"I'm sorry. I love you".
"He's just a child! Stop! What are you doing? He's just a child!"
"You are our asset. You are not a human. Do you hear me boy!"
"Again. Raise electricity to level four. Again".
"Peter! Peter! Come back! Peter!"
"Don't kill me! Please!"
"Emil! Stop ruining my suits! Why the hell do I put up with you white people?"
"You're a nobody! A science rat without parents. You're only an asset! Now shut up!"
"Again. Raise the electricity".
"Again!"
Emil woke up screaming. He tumbled out of bed, hitting the floor with a sharp thump that would surely leave a bruise, before automatically jumping up onto his feet. His arms raised into the trained self defence pose as he glanced around the room. Breath coming in short pants as sweat dropped down his neck.
Everything was quiet. The room in Avengers headquarters was not much bigger than his at New York. It held a sense of emptiness though, something that made Emil ache inside. Now, as he anxiously surveyed the room, this emptiness seemed to be suffocating. The green curtains were closed, leaving the room in darkness. Emil gazed around with his night vision. Everything was in place. His sketch book was lying on the floor along with a mechanical pencil and eraser, all knocked off the bedside table during his nightmare induced panic. His trousers from the previous day were crumpled on his wheely desk chair where he had left them and the wardrobe door was shut. Nothing was dislodged from the book case and the photo frames on top were still in place. Emil's breathing softened as he stared at the images. Peter's and his own smiling faces, distorted by the night vision, grinned back.
Sighing, Emil dropped out of his defensive pose and shuffled over to the picture. Peter was grinning at the camera, fingers forming a victory sign next to his face. Emil's own face was smushed next to it. His eyes were screwed up in a comical grin with his cheek against Peter's. The photo had been taken on the helicopter pad at Stark, now Emil's, tower. Both boys were standing with their backs to the city below them and the sunset of the New York skyline. Shuri had taken the picture on the last day of her visit. A week before getting dragged to space. A week before the snap.
Emil's bedroom door burst open. Bright light suddenly shone into the room and he jumped, dropping the picture to cover his eyes. Steve and Natasha stormed in. Both were still in their sleepwear but Natasha had a gun in her hands. From where she got it from, Emil had no clue. She was wearing a oversized night top and a pair of leggings with a grey robe wrapped around her. Other than the sleep wear and behead, she was wide awake and alert. Steve just looked sleepy and ruffled in a white tshirt and blue sweatpants. He blinked at the room, yawning.
"Everything okay?" Nat asked as she disarmed her weapon once she realised that the room was empty. She tucked the gun into a pocket of her dressing gown and crossed the room to where Emil was standing.
Emil rubbed his eyes, wincing as they adjusted to the light. "Um yeah. Just a nightmare", he mumbled. Nat bent down and picked up the photo he had dropped. She set it back on the bookcase, angling it so that it was in the exact position as before.
Steve sighed tiredly and walked over. He pulled Emil into a hug, resting his head on his shoulder. This was not the first nightmare Emil'd had since waking up. It was the firs time he had woken up screaming though. "Hey there bud. It's okay", he said soothingly. His hand stroked through Emil's hair comfortingly. "Do you want to tell me about it?" Steve asked. Emil shook his head.
He felt Natasha take his hand, clasping it in both of hers. Her touch was warm and reassuring. "Well it's four twenty two in the morning. Movie and morning mochas?" She suggested. Emil relaxed a bit more. Nat made the best coffee. Her coffee was even better than Friday's, not that anyone would ever tell Tony that.
"Sure", Emil smiled weakly as him and Steve parted. "I'm sorry for waking you up".
"Don't apologise kid", Steve reassured him as Emil pulled on his dressing gown. It was a huge fluffy black thing that covered him from head to toe. It had been a gift from Tony and Morgan after his first nightmare. That had bee only a few days after he had woke from the ice. That was almost a year ago now and the fluffiness was fading due to well use. But it was still a huge comfort item that Emil wore after every nightmare. It was one of the only things that felt warm.
"We would have woken up soon anyway", Natasha murmured, hiding a yawn. Emil glanced at her but she smiled warmly at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He knew that she didn't sleep much either. Despite having four more years than Emil to get used to it, he knew that Steve and Natasha didn't sleep much either.
Together, the three of them walked out and down the stairs to the shared living space and kitchen. Originally planned for housing and cooking for a team of people, the kitchen seemed too desolate with only the three of them. Natasha busied herself making the coffee while Steve lit the stove.
"Porridge anyone?" He asked as he got out a saucepan and the tub of oats. Emil and Natasha both hummed in agreement. Hopping up onto the kitchen isle counter, Emil swung his bare feet and watched them. His legs were clad in red tartan pyjama bottoms and he had on one of Peter's old T-shirt's. It was the massive 'I survived my trio to New York' tourist shirt that Tony had once brought him. It had been big on Peter, but it swamped Emil, Peter always having been broader than him.
"You're just all legs", Peter had once said. "That's why you're so tall. All long limbs like a bug". Emil had laughed at that and called him short. Peter had responded by picking Emil up and throwing him into the air before catching him again, barely breaking a sweat.
"Yield!" Emil remembered that he had been laughing so much that he could barely breathe. "I yield. Now put me down spider boy". Peter had smirked and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Nope. All mine now. I'm not letting you go".
"Emil?" Steve nudged him and offered him a bowl. "Porridge. With strawberry jam and honey, just how you like it". Emil jolted and took it. Natasha had finished with the coffee and it sat steaming in each of their favourite mugs. Emil's was black and was decorated with a little cartoon ghost and the word 'Boo' emblazoned across the front. It had been a Christmas gift from Ned one year and everyone had found it hilarious.
"Thanks", Emil spoke as he took the mug with his spare hand. Natasha's mug had the single cover to the song black widow by iggy azalea. Whilst Steve's had the words 'senior citizen' declared in black writing. Both mugs had been joke gifts from Tony. He quirked a slight smile at them.
Together, the three of them wandered into the adjoining living room and sat closely on the large couch. The couch was a massive L shaped thing of black leather. It faced the almost cinema sized tv and the glass walls overlooking a small courtyard garden. Early dawn light was streaming through, turning everything a soft gold. "Movie?" Steve asked as he picked up the remote from the coffee table.
"Naked gun", Emil suggested.
"Big hero 6", Natasha voiced.
Emil and Steve both turned to look at her with identical faces of horror. "Big hero 6?" Steve repeated. Natasha nodded smirking.
"That's just evil", Emil muttered. "You know we both cry at Disney movies. Well all accept toy story. That one gives me the creeps".
"It'll be fun", Natasha shrugged and ate a mouthful of porridge. "You two cry at most movies anyway".
"We do not!" Emil and Steve synchronised. Steve waved his spoon at her in disgust.
"That's incorrect".
"Who sobbed at the end of how to train your dragon three?"
"To be fair", Emil said. "Even Tony and Rhodes teared up a little at that one". He hummed as he ate a mouthful of warm honey and strawberry porridge. It was such a comfort food.
"How about we watch studio ghibli?" Steve suggested. Emil and Natasha both eyed him warily. "What?" He looked at them. "I haven't seen any of their movies before. I've heard that they're good".
Emil shrugged. "I vote Howl's moving castle. Howl is hot".
"Ponyo", Natasha supplied. "It's adorable".
"What's My neighbour Totoro?" Steve asked. Emil gave him a blank look then subtly exchanged glances with Natasha. She sighed and pulled out a packet of tissues from seemingly no where.
"Yeah", Emil agreed once Natasha waved the tissues at him. "Put that one on".
"Okay then", Steve pressed play.
Long story short, Steve sobbed and both he and Emil used up all the tissues.
Unedited.