Little Lux

32

19th November, 2022 - Los Angeles, California

"You gotta stay still, little love." Vincent chuckled, gently brushing the paintbrush over Lux's cast as he tried to replicate ironman's repulsor.

The small girl had been begging him for a whole day now to copy the design onto her cast and how could he say no when she was being so precious? However, painting the cast of a very little and wriggly Lux was proving difficult.

"Papa, I can't not move!" Lux giggled, her tiny voice bubbling with excitement. "It tickles!"

Vincent let out an exaggerated sigh, pretending to be exasperated, though the grin on his face betrayed him. "Baby, I'm not even touching your arm." He chuckles. "It can't tickle."

"But it does!" Lux squealed, squirming a little more as Vincent tried to steady her arm. "It's like... butterfly tickles!"

Vincent raised an eyebrow, pretending to consider her logic. "Butterfly tickles, huh? Well, maybe it's not the brush. Maybe it's your imagination." He tapped her nose with the wooden end of the paintbrush, earning another giggle.

"You're silly, Papa," Lux said, her eyes sparkling. She stilled for a moment—probably the best moment Vincent would get. He took advantage, carefully adding a delicate line of glowing blue to the center of his makeshift Ironman design.

"Will it shoot lasers?" Lux asked, her wide, innocent eyes peeking up at him from beneath her curtain of curly hair.

"Only if you believe hard enough," Vincent replied, his tone playful. "The strongest tech in the world starts in the imagination, you know."

Lux gasped as though she'd just uncovered a great cosmic truth. "Then I definitely believe! I'll blast everything! Pew pew!" She mimicked firing beams from her hand, though Vincent quickly held her wrist steady.

"Whoa there, Irongirl. Let me finish the masterpiece first," he teased.

As he added the final touches—a faint glow effect around the edge of the repulsor and a few golden yellow details going up the cast—Vincent stepped back to admire his work. "There we go. One fully-charged repulsor arm, ready for action."

Lux turned her head, trying to look without moving her arm too much. Her lips parted in awe. "Wow! It's so shiny! Papa, you're like a real artist!"

Vincent smirked. "Like a real artist? Baby girl, I am a real artist." He winked at her, leaning in to add the finishing touches. "And you're my favorite canvas."

Lux beamed, clearly delighted at the idea.

"M'gonna show daddy n' Auggie!" She says, hopping off the couch and toddling towards the kitchen where August and Sebastian were busy making lunch.

"Careful, Lux! Don't bump into anything!" Vincent called after her, quickly wiping his hands on a rag.

Lux burst into the kitchen like a tiny whirlwind, her enthusiasm spilling out in every direction. "Daddy! Auggie! Look what Papa made!" She held her cast aloft like a trophy, twirling in a circle for added flair.

Sebastian turned from the cutting board, his chef's knife pausing mid-chop as he took in the sight of his daughter's glittering red-and-gold cast. He broke into a warm smile, his eyes crinkling. "Well, look at you, Iron Lux! That's incredible, sweetheart."

Auggie, who had been quietly munching on a piece of carrot, almost choked in his excitement. He scrambled off his stool and darted over to Lux, his eyes wide with admiration. "Whoa! That's so cool, Lux!" he exclaimed, reaching out to gently touch the shiny, glowing design.