Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 3

I Thought You Were Different: A Momentary Drabble

Just a scenario that popped into my head on the drive home today.  It doesn't mean there's more coming, sorry to fans of the series. I'm just happy to write SOMETHING. I've been blocked for SO LONG.

"Teeny, it's time for lunch!"

"Teeny!"

"Anthonia!"

"Anthonia Margaret Morales it's lunch time!  Last call or I'm eating this peanut butter sandwich!  I think I did good this time!"

Steve paused, gently setting the knife down to balance on the rim of the jar, waiting to hear the reply from his granddaughter with a trained ear.  It was his first time on solo babysitting duty while you took Brooke out to lunch after doing her final fitting for her wedding dress earlier that morning.  Your home in Brooklyn had never felt smaller despite it being only you and Steve there now, but the flurry of Avengers past and present travelling through it for the upcoming nuptials had left the two of you yearning for a moment alone.  Today, however, Steve wouldn't have traded these few hours with his girl for anything.

"Define lunch or be disintegrated," came the tiny voice from the far side of the kitchen.  He turned to look at her and stopped, jumping slightly and knocking the sticky knife onto the floor as his elbow bumped it just enough to send it flying and crashing down.

"Woah, hold on, where did you get that?" he hurried across the room, removing the helmet from her little head.  "That's Uncle Ant's helmet for his suit, baby.  You can't be playing with that, it's not safe."

"No, it's not," Anthonia argued, "I found it in the garage."

"In the garage?  What were you doing out there?"

"I was looking for somethin'."

"Hmm," Steve smirked, "was that somethin' this?"

"I was looking for the shiny hand thing with the light in the middle and found this," the little girl shrugged, her gaze dropping to the floor though her smile continued.  "I wanted to shoot at the target Uncle Clint gave me but Mom won't let me have any arrows."

With a gentle roll of his eyes that came naturally and unable to hide, Steve snickered and shook his head, "can't imagine why.  But sweetie, this helmet has to be... Uncle Ant's...wait..." he stopped, turning it over in his hands several times until they froze to a halt in his realization.  They began to shake just a bit and his breaths caught in his chest, but he was unable to stop the rim of tears lining his lashes.  "This was your great-grandpa Tony's," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, Granpapaa," Anthonia hurried to answer, her own tears now building in pure terror of her mistake of being caught.  Tony's belongings were held in reverence on most occasions and she had been well educated on how she was never to risk breaking any of them by playing near where they were stored.  "I didn't mean to take it, I promise.  I'm sorry."

"It's okay, sweetheart," Steve offered quietly, his eyes still locked on the sight in his hands, "we can put it back and no one needs to know."

"Are you sure you won't tell Grammyma (Y/N)?"

"I won't tell her."

"If you have to, it's okay," the girl replied stoically now, chin up and eyes looking at Steve with determination to hold her resolve.  She couldn't break in front of him; he was the strongest and bravest man in her life and she never wanted to let him down. "I did something wrong, and I'll tell her that I'm sorry too.  Don't lie for me, Granpapaa Steve, I can take it."

Steve paused and turned the helmet to face her, "look, nothing happened. All you did was bring it to me, right? To make sure that I put it somewhere that you maybe can't get to next time, okay?  No harm done."

"Okay," she smiled widely, and the moment of fear was washed away as fast as it had come.  Pushing up on her tip-toes she tried to look past him but he was far too big for her tiny frame to get around.  "You didn't really eat my sammich did you?"

"No, I didn't," he chuckled in return, "so grab a chair and you can get started while I put this away.  Say goodbye to great-grandpa Tony."  He held the helmet up for her as she hopped into her seat, waiting for her to put a small kiss on its cheek.

"Bye bye, Greatpapaa," she paused, leaning in closer to whisper, "I'll find you again tomorrow."