Chapter Text
SHIELD's Halloween party is tonight at the Hub and everyone bustles about the Bus getting ready. Jemma, Daisy, Kora and Grace are running back and forth between their bunks in various states of dress borrowing things, doing each other's hair, and fastening or zipping some part of one or the other's costume. Fitz is bouncing around in his bunk trying and failing to get his costume on without breaking anything. Phil is already dressed and arguing with May and Ward.
"Why does Fury even throw these parties?" Ward says "It's not like he's even going."
"Yes, he is and so are you." Phil counters and try as he might, no one was taking him seriously in his Captain America costume.
"Hill's making him." May says to Ward.
"Fine, I'll go but there is no way I'm wearing a costume." Ward says. A particularly loud crash from Fitz's bunk sends Jemma skittering to check on him, her extra-long striped multi-colored scarf trailing behind her. She waves Ward off as he starts to move towards their boyfriend’s bunk too.
"Me either." May says as Grace pops out in a black and purple witch's hat and a black scallop-hemmed dress.
"Is Fitz okay?" Grace calls to Jemma, then she catches sight of her father. "You are not wearing that." And Ward pulls out his wallet and hands a twenty to May who smirks.
"Yes, he's just a little stuck." Jemma calls back.
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Phil asks, honestly confused.
"Grace, can you-?" Daisy starts to say, coming out fiddling with a pig-tail but freezing when she sees Phil. "No, just no." Ward hands another twenty to May. Kora’s head peeks out of her open bunk door.
“Nope.” Kora says and closes her bunk door. Ward sighs and pays May another twenty.
"Why?" Phil asks.
"Dude, you're dressed as one of your daughter's boyfriends. Doesn't that seem a little weird to you?" Daisy demands putting her hands on her hips, wrinkling her blue-checkered dress.
"He was my idol before he was her boyfriend." Phil argues. Jemma and Fitz appear from Fitz’s bunk.
"Sir, you can't possibly be wearing that." Jemma says Fitz just gapes and drops his monkey mask. Ward just hands his entire wallet to a smiling May.
"What is wrong with what I'm wearing?!" Phil demands again.
"It's fucking creepy!" Daisy and Grace answer in unison.
"I agree with Daisy and Grace, Sir." Jemma says.
"Yes it's creepy." Fitz says finally recovering. Phil sighs.
"Fine, I'll change." Phil says and storms away muttering under his breath about a 'fucking mutiny'.
"We wouldn't be mutinying if you weren't fucking insane." Grace calls after him, to which the only reply was a middle finger. She just shakes her head before turning to Daisy. "You were asking me something, babe?”
"Yeah, my hair just won't stay braided. Can you help?" She asks.
***Rouge Holiday Parties***
Grace and Daisy lead the way down the ramp arm in arm but stop dead when they see Fury dressed as a pirate waiting for them with Hill, Steve and Bucky. After a second of shock, they burst out laughing, Grace doubles over and Daisy sinks to the floor. Fitz and Jemma try desperately not to laugh behind them. "That." Grace gasps, "Is. Fucking. Perfect!"
"What's so-?" Ward's voice calls from the stairway behind them. "Never mind." He says when he catches sight of Fury and coughs into his hand to stifle his own chuckle, because only Grace and Daisy could get away with laughing at Fury (and possibly FitzSimmons).
Grace recovers and skips over to greet her boyfriends with a hug. Daisy was still on the floor laughing hysterically. Fury raises a questioning eyebrow at Grace. "We secretly call you pirate-face," Grace starts but is interrupted by even louder laughter from Daisy. "When we're mad at you."
"I made him wear it because chasing him around with the clown costume was way too tiring." Hill says with a smile. Jemma and Fitz are reduced to giggles at the new information (yes, apparently they can get away with it).
"Let's get this over with." May says, appearing with Kora next to Ward, who is pulling a slowly recovering Daisy from the floor. "Nice costume Nick." Daisy laughs harder again, leaning on Ward for support and he glared at May. Bucky walks up and retrieves his hysterical girlfriend from their brother-in-law. Kora follows her sister and Bucky back to Steve and Grace.
"Where's Coulson?" Steve asks, his arms still around Grace, before leaning over to kiss Daisy’s cheek.
"In his bunk pouting." May answers. "The kids told him he couldn't wear his costume."
"He tried to dress as Cap again, didn't he?" Hill and Fury ask in unison. Steve blushes.
"Oh, yeah. It was bad." Daisy says, miraculously recovering completely and acting like the laughing fit never happened.
"Go, I'll deal with him." Fury says before stalking up the ramp trying to look badass in a puffy shirt and leggings, which make Daisy giggle again.
"Come on, let's go." Hill says, turning and walking away. May, Kora, Ward, Fitz, and Jemma followed quickly while the other four lagged behind to get a few minutes alone together.
"I missed you." They all say in unison then giggle. Grace leans up and kisses Steve, just a soft press of the lips that took on a life of its own. He pulls her closer, tongue brushing against her lips causing them to part. Daisy’s left hand disappears under Bucky’s shirt, right hand finding Steve’s on Grace’s waist and threading their fingers together.
Bucky kisses Daisy just as deeply before they all break apart and swap so Bucky is kissing Grace and Steve kissing Daisy. The tangle of limbs is a familiar dance.
A wolf-whistle from above causes them to pull apart with a chorus of irritated groans. "Clint, you have two seconds to crawl back in the air vent and leave before I show you the kind of hurt my level 9 clearance gives me access to." Grace calls threateningly.
"Fine, fine I'll go." Clint calls down. "But you should catch up to the others before you dad and Fury come out and Fury lays some level 10 hurt on Cap and Barnes for having their tongues down your throats." He chuckles.
"Barton!" Steve snaps.
"Clint, there you are. Stop tormenting our sister and friends.” Nat calls from farther in the vent.
“Nat!” Clint yelps. “I wasn’t doing anything, I swear.”
“Yeah right, get your ass back in here.” She grumbles and he shuffles back into the air duct. “Sorry guys, he’s in a mood!” She calls down to the foursome below while replacing the vent cover.
“Spasibo, Natalia.” Bucky calls to his redheaded friend.
“Dobro pozhalovat’, James.” She calls back before shuffling away.
“I love my family, but some days…” Grace grumbles.
“He had a point though, let’s head to the party before we have to deal with Dad being weird again.” Daisy says.
***Rouge Holiday Parties***
The party was set up in an empty hanger, where the quadruple find the rest of their teams and family. Kate, Yelena and Kora are clustered together next to May, who was watching over the younger women. Clint and Nat are climbing out of the air vent closest to the women. FitzSimmons are chatting happily with Bruce while Hill and Ward share indulgent looks about how adorable their genius partners are.
Wanda and Vision are cuddling on one of the couches that sporadically line the walls watching Darcy and Loki dance on the dance floor a few feet away. Sam and Rhodey are exchanging stories about how ridiculous their respective best friends were. Tony and Pepper are watching Peter, Harley and Shuri goof off. T’Challa is clearly flustered by something Nakia said or did nearby.
Piper laughs when Davis trips and faceplants in front of Hand and Hartley. Hunter also laughs and gets scolded by Bobbi. Mack and Yo-yo shake their heads at their friends' antics. The Koenig siblings are all gathered around the bar bickering.