron Man, I can do anything." said Tony, thrusting out his chest in what he thought was an impressive manner. Seeing Harry's skeptical look he added "and we know Thor don't we? I am sure Point Break will put in a good word for you." Harry grinned shyly at his pseudo Uncle before running off for his history lesson with Steve.
Tony told the others of the conversation once the small boy had gone to bed. As a group they decided to make this the most memorable Christmas the small boy had ever had for all the right reasons.
So as November became December the Tower began to take on the appearance of a Christmas Wonderland. Outside Thor set to work, creating a sparkling fairy wonderland in ice and snow. First; the lawns were covered in thick fluffy drifts of pure white snow, perfect for all manner of snow games. Then he froze the swimming pool, ensuring it was glass smooth. Tony had thousands of fairy lights strung over every structure and tree whilst the Towers lights glowed like candlelight in the background. Inside the tower there were Christmas Trees, tinsel, lights, and all manner of other decorations everywhere, each floor following a different theme. In fact there had been quite the competition between all the residents and staff in the Tower to make this Harry's best ever Christmas. The young boy had won many hearts with his obvious gratitude for the smallest kindness, his considerate, polite nature and his eagerness to learn. Not to mention something about his slight frame and timid manner just screamed 'protect me'. There were promising signs of a lively fun loving kid beneath the reserve and the new adults in his life were determined to draw it out.
For his part Harry was loving it. There were new decorations to see or experiences to be had every day. He'd made Christmas Cookies with Tasha and Connie, the Tower's head chef. Caroline 'Connie' Harper was a large woman with chocolate colored skin and dark brown hair that she wore in a long braid down her back. Her face was creased from smiling and her bright green eyes missed little. She loved to cook and loved her job, especially when she got to ogle the different Avengers when they came into her kitchen after a work out. Now the perfect job she loved was even better because she had a child to feed up and spoil. And spoil him up she would, poor mite had obviously been abused wherever he was before. It wouldn't happen again, Connie would take her rolling pin to anyone who tried. She was also seriously tempted to take said rolling pin to Tasha if she ever stepped foot in her kitchen again. How the woman known as the best female super-spy of all time could be such a disaster in the kitchen she didn't know. She also did not want to know how young Harry knew his way around a kitchen so well. She told herself very firmly. The day after Bruce had given him the all clear she'd found him in HER kitchen starting breakfast. Starting to scold she'd seen fear in the wide green eyes and changed tact, letting the quiet, serious little boy 'help' her. She quickly realized the child knew far more about cooking then he should and had taken her concerns to her boss. Mr Stark had grimaced and told her, briefly that yes, the boy had been mistreated but those responsible would be dealt with. Connie had just smirked and nodded to herself. If anyone could make someone suffer it was her boss and his friends. So she focused on Harry, showering him with affection and praise. She was also eternally grateful to the boy for keeping his Grandmother.. wow... from burning down her kitchen. In the end Tasha had been relegated to decorating and had proven to be quite artistic. They'd had a lot of fun decorating the cookies and Harry had proudly carried a plate full of cookies he had decorated himself around for everyone to share. If the icing was bright green and had run a little, no one commented. They were still delicious.
They took a trip to one of the Stark's Ski cabins and spent a weekend skiing before picking out a very special fir tree that would be put up in the Avengers private lounge room.
Fortified with hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and Christmas cookies the Avengers and Harry gathered around their tree and spent a happy evening decorating it with tiny fairy lights and different decorations the Avengers had collected over the years as well as cherry picking through at least a dozen boxes of decorations from years of Stark Christmas Parties. Strange had literally 'popped' in and passed Harry a small chest, like those he'd glimpsed on old pirate cartoons that Dudley had liked when they were very small. He'd smiled at him and 'popped' out again. On top of a pile of tissue paper was a simple note that read These belonged to your parents. Merry Christmas Harry. Stephen. Very carefully Harry pulled out the first two layers of tissue paper and gasped. Inside where several blown glass ornaments, obviously magical. Harry slowly lifted the first glass bauble, about the size of a softball, out and gazed at it reverently. A Stag, exquisitely detailed right down to a pair of magnificent antlers was somehow suspended within it's center, as he watched the stag pawed the air beneath it and tossed it's head. Beneath the stag was a single word in golden script, Prongs. Harry carefully hung Prongs on the tree before almost dashing back to the chest to carefully lift out the next ornament. A black glass wolf that tilted it's head back and seemed to howl against a silver moon. The word Moony inscribed in gold. Again Harry carefully hung the ball before returning and lifting out the third ball. A Lily flower in pink glass with fine gold detailing, rotating slowly and gently in it's glass sphere. The inscription, Lily came as no surprise. Harry held this bauble very carefully before looking to Tasha and carefully holding it out. She smiled, her eyes a little misty, and took it with equal care to hang upon the tree. Harry watched her, then lifted the fourth sphere from the box. The face of large, smokey black dog that seemed to be laughing out at them, inscribed with Padfoot beneath. Harry hung it with the others and eagerly took out the last ball. This one was bigger then the others, a young couple revolved in the center of a flurry of glittering snow flakes. A black haired man's arms holding a pretty red haired woman close whilst she in turn cradled a tiny boy with her bright green eyes and the man's black hair in her arms. Beneath them was one word that filled his eyes with tears. Our First Christmas. His eyes full of tears, and with some help from the strong hands of Captain America, Harry hung the bauble in place of honor, near the top of the tree, checking three times that it was secure. Standing back, everyone agreed that their tree was the best in the whole tower, bar none.
The week leading up to Christmas was a whirlwind of shopping, made easier by Tony booking out an entire Mall for several hours one night, and all manner of Christmas activities. They went to Carols by Candlelight, watched the Christmas Parade and even drove through the suburbs looking at Christmas lights. At home carols filled the air along with wonderful smells emanating from Connie's kitchen. Evenings were spent watching Christmas movies and bedtime with Christmas Stories. The adults had even done Elf on the Shelf, who in true Avenger style got into all manner of trouble, the very least of which was being found riding a mini rocket and, trying to lift Thor's hammer and, on one memorable occasion, diving in Tasha's underwear drawer.
By Christmas Eve, after a busy day out delivering gifts he'd helped to choose, kids in hospital or foster homes, Harry was beginning to think, maybe this year would be different. He was quietly excited all through dinner and all but dashed through his bath and into his bed. As his Grandmother read to him from The Night Before Christmas, Harry did indeed drift off dreaming of candy and presents under a tree, and warm smiles, just for him.
Harry woke up early the next morning, whether from going to bed early or from Tony diving onto his bed it was hard to say, but before he could even wake up he'd been hoisted playfully from his bed and hurried into the bathroom. Five minutes later, a more awake Harry trotted into the family room and stopped to stare. What had been a modest pile beneath the tree the night before was now a mountain. Everyone was waiting for him and smiled at the little boy's stunned expression. Tony waited all of a second before pouncing on the still shocked child and carrying him over to a seat beside Tasha. Then, with all the glee of a much younger child, began playing Santa. It wasn't long before everyone was buried beneath a pile of presents and they began unwrapping their hauls. Harry, who'd be in shock at first, he'd never gotten a real present just for him before. And here he was buried under a small mountain of gifts all bearing his name, soon got into it. At first he did try to be careful, some of the paper was beautiful, but with a bit of encouragement from his new family, he was soon ripping into his gifts almost as quickly as Tony and Hawk Eye. His progress was only slowed by his need to hug the person the gift came from.
Within a surprisingly short time the gifts were unwrapped and Tasha was helping Harry take his haul of new books, games and toys back to his room. Pepper came next with the small mountain of new clothes Harry had gotten and Tony took the numerous boxes of Lego he and Harry had amassed to the Lego Room. Harry carefully put away his new things, pausing every now and again to admire something or rub his cheek against a new teddy or the velvet softness of his new Winter bath robe. He stopped several times to hug Pepper or Tasha and babble his thanks and happiness at them.
Christmas Day turned into one long feast, with Connie and an army of helpers going all out. A Pancake buffet brunch held everyone over until Lunch began at two. But there was plenty of cold drinks, eggnog, hot chocolate and spiced apple cider, piles of nuts, sweets, chocolates, candy canes, popcorn balls, iced cookies and Christmas crackers to share. Then came Lunch, which carried on through the day into dinner and supper with everyone filling and refilling their pates with the delicious fare.
There were turkeys, roast chicken, and glazed hams with all the trimmings. Roasted vegetables, hot buttered rolls, minted peas, platters of salads and meats of every description, fat little mince pies and flaky sausage rolls, at least a dozen potato dishes, winter vegetables smothered in cheese sauce and topped with gooey, melted cheese. There were bowls, dishes and trays of all manner of traditional Christmas fare from many corners of the world, tureens of buttered vegetables and jugs of gravy and flavored sauces being passed up and down the table as everyone ate their fill and then some. Harry ate so much he thought he would explode and then Cookie wheeled in the desert cart, followed by one of her staff with a identical cart laden with pies. Suddenly he was sure he could eat more. There was a absolutely ginormous traditional Christmas Pudding, Cheesecakes topped with whipped cream and flaked chocolate or all manner of summer berries, a huge trifle, one of Connie's famous triple layer Death by Chocolate cakes, a large fruit laden pavlova, figgy pudding, delicate fairy cakes, homemade ice cream and oodles of fresh cream. Apple pie, lemon meringue, cherry pie, treacle tarts, jam tarts, and fruit mince pies. Jewel colored jellies wobbled and steam wafted off huge jugs of piping hot custard, and adults only brandied custard.
Nine pm found a stuffed and snoring Harry sprawled across a likewise Thor's broad chest on one of the huge couches in the family room. Tony was passed out on the sofa across from them, his head in Pepper's lap, his feat in Bruce's. Bruce has slouched down, feet on the coffee table, head lolling and hands over his tummy, adding his own snores to those of Tony, Harry and Thor. Almost comatose, and with a definitely rounded stomach, Hawk-eye was spreadeagled in front of the fireplace on the thick hearth rug and Tasha was gleefully taking pictures whilst Pepper sleepily tried not to laugh. The staff were silently clearing away the mess, not minding at all because Tony Stark's Employee Christmas Parties and bonuses were more then worth the hours they'd done.
Scooping her grandson up, Tasha carried him off to bed, tucked him in and kissed his head. He smiled in his sleep and turned a little into her touch before sinking back into slumber.
"Merry Christmas Harry." she whispered, awed at how much she loved this kid.
and she slipped from the room to go and sleep off her own over indulgences.