Warning: SPOILERS/Lines from the Disney movie Hercules (1997).
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Romanogers Floor.
The next day, the women gathered, bringing an afternoon spread of coffee, tea, and an assortment of light snacks for the mothers. While enjoying each other's company, they kept a watchful eye on James and Francis playing on a nearby blanket.
Pepper leaned in with a smile. "So, we've been talking, and Tony had this idea for a Halloween party for the babies."
"A party?" Bobbi arched an eyebrow.
"Typical," Natasha rolled her eyes with a hint of amusement.
"We thought it was crazy at first," Betty interjected gently, "but what if it's something small and intimate? Just us and the kids?"
The Redhead glanced at James, who was babbling happily while tugging on a soft toy. "Sounds nice, but Steve and I barely have time to plan anything."
Sitting on the floor near the babies, the blonde absentmindedly brushed her fingers through Francis' hair. "Same here. I can't even remember the last time Clint and I went to something just for fun."
"That's the beauty of it," the strawberry-blonde said. "Leave it to us. We can create a fun, baby-friendly afternoon with soft spaces for them to crawl around."
The brunette smiled. "And it's their first Halloween. Think of the pictures. They're growing so fast."
Natasha's gaze softened as she watched her son reach for another toy. "Yeah, but I don't want him getting overwhelmed. He's just started sleeping longer at night." The exhaustion in her voice was unmistakable.
"Of course," Pepper nodded sympathetically. "Let me show you the plans, and you can decide if it's okay. I promise it's just us dressing up and having fun."
Bobbi tilted her head. "Dress up?"
The strawberry-blonde pulled her StarkPad from her purse. "Take a look," she said, showing them an idyllic scene featuring the babies and plush toys.
Both mothers cooed at the sight.
"See? We couldn't help ourselves," Betty smiled.
Natasha scanned the images. "Greek mythology-themed?"
"Yeah!" Pepper's eyes sparkled. "There's this Disney animation, Hercules. Have you seen it? Now I can't stop picturing James as baby Hercules and Francis as baby Eros with a tiny bow and arrow. It's just too adorable, don't you think?"
"Aww, look at the tiny wings!" Bobbi was already sold.
They flipped through the costume concepts from the movie crafted by a fashion designer.
"Steve as Hercules and Clint as Cupid?" The Redhead tried not to laugh. "That's why Tony picked it."
The blonde let out a soft chuckle. "Yeah, that's not gonna fly with Clint."
"Well, you know Tony," the strawberry-blonde replied mischievously. "But it makes sense, right? Fathers and sons in matching outfits."
Natasha raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Steve will see Tony coming from a mile away. He'll never agree to that either."
"But look at the others," Betty said, pointing to the costumes for Tony and Bruce. "We'll all look ridiculous together."
Laughter erupted between them, and Pepper revealed the women's costumes. "Well, I intend to look hot. What do you think? They weren't called Greek goddesses for nothing." She was right — each attire looked ethereal and utterly flattering.
"Wow. They're gorgeous. It'd be nice to have something pretty like that. All I wear now are yoga pants," Bobbi chuckled.
"Or sweatpants," the Redhead added with a nod.
"Exactly!" the brunette chimed in. "You guys need to take a break."
"Bruce wasn't keen on going as Hades, but he caved when he saw his wife Persephone's costume," Pepper said, zooming in on the image. "Here, take a look."
"You'll look amazing!" the blonde praised Betty before asking, "What about me?"
"Thanks," the brunette replied, slightly blushing as she flipped through the pictures. "Cupid is the Roman name for Eros. His wife is Psyche, and his mother is Aphrodite. Since both Clint and Francis will be versions of Eros, you can choose either."
"Both dresses would look stunning, but if anyone can pull off the goddess of beauty, it's you," the strawberry-blonde added with a warm smile.
Bobbi blushed, shaking her head. She knew the compliment wasn't meant to pressure her, yet she couldn't shake the discomfort that surfaced whenever she felt the pressure to look perfect.
"Exactly!" Betty agreed. "And Natasha can be Hercules' redhead Megara."
After scrolling through movie info on her phone, the Redhead felt a twinge of disappointment at being stereotyped by a friend. "The deceitful seductress," she replied evenly, keeping her true feelings hidden.
"No, no," the brunette quickly clarified, "Megara's actually one of the most complex Disney characters from that era. She sold her soul to Hades to save a boyfriend who betrayed her, leaving her jaded about love. But she's not a villain or a damsel in distress — she has her own story, her own struggles. She's a fighter."
Natasha smirked, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "Interesting. So she's not a Disney princess?"
"Exactly, no. Too independent. Too cynical. Hades sent her to manipulate Hercules, but he was so noble and idealistic that he won her over. She eventually fell in love and sacrificed herself to save him, flipping the typical 'hero saves heroine' trope."
A small smile tugged at the Redhead's lips.
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Have you watched all of this since yesterday?"
"Yeah," Betty admitted shyly. "It's been a while since I watched any kids' movies, but I've always liked them. And I did a little research, too. The story's a bit silly, but I really loved it."
"Did they get a happy ending?" Bobbi asked.
"Oh, definitely! In Greek mythology, Hercules was a demigod, the son of Zeus and a mortal, while Megara was his wife. However, in the movie, he was born a god, and Hades turned him mortal to prevent his return to Olympus. When he sacrificed his soul for Megara, he proved himself a true hero and regained his godhood. But in the end, he chose to stay mortal so he could be with her. It's really romantic."
"Oh," the strawberry-blonde quickly interjected, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Speaking of which… You won't believe who I ran into the other day. Jane."
The room grew quiet for a beat as the women exchanged glances, recalling the last time they were all together with Jane at Natasha's bachelorette party. The astrophysicist had shared that she had broken up with Thor because he wanted her to live in Asgard, while she wanted him to stay on Earth. Unlike the fictional Greek hero, the real Asgardian Prince had chosen his destined path over his mortal lover.
The Redhead inquired, her curiosity piqued. "Really? Where? I haven't heard from her in a while."
"How's she?" Betty leaned in.
"At a company charity event. She looks great. And guess what? She's engaged to Dr. Kincaid. Do you know him? Our on-call neurologist." Pepper grinned before taking a sip of her coffee.
"Ah, I think I know him — tall, blond, and handsome, right?" Bobbi chuckled. "She definitely has a type."
Natasha nodded, remembering him from the medical team that had saved her life almost two years ago. "He seems like a nice guy. I'm happy for them."
Having also been part of the same team, the brunette assured, "Me too. I worked with him a lot. He's intelligent and hardworking. A total sweetheart."
"He's very shy and reserved," the strawberry-blonde added with a playful wink. "Quite the opposite of our Asgardian friend, right?"
"Oh. Did she ask about Thor?" the blonde raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Did you tell her he got back together with Sif?"
"Yeah. Jane wished him well and said it was expected," Pepper nodded. "She seems genuinely happy."
"Good for her," Bobbi mused for a moment. "It must've been crazy, right? Dating a… god."
"An alien," Betty interjected, her tone filled with scientific conviction. "They may look like us, but it is another species, biology — who even knows what!"
The Redhead remarked, shaking her head in disbelief. "We're here chatting about Greek mythology as fiction, but then the Nordic one turns out to be real. It's wild."
The strawberry-blonde laughed lightly. "Tell me about it. Imagine if they had continued their relationship. I mean, with all the drama involved."
"Right?" the blonde chimed in. "And we thought our guys were complicated."
As laughter filled the air, they took hearty sips of their drinks.
"Well, at least our problems are earthly," the brunette mused. "Are we going to play dress-up or not?"
Pepper interjected, "I can't wait to look goofy in pictures with your adorable babies."
"Well, we better get used to that," Bobbi chuckled, "Growing up, I had many cousins. We had costume parties all the time — birthdays, Easter, Fourth of July. Every occasion was an excuse to dress up. Most of the costumes were made by our mothers."
"Me too. While my mother was alive, we had a lot of fun together," Betty spoke with a hint of melancholy.
"I'm an only child, and mine worked all the time. I was lucky to get a cupcake for my birthday," the strawberry-blonde snorted.
All those memories Natasha didn't have made the decision easier for her. She wanted James to have them all. "I'll talk to Steve. No promises on the outfit, but I'm in."
"Me too," the blonde agreed.
The brunette smiled while Pepper leaned back in her chair. "Don't worry. You two just focus on being the mothers of the stars of the show, and let the babies have their moment. We'll handle everything — my treat."
The Redhead crossed her arms, a playful glint in her eye. "You know you're gonna have to let us pay for something — sometime, right?"
"Yes, please," Bobbi Bobbi chimed in, nodding.
The strawberry-blonde feigned shock, placing her hand over her heart. "You're not going to spoil my pleasure of throwing a party for my godson and my dear nephew, are you?"
"You can't play this card all the time!" Natasha chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You sound like Tony!"
"Too late," Pepper shrugged, replying matter-of-factly, "For your next child, don't choose a billionaire godmother."
Laughter erupted in the room, the warmth of their friendship palpable.
After speaking with their husbands, the wives gave the green light for the party. As expected, the dads' costumes were a no-go — Clint outright refused, while Steve simply shook his head, saying he already had his share of costume use.
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REFERENCES: FANFICTION by ym4yum1: Chris Crush (Avengers) Chapter 7: The Other Girl & Chris Crush (Main) Chapter 17: The Perfect Score.