Chapter 25-Shopping
By: MysticFantasy
.
.
A/N: To clear some confusion. In chapter 23 Steve did die but please remember that these are one shot chapters. It was just for that one chapter that he was dead. I wanted to write a sad depressed James for some reason. You can use your imaginations for the sacrifice since I wasn't able to think of one. But Steve is alive in the remaining chapters. Sorry for the confusion.
.
.
"Where you headed Cap?" Clint asked as he spotted the soldier walk by with a piece of paper in one hand and a carefully balanced twenty one month old James in the other.
"Gotta go to the store. James needs a few things."
"I'll go for you." Clint offered as he stood from the couch and took James in his arms.
"You sure about this?" Steve asked. "James can be a bit of a handful at the store. Gets excited for some reason."
"Probably because he knows there's candy around." Clint said with a smirk. He easily plucked the list from Steve's hand and gave it a quick look over.
"If you're sure about this." Steve said.
"I am." Clint replied. "I need to spend more time with the twerp. Plus, I need to know how to handle him in public."
"After this trip you may not want to do it again." Steve said then turned to his son. "Be good for your Uncle Clint."
James just lightly sucked on his pacifier then did a little wave when he saw that Clint was leaving the room.
.
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
.
"I think your daddy is just over reacting." Clint said as he placed James in the little seat of the shopping cart and began to slowly push the cart. "Can't see how a little guy like you could make any trouble for anyone."
James didn't seem to be paying any attention to his uncle as his eyes took in everything around him.
"Let's see. Baby wipes, shampoo, new socks, apple sause..."
"...ookie!"
Clint looked up and saw James reached a small hand toward a small display of various assorted packages of cookies.
"Sorry buddy. No cookies." Clint said.
James whined a bit and continued to reach for the sweets.
Clint frowned. He hated seeing James upset.
"Well, I guess one pack won't hurt." he said and grabbed a pack of chocolate chip cookies.
James' eyes lit up and he gave a small smile to his uncle. Clint knew that Natasha and Steve probably wouldn't be too happy when they noticed the cookies but they both knew that the archer was wrapped around James' finger. Just like everyone else in the tower.
Probably wouldn't help any once James was older and could fully vocally express what he wanted and when.
Turning down an aisle, Clint began looking for the first item on the list. His highly trained eyes spotted it quickly.
James watched as his uncle continued to move them down aisle after aisle, gathering different things.
"You're really a good boy." Clint mused as he absent mindedly turned down another aisle. "I don't know why your daddy gets so worked up."
As if to explain, James reached for another item that caught his attention.
Clint looked over and saw the aisle he had turned down.
Candy.
"Sorry James. Your mother will murder me if she sees I got you candy."
Turning the cart around to leave the aisle, Clint prayed that he could make it out before James began crying.
No such luck.
Just after he turned the cart around, James spit out his binky and began to scream.
Clint caught the pacifier before it hit the ground and picked James up in hopes of calming him down. But the little red haired boy continued to cry as he reached for any pack he believed he wanted.
"James, you want me dead or something? Your mom and dad would kill me if I showed up with more candy than anything else."
"...andy!" James shouted.
Clint was glad that they were the only ones in the aisle. It would be awkward to be trying to calm a toddler with everyone staring.
"James, no candy." Clint said, trying to be firm.
"...andy! Andy!" James cried.
Clint lightly rocked James in an effort to sooth the child but with little luck. He gave a great sigh as he moved James around in order for the child to pick whatever treat he wanted.
.
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l~*~*~*~*~*l
.
"This is how you handle him?!" Steve exclaimed as he saw the island countertop covered in sweets and candy and James sitting in his highchair with a cupcake in his hands.
Clint lightly gulped as the muscular captain stared him down.
"Well, you were right earlier." Clint managed to say. "I don't think I want to ever do that again."