Daffodils: An Avengers Romance

Getting To Know Them

With my pay raise came a new title as Peter's personal nanny. Which honestly- easiest job I've ever had.

Peter was a very independent kid who liked to do everything himself. In the mornings he would get up and dress himself, claiming that he was a 'big boy'. If you took him down to the lab he would stay there for hours. My main job was making sure he ate and went to sleep at normal times.

I would also take him outside and play with him for hours or to the kitchen to bake cookies that we would then pass out to the others in the house.

He was very interested in my powers and loved to watch me make flowers or animals out of vines. When I showed him I could animate the animals, it was a new game for him to run around with them all day. His favorite was a puppy I would make, with roses for eyes and dandelions all over. I would have the puppy chase him around the house and keep an eye on him as I prepared dinner for the night.

"His name is Flower, Aida!" Peter exclaimed happily one day as Flower jumped on top of him and wiggled its green tail. Cutest shit ever, seriously.

That smile was blinding.

The worst part of the job was having Steve and Bucky follow me everywhere I went. They would smile at Peter and play with him and Flower, laughter ringing out throughout the backyard.

When Peter was in the lab Bucky rolled up his sleeves and helped me with the cooking while Steve would sit at the island and talk to us.

On those times when there was nothing to do Bucky would sit with a book while Steve took out his sketchpad and drew as I started on a knitting project.

It sucked the way my heart skipped a beat the first time Steve handed me a drawing of myself, smiling sheepishly as I took it. It was a damn good drawing too and I looked so pretty in it that I immediately framed it and hung it up in my room.

Anyways, that all meant I was fucked because my crush had gone from 'huh, they're cute' to 'damn, I wanna date 'em.'

Seriously, how did I develop a crush on both of them? Who has a crush on a pair of best friends, that was some messed up shit.

So I quietly kept the crush to myself and smothered any butterflies I would get anytime Bucky invited me to the library to read. Sometimes he would read outloud to me, his deep voice the only sound as I finished up the sweater I had been making for Peter.

When Steve walked with me in the garden and laughed at one of my jokes, I pretended that I felt no pride in being the one to make him laugh. When he handed me a new sketch of whatever he had drawn that day, I quietly put them away in my drawer and locked them up along with my feelings for him.

There was no way that I could choose one over the other, so I just chose none at all.

* * *

Without even knowing where the time went, it was the end of August already. We all packed up our stuff and took them to the front of the mansion as two cars pulled up to take us to New York.

Peter would be starting school in a week and he was jumping around for joy. It was a good thing at least one person was happy about that, since the rest of us felt dread at the thought of the upcoming school year.

"Miss Aida, you have got to meet Wade!" Peter waved his arms around as a smile stretched over his face and his eyes twinkled, "His my bestest friend in the whole world!"

Cute.

"I'm so glad you're coming with me to school, Ms. Aida," He continued, "Mom and dad didn't want me to go by myself, even though I told them I'm big. I can take care of myself! But, now you get to be with me and dad can stop crying!"

Pepper smiled as Tony sent a glare with no real heat at Peter. I laughed and watched as Peter sat in his booster seat, feet swinging as he talked about how excited he was to see Wade, who would be starting school with him.

The week in New York passed quickly, it was mainly shopping around for everything Peter would need. At night we would go over the plan to keep him safe, which was mainly me following him around as his maid while Bucky, Steve and Natasha infiltrated the school.

I got to follow Peter everywhere except for class, which he needed to do himself. Honestly, the fact that this school even allowed that really spoke to how rich its students were. My elementary school barely had enough teachers for all of its students and we were lucky to get peanut and jelly sandwiches for breakfast.

Natasha was going to be Peter's homeroom teacher while Bucky and Steve would start a job as security guards on campus.

I did not ask any questions about how they had gotten jobs at the school, I had no need to know.

On the other hand, SHIELD was tracking down Hydra after they had raided their latest hideout. They had captured some people but most of them got away, including the one with the damn book.

I had put Fury in contact with my only other friends: Jason Lancaster and Thomas Lien. Not only were they the only other friends I had, but they were also intimately acquainted with Old Magic.

When I had given Fury their contact information he just raised a brow at me, "Didn't Jason and Thomas go missing a couple years back?"

I nodded and sent him a small smile, "Yep, all three of us did honestly. Thomas was even my ex, but don't worry we're still friends. I'll send them a text that you'll call them later."

* * *

The beginning of September brought about the first change of the leaves and cold afternoon breezes. It also brought about the first day of school, which one Peter Parker was very excited about.

Tony and Pepper dropped Peter and I off at the gates of Swann Academy, a building much too imposing to be a school. It was built in an old gothic fashion and had about a thousand students from kindergarten to twelfth grade.

It was located in a valley between two mountains, deep in the New York countryside and every single person that attended this academy was the wealthiest of the wealthiest.

"I'll miss you, kiddo." Tony said as he kissed Peter's head. Pepper knelt down next to him and cupped his cheek, giving it a light kiss.

"Remember we'll visit every weekend and anytime you call us. If you need anything let Aida know, ok?"

Peter nodded and for all of his excitement, his eyes started going red and misty. As the three of them hugged, I looked back at the Academy that could barely be seen from the entrance gates.

"It all begins here," I whispered to myself and clutched at my chest. Whatever else happened this year, there was no way I was letting any of it harm Peter.