A/N: Here's chapter six! I will apologize in advance; Dinner is rushed. I didn't want to go too in depth right now, I want to get to the point where the avengers start popping up! No, they don't know about this yet, but that will be more explained in the next two chapters. Till then, here's chapter seven!
EDITED 7/27/2013
Disclaimer: Steve, is not Mine. But Harper is! I bow down to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that created the Avengers, and give them all the credit! Except Harper's mine. There will be other new characters as well, but for now, meet Harper!
"This place looks good." Steve stepped back, wearing khaki's and a white tee shirt. He was sweaty, having moved most of their furniture.
"Eh, it's not bad." Harper skipped through the newly put together living room, not sweaty, having just supervised, foregoing any heavy lifting. "It looks like we live here."
"That was the plan. How's your room?"
"It's done." Harper gave an admiring glance to the house. "How much time do we have before company shows up?"
Steve looked at the clock Harper had just attached to the wall. "About an hour."
"Great. You start dinner, I'll go change."
"Change?" You look fine!" Harper wore dark wash jeans and a light blue v neck tee shirt, her hair thrown up in a messy bun.
"Psh. I'm changing now. Go start dinner."
She ran down the hallway to her room, then ran back a few seconds later. "Wait. Can you cook?"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course I can cook!" Steve tried to look insulted.
"Maybe seventy years ago you could cook. The technology in the kitchen is a little more advanced now." Harper smirked, eyes sparkling.
Steve shook his head. "I've been awake for almost four years. I've learned how to use an oven in that time." He replied dryly.
"If you say so." Hadley darted back into her room, this time staying there. Steve sighed in relief, and began dinner.
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"Smells great, Steve! I am sorry for ever having doubted you." Harper waltzed in wearing leggings and some flowy top, her hair loose and curly around her shoulders.
"Took a while didn't you?" Steve joked. It had only been a half hour, which was short for females, he supposed, but he wouldn't really know.
"Oh shush. How is it going?" She hopped over to look into the pots of food. "Mmm, Pasta! My favorite." She went to dip a finger into the sauce but Steve slapped her hand away.
"Don't taste it yet. You have to wait." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed.
"Go take a shower. You're all gross and sweaty. Plus, you have to go put your disguise back on." They had picked up extra fake facial hair and a better looking pair of fake glasses for social events.
Steve grimaced, but handed over the stirring spoon. "I don't like facial hair."
"Oh whiny pants, get over it!" She laughed as he made a funny face, before leaving the room.
He only took ten minutes to get ready, including putting on his disguise.
"You put me to shame." Harper stood in front of the stove, still stirring. "Only ten minutes? That's embarrassing for me."
Steve shrugged. "I'm a guy. It's different. Is the pasta about done?"
"Yup." Harper eagerly handed the stirring spoon back to Steve and hopped onto a barstool to watch him finish cooking.
"How much time we got?" Harper asked.
"You know there's a clock" Steve pointed to wall across from them, "over there?"
"So you don't know?" Harper concluded.
"We've got about ten minutes." Steve answered with a wry grin.
"Unless they're early" Just as Harper spoke, the doorbell rang.
"Now why'd you have to go and say that?" Steve joked.
Harper sighed and ran to open the door.
"Mrs. Richardson! Ms. Carter! How great to see you! Oh, hey Colby."
Harper's voice changed at the last sentence, and Steve, not knowing why, grew a little worried at the new tone in her voice. He understood better when they walked into his view. The two secretaries, one about a decade older than him, the other around his age, (ish,) he'd met two days ago. It was the teenage boy he didn't know that made him apprehensive.
"Hello, Mr. Kennedy! I hope you don't mind, I've brought my nephew with me, he stays with me during the weeks that his parents are traveling. They're very important business people, and travel a lot."
"Of course not, the more the merrier." Steve moved forward to meet his guests, and held out his hand to shake Mrs. Richardson's, but she pulled him in for a hug, instead.
"it's just so great to meet Harper's father! She's quite the favorite at the school, everyone loves her."
"Really? That's a surprise." Steve sent Harper a cheeky grin when Mrs. Richardson let him go, and she returned it.
"Hi, my name is Colby." The teen boy stepped forward, HIS hand outstretched. Steve took it, and shook it forcefully.
"Nice to meet you." Steve felt a strange sense of satisfaction when he saw the boy wince. "And Ms. Carter." He turned to the young woman, who simpered at him. Uh, oh. He had a bad feeling about THAT.
"Mr. Kennedy. It's such an honor to be invited to such a nice home." She batted her eyes. Steve heard Harper snicker, though she tried to disguise it as a cough. He looked up to see her staring at the boy. They were both silently laughing. Between this teen boy and Ms. Carter, it was going to be an interesting dinner.
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Interesting was not the word. Harper enjoyed herself, he was sure. She had her "guy friend" to entertain her, not to mention the show of Ms. Carter attempting to throw herself at Steve. Mrs. Richardson attempted to reign her coworker in, but with no success. Finally, only when dinner was over, did Harper step in and subtly suggest that Ms. Carter go home. She wasn't too quick on the uptake, but eventually, with everyone's help, Ms. Carter took her leave. As the door shut behind her, everyone but Steve, including Mrs. Richardson, began to laugh.
"It's not funny." Steve frowned at them, and they just laughed harder. Steve crossed his arms and waited for them to finish.
Mrs. Richardson got ahold of herself first. "Children, behave." She said sternly, and the teen's laughter subsided.
"Maybe Ms. Carter was a bad idea." Steve suggested wryly.
"You think?" Harper scoffed.
"I was being pressured, it seemed impolite to invite one secretary and not the other, I didn't know that Ms. Carter was," Steve paused to search for the right word.
"A vulture?" Harper supplied.
"Well," Steve paused, "Yes."
"It's all right. Ms. Carter recognizes beauty when she see it. She's a collector of beautiful things." Mrs. Richardson explained.
"Beauty?" Steve spoke, taken aback.
"You know, you're kind of OK looking," Harper rephrased.
"Thanks, I think?" Steve raised an eyebrow. Harper shrugged.
"You're my dad, I don't really notice those things about you."
"Of course." Steve nodded. He'd forgotten about their ruse.
"well, we'll get out of your hair as well." Mrs. Richardson placed her hand on her nephews shoulder and began to herd him to the door. "I'll notify the principal that all is normal here. I don't understand how he could see you two interact and not believe you're related. While Harper must take after her mother in the looks department, she has your personality." Without giving a chance for them to respond, Mrs. Richardson left their house, taking Colby with her.
Steve and Harper looked at each other.
"We are NOTHING alike." Harper spoke.
Steve just nodded. Harper spun around and ran into her room, leaving Steve to clean up the mess. Well, crisis averted, mission accomplished. Now what?
I know, it was kind of rushed, maybe I'll fix it later, maybe not, but now, it's on to the good stuff! The Avengers will be making more regular appearances starting in chapter nine, which is exciting, and the plot, conflict wise, will start picking up around the same time. Next chapter is ground rules and mini golf! Reviews and Follows and Favorites make me SOO happy, and I love everyone who has already done so and everyone who will do so in the future! (hint hint.)
