"Dani's first snowman, January, 1996, age three." (Y/n)'s voice laughed. The camera shook as she walked to the sliding door to the balcony of the flat. Through the glass she zoomed in on Dani hard at work compacting snow in her tiny gloved hands. Everytime she tried to put more snow on top of her mound she ended up smashing it down, never gaining height on her 'snowman'. With each handful slammed on top, (Y/n) couldn't help but laugh. The door slid open and she stepped out onto the snowy balcony.
"Mummy I can't!" Dani whined, frustrated. "Help!"
"Okay sweetheart." The camera was sat on the railing so that both of them were in frame. (Y/n) knelt down and inspected the mound that her daughter had been working on. "It looks good to me." She laughed. Dani puffed out her cheeks.
"No, mummy!"
"Alright, let me see if I can work some magic." (Y/n) scooped up a large handful of snow and compacted it into a ball, rolling it on the ground to make it bigger. After she had a basketball-sized bottom, she set to work on the middle and head. Dani's eyes were wide in wonder as she watched her mom craft. Once the snowman's body was finished, (Y/n) turned to her daughter. "I think this snowman needs a face and a scarf, don't you?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Dani ran inside, searching for things to make the snowman whole. She returned with a carrot, two grapes, green yarn, and her mother's old blue scarf.
"Perfect." (Y/n) cooed, placing the objects in place, letting Dani place the nose and eyes. She stood and grabbed the camera to capture their hard work. "Dani, he needs a name!"
"Uhmmmm," Dani stood in front of it, inspecting it like a fine art critic. "Mr. Snow Snow!"
"I love it." Her mother laughed warmly. "Let's go warm up with some hot cocoa."
The screen went black for a few seconds before another video started.
The camera panned over the room, a small christmas tree was lit with twinkling lights. There were a few wrapped presents surrounded by an arrangement of toys worthy of Saint Nick himself. The camera was turned around and (Y/n) centered it on herself.
"It's currently 3am on Christmas day," She whispered. "Santa has put out all the presents for Dani's seventh Christmas and is currently working on some cookies and milk." She took a bite of a tree shaped sugar cookie and set it back down out of frame. The focus was turned back around and on the plate of sweets. The scene cut to morning and was back on (Y/n) as she snuck to her daughter's room. She opened the door and turned the camera to show Dani fast asleep under her Pokemon comforter. (Y/n) quietly walks to her bed and sat on the edge, brushing her brown hair from her face.
"Mhm." Dani mumbled, turning over.
"I guess someone doesn't want to see what Santa brought." Dani shot up, jumping out of bed.
"It's Christmas! Mum, come on!" She grabbed her mom's hand and pulled her to the living room, freezing when she saw the loot under the tree. "Oh wow!" (Y/n) let her go, sitting on the couch and watching her look through all of her new toys.
"What'd he bring?"
"A Game Boy Color with a Powerpuff Girls game! And a new pack of Pokemon cards!" She showed everything to her mom, giddy as could be. Once she had gone through 'Santa's gifts' (Y/n) pointed out two wrapped presents with Dani's name on them.
"What about those?" Dani grabbed one and read the tag.
"To Little Dani, with lots of love from Kathmandu, Aunt Danielle." She tore off the paper and opened the clothes box, pulling out a beautiful red and silver Nepalese dress. "Mummy, look how pretty it is!" She held it up to her chest, twirling.
"Very pretty! Go on and open the other one." Dani did as asked and ripped open the last gift.
"A photo book?" She opened the cover and paused, slowly looking at each picture and every page with great care. "This is our family." Dani looked up at her mom, who set down the camera and sat in the floor, pulling her daughter close.
"I thought it was time you got to meet them, well, sort of." She laughed, flipping through the pages and naming everyone and telling the story of each picture, getting emotional.
Once more the screen went black. Tony wiped the tears from his eyes as he took the tapes out and put them in the box that (Y/n) had sent to him. Watching his daughter grow up through a screen really hit him hard, getting angry with himself for being the cause of the separation from her in the first place. He looked through the box, reading the labels and picking a DVD labeled 'Mom's Song' to play.
"Okay, mum. Aunt Danielle and I got her piano tuned which means you have to play us your favourite Christmas song." The camera, which seemed like a phone camera, was focused on a teenage Dani, trying to push her mother onto the piano bench. (Y/n) glared playfully at the person behind the camera.
"You two conspiring against me? How the times have changed." She sat and opened up the keys, lightly tapping a few. "My favourite Christmas song...let me think."
"Oh come on, it's the one you always hummed in college when thinking abou-" The voice behind the camera said in a smart tone.
"I know, I was being dramatic, Danielle." The three laughed. (Y/n)'s face turned serious. "It was our song." Her fingers flexed in preparation.
"Greeting cards have all been sent
The Christmas rush is through
But I still have one wish to make
A special one for you"
Dani clasped her hands together, smiling at her mother's singing. She glanced at the camera with a big grin.
"Merry Christmas, darling
We're apart, that's true
But I can dream
And in my dreams
I'm Christmasing with you
Holidays are joyful
There's always something new
But every day's a holiday
When I'm near to you
The lights on my tree
I wish you could see
I wish it every day"
(Y/n) poured her soul into her playing, eyes glistening with tears as she pushed through the song.
"The logs on the fire
Fill me with desire
To see you and to say
That I wish you Merry Christmas
Happy New Year too
I've just one wish
On this Christmas Eve
I wish I were with you
I wish I were with you
Merry Christmas, darling"
Dani and her aunt applauded, Dani hugging her mom tight.
"That was brilliant, mum."
Tony held his face in his hands, guilt eating away at him. (Y/n) had put a note with the box of tapes telling him to enjoy the home movies and not find a guilt trip in them but he couldn't help it. He could feel the pain in her song, knowing it was his doing. It did bring a little hope to him though, that she still held that love for him. Tony drug his fingers down his face, staring out at the spring sunset over New York.
"Merry Christmas, darling."
YOU ARE READING
Growing Up
FanfictionTony Stark X Reader "We want to invite dad." (Y/n) froze. "I know you haven't seen him since you got pregnant with me but I think it's time he meets me, and Jonas." "Sweetheart, I-" Her thoughts ran wild, her heart racing. "He told me he wasn't read...
