The Tales of Pietro and Zrinka

Baby Brother

"And then- CRASH!" Tomas exclaimed, jumping from the Maximoff's couch. He landed on his back on the floor. "The great Captain Tomas was pushed off the plank! And died!"

"Arg! Victory!" Markus yelled, waving around the paper towel roll that was being used as a sword. "Captain Markus wins the battle!" He grabbed Wanda around the waist- gently, of course. "And then he married the beautiful second mate, Wanda!"

Wanda giggled.

Suddenly, he was hit by a paper towel roll and fell to the floor. "BETRAYAL! BETRAYAL FROM FIRST MATE PIETRO!" He made dramatic choking noises before rolling his eyes up into his head and sticking out his tongue, playing dead.

"He didn't ask her brother's permission marrying her! So he died." Pietro shrugged, pulling Wanda in a hug. She rolled her eyes.

Magda laughed at him. "Pietro, stop those shenanigans. Your sister can marry whoever she wants, as long as he isn't a jerk."

"Ok."

The kids were at the Maximoff's apartment because Zrinka's mother was having a baby, so Magda was asked to babysit Zrinka for the weekend. And of course, the other kids wanted to come, too. So they were playing pirates.

Suddenly Pietro gasped. "GERTIE!" He fell dramatically to the floor, not even closing his eyes. Pietro was the KING of staring contests. He wouldn't be closing them anytime soon.

Wanda highfived her friend, and Zrinka did to. "Girls win!" Gertie announced.

"No fair!" Tomas shrieked.

"We're PIRATES. We're not 'sposed to be fair!"

"Plus, that's what you get for not letting us be captains!" Zrinka added.

Magda laughed. There was a knock at the door. She opened it, revealing Zrinka's father.

"Hello, Magda."

"Hello, Viktor! You here for Zrinka?"

"Yep."

"DADDY!" Zrinka yelled, running over, jumping into his arms. "Boy or girl?"

"You have a new brother!"

"Dang it, Pietro was right."

Viktor laughed.

"But I told Pietro that it wouldn't be a boy, and if it was, he go go see him. Oh! Can he come Daddy?!"

"I don't know, honey-"

"Please? Please, please, please?!"

Viktor sighed. "If his mama says that it's ok to borrow him for a couple hours."

"Can he come, Miss Magda? Please?!"

"If it's ok with your father and he wants to go, I don't see why not."

"Yay! You wanna come, Piet?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, c'mon!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him to the door. "Are you coming, Papa?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

The two nine year olds entered the hospital holding hands. "I can't believe you were right," Zrinka grumbled.

Pietro shrugged. "I have a tendency to be. Which is good, since you should know from that you're perfect." He winked at her as he said it.

She smiled. "I already knew that. But you also have a tendency to be a know it all."

"Only because I do know it all."

Zrinka shoved him. "You do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do-"

"Stop if you two," Viktor quietly reprimanded. "We're here." He lead them into the room where Zrinka's mother was sitting up on the bed, cradling a baby.

Zrinka walked over, letting go of Pietro's hand. She looked at her new brother skeptically.

"Do you want to hold him?" Her mother asked. Zrinka nodded.

"Sit on the bed then, Sweetie," The woman said.

Zrinka did what she was told, and she was handed the baby. "Look, Pietro! Isn't he cute?"

"Not as cute as you."

Zrinka smiled. "Thanks, Pietro. I don't have a brother. You're a brother. How can I be a good sister?"

"Be yourself. That's what I like about Wanda. And you're cool like her."

"Thank you. You're so nice. Even if you ARE a total flirt."

"You know I am, Beautiful."

Zrinka laughed gently, careful not to wake up her sleeping baby brother.