MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE🎄🎄🎄
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Tony parked near the big Central Park loop, popped the trunk, and lifted out two brand-new skateboards as if he had just invented them that morning.
Mystique raised a brow. "Skating?"
"Skating," he said, holding one out to her. "Ever tried it?"
"Nope."
"Good," he said. "Because I have not either."
She blinked. "You? Mr. Multi PhD? Mr. I Build nanites In My Sleep? You have never skated?"
"Not once," Tony said proudly. "First time for everything."
She crossed her arms. "Can you even skate without using your powers?"
Tony looked mortally offended. "I do not plan to use my powers unless someone is dying. I watched a couple of videos. It looks simple. You step on it. You roll. The board does most of the work. How hard can it be?"
Five seconds later, he discovered the answer.
He set one foot on the board. The board rolled two inches. Tony leaned forward. Physics betrayed him. His sunglasses fell off. His dignity followed.
He hit the ground with a slap that echoed across the path.
Mystique covered her mouth at first, but the laughter burst out anyway, loud and bright. She doubled over, clutching her stomach, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Tony lay flat on his back, staring at the sky like it had personally offended him.
"Glad I could bring you joy," he said without moving.
"You looked like a baby deer trying to stand," she said between breaths.
He sat up slowly and pointed at her board. "You think you can do better?"
Mystique stepped onto her board. Her balance shifted with the smooth confidence of someone who had spent a lifetime jumping off rooftops. She pushed off once, glided forward, then leaned her weight just right and curved in a perfect semicircle around him.
She stepped off without wobbling.
Tony blinked. "You said you never skated."
"I never said I lacked coordination," she said with a smirk.
"Unfair advantage. You are literally built to backflip out of helicopters."
"That is not my fault."
Tony stood, dusting his shirt dramatically. "Fine. Coach me."
"Coach you," she repeated.
"Yes," he said.
Mystique sighed in a mock patient way and walked over. "Start by putting your foot here. No. Here. And keep your center steady. Soften your knees."
Tony tried again. His balance wobbled. His knees locked. His shoulders tilted backward. He shouted something that sounded like a prayer and a curse at the same time.
He fell again.
Mystique burst into another round of laughter, louder than before. People walking by smiled because joy was contagious and Tony Stark eating pavement was apparently the highlight of their morning.
Tony raised a hand from the ground. "I am alive. Somehow."
"Haha. Finally, I found something you aren't good at."
"You are enjoying this too much."
"Maybe a little."
He sat up and looked at her, hair a mess, pride severely wounded. "You know what? I am not giving up. I am going to conquer this stupid board if it kills me."
[10 minutes later]
Tony had gone from "collapse like a dying flamingo" to "functional beginner who would not immediately perish." He pushed forward with small careful steps and rolled in a straight line. His face was locked into the expression of a man who refused to let a plank of wood ruin his reputation.
Mystique cruised beside him with easy grace. "Look at you. A natural disaster slowly becoming a natural."
Tony grinned. "I told you I learn fast."
For a few minutes, they circled the loop, weaving past joggers, parents with strollers, and a group of teens who pointed and whispered once they recognized Tony. He ignored it all. He was too busy enjoying the small victory of not eating the pavement again.
They rounded the corner and spotted an ice cream truck parked near the shade. Mystique nudged him with her shoulder. "Race you."
"You want to race me on wheels? Really? Let me tell you, I've mastered the art of skating. There's no way you can defeat me."
"Ha. Prove it."
Tony narrowed his eyes in mock competitiveness. "Fine. Loser buys."
They pushed off. Mystique took the lead instantly. She shifted her weight with perfect balance and shot ahead. Tony tried to gain momentum, but a small rock nearly sent him sideways, so he settled for a cautious yet determined roll. She reached the truck a solid ten seconds before he did.
"You cheated," he said.
"I used skill," she replied.
"Skill is cheating."
"Then I cheated with style."
Tony grinned and ordered a butterscotch cone. Mystique asked for an orange ice pop. They paid, skated toward a tall maple tree, and settled in the shade. Tony stretched his legs with a quiet groan. Mystique leaned back against the trunk, crossing her ankles as she enjoyed her ice pop.
Children ran across the grass with wild, joyful energy. A golden retriever dragged its owners behind it like a tiny sled team. People floated through the park with the slow pace of a Sunday morning.
Tony took a bite of his cone. "You know," he said, "this might be the most peaceful activity I have done in a while."
Mystique tapped her ice pop gently against his cone. "Yeah. I'm really having fun."
They ate in silence for a while...
Tony glanced at her and smiled. "You ever done go karting?"
She raised a brow. "Go karting?"
"Small cars. Big speed. Questionable safety standards. It is perfect."
Mystique chuckled. "No, I have not."
"Great," Tony said as he stood up. "Then that is next."
She finished her ice pop, tossed the stick in a nearby bin, and stood with him.
"Lead the way," she said.
Tony kicked his skateboard forward with a triumphant flair. "Prepare yourself, Raven. You are about to witness the competitive spirit of a man who once spent questionable hours rewiring a toaster just so it could make pancakes shaped like dinosaurs."
"You did not!" She couldn't believe him.
"Oh, I did."
"It works?"
"Yeah, it does."
They rolled up to the car and kept the boards in the trunk before driving toward their next destination.
[30 minutes later]
Thirty minutes later, they were strapped into their helmets and sitting in low black go karts that smelled like gasoline and rubber. The engines purred under them like impatient animals.
Mystique tightened her gloves and shot Tony a competitive look. "Ready?"
Tony flicked his visor down with theatrical precision. "I was born ready."
The attendant stepped back, gave a thumbs up, and the motors roared.
The light turned green.
Mystique punched the pedal and shot forward. Tony followed half a second behind, wheels screeching against the track. She hugged the inside curve while he took the wider angle and used the momentum to slingshot ahead.
Mystique cursed under her breath. "Damn it!"
"Hahaha! Sucker!" Tony laughed loud enough for her to hear over the engine noise.
The first lap was tight. They spun around each other like two very competitive satellites. She took the sharp turns with frightening precision. He excelled on the straightaways where he could brute force the pedal and trust in physics.
On the final lap, Tony let out a whoop and pulled ahead. Mystique leaned into her wheel. She tried to close the gap but he crossed the finish line a clean five seconds before her.
Tony stuck both arms in the air. "Victory tastes like burning rubber."
Mystique rolled her cart up beside him. "Round two."
"You want a rematch? After that master class?"
"Yes. Best of three."
Tony shrugged. "Your funeral."
The second race started even more fiercely. She learned his patterns. He learned nothing and drove like chaos, wearing a seatbelt. He was just having fun. They bumped wheels. They traded the lead. She grinned every time he shouted a curse at a corner.
She crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of him.
Tony stared at her kart with betrayed eyes. "You cheated again."
"You keep saying that. I am starting to think you are using it as a coping mechanism."
He pointed at her. "Final round."
"One more. Winner takes the bragging rights."
They lined up again. Engines rumbled. The light flashed green.
Tony won the third round. But Mystique wasn't ready to give up. So, she challenged him again, which he accepted.
This time...
Mystique launched forward with every ounce of competitive instinct she had. Tony tried to match her, but she slid through gaps, timed turns perfectly, and used the rear weight shift like she had been doing this all her life. She cut him off cleanly on the last curve and crossed the line a full second ahead.
She lifted her helmet and shook out her hair with smug triumph. "I win."
Tony removed his own helmet with unnecessary drama. "Best of five?"
"No."
"You are scared."
She crossed her arms and leaned in slightly. "Let's call it a draw."
Tony paused. "A draw."
She smirked. "A very dignified draw. Besides, it's already lunchtime. I'm hungry."
Tony looked at the track and then at her and finally gave in with a sigh. "Fine. Since you are hungry, I'll let it go. Just so you know, next time it won't be this easy. I'm gonna smoke you."
"I doubt that," She smirked.
They walked toward the exit at an easy pace. A few people recognized Tony, but most were too busy arguing about their own kart times.
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