Chapter 38-First word
By: MysticFantasy
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"Say 'momma'." Natasha urged to her eleven month old son who sat in his sit up ring, lightly sucking on a pacifier. "Come on, James. Say 'momma'."
"Say 'Iron Man'." Tony said.
"Say 'Hawkeye'." Clint added.
"Or 'Mjolnir'." Thor said.
"Thor, even I can't say that." Clint said.
"I apologize."
"It's alright." Steve said with a smile. "I think James just likes the attention we're giving him."
"Yep. He's like his Uncle Tony." Tony said with a large smile.
"Better change that quick before he picks up anything else from you." the mother of the child warned.
"I promise." the inventor vowed and the adults turn their attention back to the child.
"James, I'll give you a cookie if you say Hawkeye." Clint said as he held up a baby cookie.
The young red haired boy made grabby hands toward the treat, his eyes and smile large at the sight.
Natasha lightly slapped Clint upside the head.
"Don't bribe him."
"Can't blame me for trying." Clint said as he handed the cookie to his godson.
"Well, you're right about that." Natasha admitted.
James spit his pacifier out and began chewing on the cookie.
"Say 'cookie'." the archer urged. "It's your favorite. Say 'cookie'."
James just stared at his godfather as he continued to chew the cookie.
"Perhaps he does not want to speak just yet." Thor suggested.
"Maybe." Bruce agreed. "He might still be too young."
"Hey Cap, when did you say your first word?" Tony asked.
"I was at the end of ten months." Steve answered. "What about you?"
"I was a day before a year old." the genius answered. "How the heck did you start speaking before me?!"
"Tony, even if he was a year old, he would have started talking long before you." Bruce pointed out.
"Right. I keep forgetting that he's a senior citizen." Tony said. "Here that James? You daddy is old."
"And yet, I still don't have any grey hairs." Steve said with a cheeky smirk.
Clint snorted a laugh but managed to hold it back.
"Let's get back to the matter at hand." Natasha said as James tossed his half eaten and drool covered cookie at Tony.
"Ah." Tony froze. "Get it off. Get it off."
"You whimp." Natasha said as she used a tissue to get the soggy cookie off Tony's hand.
"I have a problem with germs." Tony said as he rushed over to the kitchen.
"Then how do you deal with getting covered in motor oil and grime all the time?" Clint asked.
"I usually don't notice until I'm done with whatever it is I'm doing." Tony answered as he applied a generous amount of soap to his hands.
"Uncle Tony is such a baby." Natasha said to James who cooed happily.
"Ba..ba..."
"Come on, James. Say 'baba'." Steve urged.
"Da...daaa..."
"Say 'dada'." the soldier continued to urge. "Say 'dada'."
"Ababada."
"Getting closer." Bruce said as Tony returned.
"Come on, James. Say 'momma'." Natasha said.
The little boy's blue eyes looked up at his mother.
"Momma!" he said loudly.
Natasha smiled happily as she picked up her child and hugged him.
"You meant to say 'Iron Man'. Right?" Tony asked the little boy playfully.