A/N: It's time to get back into the swing of things. I have been so lazy. I hope you guys like this story. I have never written for this pairing before. Actually, I have never written for these characters. I hope you guys like it. And if you want someone to blame for this you can blame ozhawkauthor and her generator.
Of Late Night Talks and Present Wrapping
"See you tomorrow bright and early, Tony." James Rhodes told his best friend before he disconnected the call. He had just spent two hours talking to Tony about various things. But it was mainly Tony asking him what everyone had gotten him for Christmas. The reply to that was either "I don't know" or "Stop asking before I hang up on you."
James was about to head back to his room for the night when he saw a light in the main room. He figured one of the other Avengers forgot to turn it off. He walked to the entrance of the main room and saw that the room was not empty.
Wanda Maximoff was sitting in the middle of the floor with her legs crossed. Her hair was in a low ponytail and she was adding a present she had just finished wrapping to the pile of ones she had just finished wrapping. She was also softly humming "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas." He decided to join his team mate for a little while. He wasn't that tired anyway.
"You want some company?" He asked her as he started walking over to her. He thought it best to make his presence known before he came in. Rhodey didn't want to frighten Wanda.
"Company would be lovely James," She replied; giving him a gentle smile and patting the spot beside her. He sat down and looked over the pile of neatly wrapped presents."Good thing I wrapped your gift before you got here."
"You didn't have to get me anything, Wanda." He told her as he looked over at her. Her eyes were red and puffy, which was a tell tale sign she had been crying. It was her first Christmas without her twin brother and that had to be hard for her.
"Yes, I did," She said to him as she turned to face him. Her gray eyes looking into his brown ones. "You have been a good friend, team mate, and a great comfort to me since my brother passed away."
He nods his head in acceptance. He should have known she would have gotten him a gift whether he liked it or not. He remembers holding her hand at Pietro's funeral and how he held her when she cried as the speedster's coffin was lowered into the ground. He remembers all the times she had his back during missions or how she laughed when he told her that one story none of their other team members laughed at.
Wanda was a nice girl and he enjoyed her company and her friendship a lot.
"So why are you up so late?" She asks him, changing the subject. She grabbed a tube of blue colored paper with white stars on it. He assumed she was going to wrap Steve's present next.
"I was on the phone with Tony and I was about to go to bed when I saw you were still up." He told her as he handed her the white ribbon laying beside him.
"Is Mr. Stark going to be here tomorrow morning?" She asked him and Rhodey just nodded his head. "It will be nice to see him again. He hasn't visited us in a long time."
"It will be nice to see him. He kept asking me when we were talking earlier what I got him for Christmas." He says and Wanda bursts out laughing.
"That seems like something he would do. What did you say to him?" She asked in between fits of giggles.
"I told him I would hang up on him if he didn't quit asking!" He shook his head at his own best friend, even if the man in question wasn't here.
"And I am guessing the shut Stark right up?" She asked and Rhodey just shook his head.
"Yeah, he told me he was pouting a lot though," He replied as she finished wrapping her gift for Steve. She began to yawn and he looked over at her. "Do you have anymore gifts you need to wrap?"
"Just one more and than we can both head to bed." She told him as she grabbed another roll of wrapping paper.
"Who's this present for?" He asked her as he picked it up off the ground.
"It's for Natasha." She tells him as she snatches the present back from him, so she can wrap it.
"You are really good at wrapping presents. I can't wrap a present to save my soul. I usually just shove gifts into a festive bag and put tissue paper over that." He tells her and she just shakes her head."
"I noticed and your not even really good at that," She points to his gifts under the Christmas tree. He frowns and she pats him on the shoulder. "We can't all be good at everything James. But I am surprised you are terrible at wrapping. I would think that a Military man would be great at wrapping presents."
"Like you said before I can't be good at everything," He laughs. "So, how did you get so good at wrapping presents?" He asks her as she looks for a bow to put on Natasha's gift.
She looks at him and takes a deep breath. "I used to help my mom wrap gifts when I was little. I wouldn't wrap mine or my brother's gifts. But I would help wrap my father's gifts or gifts for other relatives. And once I got good at it my father would have me wrap my mom's gift because he was also terrible at wrapping, like you," She told him as she began to smile. "I miss them but it's nice to talk about them."
"I'm sure it is and you have made yourself a new family. Even if you hold the fact they can't wrap a gift over their heads," That makes her laugh as she gets up and places all her gifts under the tree. He stands up and helps her clean up her mess before they begin to walk to their rooms.
"Thank you for keeping me company James." She says as they stop in front f her bedroom door. She stands on her tip toes and gives him a kiss on the cheek, before smiling at him and going into her room. She shuts the door and he smiles to himself before he heads to his own room.
He hopes there are no security cameras on because Tony would just love having that footage.
