The Flame (Avengers Fanfiction)

62-Blue

"He's doing the grief circle tonight and I think he's going to go visit Auntie Tasha so he probably won't be home until later. Why?" I ask as I make a plate for myself, sitting down across from him at the table. Ben pushes around his mashed potatoes. I didn't enjoy always playing second fiddle to my husband. Is it wrong that I want to be my son's favorite? I pushed him out of me, I carried him inside of me. I'm the one who takes him to school, the one who started writing little notes for his lunch as soon as he learned to read. Steve's a great father though. Carrying Ben on his shoulders while we walk around Central Park or taking Benjamin to baseball games. Steve's great. Damn that man for being so great.

"I wanted to play with him. He pinky promised." My son tells me, sounding very disappointed. I press my lips together, trying to think of what to tell my son. I set down my fork and smile at Ben.

"Would it make you feel better if I tell you about you about how your Uncle Tony and I kicked some butt?" I question. Steve and I usually don't talk to Ben about our day jobs, but our son loves hearing about it. He loves saying that his parents are superheroes, but I guess any child would. Ben looks up from his food and he smiles at me. He nods enthusiastically.

Once I'm done eating, I clean up the mess that making dinner had caused before Benjamin and I walk upstairs. I give him a bath and dress him in pajamas that look like my brother's suit. I sat on the edge of his grey colored bed as he climbed in and got settled. Benjamin smiles at me, resting his hands on his stomach as he waits patiently. I think for a moment which story I should tell before diving into the Battle of New York.

-

As I quietly shut my son's door once he's asleep. I lean my back against the wall. I feel so old, so stupidly old even though I don't look it. It's moments like this that I really want Steve beside me. I need someone to lean on, but he's always gone. Maybe he can't bear to see me anymore. I'd understand. I really would. I still love him. I'll always love him.

I walked into the bedroom, my fingers dancing along the walls. Tony's gone domestic too, ever since Pepper had that little girl. Morgan's a sweetheart. Fatherhood and marriage had been good to my brother. I couldn't have wished for a better life for him. He's so stupidly happy that it makes me stupidly happy. Anything for my brother. Ben loves getting into trouble with his cousin. They're as thick as thieves. They go to the same school and they are both constantly having sleepovers either here or at Tony's little lake house. I couldn't wish for a better life.

The door opens downstairs and I quickly walk out of the bedroom, looking over the bannister. It's Steve. I don't go downstairs to greet him because I expect him to walk into the kitchen so he can eat dinner, but instead he runs up the stairs. I look at him worriedly but I don't even get to ask him what's wrong before he blurts it out.

"Scott's alive." Steve tells me. No "hi, how are you" or "I missed you". Of course not. I look at him confused, walking towards him. I search his face, trying to read it. Is he terrified or elated? Maybe he's nervous.

"What? Scott Lang? Ant-Man?" I try to clarify and before he can further the conversation, two more people walk in through the front door. It's Natasha and well, Scott Lang. I blink, trying to process everything. I look at my husband. Why can't you let me be more involved in all of this shit, Rogers?

"I'll put some coffee on. We are going to need that big beautiful brain of yours." Steve tells me, a smile on his face before he kisses me softly. I kiss him back, cupping his cheek ever so slightly before we are forced to make our way back downstairs. I want more kisses like that. Scott smiles at me and is very surprised when I hug him tightly. I lead him and Natasha into my office, the lights switching on as Steve goes off to make coffee. My office is huge. Hanging in one of the large cabinets are all my various suits from the one I wore during the Battle of New York to the one I wore in Wakanda. Drawers and cabinets lined the walls, holding everything I need from the special fabrics I use for my suits to the various tech I use.

"I'd rather us talk shop in here. So Lang," I say, sitting on the table in the middle of the room, looking at Scott and Natasha, "why is my husband saying that you guys need my brain?"

"Scott wants you to invent time travel, Pey." Natasha says as Steve walks in holding the coffees on a tray. I blink, looking at Scott before looking at Steve. Are you fucking kidding me, Rogers? My husband looks almost apologetic.

"Scott, why time travel?" I ask, pinching the bridge of my nose. Oh my God. It is way too late for this, but I suppose the coffee Steve is handing me is supposed to help. Scott takes the coffee and takes a sip before going into his explanation, but I quickly hold up a finger, "Keep it short and simple."

"Alright well what if we used time travel to go back and get the stones and bring everyone back." Scott tells me like it's the easiest thing in the world. I take a sip of my coffee, getting off the table and hitting a button. The table turns on and I start typing as Scott goes into more detail.

"Peyton we have to try-" Steve starts as soon as Scott is done and I don't even glance up as I hack into whatever is left of Hank Pym's resources.

"Rogers, that's what you told me when you and the others decided to go to space and kill Thanos. Did that help anything?" I ask, pulling up everything I can about the quantum realm and the Pym particle. I can practically feel my husband glaring at me, but I'm right. Scott, Steve, and Natasha are silent until I finish looking at everything. I pull my hair into a bun, looking at the three of them. It's going to be a long night for me.

"I'm not going to be able to do this by myself. You're going to have to get my team together." I tell them. Natasha nods and my husband looks away, leaning against the wall. Tony doesn't speak to Steve. I think the last time he did talk to Steve was my wedding. Ben and I saw my brother all time, but Steve really didn't. Tony still thought of my husband as the man who made me land in a cell on the Raft.

"I think we can get Banner, but your brother isn't going to talk us." She tells me and I take another sip of my coffee. Scott looks at me and then at Natasha.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Scott asks and Steve sighs. Natasha sits down, drinking her coffee. I don't really care because I'm already getting into the mood I need to be in to think of a way that this bullshit can work.

"Lang, I'm going to need your suit and get me some Pym particles yeah?" I ask, not even looking at the others in the room. He does what I ask after going outside to get it.

I work throughout the night. Tasha and Scott go off to sleep, as does Steve, after kissing my forehead. Now, I don't know how long it had taken Hank Pym to make his suit, but I make a new version in a night, using Hank's blueprints. I don't stop until there's a new white quantum suit made as well as some basic plans for a machine.

"Mommy? What are you doing?" Benjamin asks as I am putting on the helmet. I quickly take it off as Steve rushes over, picking up Benjamin before he can wander further into the room. My office/workroom is not at all safe for my son. Ben, thankfully, is dressed for school. I'm glad Steve got him ready.

"Hey buddy, come on we gotta eat breakfast." Steve says, smiling at Benjamin and I. I kiss Benjamin's cheek and then Steve's. I quickly go upstairs to shower and look somewhat presentable before all five of us squeeze into one of my Audis. Steve's in the passenger seat while Benjamin is squished between Natasha and Scott.

"Mommy, who is this?" Benjamin asks as I drive to his school. I pull into the drop off lane in front of his school.

"That's Scott. He's a friend." Steve responds just as I stop the car, putting the breaks on before getting out of the car. Steve also gets out, holding Benjamin's backpack and lunch pail. Natasha gets out of the car to let Ben out. I help Benjamin into his dinosaur backpack and I kiss his cheek. Steve kisses his forehead and hands Ben his lunch bag.

"Alright, you be good today, okay?" I say, smiling at my son. Steve and I don't even to get to tell our son that we love him before he sees one of his friends and walks over to follow her into the school. Steve and I get into the car and I quickly pull away from the curb. It's silent for a moment until Scott speaks up.

"I gotta say, you two seem like really great parents." He says, leaning forward so his head is in between Steve and I's seats, "Although it's really weird to think of the Flame and Captain America as parents. Although I guess you two are like the Avengers's parents or America's parents."

"If I wasn't driving, I'd actually punch you the throat." I respond, not even glancing back at Scott. I can see him move back out of the corner of my eye. Steve moves to rest his hand on my thigh, his thumb drawing circles into the denim fabric covering my leg.