Title: Silent Nights
Author: Sgt. Pepperony
Fandom: Avengers (MCU)
Pairing: Steve/Wanda
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers characters. Property of Marvel and Disney. Songs belong to John Lennon, The Pogues, The Waitresses and public domain.

Part One

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Before anyone had anticipated, Christmas was just around the corner and the Avengers Tower went all out on the decorations. Steve wondered if the team would be ever taken seriously if their main base was decorated like Santa's Workshop but he had to admit that the festive look of the building would help bring some cheer. He noticed that when Wanda smiled softly as the lights went up. Not that she had been perpetually miserable since her brother's untimely demise, but Steve knew that Wanda probably had not celebrated Christmas since she was very young. Seeing this was probably opening some happy and sad memories of her home and her family.

The night before Christmas was awash with eggnog and oversentimentality. Wanda had taken to looking at the tree, which was surprisingly modest given that is was Tony who had bought the thing. When she was younger, Christmas did not fall on 25th December, but on 7th January, and the tree never was decorated until New Year. She remembered the ordainments that she and Pietro had made when they were four. She made an angel while Pietro had made a star. She had been looking forward to putting those on the tree that November when her home was shot by a missile. That Christmas they spent in a children's home. One present consisting of a ragged dress and a barely sufficient meal. The next twelve Christmases were like that, though the difference was they were on the streets. They did eat watery soup in homeless shelters some years. One year, Pietro managed to steal a loaf of bread and some chocolate. She had saved her chocolate for the best part of a couple weeks. It was not a luxury she could waste.

Another luxury Wanda had experienced since coming to the US was a warm bed. The mattress felt as though she was sleeping on a marshmallow, but then she had been used to sleeping on floors or lumpy, hard mattresses. While most nights she could drift off without care, the memories of Christmases in Sokovia were still ringing in her mind. Then she felt hungry. There was a batch of cookies that had been baked that afternoon with the intention for them to be for Santa. It felt strange that they were only doing it for one child given that Cooper was old enough to know where the gifts came from, but Lila was still young enough to believe. She imagined that if Clint had not scoffed them by now then someone else would.

In fact, someone was in the kitchen when Wanda arrived. Steve was fully dressed and looking in the fridge. "Why are you still dressed?" she asked.

"I'm going to Midnight Mass," he answered.

"Oh. Can I join you?"

"I did not know you were Catholic."

"I'm not. I just don't know what else to do."

Steve smiled. "As long as you don't mind."

"I'll quickly get dressed and meet you in the lobby." She quickly threw on a bra, pantyhose, and dress, grabbed a warm jacket and boots and met Steve in the lobby where he was dressed in smart jeans and a warm coat. "Okay, let's go."

Wanda had never been inside a Catholic church before but she did not find it dissimilar to the one near where she grew up. Neither were particularly massive. Both were made of stone and had wooden pews, only this one appeared to have some cushioning fabric to make it comfortable. Steve took a spot in the middle and Wanda sat next to him, looking at the order of service. So many of the carols were vaguely familiar to her but she was used to the handful of Serbian hymns they sang during the Christmas service her mother used to drag Wanda and Pietro to every year.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm just thinking about what it was like back home."

"Do you miss home?"

"I do, but I can't say I miss the streets all that much, especially in the middle of winter."

"You try living in my home. Not much heating and I was sick all the time."

"At least you had a bed."

Steve snorted. They could continue this game of who had had the hardest life for longer but Wanda would probably win hands down. "I suppose it must feel strange for you having a warm bed in winter."

"Well, considering last year I was locked in a cell, completely unaware of what day it even was, I'd say this is a lot better."

Wanda looked at the front where the priest was standing and began to speak. "Welcome to you all on this night of peace, song, and togetherness," the minister began. "Tonight's carols and hymns are inside the pamphlet as well as listed on the board behind me. Before the proceedings begin, let us take a moment in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to earth as a baby so many years ago. Thank you that He paid the punishment for my sins by dying on the cross. And thank you that He rose again to prove that death was truly defeated. I place my trust in You to be my Saviour. Guide me through the dark times of my life and give me the courage to live for You. Amen."

The congregation repeated, "Amen."

"Let us begin by singing 'O Little Town of Bethlehem'."

The music started and the congregation began singing, "O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by."

Steve looked at Wanda as she attempted to sing along. The carol was unfamiliar to her but she attempted to keep up with the tune of everyone else. She actually had a nice singing voice, even with the heavy accent. He had a sense that gratitude and peace was washing over her, perhaps for the first time in a long time. Once the song was finished, they sat as they heard the sermon, and again it was time to sing and pray. Wanda kept her head bowed as she heard Steve whispered his prayer. She smiled because how simple it was, and the fact she heard her name.

It was chilly when they left the church, and Wanda could feel it. Steve, with his ability to hold heat for long periods of time, wrapped his arm around her and she immediately felt the warmth, both from Steve and from her stomach. When they arrived back at the Tower, they both went to the kitchen for a drink. The cookies had been eaten, but Steve found a batch in the cupboard and he opened the tin so Wanda could have one.

"That was a really lovely service," she commented as she bit into the biscuit.

"You seemed really peaceful."

"I was."

"You fancy some eggnog?"

"I will have a whisky."

"Really whisky?"

"It reminds me of my father. He always had a whisky on Christmas Eve."

"Well, it is Christmas Day."

"That is true. Merry Christmas Steve."

"Merry Christmas Wanda." Steve leaned in and gave her a kiss on her cold cheek. Wanda blushed and giggled.