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It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and blue with the occasional puff of cloud roaming lazily overhead. Birds chirped gaily and dogs barked happily. The leaves in the trees fluttered and the grass danced in the light breeze that whistled in the air. Children laughed and adults sighed in contentment under the warm, bright sun. The weather was great and the atmosphere relaxing.
"You know what? Screw you, Barton!"
Well, mostly.
"What's wrong Stark? Can't handle my skills?" Clint taunted, swinging his racket. Tony glared at him, a red mark forming on his forehead.
"You totally aimed for my face! That's definitely cheating!" He turned sharply to his husband who wore a pained and exasperated expression. "Isn't that cheating?!" Steve shook his head and looked to the other super soldier on the opposite side of the net.
"Buck, could you get a hold on your partner please?" Bucky raised an eyebrow and the corner of his lips twitched up.
"Get a hold of yours and then I'll do it." Steve rolled his eyes and looked back to his still arguing husband. He sighed and laid a hand on the smaller man's shoulder. Tony shut up and looked warily at Steve's new face.
"Can we just play?" Puppy dog eyes activated and Sad Steve voice lilting perfectly. Tony scrunched up his face, knowing immediately he'd lose this fight, and sighed dramatically.
"Fine, fine, but if he hits me again, I'm tapping Thor in." He grumbled, grabbing the birdie from the grass and moving back over to his side. A voice piped up from under a tree a few yards away.
"No, you're not."
"Not helping, Bruce!"
The scientist chuckled and returned to watching his pseudo-nephew play in the grass. There was a hearty laugh beside him and a solid warmth pressed further up against him. The large asgardian watched the others play their aggressive game of badminton as Peter rolled his toy trucks up and over the larger man's legs. Thor grinned but didn't take his eyes off of the game, reaching down to ruffle Peter's hair and making him giggle. It all felt very domestic to Bruce and filled him simultaneously with warmth and crippling fear.
He loved kids, he really did. Bruce was great with Peter and deep down he could admit he wanted some of his own. But he couldn't with... how he was. Since the team had really become a family, with the new addition of Peter, and he and Thor's relationship finally cemented he was calmer. Even the Hulk was more manageable when he emerged to fight or Bruce lost his cool. But the fear and danger of the past still haunted him. Memories of death and destruction flashed in his mind, the sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed him and sent him into the beginnings of a panic attack. His breathing became shallow and quickened, sweat began to bead on his forehead and back. The world grew fuzzy around him and his hands began to shake.
There was a small yelp and two large hands clasped around his own, stilling them. A deep voice spoke but it was just a hum of noise to his ears, no words. The fuzzy light was suddenly blocked out by four new shadows, more voices saying nothing. He could feel it. The green rumbling deep within his head was quiet, but there was no aggression behind it. Just a low concern.
Says a lot when your panic attack worries the embodiment of rage.
Something hit him out of nowhere, knocking him back into the tree he'd been leaning against before. Little arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist and a voice broke through.
"Uncah B'uce!" Peter wailed, squeezing tighter.
Bruce broke out of his trance and his arms flew up to cradle the toddler. Running on instinct he cooed and consoled Peter, rubbing his back and rocking them gently. This lasted for a few minutes before Peter was calm and dozing off from the stress. Bruce sighed and remembered the others surrounding them.
Every single one of them looked surprised (Bucky was more reserved but it still showed) and the only one happy about it was Thor. His grin stretched wide across his face and his cheeks were rosy. Bruce managed a weak smile back until he noticed the bodies below the faces. Thor was holding his arms wide in front of the others and behind him they all held defensive stances.
Of course, he had lost it. They were right to react that way, but... He looked down to the sleeping toddler.
Bruce stood up slowly, the others tensing, and moved to hand Peter to Tony. After receiving a nod, he grabbed Thor's arm and hauled him away from the others. When they were far enough away he turned to Thor. He wore his most aggravated expression but Thor just kept beaming brightly. The demigod's cheerfulness was resilient.
"What were you thinking?! You should have let them take Peter away! Hell, you should have done it first!" Bruce wanted to flail and yell, but he kept his fists balled up tight against his sides. "Why, Thor? Why did you do that?"
"Because I believed in young Peter's ability to calm you." Thor spoke with such assurance and warmth it threw Bruce off. He was stunned by how much Thor not only trusted him but a three year old as well. In his silence, Thor spoke up again, his happiness dimmed.
"What was the cause of your distress?" Bruce sighed, briefly contemplating keeping it to himself but the open and concerned eyes staring at him changed his mind.
"I was thinking about kids." He couldn't meet those eyes.
"Children? Why would that distress you?" Usually Thor's confusion was charming and even adorable, but now... It just hurt.
"Well, not just children in general." Bruce suddenly felt fidgety and nervous, like his skin was too tight and itchy. "About, y'know, us... having some..." He cranked the words out slowly and was only given silence in return.
"You worry of the warrior Hulk." Not a question. Bruce nodded glumly and tears began to well up in his eyes. A large, soft hand cupped his cheek and turned him to face Thor. Bruce expected a sad or even angry face, not the determined stare he was met with.
"My love, you are compassionate, kind, intelligent, and so many more things. Your selflessness shocks me everyday and you still seem oblivious to these traits." Thor gave a chagrined smile. "You give me such love, so much to love, and yet you deem yourself unworthy of trust." Bruce's tears overflowed and streamed down and over the asgardian's fingers. Thor kissed them away and pulled Bruce into his arms.
"You will be an exemplary and wonderful father, and you will not hurt them. I am sure of it." Bruce's head shot up.
"So you..." Thor grinned and kissed the scientist's forehead.
"Of course, I wish to be bonded and raise children together. Never doubt the love of an asgardian, we are quite persistent." Bruce chuckled and hugged Thor back, sighing softly as he fully relaxed. Maybe this could work. A voice blasted at them from a ways away.
"If you're done making out, the food's ready!" Tony yelled, effectively ruining the moment. Thor laughed heartily and Bruce rolled his eyes with a huff of breath.
They walked back over, fingers entangled, and went to join the others who were sitting on a large blanket spread out beneath the same tree as earlier. When they were only a few yards away, Peter squirmed off of Bucky's lap and bolted over to latch onto Bruce's legs. Bruce staggered slightly and looked down to the pouty, worried face.
"You okay now, Uncah B'uce?" Bruce grinned and nodded, ruffling Peter's hair. Peter let out a whoop and ran back to climb onto Bucky again. Thor and Bruce sat down with the others and dug in with fervor. It was a feast of burgers, hot dogs, salads and more. A good old American cook out, catered by the Captain himself. The atmosphere was back to normal, Clint and Tony sassing each other and Steve and Bucky laughing at them. Thor told Peter tales of Asgardian feasts after great battles and his friends' appetites while Bruce listened along. Everything was perfect.
Once there was a lull in the chatter, Bucky cleared his throat.
"So," he said casually. "Clint and I are getting married."
Clint slapped a hand to his face, blushing wildly from his roots down to his collarbone. There was a heavy pause, everyone's stunned faces turned to excitement.
Then uproar.