i don't want to miss even one song

I.


When Scott arrived at the Pym's house that night, he was exhausted. After a long day being the Ant-Man his whole body ached and all he wanted was a hot shower and his soft mattress.


Things were starting to adjust now, but he was still living with Hope and Hank until he could buy a place to live, which wasn't bad at all. The older man was always nagging him, but being with the woman he loved made it all worth it.


Scott was also starting to see Cassie more often, and that morning, for the first time, after all, Maggie let her spend a night with her father. When he thought about the little girl he smiled, before closing the front door and moving to the place where he knew she would be.


His daughter's voice was the first thing Scott heard before stopping at the living room door jamb, and the scene he saw made him want to laugh. Sitting on the rug and surrounded by a set of tea and dolls were the three people he expected to find. Cassie wore fairy wings and a glittery tiara, while Hope had a plastic crown on her head and Hank... wore a pink tutu.


"Then we raise our cups and say cheers!" Cassie echoed happily, lifting the toy toward the older man. "Cheers, Grandpa Hank!"


A little uncomfortable, Hank toasted with the girl.


"Now you, Hope!"


Unlike her father, the woman seemed more excited about the child's play.


"Cheers!"


When everyone put their cups in their mouths to drink the made-up tea, Scott said:


"Hey, I want to toast too."


Cassie, when she heard her father's voice, she got up from the floor and ran to him, asking for his arms to give him a tight hug. In the ensuing seconds, the girl said she missed him and explained what they were playing.


"Grandpa Hank is the king, Hope is the princess, and I was invited to a ball in the castle!"


"A ball in the castle?" Scott made his best-surprised face as he set his daughter down. "That's very cool, can I go too?"


"You have to be invited, Daddy!" Cassie glanced at the other two adults and smiled. "Invite Daddy, Princess Hope."


As soon as Scott stared at the woman, he took a deep breath. She was relaxed, in casual clothes, no makeup, and a little messy hair, her freckles were also becoming more visible in that artificial light. And even with a false crown on her head and bare feet, he thought she was beautiful.


Hope got up from the floor, stopped beside them and said, "Of course he can come. He'll be my guest of honor!", which made Scott laugh.


"Not like this!" Cassie complained, tugging at the adults' hand. "Give him the invitation."


"Wait, did you actually make an invitation?" He asked, and hearing his daughter giggle he knew that the little girl had plot something.


"The invitation is a kiss," Hope replied, narrowing her eyes at the child. Then she looked at her boyfriend and whispered, "she made it up."


"Oh, so I insist on receive this invitation!"


Hope laughed then shook her head. Of course, he wouldn't miss the chance...


Leaning a little, she put a hand on his shoulder as he pulled her with one arm around her waist and she kissed his cheek.


"There, officially invited."


Scott winked at her as he caressed her waist with his thumb. He knew Hope wouldn't kiss his lips, not because of Cassie, but because of Hank. The older man was already uncomfortable enough, so to prevent a problem, the two avoided exchanging affection in front of him.


At that moment, Hank grunted from the floor and flattened the tutu. With a funny expression on his face, Scott opened his mouth but was prevented from making the joke he was thinking.


"Don't even start," Hank said, taking a few steps. Hope rolled her eyes.


Pulling Scott's hand again, Cassie asked, "Dance with me, Daddy?"


"Of course," he grinned, lifting her into his arms again.


"The king and the princess have to dance too," the girl pointed out. Hank would dig a hole in the ground and stick his head in it if he could.


A few seconds later the four were spinning and laughing around the room. At that moment, Scott forgot all the punches he took earlier, forgot all the back pain. For a few minutes, he just danced with his daughter.









   II.


"Harley is a nice guy, you'll like him."


Cassie said from behind the folding screen. For half an hour she has been trying on prom dresses. That Harley boy would be her date, and Scott wasn't happy about that at all.


When Thanos happened, his daughter was still a child. Before leaving to meet Hope, Hank, and Janet, he said goodbye to the little girl with kisses on the forehead and promises of ice cream, only to five hours later see a fifteen-years-old girl pass through the front door. Scott was still trying to get used to the fact that his daughter was a teenager now, and would eventually have a boyfriend or girlfriend to introduce to them.


Of course, Harley was a nice guy. Cassie wouldn't accept the invitation if he wasn't, but his father's jealousy was talking louder.


"How do I look?" She said, coming out from behind the folding screen and revealing her dress to her father.


Scott looked her up and down, seeing how the dress fit like a glove. Delicate and pretty like her.


"Beautiful," he replied, smiling truly, and that smile mirrored her.


After a few seconds, she walked over to Scott, reached out her left hand and asked:


"Dance with me, Dad? Prom is in a week, I need to practice my dancing."


He laughed weakly and got out of bed, remembering a few years ago.


"Of course."


Taking Cassie by surprise, Scott pulled her by the hand and spun her around the room as he listened to her laugh.









   III.


Scott checked the hours on his watch.


"Cassie's taking a long time..."


"She left an hour ago," Hope answered from the kitchen. "I thought you were used to her relationship already. I mean, they've been together since before Emory came to us."


Hearing his name, the eight-year-old boy raised his head from what he was drawing and faced his father.


After defeating Thanos and the world go back to what it was, Scott realized he couldn't lose Hope again and proposed to her. They said "I do" on a beautiful beach right there in San Francisco. Months later on a risky mission, Hope saved a child. She and Scott had already talked about having children and decided they wouldn't have because Hope didn't like the idea of getting pregnant, but then Emory appeared and they fell madly in love with those big bright eyes. Nervousness lingered in the Lang's house for a while, but it all dissipated when the adoption papers were signed.


And that was a few years ago.


"Daddy is jealous," Emory laughed and Scott raised his eyebrows at his son.


"And shouldn't you be sleeping?"


The boy shook his head in denial.


"I'll wait for Cassie, she said she'll tell me a bedtime story."


"Yes, he's jealous, Emory." Hope appeared in the living room, a popcorn bucket in hand that she handed to her husband sitting on the couch. "But your sister will be late today, I'll put you to bed. Say good night to your Dad."


The boy nodded, before putting away the crayons and sheets of paper, hugged his father and climbed the stairs in disgust after trying to reason with Hope to stay awake for another five minutes.


"Your son can argue," Scott teased, stealing popcorn from the bucket.


"My son?" Hope wrinkled her nose.


"Yes," he answered, before pulling his wife by the hand and dropping her into his lap, she squealed and laughed. "He's got your temper."


"You're an idiot," Hope said before kissing him. "Don't eat all the popcorn, I'll be right back."


Twenty minutes after Hope climbed the stairs, the front door opened and Scott heard voices and laughter before Cassie appeared holding hands with Harley.


"Hi, Dad!" The girl said, and for some reason, she was glowing. "Where's Hope?"


"Right here!" The woman answered, coming down the stairs just as Scott got up from the couch. "Hi, darling. How are you doing, Harley?"


"Very well, Mr. and Mrs. Lang," the boy answered, as pleased as Cassie.


"You came early, did something happen?" Scott questioned as he walked to his wife's side. Hope looked at him as if she says "oh, now it's early ?".


Cassie looked at her boyfriend and smiled, encouraging him to say:


"Well, we have some news..." he said, hugging his girlfriend by the shoulders.


"What news?" Hope asked, wanting to look excited. Instinctively, her gaze went to Cassie's stomach and she wished internally that it wasn't that, or Scott would kill Harley.


"Harley proposed to me," she replied, raising her left hand where there was a sparkling ring. "And I said yes!"


Hope let out a genuine laugh and ran to hug them both, while Scott stagnated in the same place for a few seconds. That was the confirmation that his little girl was growing up, and he could do nothing to stop it.


"Dad, won't you say anything?" Cassie asked, and suddenly everyone was looking at him.


Scott blinked, then said:


"Congratulations, sweetheart." A smile appeared on her face as the girl breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm very happy for both of you!"


After many hugs and a few shed tears, Scott left the three of them alone and went to the porch to think for a moment.


He had lost a few years of Cassie's life when he was in jail and later when Thanos appeared. All he wanted was for her to be a child forever, still need his arms in difficult times, and her head still fit below his chin, but his girl had been through a lot, matured sooner than she should have. Now she was a grown woman, she was engaged and in college, soon she would have her family, her children...


He took a deep breath. He was happy for Cassie, he didn't lie when he said he was, but his heart ached at the thought of everything they didn't live.


The door opened a few seconds later and the girl walked out of it.


"I know you're not comfortable with all this..." She said, having stopped beside her father.


"No," Scott answered, looking up at the sky. It was dark and with few stars. "But don't think I'm not happy for you. If you're happy, so am I, but..." Cassie looked at him with curious eyes, just as she had when she was younger. "I'm old, you grew up... I don't want you to stop being my little girl."


"Oh, Dad..." she murmured and her eyes instantly watered. Scott called her in for a hug and she gladly went for it. "I'll always be your little girl. Your Peanut."


He laughed nasally, holding his daughter in his arms.


"I love you, Peanut. So much."


"I love you too..." Cassie sniffed. "You are the world's greatest grandma ."


Scott laughed, keeping his daughter in that hug for a moment.


"So," the girl pulled back a little but kept her father's hands close to hers. "I'm getting married, I need to practice my dancing... Dance with me, Dad?"


The man felt his heart race and his eyes watered. Cassie still needed him, always would.


"Of course."


Scott guided Cassie to the middle of the porch and began to dance with her, enjoying the music she hummed softly.


He would dance with his Cinderella while she was in his arms because all too soon the clock would strike midnight, and she would be gone.

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