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

[the_wasp]

He is so awkward. It's kind of amazing, in the way that you want to marvel that someone could get through life -- and not look super evil in a beard -- with that level of awkward. But Jan just wants to stop the awkwardness in its tracks and get a better smile on the guy's face.

Once she finishes sticking her foot in her mouth, that is.

"You're not Peter Parker," she laughs, even while reaching out to take his hand.

"Oh my God, are you really Peter Parker?" she asks not half a second later, eyes widening. "Sorry. Peter Parker who works for the Daily Bugle? In my world, Peter Parker's like.. a twelve year old photographer. Okay, not really twelve, but... if you're the same then you grew up pretty well, Peter."

[daretodo]

Well, that's a first. The last time someone thought I was too old to be Peter Parker was Jessica, and she sure as heck didn't follow it up by telling me I grew up well. My eyebrows shoot up towards the ceiling and I'm suddenly very glad I didn't shave, since it covers up the blush pretty nicely.

I clear my throat.

"Got me. I was fifteen when I started there." But I was always credited as a staff photographer back then, not by name. Which is confirmation enough to know we're from different worlds, though hell if I know what universe she's from, 'cause it sure can't be Tony's or Jessica's.

"You're a fashion designer where I'm from." I clear my throat again, looking a bit pained. "My wife was a model."

[the_wasp]

Was. Was. What does that past tense mean? Does it mean nothing or does it mean everything? Obviously, judging by the look on his face alone, his wife isn't here on the island. So, time to step carefully, though Jan had her own way of doing that.

"A fashion designer?" she echoes in pleasure. "That's so awesome. Wait, a fashion designer and a superhero, right? Fashion's great and everything but I need all versions of me in all universes kicking all the bad guy butts."

[daretodo]

"One of the original Avengers, yeah," I say, kinda glad she went for the easier route if not particularly surprised. Were our positions reversed, I think I'd be taking the easy route, too.

"I think you -- well, she, I guess -- even coined the name?" I shrug. "She's kicking butt, no worries."

[the_wasp]

"Excellent," she says with obvious pride. "It's really weird to have to think about other versions of you walking around in other worlds and then to worry that they're not as cool as you. But don't worry. Other you in my world seemed pretty cool. I didn't get to know him or anything. But to start working on important assignments at a newspaper at that young, you have to be good."

[daretodo]

Or you have to be Spider-Man and know how to use the timer on your camera. Not that I'm about to say as much, but that's how I caught my lucky break. I moved too fast for anyone to get a decent picture of me, and when Jonah put out his call for pics, I was only too eager to answer.

"I'm decent. On behalf of Peter Parkers everywhere, I'm gonna assume he is, too," I reply. "Even if he is... Twelve, really?"

[the_wasp]

"Not twelve," Jan concedes. "I said not twelve. After saying twelve. He was just... really, really young looking. I'm sure the Bugle wouldn't have sent a real twelve year old on that story. Even if we did have to struggle to get it." Every once in a blue moon, Jan really does hate the media.

"So do you work for the island paper?" she asks. "Or did you give it up for the beach bum career?"

[daretodo]

"You'd be surprised what ol' Jolly Jonah'd do to save a buck, but no and no to both of those," I reply, starting ease up a bit. I wouldn't've thought talk of home would make me less homesick, but there's something strangely mindless about comparing home universes at this point. It's old hat. Like some strange version of talking about the weather.

"I'm a scientist. Photography was always a means to an end. I was working for Stark Industries before I got pulled here, and I've kinda kept up the scientist thing. The Operating Room's my baby."

[the_wasp]

"Oh, wow, really?" She isn't a tech geek, even if she can stomach it when she needs to. She hasn't gone poking around in the lab or clinic or anything, but just knowing that there is an Operating Room of any kind around here is impressive.

"That's kind of amazing. No, actually, that's plain amazing. How did you even manage with, what, coconuts to work with?"

[daretodo]

"There's a scrapyard and tools," I say, shrugging. "I'm used to working on a budget. This was a bit tighter than it might've been back home, but you'd be amazed what you can do with raw materials, ingenuity, and a pressing need for people not to die if they need surgery."

[the_wasp]

Jan raises a skeptical brow, though it isn't exactly Peter she's doubting.

"I didn't think Stark or his Industries knew what a budget is. But I hear you on the pressing need thing. Necessity can be a bitch, but she comes up with some good inventions. But I'm sure you've got tons of projects going on, huh? Not just for critical issues."

[daretodo]

"I tinker."

This is an understatement. I've spent the past month bolstering my continued efforts to find a way out of here, which would definitely qualify as more than tinkering.

"...hey, can I ask you a question? You shrank, right? Using Pym particles?"

[the_wasp]

"Indeed I did," Jan confirms, her nod and words crisp as she bites back the bitterness of using the past tense. She still misses her wings, a lot.

"Don't get too excited about picking my brain though. I lived with them. I didn't completely understand them. That was always Hank."