The Rogers-Stark family decided that it would be a good idea to head to the beach. Well, half of the Rogers-Stark family anyway. Steve had suggested the idea, saying that it would be nice to get the kids out of the tower, and so Tony could get a break from his work, (which he did not need as he insisted) but Steve would not hear of it. Clint had caught wind of their plans and asked if he and some of the others could join them, to which Steve replied with a joyous,
"You bet!"
Now, Steve was rubbing the kids down with sunscreen lotion without Tony's help because he was super aggravated about having to leave his almost finished prototype for a new suit he'd been working on.
"Tony, please stop acting like this, you can go back down into your workshop after we come from the beach." Tony sighed and rolled his eyes,
"Fine. But no one disturbs me until I'm done."
"Deal." Steve agreed and said, "Is everybody ready?" Everyone collectively agreed and they began their descent to the garage.
They packed away all of their things into the trunk of the SUV and they were off to the beach. At the beach Peter, Clint and Thor took off straight for the waves while the rest of the team set up beach chairs and umbrellas. Steve looked down at Emma who had a look of contemplation on her face.
"What's wrong sweetheart? Don't you want to go in the water?" She looked up at Steve and shook her head.
"The big waves are scary Papa, I don't wanna go." Emma gave a frown and signaled that she wanted to be picked up by her papa.
After Steve picked her up he asked, "Do you want auntie Tasha to take you into the water?" Steve tried with the young girl in his arms but she just shook her head.
"I wanna stay here with you." Emma buried her face in Steve's chest.
"Ok. Why don't we try going in the water later, how does that sound?" Emma nodded her head against Steve's chest as she was starting to fall asleep.
About twenty-five minutes later, Emma woke up to the vibrating sound of Steve's loud talking through his chest. She sat upright and rubbed her eyes as Steve adjusted her so she would be comfortable.
"Hello Sleeping Beauty, had a nice nap?" Steve kissed Emma on her cheek and she giggled.
"Do you want to try the water now?" Steve asked, pointing a finger at the big blue ocean.
"Uh huh, but can uncle Clint take me?"
"Yeah sure, he's right over there, go ask him." Emma slid out of Steve's arms and went running over to Clint who was sitting next to Natasha who was trying to get a tan.
"Uncle Clint?" Emma said, leaning over the arm of his chair. Clint looked over to Emma and smiled at her,
"What do need pumpkin?"
"Can you take me in the water?"
"Sure thing kiddo. But are you sure you don't want your dad to take you?"Clint looked back behind him to Steve who nodded to him to let him know it was ok.
"I'm sure." Natasha looked over to Clint and smiled.
"What? I gotta do what the lady says." Clint got up out of his chair and picked up Emma by her waist and took her into the water.
Steve watched from his chair as his daughter and Clint both had fun, while Tony was still working on his suit prototype from his Stark pad.
"I know work means a lot to you, but can't you just put that thing down for five minutes to watch Emma play with Clint." Tony put his pad inside his bad and said,
"You are lucky that I am done and that I love you." Tony gave Steve a kiss on the cheek. They played for a good hour and a half before Emma had come running back to Steve all wet and said,
"Look Papa! A starfishy!" Emma held her hands out to show Steve the large starfish that Clint had most likely found and given to her. "Can I keep it? Uncle Clint says that there's people that make decorations out of starfishies but that's mean."
"You can't keep it Emma, out here in the ocean is it's home and you can't take an animal away from it's home. Imagine if someone took you away from us, you'd be sad wouldn't you?" Emma nodded her head as she gently ghosted her fingertips along the hard shell of the starfish.
"That's how that starfish would feel, he would miss his family and they would miss him."
"I don't want him to be sad." Emma blew a huff of air from her nose before running back towards the ocean and yelling Clint's name so he could help her put him back.
About an hour later it started to rain and they had to cut their trip short. Once everyone was home and dry, Steve put in a movie while Tony ordered takeout and he was glad that Steve suggested that they go to the beach.
