A/N: *stares at wordcount for this chapter*
*wordcount stares back*
...I'm pretty sure I've lost all control over this story.
Thank you to Firehedgehog, TheCupTheSnakeTheSword, guest2, Nightgray, chaosoulg, Yuki F. Karasu, rinashi15, kickassdani, littlenothings, Shadow Spears, AnimeWarrioress 359, bookishangel, jy24, MsMusicLover, Katherine Sanderson, Animapower, no fanfic acount, Relena Duo, Im a guest, shouldbestudying, Scedasticity, InsanityOwl, Ande, karina001, Ravens-Tear, Kiri Kaitou Clover, Shadow-X1999, slacker, and 4 guests for reviewing!
Title: Cosmic Composite
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: T
Pairings: Tony/Pepper, Natasha/Steve
Genre: Family/Adventure
Warnings: AU, !spoilers for Winter Soldier onward, spoilers for Agents of SHIELD!
Summary: The exorcists reincarnate into Marvel's next generation. No one can figure out how. Still, it's nice to have a family. (Also includes Agents of SHIELD. AU starting one year before CA2. Major divergence begins after Age of Ultron.)
Disclaimer: I only wish I owned D. Gray-man, and the Avengers are but a dream that is not my own.
Lavi: 4 years
Kanda: 4 years
Lenalee: Not present
Allen: 1 year
"Income? Uh, do we have any?"
Scritch, scritch, shuffle. Squeal.
"Technically, Stark pays us." Natasha absently caught Allen as he started to slip from where he clung stubbornly, one-handed, to her shoulder. "Stark Industries, maybe." She considered, and then wrinkled her nose. Allen fell off and tumbled onto Steve's lap. "No, privately employed. I wouldn't work for Stark Industries if my life depended on it."
"Even though it's run by Pepper?" Steve asked with a small smile.
"Even though it's run by Pepper," Natasha confirmed, the corner of her mouth twitching with amusement.
Steve ruffled Allen's hair, smiled at his squeak, and replied, "Alright. Privately employed it is." He scratched it down. Allen sat up, pulled himself to his feet, and peeked at the piece of paper on the lap table. "Filling out adoption paperwork probably shouldn't be this hard."
"Don't be a baby," Natasha told him. "It's not their fault we're strange." Allen tilted his head at her, silver eyes gleaming worriedly, and she smiled at him briefly. He smiled back after a moment, and she continued, "And it'll certainly be an interesting day for whatever poor schmuck gets stuck with the job of filing this."
Steve and Allen both laughed, and Allen asked, "Stwan' day?"
"A very strange day," Steve confirmed with a smile, and then, to Natasha, "Name… Allen Rogers-Romanoff?"
Yelp. Thud.
In unison, both adults looked down. On the ground, Allen, who had apparently fallen off and hit his head on the ground, started to sniffle, a high whine rising in the back of his throat, quickly stifled.
Instantly, Steve's eyes widened in alarm and he swept Allen back up into his lap, all paperwork forgotten and shoved aside. "Sh, sh, don't cry," he told Allen, even as tears welled in the boy's eyes, rocking him gently. "Sh, you're okay, you're okay."
Allen sniffled and rubbed angrily at his eyes with one fist. The whine he couldn't do anything about, but he hated to cry. He had nothing to cry about. Nothing!
The sharp pain in the back of his head insisted, though, and strangled whimpers wrung themselves out of his lungs, tears spilling down his face.
But in front of him, Steve murmured reassuring words in a frantic tone, rubbing his side comfortingly with one large hand. At his back, Natasha gently parted his hair to examine where he'd hit his head.
That made it worse, because Allen didn't even know how to react anymore; he just stared at them, wide-eyed and a little bit confused.
Steve and Natasha were like something out of a dream, the nice kind he'd stopped having early in his last life. They were gentle and kind and loving, and they treated him like a real toddler, and they never yelled or hurt him, they picked him up - they were even going to adopt him. They'd asked him for permission.
And he'd - he'd given it. Without a second thought. Because they were everything Allen had ever wanted.
But Mana had been, too. And look how that turned out. Allen sniffled again and Steve shushed him, smoothing down his hair, so gentle it almost hurt.
Allen was so scared. But he wasn't going to let fear get in his way. Not with this.
And if he got hurt again, that was nothing new. He'd get better. He always had before, and it was worth it. It was always worth it.
Steve rocked Allen until he stopped sniffling, humming a tune Allen didn't recognize. It was a little awkward and a little off-key, but it was strangely soothing anyway, accompanied by Natasha's comments and questions as she returned to the paperwork, as reassuring and steady a presence as Steve.
Even when Allen quieted, Steve kept him in place. Allen's cheek was pressed against his chest, hand fisted in his shirt, but the boy still peeked up at him as Steve chuckled softly, sounding relieved.
"That was scary, wasn't it, Allen?"
Allen nodded. "Scawy," he echoed, even though he and Steve weren't talking about the same thing. He leaned against him, feeling Steve's broad chest move up and down in time with his breaths, his hand settling on Allen's back.
He felt safe like this. It was strange.
"I swear you two are going to give me cavities," Natasha murmured with a slight smile, eyes still on the papers. Regardless, she reached and cupped her free hand around the back of Allen's neck, and he wriggled and laughed until she released him, amused.
Allen felt even safer, inexplicably, with Natasha than he had with Steve. He'd never had a mother before. He hadn't ever thought he would. And he hadn't known Natasha very long, but it felt like he had, and she'd never done anything to hurt him. Not once.
Steve gave her an affectionate look. "How else are you going to fill your photo album?"
Natasha's photo album was a very private thing - a guilty pleasure. She'd started it when she and Steve first started to date, but it had expanded to include all members of both Avengers teams, the two boys, and now Allen as well.
Steve's favorites were the picture of him and Natasha the day he proposed, Thor carrying Lavi while the boy posed like he was flying, Tony and Bruce laughing at confetti-covered and indignant Clint, Yuu, Sam, and Scott working together on a puzzle, and a picture FRIDAY had taken of Allen's expression the moment Natasha asked if he wanted them to adopt him.
Each photograph was meticulously labelled with names, dates, ages, and descriptions, and Steve knew Natasha treasured every single one. By now, the album - discrete off-white and almost as thick as Natasha's wrist - was almost full.
Steve had already bought another one for her, patterned like an antique leather-bound book. He'd give it to her when she ran out of room. The new camera, he was saving for Christmas.
Natasha rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. These boys would be the death of her someday. "I suppose I'll just have to fill it with pictures of the others," she said teasingly, and Steve laughed.
"That wouldn't last past Allen's next grin," he told her, and Allen beamed, eyes sparkling. She laughed, softer than Steve, but just as amused.
"No, I suppose not. I guess I'll just have to brush my teeth before bed, won't I, little angel?"
Allen giggled and nodded, and then all three of them looked up at the sound of footsteps.
Wanda gave them all a small smile. "Am I interrupting?" she asked. "I wished to borrow Allen, but I can come back."
"Not at all," Steve assured her, and Natasha nodded. Allen stood up and cocked his head at Wanda.
Allen was less certain about the other Avengers than he was about Steve and Natasha, but Lavi and Kanda liked them, and that went a long way toward helping him feel safe, even as tiny and vulnerable as he was now. He still felt a little nervous around most of them, with the sole exceptions of Scott and…
He held out his arm. "Wan'a!" he called insistently.
Allen liked Steve and Natasha best, of course, but he wasn't ever going to say no when Wanda wanted to spend time with him.
"Someday I'll find out what you two are doing together," Natasha threatened with a playful smirk. "Lavi is very suspicious, you know."
"Lavi is a funny boy," Wanda said fondly, crossing the room. She crouched in front of Allen and smiled gently. "Do you want to play, Allen?"
"Mm-hm," Allen nodded, and Wanda smiled and picked him up, exceedingly careful.
"Thank you," Wanda said, both to Allen and to the couple on the couch, and Natasha waved it away while Steve smiled.
"No problem. Bring him back when you're ready." He waved. "I'll see you soon, Allen."
Allen waved back. "Buh-bye, Nat! Buh-bye, Cap!"
Wanda sort of reminded Allen of Miranda, if Miranda replaced her fear with sadness. She'd first approached him a few days after he'd met the whole team, but Lavi and Kanda hadn't been around at the time, and neither had Steve or Natasha, so Allen had been a little skittish.
His first reaction had been to push himself back, away from her, but as soon as she'd noticed that, she'd stopped where she stood, something hardly anyone thought to do.
And then, from where she was, she started to talk to him - just her and him, alone in the living room. She told him a story about a little girl, Wanda Maximoff, and her brother Pietro.
Sometime during the third story, she'd started to cry in silent tears, and he'd slowly crawled across the floor and stopped in front of her. Without warning, she'd pulled him onto her lap… and kept telling him stories, like now that she'd started she couldn't stop.
Curled up in her lap, Allen had listened quietly, never taking his eyes off her face, fear slowly fading away.
And ever since then, Wanda had taken him away to talk to him - about her home, her brother, her parents - at least once every few days. Allen… liked it. Liked the stories.
Wanda took Allen to her room now, a large but comfortable one with a big window and somber, warm colors. She set Allen on her lap and reached into her nightstand drawer, where she kept a few treats for him, for these days.
"Are you looking forward to being adopted?" Wanda asked him, twisting the cap off a packet of squeeze applesauce and giving it to him.
He took it and bobbed his head, smiling. "Tank you!" he said - even now with a much smaller appetite, he always appreciated food - and then said, "Yeah. Cap an' Nat nice."
"They're very nice," Wanda agreed fondly, watching as he latched onto the packet and suckled at it happily. "Are you ready to hear a story?"
Allen nodded, looking back to her expectantly. She sighed, smiled, and then started to speak, in soft and wistful tones.
"I can remember… one time, when my brother and I were almost as little as Lavi and Yuu, and I was afraid to go out in the snow." She laughed. Allen laughed, too. "It was very cold that day, you see, and I was sure I would catch my death - Mother always warned me so. Pietro, of course, did not care-"
Allen listened, Wanda's body warm against his back, her arm secure instead of scary, her voice soft instead of harsh, and the taste of applesauce coating his tongue.
Wanda would never be Natasha, but she might be a big sister. Maybe.
It had been a month and a half.
Bucky woke up.
At first, he wasn't able to identify what had woken him, and he frowned at the ceiling and then tried to go back to sleep.
With his eyes closed again, he became suddenly aware of the sound of fast breathing, tiny whimpers, and twitchy movements right beside him.
A moment later, Yuu jerked sharply, and the whimpers cut off abruptly. Bucky felt Yuu squirm closer to him, pressing against his chest and shaking, warm breath spilling onto his shirt along with hot tears.
Bucky frowned in worry, and then it dawned on him. Yuu had had a nightmare - had maybe been having nightmares for a long time, if he was this quiet.
Bucky closed his eyes again and reached with one arm to wrap it around Yuu, wishing he could keep him there, safe and sound, forever. Well, maybe not forever. Just until he was twenty. Or thirty. "I'm sorry, Yuu," he whispered hoarsely, feeling Yuu tense up and then relax again.
Yuu's cheek pressed into his chest. "Not your fault," he mumbled, fist tightening. "Not you."
If not Bucky, then who? "I'm sorry," Bucky repeated helplessly, wishing he knew and wishing he was better and wishing, and he heard Yuu sigh.
For a while, both of them just lay there, unwilling to move or to slip back into sleep. Finally, when light started to spill in through the window, Bucky sighed and levered himself up. Yuu grumbled, but followed, looking up at him with a questioning frown and gleaming navy eyes.
Bucky spent a few long moments staring at his son, who wrinkled his nose in response to the scrutiny. He wondered if Yuu's nightmares were also part of his secret. He wondered what he'd have to do to get Yuu to tell him.
He wondered how much Yuu understood of what might happen if the government took him away, what Tony and Steve and Rhodey were trying to do to keep him out of their hands. He wondered how Yuu would respond if he were taken away, or if Yuu ever worried about HYDRA finding them and taking them back.
Instead of asking any of that, though, he asked, "What do you think of your new friends?"
Yuu stopped looking suspicious and looked at the ground instead, kicking his feet so they thumped against the bed on the backswing. "They're okay," he mumbled, shrugging. "Stupid rabbit's really 'nnoying."
"I'm sure he takes that as a compliment," Bucky replied, allowing a hint of dry humor to infect his voice. Yuu snorted and nodded. Then he was silent for a few long moments, long enough for Bucky to prompt, "And Allen?"
"...Sprout's too small," was all Yuu said, and he pushed himself off the bed and scurried to the dresser where his clothes were kept.
Paper and crayons lay scattered across the ground. The three boys were engrossed in their drawings, and Steve, sitting next to Natasha, watched them fondly. Beside him, there was a click, and he glanced over in time to watch Natasha make her camera disappear. He caught her eye and she winked at him coyly, and Steve chuckled.
None of this did anything to dispel the tension in the air.
Within the next few minutes, Allen's caseworker was due for the first visit. Steve was almost nauseous with nerves, and he knew that Natasha and Allen were little better.
That was why Lavi and Yuu were here, actually. Natasha had enlisted their help to keep Allen's mind off the impending visit, and they had agreed almost instantly. It was sort of sweet, really, how protective they were of their much smaller friend.
Natasha nudged Steve, drawing his attention. "Don't lose your nerve now, old man." She paused, a mischievous smile flicking across her face, and then added, "If you're planning to come over all swooning maiden, tell me now so I can find a fainting couch."
Steve blew out a breath and smiled ruefully. "I promise not to faint. I just… didn't expect it to mean this much to me, when we finally did this."
Natasha sighed and kissed him on the jaw. "Neither did I," she admitted. A smile appeared on her face again, lingering a little longer this time. "What's the little angel done to us, huh?"
Steve chuckled quietly. "He's forced you to see what a wonderful mother you make," he said warmly.
For the briefest moment, Natasha looked startled, and then she smiled, glancing away. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't do anything a mother should; you do."
Steve still laughed. "I'll be his mother, then, and you can be his father."
Natasha rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling now, relaxed. "Well, you do have a pretty enough face."
Steve would have tossed something back, but the sound of the elevator drew their attention, and a dark-skinned man with short, springy black hair and raven-rimmed glasses stepped in, straight-backed and businesslike, and maybe a little uncomfortable. Well, Natasha wouldn't hold it against him. Not just anyone could enter Avengers Tower.
Instantly, Allen ducked his head down, and Lavi and Yuu pressed in closer on either side of him. Yuu also gave the caseworker a truly awe-inspiring stink-eye, crayon paused over his paper.
Steve and Natasha, meanwhile, went to greet him. He cocked an eyebrow at their approach and then smiled back, holding out a hand.
"Hello," he greeted as they approached. "I was told to enter?"
"Stark forgot to warn us," Natasha said dryly, shaking his hand. "I assume you're the caseworker?"
"Tyrell Westly," the man confirmed with a nod, tugging at his sleeve, apparently subconsciously. "How do you and the good captain want to be addressed?"
Natasha smiled tightly. "Our given names are fine, thank you." She nodded to the boys. "The redhead is Tony's son Lavi, and the one with long hair is Yuu, Bucky's son. Allen's in the middle; he's a little nervous."
Tyrell gave them both a friendly, if tense smile, and tugged at his sleeve again. "Thank you. Now, I know you both are very busy people, so let's get down to business."
Steve and Natasha both nodded, and the three of them moved to the couch. Still sprawled on the ground, Yuu snorted.
"Stupid busybody," he grumbled mutinously, and Lavi chuckled, nervousness shining clearly through the sound.
"Yuu, be nice. He just doin' his job, you know?"
"Don't care. Not his business who Steve and Tasha adopt, is it?"
"Actually, it kind of is."
"They want it, sprout wants it, what else matters?" Yuu scowled petulantly. Between them, Allen shrugged.
"Caweful," Allen murmured softly, gazing pensively at his scribbles. "Bein' caweful."
"That's right, they're just being careful," Lavi agreed enthusiastically. "Don't worry about it, Yuu. Not like they're gonna say no." He threw out his arms, exasperated. "It's Uncle Steve and Aunt Tasha! He's gotta see they'll be good for Allen, else he's blind."
Yuu scowled blackly, but didn't argue any further, instead returning to his drawing.
Allen couldn't manage anything coherent yet, but Lavi's was clearly the sun over a forest, and Yuu drew a muddy lake full of people. Yuu's drawings were very disturbing sometimes.
"Allen," Steve called suddenly, startling all three of them. Allen's head jerked up, eyes going round, and Lavi nudged him.
"C'mon, beansprout. You'll be fine, 'kay?"
Yuu grunted but nodded in agreement, nudging Allen a little more forcefully than Lavi had. "Go on. Get it over with, yeah?"
Allen swallowed and nodded, and then he clambered to his feet and scurried over to the couch where the three adults were seated.
Tyrell was smiling at him, warm and friendly, but Allen just stared at him apprehensively and edged toward Steve.
"Allen, this is Tyrell," Steve explained to Allen, lifting him onto his lap. Allen scooted back, away from Tyrell, and Steve sighed and smiled ruefully. "He's going to help us adopt you." To Tyrell, he added, "Allen gets very nervous around people he hasn't met before."
"That's fine," Tyrell assured him, and bent down so his head was more level with Allen's. Allen eyed him warily. "Hello, Allen. It's very good to meet you."
Allen stared at him with clear trepidation.
"I'm going to ask you some questions," Tyrell continued, "but you don't have to answer if you don't want to. Okay?"
Allen nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Allen," Natasha said, and when he looked up and made eye contact with her, she smiled. After a moment, he smiled back, and then looked back to Tyrell, a little reassured.
"Do you like Steve and Natasha?" Tyrell started, leaning back again. He had a clipboard, Allen noted. He nodded again. "Did they explain what adoption meant to you?"
Of course they had. What did Tyrell take them for? Allen frowned at him and nodded again, and Tyrell chuckled.
"I know, I know, it may seem like a silly question." He reached toward Allen's face, but stopped when Allen leaned away, a small squeak of dismay working its way out of him. "Can you tell me how you got your scar?"
Well. Technically, he could. Allen tried to glare and scooted back, closer into Steve. Tyrell sighed and then looked at Steve.
"Can you?"
"Is it important?" Steve asked gingerly, also frowning. Tyrell shrugged.
"I know you haven't had him long enough to have given it to him - it's far too old - but it might look suspicious later, so it's best that we document it now." His tone was apologetic, but he also didn't seem prepared to back down. He tugged at his sleeve again, clearly uncomfortable. A nervous tic, Natasha decided.
Steve sighed, but it was Natasha who answered. "We don't know, unfortunately. He had it when we found him - around a month and a half ago. Stark should have footage of the day we brought him here."
Tyrell nodded. "I'll look at it, thank you. And his arm?" It was covered up now, but it still stood out in its motionlessness.
"We think it's a birth defect," Steve explained, but Allen had tensed in his lap again, pressing into Steve and staring at Tyrell with frightened eyes. "Allen hates talking about it, so if you don't mind…?"
Tyrell nodded, apologetic again and straightening a little more. "One last question. Has he been checked for any conditions?" His eyes lingered on Allen's hair for a moment, and Allen scowled at him for a split second before hiding his face from Tyrell's startled look, childishly covering it with his hand at the same time as he hid it in Steve's shirt.
"He has," Natasha confirmed, "but we didn't find anything. I'm afraid we're still in the dark about that."
"I see," Tyrell nodded. "Thank you very much, Allen." Allen peeked back up to frown at him, more suspicious than nervous now. "Steve, Natasha, would you mind if I spoke to Lavi and Yuu for a moment?" He gave them a small smile. "I think Allen has had quite enough of me."
"Of course," Steve agreed instantly, and Tyrell inclined his head in gratitude before moving over to speak to the the boys who hadn't returned to their papers since Allen left. Behind him, Allen let out a soft sigh of relief.
Yuu scowled at him as he approached, and even Lavi wasn't smiling, head tipped thoughtfully. Tyrell smiled reassuringly and sat cross-legged in front of them, placid.
"Hello. My name is Tyrell. Did anyone explain to you what I'm doing here?"
Yuu pushed himself up and frowned at him, but Lavi nodded.
"Yeah, Steve and Tasha told us," he confirmed, crossing his arms under him. He smiled, a strange smile for a four-year-old. "Whatcha want?"
"I just want to speak to you about Steve and Natasha for a moment," Tyrell promised. "What do you think of them?"
"They've always been really nice," Lavi answered, gaze unwavering, mouth still and smile gone. "An' they really want a baby, you know? They did for a long time, an' they were really sad that Tasha couldn't have one." His smile returned. "I'm glad they like Allen, 'cause I do, too." He tilted his head. "Sprout can stay, right?"
"Thank you, Lavi, and that's what I'm here to make sure of," Tyrell smiled. He looked at the other boy, who had thus far remained silent. "Yuu? Do you have anything to say?"
Yuu changed position and dropped his head onto his knees, frowning at him. Finally, though, he said, "Steve and Tasha are good to me. They'll be good to sprout, too." He held up two fingers. "First, 'cause they don't know how to be mean." Tyrell laughed. Yuu wasn't joking. "An' second, 'cause being mean to the sprout is like kicking a puppy." He dropped his hand, satisfied. "So don't worry about it."
Tyrell laughed. "Alright, Yuu, I'll try. Thank you for talking to me."
"Yeah, sure," Yuu snorted.
"It'd be fun!" Lavi insisted.
"It's stupid," Kanda countered irritably. Kanda was no fun.
Allen, seated on the ground while the two of them argued, giggled softly, silver eyes bright as his gaze flicked between them. Lavi paused to grin at him.
"You think it'd be fun too, right, Allen?"
Allen shrugged. "Couldn'," he dismissed, glancing down. Climbing up the bookshelf would be fun, but at this size, hard enough even with two working arms.
"We'll help you!" Lavi said confidently. "Right, Yuu?"
Kanda crossed his arms and grumbled, but finally, he muttered a sulky, "Fine."
The bookshelf was steady, mounted to the wall, so it barely wobbled as Lavi hauled himself up, brow furrowed and nose scrunched in concentration. Kanda was right behind him, and Allen waited patiently at the bottom.
It was currently a rare moment they got to themselves, unsupervised by adults. Normally, Lavi and Kanda would take this time to spar, still trying to get back into their old rhythm, but since Allen couldn't exactly participate at the moment and they both agreed that they didn't want to leave him alone (or worse, with Tyrell, who was currently at the tower on yet another visit) they'd decided to do something else.
Lavi and Kanda were… different, from how Allen remembered. Not just in the obvious ways, either. For one thing, Lavi was more free with his emotions, as genuinely carefree as Allen had ever seen him, and as friendly with one Avenger as the next. Kanda, meanwhile, was quieter - while he was still as irritable as Allen remembered, he was less aggressive, too.
Allen sort of liked the change. They seemed happier.
They were also, strangely enough, really protective of him. It made him feel warm, but he also knew that right now, none of them could really do much, for themselves or for each other. They were helpless, and vulnerable, and-
Lavi distracted Allen from his thoughts when he reached the second shelf, turning and grinning at Allen.
"First stop," Lavi announced, and he reached down and hooked his hand under Allen's left armpit, hauling him up while Allen pulled himself with his other arm, huffing and kicking his legs with the effort.
It was a strain on both of them, but a fun one. With Lavi's help, Allen struggled onto the second shelf, and then grinned on reaching it. When he looked up, Kanda, on the third shelf, was studying him, frowning.
"Tiny beansprout," Kanda muttered finally, and Allen was torn between fond exasperation and outright irritation. Same old Kanda.
Before Allen could decide on a reaction, Kanda reached down and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and Allen was left to yelp and scramble for purchase as he was hauled up again.
It was as hard for Kanda as it had been for Lavi, but he wouldn't admit it. Instead, when Allen was safely on the third shelf, he just smirked at the smaller boy while Allen scowled at him.
When Allen looked up, Lavi was waiting patiently on the fourth shelf.
The bookshelf was only eight shelves high, but getting Allen up was slow going, so it took a while. Finally, though, Lavi reached the top - space limited by a few jars of junk - and crowed triumphantly.
"I'm king of the world!" he declared gleefully.
Kanda, only one shelf below, looked up at him and scowled. "Shut up, stupid rabbit. Lemme up." He shoved lightly at Lavi, mindful of the height.
"No room," Lavi said smugly, not budging.
"Make room!"
Allen let his legs dangle over the edge of the shelf and giggled quietly. Yes, much happier.
From his position, Allen was perfectly placed to watch Tony, Natasha, and Tyrell enter the room. For a moment, he stared, and then the color drained from his face, his heartbeat stuttering in fear.
No. No, no, no, he wasn't supposed to be up here, he was being bad, he shouldn't have done this, Steve and Tasha wouldn't want him anymore…!
"Beansprout?" he heard Lavi ask, concerned, at which point Allen realized he was hyperventilating. Then Lavi must have noticed what Allen had, because, very quietly, he said, "Uh-oh."
It was at about that moment that Tony noticed them.
Instantly, Allen could see the rationality leaving Tony's eyes, and his loud voice filled the room, too big, too loud; it hurt Allen's ears and he couldn't make out what Tony was saying. In turn, panic shorted out Allen's mind, and he forgot where he was and tried to get away, unbalanced, and the next thing he knew, he was falling.
He braced himself for impact - this would hurt - but it didn't come. At least, not the way he'd expected. When nothing hurt, he opened his eyes and looked up.
Natasha blew out a long, exasperated breath, Allen safely in her arms, having run across half the room and slid the rest of the way to catch him in time. "You're going to be the death of me, little angel."
Allen, eyes still wide and breath still coming too fast, tilted his head up to stare at her worriedly. "...No' mad?"
She visibly shuddered, jaw clenching for the briefest of moments, but then she took a deep breath.
"Not mad," she reassured him, smoothing his hair down with a tired smile. "Just don't do that again."
He looked down, avoiding her eyes. "...'Kay."
"What were you thinking, you should know better than this, Lavi-"
In the absence of panic, Allen could make out what Tony was saying, but his head still shot up, anxious eyes seeking out Lavi.
Tony had apparently gotten Lavi and Kanda down from the top of the shelf, and while Kanda was ignoring Tony entirely in favor of sending Tyrell periodic scowls, Lavi was staring up at his father, wide-eyed and guilty.
Tony was nice. Really nice. He loved Lavi and maybe Yuu, and he liked Allen.
It was easy to forget that, though, when he sounded so angry. The sound of his voice resonated in the room, still too loud, and settled in Allen's chest like a lead weight, making it hard to breathe. His eyes filled with tears and his breath stuttered, fingers clenching instinctively. As soon as she noticed, though, Natasha moved so he couldn't see Tony anymore.
"Sh, don't cry," she said to him, soft and quiet. "Tony's not really angry, he's just scared. Don't worry. You're fine, Lavi's fine, Yuu's fine."
"You could have gotten yourself hurt, or Yuu or Allen - did you think about what would happen if Allen fell from that height? Did you forget what would happen if you fell from that height?"
"Hey! Stay 'way from him!"
Allen still couldn't see, but he'd recognize Yuu's voice anywhere, angry and defensive. He peeked up to watch, faintly startled.
"Don't worry, Yuu," Tyrell said quietly. Kanda had hated him from the start, and made it clear for that same time period. Tyrell had handled it admirably well, but he was still a little thrown. "I'm not going to hurt them, okay? I just want to check on Allen."
Kanda huffed audibly. In the background, Tony had abruptly stopped scolding Lavi, and Allen could hear Lavi's uneven breaths, like he was close to tears, too. "Stay 'way! Let sprout alone!"
Tyrell sighed and looked over, and then moved to step past Kanda, apparently deeming him a lost cause. Kanda moved to intercept him and stood his ground again, as firm as if he still had the power to force Tyrell to obey.
"Stay 'way!" he spat.
It was funny. Unlike Tony's angry words, Kanda's were almost reassuring. Kanda would never hurt Allen. Not anymore.
Still, Allen was pretty sure that Kanda was well on his way to blowing up on Tyrell altogether, which would not be a pretty sight. He pushed lightly at Natasha to let him go, and she did, apparently interested. Allen stood up unsteadily and toddled toward Kanda, who was shaking slightly with anger and frustration.
Allen understood that, too. If Tyrell was really determined to get past Kanda, there wasn't anything Kanda could do to stop him.
"Yuu," Allen called, wishing he could communicate better. "It 'kay!"
Kanda whirled on him, glare searing, but Allen didn't flinch. After a moment, Kanda deflated and crossed his arms, scowling.
"He's dragging his feet," Kanda muttered, referring to the adoption process. Allen giggled softly.
"Doin' his job," he replied back, patting Kanda clumsily on the side. Kanda swatted away his hand halfheartedly. Tyrell chuckled at their antics, relaxing and also looking unsettlingly interested.
"He can certainly cool Yuu's temper when he wants to, huh?" Natasha said to Tony offhandedly, who offered a 'hm' of agreement. "It's like he dumped a bucket of cold water on it." They argued a lot, but then there were the times like this.
Kanda bristled, but it was halfhearted, and Lavi giggled reluctantly. Tony sighed, long-suffering.
"Can't take our eyes off any of you for five seconds," he mumbled, but Allen could hear the rueful smile in his voice.
Allen looked at Tyrell expectantly, eyes glimmering uncertainly; he wasn't especially fond of Tyrell, either, even if he was helping. It was harder to trust than it used to be.
"That was quite a fall, Allen," Tyrell told him, crouching down. "Are you okay?"
Allen nodded hesitantly, but made no move to approach.
"That's good," Tyrell said, satisfied. "I'm surprised you managed to get all the way up there."
Allen shrugged, ignored the implied question, and said, "No' in twouble?"
"No one's in trouble," Tyrell promised, turning softer and more solemn. "Kids do these things all the time, and…" He chuckled. "Even the best parents can't change that. Natasha was doing very well just to catch you."
Allen smiled hesitantly, and then turned around and looked worriedly at Lavi, not forgetting that Tony had just gotten through scolding him. Lavi looked a little sickly pale and still guilty, but he gave him a wink and a thumbs up anyway.
Allen's smile turned more confident. Everything was going to be okay.
They just needed to find Lenalee, now. He hoped she was okay. She would have loved to climb shelves, and she would've been laughing at them from the top even without her Boots.
"I missed you!" Lavi declared, attached to one of Pepper's legs like a leech. "You were gone for too long!"
"Yes, I was," Pepper agreed ruefully, reaching down to tangle her fingers in Lavi's hair. "I promise I'll try to avoid being away for that long in the future, okay?"
"Okay," Lavi agreed, not letting go.
"I agree with Lavi," Tony said firmly, leaning to kiss Pepper firmly on the lips before he drew away with a smirk. "Seriously, three months, Pep? I don't know how you even thought we'd survive without you."
"Well, you look like you managed fine," Pepper tossed back, a smile playing about her lips. "Now, what's this I hear about eight adults and two kids moving in? Really, Tony…"
"Hey, what did you expect me to do?" Tony defended, crossing his arms and huffing like a child. Which was Lavi's job, thank you very much. Then he dropped them and turned more serious. "I couldn't turn them away, Pepper. They needed help."
Pepper sighed, deflating. "Yes, I know they did. And I'm glad. Really. Have you made up with Steve yet?"
"...Sort of?" Tony smiled winningly.
"Tony." At his sheepish smile, she sighed, straightened up, and looked down at Lavi. "Alright, Lavi. Feel like introducing me to your friends?"
Lavi held his thoughtful look for a few moments longer, and then he grinned. "Yeah!" He detached himself from her leg at last and turned to dart off, leaving Tony and Pepper to follow at the pace of normal human beings.
"He seems happier," Pepper said to Tony, quiet and wistful. Tony grinned.
"Yeah, isn't it great? The tower's so full now and there's always something going on, and he has so much fun-" Tony's smile faded. "Pepper?"
Pepper laughed wetly, wiping at her eyes with the palm of her hand. "It's nothing, Tony. I'm really glad." She shook her head and lowered her hand to smile at him, eyes sparkling. "You're happier, too, you know. You've sounded so worried lately."
"Have I?" Tony mused. Then he shrugged, and an impatient call from Lavi had them both hurrying into the living room.
Scott was sitting cross-legged on the ground, a Dr. Seuss book lying closed in his lap as he looked up curiously at the doorway. Yuu was pressed in on his left side, head tilted up to frown at the door, and Allen was leaning against his right, silver eyes wide. Lavi had slung himself over Scott's back, glowing with excitement.
"Finally!" Lavi complained when they came in.
"Hello," Pepper greeted Scott, voice bubbling with laughter. "You're Scott, right? I heard a lot about you."
"Hey, Mrs. Potts," Scott returned with a small smile, reaching up to shake her hand. "This isn't the most dignified way to meet, but I'm guessing you're pretty used to little kids."
Allen and Lavi giggled, and Yuu smirked.
Pepper smiled affectionately. "Yes, Lavi's a little monster when he wants to be. Don't worry about it - you could never be as bad as Tony, anyway."
"Hey! I resemble that remark!"
Allen was staring up at her with huge eyes, and Yuu frowned at her suspiciously. She sat down in front of them, and Tony plopped down as well.
"Have you settled in alright?" Pepper asked Scott, concerned, still with half an eye on Yuu and Allen. Yuu looked every bit as grumpy as Lavi and Tony had claimed, with a defensive tilt to his body that would've been comical if it weren't so depressing. Allen, on the other hand, looked small and fragile in a way that seemed to directly contradict Lavi's stories and explained the worry that had threaded his voice when he talked about him. "I know the Avengers can be a lot to handle."
"No, no, they're fine," Scott hastened to assure her. "From what I understand, this team is a lot more, uh, low-key than the last one. I mean, Vision asks strange questions sometimes, and Wanda used to cry randomly, but no one walks around naked or explodes into green rage."
"I can hardly imagine," Pepper said honestly, and then finally, finally, looked down. "Hello, Yuu, Allen. Lavi's told me all about you two."
Allen tilted his head, looking anxious and uncertain, but Yuu snorted.
"Lavi's talked about you, too," he said grudgingly, and then tacked on, "Seem okay."
And instantly, Pepper was amused. All three adults chuckled, and Lavi and Allen, too.
"I'm glad I'm okay," Pepper told Yu, and then looked at Allen. She considered him, and then said to Lavi, "You lied to me. He isn't cute. He's adorable."
Allen gave her a startled look, and then turned bright red and hid his face in Scott's side. Scott chuckled.
"Don't pick on Allen, that's mean," he teased lightly; he'd gained confidence when it came to dealing with important people. "Try Yuu instead; he makes the funniest face when you call him cute."
Yuu scowled and pinched Scott hard enough to make him wince. "Not cute."
"You hit," Lavi said gleefully. "I'll tell Bucky!"
"Don't you dare, rabbit!"
Tony nudged Pepper, a silly grin on his face. "Aren't they great?" he asked her, and she laughed at him and kissed his cheek.
"Yes, they are."
The government guy was here again.
Kanda crossed his arms and scowled, leaning against the wall just outside the living room, listening. He didn't trust Tyrell as far as he could throw him, and every visit made Kanda hate him more.
He hated that Allen's fate rested in this man's hands. He hated that he was putting it off for so long. And he hated that he couldn't do anything about it.
"Well, you certainly sound ready," Tyrell admitted from the other room, and Kanda relaxed slightly. Was he done? Was he finally fucking done? In the next moment, though, Tyrell continued, "But there's another issue I'd like to address. Are you sure that this is a safe environment for a child?"
Safe, shit. The Order wasn't a safe place for a child, either, or for anyone really, but he and Lenalee had both made it out alright. His frustration ratcheted up a few levels.
"I'm sorry, can you clarify the question?" There was an edge to Steve's voice that said he understood perfectly.
There was a pause as Tyrell presumably weighed his words. Kanda smirked humorlessly at the ground. Tasha was probably giving him that look - the one where she wanted to strangle someone with her thighs but couldn't because of society.
"I know that you're superheroes," Tyrell said at last, careful and diplomatic. "And you are therefore better able to protect Allen than the average parent. However, you also attract threats of a much higher level, and we need to know that Allen will be safe."
Kanda clenched his jaw, the thought that the beansprout can take care of his own damn self warring with he's so fucking tiny. It was not helping his mood.
Neither did the third of what about me and Lavi?
"This is Avengers Tower," Natasha said, a frosty note to her voice that normally stayed hidden. "We're well aware of the threat, and, you understand, do not enjoy being attacked in our sleep." Pause. "FRIDAY, if twenty HYDRA agents stormed the tower now, what obstacles would they need to face to reach Allen?"
"They would be noticed immediately," FRIDAY replied instantly, taking the question at face value. "I would alert the Avengers, who would move to place Allen, Lavi, and Yuu in one of the safe rooms-"
Disinterested, Yuu tuned FRIDAY out to simmer. No one had questioned Lavi staying with Tony. No one had even questioned Yuu staying with Bucky, and they were trying to arrest him! Who gave them the right to step in here?
The discussion went on for some time, but at last, Tyrell seemed satisfied.
"Thank you for humoring me, Steve, Natasha," he said politely. "I'll get out of your hair now, and I'll see you again in two weeks."
"Of course. We'll see you then," Steve replied, just as painfully polite, and a little strained, Kanda thought.
When Tyrell exited the room a few moments later, Yuu was waiting for him, placed deliberately between Tyrell and the elevator. His jaw was clenched, his face flushed with rage, and his fists shaking almost imperceptibly.
"You have to let Steve and Tasha keep him," he said, and he was trying to sound aggressive, remembering the power he'd once held to back him up, but there was too much fear in his voice, too much desperation.
Tyrell sighed. He looked tired and maybe a little worried, too, but Kanda didn't care. He was trying to take the beansprout away.
In all fairness, Tyrell never just brushed Yuu off - he always tried to address his concerns, instead, and placate him. But Yuu didn't want placations, he wanted a promise, he needed to know that this was going to be okay.
"I'm trying, Yuu," Tyrell said gently. "I promise, I just want what's best for Allen."
"Liar!"
The word burst out of Yuu's mouth without his permission, a searing glare twisting his face. Tyrell paused, looking concerned.
"If you wanted what was best for him you'd let him stay!" Yuu's chest was heaving, tears springing into his eyes, but his glare never wavered. "You're just mean!"
"I know it may seem that way," Tyrell tried, still weirdly gentle, and Yuu hated it, hated it. "And it's obvious to you that Steve and Natasha will make good parents, but I am a very slow man and I need to be very sure that this is the best place for Allen before I let it pass."
"It is!" Kanda screamed, heart racing and face wet, taking a furious step toward Tyrell like he could strangle him into realizing this. "Sprout can't move again, he can't! He has to stay, he won't survive another bad family!"
Tyrell's expression softened. "I know. I know you're worried. But Allen's stronger than he looks, Yuu. He'll be okay."
Kanda saw red.
Sure, it was technically true, but Tyrell didn't know shit about the beansprout, and Allen hadn't looked this bad since, since…
Yuu launched himself at Tyrell, who looked startled but not shocked.
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up shut up, you don't know anything!"
Yuu was trying his best to hit any part of Tyrell he could, blinded by anger, but his best wasn't very good right now, and Tyrell was able to catch him and hold him still, with strength that seemed absurd and should've been nothing, less than nothing, to Kanda's.
He thrashed in the larger man's grip, seething with fury. He heard Tyrell trying to get him to calm down, but Yuu wanted no part of it - he hated him, hated him, hated how helpless he was!
Yuu kept at it until more familiar hands lifted him from Tyrell's grasp, he was held against a chest, and Bucky's voice said sternly, "Yuu. Calm down."
Almost instantly, Yuu flopped in Bucky's grip. His face was still set in a weak scowl, but it was wet with tears, and he shuddered with suppressed, angry sobs.
Bucky sighed and nodded to someone Yuu couldn't see, and then started to move away while Steve escorted Tyrell the rest of the way to the elevator. Yuu clenched his fists in Bucky's leather jacket and refused to speak until they were in Bucky's room, and Bucky sat on the edge of the bed, radiating disapproval. Yuu's breath hitched again.
"Yuu, why were you trying to hit Tyrell?" Bucky asked, a hint of a frustrated growl in the back of his voice, but clearly trying for patient.
Yuu growled right back and pressed his forehead into Bucky's shoulder, wishing he were anywhere else, anywhere else at all.
"Yuu." Bucky sounded stern again, forcibly pushing Yuu back so he could look into his eyes. "What's wrong?"
Yuu made a frustrated, distressed sound from somewhere high in his chest and turned his head away stubbornly. Bucky's hands tightened to the point where it was slightly painful, and Yuu yelped before he could stop himself. In the next moment, Bucky withdrew his hands like he'd been burned.
It did the trick, though.
"I don't like him," Yuu mumbled petulantly, tears filling his eyes all over again even as he tried to stop them.
"I know you don't like him," Bucky returned, frowning down at him in concern. "Everyone knows you don't like him, but you've never tried to hit him before."
Yuu tilted his head up to look at him, and he was trying to hold onto his anger, but it was giving way fast to dismay and worry and dreaded fucking fear. "He doesn't get it," Yuu said at last, struggling to make himself understood when he felt this scattered, this confused. "Beansprout can't get taken away again. It'd kill him." He didn't know why he was so sure, but he was.
Bucky's face softened visibly. "You're scared," he informed Yuu, like he didn't already know.
Kanda gritted his teeth and hid his face again, shuddering. "I'm not scared," he muttered.
It was a lie, though.
"From a bin of bent, discarded horseshoes, a strange old man poked out a poker-long nose," Vision read aloud. Then he paused and wondered aloud, "How long is a poker-long nose meant to be?"
Allen, sitting in his lap, shrugged. "Don' know," he admitted.
Vision looked down at Allen, frowning. "This is a very strange book," he told him seriously, and Allen giggled. Vision looked back down to it and continued, "It was as bent as a horseshoe and red as rust. 'I'll do your spinning for you. At a price.'"
Allen gasped dramatically, eyes widening, and Vision paused again to pat him on the head.
"I am certain that the girl is okay. The tale has some ways to go yet," Vision promised him, and then went on, "'What can I give you, except my thanks?' gasped Polly. 'That necklace of yours would do.' And so the bargain was struck. Polly gave up her necklace, and the little man gave up his night, spinning the wheel till it whistled. Straws twined together, then fell from the spindle like golden wood shavings, curling and coiling on the dirty floor…" Vision trailed off again. "But straw cannot be turned into gold unless you completely alter the molecular structure. It is simply not possible, no matter how hard you spin the wheel."
Allen giggled at him. "Faiwy tail," he informed him, voice lilting with amusement. Vision sighed.
"I will take your word for it, little one." And he continued.
The questions did not stop through the entire tale, through the second night and the third, through the happy wedding or the terrible climax - when the little goblin asked Polly for her firstborn child.
Allen stared at Vision with wide eyes, hanging onto his every word, and Vision hid a smile as he read, "What's my name? That's the game. Search about. Find it out. If you can, keep your wee man. If you can't, then you shan't. Three times I'll come, then playing's done: I keep your son!"
"Oh, no!" Allen gasped, and though Vision didn't know it, it was almost as much a struggle for him to hide his amusement as it was for Vision to hide his.
"Oh, no," Vision agreed solemnly. "Turning a single cartwheel, he disappeared-"
And the charade continued, both parties enjoying the story as much as the other and trying not to laugh. Allen settled against Vision's chest while the android read patiently, interested in the strangeness of the fairy tale.
"Move every stone, drain every bog, ask all the cats and every dog; dig up the sea with a single oar: you won't find what you're looking for! Search the night with candle shine: soon your baby will be mine. Guess again and lose the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"
Allen hated to admit it, but Vision was usually much more fun to listen to than Steve or Natasha. Steve did better voices, though, and Natasha told him other stories afterward. So it evened out, really.
...And it was nice. No one had read to him since Mana. And even Mana hardly ever had.
"Purple smoke filled the air-" Vision frowned. "Why is the smoke purple? I can think of very few things which can cause purple smoke."
Allen shrugged. "Magi'?"
"Perhaps," Vision said ruefully. "Purple smoke filled the air, and when it cleared, there was no trace of the spinner but for that gaping hole and a scream of rage echoing through the palace: 'RUMPELSTILTSKIN!'"
Vision twisted his voice into a facsimile of anger for the last word, and Allen laughed as Vision closed the book, smiling at Allen with a satisfied air about him.
"Fairy tales are very interesting," Vision mused to Allen, not making any move to stand yet. "However, they make no sense."
Allen giggled and nodded in agreement.
"Is that okay?" Allen nodded again. "Oh." Vision mused. "It is less acceptable in books meant for adults. Why is this?"
Allen shrugged. "'Dults think too mu'h," he offered to Vision, who nodded decisively.
"Ah. I see. I was constantly questioning the tale, so I enjoyed it less. Thank you, Allen, that makes sense." He tried to shift Allen off his lap. He succeeded, but Allen was clinging to his arm. "Ah." He stood up anyway. Allen continued to hang determinedly off his arm, and Vision stared down at him in mild bemusement. "Allen, why are you holding onto my arm? It is dangerous. You could fall."
"Fun," Allen told him, not bothering to hide his smile this time, which only widened as Vision continued to show no signs of disapproval, only confusion. Besides, it wasn't that far to fall, as long as Vision didn't fly.
Vision processed the answer and smiled down at Allen fondly, shaking his head. "It is dangerous," he repeated, more amused than concerned.
"Having some trouble there, spot-bot?"
Both Vision and Allen looked up to see Tony striding into the room with an amused smirk on his face, and Allen yelped in surprise, nearly losing his grip before Vision caught him. By his left arm.
Allen blinked up at him, eyes wide, and Vision blinked down at him, confused, until Tony interposed himself between them and claimed Allen by lifting him up into a more socially acceptable hold.
"This is how you hold a baby," Tony explained to Vision.
"I know," Vision mumbled, crossing his arms and ducking his head, shamefaced. Allen huffed.
"No' baby," he mumbled into Tony's shoulder, and Tony laughed and patted his back.
"I know, tiny man, I know." He looked at Vision. "Mind if I steal him away? I was actually hoping to talk to him."
Vision shrugged and nodded. "Of course, if he wishes to go."
Allen hummed an affirmation, and Tony grinned, waved at Vision, and turned to take Allen away. He didn't speak until they were alone in the hall, heading for the communal playroom.
"Four months, huh?" Tony mused to Allen, who hummed again. "Have you gotten used to it yet?"
Allen shook his head, and Tony softened slightly.
"That's okay, beansprout. You will."
"No' beanspwout," Allen mumbled in protest, and then turned his head to look at him better. "To'y, do I weally act li' a baby?"
Tony winced; Allen looked genuinely worried by that, and Tony wasn't sure he had a good answer to give. After a moment of careful consideration, he said, "Sometimes you do. But it's obvious that you're not, if you know what to look for."
"Oh," Allen said softly, deflating slightly. Tony cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Anyway, I thought you'd like to know that you really are done with all of your doctor stuff now. They didn't find anything, obviously."
Allen cheered up slightly at that. "'Kay."
Tony chuckled. "And the legal stuff, that's almost done too. Congratulations, kid, you're about three steps from being Allen Rogers-Romanoff."
Allen brightened visibly. "Yay!"
Tony grinned, pleased with his success. "I finished the analysis on your arm, by the way. It broke my machinery." Allen looked worried. "Nothing I can't replace! Just, if it weren't so obvious that your body had adapted, I'd probably be worried."
Allen shrugged. "I knew. No'ing to wowwy 'bou'."
"Right," Tony agreed easily. "Now, about that stuffed dog I saw you eying up-"
There we go! There's some bonding stuff, which seems to be most of this story- *laugh* -and then a little plot development, mostly in the form of Allen's caseworker. (Don't worry if you don't like him, he won't be around for long, but it was important and lengthy enough that I figured I'd show some of the process. *shrug*) Then next chapter we'll see Lenalee again (because this chapter was originally two but I decided they fit better together, and then came up with THIS monster) but it actually hasn't been written yet, which hasn't happened in a while. *muse* I've been pretty busy. Thanks for reading, and please review!
More additional notes - No, no Neah, but as soon as I've finalized it, I'll release a list of all the exorcists I'm planning to reincarnate. However, some of them won't show up for quite some time, due to circumstances. *grin*