A Very Merry Marvel Thanksgiving

[wasafreak]

Thanksgiving hadn't been something Teddy anticipated celebrating, and even now that he's here, it feels odd. Not just the fact that his jaw is wired shut and he's got a brace on his leg, but the fact that he was invited to Captain America's house and arrived to find the original Cap and Bucky and alternate universe Peggy Carter setting up a pretty impressive Thanksgiving buffet is just so surreal. Steve greets them at the door with a genuine smile and pats Billy on the shoulder and ushers them in to get drinks, and Teddy tells himself he's paranoid and Bucky isn't shooting him and Billy a sideways look warning them off of getting caught making out in any more closets, and then reminds himself that this is real life.

Kind of.

Instead of agonizing over what an appropriate tropical island equivalent of 'nice Holiday sweater' was, he let Billy dress him (also literally, see again: brace) and thinks they made the right call- the house is all warm wood craftsman, and the three heroes already there are dressed casually but nicely, and there are old photos and some pretty incredible drawings hanging up, which distract Teddy and Billy to the point of rudeness, except Steve seems all too glad to tell them stories and answer questions. Bucky chimes in to remind him of details and it's... it's maybe the coolest thing that has ever happened, other than discovering his connection to the Avengers.

It relaxes him, and Teddy types up short phrases and sentences on his iPad when he feels really compelled to contribute, keeps "Happy Thanksgiving" on his clipboard to copy and paste it when new people arrive. It doesn't take more than an hour for a pretty respectable number of people to show up, the chatter growing in volume, and even though it's been a pretty crappy couple of months, and a pretty rough couple of years, Teddy finds himself feeling pretty good.

Comments

[wasafreak]

It's The Wasp. The Wasp. He's had her action figures and posters and so, so many trading cards. He's loved her since he was little, her sharp, cool uniforms, her sunny, confident smile. She' one of the originals, and that means a lot, and Teddy realizes he's staring at her before he has the good sense to duck his head and avert his eyes.

[the_wasp]

Jan definitely realizes someone's staring at her, and very quickly. It would be flattering if he weren't jail bait and very obviously attached to the young Mr. Billy Kaplan.

(Aw, who's she kidding? It's flattering even so.)

It's also a tiny bit creepy, which Jan is about to point out (with a kind smile) when she starts with sudden realization.

"Oh, you're not creeper staring. You can't talk, can you? That's why you're branding the tablet."

It makes sense only because this is the first she's stopped to put two and two together.

[wasafreak]

Teddy feels himself blush, and he nods, lips pressing briefly together into a thin, embarrassed line. He taps his finger quickly across the keyboard and holds up the iPad so broken jaw is at eye height.

He's trying not to draw attention to the brace on his leg or the crutch propped against the wall near by. He feels dumb enough with the jaw. He looks down to tap out Teddy Altman. It's very nice to meet you before holding it up to her again.

[the_wasp]

Jan winces at the first message, then smiles at the second. She figures it's Halloween that has him bent out of shape (ha ha) because he instantly strikes her as too polite and too good of a kid to get into trouble on his own.

"It's very nice to meet you, too, Teddy," she says before offering out a hand. "Janet van Dyne. But I'm guessing you knew that?"

[wasafreak]

Shaking hands isn't the easiest, but at least the shoulder he dislocated was the left. He carefully tucks the iPad under his arm and reaches out to accept and shake the hand, nodding, smiling a potent combination of thrilled and shy as he does.

He is touching The Wasp, it's unreal. His mom had never taken too much of an interest in Super Heroes, and he wonders now if that was her attempt at distancing herself from that world as much as possible. For his sake.

But she had liked Wasp, especially when she'd been leading the team. She'd seemed to appreciate that.

[the_wasp]

She goes easy on the actual shake part of the hand shake, squeezing his hand gently instead before letting go.

It's not fair that he gets to stare at her and she doesn't get to stare at him. She really wants to work him over for any hints of Skrull or Kree, to ask, but that's rude to begin with, worse when he has to type the answer.

"So, Teddy Altman. You're the Teddy Altman who's a Young Avenger with Billy Kaplan?"

Yeah, still not any easier to swallow when she sees how cute the kid is with her own eyes.

[wasafreak]

He honestly can't help the way his face lights up a little, because she's heard of him, not in like a real way, just from Billy, but still. He nods as emphatically as his injuries will allow, then hesitates and rearranges the iPad so he can type again.

My codename is Hulkling. Always loved the Avengers, am proud to call myself one now.

He holds it out for her to read but stops, and something like guilt but good humored and vaguely self effacing crossed his expression, and he added: Sort of.

[the_wasp]

Jan winces a little at the vigorous nod, but it doesn't look like it hurts Teddy so she moves on to reading from the pad.

"Hulkling?" she repeats, unable to keep a hint of amusement from her voice. "Seriously? Wouldn't you want to name yourself after your dad?"

Oh, wait, probably not the best question to ask.

Jan backpedals quickly. Or tries. "I mean, uh, oh, crap. Feel free not to answer that if that's a topic you'd rather not talk about. I just let my mouth get away from me. And, um.. Does Hulk know about you? Back home, I mean?"

Not that Jan can imagine Bruce approving of the name too much. Hulk might love it.