The SIX
After a good long nap and a rude awakening from Tony the two went upstairs to Tony's floor and the common area. The rest of the Avengers and Pepper were crowded around the TV, giggling or yelling at it while Pepper was typing furiously away at her tablet.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Harry grumbled, rubbing his eyes before a tiny jet of blue known as Teddy slammed into him, "You've been on the telly all day!" Teddy yelled as Harry scooped him up into his arms, "Everyone is getting real excited for the next" Teddy furrowed his brows, thinking, "….confidence?"
"Conference Teddy, and I bet," Steve stretched, "Wish they'd be content though instead of flocking to ask more questions."
Harry rolled his eyes, "Obviously you've never had some harpy ask you about your…" He glanced down at Teddy, "relations before. Once that subject comes up it'll be years before they remotely leave you alone about it. Especially now that you have confirmed that your gay because it's still viewed as a novelty idea by many and wrong choice by so many others. You could be together with someone for seven or eight years and they'd still question you about every aspect of life." Harry groaned, no doubt thinking about all the times he was still asked by the passing witch or wizard why he wasn't dating Ginny anymore and why they split up.
Steve grimaced and had Tony turn off the TV once he saw the headline below a Fox news anchor reading 'America's very own RED WHITE and BLUE NOT SO TRUE?'
Tony sauntered over to them and leaned in, faux whispering to Teddy, "Well now that the old man is mad what should we do instead of watch TV Teddy? I finished all the junk I had to do for Fury and Jarvis is currently painting the three suits I built last night so I am boooooored"
Harry rolled his eyes along with Steve, "I swear Tony is the six year old here."
Teddy leaned back and frowned at Harry, "Don't you mean sex Uncle Harry?"
The entire tower went silent, even the music Jarvis had been playing faintly in the background was instantly shut off by the six-year old's question.
"Teddy," Harry asked very calmly although he was already sweating profusely in the span of the few seconds of silence, "Why do you say that?"
"Well that's what Clint said. It's sex, seven, eight."
Harry smiled, all teeth, vaguely resembling a shark and making everyone feel bad for Clint, "Sweetie, Clint's not good at math. He failed all his classes actually. It is pronounced six, he just wants to prank you." Harry smiled an actual smiled as Teddy nodded in understanding, a devious smile appearing on his tiny, once angelic, face.
"Now what do you want to do squirt?" Steve asked, ruffling Teddy's hair.
Teddy stretched up to Steve and pouted when he couldn't get close enough, urgently gesturing for Steve to stoop down to his level before whispering something in his ear, making Steve grin before backing up and taking a deep breath.
"Time for hide and seek!" Steve bellowed, "We need to draw straws to see who's 'it'!"
Pepper shook her head smiling, "I would join you all but there's still a lot of SI work that need to be done. Good luck though and don't break anything" She narrowed her gaze at Tony and Clint for that last part. Without Thor they were the two who caused the most damage… Though even with Thor in town Tony usually was in the lead for most items broken, Thor's were usually just larger items.
Bruce cleaned his glasses nervously, "It's best if I'm not startled so I'll be working in the lab tonight."
Harry nodded, "You will be at dinner when I call it though mister, otherwise I'll spell every lab and gadget in the tower to shut down as soon as you touch it," he threatened, used to Bruce trying to skip the "family meals" for fear of being startled or just being so focused in on his work he forgot food was a requirement to stay alive and functioning.
Harry smiled at his boys as he set Teddy down and gave Steve a kiss on the cheek, "You all do that, meanwhile Clint," Clint's eyes shot up to meet Harry's, flinching at the veiled threatening tone in his voice, "Can you help me get some things for dinner? Then you can play with the others."
"Of course," Clint smiled before drawing his straw, long, so he would get to hide.
He followed Harry to the pantry as a shout declared Teddy as the seeker. Once they were in the pantry, blocked off from everyone's field of vision, Harry placed a Muffilatio before turning around, turning his wand onto Clint snarling, "Just what the ever-bloody hell have you been teaching my godson?"
Clint held his hands up in defense as he tried to ward off Harry's anger, "I'm sorry! Teddy and I were watching TV while you two napped because I wanted to see what type of backlash and support you two would get when the commercials came on at one point and Jane the Virgin or whatever had an add playing and at one point she repeated 'sex, sex, sex' and everything so Teddy asked me what that meant and I told him it was how six is pronounced in some areas then he just sat there quiet and I thought it was over or he'd forget about it and I am so sorry I didn't let you know but I thought I had it covered and that he forgot about it by the time everyone else came into the room after Pepper and Natasha handled crowd of angry reporters control and Tony finished whatever he had snuck to his workshop for but then Teddy said that and I knew you would kill me, please don't kill me." Clint sucked in a deep breath after his ramble and his face almost went back to the normal tanned tone, with a hint of paleness still from what Harry could do.
Harry stared at him a moment before bursting into laughter, "And now you know why I strictly monitor Teddy's TV to mostly movies that are on DVD."
Clint breathed a final relaxing breath after that comment, "I still can't believe Tony hasn't gotten you onto Blu Ray or StarkStream."
Harry shrugged, "It's hard enough to have appliances not explode on a regular basis around me. Now go tell Teddy your joining the game after it's the next person's turn."
Several hours later and after one particularly fun round of hide and seek that had Natasha found in a hollowed out chair in the living room, which no one knew when she even had the time to hallow it out, and Clint showing off his skill of contortion he had learned in the circus by hiding in a box on top of the linen 'closet,' which could fit most living rooms, that Steve had nearly passed by had it not been for his smelling Clint's deodorant, dinner was called.
Harry had grilled several steaks with sides of mashed potatoes, asparagus with a large salad and fresh baked rolls. He had also made macaroni and cheese after he found out it was one of Bruce's comfort foods after Jarvis notified him that it was Bruce's 138th day in the lab with hardly being closer to understanding the Hulk. It was so rich and savory that would make angels weep at the flavor, Tony joked about the six different cheeses he used along with a several spices were a sure way to make anyone confess anything. Natasha raised a brow at that until she bit into it and moaned in delight and content before snatching the remaining third for herself, making Tony smirk and the rest of the table protest until Natasha produced a hatpin of all things from somewhere on her person and threatened everyone but Bruce and Teddy for the remainder.
After getting Natasha and Clint to do clean up, Natasha due to being a macaroni thief and Clint for not monitoring Teddy's TV time closer the members of the tower, Pepper finally included after her work was done and eating the plate Harry had hid for her, hunkered down in the living space and were scrolling though Tony's enormous movie collection trying to figure out something they would all like and that was age appropriate for Teddy since he got to stay up until 9:30 that night since it was a Friday.
They finally decided on Disney's Atlantis once Tony discovered it was one of the movies both Harry and Cap hadn't been able to catch up on yet.
The differences in technology, the thought of isolation, and the awkwardness of Milo won Steve over in a heartbeat. At the moment Kida gave herself up to protect her people Steve felt the same sort of helplessness and determination he did when he crashed into the ice.
Harry had definitely noticed and gripped his hand, giving it a squeeze whenever Steve's eyes drifted into space for too long.
After the movie everyone snatched a few of the chocolate chip cinnamon oatmeal cookies Harry had baked for desert before going their separate ways, minus Pepper and Steve who sat together, going over everything Steve would need to know for the next day.
After Harry had helped Teddy with both bath and bed time he walked into the living room, finding Steve alone with three crushed tablets next to him and a fistful of papers in the other, which Harry assumed was the list of preapproved questions for tomorrow's conference that Harry was only able to make since he called in a favor with George to look after the café for the day.
Harry sat down next to him slowly before putting a hand on Steve's back, "Are you going to be okay? You don't have to do this Steve, there's no reason why you should answer even more after today. You officially came out and talked about what was most important to you already. Most everything else will be nonsensical questions people will ask for filler and closer details that you could address in passing at other interviews or on your own time in a different way."
Steve shook his head as he stared numbly at the papers before him, "They'll call me a coward if I do that. It needs to be taken care of so I can be finished with it."
Harry smiled sadly and gently took the papers out of his hands before holding Steve's hands in his own, "Steve, it will never be finished. It's a battle that will forever be on your shoulders only this time it's no longer with yourself, rather it's with the world around you."
Steve looked up at Harry, blue eyes misty, "Why is the world so full of hate? It's always been always been and always will be but why do people have to have those ugly un-holy feelings inside of them?"
Harry tilted his head back and turned his eyes to study the ceiling, which was too flat and perfect like everything else in the tower, as he formulated his thoughts and words before he gave up looking for eloquent explanations and dramatizations, "Because the battle is what makes us human."
19vanelkc: Sorry, I had gotten yelled at the day I uploaded chapter 2 by someone for spoiling the fact Coulson lived. I hadn't been talking to them either, a friend and I were at Starbucks talking about the different directions the MCU could go and what we wanted to see when some guy got butthurt about the fact we spoiled things for him. It was both funny and hella awkward because I think by this time Agents of SHIELD was a thing? Or advertised as a thing? So I was partially joking to the world/partially yelling at the world so that I wouldn't have to feel the need to censor myself. I forgot that even happened and I had even added that note O.o it's been so long since I started writing this...
Brilliant Lady: I have several (read as 2) more actual press conferences planned which is mentioned in this chapter. One of them I have planned for next chapter that I'm editing and adding to now. I know its aggravating to expect a press conference during the wording of chapter… want to say both 10 and 11? I'm sorry you feel that way but that's why the title of chapter 12/13 was titled The Interview. I wrote it this way so that Steve would be able to dip his toes in the water. Harry has been hounded most of his life about every aspect, romance included. However, Steve is usually hounded by the press for war/battle related information. Being able to speak freely about his romantic life and sexuality is a totally new territory for him. Hence why Tony was like "Bring people who relate in!" and Pepper did the contacting and was sent out at the end of the last chapter to further address some things and to finalize the scheduling. Plus considering how dramatic it would be, in my eyes there's no way Steve would be able to sit through one several hour long conference where he has to talk about that sort of stuff. And your partially right, I didn't want to sit down and write something that serious for so long. So I sat and thought about Steve's character for a good long while and decided I'd stagger my chapters with the press conferences. Also, about the reviews thing…that was a joke/encouragement. I don't hold my stories hostage due to them but it's nice being able to feel around if I put something in wrong whether grammatically or story wise which is why I encourage reviews… if I ever go without updating it's either due to a: depression slamming me over the head with a 2x4 b: the dreaded writers block. I don't mind if people stop reading because of a joke, my stories are really for getting my random thoughts on paper and improving my writing anyways.
Guest: My heart goes out to you. I had written that chapter thinking about my grandfather. He didn't suffer from cancer (his wife, my step-grandmother is a two-time survivor) but had an unknown kidney disease that doctors failed to discover until he was hospitalized on my 10th birthday… he died five days later after two years of pain.
Sweet17: I would love to bring in Mama Ru but I don't know if I'd do her justice in the slightest! She is an idol to me.
Naked Fury: …bro, you for real? Lol. Sorry you couldn't tell it was a slash in the summary before you clicked on it and wasted your time because only a true grade a asshole would go out of their way to click and review LGBT+ stories with hate =)