Chapter Text
“Daddy? When’s Thor comin’?” Jamesy asked, peeking over Daddy’s chair.
“In a bit, lamb. You’ve gotta be patient.” Daddy hummed, taking a sip of a creamy liquid from a glass in his hand. “And don’t forget, Peter’s coming after him too.”
“Hey, Spangles, why are you even drinking eggnog?” Tony asked, shooting the blond an incredulous sneer. “I thought you couldn’t get drunk?”
”Tony, you’re really one to talk about drinking habits.” James huffed.
”It’s a simple question, Rhodes!” Tony all but whined.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t drink, Stark.” Daddy shot back before sipping on his glass once again. “I like the taste.”
“Can I ha’f some?” Jamesy all but whimpered, stretching up in a desperate attempt to reach a high spot on the tree.
“Eggnog has alcohol in it, bug.” Papa pat his shoulder. “It’s a grown up drink.”
“He’s right.” Pepper nodded. “How about I get you some from the store later, so there’s no alcohol in it?”
“Oh, I might have some on the bus, I can bring it over if you want.” Phil added on. “Daisy likes the non-alcoholic kind.”
“Oh...” Jamesy sighed in vague disappointment before finally managing to hook his ornament on the high-up bare spot. His attention was back on his task; to decorate the perfect Christmas tree. “Okay, thank’yu miss Pepper, mister Phil.”
“Here, do you want to find a spot for this one?” Bruce smiled, holding up a small, plastic beaker full of fake green liquid. Jamesy recognized the ornament, Bruce had given it to him last year. With a quick nod, Jamesy took the tiny beaker and scoured the surface of the tree, searching for the perfect spot.
Once he had hooked the ornament onto the perfect branch- a bare patch with a white light positioned just behind the beaker, making it glow- Jamesy made his way back to the box of decorations.
“Y’know, I know decorating trees is a tradition for a lot of people,” Tony began, taking a sip from his glass that was probably filled with just Brandy instead of actual eggnog at this point. “But I literally pay people to decorate all the trees in the tower. Why not just let them do it and tell them where you guys want each piece to go?”
“That just sounds like adding extra steps.” Papa rolled his eyes. “Besides, you just answered your own question. It’s a tradition.”
“And the kid’s doing a pretty good job so far!” Clint pointed out. “He hasn’t set the da-ang thing on fire yet. Remember back in 2011? When-“
“Don’t remind me.” Tony groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m pretty sure the cleaning crew is still cleaning soot marks from the wall.”
“What happened in 2011?” Daddy asked, taking the words right out of the little boy’s mouth.
“Oh right, you three weren’t here for that.” Natasha said, a humorous glint in her eyes, the kind of sparkle that usually appeared right before she explained a story about how Clint got hurt doing something stupid.
“They’ve already told me this story, glad I wasn’t there to see it.” Bruce mumbled.
“You should be, it was a mess.” Pepper sighed, almost fondly.
“Okay so, back in 2011, Barton and Romanoff’s first Christmas in the tower,” Tony began, leaning forward like a wise old man explaining a prophecy to a group of disciples in a cave. “I tried the whole ‘traditional’ thing and set them up their own tree to decorate, right?”
“Can we go one year without bringing the whole story up?” Clint huffed, arms crossed over his chest and sulking.
“You know that’s impossible.” Natasha almost chuckled. Almost.
“So I let them have their own tree, right?” Tony began again. “And I trusted these children to not blow anything up, y’know, like a dumbass.” A gasp. “Sorry, don’t repeat that, okay tiger?”
Jamesy glared at him a little. “Y’u said a bad word.”
“I know, I know.” Tony huffed. “Anyways, I leave for five minutes-“
“Technically, it was ten minutes and thirty two seconds.” Natasha held up a finger, correcting the man.
“Everyone knows you two can’t be left alone,” Phil hummed. “If anything, this is Stark’s fault.”
“If I could stop getting interrupted, Agent Coulson.” Tony huffed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Point being, I left the room for a debated-but-still-short amount of time, and the next thing I know Jarv is setting off the alarms and telling me there’s an electrical fire! We had to evacuate the whole da-aaaarn building!”
“How the h- how did you start an electrical fire?!” Papa laughed. “Tree lights are designed to not start fires!”
“Cut me some slack-“ Clint huffed.
“He ‘accidentally’,” Natasha sneered, making air quotes with her fingers. “Managed to lodge a metal ornament between the plug and the wall socket. Sparks went everywhere!”
“It was an accident!” Clint whined, not unlike a small child, or as he would argue, a regularly sized child.
“Uh-huh, sure, like how in Budapest you ‘accidentally’-“
“Hey now you know that was an accident!”
“Now now, you two always get on each other’s case about that.” Phil huffed playfully. “Do I have to separate you two?”
“What happened in Budapest?” Papa asked, voicing everyone’s question.
Jamesy lost interest as the two ex-spies began bickering, choosing instead to focus on the few remaining bare spots on the tree. He knew that Thor would be making his visit soon, and he wanted his floor’s tree to be perfect. So what if he was a bit of a showoff? Bucky always said that after seventy years of captivity and torture, they’re allowed to be a little showy and eccentric.
“Here, bub,” Papa hummed, handing him a Raichu ornament he bought on their last grocery run. “Find somewhere good to put that one, so Thor can see it.”
Jamesy nodded, circling the tree once again. He had gotten the little orange mouse with Thor in mind, since the both of them had lightning powers. With that in mind, he wanted to find the perfect spot for the plastic electric Pokemon. Besides, Daddy said Peter was visiting too, and he always liked ‘geeking out’ with him, as Tony put it.
Meer moments after finding the perfect bare branch next to his favorite red tin mailbox ornament, the bickering band of heroes were distracted by a dull thud from the landing zone of the tower.
“Sir, Prince Thor of Asgard has arrived.” JARVIS chimed in.
“Great! Send him down, he knows the way by now.” Tony gestured vaguely to the ceiling.
“I might also add that he has brought company, Prince Loki of Asgard.” JARVIS continued.
“Loki? Really?” Clint huffed. “Don’t we have a no bad guys during Christmas policy?”
“I’m sure he has his reasons for bringing him.” Phil mumbled, almost incredulously.
“Big was out f’ Chris’mas last year?” Jamesy pointed out.
“Soldier isn’t a bad guy, none of you are.” Daddy huffed.
Almost as if on cue to save them from the awkward and painfully upsetting conversation of what does and does not constitute as a ‘bad guy’, Thor stepped in through the elevator doors, with the aforementioned god of mischief behind him.
“Dearest ones!” Thor exclaimed, the grin on his face rivaling the glowing lights on the tree. Jamesy was ecstatic, seeing the demigod in the festive red and white sweater he gifted him three years ago. “It has been too long!”
“Not long enough for some of us.” Tony huffed, eyeing the black haired demigod still standing in the elevator.
“Play nice.” Pepper huffed quietly in Tony’s ear.
“Thor, how have you been?” Daddy smiled, standing up from his chair.
“I’ve been faring quite well, Captain!” Thor hummed, patting Daddy on the back. “I see your family is faring as well!” He smiled, turning to Papa and Jamesy.
“Hey, Thor,” Papa smiled, shaking hands with the demigod. “Good to see you again, man.”
“You as well, Son of Wil.” Thor smiled. “And young prince Barnes! It is-“ Thor was cut off by a near bone-crushing hug from the little boy, earning a hearty laugh from the Asgardian.
“Hi Thor!” Jamesy beamed, pulling away to tug at his sleeve. “Look look! I jus’ finished decoratin’ m’ tree!” He explained, pulling the demigod towards the sparkling plant.
“My, what design! Truly a work of art from a brilliant young mind!” Thor wrapped an arm around Jamesy’s shoulders, making him feel perfectly small. “Dear brother! Come bear witness!”
“I’d rather not.” Loki huffed, arms still crossed over his chest. Truthfully, Jamesy was expecting him to be wearing his green cape and horn-crown, but instead he was wearing a black coat and, generally, normal looking clothes. “Dearest brother.” He sneered, mocking him.
“Didn’t know Thor would be inviting the Grinch along with him.” Clint mumbled, earning a not so gentle smack on the arm from Phil. “Hey!” He huffed.
“Oh, oh! Thor look!” Jamesy bounced, unknowingly cutting the tension in the room. “Look! I got this one ‘cause it reminded me of you!” He pointed to the little electric mouse on the branch. “It’s a Raichu, it has lightning powers like you!
“It is quite lovely! Do all creatures of Midgard wield such powers?” Thor mused, turning the ornament over in his hand.
“No, it’s not real, ‘s from a video game.” Jamesy explained. “It’d be kinda neat if it were real...”
No one noticed the amused glint in Loki’s eyes, all too focused on the heart-warming interaction between a boy and his god.
“Well, Thor, we’ve got some eggnog left if you want.” Tony explained, standing up from his spot.
“You’re welcome to have some as well, Loki.” Pepper added, extending a hand to the entity of chaos.
“Generous, but I’ll pass.” Loki huffed.
With a shrug, the adults made their way into the nearby kitchen, with Jamesy trailing behind, sharing tales of grand, imaginary adventures of capturing and battling powerful creatures.
“Midgardian nonsense...” Loki mumbled to himself, eyeing the orange rodent swaying gently on the branch.