CHAPTER TWELVE
Christmas Eve. 2017.
Avenger's Tower/Stark Tower.
The day flew by in a whirlwind of baking, female bonding, and pampering.
Bucky had woken early, a daily occurrence according to Darcy, and disappeared to the gym on one of the lower floors, leaving his mate to sleep in a little longer, while Jenny put aside her early morning project of star spangled knitted socks to begin breakfast. Over an hour later, and the expanded table from the night before was loaded with plates stacked with different types of pancakes, sausage links, bacon, eggs and bowls of fruit salad, while a kettle whistled on the stove and coffee brewed in a carafe. Fresh orange juice was filtered into a glass pitcher, and the tea service fit in between stainless steel thermos pitchers, or whatever they were called, while people began shuffling from across the corridor, or from their respect places in Jenny's own apartment.
Even Jack woke early to eat freshly prepared food, instead of using the microwave, which always had him gagging on rubbery eggs. It was almost wholesome, like a family breakfast - all of Jenny's people around the table, smiling and laughing. The only people they were missing were Bucky, Tony and Pepper. Possibly Steve, but that situation was burgeoning, too soon to tell.
Jenny spent the later hours of the morning and early hours of the afternoon with Happy, tidying his apartment in the Tower, cooking for him, and keeping him company. She read his favorite parts of A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, as well as a few Psalms from the Bible, and hummed a holiday tune until he finally succumbed to his afternoon pain medications. She left him tucked in, with Downton Abbey on the telly at a low volume, the remote within reach for when he woke up. She made certain the nurse knew there were containers of leftover roast and potatoes and such from her dinner party the night before, and that Happy had already eaten a small stack of banana pancakes with strawberries.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with Darcy, Jack, Wade and Vanessa, all enjoying the old ways Jenny used to get ready for that evening. Egg whites, honey, warm water, and a small spoonful of sugar was used as a mask after showers. Then Jenny rolled her hair in curlers, and finished knitting the red, white and blue spangled socks from earlier that morning, while Vanessa hurried the process along with a hair dryer. Darcy had her own to straighten out her long curls before Jenny could roll her hair into curlers, as well. They were both comfortable with vintage styles when it came to hair and make-up, Jenny found out, and it was something they could bond over.
It reminded Jenny of times spent with Trixie dolling up Chummy for a date with Peter Noakes, two betas that seemed so perfect for each other it made her own heart hurt to remember them. Even Cynthia would partake, though she would never allow Trixie to apply more than a light coat of mascara and dash of pink lipstick. Ever the modest mouse, Cynthia.
Of course, Darcy and Vanessa were their own people, different personalities entirely, but the act of getting ready for a night of fun with other omegas was the same, in a sense. It brought pleasant memories, and soothed Jenny's nerves. She had never been to such a large event since her introduction into society at her Grandmother's behest.
Later that evening, as the clock neared eight and the skyline became illuminated by artificial lights as dusk swept over New York, Jenny stared at her reflection, twisting this way and that until she decided that her dress for the night was perfect, and she was just working herself up for no reason. It was a lovely piece of vintage fashion meeting modern culture she had found in a small boutique in Brooklyn. There was a simplicity to the elegance of it, and she adored how it felt as if she were wearing a cloud. The beige, strapless bodice was satin and snug, keeping everything in its proper place. The overlying dress was a shade of sky blue in lace with a boat scoop neckline and three-quarter-inch sleeves. She loved how the skirts felt swishing about her knees. The evening dress was luxuriously comfortable compared to the heels Vanessa had persuaded Jenny into pairing with it. They were the same sky blue color, but the heel was higher than what Jenny was used to, considering her love of a modest heel.
At least her toes weren't pinched.
"Pearls," said Darcy, handing Jenny a two-strand pearl necklace after rummaging through the woman's jewelry box. "Pearls will pull it all together, and Cap will be drooling on the floor."
Jenny laughed, latching the necklace with ease and fixing it to sit below the hollow of her throat, "No one will be drooling anywhere. I'm nowhere near drool-worthy like you and Nessa."
Glancing back at the mirror, she touched up her red lips and smoothed out her blush, but she didn't see anything to think, 'death-defyingly beautiful.'
"Ow," she exclaimed, rubbing her arm where Vanessa pinched her. "That really hurt."
Vanessa was glaring, having zipped up her dress without assistance, hands on her hips in a...challenging stance? She looked as though she were ready to throttle Jenny, to be perfectly honest. Even with her hair down, dolled up in a form-fitting, crimson dress that ended just above her knees, Vanessa looked dangerous, and Jenny winced under her gaze.
Thankfully, Jenny was saved by JARVIS announcing the arrival of their respective dates, or escorts. She practically fled the bedroom to answer the apartment door, brown hair smoothed into sultry waves bouncing against the shoulder it was swept over. She really needed to cut her hair, it was past almost to the middle of her back, and she found caring for it to be tedious. She was starting to miss her short hair, how the big curls would bounce above her shoulders and curve behind her ears. It was easier, and always had been such a lovely look for her in those days.
"Hello, Bucky, Wade," greeted Jenny, opening the door to find all three men groomed and dressed in fitted suits, before her eyes moved to the left and up several inches to meet her date's mesmerizing blue gaze. "Captain."
"Steve, please," he grinned, flashing impeccably straight, white teeth in a dazzling smile surrounded by a well-trimmed, short beard. "Just Steve."
His eyes were alight with humor, and Jenny giggled breathlessly at his jape, moving to the side to allow everyone inside, while Darcy and Vanessa finished getting ready. Jenny kept herself busy, and her nerves at bay, by taking drink orders and handing out glasses or chilled bottles of beer. She fixed herself an old recipe she remembered Trixie getting her to try decades prior, feeling somewhat festive at that moment.
"You look straight out of the history books," said Steve, sipping from a beer, despite the fact that his body processed the alcohol too quickly to feel any calming effect. "What do you got there?"
Jenny smiled, enjoying the fizz mixed with the creamy liquor, "A snowball. My friend Trixie had Cynthia and I try it once. It's Advocaat, which is like a naughty eggnog, mixed with this fizz. It's strong, but it's sort of delicious. Happy memories."
He mirrored her actions, raising his beer to clink against her glass, "Happy memories."
"Okay, we're ready," called Darcy, heels clicking against the tile floors. "Tony's alcohol top shelf awaits. Let's go!"
Being the first to be dressed, Jenny had not seen what Darcy planned on wearing, but the buxom brunette truly did ooze femme fatale sex appeal in a black dress decorated in metal studding and dangerous looking heels. Vanessa followed behind her in a rich crimson dress that fluttered around her mid-thighs. It was strapless, with a sweetheart bodice tucked into a high waist, matched with alarmingly high heels, smokey dark eyes, and a red lip, same as Jenny. In fact, all three omegas were wearing red lipstick, just in different shades and texture.
Taking another long sip of her snowball cocktail, Jenny dumped the rest down the drain in the kitchen, the men following suit, since no one was willing to see what would happen if they made Darcy wait. Everyone instantly paired up, the couples in differing levels of overt affection, while Jenny took Steve's offered arm.
"You look beautiful, by the way," whispered Steve as they followed the couples to the elevator. "I didn't get the chance to mention it earlier."
Blushing, Jenny smiled, wanting desperately to bite her lip out of nervousness, "Thank you, Steve. I was almost accosted by Nessa before you gentlemen arrived for daring to compare myself to them, Darcy and Ness. They are far more daring and stunning than I could ever -'
"Stop that," he interjected with a light tone, straining against his alpha instinct to prove how appealing she was, most likely. She could smell it, as well as see it in the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. "You're just as beautiful - More so, in my opinion. Stunningly beautiful."
"You really know how to flatter a girl," replied Jenny with another breathy laugh, cheeks burning from the look in his eyes alone. "Consider my confidence boosted. Thank you."
"My pleasure," he said, holding the elevator door for her to enter first. "Happy to oblige anytime."
The lift up to the penthouse levels was smooth, and the doors opened to a healthy gathering of people, most of which Jenny did not know, or had never met before. It was all rather intimidating to consider being in the presence of important figures, brilliant minds, while she was mostly ordinary. She wasn't an Avenger, nor did she want to be despite her unique biology and physiology. She also wasn't a prestigious genius, like a doctor, engineer, or scientist, like Dr. Banner and Tony. She wasn't even an intimidating CEO, like Pepper. She was just Jenny.
Just Jenny.
When the lift doors opened, scents overwhelmed her first, and then the people mingling here and there. So many different smells, all conflicting, and she had to fight against wrinkling her nose as it burned her olfactory senses. Alphas, betas, omegas - they all combined into a heavy fragrance that rolled over the back of her tongue unpleasantly.
How long had she been isolated from outside scents? A month? Jenny hadn't suffered anything like it since she was first pulled from the wreckage of the Triskelion, all the combatting smells and noises overpowering her senses in one swift blow, like a heavy punch. She hadn't realized she would become overly sensitive to so much stimuli after so much time surrounded by the same familiar scents.
"Are you okay?" asked Steve, guiding her out of the lift and to an alcove in the foyer, away from the party. Bucky and Darcy, as well as Wade and Vanessa, followed, concern written all over their features. "You look ready to gag."
Breathing through her mouth, Jenny shook her head, "I haven't been around so many unfamiliar people in some time. The scents are all…"
"Too much," offered Steve, swiping a finger against his nose, as if to prove a point. "Buck and I have sensitive noses, too."
"It's overwhelming," admitted Bucky, trying his best to offer a warm, sympathetic smile, but it was strained. It was obvious he was also suffering the suddenness of too much at once. "It's not fun."
Jenny nodded, breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to get used to the different scents, "I should be fine. It just takes some getting used to, again. Apologies."
"There's nothing to apologize for," said Vanessa, pulling out a tube of chapstick from the bodice of her dress. "Just swipe it on the underside of your nose. I do it all the time at the club. Works like a charm."
"Thank you," replied Jenny, taking the chapstick and dabbing the fruit scented petroleum around the entrance of her nostrils. She handed it back to Vanessa and took a deep breath, while everyone seemed to watch the other omega tuck the plastic tube back into her dress.
"What?" asked Vanessa, looking at everyone. "As if you've never seen a woman use a bra as a purse - please."
Darcy laughed loudly, looking at Bucky, "I like her." Then she looked to Jenny, "I really like her."
Jenny laughed, as well, and smirked, "Be careful, or they'll invite you to play."
"Jenny Bean!" gasped Wade, wearing his Deadpool mask despite his mate's attempts to talk him out of it for the night. He clutched a hand over his chest, overly dramatic in his actions. "I am appalled! That you would insinuate such things to our new friends."
Vanessa simply shrugged, hands on her hips, "She has a point."
"Cap!" called someone, catching the group's attention. "Hey, man!"
"Hey, Sam," Steve greeted as the man closed the distance and they shook hands. "Glad you could make it. Did you fly or…"
"Oh, ha ha, man. Very funny," the man replied, rolling his eyes, gaze landing on Jenny. He offered his hand to her next with a sly grin, "Sam Wilson, nice to see you out and about."
"Jenny Parker," she returned the greeting, shaking his hand and memorizing his scent; whiskey and oranges drizzled in chocolate. She smiled polite and sweet, but had a strange feeling she should recognize him, "I apologize. Have we met?"
Steve burst into laughter, a heady combination of scent and sound exploding out from him that had her swimming in pheromones, dizzy. Bucky laughed, as well, a lighter tone, but felt more deeply, as if he enjoyed the underhanded slight more than anyone else present. Darcy, also. She was clutching her side, doubled over and pointing at Mr. Wilson's crestfallen features.
"You know what, I'm not even offended," the man said, shaking Jenny's fingers, as if trying to smooth over the insult he felt. "Call me Sam, Jenny. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Sam," she replied, fingers still curled around Steve's bicep squeezing gently to make him stop laughing so hard. "Again, I apologize. I wasn't quite present during the whole… hullabaloo - I completely forgot meeting Steve, as well. I only remembered Bucky and Darcy, and only in bits and pieces."
"Oh, no," mumbled Steve, one hand covering his face as Sam took his turn to laugh. "Oh, sheesh."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Jenny said, looking up at him. "That sounds horrible of me. There were so many scents - and your scent did stick with me… Alpha, and all -"
"It's fine, Jenny," he said in return, pulling his hand away from his face to cover her delicately fingers on his arm. He was grinning, and she felt as if the sun was shining on her face. His eyes were intense, though. She could sense a hint of lust and pride, and she assumed it was at her slip of the word, 'Alpha.' "I may have snapped at Sam when he was helping Darcy carry you out of the medbay."
By God, despite his admission, Jenny wanted to kiss him right then. She had never felt such a strong pull towards anyone in her life. Not even Gerald, and she had allowed herself to fall for him - a married man. She had never fallen into bed with him, the affair stopping short of that physical intimacy, but she had believed herself in love with him without truly knowing what love was at the time. She had truly believed that she loved Gerald, utterly and completely.
Then there had been Jimmy, the one she had wanted when she couldn't have him. And then there had been Alec, her first deep love. Her first in everything, and then he had died. It had been sudden, and tragic. Jenny's heart had completely broken, and in the midst of her grief and sorrow, her affair with Gerald had started circulating through society circles. She had already taken leave to the Mother House to recover from the shock of Alec's death, and it had been a simple decision to go through with becoming a novitiate, taking the veil, saying the vows. She had been certain she would never love again, and it was a far better option than marrying some unknown alpha that her grandmother picked off a list.
Yet, Steve Rogers stole the very breath from her lungs with a simple smile.
"Jenny?" questioned Steve, brows furrowing together slightly. His voice startled her out of her own thoughts, so caught up in her past and him - Steve - that she forgot to blink, or look away. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head, "Yes, of course. Dazzled, is all."
"Aaw," the group chimed in, and Jenny and Steve shared in a blush burning in their cheeks.
When they were all done teasing, Jenny and Steve went about introducing Sam to Wade and Vanessa, and vice versa, and then they all finally moved away from the secluded alcove in the foyer.
Into the fray, Jenny thought, almost clinging to Steve's side as heads began to turn their way.