A/N: A gift for my dear friend, my sister in every way but blood. Happy birthday Intangible fan 3000, I hope you enjoy, and are having the best of all birthdays!
This was supposed to be posted on September 23, so if anyone else's birthday was on the 23rd, or the day you're reading this, happy birthday, and may your special day be filled with joy and laughter :-)
Please enjoy!
….
A hand gently shakes me awake, and an involuntary groan slips past my lips, the sound muffled in my pillow. "Five more minutes, May, I'll be up in a sec."
"I'm afraid you will miss your ride if you sleep any longer."
"That's not aunt May, and this isn't my creaky bed from back in Queens." My eyes fly open, and I turn over to face Vision, my heart leaping into my throat.
"Vis?" I say in surprise, feeling slightly mortified at the disheveled state of my hair, blond strands tangled around my head. "What're you doing in here?"
"I wanted to insure that you were not late for your first day of college," Vision smiles, his eyes bright with suppressed excitement. "You best get ready, your ride will be arriving soon."
"Uh, okay?" I squint at his expression, my mind not quite awake enough to comprehend why he's so happy.
"Lovely!" Vision clasps his hands together in delight. "I will be in the kitchen, would you like a bagel for the road?"
"Um, sure," I roll out of bed, my tired body protesting the upright position. Maybe it wasn't the greatest idea to spar with Nat last night, every inch of me aches like I was used as a punching bag … which isn't too far off.
"Can I have peanut butter on it?" I ask, glancing briefly at my alarm clock. The screen is blank, completely black, and I frown. Must've died.
"Of course," Vision nods, then backs towards the door. "I will see you in a few minutes."
"Um, okay?" I raise an eyebrow. "Bye?"
He gives an enthusiastic wave, then fazes through the door, leaving the spot he once stood empty. "That wasn't weird at all," I think sarcastically, but am curious as to why he was acting so thrilled about me going to school.
"Maybe the thought of learning, even in the case of someone else, is exciting to him," I suppose as I pull on leggings and a sweater.
It's no secret that Vision's fascinated by everything, even something as small as, say, a chalkboard. I got him one for Christmas, and it was amusing to see him get so enthralled by it. He was really thankful, and I was happy that I made him happy.
I pull on my sneakers, then tie my hair into a braid before hurrying downstairs, grabbing my backpack on my way out of the room. As I get closer to the kitchen, noises penetrate the quiet, and I pause, confusion flooding my mind. Isn't it a little early for everyone to be up?
"Uh, morning…?" I trail off as I step into the brightly lit room, my bag hitting the floor with a dull thud.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARYBETH!" The Avengers erupt, and my mouth falls open at the sight of them and the blue and purple decorations adorning the room.
"What?" I ask dumbly. My brain has gone completely blank, and I can only stare in shock.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The Avengers cry again, grins on all their faces, and I wince at the volume of all their voices combined, plus Thor who's the loudest of all.
"How … how did you know?" I ask once my ears have stopped ringing, distinctly remembering that I, in fact, didn't tell anybody because I didn't want the Avenger's making a fuss.
"We caught word from a little birdie," Tony smirks, and my gaze instinctually shifts between Clint and Sam, though I know it wasn't them. Unless Clint snuck into my apartment, and dug around for my birth certificate, which is creepy, there's really no other way they would've known.
"More like a little spider," Natasha says knowingly, and my head turns to my brother.
"Peter!" I demand. "You told them?"
My little brother hides his face behind the happy birthday banner, but I see it long enough to catch the sheepish smile he's sporting. "You weren't going to," he defends. "So I thought I would."
"Peter," I groan, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment, but I can't deny the warmth that blossoms in my chest.
"I'm not sorry," Peter mutters, and I huff in amusement at the way the sign muffles his words.
"Alright," I plant my hands on my hips. "I'll allow it, but will you just come out now, you dork?"
Peter peeks around the Banner, his face starting to light up. "Are you gonna attack me if I do?"
I hold back a snort, though the other Avenger's don't have the restraint I do, with the exception of Bucky and Natasha. "No," I say. "But you have to come out."
"Okay," Peter says readily, stepping back into the open.
"Good," I nod in approval, ruffling his already unkempt hair, then glance around. "Where's Vision?"
"He went to get something," Wanda supplies. "But he'll be back in a moment."
"Is he getting my bagel?" I wonder.
"Something like that," Wanda smiles, the expression a little mischievous. "But, for now, come sit ."
She guides me to the head of the table, where it's already set up with a plate and silverware, the chair having colorful heart balloons tied to the back, sayings like, "HAPPY 20th," and, "WOW, You're an Adult," written across their shiny faces. One in particular catches my attention, and when I sit down, I tug on its string to bring it closer to me. It reads, "Carybeth," in cursive at the top, and underneath is an image of myself and the Avenger's on Easter, in the middle of playing Chubby Bunny with our cheeks full of marshmallows.
I spot Vision in the back of the image, a confused, yet humored look on his face, and I can't stop myself from laughing. "That's awesome," I grin, letting the balloon drift up to rejoin its friends.
"Thought you might enjoy that," Steve says, nudging Tony playfully.
"What?" I ask the mechanic. "Do you not like that picture?"
Tony folds his arms across his chest. "Well, it's not one of my finest moments," he sniffs.
"Why?" I laugh. "Because you had marshmallow stuck all over your face?"
The room cracks up, and Tony attempts to scowl, but there's an unmistakable glint in his eye. Before the conversation can move forward, Vision enters the room, and my gaze instinctually drops to the heart shaped container in his hands. "What's that?" I can't help but ask.
"A treat," Vision shrugs casually, then neatly replaces my plate with the large container. "I was unable to prepare your bagel, but I was able to acquire this."
"Can I open it?" I ask, my fingers itching to peel back the fancy lid.
"As you wish," Vision pulls away with a flourish, and I beam at him before opening the container. Inside is a heart shaped pie, pumpkin, based on its color, and the sweet smell of cinnamon that wafts up to me when I take off the lid.
My name is written in whipped cream across the center, with twenty candles running along the edge of the pie, and I grin at the Avengers symbol just below my name, also done in whipped cream. When the candles are lit, I take a picture, not wanting Vision's work to go to waste. I tuck my phone back into my pocket, and there's a click before the lights in the kitchen go out.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" The Avengers sing, and I can only hope the darkness hides my blush. I bury my face in my hands as I listen, still feeling slightly mortified, but the joy within me overpowers it.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR, CARYBETH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
"AND MANY MORE!" Tony, Clint, and Rhodey chorus after the song finishes, Peter following it with a whoop, and I can't resist the laughter that bubbles forth.
"Now blow out the candles!" Thor exclaims excitedly, and I do as told, having to do it a second time when three candles still remain lit.
Clint whistles. "Wow, three boyfriends, what do you say about that, Pete?"
"No way," Peter straightens, his arms crossing over his chest in a protective manner.
"What's the big deal?" Tony teases. "I've had more than three girlfriends at a time."
Me and Peter's expressions twist in disgust, and the mechanic snickers. "You wouldn't be saying that if Pepper was in the room," Rhodey points out.
"Shut it, Platypus," Tony grumbles.
"That's a good idea," I smirk. "Maybe I should go get Ms. Potts."
"I think you should eat your pie," Tony shoots back. "You have to leave for school soon."
"Oh yeah," the reminder has my mental clock ticking warningly, but I pause, tilting my head at Vision. "Wait, wasn't I already running late?"
Vision smiles innocently. "I may have … adjusted your clock."
"When you say adjust, do you mean turn off?" I state dryly.
"Uh," Vision rubs the back of his neck.
"That's a yes," I say in amusement.
"Why didn't you check the time on your phone?" My brother wonders as Natasha cuts the pie, and I can see the same question on the other Avengers faces.
"I have a routine," I defend. "Every morning I check my alarm clock for the time, and I just didn't think to check my phone, okay?"
Peter puts his hands up placatingly. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry."
"You better be," I grab his arm, and pull him closer so I can ruffle his hair fondly. "You have school too, don't forget to brush your hair before you leave."
"Okay," Peter bats at my hand, managing to pull away from my grip, which really isn't surprising, he's Spider-Man after all.
Natasha finishes cutting the pie, and pieces are distributed out to everyone, mine being the largest. "I really can't thank you guys enough," I say after a few minutes, my heart swelling with gratitude.
"Of course," Vision says softly from beside me, his face lit up like a kid on Christmas as he watches me enjoy my pie. "You deserve the world, your kindness and generosity has not gone unnoticed, and we wanted to thank you for the light you've brought to our lives."
A lump forms in my throat, and tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I slide out of my seat, and round the table to wrap my arms around Vision's neck, my head resting on his shoulder. "That means a lot," I whisper, not trusting my voice enough to speak any louder.
"Happy birthday, darling," Vision murmurs in a hushed tone, stroking my hair gently, and I melt into him, feeling safe and warm within his embrace.
I make a mental note to thank Peter later, this is truly the best birthday I've ever had. I make sure to hug each of the Avengers, squeezing my little brother especially tight before I have to head out. Tony assures me that this little shindig isn't the end of it, and I climb into Happy's car with a bright grin on my face, excited to return to the compound.