Snow days shouldn't really be a thing when your school is within walking distance of your house. But because the school was Steve's, and he was an unexpectedly soft touch when his daughter pulled out the puppy eyes, today had been called a snow day for everyone who attended or worked at the Rogers School for the Enhanced. The Rogers themselves had gone on an expedition, as had the Storms, leaving the Prescotts to enjoy what might have started as a quiet day in the little bunched trio of houses on the Grove. That quiet, however, was shattered around mid-morning by an excited Lara bursting out through the back door and leaping straight into a couple of feet of snow, a very excitable Coco running along after her.
Colin stood at the door, watching the pair with a big grin on his face. There had been a time when his smiles were rare, but these days the little house he called home often rang with laughter, just as it was today. He'd decided to take the day off, which wasn't hard to do now that he was working for GrangerGuild Conglomerate and not MI5. There was a time when work was his life, but these days, family came first.
"Careful, or you'll get buried in snow!" he called to the four-year-old he'd come to think of as his own, despite the fact that she was not related to him by blood.
It wasn't as though GGC was going to object; it seemed as though the policy in Rhy'Din fell very much on the side of the person and not their productivity. A bump on the back of his leg announced the arrival of Alia, newly tottering, and bundled up so fully in her snowsuit she looked more like an escaped teddy bear than anything.
Startled by the bump at his legs, he turned and chuckled again at the sight of the toddler all bundled up and ready for her first adventure in the snow. "Hmm, now where do you think you're going, little miss?" he asked, sweeping her up into his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek.
From somewhere in the wrappings of scarf and hood came Alia's answer. "In der snoo," she informed her father, waving her hands excitedly. Behind her, Nat came into view, chuckling to herself. "Nap time is going to be so quiet today," she predicted impishly.
"Am I correct in assuming I'm supposed to partake in this little adventure?" he asked, his question aimed more at his wife than his daughter, as that was a lot of words for her to grasp.
"I was thinking more that we can watch and intervene if anyone gets buried," the redhead suggested in amusement. In his arms, Alia was squirming to get down, eager to go and join her big sister in the snow for a little while.
Colin chuckled at the toddler's efforts to escape her father's arms. "All right, all right. Patience is a virtue," he scolded her gently before setting her on her feet just outside the door.
Snoo," Alia insisted, her feet already pattering before she hit the porch. It was just as well the snow was deep enough to reach level with the porch; she had no concept of stairs just yet. There was a small poof as she went headlong into the first drift, but she was quick to pull herself out as Lara came running over to help her.
"She's bundled up so tightly, she's top heavy," he remarked as the toddler went head first into the snow. His initial instinct was to go to her rescue, but Lara beat him to it.
"She'll adjust," Nat said confidently, tucking her arms about his waist from behind as she watched the little girls over his shoulder. "We can't hover over them all the time, after all."
"Yes, well, I don't want her to get buried in the snow either," he remarked, though that was unlikely to happen while they were on watch. "They're good together, aren't they?" he said, glancing over his shoulder at the pretty redhead who'd found her way into his heart.
"They are," she murmured. Her heart always ached just a little when she watched their girls playing together, knowing just what Lara's true parents had done in the hope that she would find a safe and loving home without them. "They love their Papa, too."
Colin smiled at that. "I never thought I'd have kids," he confessed, not for the first time. In fact, a wife had been out of the question, too - until he'd met her. After that, everything had changed.
"Join the club." Her answer was offered in a wry drawl; just a couple of years ago, the mere thought of the Black Widow having even a husband, much less a child, would have been laughable. Even now, some of their friends couldn't quite believe it.
"It's not a bad thing, you know," he said, shifting his position so that he could slide an arm around her shoulders as he touched a kiss to her lips. "They love their Mama, too."
She smiled against his lips, content to hold and be held. "I know," she admitted in a low voice. "Can't help wondering if Fury would be proud of me for getting domesticated, though. I spent a long time as just as weapon."
"Fury," Colin echoed with a hint of disdain in his voice. He'd met the man a few times, but they'd never gotten very well acquainted. What he knew of the man was mostly just by reputation. "No doubt he'd be shocked," he remarked, but proud" He wasn't so sure about that.
"We never did find out what happened to him," she murmured, something that would no doubt play on her mind for years to come. "He could have had me imprisoned or killed when Clint brought me in. I owe both of them everything."
"Not everything," he reminded her quietly, pulling her close and touching an affectionate kiss to her forehead. He knew how close she was to Barton, who was more like a brother than a friend, but he wasn't the one who was married to her or the one who had given her a family.
Her smile softened as his arms tightened about her. "You know what I mean," she assured him. "You and me, we happened on our own. No one pushed us together."
"You don't think Coco had anything to do with it?" he asked, a teasing gleam in his blue eyes. He never seemed to tire of teasing her when he could. The little cocker spaniel barked in reply, as if knowing they were talking about her.
Nat laughed. "Well, she certainly charmed me," she conceded, glancing over at the little spaniel bouncing through the snow as Lara and Alia very seriously discussed the logistics of building a snowman together.
"Think I should help?" he asked, his expression a little too serious as he regarded the pair of girls. He didn't mind the snow so much, though he was feeling pretty content where he was.
"I'm not going to stop you going outside to play with your girls, you know," Nat assured him laughingly. "You're itching to get out there, aren't you?"
Colin stood at the door, watching the pair with a big grin on his face. There had been a time when his smiles were rare, but these days the little house he called home often rang with laughter, just as it was today. He'd decided to take the day off, which wasn't hard to do now that he was working for GrangerGuild Conglomerate and not MI5. There was a time when work was his life, but these days, family came first.
"Careful, or you'll get buried in snow!" he called to the four-year-old he'd come to think of as his own, despite the fact that she was not related to him by blood.
It wasn't as though GGC was going to object; it seemed as though the policy in Rhy'Din fell very much on the side of the person and not their productivity. A bump on the back of his leg announced the arrival of Alia, newly tottering, and bundled up so fully in her snowsuit she looked more like an escaped teddy bear than anything.
Startled by the bump at his legs, he turned and chuckled again at the sight of the toddler all bundled up and ready for her first adventure in the snow. "Hmm, now where do you think you're going, little miss?" he asked, sweeping her up into his arms and planting a kiss on her cheek.
From somewhere in the wrappings of scarf and hood came Alia's answer. "In der snoo," she informed her father, waving her hands excitedly. Behind her, Nat came into view, chuckling to herself. "Nap time is going to be so quiet today," she predicted impishly.
"Am I correct in assuming I'm supposed to partake in this little adventure?" he asked, his question aimed more at his wife than his daughter, as that was a lot of words for her to grasp.
"I was thinking more that we can watch and intervene if anyone gets buried," the redhead suggested in amusement. In his arms, Alia was squirming to get down, eager to go and join her big sister in the snow for a little while.
Colin chuckled at the toddler's efforts to escape her father's arms. "All right, all right. Patience is a virtue," he scolded her gently before setting her on her feet just outside the door.
Snoo," Alia insisted, her feet already pattering before she hit the porch. It was just as well the snow was deep enough to reach level with the porch; she had no concept of stairs just yet. There was a small poof as she went headlong into the first drift, but she was quick to pull herself out as Lara came running over to help her.
"She's bundled up so tightly, she's top heavy," he remarked as the toddler went head first into the snow. His initial instinct was to go to her rescue, but Lara beat him to it.
"She'll adjust," Nat said confidently, tucking her arms about his waist from behind as she watched the little girls over his shoulder. "We can't hover over them all the time, after all."
"Yes, well, I don't want her to get buried in the snow either," he remarked, though that was unlikely to happen while they were on watch. "They're good together, aren't they?" he said, glancing over his shoulder at the pretty redhead who'd found her way into his heart.
"They are," she murmured. Her heart always ached just a little when she watched their girls playing together, knowing just what Lara's true parents had done in the hope that she would find a safe and loving home without them. "They love their Papa, too."
Colin smiled at that. "I never thought I'd have kids," he confessed, not for the first time. In fact, a wife had been out of the question, too - until he'd met her. After that, everything had changed.
"Join the club." Her answer was offered in a wry drawl; just a couple of years ago, the mere thought of the Black Widow having even a husband, much less a child, would have been laughable. Even now, some of their friends couldn't quite believe it.
"It's not a bad thing, you know," he said, shifting his position so that he could slide an arm around her shoulders as he touched a kiss to her lips. "They love their Mama, too."
She smiled against his lips, content to hold and be held. "I know," she admitted in a low voice. "Can't help wondering if Fury would be proud of me for getting domesticated, though. I spent a long time as just as weapon."
"Fury," Colin echoed with a hint of disdain in his voice. He'd met the man a few times, but they'd never gotten very well acquainted. What he knew of the man was mostly just by reputation. "No doubt he'd be shocked," he remarked, but proud" He wasn't so sure about that.
"We never did find out what happened to him," she murmured, something that would no doubt play on her mind for years to come. "He could have had me imprisoned or killed when Clint brought me in. I owe both of them everything."
"Not everything," he reminded her quietly, pulling her close and touching an affectionate kiss to her forehead. He knew how close she was to Barton, who was more like a brother than a friend, but he wasn't the one who was married to her or the one who had given her a family.
Her smile softened as his arms tightened about her. "You know what I mean," she assured him. "You and me, we happened on our own. No one pushed us together."
"You don't think Coco had anything to do with it?" he asked, a teasing gleam in his blue eyes. He never seemed to tire of teasing her when he could. The little cocker spaniel barked in reply, as if knowing they were talking about her.
Nat laughed. "Well, she certainly charmed me," she conceded, glancing over at the little spaniel bouncing through the snow as Lara and Alia very seriously discussed the logistics of building a snowman together.
"Think I should help?" he asked, his expression a little too serious as he regarded the pair of girls. He didn't mind the snow so much, though he was feeling pretty content where he was.
"I'm not going to stop you going outside to play with your girls, you know," Nat assured him laughingly. "You're itching to get out there, aren't you?"