Words: 6,279
Rating: T
Warnings: Yaoi (Boy Love), light Yuri (Girl Love), tooth-aching fluff, major hurt/comfort, barely there angst.
Summary: It's two weeks to Halloween... but it's also two weeks to a very special day that just so happens to be a certain young wolf's birthday. Unfortunately though, it's a day he doesn't like to remember...
A/N: I am really sorry for taking so long on this one... it took forever to write and it gave me such a hard time. But... I hope you're happy with it...? *smiles hopefully*
He gave his family everything; his heart, his mind, his soul, and on more than one occasion, nearly his life. He would do anything for those that gave him a home, a pack, and a family. But he never even understood that perhaps he gave a little too much, and that perhaps, just maybe, it was time for the pack to give a little back to him. Lionel never even saw it coming.
-0-
It was two weeks to Halloween and only a few members of the pack understood that significance; that it was a holiday of such greatness, rivaling that of Christmas or Easter. But only four knew what Halloween really meant, because on October 31st, on the Eve of November, and the precipice of Autumn, it was Lionel's birthday. Freya, Clint, Drake, and the shifter himself knew this fact by heart, but only the shifter thought the day unnecessary aside from the fact that one could dress up and obtain candy- candy he was allergic to, but the gesture was there either way.
"Halloween?" Lionel blinked, ears twitching as he stared at Freya, Natasha, Clint, and Pepper. "You mean that holiday with costumes and candy?" he was barely able to get the sentence out without a hiss of pain when he felt his head jerk back, as Loki brushed through his hair.
"Sorry Leo," the God hummed and Lionel made a small noise in forgiveness, practically purring then when the brushes became gentle and Loki's fingers followed the brush.
"What?" Freya smiled at the youngest wolf, almost teasingly, "Did you think we were going to let the city over have all the fun without us?" she shared a look with Natasha as the other she-wolf smirked, her arms wrapped around Pepper.
"Not even Ultron would be able to keep my darling Pepper and I from enjoying this holiday," she stated in a low rumble and Lionel, Clint, Loki, and Pepper all flinched, causing Freya and Natasha to frown at them, both with worry and guilt. "Too soon?"
"Maybe just a little…" Lionel murmured, the memories still vivid in his mind and Clint nodded his head in agreement.
"Never mind that though, Tony said that there's a party, at one of the warehouses his company owns on Halloween. Everyone is allowed so long as they known someone at Stark Industries personality or Tony himself… which is unlikely of course, since he's spent all his time now with us, his pack." Clint waved his hands around to illustrate his point, a grin now on his face to replace the frown that'd been on it a few seconds earlier. "Anyway," he started again when Natasha snorted, urging him to get on with his point, "my point is that we're invited too, but we can only go if we've got costumes, you know?"
"So… what does that mean?" Lionel asked, letting his head tip back so Loki could tie all of it back in a braid and let out a little whimper when it pulled a little tight against his head, but didn't comment otherwise.
"What that means… Fluffy," Clint grinned cheekily at his little nickname used for Lionel, and the latter only huffed, pouting a little at it, "is that we get to go costume shopping later this week! And with Tony's access to billions of money, we can practically get any costume we want!"
"Personally, I don't understand this Midgardian holiday of yours, but…" Loki paused when Lionel turned back to him with puppy eyes, since the younger definitely didn't want to miss out on his first shopping trip related to Halloween, "I suppose it won't hurt to follow traditions just this once…" he amended and Lionel grinned, jumping up and hugging the other raven haired wolf, his braid and tail flicking with the motions and almost hitting Clint in the side and his legs.
"Oi! Watch your tail!" Clint growled mockingly and Lionel only laughed, ears and head ducked in a sheepish manner.
"Sorry…" he said, unaware as Clint and Freya shared secret looks behind his back.
-0-
"What are we going to do?" Clint whined and whimpered as he paced back and forth, in the living room, trying his hardest to keep his voice low, well aware the house was filled with other wolves and supers. But his panic and anxiety was getting the best of him, much to Freya's amusement and frustration. "Halloween is only two weeks away and… and…" he shot her a look of desperation and she sighed, nodding her head in understanding and knowing.
"His birthday, I know," she murmured back.
"And no doubt he's forgotten which is ridiculous because anyone who forgets their birthday should be locked up because that's insane…!" he flailed his arms out and she narrowed her eyes, a low growl forming in her throat, causing him to cower a little, turning pale blue eyes in her direction.
"Have you forgotten the terms of his birth? Because I haven't and I'm pretty sure neither has he… which is why he doesn't celebrate his birthday," she started off with her voice hard as a rock before lowering it, her entire demeanor softening when Clint let out a pitiful whine in return. "Maybe we shouldn't bother this year…" she said, after a few minutes of silence and Clint growled at her.
"No!" Flailing his arms out again, he starting pacing once more, "I'm not about to let him get away with ignoring the one day of the year that's the most important of his life! The reason he's even here with us now…" he trailed off here, and stopped moving for the third time since coming into the living room and finding Freya there. "That's it!" he shouted, grinning and whipping around to face the suddenly startled Freya, her blue-violet eyes wide.
They both jumped though, when Tony's voice suddenly floated through the room, the billionaire leaning casually against the archway leading into the living room. "Has Clint finally realized he lost his mind?" the wolf snickered and smirked when the two whipped around to stare at him, sheepish and anxious. His eyes narrowed then and he stepped into the room, head tilted, "Alright, come on, out with it. What's going on here? And what's this talk about a birthday coming up?"
Freya frowned and Clint grimaced, both sharing a similar look, knowing they were busted and instead of squirming around the subject, they came out right with it. "Lionel…" Freya started, sighing when Tony frowned, torn between looking eager and confused.
"Why the long faces then? Shouldn't we be happy his birthday is coming up and put together a surprise for him?" he asked and Clint ducked his head, shaking it.
"No… because Lionel doesn't celebrate his birthday. Not since he escaped… the Doctor…" Freya bit out and Tony sucked in a sharp breath before turning to Clint, who was tense.
"But… why were so excited before I came into the room?" And suddenly Clint perked up and he grinned away, looking at his two packmates.
"Lionel doesn't celebrate his birthday because of the conditions of his birth, right?" Both wolves nodded and Clint continued, urging them to see his reasoning. "So… all we need to do is give him a reason to celebrate it! Make the day seem like the greatest of his life and prove to him that his birthday is important. That he is important."
Tony grinned in return, as Clint and him saw Freya's smile, however reluctant it was and he clapped his hands together. "Perfect! Now all we need is a plan and… wait, when exactly is his birthday?" he asked, suddenly confused, and even more so when Clint and Freya shared identical grins, as wide as they could be. "What?"
-0-
It didn't take long for Tony to come up with a plan for Lionel's birthday surprise, after he got over the initial hilarity of Lionel's birthday being Halloween. He'd convinced Freya and Clint to tell the others, to let them in on his plans for the little wolf, knowing that they wouldn't spill the secret since all of them wanted to see Lionel happy for once.
Lionel took care of them, now it was their turn to return the favor and take care of him. And he was none the wiser.
-0-
"Drake!" Lionel shouted happily, crimson eyes glittering with glee and love at seeing the older wolf, his mate, at the lake where he currently was.
Fully prepared to accept the hug that Lionel gave him, the younger wolf jumping into his arms, and he laughed, low and full of relief and love, pleased to find his mate still in one piece. "Hello to you too, my love, and how are we?"
"Amazing! I'm so glad you're here! I thought you weren't going to be-"
"-I was let off early, decided I'd come visit you," Drake interrupted with a little nuzzle, grinning when Lionel made a happy noise in the back of his throat. He really didn't want to ruin his good mood but, "They… want me to work on the week before and after… Halloween, Lionel," he murmured, nuzzling the other wolf when the happy noise turned into a whine of distress.
"B-but it's… t-that's not fair!" he whimpered, not wanting to let go of the other now, his arms tight now around him.
"Oh I know, love, I know… but… I have a surprise for you," Drake cooed, smiling when Lionel's ears perked up.
"A… a surprise…?" he asked, reluctant excitement glittering in his eyes, and Drake didn't even bother to hide the smirk at the adorable sight.
He nodded his head in answer and kissed the tip of Lionel's nose before stepping, reluctantly, out of his lover's tight hug, "Yes, now, come on," though he kept hold of Lionel's hand, pulling him in the direction back towards the city.
Intrigued and eager to spend more time with his mate, Lionel followed the other wolf, the cute little smile never leaving his face.
-0-
"Where are we going?" Lionel whined, pulling his famous 'puppy face' onto his lover, which Drake clearly ignored, knowing that if he did look, he'd give up the surprise before they actually got there. "Drake…!" the shifter whimpered, hugging Dake's arm now, nuzzling into the material of his jacket.
"You'll see, baby boy, we're almost there." he chuckled and then chanced a look down at his smaller lover, "In fact…" he added with a purr, adoring the look of confusion on Lionel's face, "I'll race you there," he finished in a light voice filled with laughter when he suddenly shifted, relishing in Lionel's bark of surprise and shock. "Let's see if you can keep up, love!"
"W-wait!" Lionel shifted too, his black fur blending well with the shadows left behind by the late afternoon sun. "Drake!" Suddenly feeling light with his own laughter, Lionel raced after his mate, his paws light on the ground and barely making a sound. He caught up to Drake, making a jump past him with a bark of laughter when Drake growled playfully at him, making an equally playful nip at his tail when it nearly hit him in the snout.
"Not going to get away that easily, Leo!" Drake let out a howl, low and melodious, before tackling Lionel to the ground, both laughing, adrenaline in their veins and their eyes sparkling with their emotions, their bond as strong as ever as close as they were to each other.
As Lionel looked into Drake's eyes, seeing the love and light in their colorful depths, he realized he wasn't hurting, for the first time in a month and a half, because his mate was there, with Drake nuzzled him, Lionel nuzzled back, before they both got up and continued, side by side, the rest of the way to Lionel's surprise.
-0-
To say Lionel was surprised would be an understatement, because when he saw the place that Drake had led him to, he was absolutely bewildered and bubbling with excitement and delight. "A fair!" he jumped up before tackling Drake, grinning at the older wolf when he only laughed at the visible excitement in the other. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Hold on, love! Wait until we get inside!" he chided, nuzzling Lionel before shifting back into his human form, waiting for Lionel to do the same, before offering his hand to the young shifter. Lionel nodded, a little sheepish, a blush coloring his striped cheeks, as accepted Drake's hand and let the other lead him into the fairgrounds.
All around them were humans and wolves alike, each enjoying the games, the shows, the rides, and the food available to them. Lionel was eager to do it all, so long as Drake wanted to, too.
When they got their own bands, the ones that let them onto all of the rides, Lionel had dragged Drake to the rides easiest to get to, including a few roller coasters, a spinning cup ride, a bumper car ride, and- "Drake! Look! It's a scary tunnel! Can we please go?" Lionel begged, pulling on Drake's jacket sleeves, eyes wide and bright and filled with childish delight.
"Sure you can handle the spooks in the dark?" Drake teased, giving Lionel a little eskimo kiss when the young shifter blushed, pouting at him.
"Drake…!"
"Okay okay, come on love, let's go then." Drake led Lionel to the spookified tunnel, snorting in amusement at the cheesy Halloween decorations. "You better be ready to visit the Haunted House later on, though, my little pup, because if I have to endure these cheesy kiddy decorations, you can endure the actual haunted horrors that this fair has to offer."
"Deal!" Lionel grinned cheekily, pecking Drake's cheek before climbing into the boat on the shallow river that led into the dark tunnel.
-0-
They walked through the entire fairgrounds, saw several shows, visited the zoo part of the fair to play with the dressed up farm animals, enjoyed the sugary delights the fair had to offer, and played several of the games around the area. "I love him!" Lionel giggled, hugging the stuffed black panther to his chest, nuzzling into the soft fur. "I'm going to name him Avalon!"
"You're welcome, baby boy," Drake chuckled, amused and fond of his lover's childish antics. "Are you ready to go to the Haunted House now?"
"And then we can go onto the Ferris wheel after, right?" Lionel perked up, looking at Drake and grinning when he nodded in answer. "Yes!"
They got up to the Haunted House, Drake paying for entry behind Lionel's back, and went into the monster house. Following their own path through the house, Lionel and Drake shared laughs and hushed whispers at the decorations and the actors that were admittedly really good at their jobs. They'd passed several teens in tears because of the men and women dressed as murderers and zombies and vampires and ghosts and werewolves.
Lionel jumped several times, clinging onto Drake most of the time, though he was bubbling with adrenaline and not from fear. Eventually the two decided to scare some of the others on their own, shifting into wolves and hiding in the dark. All the while keeping Avalon secure on his back, Lionel and his mate succeeded in scaring a total of only one person before they started goofing off, eventually being pushed along to one of the house exits by one of the 'monsters' inside where they started laughing before racing around to get rid of excess energy.
-0-
"It's so pretty…" Lionel whispered, eyes wide as he stared out at the disappearing sunset that shone over both the city and the forest.
"Yes," Drake chuckled, wrapping his arms around his mate, cooing when Lionel blushed, realizing the other was talking about him.
"I was talking about the sunset…" he pouted and Drake's chest rumbled in quiet laughter. "Jerk…"
"Don't pout love," Drake murmured, smiling then, "it is beautiful, you're right. But up here, with you in my arms, I only have eyes for one thing, baby boy, and that is you, my mate…" he cooed, pleased when Lionel's blush darkened, his ears lowering though his tail wrapped around both of them.
It was silent for a moment before Lionel spoke up again, sighing softly to himself, "I wish you can spend my birthday with me…" he whispered and Drake hummed, frowning to himself.
"What about your pack? Don't you have them to spend the day with?" he asked and Lionel tensed, ears flat against his head as he ducked it, burrowing against Drake's chest. "Love?"
"I… I don't… t-they don't… know…" his voice was muffled but Drake's eyes narrowed, having heard it anyway, and he pushed Lionel away from him. It was just a few inches, but the younger wolf whimpered at the loss anyway, not very happy.
"Lionel," Drake sighed, his voice stern and the shifter whined, shaking his head before groaning and he looked up at the roof of the carriage of the Ferris wheel.
"They don't know… and… they're not going to…" Lionel deflated, his shoulders slumping and his tail thumped lightly against the seat in slight agitation. "I… okay, look, Drake… it's not a big deal-"
"-Leo…"
"No, come on, it's really not," Lionel smiled weakly at his mate, cuddling against him again as he continued talking, feeling Drake's arms slowly wrap around him again. "I'm happy with them not knowing… it's… not an important thing anyway and… well… you only know because…" he trailed off then, grimacing at the thought of his nightmares and how, one day, years ago, Drake had witnessed a particularly horrifying nightmare on his birthday.
"It is important, baby boy… and do you know why?" Drake asked in a whisper, hugging Lionel to him, not bothered when Lionel whimpered at the continuation of the subject, his crimson eyes closing now. "Because on October 31st, nearly twenty two years ago… you were born. And that I am most thankful for, no matter the conditions or the reason, because you're here now… in my arms and you have me, a mate… and you have your pack." he finished in a whisper, kissing Lionel's forehead.
He made a noise in pain when he realized Lionel was crying and he only hugged the wolf tighter to him, trying to kiss the pain his mate felt away, his inner wolf howling in anger and hurt and sadness.
-0-
"Thank you…" Lionel whispered when they came back to the lake, hours later when the moon shone high above them, a sad smile on his face when he turned to face his mate and love.
"You're welcome, my love…" Drake murmured back, hugging Lionel and kissing him in answer to the visible hurt in his eyes.
"You want stay away too… t-too long this time… w-will you…?" Lionel whimpered, trying not to cry as his inner wolf was. His heart breaking at the thought that he won't be able to see Drake for another three weeks at least, their bond causing him to feel every emotion.
"I'll try not to," Drake answered, smiling sweetly at the younger wolf, stealing one last kiss before he had to go, "I promise you at least that much."
-0-
"One week till Halloween~" Tony sang out, laughing 'evilly' to himself as he set up spooky decorations all over the mansion, with the help of Freya, Clint, Thor, and Steve, of course.
"Is the warehouse ready for the party, Tony?" Natasha asked, a grin on her face as she watched the omega string up fake bats everywhere.
"Duh," he snorted in answer, climbing down from the ladder with Steve's help with a smile, even though he grumbled about it. "The warehouse is decked up with the finest and most expensive spooky decorations and I have managed to get a hold of the greatest Halloween scarers to give everything a bit of… spice to it." he explained with a smirk, his usual cocky flair added to his voice to make it seem greater than it really was.
"And what about…?" Freya trailed off before looking around, not really sure where Lionel was, even as Tony answered, a frown on his face while he did so.
"It's all taken care of, don't worry. We just need to be sure we're there before he is… and we'll need someone to take him to the warehouse." he said, looking around too, blinking in sudden confusion. "Where is… Clint?"
"Never mind him, where is Lionel?" Freya questioned, confused as well, sharing looks with both Tony and Steve before all three jumped when Clint's voice shouted out from seemingly nowhere-
"Ah! Bat!"
-before suddenly he and Lionel fell from the vents in the living room ceiling, landing in a heap on the floor behind the couch.
"...n-not a real bat…" Lionel whimpered, from under Clint, and the other wolf scrambled to get up.
"...oops."
"Uhm, what the hell is going on?" Tony scowled, not very pleased with the fact that the two made an indent in the carpet.
"I… think I can explain?" Clint frowned, shrugging slightly in his own confusion as he helped Lionel up, only to fall back down when Lionel didn't particularly want to get up, in a bit of a funk since Drake left again. Deciding to start his explanation on the ground now, he shot Lionel an exasperated look before turning his attention to the three towering over the two younger wolves. "O-okay uh… I was just lounging in the vents when I saw a uh… bat… and I panicked. I didn't actually realize that the bat was Lionel…" he looked embarrassed when he admitted this and while Tony snorted in laughter, Steve and Freya shot them both concerned and slightly scolding looks.
"Lionel…?" Freya murmured, turning her attention to the youngest of the five in the room and the wolf only sighed before shifting into a little black ferret, letting Steve pick him up without a noise.
"He's probably tired," the Alpha sighed, shaking his head before offering a smile to the other three. "I'll take him up to his room and then we can finish decorating."
"Yeah, of course, but this doesn't mean Lionel's getting out of costume shopping with me!" Tony huffed out, and Clint let out a little laugh, his mood lifting already as he started up a conversation with Freya about their costumes.
-0-
Six days till Halloween and Lionel had absolutely no idea how they managed to find a shop full of costumes that they could pick out. Because realistically, aren't costumes supposed to be sold out by the time Halloween is around the corner? But, then again, this is Tony he is going costume shopping with… oh and also-
"Tell me again, Anthony, why I am being dragged along with you and Leo for… costume… shopping…?" Loki frowned, looking at Tony shit-eating grin and Lionel's little, ghost of a smile.
"Because Lionel would feel more comfortable with you along. Besides, from what I hear from Thor, you, my darling trickster, don't have a costume." Tony said in a slightly sing-song voice and Loki narrowed his eyes at the playboy.
"I am not yours, Stark, and if you call me so again, I'm afraid even your status as Alpha's Mate won't help you from my… tricks…" he threatened and Tony grinned at Loki in answer, though he did put Lionel between them, the shifter blinking in confusion before smiling a bit more genuinely at his two best friends.
"Of course not, you're Thor's little trickster!" Tony's laughter was heard all down the street as Loki growled at him, obviously upset, though a blush stained his cheeks at the words and when Lionel giggled at the two. "Oh look at that! We're here!" Tony called out, before ducking into a very colorful building.
Loki and Lionel had followed after him, only after Lionel spent a few minutes gaping at the obviously very expensive clothing store, and the first thought that hit them both was, "Tony? I may not be a Midgardian but… isn't a costume shop supposed to have… costumes…?" Loki hissed at Tony who only flashed them a sharp grin, similar to the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland before disappearing behind a door hidden behind a tall cart of dresses.
"Gentlemen," he purred, the second that Lionel and Loki followed him and they froze, both gaping at the large warehouse in front of them that must have had thousands of different costumes, "allow me to introduce to you Stark Industries personal costume shop."
"Amazing!" Lionel barked, laughing when his voice echoed and Tony snickered himself, nudging the trickster, well aware of the consequences, but Loki had only smirked when he saw Lionel dash towards a row of very colorful costumes that ranged from rainbow witches to neon colored animals. "Wah! They're so cute!" he continued to babble, running his fingers over several different furred costumes.
Tony's snicker died down and he smirked at Loki, who looked back at him, and the billionaire hummed, bowing and holding his hand out, "After you?"
-0-
"Tony! Loki! Look!" Lionel bounced up to the two, eyes wide and glittering, dressed in a slightly boy-ish version of the Little Red Riding Hood, with a slightly winter look to it given the large amount of fluff attached to the hem of the hood and the shirt that wasn't a dress, no matter how much Tony thought it looked like one.
"Heh, Red Riding Hood meets the Big Bad Wolf." Tony snickered, earning a look of confusion from the God, and a giggle from the wolf in question, his ears lowering under the red hood in embarrassment.
"I… may not know anything about this… Red Riding Hood or this wolf, but, I do know that that costume is very becoming on you, Lionel," Loki said with a smile, chuckling when Lionel blushed but smiled in appreciation at the pleasing comment.
"Thanks!"
"Yeah, that's definitely the one for you," Tony chuckled and then nudged Loki again, "now if only we can get this picky bastard into a costume."
"Touch me again Stark and-"
"-yeah, yeah, you'll do something terrible. Lionel, come on, you can help me pick out Loki's costume." Tony smirked, looking Loki up and down as Lionel perked up at the thought, practically bouncing in his red boots, his tail flicking back and forth eagerly. "We're sure going to give Thor a sight come Halloween… not sure the big guys ever gonna let you out of your room after we're done with you!"
"Stark…!" Loki growled out, eyes narrowed, as Tony practically skipped away, leaving Lionel to drag Loki along with him.
-0-
"I'm going to kill you Stark…" Loki growled.
"Don't get your panties in a twist," Tony snickered.
"I think you look amazing!" Lionel piped up.
Loki blushed.
Tony collapsed onto the floor in laughter.
-0-
It was finally Halloween, and the pack was gathered in the livingroom, all but Lionel, ready to go to the party. "Okay, so I have a limo waiting to take us to the warehouse once we reach the main street, past the border of the forest. My driver will take us to the warehouse while another limo will be waiting to take you, Clint, and Lionel to the warehouse a half an hour later." Tony- who was, not surprisingly, wearing a devil costume, complete with red horns, a pair of red leather wings, and a spaded tail- puffed out his chest, particularly proud of his plan and Clint- wearing a Sherlock Holmes costume, in favor of playing into Bruce's favorite mystery character, while Bruce himself was John Watson, the doctor- chuckled in answer.
"This is going to be the best Halloween ever," he grinned cheekily, looking at the others, catching the eyes of Freya- her black witch costume matching her flair and spirit- and Steve- his pure white angel costume, complete with the halo and large white feathered wings, matching Tony's devil costume- and he made a pleased noise when Bruce, his mate, nuzzled him in answer, agreeing silently with him.
"What makes it all worth it though…" Loki- in a tight, sparkly golden Egyptian Goddess costume that somewhat matched Thor's own Egyptian God costume- started, as honest as he's ever been now, as he looked to Thor, taking the other God's hand in his own and he hummed when the larger male smiled at him, "will be the smile that Lionel will wear at the start of this event and at the end of it."
"Wow, who knew you were such a girl?" Tony barked in laughter, ducking behind Steve just in time to avoid a tv remote being thrown at his head, which then crashed against the wall. "Jarvis?"
"I will have a carpenter in by tomorrow morning to have the wall fixed, sir," Jarvis answered and Tony grinned, satisfied. "And sir, may I inform you that Master Lionel is-" Jarvis cut himself off with this sentence and the room became deathly silent.
"Understood Jarvis… Clint-"
"Y-yeah…" Clint whimpered, before clearing his throat and he looked at his mate, standing up from his seat, stealing a little kiss before nodding to the others. "Go to the party… be… be ready for us. I'll… go wake him up."
-0-
Clint frowned as he looked at Lionel, curled up and trembling in his bed, "Oh Lionel…" he whimpered and crept over to Lionel's bed, "Jarvis, can you…?"
"Of course," Jarvis made the pitch black room a little brighter and Lionel's ears twitched at the change, though he wasn't pulled fully out of his nightmare.
"Leo…?" Clint called out, sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching over to shake Lionel's shoulder lightly. Immediately Lionel woke at the touch, drawing in a sharp gasp and his eyes flew open the second before he shifted, turning into a snake and turning on the one that startled him awake. "Whoa, hold on! It's me, your bro, Clint!" Clint rushed out, the words stealing his breath as Lionel hissed at him, crimson eyes wild before they suddenly widened and he shifted again, this time into a little black rabbit that trembled and made whimpering little noises. "Lionel…"
Clint picked the shifter up, cuddling him up against his chest, nuzzling into his fur and stroking his ears against his head, doing everything he knew how to do to calm Lionel down.
-0-
Clint hummed as he straightened Lionel's outfit, helping him out, "You okay now?" he asked and Lionel sniffled, offering a watery smile, nodding his head.
"T-thank you Clint…" he made a pleased noise in the back of his throat, "I couldn't have asked for a better… well… brother, I guess…" he added with a little laugh, eyes twinkling when he got a grin from the other.
"Good," he cooed, nuzzling Lionel's cheek before stepping back and he pulled Lionel's red hood up on the outfit. "You look… awesome…" he breathed out, grinning toothily and Lionel turned around, matching the grin.
"So do you! I didn't take you for the Sherlock Holmes type," Lionel teased and Clint barely let a blush cross his cheeks at the knowing comment.
"Bruce likes him so…"
"And who is Brucie?" Lionel laughed when Clint's blush darkened, though he grinned himself at recalling the memory of getting bruce into his own costume. "Ooh, didn't take you to be a Johnlock shipper, Clint~"
"Ah, I never said he dressed as John!"
"Mhn… but… you didn't deny it?" Lionel smirked, taking Clint's hand and leading him out of his room, and out of the mansion. "Now, don't we have a uh… what was it? A limo to catch?" He shook his head with a wry smile, mentally laughing at Tony's dramatic flair when it comes to making entrances that are memorable.
"Indeed," Clint nuzzled Lionel's cheek again before shifting into a wolf, very mindful of the costume, and Lionel followed suit, crimson eyes sparkling as they raced, from their territory to the forest's edge.
-0-
"You're nervous."
"...no, of course not."
"Leo…"
"Okay, yes, I'm nervous… but, I can't help it."
"Don't worry… everything is going to be fine. It's only a party."
"A party full of strangers…"
"...your pack will be there… Tony, Loki, Freya… the Alpha… me…"
"And I couldn't be more grateful that it's you here with me, Clint… on today of all days…"
"...I know. I know…"
-0-
When the limo stopped, coming in front of the warehouse, Lionel and Clint got out, the two omega's side by side, Lionel's arm looped with Clint's.
They heard the music first, soft coming from the wide open double doors of the warehouse, and then the decorations came into view, followed by the sight of the people lingering outside.
Lionel only noticed the banner hanging over head, in traditional Halloween colors with a splash of red mixed in, that read 'Happy Birthday, Lionel' a second too late.
"Surprise!"
And he just… froze.
-0-
Crimson eyes were wide as he stared at his friends and family and his pack and his Alpha, all of them wearing grins and smiles and all of them wishing him a happy birthday.
The tears came before he could stop them and he choked on them, hands coming up to his mouth as his laughter mixed with his sobs.
"H-how…?" he turned towards Clint and the wolf looked a little sheepish, and a little guilty, as he and Freya caught each other's gaze, telling Lionel in silent words that they were responsible for telling the others about how special the day was. To them, not just him, not matter what he always said about it.
"We're not sorry, Lionel…" Clint spoke up, putting a hand on Lionel's shoulder, "because we don't care that you think today isn't so grand… Because well… the truth is, it is. Today is special because twenty two years ago, on this very day, you were… you were born and I, we, couldn't be more thankful. Without that one special event, none of this would be possible… because you wouldn't be here to make it possible…"
Clint braced himself for something negative, but he should have known… and he did, the second that Lionel grinned, and hugged him as tight as his strength would allow without crushing Clint in the process, and shouted to all the others his thanks.
There was music and laughter and games and food and it couldn't have been more perfect. Natasha- in her very fancy and very kick-ass vampire costume- and Pepper- in a costume that was definitely made for her, of a cat- both wished him a happy birthday before Natasha dragged her mate off to the dance floor. And even Logan- looking gruff and resigned, fitted into a Naval Officer costume- and Remy- in a sassy pirate outfit- were there, both wishing him a happy birthday and a happy Halloween as well. And he returned the gesture, laughing when, after he asked about their costumes, Remy exclaimed how he managed to get Logan to agree to a theme that was a sort of forbidden love type theme.
He didn't tell them how the words pulled at his heart, and his bond with his mate, letting them go off on their merry way, though he knew Logan was probably waiting for the night to get over with so he could drag Remy, who was probably going to be very drunk by the end of the night, back to their own little home who knows where.
Mark- who had been in a mummy costume- was somewhere, though as the night wore on, Lionel had forgotten where, and by the time most of the party goers were drunk, save a few who were designated drivers and those who couldn't get drunk- like himself, Steve, Thor, Loki, and Logan as well- Lionel's fun mood had dissipated a little, though he kept on a smile for appearances sake.
"I think Little Red suits you," Lionel jumped at the very familiar voice and whipped around, eyes wide, staring at a tall man wearing a very heavy magician's costume, complete with a long black cape, a black top hat, and a mask that hid everything on his face except his lips and his eyes- colored green with flecks of gold, and swirls of blue and red.
"Y-you… b-but I… I th-thought…" choked up, Lionel couldn't even form words, his heart strings pulled tight before suddenly releasing the tension themselves when the stranger- who really wasn't a stranger at all- took his hand, kissing the back of it.
"Will you dance with me?" he asked instead, rather than explaining to Lionel the answers to his no doubt many questions.
And for once, Lionel didn't voice those questions, instead grinning a silly little lovestruck grin, accepting the offer of a dance.
The stranger led him out to the dance floor and they danced until long past midnight, but if Lionel was honest?
He really didn't care.
-0-
The next morning, Lionel was humming happily in the kitchen as his pack, save Steve, who was making pancakes for everyone, all dragged themselves into the kitchen for their daily morning rituals. "Good morning!" he chirped, jumping up onto the counters, hugging his little stuffed black panther to his chest and nuzzling its head, "Thank you all so much for yesterday! It was the best birthday I've ever had!"
Tony, Loki, Freya, and Clint all shared a look, each feeling just a little lighter than they'd felt in weeks. And they all had only one thing on their mind: Mission Accomplished.