Chapter Text
Stepping out of the bus and taking a lungful of fresh air, a wide grin slowly pulls on Tommy’s lips upon laying his eyes on the place he calls his ‘home away from home’. Summer has finally arrived and excited boys from ages 8 to 15 run out of the yellow buses lined up at the entrance and gather up in groups to mingle with their friends, old and new.
The others lining up in front of the camp counselors, the eagerness palpable on their faces as they wait for their names to be called, each one silently praying they get put in a cabin with their friends. After all, they will be spending each day together for 8 weeks, might as well be with people you get along with, right?
Turning his ballcap backward with his black hair poking out messily from the strap, Tommy walks over to the back of the bus where the bus driver piles up the duffel bags carefully. With a strong pull, he grabs his from the straps and slings it over his shoulder, the shirt from underneath his varsity jacket shriveling from the exerted effort.
The Avengers Summer Camp for Boys has always been a yearly trip for Tommy ever since he was 10 years old. Although he always wanted to go since he was 8, his mother kept preventing him and telling him that he was still too young to participate in an event that was miles away from her. But Tommy was a persuasive fellow that after so much convincing, begging, and even a PowerPoint presentation, he was able to have her agree with him and support him on this yearly event.
Tommy has even made several friends. Some which he’s stayed in contact with even during school days and some he’s only had the privilege to meet during camp. He was, nonetheless, the Mr. Congeniality of the camp, making a name for himself without even meaning to and gaining a reputation of everyone either wanting to be his friend or his enemy.
“Yo Maximoff!” A kid calls out to him, making him look over his shoulder with a wide grin. “You coming or not?”
“I’m coming!” He calls back, duffel bag bouncing as he runs towards his best friends, Peter and Ned.
Tommy, Peter, and Ned have been best friends ever since they joined the camp. Even with different states of origin, they meshed with each other easily, not one of them separating from their little group, even when Tommy makes friends with everyone. They were considered the Golden Trio of the camp. With Tommy excelling in athletics, especially in track and field, and Peter and Ned grabbing all the prizes in the science activities that the counselors plan each year. They are always the team to beat and no one has done so ever since.
“You grew out your hair.” Peter acknowledges and Tommy grins, taking off his cap to ruffle up his shoulder-length locks.
“My mom got lazy and forgot to cut it, but I think I like it better this way.” He says proudly before covering up his hair with his cap once again. “So, status report guys.” Tommy starts. “I’m sure you both already have the details of who our counselor is and where we are staying.”
“Sam’s gonna be our camp counselor again,” Ned says, the three boys already walking up the path that leads towards the row of cabins. “I was kinda hoping we get Bucky this year though.” He adds. “I heard he let the kids last year get to the mess hall first.”
“Then just sleep outside the mess hall if you want to be first.” Tommy teases.
“And besides, what would be better than our cabin request finally being approved?” Peter adds and the splitting grin on Tommy’s face is just contagious.
“You mean-” Ned pauses mid-sentence, still unable to process the information.
“Yup! We finally have the lake cabin!” Peter confirms and the three boys cheer in excitement, making the other campers look in their direction with curiosity etched on their faces.
As soon as they reach the first cabin, a loud honk echo throughout the vicinity, startling the kids surrounding them. Tommy and his friends stop in their tracks and look curiously at the black limousine pulling up at the bottom of the path.
“Who’s that?” Ned asks in amusement.
“Must be a new kid,” Peter says. “A rich new kid.”
“Well whoever he is, we will find out one way or another,” Tommy adds and turns his back, walking up the path once again. “All I want to do right now is unpack my stuff and go for a swim.”
“Yeah!” The two boys say in unison, following Tommy towards their cabin.
* * * * * * * * * *
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Billy steps out of the car, careful enough not to soil his khaki shorts and his light blue button-up shirt from the dust that accumulated on the surface of the vehicle. His eyes grow wide upon taking in the wonder of the scenery. The summer breeze kissing his skin as he basks in the glow of nature.
He grins happily, watching kids his age and older running past him and shouting coming from playing children echoes in his ears. It’s a place he has never imagined being in, a place so far away from home yet feels so much like he is home. He feels like he’s in another universe as the sun kisses his skin, the warmth radiating throughout his body, and he could not wait to explore it.
“Like what you’re seeing, kiddo?” A woman with shoulder-length, red hair, wearing a black blazer over a white shirt and black slacks, looks down at Billy with a wide grin on her lips and places a hand on the top of his head. “Are you glad I talked your dad into letting you come here?”
Billy smiles widely and wraps his arms around the woman’s waist, his face pressing against her chest. “Yes! Thank you so much, Auntie Nat!” He says in the happiest tone possible, before looking up at her. “Though I wish father was here to see me off as well.” which he says with his smile slowly fading.
“Hey..” Natasha reaches down and tips Billy’s chip up, making the young boy face her. “Did we come all the way here from England to frown?” She asks and Billy shakes his head in response. “You know why he couldn’t make it, right?” She gets a nod this time. “And he came with us to the airport, right?” Another nod. “And besides, you can call him later and show him the place yourself.”
“But what if he’s in a meeting?” Billy asks.
“You know your father will never be too busy for you, Kid.” Natasha smiles and gives Billy’s nose a light poke. “It was just today that his schedule got all messed up.”
Billy nods in understanding and reaches out for his phone, sending a quick text to his father before grabbing his backpack from the car.
“So,” the red-haired woman pulls away from Billy and looks at him with all seriousness. “you got everything, Agent?”
Natasha has been in Billy’s life for as long as he could remember. She helped his father raise him, taught him so many things an ordinary thirteen-year-old would never know. He’s spent every milestone in his life with this woman and not a day have they been apart from each other.
But before Natasha even entered Billy’s life, she was a field agent working for S.H.I.E.LD. The underground organization of the Secret Service which takes on special criminals and threats to human life itself. She was known as “The Black Widow” during her missions and everyone who knew her knew to get out of her way. Though her life forever changed when she was assigned to become the Head of Security of Tony Stark and his family. Since then, she’s been a part of their lives, and when Billy came along, being in the Stark household has been more than a job to her. And to the Starks, she was more than an employee, she was part of their family.
Billy stands in attention upon hearing his aunt call him agent, his eyes dead straight as he responds. “Ma’am, Yes, Ma’am."
“Both activity and casual clothes?” She asks with authority and receives a response of ‘check’ from the 13-year-old boy. She goes along the list with activity and casual shoes, swimwear, pajamas, and underwear and receives the same response, making her grin in approval while looking down at Billy. “Now, have a good time for me, okay?” She says softly this time and Billy nods. “And don’t forget what your father told you.”
“I’ll call when I want to go home,” Billy answers and receives a pat on his head and caress of his cheek.
“I’m going to miss you, Little Billy,” Natasha says finally and wraps her arms around the boy. “Don’t forget to have fun, okay?”
Billy mirrors the gesture, wrapping his arms around Natasha as tight as he can. “I’ll miss you too, Auntie Nat. I promise I’ll have fun.”
“William Stark?”
Giving one last look at Natasha, Billy wears his backpack and picks up his black suitcase, and walks shyly towards the man sporting a red ball cap, matching his “AVENGERS CAMP” shirt written in bold letters, a clipboard in one hand, and a welcoming smile on his lips.
Taking a deep breath, he answers. “I’m William Stark. But you can call me Billy.”
“Alright, Billy. I’m Scott and I’ll be your camp counselor for the summer.” Scott starts and Billy can’t help but feel excitement for the days to come. “Are you ready to have fun?”
Taking one last look behind him, watching his car drive off and out of the camp, Billy nods and gives out his best smile, his hand clutching on his bag in both nervousness and anticipation. “I am!”