Edit: 11 Aug 2021 Did some proofreading. No major changes
The days after her confession was eventful, to say the least. Clint decided to repeatedly jump down from the air vents whenever she had food on hand. The best part about it though was watching him get scolded by Nat after she found out what he was doing. For Steve's birthday, Lauren and James decided to cook up a Rogers Special breakfast for him. In the evening, they attended a casual 4th of July party hosted by Stark Industries as well as an after-party to celebrate Steve's birthday with the whole team. The days after that were, thankfully, uneventful other than a few members of the team having to go off on short missions.
The most recent event the Tower had was Peter the Intern's belated birthday party. Other than the party itself being a whole thing, the kid unintentionally revealed himself as Spiderman on the same day. She honestly didn't know how to feel about it, but who was she to judge the kid?
So 3 months after Lauren moved in with the Avengers, a month after she told the soldier trio everything about her past, and the day before her birthday, Lauren found herself being dragged around by Pepper Potts and Natasha Romanov. They probably had visited every high-end clothing store in New York. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about being dressed up by two very beautiful women. But since she was getting free clothes, she couldn't complain. The only other thing that helped her power through the whole ordeal was the prospect of being pampered at a spa. Her being a bit of a tomboy didn't mean that she didn't know how to take care of her body after all.
All this spending was because Tony just remembered that there was going to be a charity ball the following day. And when Natasha and Pepper found out that Lauren had no appropriate clothing for the event, they decided to have a ladies' day out. Lauren inadvertently found out that they were not only shopping for gowns. Her two companions apparently decided to also buy her a new wardrobe. A new wardrobe being enough clothes to mix and match for a week for both casual and business wear. Inevitably what she thought was going to be an hour or so of shopping, ended up to be a whole day's worth of shopping. She was thankful that their spa appointment was around dinner time else her two companions would likely shop until they dropped. It was a good thing that the place they booked also provided meals. But all in all, she was having fun. The only issue she had so far was that she had some reservations about the dress they chose for her. She felt that it was a bit too sexy, but they (her two companions and the shop assistant) were insistent that it was perfect so she had no choice but to wear it to the fundraiser.
The next morning, she woke up feeling thoroughly pampered. Not only because they had a 6-hour session at the spa the previous night, but also because she woke up and found Steve and James in the kitchen with breakfast ready for her. As they ate their breakfast, Sam arrived unannounced.
"Good morning! I can see you're ready for tonight. You're practically glowing! I'm surprised you aren't the one in the kitchen though." Sam greeted with a wink.
"She's banned from the kitchen today," Steve replied as he started another batch of pancakes.
"Oh, and why's that?" Sam questioned, eyes darting between the three.
"It's her birthday?" James answered quizzically. He couldn't quite recall if they'd informed him of that little bit of information.
"What?! And you guys didn't tell me? Shame! I can't believe I'm here on your birthday empty-handed." Sam exclaimed with a pout.
"We thought you knew. You're here anyway so…"
"It's fine Sam, you guys have done more than enough for me recently." Lauren tried to assure him.
"Oh no, no, no! I'm getting you something and that's final."
"What're you doing here so early anyway? The party isn't until tonight."
"Can't a man want to hang out with his friends? I also wanted to check in on Little Miss Weaver here." Sam replied as he gave Lauren a one-armed hug.
"Thanks, but please don't call me that. "She replied blushing. "Really, please don't call me that."
"Alright, alright." Sam conceded,
"Now just shut up and eat." James chided handing Sam a stack of pancakes.
Later that day, Lauren was kidnapped by Nat and Pepper to help her get ready for the fundraiser. The boys were made to wait for them at the Tower's lobby.
"Hope we didn't make you boys wait too long?" Nat's voice echoed out from the elevator. She was walking side by side with Pepper. They were both dressed to the nines in black gowns of different designs that reflected their personalities very well. They both had their hair down albeit pinned strategically to make sure it wouldn't get in their face.
Hiding behind them was Lauren who was also wearing a black gown that surprised everyone in the room. In contrast to her two female companions, she had her hair up in a messy French twist.
"I see you gained a few inches while you were preparing?" Steve teased her good-naturedly after he saw how she was clearly starting to get embarrassed from the stares.
"I'm wearing heels and I know how to use them to induce pain, Rogers." She answered right back. She tried her best to reply coolly. She failed to stifle the smile that pulled at her lips and ended up laughing at herself.
"Too bad bookstore guy can't see you like this." James teased her, "We should take a picture so you can send it for him to see what he's missing."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that…" Steve answered vaguely, as he shot Lauren a knowing look.
Truth was, Steve caught her talking said person on the phone on his birthday. She had promised to do any one thing for him that day since she had no idea what to get him as a birthday gift. She expected him to ask her to make his favorite pie or dish. But when he caught her talking to him on the phone, he made sure to make full use of that one pass. So, she had no choice but to tell him the truth about the bookstore guy aka Cervus.
"Shut up Steve."
"But I didn't even say anything!"
"Are you dating bookstore guy already?" Clint, Nat, and Sam asked her simultaneously.
"No, we haven't met again."
"Again, she says, which means there are plans to meet! No wonder you picked that dress." Nat teased with a wink,
"If I knew this dress had such an exposed back and huge slit in its skirt before I got into that dressing room, I would never have picked it," Lauren replied with a sigh.
"Why not? It looks good on you." James chided her. "You look good, great even." He emphasized, wanting her to feel more comfortable with her look.
"Okay, okay. Break it up Cassanova." Sam interrupted, "But he's right you know, do look good."
"Alright, back up a little you two. She's getting redder by the second. And hands-off," Steve chided the two, who somehow ended up putting one arm each on Lauren's shoulders.
"You got a pic of that? " Clint, who popped out of nowhere, asked Nat.
"Yup," She replied with a pop.
"Oooh, send it here! I think Lauren's friends would appreciate seeing her all dressed up like this." James chimed in and grabbed Lauren's phone out of her hands.
Meanwhile, Lauren could only helplessly stand by in disbelief as Steve patted her back in sympathy.
"All right kids! Time to go." Tony called out. "Car's already upfront."
As the group started to exit, Lauren hung back to calm her nerves. While their compliments were helpful, she was still quite nervous. Just as she decided to step out, she was blocked by Thor's large figure.
"You do look quite exquisite, my lady." He complimented as he passed by. She couldn't help but notice that there was something about the way he spoke that seemed... off. Not to mention the odd gleam in his eyes as he spoke to her. But before she could think about it more Tony called out to her to remind her that they had somewhere to be.
When they finally arrived at the fundraiser the event was already in full swing. Most attendees were already off in groups chatting away. There were already even quite a few who were helping themselves to the food.
"We're not late, are we?" Lauren asked, concerned that they took too long to get ready.
"I forgot that it's your first time with us to this kind of thing. We always don't come to these things on time to avoid the press. And this way lessens the number of schmoozers we have to talk to. You have to watch out though, there'll still be a few paparazzi stragglers who're waiting for us." Clint explained quietly. He also made sure to point out said paparazzi and what to do if she's ever approached by a schmoozer.
Tony and Pepper were already off talking to investors and whatnot. So, the rest of them were free to do what they pleased. Which just meant that they collectively made their way to the buffet table. Until the band started playing more upbeat music.
"Steve! Sam! Come over here for a second." James called out from the other end of the buffet table with Thor next to him.
Lauren ignored them to enjoy the canapé and tea sandwiches. There were a few people around but there seemed to be a silent agreement to let people enjoy their food. So, she hasn't been bothered by anyone even when she was left alone. That was until someone tapped on her shoulder.
"James! I thought you were over there?" Lauren exclaimed pointing towards where she last saw them.
"Yeah, but I'm over here now." He replied with a grin. "If you've had your fill, mind if I took you out on the dance floor?"
"What?" She stammered, "Uh, sure? I don't… I've never danced outside of a school setting."
"Don't worry about it. You trust me, don't you?"
With a deep breath, she took his outstretched hand and let herself be pulled to the dance floor. The band was mostly playing jazzy music so she didn't have to worry too much about the steps. James got her into the rhythm and started leading her. Directing her to move side to side or to switch sides with the occasional twirl and slight dip that had her laughing and grinning as they danced. By the time the song ended, she was so out of breath from the effort of dancing and laughing at the same time that she couldn't help but lean into James a bit more for support.
"So, this is why you were such a ladies' man back in the day, you know exactly how to take a girl's breath away." Lauren teased.
"I try my best to please doll." He replied in his Brooklyn accent that made her freeze for a second.
"Oh-ho… no wonder you don't speak in your Brooklyn accent anymore! That shits dangerous. Fucking hell."
"Is that a blush that I see?"
"Oh, shut up," was all she could say. Thankfully, he decided to have mercy on her. If laughing at her could be considered mercy. He didn't tease her any further but decided to ask her for another dance as 'You Make Me Feel So Young' came on. It was, thankfully, a lot less lively than the previous song so they were just swaying side to side with the occasional twirl.
When James decided to end the dance with a twirl, Lauren thought she saw someone familiar just as she was about to face James once more. Since James had no intention of leaving the dance floor just yet, she asked him to switch places to make sure she saw right.
"And why would I switch with you now? It's out of rhythm!"
"I thought I saw someone I knew."
"Maybe you should describe the person you're trying to look for first so you can confirm. There's no need to embarrass yourself for staring at a potential stranger."
"Fine. He's Japanese."
"So, it's a man."
"He has long hair," She continued ignoring his teasing, "most likely tied in a bun or top-knot. Around your height… His skin is a bit on the lighter side compared to mine. He was wearing all black I think."
"Yep, I see 'im. So are you gonna tell me who he is?" Suddenly, James had a mischievous grin on his face that did not bode well for her, "It's that guy, isn't it? Bookstore Guy." He was only met with a pout and silence. "I'll take your silence as confirmation. Hmm… I wonder how he'll react if I do this!"
James pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arm around her waist. They were standing close enough that if James leaned in a bit more he'd be kissing her forehead. It probably already looked that way from behind her.
"Oh-ho-ho-ho. The look on his face is priceless! Ah, but what's this? Looks like he's about to come over. And he is! I'll be passing you on now, but don't enjoy yourself too much alright? Happy birthday!" James told her with a grin as he peeked over her shoulder.
And just as he said, the next thing she knew someone was clearing their throat behind her, asking if they could cut in. When she heard the voice, she immediately turned around. Although James had already confirmed that it was who she thought it was, she still had to confirm with her own eyes that she just wasn't seeing things.
"Sh-, er... uh, Cervus! What're you doing here?"
"I honestly am not entirely sure. Just know that I was dragged into this." Cervus replied with a sigh.
"Looks like the both of you have some catching up to do. So, I'll leave her in your hands, Cervus." James offered, though as he passed by, he blatantly told Cervus that he'll be watching them. Lauren wanted to hit him for it but he was already out of her range.
They stared at it other for a bit, uncomfortable with the situation. They both were unused to being in events such as these, not to mention the dancing. She observed him closely for a minute and saw that he was more uncomfortable than he let on and couldn't help but laugh. They both ended up laughing at themselves for acting so awkwardly to each other. Cervus then took the first step and offered his hand to her so they could dance. Luckily, the band had only been playing songs for slow dancing so they could have a proper conversation.
"I'm surprised you decided to approach me while we were dancing of all things. I was over at the buffet earlier. Why not then?"
"I saw, but I was still too busy trying to figure out how in the world I ended up attending this."
"The most obvious is the most likely," Lauren suggested, the last time he was here it was also under the whim of her best friend so it wouldn't be a stretch for it would happen again. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't figured that out." She teased.
"What in the world did those two tell my parents though? All they told me was that I was here as a representative of my folk's company."
"That'll be good enough in case you get questioned by those two who saw you last time."
"Troublesome… "He sighed, they danced in silence for a few moments as if they were trying to gauge each other. "So… you, you look great today."
"Thanks…" Lauren blushed, the number of compliments she was getting was surprising her. More so that they were all coming from very handsome men.
And as if he just realized something very important, his eyes widened. Lauren wondering what it was, asked.
"What is it?"
"Oh, uhm…" Cervus stammered. She raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. She didn't understand why he was suddenly feeling uncomfortable again, they were doing pretty well before this. She was puzzled by his reaction until she felt his fingers twitching on her back. Her exposed back that is.
"Oh…" They both missed a beat and stood still in the middle of the dancefloor. "Uhm, that's okay. I'm used to it..." She then realized that her statement was an invitation for misinterpretation, "I mean... I'm not used to it. Ugh, bwisit. Whatever, it's fine. It's more awkward if you suddenly let go. I'm fine." By the time she finished talking, her whole body was warm with embarrassment. It was her turn to be embarrassed.
Seeing how embarrassed she was Cervus tried to help her out. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he brought up the most plausible reason why he was, once again, sent to another country by two troublesome women. "Happy Birthday."
His greeting caught her off guard, she didn't know that he knew. "Thanks," She mumbled.
They continued dancing that way, with Shikamaru leading the conversation to distract themselves.
"You guys were a sight to see when you came in." He started, "You looked like you belonged honestly. Like you've been with them a while not just a few months."
"They're good company - great friends, too." She replied her eyes showing her fondness for the team.
"You looked like you were having a lot of fun earlier." He teased, "You must be especially close with him, that dude you were dancing with. Are you two maybe...?"
"I'm flattered that you think I can snatch a superhero for myself but they're way too out of my league. Though I'm curious," She grinned, "is that jealously I hear?"
Cervus sputtered in response. He had no comeback. He couldn't. Any defense he could've used was invalidated by his own doing.
She decided to show him mercy by keeping quiet and just enjoyed the dance.
With a sigh of defeat, he started on another topic, "Unfortunately, I'm empty-handed. So for now, this dance is all I can give you. So enjoy it while you can."
"All right. Though, I thought that I was just another troublesome woman to you unworthy of such effort." She replied with a laugh.
"You're the least troublesome woman I know." He mumbled and averted his gaze. She was thankful that he looked away because she has already blushed one too many times in front of him.
"Sorry to cut in bud, but you're starting to have one too many eyes watching you," Steve interrupted his gaze pointing towards Clint and Nat who were now at the edge of the dance floor.
"Oh, thanks, Steve. Sorry, Cervus. I'll see you later though?" Lauren apologized as she took Steve's hand.
"No worries, I'll be around enjoying the free food." He replied. With mischief in his eye, he bowed and kissed the hand that he was still holding and turned around without looking back.
"Friend? Really? You sure about that?" Steve teased as they watched Cervus walk away.
"Oh, he was just teasing." She defended, but it was clear he wasn't buying it. "Thanks again for the warning, Steve."
"So that was him huh? The notorious Bookstore Guy and lazy ass genius." Steve started with a grin, "Clint and Nat seem very interested in him. I think once they finish their coin toss one of them is gonna give him the shovel talk." He commented, telling her what he was seeing as a slow dance didn't give her a lot of opportunities to turn and take a peek without giving themselves away.
"Oh god, please tell me James can do something about it." She pleaded.
"Oh, looks like you have bigger worries, Lauren. You said the guy who dropped you off last time was a family friend right?"
"Yeah, that dude seems to be approaching your friend."
"What?!" She exclaimed and tried to turn herself around, but Steve had a firm hold on her.
"Lauren." He gave her a stern look, "Do you trust the guy?" She nodded, "Then let him handle it,"
She tried to give him a reason but fell short when kept his stern look at her. "Fine, but please tell me what's happening."
"Looks like he's getting interrogated, quite intensely. Who is that guy anyway? He seems used to making people squirm. And what's with the mask?"
"Ugh, I feel bad. I don't even know why he's here. He's former police. I'm not sure why he has a mask either, it's just his thing. I got used to it after a while."
"He seems overly invested in his interrogation to be a simple family friend though."
"Sigh, that's because he's also sort of my mentor. He's the one who taught me how to shoot a gun. We got close because of that."
"Makes sense…Man, looks like he's also giving him the shovel talk."
"Oh god… Steve… please help the guy. I'm afraid he'll get maimed at this point."
"Well, it is your birthday." Steve acquiesced. "But let me have this dance with you first."
Just then Lauren remembered, this may be his first dance since he woke up from the ice. Not to mention that he still held a lot of regret about what happened. Remembering all that, she squeezed his hand in reassurance. She did not have superhuman stats like James to stand by him. But she could do this much for her friend.
Their dance ended with a birthday greeting and a hug. He was then replaced by Sam. He took over in telling her what was happening with their friends after Lauren explained to him why James and Steve were obviously preventing Clint and Nat from approaching the masked dude and now revealed Bookstore Guy.
"Stop worrying about it, Ren. They can handle it." Sam chided when she wouldn't stop trying to take a peek over to their friends. "Ooh! Sing this song with me!"
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
"And here I thought I'd only hear old school songs from those two." Lauren teased. "You're quite surprising Mr. Wilson."
Stars fading but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
"I try my best to please Ms. Grimms." He replied with a grin.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
They continued singing and dancing that way until the song ended. By the end, Lauren was more relaxed and almost worry-free – almost. They danced for another song before Sam decided it was time for Lauren to take a break from dancing.
"Yo!" the silver-haired man greeted her as they approached.
"Kashi-nii! What're you doing here?"
"Oh, you know, things…" He replied vaguely to the confusion of everyone watching.
Lauren just gave him an exasperated look in favor of checking over her friend. Thankfully, he didn't look too harassed. As she checked him over, Steve gave her the 'I told you so' look.
"I met your friend here. Small world, isn't it? I know his dad."
Wincing at the implication, she could only smile at him in response. Thankfully, Steve decided to help her out a bit.
"I believe introductions are in order? Steve Rogers, sir." He started, offering his hand.
"Ah, how rude of me. Kakashi Hatake."
The others followed suit in introducing themselves, with Cervus being the last. Put on the spot, Lauren and Cervus made eye contact and tried to communicate with each other silently.
"Shikamaru Nara." He finally introduced himself with a sigh, to Lauren's relief. James and Sam shot her a questioning look but were stayed by Steve.
"I'm curious, how do you all know each other?" Nat questioned, her eyes taking stock of the two. She wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.
"My family met him during summer 4 years ago while visiting my foster brothers. I learned how to shoot a gun properly from him." At her statement, he immediately earned the approval of James and Nat who've seen her use the gun she received.
She was about to explain how she met Shikamaru when Nat gave her the stink eye to stop her from doing so. It was cemented by the look on Nat's face. She wanted him to introduce himself – there was no escaping it.
"We met through a troublesome mutual friend." Shikamaru started he wanted to end it there but the intimidating look from the red-haired woman prompted him to continue, "I happened to be hanging out with her friend - Iris - when she visited last year. We got along pretty well so we kept in contact after."
"That sounds like a lot of coincidences," Clint said accusingly who was supported by Nat. Lauren couldn't chide them though. They were just looking out for her. It was her fault for not telling them the truth and for acting secretly that one time.
"Guys…" She tried, only to be interrupted by Kakashi
"Maa, maa… no need to be so hostile Ms. Romanov. I can vouch for him. His family owns one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Japan. That's why he's here."
Lauren shot Shikamaru a look, unsure. He just shrugged in response as if to say 'It's the best I could do.' While it was true that his family owned a pharmaceutical company, they both were unsure of the circumstances of his presence at the fundraiser. They'll have to confirm with their friends later in case the team asked more questions. She was eternally grateful that they didn't pry any further.
They were lucky that Nat and Clint seemed to accept Kakashi's vouching for Shikamaru. But by the looks that she was getting from Sam and James, she still wasn't off the hook. Kakashi stuck around for a few more minutes before excusing himself to talk to someone he knew that passed by. Which left Shikamaru as the only topic of interest.
It wasn't too bad if Lauren were to be the judge. They were mostly asking questions about their family business, though Clint would occasionally shoot him a random question that sounded a lot like a girl's magazine interview. He's only asked the basic things so far like his age, birthday, height, star sign, and things about his family. She hoped that he wouldn't ask the other more... juicy questions.
"Well, well, well. Looks like you guys are fully enjoying the party without us!" Tony called out to them as he approached their group with Pepper on his arm and Bruce following behind them. "Where's Thor? I would've thought that he'd be here with you guys."
Now that he mentioned it, she hasn't seen Thor since James called Steve and Sam over earlier. She looked to the three if they knew where he was but they also hadn't seen him since. They didn't even notice that he was there next to them. Thor was definitely acting very odd tonight.
"Maybe he had to go back to Asgard? Something probably happened." Steve guessed. They all collectively agreed and made a mental note to ask the Thunder God when he returned.
"And I believe you're Mr. Nara? Tony Stark. Your company's research and history are very fascinating."
"Shikamaru, please. Mr. Nara's my dad. I came on their behalf."
Pepper and Bruce also introduced themselves seeing that the rest of the team were already acquainted with the new face. The group fell into friendly banter after that.
As this was happening, Shikamaru kept glancing at someone who was hovering close to them. Lauren noticed this and quietly asked him if everything was alright.
"Yeah... Or at least I think so? I'm not sure."
At his ambiguous answer, Lauren tried to find whoever it was that caught his attention.
"Is it someone you know?" She asked while she tried to spot whoever he was watching.
"No, not really. But… I see your brother watching him. And he's been acting weird since Mr. Stark approached our group."
Knowing what to look for this time, she quickly spotted the person he was watching. It was a somewhat frail-looking man, probably around Tony's age. He looked quite nervous and was fiddling with the cutlery on the cocktail table, repeatedly taking a hold of the steak knife and letting it go. She excused herself from the group telling them that she saw someone she knew. They let her go easily as they were all busy talking and teasing each other. She glanced back and saw the Shikamaru had followed her but she let him be. She quickly made her way to Kakashi and questioned him about the suspicious man.
He kept silent for a moment, his gaze turning towards the Avengers who were conversing only a few meters away from them. She noticed that while she moved towards Kakashi the man had moved to the cocktail table next to the Avengers. If the man was planning anything it could happen at any moment now.
With a sigh, Kakashi admitted to her that he wasn't sent over to the fundraiser as a favor to Japan's Chief of Police. The suspicious man was the target. He didn't elaborate any further and told her not to interfere. She tried to bring up the fact that Natasha had loaned her a concealed carry gun for the evening just in case. But before she could bring it up, the man was already approaching Tony and was looking for a hostage to grab.
Lauren shouted at Shikamaru to help with crowd control but they were already too late. The man had already grabbed a hostage. He was holding a young man by the throat with the steak knife he was fiddling on his other hand, pointed towards Tony. Tony immediately pushed Pepper behind him and held his hands up to show that he was unarmed. Nat and Clint, also held hands up in the air to show that their hands were empty. Bruce and the soldier trio were running crowd control with Shikamaru – instructed the crowd away from the fiasco towards the exits.
Tony tried to negotiate with the man but only ended up angering him further. Which led him to point the knife towards the hostage's throat. So he wisely decided to keep his mouth shut and let Natasha and Clint do the talking. They seemed to be getting through the man as he stopped pressing the knife towards the hostage's throat and went back to point it towards them. Lauren wasn't sure where the rest of the team was in the midst of all this anymore as she was trying to think of how to help. All she knew was that the only ones there at the moment were her, Tony, Nat, and Clint. She couldn't use the gun Nat loaned her, as she could hit the hostage too. Nat and Clint were too busy trying to negotiate to do anything. Tony couldn't use his suit, even partially, as it could startle the man and cause harm to the hostage.
The man's shouting was sent her mind on overdrive to the point that her mind went blank. And next thing she knew, she was signaling to Clint that she was going to do something while they kept him distracted. Then before she could even process what her plan was, she was already grabbing the man's arm, twisting his wrist to point the knife away from her, and was flipping the man over her shoulder. Once the man was on the floor, Clint and Nat immediately went to help her pin him down. When her mind finally cleared, she could see the rest of the Avengers looking at her in disbelief and Kakashi standing with them with a proud look on his face. Embarrassed, Lauren excused herself to go to the bathroom to fix up her appearance as her hair had become disheveled.
"I see that you didn't just teach her how to shoot a gun," Steve told Kakashi.
In response, Kakashi gave him an eye smile and suggested that he'd be more suited in keeping the man subdued while he went over to grab one of the table cloths. He then laid it down on the floor and instructed Steve to carry the man over and proceeded to swaddle the man in said cloth. By the time the man was all swaddled up, the police arrived. They were bewildered by the way the man was tied up but after they read the contents of the envelope Kakashi handed them they just nodded and took the man away.
After the police left, Kakashi decided to introduce himself to the rest of the Avengers. He handed Tony his business card that sent him into a laughing fit for reasons he kept to himself. They all made small talk while Lauren was away until Kakashi brought up an important piece of information for the rest of the team.
"You guys know that it's Lauren's birthday today, right?"
The whole team, minus the soldier trio, had a variety of expressions on their faces that could be ultimately be summed up into: "Shit, we should've known." Tony had already presented them her file a few weeks back so they should have known.
With that revelation done, Kakashi quickly bid them goodbye and went over to where Lauren was before she could reach the group.
"You didn't tell them anything weird did you Kashi-nii?" Lauren chided him when she saw him hastily approaching her with open arms.
"And why would I do that?" He got a glare in response which he just laughed at, "Maa, so little faith. I've got to go take the guy back now. Sorry to ruin your birthday, Lauren."
"Nah, it's okay. As Nat told me, just another night in New York. I'm glad to see you, even if it was highly unexpected." She replied and finally hugged him.
"I approve by the way." He whispered into her ear before moving back.
With a squeeze to her shoulder and a birthday greeting, he left her there gobsmacked. Just as she came out of her bewilderment, she's stalled by Shikamaru. He stood on her way with both hands in his pockets. She wanted to wait for him to do something but got impatient.
"When will you be flying back?"
"In two hours, I should be going."
She raised an eyebrow at him to say 'then why are you still here?' Only to have a small box shoved at her face.
"What's this?" She questioned as she stared at the box bewildered.
"Your birthday present."
"I thought you came empty-handed." She teased. It seemed to be quite effective as she could see him starting to flush.
"It's embarrassing to hand a present in the middle of the dance floor."
"You should've shown yourself sooner then."
"Just take the freaking box woman."
With a laugh, she took the box out of his hand. Then suddenly, she was in a hug and was greeted happy birthday once more. She froze for a second before she returned the hug and unconsciously nuzzled her face into his neck. They stood that way until they started hearing the team's jeers and wolf whistles that made them quickly let go of each other. Shikamaru then hastily bade her goodbye and exited the hall.
"So what is it?" Pepper asked as she approached them. Seeing their curiosity fed hers which made her quickly open the box. In it were earrings with light green stones.
"Not bad." She commented but had a mischievous look that Lauren did not like. "I think you enjoyed his last gift more though."
"Oh, come on! We're just friends!" Lauren argued adamantly.
"Not gonna lie Lauren, you looked pretty cozy there," Bruce added
"See even Bruce says it!" Clint echoed joyously. "Just admit that you like the guy."
"I do not!"
"Suit yourself," Nat told her, but the look in her eyes told her it wasn't the end of it.
"Okay people, let's wrap this shindig up. Pretty sure that no one's gonna come back after all that." Tony called out to them.
And that was it, that was the first-ever charity ball Lauren Grimms attended. Tony and Pepper went back first saying they had to wrap up some deals that they made while at the fundraiser. Clint and Natasha were suddenly called in. So that left Lauren with the soldier trio and Bruce. Being who they are, they decided to stay back and help clean up a bit. Particularly the area where the incident happened.
An hour later, they were back at the Tower. Lauren was ready to call it a day but was convinced to wind down with the team up at the communal before turning in. She honestly wanted to just lie down after everything. But after much convincing, she went with them – after she took off her heels. Her feet were killing her. As they got into the elevator, she was ushered in first and was herded by Steve towards the back. When she asked why they just joked that she wouldn't be able to reach the button anyway. Tired, she just settled with glaring from them and turned her back from them to watch the night view of the city.
Once they got to the communal floor, she was surprised by the rest of the team with a loud happy birthday as she entered the kitchen area. Clint and Nat were holding the party poppers. While Tony was at the back holding birthday balloons and Pepper holding a cake topped with strawberries. Peter was also there, and judging by the birthday decorations around the place he was called in to put them up with his webs.
"So this is why Kashi-nii blocked me from getting you guys earlier."
"Maybe," Tony answered but the tone of his voice gave it away.
"Or it could be that Bookstore Guy asked for help from him. You'll never know." Clint chimed in
"Ha-ha." She replied in disbelief. "You guys didn't have to do this you know, but thank you." She told them smiling.
"Well, we wanted to. Now get over here and blow out your candle." Pepper told her.
She blew out the candles and they all shared the cake with a cup of tea or coffee. The ladies all had their heels off and chatting together about having another ladies' day soon. Tony, Bruce, and Peter were talking science as usual. Clint and James were discussing something about the differences between shooting an arrow and a sniper. And Steve and Sam were talking quietly about something. An hour later, Tony and Pepper had to leave for LA bringing Peter with them so they could drop him off. While Bruce decided to turn in for the night.
Once Bruce closed off the elevator doors. All those left turned their heads towards Lauren. Steve spoke for the group and said:
"You gotta tell them, Lauren."
"You knew?!" The others simultaneously exclaimed.
"I honestly expected that he'd tell you guys."
"It's isn't my secret to tell though!"
"You're too much of a boy scout sometimes Steve, but I appreciate it."
"Yes, yes. Now spill." Clint snapped at them getting impatient. He was a spy for god's sake, he lived to gather information.
"Chismoso. Well, who first? Kashi-nii or Shika?" Lauren replied
"Let's start with the silver-haired dude. Seems less complicated." Sam answered.
"Okay, so as I said earlier, I met him while I was back in the Philippines for the summer visiting my foster brothers. He taught me how to shoot a gun and self-defense. We stayed in contact after that and he kept up the training every summer until I graduated college. When we met, he told me that he was looking for possible recruits but didn't say for what. And since he opened up a pet grooming store, I think he was looking for a replacement for his squad. That's just a guess though. It could've also been a favor to someone. He does that a lot – favors for people he knows I mean."
"Curious." James commented, "Now continue with lover boy."
"He is not!"
"Your denial just makes it truer."
"Ugh, whatever. So, Shikamaru I met last year, through my friend Iris. Since I was graduating college and won't be able to visit Japan regularly anymore, she decided to put together a crew for her little jaunts. I honestly don't know where she found them. Shika, along with his two childhood friends, were recruited into it. I haven't met the other two yet. Shika's responsible for most of the recent things Iris and Greez allegedly did. He asks me for help in planning sometimes but mostly just asks for advice on how to make sure Iris doesn't stray from the plan."
"Why didn't you just introduce him to us when you guys saw each other in the bookstore then?" Nat asked
"Honestly, I just panicked that day. I didn't expect you guys to tag along so my mind just… decided to do that."
"Why were you calling him Cervus though?" James added in.
"Shika means deer… His name basically means deer man. So… Cervus."
"I still don't quite get it."
"The scientific name of Japanese deer is Cervus nippon," Clint explained
"Ah, gotcha. Not very creative then, Ms. Grimms."
"Shut up," Lauren replied throwing him a raspberry.
"Anyway, you guys were looking pretty cozy earlier." Clint teased
"Oh god, just fucking knock me out. Please."
They all laughed at her expense.
LLater, after they decided that they've asked all their questions and were back in their rooms. Lauren received a text message from the one and only Iris Nagasaki.
What the freakin' fuck! Lauren Grimms! That melanin-rich man! Does he give rides on those thighs? Bring him over next time! Or just sending him over would be preferred, I can ride him!
Lauren could only stare at her text, wondering what she was talking about. Only to finally see that James went through with sending the picture Clint took of her between him and Sam.
I meant drive! I can drive him! ALSO, who picked your dress? You should thank them, cuz DAMN GIRL. You look hot! Kaku must've been really happy to see you!
At that statement she immediately replied,
L: How in the world did you manage to get him into the fundraiser?
I: Ino talked to his parents a while back, made them propose something to Stark's thing using Kaku's name.
L: How in the world did you even know there'll be a fundraiser by them on MY birthday?
I: We have our ways.
Lauren could only send her the rolling eyes emoji in response.
Hope you liked our gift! Happy Birthday! xoxo
She shook her head at her friend's antics and thanked her for the greeting. When she put her phone down on the side table, she found… a butter knife? Well, it looked like a letter opener actually, a very fancy letter opener. It had jewels on the handle and gold-colored etchings on the blade. She tried to recall if she ever saw it somewhere else in the room or building but drew to a blank. Only to suddenly feel something hit her at the back of the head. It was a paper airplane. She took it from where it fell and opened it up. In it was a simple greeting of happy birthday written ornately with a postscript saying:
"Thank you for the entertaining evening."
And there we have it! Cervus is actually Shikamaru Nara and Kashi-nii is Kakashi Hatake. I won't be tagging them as characters for this story since I have no plans of them appearing again (as of now, 8 Aug 2021). For a bit of context, Lauren was originally made as an OC for my friend's Naruto fanfic way back... many years ago when Quizilla was still a thing. We're currently reworking it together. This fic on the other hand was just something I started to pass the time while in quarantine and had no plot at all. But as I wrote it, I got the idea to use build this as a backstory for Lauren/Kazemi in my friend's fic and she agreed to it so here we are.
Hope you guys liked it! Once I'm done writing all the chapters I plan to rewrite this to make it more cohesive. I still have a few more things for Lauren's story so it won't be for a while. But look forward to it!
Again thank you to my friend arsenouselation for helping me iron out this story and to everyone who's left kudos and comments. I like hearing from you! Until the next one!