#so many guys look like lego blocks whenever they get put in suits

[maximura]

[certifiedbun]

One Big Happy Family

trying posting my fics onf tumblr this one is cross posted on Ao3 by the same name. DreamSMP fic where Dream are immortal siblings and are adopted by Tubbo’s family. On-Going

Chapter 1

Dream didn’t know how long he’d been walking. It’s been ages since he’s slept properly in a bed and warm home. It made him miss his old village but what could he do. He was more than 1,000 years old and he’s seen so many of his homes be destroyed and die out. But that was expected 

and it didn’t help that his brother Ranboo had to endure this with him. They knew that whenever they joined a village they’d have to prepare for when the village eventually died but it never failed to hurt. Especially since they could never stop it. They walked into a spruce wood forest where the trees were so tall they couldn’t see the sky. As they were about to settle down in a tree for the night they noticed a warm light. Moving through the trees they were careful not to make too much noise in fear of scaring away whoever was there.

Once they were close enough they came upon a wooden two story house. They shifted they’re forms into something younger. Dream went from looking 30 to looking 10 and Ranboo looked like a newborn. Dream held the now small Ranboo in his arms and walked up to the door and knocked. When the door opened a man with ram horns and ears with fluff on the insides. The man wore a suit and looked down on the two slightly confused.

“Who are you and what are you doing here? Where are your parents?” The man had a deep, hoarse voice and seemed to be looking around trying to find the boy's parents. Dream looked down and quietly mumbled something the man couldn’t hear. 

“Kid I’m gonna need you to speak up.”

“We don’t know where our parents are. I woke up in a tree and my brother was nearby.”

“Well I can’t let you two stay out here all night..Come on in.” He moved out the way and let the boys enter. Dream noticed there were more people living here. A small boy with tiny horns and floppy ears as well as a taller older man. The boy wore a green sweater and brown pants and when he saw Dream he rushed over and greeted him. The first man took little Ranboo from Dream and called for the other guy to get the crib out the basement. Called him the Captain.

The little boy tugged on Dream’s arm trying to get his attention and once he had it he started rambling.

“Hi my name is Tubbo!! What’s your name? Are you new? Do you live around here? Is the baby your brother?”

“Tubbo calm down. You’re gonna overwhelm the kid. Anyways hello there. My name’s Jordan but people call me the Captain.” The man now the Captain said as he reentered the room. Ranboo was gone and so was the first man. The Captain guided Dream to the living room and had him take a seat before leaving the room. Tubbo was playing with blocks on the floor and when The Captain came back he had a cup of tea and a sandwich. He handed both to Dream and sat down on a chair in front of him.

“Alright kiddo wanna introduce yourself now?”

“Oh..uh.. Sure. My name is Dream and the baby is my brother Ranboo.”

“Why were you out in the woods? It’s almost winter you know?”

“Yea..I don’t know why we were out there. I just woke up in a tree and Ranboo was tied to a branch.”

“Ahh.. so you don’t know where your parents are either?”

“No sir..”

“Would you like to stay with us? I’m sure Tubs wouldn’t mind siblings”

“Oh that would be great thanks!!”

The Captain smiled at the young boy and left Tubbo and Dream to their own devices. The two were building a city out of legos and talking animatedly to each other while The Captain was in the kitchen cleaning up any mess left behind from dinner. When he deemed it late enough He ushered the two boys upstairs. He read them stories until they fell asleep. Dream knew he shouldn’t get attached but this, being read bedtime stories in a warm comfy bed, it made him happy and he could only imagine how Ranboo is feeling. 

Dream fell asleep with a content smile on his face. The Captain dimmed the lights and left the room leaving the door slightly ajar. As he headed back downstairs he passed his brother Schlatt in the hall. Schlatt sighed tiredly and told Jordan that he was taking care of them tomorrow before heading to bed. Jordan quietly laughed and headed to his own room and fell asleep thinking about the two new kids of his.

Chapter 2

The next few years went by fast. Dream was now “15”, Ranboo was “5”, and Tubbo was 10.  The Captain now Dad to the three young boys and Schlatt their uncle each took turns staying with them. While one was out working the other here in the house teaching them everything he knew. The Captain taught them manners and core subjects like math, english, science, and history. Schlatt on the other hand taught them social skills, business, and street smarts. They worked well together and the boys were able to learn a lot. 

Until one winter. Ranboo had begged to be able to go outside and help the Captain. And the Captain who couldn’t say no to the little kid, let him join him. They left but soon after they did a blizzard came in. Schlatt told Tubbo and Dream not to worry, The Captain was smart and he'd come back when the storm ended. So they waited. And waited. 

And waited for the storm to stop. It went on for three days straight and when it finally stopped Schlatt didn’t hesitate to dress the boys up in their winter jackets, scarves, and gloves. He handed them lanterns and they started searching for the two. They checked for any hastily built shelters, any footprints, anything that could possibly help. But they found nothing. Not even a body. 

At least if they found a body they’d get some confirmation on them. But there was nothing. When they got inside Dream and Tubbo ran up the stairs and locked themselves in separate rooms. Schlatt could hear quiet sobs from the blond freckled boy and loud wails from the small brown kid. Schlatt knew he had to do something so he went to find a few items.

Winter had come and gone and now it was spring. The boys stayed inside and continued to build their perfect city. Schlatt was outside planting so everything will be grown in time for fall. Soon he called for them to come outside and handed them a couple of things. 

To Tubbo he gave bees. He guided Tubbo to a mini garden full of flowers and bees for Tubbo to take care of. Tubbo was instantly infatuated with the buzzy little things that flew around the tiny stubs growing from his head. The bees clearly liked him and Tubbo seemed at peace around them. He started planting flowers while playing with the bees. 

From Dream though Schlatt gave him something different. It was a large oversized green hoodie and a white mask with a smiley face on it. Dream looked at him confused and Schlatt explained that these belonged to Captain.

“But why me? I’m not even the Captain’s real son....”

“Listen Dream. Before the Captain had his military fame, he was just Jordan. Jordan the kid that would do anything for his family.”

“....”

“You deserve it. I know you’ll do the Cap justice.”

“...Thank you Schlatt.”

Schlatt helped Dream put on the mask and adjusted the mask on him. The hoodie was big on him but Schlatt assured him that he’d grow into it. After he put on the hoodie he smiled behind the mask. The spring air felt much lighter than before. Dream and Tubbo were given weapons by Schlatt and were told to go hunting. They did start out hunting and were able to get some food but were soon distracted and started to play.

“Woah Dre you’re so cool!”

“Aw thanks Tubs.”

“Your name is Dream but you can be such a terror sometimes..hm..” Tubbo held his chin as he thought about something. Dream jumped down from the tree he was in and stared at him. He ruffled Tubbo’s hair which made the younger smile up at him before saying

“I know what you are!!”

“O-oh do you now?”

“Yeah! You’re a Dreamon!”

“What’s a Dreamon? Tubs?”

“A Dream Demon aka a Dreamon!”

“Oh really? So what makes you think I’m a Dreamon?”

“Oh- Hmm….I don’t know...heh…. You just are!!”

Dream and Tubbo laughed as they walked back to the house. Inside Schlatt was cooking and the house smelt of cinnamon and apples. While the home felt slightly empty without the Captain and Ranboo, everything would be fine. Maybe it was because Dream had the Captain’s stuff but in his head and heart he knew they would both show up again.

Dream slept peacefully that night after months of restless nightmare filled sleep. They would both come home. He knew it.

??? 

“Captain? Where are we?”

“I don’t know Ranboo… Stay quiet though..”

They awoke in a small room that didn’t have any defined doors. Ranboo stayed off in the corner trying not to do anything because the Captain didn’t know his truth. He didn’t want to scare the Captain and there would be a lot to explain afterwards. The black obsidian walls reminded him of the pillars he saw back home but this space was much tighter and cramped than he liked. 

The cold hard obsidian made the Captain shiver and reach out to protect the small boy in his care only to find himself in shackles connected to the wall. Ranboo however had no restraints. Maybe it's because their captors didn’t see the boy as a threat and if they didn’t see him as a threat the Captain could use that to escape. 

He gestured for Ranboo to come closer. Ranboo shuffled over to his adoptive father and looked up at him, surprisingly calm. Ranboo knew he could probably escape easily; he had been in much more challenging situations than this before. He listened carefully as the Captain told him to find a way out and get help. The lanky boy nodded and stood in a corner, his white half against the wall hidden.

Ranboo kept his eyes shut while trying to stay as hidden as possible. The door opened and Ranboo prepared to make a break for it but was stopped in his tracks. Their captors grabbed Ranboo by his collar and left the Captain screaming in the cell alone.

[saieras]

I’m proud of you, kid

Summary: On the 1-year anniversary after the Snap, Tony, Pepper, and May deal with their losses and remember who and what they are fighting for.

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Notes: This fic is based on an incredible piece of fan-art I saw the other day, about Tony and Pepper having a baby, and giving him a Spider-Man doll to play with.

Art is by 茗牌耳钉 on Weibo.

EDIT: he/she has Twitter as well!

Also on FF & AO3.

I hope you enjoy the read~

————————————————————

April. The first sneak peek of spring, the first month of slush-free roads. Central Park, turning green.

Tony Stark hovered over the city, his helmet open. The wind was brisk at this height, so he had a little trouble keeping his eyes open, but he wanted to see the colors with his own eyes. It was a lovely Saturday, and millions milled about the streets and avenues below. Madison Square was packed to the brim.

He flew a short distance over to Washington Square Park. It was similarly filled. He was at roughly the same altitude as the Empire State building, so doubtless the throngs pulsing below could see him well and clear. Without the suit's visual feed, Tony couldn't make out the individual faces as they peered up at him.

He imagined they must be cursing him.

Nonetheless, his vantage point afforded Tony a veil of sorts, a barrier vast enough to block out the sounds below. It was peaceful and good — this was his city, and he was her protector, standing high and mighty in the clouds.

… Hiding, low and broken, behind his worthless armor, suffocating under an avalanche of shame.

“Boss,” FRIDAY said, “you're going to be late if you don't start heading — ” 

“I know,” Tony said. He closed his eyes. The nanobots obeyed his thoughts, reforming the helmet over his head, and a second later Tony breathed in the familiar filtered air. It used to make him feel invincible, this clean, sterile smell. Now every breath was a reminder.

“I know,” he said again. He took one last look at the restored Washington Square Arch beneath him. “Let's go.”

————————————————————

It was a nice and quiet place with impressive views of the city's skyline. Not many of the residents were new, so there were relatively few visitors. Tony landed in an out-of-the-way little garden, making sure he wasn't seen. The armor disintegrated and rolled itself back into his chest.

He took a deep breath. It smelled like flowers. Oh, he'd forgotten to bring flowers.

He donned his shades, as if they protected him from the scrutinizing stares as he walked the short distance over. He had only been here once, but he knew the place well — he'd visited, after all, more times than he could count, in BARF and in his dreams.

Three people were already there; a girl, a boy, a woman. The grass beneath his feet rustled to herald his arrival. Tony willed himself to not flinch as they looked up.

“Mr. Stark,” May Parker said. There was not an ounce of surprise in her tone… in fact, there was not an ounce of anything in her tone. Tony wished there was. He wished she would curse, scream, cry, seethe. Anything.

“May —“ he began.

“Please call me Mrs. Parker,” the woman said.

“Right,” Tony muttered. He was a fool. He couldn't do this. He stared up at the blue sky, and wanted nothing more than to materialize the suit and fly away.

“Mr. Stark?” piped a timid voice. Tony looked over to see the boy in the group, a chubby Asian holding a Lego Millennium Falcon, stealing a glance at him. As their gazes met, the boy averted his eyes — bloodshot and rimmed with red, Tony noticed.

All the same, the boy shuffled aside.

“Are you going to… uh, join us?” he asked, voice even smaller than before.

“Ah,” Tony said. He squeezed out a smile. “Yes. Thank you, Ned.”

The boy looked astounded that he'd remembered his name. Tony stepped up a little, and gave a brief nod to the girl now beside him.

“And you must be… Michelle, right?”

Michelle blinked and shrugged. “Mmhmm,” she said, obviously every bit as surprised as Ned, though rather better at feigning nonchalance.

Tony hated how he had to act as if he was asking — as if he wouldn't know the names of the kid's best friends.

As if he didn't know the names of every member of the Midtown Tech Decathlon team.

As if he hadn't memorized the names of every person who bothered to show up to the service. Not that there were many — the kid hadn't exactly been popular in school.

Nothing else was said after that. May Parker had closed her eyes, and Ned was muttering something under his breath, clutching his Lego piece. Michelle was looking over towards Manhattan, her jaws tight.

Tony fought the urge to look up again at the sky. Two point three six billion lightyears away, there was a decaying planet called Titan, in a whole other galaxy still undiscovered by NASA… at least that was what the blue-green android woman had told him.

He clenched his hands into fists. Breathe in, breathe out. He repeated this ten times before finally, with a light jerk of his head, his gaze settled on the stenciled letters.

Peter Benjamin Parker, 2001-2018

A loving nephew, a best friend, and always our hero

Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good…

I don't want to go…

Sorry.

The sound that escaped his throat was something Tony did not expect. Suddenly, all he could see in front of him was dust, and dust, and more dust, blowing on the brown and tattered landscape. It wasn't until he heard Ned's surprised shouts that he noticed the helmet forming around his head.

Tony allowed himself a second of respite inside cocoon of filtered air, where the world could not see him break — where the world only saw the red and gold mask, forever strong.

Then he willed the nanobots to disassemble.

All three of them were staring at him when his skin once again touched the free air. Tony tried to speak, tried to crack a joke — he had to take a call from the company — always at the worst time, am I right?

But then May Parker said, “It's okay. I'm here with you.”

And Tony simply collapsed in front of the headstone, his fingers gliding over the smooth surface, etching out each letter. Behind him, May put her hand on his shoulder, and Tony was glad she was there, glad because she too understood what it felt like to have your soul ground and pulverized until it was a colossal vacuum that could never be filled, not by all the happiness in the universe.

When he screamed, he took what little comfort in knowing she was beside him, walking every step of this hell with him. Her fingers on his shoulder tightened, and for a moment they were linked through that eternal pain; that void of a parent losing a child.

————————————————————

May had brought a plate of her signature walnut date loafs, and a few other new recipes she'd wanted for Peter to try. Ned had brought the Lego, naturally. Michelle had brought a sketchbook. Tony noticed how thin it looked; more than half the pages had been ripped out, and the cover looked splattered. For a moment Tony imagined the skinny girl, sitting alone in her room, the drip-drip-drip of her tears soaking through her sketches.

Tony wished he'd remembered to bring flowers. He wished he'd remembered to bring something. Hastily he downloaded a model of a flower, and ported it to the nano-assembly algorithms. Soon a miniature white rose grew out of the palm of his hand, glinting in its metallic sheen. The display had been enough to captivate Ned, who seemed to have temporarily forgotten his grief.

Looking at the boy's face was like a gut punch. That same wonder, that same curiosity. That same fascination and youthful enthusiasm. Peter made that face often, pretty much whenever Tony allowed him inside the lab or workshop.

What Tony wouldn't give to see that face again, just one more time.

Gently he laid the flower down in front of the headstone, next to the others' gifts. It landed with a small clink.

“Do you have a place to be?” May asked. Her voice seemed hoarse, but somehow softened.

He did. He had other memorial events to attend. He planned to make a visit to Happy's family, as well as Sam's. He had a meeting with Hank Pym and the rest of the Avengers.

He needed to get back to Pepper and their boy.

“No,” he said. “I've got a while.”

“Eat with us,” she said. “We — we were going to Peter's favorite Thai place.”

“That sounds fantastic.”

“I'll tell you where it is, and you can meet us —“

“No. I'll ride with you guys.”

May nodded. She lingered a few seconds more, before bending down and kissing the headstone. Ned gave it a squeeze, hard enough his stubby fingers turned white. Michelle… Michelle didn't do anything. But Tony knew if she touched that stone, she would shatter.

“Are you coming, Mr. Stark?” May asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Just — give me a minute.”

He waved them ahead. When he was sure they were out of sight, he knelt down and hugged the headstone tight.

“I miss you, kid,” he said. “You know that? I really — really miss you.”

He choked down the lump in his throat.

“I'm so proud of you, Pete,” he whispered, and for this small moment, he allowed himself to crumble.

————————————————————

The Thai food was very good, but Tony was forced to cut their lunch out a bit short. He thanked May, and Ned and Michelle, for allowing him to intrude. It surprised them, and himself too, because that was so very unlike him.

But then May had given him a smile — a small smile, but a genuine one.

“Peter would've wanted you here,” she said simply.

Tony turned and pretended to watch the TV.

“I heard you had a baby,” May remarked when their table fell silent.

“Ah, yes,” Tony mused, not knowing why she changed the topic, but grateful to pivot. “Not my best creation, to be honest — all he can do at the moment is cry and poop and eat. Even Dum-E is a little better in —“

“Thank you,” May said.

Tony paused.

“Yes, the world often does,” he said finally, chuckling awkwardly. “But I've gotta admit, I don't know why you are —“

Tentatively, May squeezed his hands. Tony flinched at the touch, but didn't pull away.

“Tony,” she said. “Thank you.”

She knows, he thought. He hadn't intended her to know. He worried that she might think of it as an affront. He thought maybe she'd think he didn't deserve it; didn't have the right to use that name. But here she was, thanking him.

“Yeah,” he said, not trusting his face. “I guess I have the paparazzi to thank. Honestly, you'd think they have more important things to report on — Anyway, I got to go, there's —“

“Wait!“ May's grip on his hand tightened a little. She rummaged around in her purse before pulling out a tangle of red and blue fabric. “I — I was making — I was making this, and I…“ She trailed off, and just put the thing on the table between them.

It was a spider-man doll. Coarsely made at first glance, but Tony picked out the little scabs on May's fingers, dots of dark red. Suddenly, he recalled Peter mentioning once how she couldn't sew or knit to save her life.

'And other people were like, aren't aunts supposed to sew you stuff? And I'm like, not May!'

'Kid, could we save the topic for when you're not literally being sewn up?'

'It distracts me from the pain, Mr. Stark. Ow. Are you really sure I can't use anesthetics?'

The memory brought a bittersweet smile to Tony's lips. He picked up the small doll.

“Thank you for making this for him,” he said, his voice solemn.

“I meant it as a gift to celebrate him finishing junior year,” May said softly. “But I never seemed to get around to it, and then… last year, when that… I just stopped working on it.”

Tony's mouth felt dry. “So why did you finish it now, after all this time?”

May shrugged.

“Because we're still here,” she said. “Because we're the only ones who remember Peter as spider-man. Because we owe it to him to pass it on.” She paused, before giving Tony a brief smile. “That's why it's not for our Peter.”

Tony frowned. “Our Peter?” but then he got it.

It was for his Peter.

Tony took the doll and lowered his head, so neither May nor the two kids could see his eyes. Then he stood up, and let the suit spread over his skin. He ignored the gasps and cries of surprise from the other customers. He made sure to keep the doll in a safe compartment.

“Thank you,” he said. With the suit, he could be sure his voice didn't sound too-tight. “Thank you, May.”

She smiled again. “Say hello to him for me.”

He nodded, stepped out of the restaurant, and took off.

————————————————————

“What's up, Mr. Stark?” Peter called out as he bounded into the lab. “What are you working on?”

Tony, being Tony, didn't answer. Instead he gave a vague wave of his hand and dumped the current design blueprints onto Peter's Starkphone. Peter was used to this, so he happily hopped onto a Hulkbuster model, and began swiping through the information.

“Woah,” he said, grasping the gist in barely a minute — brilliant, as usual. “You're trying to create a nano-arc reactor with vibranium at its core! That's so cool!“

“Trying is the key word, kid,” Tony said fondly. “Don't think it'll happen in the near future, not unless I can convince Wakanda to share some of its technologies and resources.”

“I'd like to go to Wakanda sometime,” Peter said wistfully.

“You and me both, kid. I even hear they have a Princess your age. Come on, get down from there, Hulkbuster's not something to play on.”

“Hmm,” Peter said, reading further into the file and ignoring Tony's admonishment. “Mr. Stark, do you think the vibranium could work as an alloy or does it have to be pure?”

“We'll have to try to make do with an alloy, otherwise it'll never be feasible. I swear, it's more expensive than that thing from what's-that-film, the one with the blue people —“

“Avatar,” Peter said. “And it was called unobtainium. But they could've come up with a better name, at least!“ the teen plopped down on the Hulkbuster's head, draping himself over the eyes. “Hey FRIDAY, can I get something to drink? I'm so parched.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Parker. Milk or OJ? Or perhaps beer? We have whiskey, too.”

“FRIDAY,” Tony warned.

“Sorry, Boss.”

“OJ, please,” Peter said, too engrossed in the data to notice the banter. Tony smiled and shook his head.

“By the way, kid,” he added. “Tell me when you're finished reading that. I've got a project for ya.”

“Really?” the teen said, looking up — looking down — at Tony, at once bubbling with excitement. “I'm done reading! What's the project ab—“

The boy's voice stopped. Slowly, the lab faded away. Tony stood up from where he had been watching and looked around, somewhat disoriented. A second later he spotted Pepper at the door, arms crossed.

“You have a meeting tonight,” she said.

“Yes,” he said, blinking away the bright lights. “Very astute, Mrs. Stark.”

“You told me you were taking a nap.”

“I woke up.”

“You said you weren't going to use BARF anymore.”

“I wasn't. FRIDAY must have forced it on me.”

“Boss…“

“Leave her out of this,” Pepper snapped. “Tony, you can't keep doing this. Especially not today. You promised.”

“Stark promises aren't worth very much,” Tony said, chuckling. “Runs in the family.”

Pepper strode over and yanked him to her. Then she kissed him.

“Come on; if you aren't going to sleep, and it doesn't appear you are, let's go check on little Mo. He's gonna wake up soon.”

Mr. Stark knew there was no use in arguing with Mrs. Stark at the moment, so he sighed and allowed her to grab his hand. She guided him over to their room, where a high-tech crib stood in the corner, monitoring everything from vitals to blood sugar to the state of the diapers.

Tony peered down at his sleeping son. “Morgan,” he whispered softly. “Morgan. Morgan Peter Stark.”

The full name alone sent him to the edge. Pepper patted his back, as if she could soothe his tensed muscles back down.

“The best Stark there ever was,” she joked. Tony kissed her.

“I met May Parker today,” he said, not wanting to leave the warmth of her lips. “She… she knows of Mo.”

“Well, the entire world knows we had a baby,” Pepper said, smiling.

“No, Pepper.” Tony said. “She knew his name… she knew his middle name.”

“Oh,” Pepper said. Her hands stopped caressing his back. “There must have been a leak. Damn it, they've been digging for the baby's name for months — those press people will never let go once they sniff out a story. Tony, I'm so sorry, I know you didn't want her to know, I'll get someone to check where it got out —“

“She thanked me,” Tony said, cutting her off. “I — I named my son after Pete, without telling her, and she thanked me. Jesus, Pepper, what did I do to deserve to be — I killed him. I killed him, and she thanked me.”

“You didn't kill him,” she said.

“I couldn't — I tried to protect him —“

“Tony…“ Pepper said.

“I put everything I could think of into that suit,” Tony continued. “I tried, Pepper, I thought I was ready — I couldn't —“

“Tony, please —“

Tony turned away from the crib, feeling like he couldn't breathe. “I couldn't,” he croaked out. “I couldn't protect him. I watched him disa—“

“Anthony Stark!“ Pepper shouted. “Stop that right now! You didn't kill him, you hear me? You did not kill him.”

Tony was trembling all over. He knew she would kiss him, so he let the kiss happen. Pepper's fingers dug into his palm.

“Breathe,” she said. “That's it, Tony. Breathe in. Breathe out.”

Gradually Tony was able to gather himself, like grasping the shards of a glass house and putting it back together… piece by painstaking piece. Pepper combed his hair, pressing him to her, whispering encouragements all the while. Finally Tony gave a low chuckle, exhausted.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

“We're always here for you,” she replied. “Mo and I.”

Tony kissed her. He looked down at his sleeping son. “Mo wouldn't be here without him, you know.”

“I know,” Pepper said, resting her head on his shoulder. “I know.”

They stood by the crib for several minutes, just listening to the steady quiet breathing. Tony reached down to nuzzle the baby's rosy cheeks.

It wasn't long before Mo began to stir. Tony withdrew his hand, abashed, but Pepper laughed.

“It's okay,” she said. “He should be waking up around now anyway.” She reached down to tickle the little tummy, and the baby's dark eyes popped open. “Hey Mo!“ Pepper said. “Look who's here? Daddy's here.”

Mo's plump little face beamed at Pepper upon hearing her voice. Then he turned his head towards Tony, and chortled.

“Hey Mo,” Tony said. “Hey.”

We owe it to him to pass it on, May had said.

For our Peter. For my Peter.

Tony closed his eyes, and reached into his coat pocket to pull out the spider-man doll.

“Tony?” Pepper said. “Tony, what's that?”

“May Parker made it,” Tony replied wearily. “She wanted Mo to have it.”

“Wow! That's adorable!“ Pepper took the doll from him, and moved the arms as if she were controlling a marionette. She made the doll wave. “Hi, Mo!“ she said as she peered down at the baby. “I'm spider-man! And I hear you're a very brave boy.”

Mo let out an incoherent noise of interest, and reached up for the doll. Pepper let his tiny hands grab the doll's arm, and Mo's grip tightened instantly, as if making introductions. Pepper laughed and tickled the baby a bit more.

Tony watched them play together. He tried to ingrain the moment in his memory, but all he could think was, I wish you were here, kid.

I wish you were here, Pete.

Once again, credit to the artist ~

[agent-alexandradanvers-blog]

forever a family: Scott x Hope

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15727164

Cassie had taken her dad’s phone, noticing that he was prepping the ingredients for their dinner. She and her dad had decided on a movie earlier, which was Tangled, one that they both had not watched. Cassie scrolled through the phone, looking at the apps, before deciding that she it would be way more fun to watch the movie with her dad’s girlfriend Hope. So, she set out on a mission, looking for Hope’s contact. With her experience calling her dad using FaceTime every other night, she decided to FaceTime Hope.

On the other side of San Francisco, Hope’s phone rung and rung, echoing throughout the house. She was currently working on an upgrade for her Wasp suit that her mom had pitched in, and her dad and her were working on it to get it up and running as fast as possible.

“Jellybean, your phone’s ringing! It’s from Scott!” shouted Janet Van Dyne from the living room. She was playing around with her iPhone, something that she didn’t have pre-Quantum Realm. To Janet, emojis were the funniest thing ever, and she loved to use them in reply to the texts that Hank or Hope would send to her.

Noticing that she didn’t get a reply, Janet got up from the sofa, picking up the phone from the sofa table to go downstairs to the lab where her husband and daughter were working hard. She clicked on the answer button, and was surprised to see an adorable little girl holding the other phone.

“Hi Grandma Janet!” greeted Cassie, glad that someone had finally picked up the phone.

“Hi sweetie, is your dad looking for Hope?” asked Janet, confused that the little girl had called instead of Scott.

Cassie shook her head. “No, I am. I wanted to invite her over to watch a movie with me.” clarified Cassie.

“Oh, I see. Well, Hope is downstairs, I’m bringing the phone to her right now,” said Janet, walking down the stairs that led to the basement.

“Ok Grandma Janet! Thank you!”

Hope was so focused on working on the upgrade, that she didn’t notice her mom standing in front of her, behind the laptops that were scattered around the table top, all working different things all at once.

Janet cleared her throat.

“Jellybean?” she tried again to get her hardworking daughter’s attention.

“Mom? What is it?” asked Hope, not even looking up from her laptop.

“Bye Cassie!” said Janet, waving bye to the little girl.

“Bye Grandma Janet!” Cassie waved back.

“Cassie’s looking for you.” said the older woman, handing her daughter’s phone to her, before she went back up to the living room.

“Hi Hope!”

“Hi Cassie, what’s up? Where’s your Dad?” asked Hope, as this was the first time Cassie had ever called Hope without Scott there.

“Could you come over to watch Tangled with me?” Cassie completely ignored the question about her dad, noted Hope.

“Cass, what about your dad? You know he loves the daddy daughter time you guys have,”

“Yeah, but it’d be cool if you were there too!”

Cassie could hear her dad yelling at himself for messing something up in the macaroni recipe  

“Plus, he made mac and cheese.” She tried her very best to make puppy eyes, knowing Hope would give in.

“Okay then,” said Hope, giving in to Cassie’s adorable puppy eyes. “I’ll swing by later, in maybe 20 minutes? I need to finish some things up over here.”

“Yes!” exclaimed Cassie, pumping her fist in the air. “You’re the best, Hope! See you later!” Cassie blew a kiss at the camera, waving bye, before clicking the screen to end the call.

Hope’s heart swelled from how sweet the little girl was, and waving bye to her, she went to finish her work as quickly as she could.

In 15 minutes, she knocked on Scott’s door, one hand holding a bag of huge marshmallows that she had picked up from the store. She had showered and changed into something more comfortable, sporting a black sweater to match the breezy San Francisco weather, as well as a pair of well worn skinny jeans. Her hair was pulled into a loose braid.

Scott, wore a blue apron with food smudges down the middle, opened the door, his mouth dropping slightly, shocked that Hope would just turn up without telling him. Cassie spotted the pair from the kitchen, jumping up from her spot, running to the doorway.

“Hi Hope!”

“Hey Cassie, you didn’t tell your dad that you invited me over?” asked Hope, leaning down a bit to face the running girl.

Scott pivoted on his foot, to face his daughter, mouth wide open. It wasn’t like Cassie to invite his friends. But he had noticed the way that Cassie looked up to Hope and the way that it made Hope more relaxed whenever they would hangout together. And Cassie was thrilled that someone like Hope was watching her dad’s back. Maybe it was because Hope and himself were both superheroes, he thought.

Cassie leaped into Hope’s arms, her little legs wrapping around her waist. Hope stumbled back slightly, stepping back to even out the added weight.

“No,” Cassie said, shaking her head. “I wanted to keep it a surprise! Hope’s gonna watch Tangled with me!” she continued, facing her dad, as Hope carried her.

The marshmallow bag had started slipping from Hope’s grasp, and she flicked her hand upwards, and thankfully, Scott’s reflexes were enough to catch the bag before it fell to the ground.

Scott stared at her, wide-eyed. In Scott’s mind, there was no way that Hope, who was all about healthy eating and working out, would voluntarily bring marshmallows to his house.

Cassie, psyched for marshmallows, threw her arms around Hope again. She leaned back, arms still around Hope’s neck, to face both Hope and her dad.

“We could do the chubby bunny challenge!” exclaimed Cassie.

“The chubby what challenge?” asked Hope.

“The chubby bunny challenge!” repeated Scott, in the exact same tone and pitch his daughter used moments before. Still sensing that Hope was confused, he clarified: “You know, where you stuff as many marshmallows in your mouth as you can and try to beat the other players.”

Hope nodded slowly.

Sharp beeps travelled from the kitchen to the doorway, signalling that something had overflowed onto the stovetop.

“Crap, that’s the macaroni. I’ll be back. Okay, Peanut, behave.” said Scott, mentally kicking himself, before turning to run back into the kitchen to clean up the mess he made.

Hope stepped through the doorway, and gently put Cassie down on the floor. Cassie held onto Hope’s hand, leading her into the living room. Scattered across the floor were some lego buildings, some half built and some in pieces. It was supposed to come together as a replica of San Francisco, but Hope suspected that Scott only worked on it when Cassie was there, which was why it still wasn’t built even if Scott had bought it 7 months ago.

“Hope? Could you help me tidy up? Dad says we have to tidy up before we eat dinner. And we have the chubby bunny challenge and the movie after.”

“Of course Cassie, just tell me where I need to put the stuff.”

Together, they put the blocks that belonged together into the same ziplock bag, placed them in a big container, carried it back to Cassie’s room, and slid it under her bed.

“Mac and Cheese!” yelled Scott from the kitchen.

“Race you!” challenged Cassie, sprinting out of her room as fast as her legs could carry her.

Hope followed suit, right behind Cassie, their footsteps making a thump thump sound on the creaky floorboard.

Scott produced three identical bowls of Mac and Cheese, sliding it across the table to each of their designated spots. Lastly, he placed a steaming pot full with macaroni and cheese, smack dab in the centre of the countertop.

Cassie ran into the kitchen, jumping up to peck her dad on the cheek. The lightbulbs that hung above the countertop flickered and illuminated a soft glow on the walls.

“Thanks for the dinner, Dad!“ said Cassie, sitting down on her spot, waiting for Hope and Scott to sit down so she could dig in. Cassie usually sat on the left hand side, and her dad at the head. However, when Hope came over, Hope and her dad would sit on the right and left side of the counter, leaving her the middle spot. Scott took of his apron, leaving it on the side counter.

“Peanut? Do you want a juice box or something?” asked Scott.

“Orange juice please!” answered the little girl.

Scott opened the fridge door, getting 3 orange juice boxes. He put them next to their bowls, went to sit down next to Cassie. His back faced the doorway, leaving the spot opposite of him for Hope.

Hope walked in moments later, her braid barely holding in place. She leaned down to kiss Scott on the cheek, silently thanking him for the dinner. A blush crept up Scott’s neck, causing Cassie to burst into fits of laughter.

Now with Hope sitting down, Cassie started digging into her food. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, eating their food.

“Oh my god Scott.” said Hope, covering her mouth as she chewed her mac and cheese. He definitely improved since the last time he cooked. If she wasn’t so pissed at him for getting mixed up with the Avengers, she would say the 2 years on house arrest paid off.

“What? Is it bad? Is it too salty? Too cheesy?” asked Scott, scared that he’d down something wrong.

“No actually,” said Hope, laughing as she wiped her mouth. “It’s amazing. Better than my dad’s.”

“No way. Better than the Hank Pym. Could you repeat that again?”

“Scott.” Hope arched her eyebrow. “Don’t push it.” she said jokingly.

After bowl after bowl of mac and cheese, they cleared their dishes and placed them on the counter next to the dishwasher.

“I’m full now. Thanks!” said Cassie.

“You’re welcome, Peanut. But if you’re so full, do you still want to play the Chubby Bunny challenge with Hope?” asked Scott, teasing his daughter.

“You bet!”

Cassie opened the cabinet, revealing the pack of huge marshmallows that Hope had brought. She ripped the packaging open, letting the contents spill over the countertop.

“Okay, Hope. So the Chubby Bunny challenge is to get as many marshmallows as you can in your mouth. After I take one and put it in my mouth, I have to say Chubby Bunny. Got it?” said Cassie, demonstrating by putting one in her mouth. “Chubby Bunny.”

“I think so....” said Hope, nodding her head.

“And you’re not allowed to swallow. Or chew. Or cheat like daddy always does.” she continued on, glaring at her father, earning a laugh from Hope.

“What?” He put his hands up in mock surrender, sending innocent looks to both Cassie and Hope, who simultaneously rolled their eyes.

Cassie went first, placing one marshmallow into her mouth. “Chubby Bunny.”

Hope went next, following what Cassie did. “Chubby Bunny.”

Scott picked one up, flinging it towards the ceiling, opening his mouth, allowing the marshmallow to fall into his mouth. With a triumphant look on his face, he said: “Chubby Bunny.”

The game went on and on, until Cassie had 5 stuffed into her mouth, and she couldn’t say Chubby Bunny without choking. She spit out 2, and chewed the rest. “Yes! 2 more than last time! High Score!” She high fived her dad, who couldn’t look more proud.

Now the competition was between Hope and Scott. Hope, determined to win, since she literally kicked his ass every time they had training. Scott, also determined to win, since this was something he actually had a shot at beating Hope at.

Hope had managed to put 7 in her mouth, before having to spit them out.

“Yes! I w—in!” came the muffled victorious yell of one Scott Lang.

Cassie shook her head. “Dad, you still need to say Chubby Bunny.”

“Chu—“ He put his hand out, pausing so he could shift the marshmallows in his mouth.

“—bby Bunny.” In less than 2 seconds, Scott managed to chew and swallow the 7 marshmallows in his mouth.

A few drinks of water later, Cassie decided to go watch the movie. Scott had placed his arm around Hope’s waist while she leaned into his side. She grabbed her dad’s hand, guiding him to the living room.

Together, they went to watch Tangled. Cassie got the remote, then flipped through the Netflix profiles until she reached the kids one, and quickly found Tangled. All three of them sat on the couch, Scott sat in the middle while Cassie sat on his lap. Hope leaned against Scott’s left side, tucked her legs under her, with his arm wrapped around her. Cassie held her bunny in her hands, occasionally played with it’s ears.

At the end of the movie, Cassie’s head lay on Hope’s lap, her feet in her dad’s lap. Scott gently moved his daughter’s feet off his lap and shuffled to the kitchen to load the dishes into the dishwasher. He motioned to Hope to carry Cassie to bed.

“Please,” He mouthed from across the room and pouted like a six year old kid.

Hope, tempted to roll her eyes, but she nods in response and her attention went back to Cassie. The eight year old’s eyes flutter shut, as she tried her very best to keep them open, as well being worn out from the day. Hope turned to the clock on the wall, and the clock hits 11:45.

Hope watches her sleep peacefully for a few moments, before remembering that she needed to bring Cassie to bed. Carefully, Hope puts one hand around her back, and lifted the little girl into her arms. Cassie’s hands automatically loop around Hope’s neck and Hope carried her up the few steps up the staircase and into her bedroom. She closed the door slightly so a little sliver of light shines in the room.

Hope tucked Cassie in bed, gently placed so she’s under her butterfly-themed comforter. Cassie brought the bunny into the crook of her arm, and hugged the bunny tighter.

“Goodnight sweetie,” said Hope and kissed Cassie gently on the forehead.

“Hope?”

“Yeah sweetie?” replied Hope.

“Could I tell you something?” asked the little Lang.

“Of course hon,” Hope said, as she sat down again on the edge of Cassie’s bed. She used her hands to push Cassie’s hair that had fallen near her eyes, and tucked it behind the little girl’s ear.

“You remind me of Rapunzel. And Daddy reminds me of Flynn. Or you know, Eugene.” said Cassie, noting the parallels between the movie and her dad’s life.

“It’s like people think he’s a bad man for going to jail, but really, he isn’t,” clarified Cassie, who noticed Hope’s slight confusion. “And he’s funny. Like daddy.” giggled Cassie.

Hope smiled at the little girl, and admired how bright and charming she was, just like her dad (well, not the bright part).

“And what about me?” asked Hope, referring to the connection that Cassie made between herself and Rapunzel.

“Well......” Cassie started off, thinking about the movie she just watched. “You’re brave, like Rapunzel. Adventurous, pretty, nice, and she can beat Flynn’s butt. Just like you beat daddy’s butt all the time. And that’s why Tangled is my new favourite movie,” smiled Cassie, who looked up at the older woman. “It reminds me of you and daddy!”

Hope, speechless as the compliments spill out of Scott’s young daughter, and lightly pinched Cassie’s adorable cheeks, smiling at her. Tears threaten to spill out and over her cheeks, but she willed them to stay in place.

She imagines the version of her 3 years ago would have shaken her head, wondering why she would be sentimental just because of some compliment a little girl gave her. She would have convinced herself that she was still the stone cold bitch that had her walls up, guarded, protecting the mess that was inside. Something clicks inside of her, and she knows, that she’ll love Scott and Cassie forever, no matter what.

“Hope?” asked Cassie, noticing that Hope’s eyes were watering.

“Yeah?” Hope wipeed her eyes, the tears blurring her vision.

“Are you crying?”

“No,” Hope denied, though the tears said otherwise.

“Are they happy tears? Or sad tears?” asked Cassie, and sat upright to face Hope.

“Happy tears, Cass, happy ones.” answered Hope, smiling once more, as more tears stream down her face.

Cassie puts her hands on Hope’s shoulders, kissing both her cheeks and lastly her nose. Hope recognised it, something she’d seen Scott do countless times to Cassie. She’s amazed by how much a small gesture can make her feel, and she’s content and happy and proud. Proud of Cassie, for being a caring, supportive, amazing daughter to Scott, proud of Scott, to have raised a wonderful, brave, and welcoming person even if he had decided to take on the job of a “modern day robin hood”.

“Hope?” said Cassie again, and caught the older woman’s attention. ”Will you be my new mommy?”

The question caught Hope off guard, and she’s stunned for a few seconds. She’s not sure how to answer. She contemplates between two answers, and finally settling on one that she hopes Cassie understands.

“If you want me to be,” answered Hope.

“Of course!” squealed Cassie, throwing her arms around Hope.

Hope smiled against Cassie’s dark brown hair, and whispered: “I love you, Cassie. Goodnight sweetie.”

“Goodnight Hope,” whispered Cassie back at Hope. “I love you too.” Cassie snuggled back underneath her bed, and hugged her bunny to sleep. Hope got up, leaving Cassie’s bedside to find Scott.

[tmatthewj-blog]

Demystifying The World of LinkedIn Profile Pictures

I think I have got something pretty interesting this time! So we are going to explore the different personality types people try to portray using their profile pictures on LinkedIn. :)

Now to give some background to personality types, a lot of this thought started solidifying in my head after I started reading Joseph Campell's Hero with a Thousand Faces which is a brilliant study of how heroes and heroism are perceived across cultures with a lot of mythological references. Hero Archetype, a term coined by psychologist Carl Jung and seen predominantly in Campbell's works, refers to the characteristics of a typical hero figure and you can have different hero archetypes. This concept of archetypes can also be applied to sports teams, companies etc based on the core beliefs of the organisation. For example - Walt Disney can be considered a Magician where as Harley Davidson likes to portray themselves as a Rebel from a brand archetype perspective.

Now that I have built some context, let's get back to LinkedIn profile pictures. What we are trying to do here is figure out what a given person is trying to convey using the profile picture they put up on LinkedIn. So based on what I have seen, I have been able to come up with 4 archetypes. Let's see what they are:

Speaker

So the first one is the speaker. You can usually spot them on LinkedIn with a close-up profile picture sporting them holding a mic and addressing a crowd or something similar. 

These are folks who want to tell you that they know a lot of stuff that could be helpful to you. They try to portray themselves as experts in their domain and would love to associate themselves with neat oratory skills. So the next time you find someone on LinkedIn with a mic in hand or a presentation remote, you know what they want you to believe they are: Speakers.

Builder

A builder is generally inquisitive about how things work, might have a small workshop room in his house where he tinkers with stuff. They basically build things. So how does someone try to portray himself or herself as a builder It’s simple. 

Take a snapshot of you building something, coding something, playing with Lego blocks or even solving the Rubik's Cube. All these will work. I am sure you will have some of your connections in your LinkedIn network posing as a builder irrespective of whether they are or not.

Thinker

Next in line is the thinker who'd want to know that he/she has a really good intellect combined with a world of experiences that whenever they open their mouth, pearls of wisdom start oozing out. 

Interestingly you can few quite a few investors, evangelists and mentors and in this category and they like to engage with people on LinkedIn by putting up their unique but mostly obvious and ordinary insights they seem to discover from their observations. You know them when you look at the pic. Their eyes just seem to see through everything!

The one with powerful friends

Yeah, this guy wants to tell you that he has a really powerful network. He can connect you to folks you can only imagine meeting in a dream. These guys have different ways of putting this point across - it could be taking a selfie with a big celebrity or better, a group of them, a picture of the person sitting in a location that's restricted to most people, CEO's office in Apple, or like in this pic sporting an item or accessory that belongs to a very powerful person. 

But yeah, regardless of how it is conveyed, you need to realise that they understand the power of network and want you to believe they are well connected.

The one with an MBA

I just couldn't find a pic of Rowan Atkinson that fits this archetype, so had to go and take a pic of myself posing as one! You would have seen many of these guys, have a lot of them as friends and might actually be one of them. The guys with an MBA usually decides to take this picture in a studio posing against a dark velvet background wearing a suit that's usually shared by few of them during this hustle. This is done for their recruitment or placements. There is a method to this photo - you stand 45 degrees to the camera and then look at the camera with a very confident pose. 

Now these guys want you to know that they could handle anything that you throw on them - accounts, financing, marketing, consultation, investment banking, product management, HR, operations of any sorts. Anything.

So we've covered all the LinkedIn user archetypes. Comment below other LinkedIn user archetypes that you have come across, would love to know them. Please note that this is a fun post not to demean or hurt anyone. Just for some light hearted laughter, that is if you find it funny. Thanks for reading! Edit: Video version of the post -