A fitting title given that we just had the holidays (a month or so ago). The first upload of the new year, let's go!
Chapter 227: Post-Holiday Troubles Resurfacing
Luyano House, Wakanda - 7:40
Imanu knew it would be bad news the moment his parents asked for him to come over this morning for breakfast. They rarely extended invitations with such urgency, especially not in the morning when his father preferred dealing with Kili without disturbing his mother who busied herself tending to the first affairs in the day. Imanu wasn't trying to be paranoid, thinking this was deliberate.
He wasn't looking forward to it, and at least he wasn't going alone.
"If it's something concerning you, then it will be my issue as well," Iqadi told him. She placed a steady and certain hand over his, preparing for the worst.
Then they showed up at the door and Iqadi glanced at him quickly, seeing the tension in his posture and slipping her fingers between his.
"Everything will be okay," she reassured, squeezing his hand softly before bringing up their joined hands to kiss his hand.
So they walked into the house, saw a breakfast spread on the table, his family sitting around … and then Imanu's eyes fell to a pile of college flyers and advertisements next to slices of fruit.
This is worse than he imagined. Kili's growing up and getting ready for college. He doesn't know when she became almost an adult. It was almost like she was still a child, not even 10 years old, running around the ballroom wearing Iqadi's tiara and pretending to be a princess. Now she's sitting next to Iqadi at the kitchen table, looking at pictures of different campuses and university sweatshirts.
"I want to leave Wakanda for school," Kili says.
"What?" Imanu asks. And there's the thing he was scared of most. "Absolutely not."
"Imanu," Amaya states, prompting him to sit down across from Iqadi and Kili. "It's a wonderful idea."
"Any schools in mind?" Masego asks Kili.
"You are both content with that?" Imanu questions his parents.
"I don't see why not," his dad responds. "It's a wonderful opportunity."
"What's your problem?" Kili asks her brother.
"Kili, Imanu," Amaya states sternly, "stop."
"You got fancy palace education with your royal protocol," Kili argues, ignoring her mother.
"That's not the point," Imanu argues back, dismissing her.
"Imanu—" Iqadi tries to interject.
"You're not mature enough to live alone," Imanu tells his sister.
Kili scoffs. "Excuse me, but last I checked, I held up the front in Wakanda while you blew up the mines and those bad people broke in."
Imanu stares at her furiously as his parents eye each other and Iqadi sips her tea softly. He doesn't say anything directly to Kili at first but then starts mumbling incoherently under his breath while eating a round piece of bread. Kili laughs in disbelief at the definite curse words in her brother's mouth.
"Imanu!" Amaya exclaims.
"Not my fault you married young," Kili mutters.
"Kili!" Masego yells.
"I will take the responsibility for that one," Iqadi chimes in, raising her mug.
Imanu takes another piece of bread before leaving the kitchen to head somewhere else in the house. Kili rolls her eyes as his parents sigh, sitting next to each other.
"And I'm the immature one?" Kili wonders rhetorically.
"Kili," Masego repeats, this time sterner by how calm his voice is, "enough. Both of you, stop."
"He already stormed out dramatically."
"Kili."
"Fine." She sits back in her chair in defeat, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Wakanda does have better schools," Iqadi suggests, lightening the mood despite Kili now glaring at her.
"You have a bias, don't you think?" Amaya questions lightly, but there is a little joke in her tone.
Iqadi grins. "Maybe a little."
"Iqadi, no offence," Kili starts, "but I don't want to go to school where everyone knows me as the Prince's sister. I want to go somewhere else. Can - can't you talk to him?"
Iqadi puts a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little. She knows better than everyone in this house what it's like to exist in a place where nobody knows her. It's comforting to blend in and be a normal person.
"He's mad for now," Iqadi reasons. "I'll talk to him after he's cooled."
-o-
James and Angela's Penthouse, Upper East Side - 14:43
James thinks a week has passed since he came back from the hospital and was ordered on bedrest minus PT sessions. He's spent his days lying in bed on his back to keep his bad leg prepped on some pillows and watching television. Angela had to encourage him to eat despite him not being in the mood to eat, but he needed to have something in his stomach to take his medications or else he'll vomit them.
Then, while Angela was at work, Apollo was his driver if James had any appointments. Did he have a valid license? That's a technicality, he would say, I remember how to drive. James had nothing to lose at that point, he could hire someone to fix his car if anything broke, they managed to get from Point A to Point B with only a few people cussing him out on the road, and they managed to stop for ice cream on the way home. It's probably Apollo's personal driving best.
But today? He's happy that he has no appointments because he doesn't feel like doing anything. And somehow, his dad knew his schedule was clear and showed up, sitting at the foot of his bed as he pretended to be asleep.
"James," Hank states, "I know you're awake. You'd have the same grimace before sneaking out."
James opens his eyes and stares at his father's smug grimace. "Can't sneak out now, can I?"
"It's 2 PM. You should get out and freshen up."
"No." He shifts a little in bed so he sits up more. "How did you even know my passcode?"
Hank laughs a bit. "James, I know my wife's birthday and then the time you were born. Because having it as your girlfriend's birthday is too obvious now that she lives here."
James sighs in defeat but with a small smile. "I had a dream before you invited yourself in. Actually, it was more like a walk down memory lane. I was coming back from Georgia. Before I went to see you with my dissertation, I went to Steve and Peggy's place. I wanted to tell them that I was finally going to propose and that I was getting a ring ready. Angela's shown me what rings she would like and I wanted to look at Peggy's for inspiration. Beautiful rock from the soldier, if you never noticed. Anyways, my knee acted up on their porch and I tripped. I wasn't sure if I had to ask her parents for a blessing since Angela and I had been together for a decade, but all Steve told me was that I had to get my knee looked at before I got down on it. We're fine but it's putting a damper on our relationship."
"It's been a week or so," Hank reassures. "A lot has happened. You both need time. It'll be alright."
James nods. "I think so."
"Need me to get you anything before I head to the office? Unless you want me to stick around."
"Actually, can you get someone for me instead? And some groceries to save Angela the trip on the way home. She doesn't like ordering them."
-o-
"You know," Merida says as she sits next to James on his couch, putting her tote bag on the coffee table in front of them, "when Hank asked me if I wanted to come out and play on your behalf, I would've preferred it be during my work hours."
Before Hank left, he helped move James to the living room. He didn't want to leave the house, but at least a change of scenery could help. He didn't know Angela changed the throw pillows on the couch or the drapes, but he could get used to the pastel coral-orange ambiance.
"You bought me soup?" James questions.
Merida shakes her head. "I would never spend money on you when you can wipe your ass with dollar bills. As per Hank's stupid instructions which came from you, I was supposed to get you soup because you'd refuse whatever soup he'd bring back."
"I don't need some purée with fancy mushrooms and tree bark. If I wanted a witch's brew, I'd ask Sigyn. What have you got in there?"
"As I said," Merida grabs a paper bag from the tote she brought, it's got some condensation spots on it. "I'm not spending money on you, but I made you some with whatever was in my kitchen: leftover broth that was in the back of my fridge, random spices I didn't know I had, potentially freezer-burnt veggies, and some alphabet pasta I found in my cupboard for some reason."
"Nice!" James exclaims as he grabs the paper bag and tears into it. He pulls out the plastic Tupperware that definitely once held Chinese takeout as Merida throws the bag over her shoulder. "I love the alphabet. I use it everyday."
Merida laughs as she gets up. She walks over to James' kitchen and grabs a spoon from the cutlery drawer. She stops by the fridge and grabs a beer for herself and a water bottle for James. She isn't sure if he's allowed to drink sparkling water, but who's here to stop her?
"Are you really sure you want to eat it?" Merida asks as she returns to her spot on the couch. She opens her beer with her keys and hands him his sparkling water and spoon. "I'm not sure how long it was in my apartment nor do I remember getting it. Potential botulism but maybe we can spell it out."
"You already put it in there!"
"Do you have a death wish? Because I won't hesitate to pull the plug on you."
"You say that but then you're here."
"I had alphabet pasta to get rid of, respect your father, and like your beer selection." Merida grins as she puts her feet up on the table. "Besides, maybe one of your meds can cure botulism at the same time."
-o-
Asgard
Apollo stands close to the mirror, angling his face to get a crisp shave. However, his eyes dart upwards at something happening in his neighbouring bedroom. His attention elsewhere and his beard still lathered in shaving cream, he turns around and sees Freya walk into the bathroom. She leans against the doorway as he turns off the tap, resting against the edge of the sink.
"What are you doing?" Freya asks with her arms crossed at her waist.
"Are you still mad at me?" Apollo asks, turning back around. He still catches an angry Freya in the mirror.
"Yes," Freya states, walking beside him. "You went on MojoWorld without telling me and now you're shaving."
"Gods, Freya, I planned to surprise you. Mother wanted me to take my mind off things with Ragnarök so I decided to go on a hunt."
"You mean be hunted. Is that why you're shaving? Are you not okay?"
Apollo puts the blade down. Instead, he wraps an arm around Freya and kisses her cheek. He holds her face for a moment, squeezes her cheeks, and then rubs his cheek against hers. She squirms against the shaving cream getting on her face before breaking away with a smile. He laughs as she grabs a towel and wipes her face, whacking him with it afterwards.
"I prefer your beard when you do that," Freya says. "It gives me an exfoliation I don't need but love anyways."
"Wait a day or two," Apollo mutters. He finds more shaving cream and reapplies it.
"It's so smooth. You look at least 3 years younger."
Apollo scoffs. "Don't get used to it. I prefer the beard now but just felt like shaving it."
Freya nods, understanding. "I will be sparring with the others in a while. Join us."
"You know I will."
Freya smiles at him for a moment longer before heading out. Apollo watches her go from the mirror before locking eyes with his reflection. He stares at himself, unsure what to think at the moment before shaking his head and turning on the tap again.
-o-
Sigyn and Xavier's Apartment, Manhattan - 13:28
Sigyn walks through her apartment door, throwing her keys and purse on the bench by the door before kicking off her sneakers. She walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge to take a quick drink of water before meeting her husband's eyes. Xavier smiles at her as he eats his lunch.
"I made you a sandwich," he says, gesturing to it over by the stove. "Where've you been?"
"I think our neighbours hate me," Sigyn tells him.
"What did you do now?"
Xavier looks up at Sigyn as she closes the fridge. The moment he reads Loki Was Right on her shirt, the plate in his hand breaks in half. He puts the pieces and his food on the kitchen counter, waiting for Sigyn to explain herself but she walks over to her sandwich and takes a bite. She doesn't even comment on him breaking on the dishes they got as a gift set for their wedding.
"You do know we live with retired SHIELD agents," Xavier says. "What are you wearing?"
"I'm Sigyn Lokisdottir and I'm burdened with glorious purpose," she responds with a mouthful of bread.
"I thought you were Sigyn Rogers now."
Sigyn grins. "I've been multiple names at the same time before, but Lokisdottir fits better with my father's magical words. Agent Grassfield, one of our upstairs neighbours, told me that I was never a kid."
"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard."
Sigyn shrugs passively. "It's true."
Xavier takes a moment and watches his wife finish half of the sandwich. He recognizes the distant look in her eyes, knowing that she isn't even thinking of eating.
"Are you okay?" Xavier asks.
Sigyn nods. "Yeah. I've been thinking and roaming around Alfeim while playing with my magic there. I spent some time there after high school and before Apollo went all nutso. Anyways, the first lesson of magic that nobody knows about is that it's neither good nor evil. It's up to the wielder if it's either way. I've been using my magic more freely ever since… Amora … because she's gone. She was the only reason I went my whole life trying to avoid my power and now I'm free to use it. I really am the most powerful in all the realms."
Xavier smiles a little. "That's great, sweetie, but what does that have to do with the shirt and your lack of a childhood?"
Sigyn looks down at the shirt she's wearing, almost shocked that she's wearing it. "Oh, this is just a coincidence. It's my new pyjama. And don't worry about the plate."
She twirls her finger and magic swirls, fixing the plate and Xavier's lunch before putting it back in his hands. Sigyn looks up and kisses him quickly before going back to her sandwich.
-o-
Stark Towers - 21:30
Emily doesn't remember leaving her office, but she suddenly became aware of her surroundings until the elevator doors opened to her living room. She exhaled, almost feeling a burden being lifted from her shoulders. She stepped out of the elevator, kicked off her heels, and dropped her coat, bag, and sunglasses to the ground.
Then Daniel swooped in and kissed her cheek. He took her things in one arm and brought her to their bedroom with the other arm. He sat her down in bed and lost track of what happened next.
Emily wakes a few hours later, unsure that she even fell asleep. Her face feels clean so Daniel probably ran a makeup wipe and a cotton pad of micellar water as the bare minimum to her nighttime skin care routine. She yawns, reaching for her charging phone on her bedside table. It isn't close to midnight yet and Daniel isn't next to her in bed, so she rises out of bed and heads out.
Besides, she could use a bite to eat.
Her place is dark, except for some lights on in the kitchen downstairs. Emily walks down and sees Daniel at the bar, looking at some holographic projections deep in thought. He doesn't notice Emily walking by until she opens a takeout bag on the bar and taking out a rice bowl from the Japanese place down the street. She takes a bite as she steps closer to her husband, recognizing the holographic images of the leg with the equations and diagrams.
"What are you doing?" Emily asks.
"Looking over this experiment," Daniel responds. "I'm trying to reformulate the blueprints for how electricity travels between these circuits for your dad and Hank. They're working together on—"
"Yeah, that."
"Yeah…"
Neither of them could bear to talk about it, not even Hank and Tony who started this venture the moment James was hospitalized again. Despite the pins being removed from James' knee and the kneecap being replaced, he still has the leg. Their fathers just want to take precautions, and Emily is the one with the expertise in biomedical engineering and holographic technology, she got to design the potential prosthetic tailor-made for Dr. James Pym.
"Does James know?" Emily whispers.
"Doubt it, especially with this dilemma at the moment," Daniel responds.
Emily nods, looking down at her food. She didn't like discussing this piece of technology with her father and Hank because she didn't like the implications of it.
Daniel wraps his arm around Emily's waist and kisses the side of her head. He rubs the side of her chest as she continues eating.
"Sometimes, people think problems are multiplication or division, where you have to blow things up or down to solve it," Emily says. "But sometimes it's just addition or subtraction, smoother increases or decreases. One day at a time, one circuit at a time ... one step at a time."
-o-
James and Angela's Penthouse, Upper East Side - 6:31
Angela's heart stopped the moment she wakes and notes that James isn't in bed next to her. She touched his side of the bed and it's cold. He wasn't here for a while. Before she could call his name, she heard rustling in the kitchen, cutlery and whatnot being moved around, so her body calmed knowing he was there keeping busy with something.
She's glad that James has started getting out of bed and their room more, moving around the apartment and sometimes even going out with Apollo if she was at work. However, he could've put away the laundry that she left in a basket on a small bench at the foot of their bed.
Angela gets out of bed and starts taking the socks in her hands. She walks over to James' dresser and opens the top drawer to put his socks inside. Before she dumps them in, a small light-blue box hiding in the corner under more socks catches her eye.
Angela picks up the velvet box, staring at the silver clasp and hinges. Her heart stops again as she feels the velvet against her fingertips and traces the edges. It's the ring. Her engagement ring. He was supposed to propose. She knows that James would've had the ring hidden somewhere else, but he probably put it there after the hospital (or someone else had).
Without another thought, Angela puts the ring back in the drawer and closes it a little too hard, but not rough enough that the dresser breaks. She ignores the rest of the laundry and heads down to the kitchen. James is in the kitchen, playing with the espresso bar. Recently, his new hobby has become latte art and he's been trying designs with different kinds of milk.
James beams when he sees her. "Babe. I made you something."
Angela sits at the counter as James slides over a latte. She looks down and sees Captain America's shield drawn in hot oat milk foam.
Angela grins, hiding her nerves. "Thank you. Do you want something to eat? I can grab us some bagels."
"I think I'm good for now, but maybe in a bit. Let's go after the morning rush."
"Are you sure? You have to take some—"
"I'm pretty sure those meds are antipsychotics. I'm not psychotic."
"James, that's fancy talk for high-tech painkillers."
James laughs, taking a sip from his own latte that once had a cat done in whole milk. "Ah, yes, by making me so numb that I feel nothing. No moods, no sensations, no pain—"
"James."
"When I texted the word 'knew,' it autocorrected to 'knee.' I was personally victimized by that."
"I found the ring box!"
She had to say something to distract him, and what's better than that? James stops and stares at her. His expression is unreadable and Angela doesn't know if it's because she can't tell how he's feeling generally or because tears started brimming in her eyes. She quickly swipes at them as James puts his coffee mug down. He stands across from her at the counter and waits until she meets his eyes.
"Did you like it?" James asks.
"I didn't look at it," Angela mutters, "but I know I'd love it."
He smiles a bit, softly. "I know you will. Well, Angela Rogers for the moment, when you want to propose to me, you know where your ring is."
She can't help but snicker, grinning behind her latte. "We'll see in the New Year, Dr. Pym."