Chapter 23 - The Affairs of Teenagers
As it turned out, Tony went out of his way to ensure that his little genius was well protected. Security breaches on the whole were down dramatically, even considering the company's reasonably good record in the field. With James there - and Scott's concerns well known with those in charge, they went above and beyond to keep the boy and his family safe - and secret from the public at large, which was quite the feat when James was coming and going in an image inducer for years. It also became more important as he got older since the older he got, the more he resembled Logan, and even if the old man had been dead for years, that didn't mean that his face wasn't well known enough to be forgotten.
But all of that found its own way of leveling out. And Scott found himself far more engaged with their every day activities. James tried to be on autopilot as much as possible to streamline his own schedule and to keep from upsetting anyone else's. He also started staying in the city longer every day after the 'school day' was over. Rachel was making leaps and bounds at school and even mentoring some of the younger kids that came in with mental prowess that they needed to master … and Nate was still doing his best to break records in every sport he ever took half an interest in, cementing that the Summers competitive nature was alive and well in the new generation.
More fun than that, though, was the kids' personal lives. The little romantic entanglements of the Summers kids continued to be varying degrees of problematic, entertaining, and flat out sweet for Scott to watch over the last couple of years since 'the day of many kisses', as Clint was calling it. Rachel had the same draw that her mother did - and always seemed to have a handful of boys tripping over themselves to try and charm her, though rarely did she bother allowing them to do so. Not when she already knew what they were thinking. Anyone who actively thought like any normal teenage boy was disqualified immediately - and often with no small amount of disappointment from Rachel. Especially when it was someone she thought was particularly good-looking or otherwise nice.
She simply couldn't stand that outlook, even if she was now sixteen years old and really wanting to go on dates with her friends now that she could drive. But … that didn't overrule her own personal codes and morals, and boys who only had sex on the brain were absolutely off limits. Not only because the objectification made her feel gross but because she really didn't want her dad to have a heart attack any time soon. He was having enough trouble with James and Nate to expect him to survive his daughter getting involved with questionable boys.
James' issues stemmed from his uncanny knack of finding new dates every few months - half of whom were the offspring of someone in the Avengers' orbit. Scott still wasn't sure how the kid was meeting the ones that weren't at the tower, though, so that was a slightly different and less controlled situation than what he was used to seeing around the young man. Which was really where the trouble was.
At thirteen, James wasn't quite old enough to be trouble on the dating front - even if he looked a few years older. Until rather recently, the most he was after was someone to watch movies with and steal kisses, but with unverified girls that hadn't been through Natasha's strict screening process…
Scott hated to think that someone would use a teenage girl to go after the kid, but he knew it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility, so he was on alert with everyone Natasha, Clint, Tony, and his own kids told him James was meeting up with outside of the tower.
Then there was Nate.
Nate had been pushing harder and harder in sports from the moment he'd gotten involved in them. Which was fine, and lined up with his competitive nature. Scott certainly couldn't fault him for that. But ...he'd gone a little too far during a hockey game and ended up with a broken collar bone and was sure he was slowly dying because of it - and because of the fact that he'd just transferred to the Institute in Westchester with Rachel. It was a double hit for Nate. Not only was he out of the game for the rest of the league's season and missing tryouts for the next sports season, but he was separated from Katie for the first time since they'd moved to the city.
He still got to see Katie on the weekends when he and Rachel came home or mid-week occasionally when she'd come to spend time with a few of the kids at the institute, but … it wasn't as much fun for him at school, and he was working hard to get better control so he could go back to public school.
But that left Scott alone all week with James - and James was increasingly concerned that Scott wasn't going to be able to make it so far from Rachel and Nate. The two of them had just gone back upstate for the week, and like they did every week, James went along with him to drop Nate and Rachel off, feeling like a third wheel in an otherwise well-balanced machine. The drives back to the city were always quiet - and James had noticed on more than a few occasions that Scott's attention would be drawn by houses for sale within a more reasonable distance to the school. It didn't take anything at all for him to put it together … and decide on a plan of action.
"Dad?" James said quietly, unsure if it was even something he should bring up.
"Yeah?" Scott replied, half distracted just a few miles before they got on the freeway.
"You know, if you want to get rid of the place in Brooklyn and move out here to be closer, I can probably just … stay with someone in the city." When Scott frowned and quickly looked his way, James tacked on another option. "Or I can quit the tutoring and stuff. I'm almost done with the last tests and I'm sure MIT can wait.."
Scott shook his head quickly. "No, no," he said. "You don't have to do anything like that. And I wouldn't leave you behind, either. You're my son."
"I know," James said a little softer. "But it would be easier for you if I-"
"Nate wants to get back into public school as soon as possible, and your tutoring is going well. Tony was just telling me last week that he's got MIT on speed dial wanting to work out a distance program for you so you don't need to leave the company. This is just a temporary thing, James," Scott assured him. "I'm trying not to uproot us. The house in Brooklyn is a good place - for all of us."
"I just know you've been going nuts with Rachel gone … and now Nate too? Come on."
Scott shook his head. "I'm fine, James. It's hard to transition to raising teenagers, that's all." He smirked James' way. "It used to be you all needed me every second for games and snacks and hugs; now you're all growing up."
"Well if you still want to lose at Mario Kart …"
"Maybe I do," Scott said, smirking harder. He turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green. "I'm proud of the people you're becoming - all of you. I hope you know that. I don't want to stand in your way."
"That's not even close to an issue," James said. "I just … I know there's not much else I can do to help."
Scott reached over to squeeze James' shoulder. "Not something either of us can fix, James. We just have to wait it out until Nate has a handle on things, and with Rachel staying in Westchester to help Betsy, we'll just find our new normal again. We always do."
"Okay. I just felt like I had to offer an option. You deserve to be happy, too, Dad."
"I love you too," Scott promised. "But you're part of the family; don't discount that. I wouldn't want to be separated from you any more than I like being separated from your siblings."
James was quiet as he weighed his words, not wanting to let Scott think that he wanted to go any more than he wanted everyone to be at odds. "Should be easier mornings anyhow, huh?"
Scott smirked and nodded. "Besides, this gives us time to hang out just us - and I will win at Mario Kart. You're delusional."
"Yeah, I'll take it easy on you, don't worry."
Scott snorted. "I'll order the pizza. You set up the game."
"James," Natasha said slowly with a perfectly even tone as she and Katie stepped into the space Tony had given him to invent and experiment in. "You have to stop meeting girls at their discretion before I can look into them."
"Why?" James asked without looking up from the programming job he was going through at his 3D printer. "No one knows or cares who I'm related to anymore."
"You know that's not true," Natasha said, crossing her arms.
"Well … no one outside of the spandex crowd even knows I exist, so …"
"They don't know you exist because I've worked very hard to keep you safe," Natasha said with some heat. "And your father has bent over backwards to do the same. Tony too, for that matter."
James let out a breath and pushed back from his desk to face her properly as he crossed his arms. "Okay. You're going to need to pick a direction," James said slowly. "Either … I'm in constant danger and I need to stay holed up and hidden indefinitely, or I'm relatively safe and should try and make friends with people that don't have aspirations to become Avengers."
"You know it's not that simple."
"Yeah, well … is it that bad, Katie?" James asked in an open attempt at deflecting. "You went with last time for coffee …"
Katie held up both hands. "Hey, I'm only here because Mom has to take me to cello practice after she does whatever this is. Leave me out of it."
"'This' is called a guilt trip," James said. "And a bad one at that."
"It's called security," Natasha said. "And you're old enough and smart enough to understand it."
"I do understand it," James said. "I keep an eye out for trouble. I did research into all the baddies and all their bad little kids … so I know what they look like and how to avoid them. You know. It's fine. Most of NYC isn't made up of creeps. Even the ones without spandex in their veins aren't all bad."
"Says the boy," Katie grumbled - since, as she was getting older, she was discovering as Rachel had what boys their age were usually thinking about.
"I know. All boys are fundamentally horrible people," James said. "But there are a pretty fair few stalkery women too."
"And not every one of them is going to be related to a bad guy," Natasha pointed out. "And the kinds of people after what you have and what you're capable of aren't above using young girls to lure you. I'd know."
"Okay, but you're not telling me what it is you want me to actually do about it outside of not talk to anyone unless you preapprove them for chatting. Which sucks the fun out of it." James held out both hands. "You told me to make friends. Socialize."
"Don't go with them unless I vet them," Natasha corrected him. "Talking is fine."
"What do you think I'm doing? Talking and coffee ...98% of the time."
Natasha shook her head at him. "Yes. Away from others. That's my point."
"So I need a chaperone for coffee too?" James challenged. "Because nothing says 'don't look suspicious' like walking around with an Avenger all the time."
"I want you to at least tell someone where you're going, who you plan to be with, - and for God's sake, do it someplace close so if there is trouble, we can help. Half the time, I don't even know who you're dating or that you've gone out until after the fact!"
He leaned back in his chair. "Fine. Give me a list of approved coffee shops and I'll do what I can to stick to it."
"Fine," Natasha said, turning on her heel to leave.
Katie gave James an apologetic smile. "You should have seen her after my first date. Sorry about this," she said before Natasha called for her to catch up.
"You're getting grumpy in your old age, Aunt Nat!" James called out just to irk her even as he smiled at Katie. "Not as 'black' anymore either."
Natasha let out a wordless noise, and Katie grinned. "Hey, say hi to your brother for me, wouldja?" Katie said.
"Any love notes you want passed?" James called back. "Boxes with check yes or no?"
Katie giggled. "Yeah, 'when are you coming back from Westchester; please sign and date'."
"I'll draft it for you in purple crayola," James said.
"Please and thank you!" Katie called out before the door closed behind them.
James hummed to himself then took his phone out to draft up a quick text. So, what do you say, Mayday? You gonna leave me hanging or are you going to go out with me? I just got the ticked off Aunt treatment and she wants to know that who I'm seeing isn't a security breach. I didn't mention who I was asking, but I know you're cleared.
There was a pause and James smirked as he watched the three dots dance, waiting for her to respond before finally: I will only date you if you come and introduce yourself to my parents.
They've both seen me here.
Dad doesn't know you've been asking me out or that you're ignoring other girls to get my attention. Yes. I know you've been ignoring them.
James sighed. Queens was definitely out of the radius that Natasha had established for him … but on the other hand, little May Parker was absolutely cleared as the daughter of an Avenger. It really boiled down to what was more attractive to him. Keeping Natasha's head from exploding or impressing Peter Parker's troublemaking but very attractive daughter who he knew was interested in him. He looked across the hallway though the glass separating his lab from Tony's as he weighed it out. It was a no brainer. I can be there in an hour.
Not tonight! I have school in the morning- not all of us are so far ahead of schedule.
James smiled crookedly to himself. He knew tonight wouldn't work but he liked to rile her. Friday then?
The three dots danced and stopped several times before May finally answered. Coffee after you talk to my parents. 3:30. Don't be late.
I won't be. See you then.
Scott was visiting the tower more often lately. It had taken him a while even to go once, because he still didn't like to associate with the team in their work environment, and the last time he'd been had been when Jan got hurt. But the more time James spent there, the more Scott knew he needed to check in and support James so James didn't feel any more like a third wheel than Scott knew he already felt. He just had to remind himself that it was like going to Nate's soccer games.
So, Scott had started going - and was going more often lately, especially with Nate and Rachel in Westchester. His world revolved around the kids, and James was the only one home for the moment. So, he went where James was.
He smirked when the first person he saw was Jan. It had taken the two of them a while to figure out how to maintain their friendship when they both knew they deeply cared about each other, even if they'd broken up. But, somehow, it was easier once Jan started dating Tony Stark. It was easier for Scott to play a protective friend than to walk a careful line of trying not to fall back so easily into the way things had been between them once. And she seemed genuinely happy with Tony - surprisingly so - so that made things easier too.
"Oooh! Good timing!" Jan said when she saw him. "You came by between strikes in the prank war! You should be safe today. Tony's still trying to figure out how to get James back."
"Oh, good, because last time, I was picking feathers out of my hair for hours," Scott said, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him.
"You know, Tony apologized for that for ever, too," Jan laughed. "But it's back in his court … I'm not sure how the counter strike is going to go when your boy managed to rig one of Spidey's cartridges and webbed him to the ceiling."
Scott laughed outright. "That's my boy."
"You know, he's kind of asking for it when he lets the kid help him design triggers?" She pulled him along to the kitchen - already offering him a cup wordlessly. "So. Anything new with you? Anything that maaaybe I don't know about yet that I should know about?"
Scott shook his head with an easy shrug as he took the coffee. "It's been nice to have more one-on-one time with James lately. You wouldn't believe the games of Risk that have been going on at our house."
"Yeah? I already know better than to play chess with him. Is he getting sassy with you finally?" She was grinning widely.
"Mostly when I'm winning at Mario Kart," Scott chuckled. "Or if I have a blue shell."
"I'll have to take you by Tony before you go because you need to see the sassiness - he's got something for you to watch but … before that, I have news … and I want to be sure that all is good in your world."
"Other than Nate regularly contacting me to complain that he's ready to get back to public school?" Scott smirked and tapped his temple. "Which I would believe more if he could maintain the contact."
Jan made a disappointed face. "Poor guy. Being overly upset can't help with that, either, I'll bet."
"Nope. And he hasn't figured out yet that it's a who that he misses, not a what," Scott said, clearly entertained.
"Mmmhmm. Well. Give him a little time. He'll get it, and when he does, I totally have a new place to go for wings that I'd love to take him to," Jan said, nodding to herself before she subtly held her left hand out in front of herself and wiggled her fingers. "So …. News…"
"I noticed," Scott said, smiling outright. "I was wondering if you could stand to keep it to yourself much longer."
"How long have you known?!" Jan said, looking shocked - but delighted.
"Jan, I have eyes that pick up metal on everyone I encounter. I saw before you took your hand out from behind your back." He paused. "And when Tony was carrying it in his pocket for weeks."
She grinned wider. "Well. You have the scoop on the press. We agreed not to let it out until you knew - and it has to be a controlled release. Don't want the press swarming our little wonder kid accidentally."
Scott nodded along to everything she said before he simply pulled her into a hug. "I'm really happy for you - but I also feel like it's my job to say if he hurts you, I'll put him through every wall in the tower. Just so you know."
Jan grinned wider and wrapped him up in another tight hug. "Aww, such a sweet guy."
"Got your back, Jan - you know that," Scott said, pulling her into a spinning hug. "And congratulations."
"Thanks, Scott. It means the world to me. And now … since you're ahead of the curve as you should be … you really need to see the video Tony has for you. He's been laughing for days over this thing. I mean … I didn't realize sass was that strongly genetic."
"What's the video?" Scott asked.
"James giving Natasha a hard time. Like … to the point she was nearly sputtering."
He grinned. "Then yes, I definitely need to see it."
She laughed as she pulled him over to Tony's lab - which was right across the hall from James, both for security and supervision issues - and as luck would have it, Tony was laughing and watching the video in question with Steve. "Oh, good. I need to know - is he like this at home, or does he save it up just for our Widow?" Tony asked when he saw Scott and Jan.
"It's for her … or for when I take Australia in Risk."
Tony was almost giggling as he cued the video up and turned the screen slightly for Scott to watch - again, the discussion at hand was security, and again, James was working loopholes and twisting Natasha's words on her like a pro - all while looking so much like an overly smug Logan it was almost illegal.
Scott shook his head. "And there's his father."
"I don't know," Tony laughed. "Awful lot of mom in there. Lawyering up all over the place."
Scott chuckled again. "You didn't have to deal with him as often as I did. They were a matched set."
"I don't know about how much we didn't have to deal with," Steve said, shaking his head. "His father gave me flack every single chance he got. The man called me his sidekick, for cry eye."
"And I had both of them trying to give me and the professor flack. In tandem."
"Yeah, but I saw her turn on him and play defense for you a couple times," Steve said. "I think she did it just to get that fully blindsided look of betrayal out of him."
"No, it was because I was right," Scott said as if it was that simple.
"Obviously," Steve said, shaking his head with a laugh.
"So … is that normal all the time at home or does he save it for special occasions?" Tony asked.
"He's never that obstinate with me," Scott admitted. "Must just be for Nat."
"Makes sense to me," Steve deadpanned. "Her spy-Nat expression doesn't work on him. He just gives it right back to her and asks what he wins when the staring contest ends." Steve grinned to himself. "Gets her worked up every single time. Even if I'm pretty sure she loves it."
"Jan tell you about the webbing bomb?" Tony asked, his expression somewhere between irritated and proud. "He won't tell me how he got a hold of one of those canisters."
"Oh, well," Jan said, grinning crookedly. "I know."
"Yeah, and you're not sharing," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "I can guess just fine. Little May's been spending a lot of time making excuses to get him out of the lab.."
"Yeah," Jan laughed. "And he runs with it when he's not instigating trouble here."
"Aside from the little prank war, he's really not causing trouble," Tony defended. "And if you tell him that this war is good for him, I'll deny it, but it really is getting him even more creative than usual. I've been taking apart the trigger system he rigged for that webbing attack all morning. Amazing work."
"High praise," Jan said his way with a crooked grin.
"He's earned it," Tony defended. "And if he can keep his focus on his work … then MIT will be bending over backwards to work around his schedule." He turned to Scott. "They probably would anyhow, but considering security, I still think it'd be best if he worked for his degrees remotely. I'm reasonably sure I should have done the same thing - but I wanted away from my dad at the time."
"Totally not the problem here," Jan said with full confidence. "But … Mr. Summers, I think I'd like a moment to chat with you, if you don't mind terribly. I have a wedding to plan and I'd like your input while these two act like teenagers."
"Do they ever stop?" Scott asked, one eyebrow raised.
"No. So it's best to leave them to it." She pulled on his arm to lead him away from the two snickering Avengers who were continuing the tape where James had called Natasha the 'grayer widow' and gotten an actual huff out of her.