His Bear Cubby
Title: His Bear Cubby
Fandom: Sort of..Marvel Movieverse?
Summary: Robert and Julie Coulson take their sons to a toy shop. Phil gets a Captain America action figurine. Craig decides on something different.
Author's Note: It's about Phil and his twin brother, Craig, being cute in a toy store. Childhood memories inspiration for some reason.
Old Joe’s Novelties and Toys. This shop was the twin’s favorite place to visit.
The Coulson’s took their boys to the shop every month and allowed them to spend what little allowance they were able to scrape up at their age so that they could buy themselves a nice toy or trading cards or whatever the twins were interested in at the time. Both the boys excitedly opened the door, the shop bell ringing loudly, alerting the store clerk of their presence, and they quickly went to work like two bobbsey detectives on the hunt for the latest clue. Phil, of course, had been obsessed with Captain America items ever since their grandfather gave him the family issue, volume #1. That made him skip off to the action figure aisle, his hat nearly falling off his head- the cloth cap being too big as it was, anyway. He’d seen a mint condition Captain America novelty figurine which he’d been burning to buy for nearly three months now.
Craig, on the other hand, was much more passive. Mind you, the younger twin liked Captain America, as well, though did not share his brother’s burning passion. Serenely, he trawled around the store. Everything was so nice in here. It calmed him down in a way that was unusual, much to the amusement of their mother. Julie Coulson was always humored by the fact that the toy store made her sons switch personalities for a few moments in time. She stood at the counter with her husband, Robert, chatting with the store clerk about the latest gossip. The two were old school chums.
“Don’t you want an action figure, Craig, like your brother?” Robert asked during a lull in the conversation.
“Nah. They’re really nice an’ all, but,” he paused. “I want something different. I dunno.”
That’s when he spotted it. There was a gershwin styled teddy bear hidden behind a mass of Woody Pride pull-string dolls. For some reason, it made Craig smile when he found it, so he respectfully put aside one of the Woody boxes and took up the bear.
“Oh. The stocking boy must have ignored it when he put up the Woody dolls,” the clerk spoke. “Looks like no one wanted that one. We’ve been out of stock of that bear for a good month now.”
All Craig did was blink, and his voice was softly firm when it came. “I want him.”
“Are you sure, dear? He’s just-” Julie started.
“I want him. He’s cute, and he’s fluffy. Perfect for sleeping with.” Craig clutched the bear close. “He’s not just a bear. His name is,” he paused for a moment, “Cubby. Yeah.”
His actions made Julie bite at her bottom lip, with a small smile, “Alright, honey. Well, come pay for him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Oh, aren’t you a cute little thing,” the clerk laughed. “How about I give it to you at half-price. If only because you wanted him.”
“Okay, but he’s worth full,” Craig innocently blinked.
Then the store clerk bit her lip. “He’s so adorable.”
“Especially with that face,” Julie went on.
Robert laughed, “Now, now. Will you two let the boy have his bear?”
Craig put his allowance on the cabinet, doing the math in his head, and sorted it out. “There you go.”
“Bright, too,” the clerk commented. “But so is his brother. You have two very unique boys, Julie.”
“Thank you,” the woman laughed. “They can be little miscreants when the mood suits them, so don’t let this rare moment of cuteness fool you, Regina.”
“Of course not.” The clerk laughed, as well, and she handed the change back to the boy with a mere, “There you go.”
“Thank you,” Craig beamed. He hugged the bear dearly.
Then, Phil came bounding up with his action figure high above his head, practically sliding past the counter. “IT WAS ONE OF THE LAST ONE’S.”
The three adults laughed, and Craig smiled.
“That will be worth some money one day if you keep it in its box, Phil,” Regina smiled.
“Yeah, but I’m sure not gonna sell it. Nosiree,” Phil beamed.
Regina let out a laugh, “Still talking like the Captain in your comics, I see. Will you ever get over your crush on him?” She teasingly winked.
And did that make Phil’s face flush up red, “I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM.”
“No, of course not. Hero worship, I think you boys call it,” she laughed again.
Phil’s cheeks puffed; “Even so, it’ll stay in the box. Yeah. Is that what you’re getting, Craig?”
“Yeah. It’s nice.”
“Sure. You know we’re almost too old for stuffed animals, right?”
“No, we’re not,” Craig pouted.
“Leave your brother alone, Phil,” Robert softly chuckled. “He likes the little thing and it needs a home.”
“Okay, dad.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“Now, if you two boys are ready, we’re going to get ice cream before we go home-”
“REALLY?!” They gasped in unison. “YES!!!” They shouted and scrambled for the door. “BYE, MISS REGINA!!!”
That made the adults laugh again. Those two were special boys- the small group could see it even then.
“The mention of ice cream and I get ditched,” Regina laughed.
“Sorry, Reg,” Julie said with her own laugh. “See you later, alright?”
“Of course~ Goodbye, Robert.”
“Farewell, Regina.”
The Coulson’s left to follow their energetic children. Off for dessert then home for a program or two on the television or radio. Things were simple back then for the twins, and it was a time which neither of them would ever forget no matter how tough the road ahead became.
To this day, into his adulthood, Craig has that bear, and a small assortment of stuffed animals that he had collected over the course of his childhood. Hell, he wasn’t ashamed. If people had a problem with them, that was their issue not his- these were memories and sentimental enjoyments from an innocent time in his life which he would forever cherish.