Santa Barton
"Why do I have to dress up like Santa? You're their Dad, I'm pretty sure it's your job."
"Please, Pietro. Coop is making noises about how the kids at his school are saying Santa's not real and he turned the puppy dog eyes on me asking whether I'd been dressing up to leave his presents under the tree and lying to him for the past ten years. He needs to see me and Santa in the same room at the same time. Plus, you already have the right colour hair so..."
Clint was no slouch in the puppy dog eyes department either, like father, like son, and Pietro was no more capable of resisting than Clint was.
"Ok, fine. But you better leave out the good cookies and full fat milk, none of that skimmed crap."
"Deal!"
*
"You happy with your presents this year, Coop?"
"Yeah, Dad! Santa was amazing this year and I can't wait to tell Tommy that he was wrong about it being you leaving the presents."
Clint ruffles his son's head as he smiles gratefully at Pietro. "Oh yeah? Did you see him leave the presents while we had a sleepover in the living room?"
"No, I must've slept through that, they were already there, but I got up for the toilet later and I saw you kissing him in the kitchen. Is Santa Claus gonna be our new Step-Dad?"
Clint chokes on his breakfast as Lila starts jumping around excitedly, screaming that she had to go phone Mom and tell her that Daddy is gonna marry Santa Claus, Copper heading out with her so he could wish Laura and their new Step-Dad a Merry Christmas.
"Hey," Pietro laughs, "you're the one that wanted him to see us both in the same room. At least your plan worked."
"Daaaaaaaad! Mom wants to talk to you." Lila calls out from the living room.
Crap. He's definitely got some explaining to do.
Stupid speedsters and their ridiculous good looks that could make even a Santa suit look good.