YAY MORE!
This is like, all the kids. Ages are:
Dmitri and Francis (Demi and Frankie) are 9.
Carmen is 8.
Leif (Thor's kid) is 6.
James Jr. and Walter (Junior and Wally) are 4.
Voila.
Read up.
Current Song: Coming Home by City & Color
Current Thought: Well this is pleasant. More to come promise.
Happy reading!
After The Storm Part 4
"…and there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair…"
The problem isn't that they don't get along well. The problem is that they get along too well.
No. Seriously. A bunch of children under the age of ten should not get along as well as the Avenger's offspring do, but there you have it. They act like they're actually blood related and well, they'd mind as well be for all the time they spend together. Hell, they all used to live together until Fury told them that they couldn't have that many kids running around the mansion, so then everyone sort of moved out when Carmen was 2 and it's been Steve, Tony and Carmen in the mansion since then with everyone else in their own homes or apartments.
Thank God. If all six of them were running around now? Yeah. Odin take the wheel. Hell, Odin take the whole god-damned vehicle.
Currently, they're at a Christmas party at the mansion, since it's the biggest living area out of them all. There's music, and only a little drinking and a whole lot of food. But it's strictly SHIELD personnel and Avengers with their spouses. And, of course, the kids.
Which, you know, are nowhere to be found.
No one panics though, because JARVIS informs them that they are all fine, thanks very much. And he bends to their collective will and pulls up the video feed from Carmen's playroom and the first thing Tony sees is his eight year old sprawled on the low cot between Francis and Dmitri. Sleeping.
The other kids are sprawled in a heap on the floor and no, Tony doesn't blame them. It's past midnight and they're all kids, for Christ's sake. No, that's not the weird part. The weird part is that everyone but Carmen is dressed up in ridiculous costumes. He's pretty sure some of them have make up on. Which is weird because Carmen's the only girl in the duo and she doesn't have make-up.
But Pepper looks closer, checks her and Natasha's bags. Betty checks hers. Jane check's hers. Rhodey's wife checks hers. They're all missing one thing or the other and Tony immediately suspects the nine year olds, Dmitri and Francis. They're parents are assassins; of course those kids are crafty.
But Tony has to know what had happened. So he asks, "JARVIS, do you have the footage of what went down in there?" He hears Clint snicker and Bruce is smiling like an idiot.
"Why sir," JARVIS says dryly, "I thought you'd never ask."
And then he switches over to a video feed. They all sit down. And they watch the show unravel.
It's no surprise that Carmen's behind it.
But, she maintains, this will be fun. This will be loads of fun. She loves to play dress up, loved going to her various aunts' and uncles' weddings over the years. Everyone else should think it's fun too, or else they aren't normal kids.
Sure she feels bad that they, technically, stole the make up from Peps and Auntie Tasha and Auntie Betty and Auntie Jane and Mrs. Rhodey. Yet she still maintains, it wasn't her, not really. Nope. It was Demi and Frankie and Demi took it from his Moms so really, it's not stealing if you're related.
So.
She ignores the fact that she snagged the video camera from her Poppa and Daddy's room. They weren't using it at the moment, so she was fine. She could work it. She's smarter than she looks.
"Why do I have to wear the dress?" Demi asks a bit confused. He's in her flower-girl dress from Uncle Rhodey's wedding when she was three. It fits him, although it's a bit tight and it's not laced up or anything. He's a thin kid, a bean-pole as her Poppa says.
She sighs as Wally picks his nose and Junior pulls uncomfortably at one of her Poppa's ties. Leif is just sitting on the floor in an over-sized blazer, the six year old staring in fascination at the two 4 year olds beside him. Carmen sighs. Why can't they all just appreciate her genius?
"Because," she says impatiently. "You're the bride."
"But he's not a lady," Frankie points out, all in black, wearing one of her Daddy's suit coats. She isn't going to risk nabbing one of her Poppa's Verace ones. Contrary to popular belief, Carmen does not have a death wish.
"So?" Carmen says with an eye roll. Frankie thinks she looks a bit like Uncle Tony when she does that. "Uncle Phil and Uncle Clint got married and they're boys?"
Frankie gives a shrug at the mention of his parents. "Yeah, but my Poppa and Daddy wore suits when they got married. I saw the pictures." And it sounds more like 'pitchers' when he says it, but Carmen has enough class not to point it out.
She waves a hand and points to the video camera in her hand. "Yeah, but we need distinction." And Frankie and Demi and heck, all the kids look at her in confusion and she has to remember that they all don't have a high school level vocabulary like she does. So she gives a dainty sigh and says, "We need to be able to tell the difference between you guys. Just wear the dress, Demi. I think white is your color."
No. No she doesn't. Dmitri looks better in green, because it makes his eyes pop and his hair look more red. Right now? He looks like a carrot cake turned human. Again, Carmen has enough class not to say this. Her Daddy taught her manners and her Poppa taught her to laugh when someone's back is turned. She's trying to do both. But later on that.
"I just wanna make a movie," she says.
Demi glares a bit, and yeah. Yeah he definitely learned that from Aunt Tasha. "You put my Momma's lipstick on me."
"Be glad it wasn't your Mommy's," Frankie says with a laugh. Carmen agrees. Peps's lipstick is too bright for Demi's skin tone.
"Shuddup," Carmen finally says. "Leif, Wally, Junior. Get in your places. Just like we did last time." Because this is the fifth time they stopped for one of the two lead boys to complain. First Frankie said his bowtie was crooked and Demi had responded that the bowtie was stupid and Frankie had argued with 'Bowties are cool.' Then Demi's lipstick smudged. Then Frankie was too hot. Then Frankie had asked why he and Demi had to be the bride and groom, why couldn't Carmen do it with him?
And Carmen had said, "Eeww. No. At least you and Demi like each other like that." And Frankie had shut up while Dmitri looked at her, unimpressed.
And then, finally, Demi had asked why he had to wear the dress.
So. Back to the point.
Leif rushes in behind the two, so that he's standing in the little space between them and back a bit. He's in black too, but he has a white head band loose around his neck. Obviously, Carmen thinks, he's a priest. How does one not see that?
Junior and Wally toddle their way over to Demi and Frankie. Junior stands on Demi's side. Wally stands on Frankie's side. The best man and man of honor, Carmen reasons. Isn't that how it was at Aunt Tasha and Peps's wedding? Oh well. This'll do.
"Ok. Now. Your lines. Just like I said before," Carmen says, pressing record on the video camera and standing back a bit so she catches everyone.
It's going great. Leif says, "Do you, Demi, and take him,"cue pointing at a bored looking Francis," as your hubsand?" And no. No, that's not how you say it, but Leif is really having trouble with that word and they'd already omitted 'lawfully' and 'wedded' because the six year old couldn't say them right. So this'll have to do.
Dutifully, Demi says, "I do." He only tugs at his dress a little with the hand not occupied by a bouquet of plastic flowers from the vase down the hall.
"Great!" Leif says excitedly and Junior and Wally aren't even looking at the camera. In their defense, they're only four. They don't have that kind of attention span. So it's alright. Leif is into it though, and that'll always make Carmen smile. He turns to Frankie and says, "How about you? Do you, Frankie, take him," and then he double takes, "her, I mean…um…" He looks at Carmen in a panic and she shrugs. Whichever will do. "Do you take Demi as your wi-hus- um, partner?"
And sheesh, Leif gets an extra cookie when they make their way downstairs for presents because that was tactful right there. He smiles at Carmen and she gives him a thumbs up and wobbly trains the camera on Frankie for his answer.
Which is when it starts to go not so great. Because Frankie gives a dramatic sigh and says, "I guess so."
And then Demi plants a hand on his hip and waves with the bouquet while saying, "Well what's so wrong with marrying me? Huh?"
Frankie puts his hands up. "That's it. I dunno how I'm 'sposed to marry you if you're always gonna be so sensitive."
And well, no. No that is not in her script, but Carmen keeps filming and shrugs at the three younger boys and whispers, "Just go with it."
So they do.
Leif steps back dramatically and says, "Hey you two. You're 'sposed to already a' had this conbersashun." He cannot speak. Carmen will be good and not tease him. He's young.
"Well maybe I don't wanna marry you!" Frankie says, loosening his tie and sticking his tongue out.
Demi looks hurt and then angry as he says, "Maybe I don't wanna marry you!"
Frankie yells, "I said it first!" and Demi starts to hit him on the head with his bouquet. Wally and Junior start to giggle at that and don't even care when Leif admonishes them. They keep laughing and heck, Carmen is laughing because this is better than she had imagined.
And then Leif makes it legendary when he says, "STOP IT!" Ok. He bellows. He's like his dad in that way; can't say anything, but he can bellow. Frankie and Demi turn to him and glare then stare at each other. They're best friends, they aren't fooling anyone. But that's not the best part. Leif makes sure they're looking at each other when he yells, "NOW KISS!" and smashes their faces into each other. They bounce off each other and Demi flies into Junior while Frankie flies into Wally. They're shocked. Leif looks too pleased.
And Carmen got it all on tape. Awesome.
Until the boys start to act like boys and Demi steps out of the dress and tackles Frankie with a scream, only in underwear. He still has the bouquet and it beating the other boy on the head, trying to brain him and yelling, "I will never marry you, you meanie!" Frankie is stuck between laughing and tickling the other boy.
And then Leif starts to laugh and the two boys stop and attack him and then Wally and Junior try to go to the rescue and end up making the melee worse and then they attack Carmen as they realize this was all her idea and she has to drop the camera and run for her life, because no. She refuses to get tackled by five other boys.
It turns into a giant fight until they all start to get tired and start dropping like rocks. Wally and Junior crawl away and rub their eyes, falling asleep on the carpeted floor. Leif sleeps curled around their heads, almost a protector to the two of them. It's cute really.
Frankie and Demi battle each other for the cot until they realize that they both fit and snuggle down beside each other, the covers all tangled, Frankie in a large shirt and tie and Demi in underwear with make-up smudged across his face. Carmen hops up onto the cot and squirms her way between them, ignoring their grunted complaints. When she's comfortable, they each throw an arm over her middle and snuggle close before falling asleep.
All thoughts of the camera, which catches the entire ordeal, are out of their minds. And everyone is dead asleep in minutes.
JARVIS simply dims the lights a bit and alerts their parents of their safety. Then he shows them the security footage.
Everyone is in hysterics by the end of it and they all agree to stay the night. As they head to their respective guest rooms, each parent duo pops into the toy room to check on their munchkins. Leif, Junior and Wally are moved to a guest room, the three little boys sharing a bed since they're all small enough. Frankie, Demi and Carmen are settled more comfortably on the play-room cot and the lipstick is wiped from Demi's face, the tie taken off of Frankie. Carmen is settled more comfortably between them.
Tony kisses her forehead and Steve does the same, right before they head to bed.
As they get ready, Steve has the nerve to say, "You know why I don't worry about her hanging out with the boys like that?"
"Which boys? Like all of them or just like, Dmitri and Francis?" Because Carmen, Dmitri and Francis are the closest of the six kids.
"Dmitri and Francis."
And huh, well, Tony has to hear this now. He sits on the edge of the bed and watches Steve change for bed as he asks, "Ok. Why not? I gotta hear this one."
"Because it seems like Carmen has the same intuition as me. Those two like each other."
Tony blinks. "Wait, Barton and Romanov's kids like each other?"
Steve stares at him. "Yes."
"No."
"Tony, yes." And Steve laughs.
"Steve, they're nine."
"And? So what?" Steve looks at him expectantly and Tony just shakes his head.
"We will see," Tony says and Steve climbs into bed beside him, pulling him closer to his chest, encircling his arms around Tony's waist.
"Aren't you the one that told me they were in love with me when they were nine?" Steve teases and Tony groans and buries his face in Steve's neck.
"I was nine and Captain America was my hero. Shut up, Steven. You promised you wouldn't bring that up."
"I said I wouldn't bring it up in public. This is just us," Steve points out, dropping a kiss to his forehead.
"Always finding the loopholes, huh?" Tony quips.
Steve just shushes him and lulls Tony to sleep with his heartbeat.
Nice? I thought it was cute to write. ANYWAY.
She's 12 in the next one. So. We're getting older, yes. And getting closer to Teenage Dirtbag on the time line. But that's just automatically what happens after I write about her when she's 16.
Anyway, for all of you thinking, ok, she has a conscience like Steve, she's sneaky like Tony, she's strong like Steve... will she ever be as smart as Tony?
Why yes. Thank you for asking. She will be. In the next chapter. Read on to find out!
Reviews are always totally welcome. Criticism too. Or even what you want to see in the other kids's stories because all six of them get their own eight chapter stories before they come together in one story.
So.
Enjoy and peace out for now!