Frantic Preparations
“Hey!”
Ned looked up from his locker and spotted Peter sprinting toward him, which made him grin. “Hey!” He held out his arms and helped the other boy stop rather abruptly, sneakily pulling him into a hug. “What’s up?”
“So, um. First of all. I don’t know if I, like, mentioned it? But. Uh. I really really liked our date yesterday, and I can’t wait to go on another one sometime soon and also I’m super glad we’re boyfriends now, and that’s just- really great and awesome, and-”
Ned’s goofy grin slowly spread across his face as Peter babbled until he had to hold up a hand and say, “Peter.”
“Hmm?” The smaller boy looked up, eyes slightly wide and shoulders tense, but all the stress melted out of his body at the sight of Ned’s smile and he gave him a small smile of his own.
“Was there something else you wanted to tell me?”
Peter’s brows furrowed as he thought back over everything he’d said.
“The term ‘first of all’ usually implies a second point, Peter.”
“Oh!” His eyes lit up and he smiled as Ned laughed. “Right. Sage wanted me to warn you that the team is, like, a bit much sometimes. And by a bit I mean a ton. Mister Stark is like very protective and sometimes Clint and Natasha can be kind of intimidating. More Natasha than Clint, he’s pretty chill most of the time, but he can be kind of really terrifying, though. Also! If you’re talking to Clint, try and angle toward him so he can read your lips because he’s kind of deaf. Um. Oh! Bucky is really scary at first, but honestly he’s a huge softy, don’t get intimidated by his metal arm. Mister Stark actually let me look at the schematics for it once! It was so cool, and-”
Ned laughed again. “Got it. Be prepared for the Avengers being A Lot.”
“Exactly.” Peter’s mouth spread in a relieved grin, and then he bit his lip. “Uh, yeah, also. I’m, um. Sorry about Sage. In advance. She’s... “
“A lot?”
“Yeah.” Peter snickered with Ned and waved at MJ as she appeared a ways down the hallway. “I’m going to go say hi to MJ. Catch you in science?”
“Yeah, I’ll see you.”
---
“Dad, did you get the Thai food ordered?”
“It’s on its way.”
“JARVIS, do we have a queue set up for tonight’s movies?”
“It has been assembled complete with breaks for use of the restroom and snacks, Miss Ahlers.”
“Great. Awesome. Perfect. I feel like I’m missing something. Am I missing something? JARVIS what am I missing?”
“Could it be your wonderful and amazing girlfriend who is giving up an evening with her adorable baby brother and father to spend it with you instead?”
Sage’s face lit up as Adeline exited the elevator, but she pretended to carefully think over the question for a minute. “No, I don’t think that’s it…”
Adeline rolled her eyes and flipped Sage the bird, smiling when the other girl cackled. “What’s shakin’? How can I help?”
Sage made a distressed noise and pulled the other girl into a hug. “Please never say that again.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”
“Miss Ahlers, everything is set and in place. All that remains is for people to show up.”
“Awesome.” Sage turned to the holoscreen hovering above the kitchen island that displayed Tony where he was tinkering on something in the lab. “Are you gonna come up soon?”
“As soon as I’ve got this finished, sweetheart.” He flashed her a bright smile. “Actually, I’ll probably hop in the shower and then be down, but you know.”
“Okay, great. I’ll see you then. Love you, dad!”
“Yeah, love you too. If you two do anything rated PG up there while you’re by yourselves I’m going to ban Adeline from the tower.”
Sage rolled her eyes. “I’m going to make out with my girlfriend on top of the island and you can’t stop me!”
Tony’s eyes widened. “Okay, wait, I’m sorry. Please for the love of God don’t-”
“JARVIS, hang up please,” Sage asked in her sweetest voice, cackling at the expression on Tony’s face as the holoscreen shut itself down.
“Sage.” Another holoscreen opened and Loki appeared on it, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the library, a book open in front of him. “Why did your father just call me in a panic babbling on about you and Adeline doing inappropriate things on the common floor?”
Adeline coughed to mask a cough as Sage turned bright red. “I- um. I was…?” Loki rose a skeptical eyebrow and all of Sage’s defenses crumbled. “It was a joke!” She whined, crossing her arms in front of her petulantly. “I would never do something inappropriate…. This close to my party.”
Loki smiled softly and let out a quiet laugh. “I believe that after the minor concession. Hello, Adeline, how have you been?”
“Not too bad, sir. Yourself?”
“Ah, you know. We’re all… healing.”
Sage bit her lip at that, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. She could feel them both staring at her, and she hated it. Tonight was not about bringing up her currently unresolved trauma. Tonight was about being a family.
The elevator doors slid open in the nick of time to reveal Peter and an awestruck Ned standing inside.
“Peter!!!” Sage shrieked, rushing over a leaping on him in a hug.
He caught her effortlessly and rolled his eyes, grabbing Ned’s hand and walking out of the elevator with Sage clinging to him like a limpet. “I literally talked to you yesterday.”
“Yeah, but this is my first ever time seeing you when you’re not single!” Sage let go and punched him in the shoulder before turning to Ned fast enough to give Adeline whiplash. “Hi! I’m Sage, Peter’s older sister.”
“Excuse me?! I’m almost four months older than you!”
“Sure, honey.” Sage patted Peter’s cheek patronizingly and his mouth dropped open in disbelief.
Addy laughed and waved to Ned from where she was standing. “I’m not going to get that close to a sibling rivalry, but hi. I’m Adeline, Sage’s girlfriend. I’m guessing you’re Ned?”
”The one and only.” Ned shot her some finger guns and she laughed again.
“I like your hat.”
“Really? Thanks!”
Peter and Sage stopped bickering for a moment and Peter’s eyes softened. “Sage aren’t you going to introduce me to your girlfriend, or are you going to keep being an ass?”
“What, you think I can’t do both?”
“You little-”
“You’re not that much taller than me!”
“Hi.” Peter put on his best winning smile and pushed Sage out of his way gently. “I’m Peter and I know we’ve already met but I was trying to make a better first impression. Uh. That didn’t work quite like I wanted it too.” He side-eyed Sage who was laying on the ground dramatically. “That wasn’t my fault.”
“Yeah, huh! You pushed me! Papa, Peter pushed me!”
Loki chuckled and raised a hand in greeting when Peter spun to stare at the holoscreen. “Sage, you’re fine, darling. Get up. Ned, was it? Hello. I’m one of Sage’s fathers. Welcome to the tower, I’m sure the rest of the team will be joining you shortly.”
Sage’s eyes widened and she scrambled up at the words. “Wait, does that mean you’re not? You’re coming, aren’t you? Papa, you have to!”
Loki shook his head slightly. “I’ll come down with your father, Sage, don’t worry.”
“Oh.” She shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’ll see you soon.”
“See ya!” Sage turned around and grinned as the holoscreen closed out. “Okay, so now that we’re alone.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively,\ and then laughed. “No, that’s awful. I’m sorry. I was kidding. Besides, if I did anything Dad would kill me.”
“And then me.” Peter and Adeline said in unison. They both turned to look at the other in surprise, and Ned laughed.
Sage and Peter’s phones went off at the same time and Sage’s brow furrowed as she dug in her pocket to pull it out.
Peter looked over her shoulder to see a notification from their group chat with Wanda and Pietro.
From Wanda: Sage how serious were you about bringing significant others?
Peter scrambled for his phone and started texting at lightning speed, fingers flying across the keyboard.
From Pietro: WHAT
From Pietro: WHAT’S GOING ON
From Pietro: WHY DON’T YOU TELL ME ANYTHIGN ANY MORE
From Peter: I’M FREAKING OUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
From Sage: If that’s an actual thing and you want to do it, please please please do, but I don’t want to pressure you or a new datemate into something you’re not ready for.
Peter’s head snapped up to stare at Sage. “How are you not freaking out?!”
Sage hushed him and flapped her hand to wave him away. “Shut up.”
From Wanda: Can you meet me on my floor in five minutes?
From Peter: we can make it in three