It Only Takes a Second

- LXIV -

Harry stumbled into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face as he noticed his dad standing at the counter, tossing blueberries to Lucy who was sitting eagerly at his feet. At hearing someone enter, Tony looked up and beamed.

"Well kiddo, today's the day!" Tony announced, clasping his hands together and creating a sharp staccato noise that reverberated through the kitchen. Harry had just woken up, and despite his excitement about the bakery's opening day, he couldn't find the energy in himself to be as awake and excited as his dad at just 4 in the morning. With a fleeting thought, he wondered if his dad had slept at all.

Probably not.

Harry had insisted on getting up early so that they could get to the bakery and he could make a few batches of the likely to be popular items, before the shop opened at 6 a.m.

Pepper made her way into the kitchen, giving Harry's cheek a quick kiss, reaching down to give Lucy's head a quick pat, and walking over to Tony, who greeted her with a more proper kiss. She nestled herself into his side, and smiled contently.

"So, today's a big day-- how are you feeling?" She asked Harry, and he began to wonder how many times he would be asked that throughout the day. Between the normal excitement of opening your own business and the events that transpired only a few days ago, he was sure to be bombarded with questions surrounding his wellbeing today.

"I'm excited," he admitted with a smile. He noticed that his mom wasn't dressed in her normal Stark Industries attire, and was instead sporting a Lily's t-shirt and a pair of high-waisted jeans. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back in a braid, and she looked every bit ready to help work the bakery for the day.

Tony had apparently noticed as well, as he held her out at arms length to inspect.

"You look hot," he commented with a wink as Pepper swatted his arm. "Maybe I need to have you wear that all the time."

"She wears pencil skirts on the daily, and you're saying that's your favorite?" Clint teased, entering the kitchen with Natasha on his tail. "No offense, Pepper, you look great."

Natasha smacked Clint's head, and Tony stuck his tongue out at the archer in an undignified manner. Pepper just let out a laugh, and Harry wondered how they were all so awake at this hour of the morning.

"How are you doing this morning?" Clint asked, pulling up a chair and taking a cup of coffee offered to him by Natasha.

Harry groaned inwardly, knowing that his suspicion was right-- he was going to hear that question a lot today.

"Tired at the moment," he answered honestly. "I didn't really sleep well last night. I was just so excited."

Everyone nodded in understanding, and took a sip of their coffee in an unintentional synchronous motion.

"It's so early," a new voice spoke, belonging to Bucky who was stumbling into the kitchen with a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Steve trailing him.

"Maybe if you two didn't stay up so late-" Tony began, but Pepper smacked his arm before he could finish the sentence.

"Real classy, Stark," Steve rebutted, but he was still smiling. Bucky turned to Harry, and immediately, Harry was dreading the question that he was sure he was about to hear.

"Please tell me you've got a few extra orange cranberry scones that you can spare this morning. I think it might be an emergency," the winter soldier's eyes were wide and serious, and it was such an extreme difference from what Harry had been expecting that he couldn't contain his laughter.