"mistake" • spiderchelle

fifty two

Benjamin and Mary are one years old

•••

"Bring out their cakes," Michelle told someone, putting Mary's birthday bib on. She readjusted the red bow in her hair, then took her phone out her pocket. "Say 'It's my birthday," she said, taking a picture of the twins in their high chairs.

"Do you want me to set them down yet?" Tony asked, balancing one small cake in each hand. "Yeah, let me just get beside Mary," she told him.

He waited for her to sit beside her daughter, then placed the Spider-Man themed cakes in front of the twins. "We're are going to regret giving them this much sugar," Peter said, picking up icing on his finger, and rubbing it on Ben's nose.

Ben squealed, and tried to grab at Peter, his hands full of cake. "Hey, you're making a mess," Peter joked, then leaned in, letting Ben get some cake on his cheek. "You got me!" Peter said, faking surprise. Ben laughed so hard, he almost knocked the cake off his high chair, but Peter's reflexes caught it in time.

"How are they already one?" Natasha asked, taking a picture of Michelle and Mary. "I have no idea. It feels jst like yesterday that me and Pete ran away," Michelle said, wiping cake away from Mary's eyes. "Yeah, still not happy you two did that," Tony said.

"Cake! Cake!" Mary said, throwing her hands up, slinging cake everywhere. Everyone laughed, enjoying the moment.

"Imagine what we'd be doing right now if we hadn't had the twins," Peter said, grabbing everyone's attention. "We'd probably be in the labs or trading rooms. Michelle would be at home, probably reading." "But we're together. Just one big family celebrating the youngest," Tony added.

"I wouldn't trade today for anything," Michelle said, smiling at the family she had grown to love over the past year. "Thank you for adding me to your very dysfunctional family," she joked, earning laughs from everyone. "This family isn't complete without you," Natasha told her.

Everyone fell quiet, enjoying the moment they had together. They watched as Mary and Ben finished their cakes, a sugar rush minutes away. They enjoyed each other's company, and assurance of family.

"Happy one of many years," Peter told his kids, cleaning Ben off with a baby wipe. "You two are going to gone insane living with all of these people," Michelle joked, cleaning off Mary.

•••

there's only one more chapter left...

-Nat