The Park, Monday afternoon

[stykera]

Stark was continuing his attempt at getting out more and had stopped off at both The Perk and JGoB before heading to the park.

The park, he reasoned, was not somewhere he was likely to be coerced into having very short dates with anyone but he might still see people to talk to. As long as the weather was pleasant he was more than happy to be outside enjoying said weather.

So he'd found himself a bench in the sun, had a frozen coffee beverage with more whipped cream than was probably advisable in hand, and a box of assorted cookies from JGoB next to him on the bench. He might even share.

[Hi I'm full of holes and parked on my couch all day again. Entertain me? Although I may fall asleep at any time. Because I'm full of holes. Being full of holes is tiring.]

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[throughaphase]

After class, Kitty decided she might as well bring Lexi out to the park for a while.

Which meant as soon as they got there, Lexi made a beeline for the new person, and that Stark had a nearly-two-year-old standing there, waving at him with a "Hi!"

[stykera]

"Hello!" Stark waved back, because that was the proper response to a tiny child waving at you. A tiny child who was almost certainly going to receive a cookie or three before the afternoon was over, sorry Kitty. Adorable children get treats. Those are the rules.

Kitty got a more subdued nod in greeting. She probably didn't need the enthusiastic wave in the same way Lexi did.

[throughaphase]

"Lexi, don't bother people," Kitty told her, and gave Stark a smile. "Hi. Sorry. She likes friends."

[stykera]

"She's not bothering," Stark assured Kitty. "Not doing anything that can't be interrupted. Not doing anything, really. Just sitting. She's fine."

[throughaphase]

Lexi answered that by trying to climb onto the bench, trying to see what that was next to him.

"Sure about that?" Kitty asked.

[stykera]

"I'm sure," he said firmly, moving the bakery box out of the way. "Although I might need to share what's in the box."

He was definitely going to share what was in the box.

[throughaphase]

"Oh god, what's in the box?" Kitty asked, suddenly stopped mid-leaning down to help Lexi up.

[stykera]

"Cookies. Just cookies!" It can't be cupcakes all the time. "Nothing to worry about. Just cookies. They're small."

[throughaphase]

"Cookie!" Oh no, Lexi knew that word. And she was now trying to reach for the box if she couldn't get up on the bench herself.

"Oh no, now I have to let you share," Kitty said, definitely picking Lexi up now.

[stykera]

"I could just eat them all," Stark offered. "Sharing seems better."

Yes, Stark, sharing is better than taunting the toddler.

"You can have some too."

[throughaphase]

"Cookie," Lexi said, more firmly, making grabby hands.

"She can have one," Kitty said. "Because apparently she's going to be a little sugar demon."

She should have known, what with all the AU kids weekends where Lexi and Clint just had sugar cereals and pizza.

[stykera]

"As long as she doesn't actually turn into a sugar demon," Stark said. Look, it's Fandom, it could happen.

"One cookie." He opened the box and held it out to Kitty. "You can have more than one. Unless you also turn into a demon?"

[throughaphase]

"It at least hasn't happened yet," Kitty allowed, taking a cookie for herself and one for Lexi. "What do you say?"

"Thank you," Lexi said, automatically, already licking the cookie like a little weirdo.

[stykera]

There's always time for children to turn into demons. Always.

"You're very welcome," Stark told Lexi. "I hope you like it." Though it looked like she did, what with the licking and all.

[throughaphase]

"She does," Kitty said, watching her daughter sort of gum the cookie without actually taking a bite. "Kids are weird."

[stykera]

"And adorable," Stark said with the confidence of someone who clearly did not have any small children of his own to care for on a regular basis.

[throughaphase]

"Most of the time," Kitty said. "And sometimes... sometimes no."

[stykera]

"She's adorable right now," Stark pointed out. And perhaps a little sticky from licking the cookie but children were washable. Usually.

[throughaphase]

"She is! And then we're going to go play at the playground, and she'll be adorable right up until it's time to go and she cries," Kitty said.

[stykera]

"Crying is less adorable." Stark was willing to concede that point.

"Does the playing on the playground make up for it?" She was probably extra adorable on a swing.

[throughaphase]

"It does. Mostly she swings and goes down on the slide from about a foot from the bottom." Or she'd cry. Don't you dare even hold her the whole time on her way down from the top!

[stykera]

This all even sounded adorable.

"Well then she needed the cookie. For energy for the swinging and sliding."