Good afternoon! Chapter 13 is, obviously, now posted! Yay! Regarding Chapter 12, however, a huge thanks to kittehx1, lovelyme9, D, and my Guest for their reviews! Thank you, guys; and another HUGE thanks to all of you who've favorited and followed this story! You're amazing, the lot of you!
Also, just a little heads up... In case anyone was wondering about the outside summary of this story... That shall be explained soon. It's coming. *insert Game of Thrones "Winter Is Coming" meme here*
That's all for now, folks! Have a MARVELous day, everyone! :)
Another month passed in which Esca remained at Stark Tower; before long, it was two months since she had landed in New York City aboard the helicopter. Throughout the month, construction crews were scrambling to fix the last of Ultron's destruction. By this time, Esca had heard all about the Avengers' adventures, both in New York City and elsewhere. Steve had been her storyteller, seeing as she read aloud to him from The Things They Carried and he wanted to repay the favor, but Clint and Pietro would join him sometimes and add in details that Steve might've forgotten.
The reason the construction crews were so fervently working was because the housewarming party for Esca and the Maximoffs was that Friday night. Tony had already relayed his extravagant plans by her—she approved them all because he was kind enough to organize such an event. But she did feel that he was perhaps going a little overboard.
Finally, it was the night of the party, and Esca, Natasha, Wanda, and Pepper had just returned from shopping. Pepper had returned from running her company at the end of Esca's first month at the Tower, and the women had quickly become friends, seeing as they were both down-to-earth and cared for the Avengers more than was often expressed. When the four women walked into the common area, Esca could only stare.
Everything was immaculate, and set up with great care. There were large tables around the edges of the room for food, the bar was neatly stocked, a pool table had been brought out, and the decoration was very elegant. It was a far cry from the common area normally.
"Goodness, Tony," exclaimed Esca. "Have you been at work!"
Tony just pointed to Pepper and exclaimed, "Sadly, I can't take most of the credit. Even though she had her executive company meeting or whatever, Pepper took charge of the design for this evening. I just do all the grunt work."
Esca turned to Pepper in astonishment. "How did you organize all this?"
"I don't mean to brag or anything, but interior decorating is one of my hobbies," replied Pepper, grinning and glancing at the ceiling as if to wave off her credit. "Parties are one of my favorite things."
"Speaking of parties, it's starting in two hours, so you'd better get ready," said Pietro. He had suddenly appeared next to them, which made Esca jump. Seeing that, he smirked and picked Wanda up before declaring, "Until tonight, Esca Rarity," and zooming off with his sister in his arms.
She sighed and, with her new dress in her bag, started walking to the stairs. She tried to hide the ridiculous smile on her face as Nat and Pepper joined her; for some reason, she was excited for the party.
Natasha and Esca got ready together, gabbing about who would be coming, can you introduce me to these people, what do you mean Tony's going to try and pressure me into drinking. They spent an hour on hair and make-up before deciding they were presentable.
When they descended back to the common area, most of the Avengers were there: Steve, Clint, Tony, and Thor. The men all noticed Natasha and Esca coming down, and they waved them forward.
"Well," said Steve, coming to the women. Nat just smirked at him while Esca grinned shyly. "Don't you two look amazing."
"Thank you, Steve," said Nat, but that was all she said before whapping his arm lightly and moving to stand by Clint.
Esca just glanced down at her dress—it was a long, dark blue gown with sheer short sleeves and a low-cut back. "I hope I'm not overdressed," she said quietly.
Steve chuckled and replied, "You don't need to worry about that. I'm just worried that some of our guests are going to get ideas. I may or may not have to hover over you and make sure no one sweeps you off your feet tonight."
She laughed and was about to respond, but then she yelped somewhat as she was picked up and raced off. It was, of course, Pietro. He stopped about ten feet away from Steve and raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Like that?"
"Ah, it's just you, Maximoff," grumbled Steve. "For a minute, I thought I'd have to teach somebody a lesson."
Pietro just chuckled—Esca tried to squirm out of his arms. "Put me down, Pietro. You don't need to be so dramatic."
At her insistence, he let her down. Esca sighed and smoothed out her dress before glaring at him. "You could've just said hello," she exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"Where's the fun in that?" he retorted, but he had lost much of his joking manner as he looked at her. After a moment, he said, "While you are always lovely, tonight you are no less than stunning, Esca Rarity."
Esca couldn't keep the glare on her face after hearing that. The exasperation in her eyes melted, and she replied softly, "Thank you, Pietro."
Just then, Wanda and Vision came down, talking quietly. At the same time, a man burst in, exclaiming, "All right, first one to the party!"
"Rhodey!" shouted Tony, sauntering forward and clapping the man on the back. "Punctual as always."
"Yeah, well, I'm not missing a single minute of one of your parties, man," replied the man whose name must've been Rhodey. Knowing that Esca didn't know his friend, Tony summoned her over to meet him.
The party soon began. More and more people started pouring into Stark Tower, and Esca and the Maximoffs were shuffled around constantly to meet everyone who arrived. While Pietro seemed rather comfortable, Wanda and Esca were struggling to remember who was who, and to put themselves out there. Wanda especially seemed to want to take solace with Vision and Natasha instead of socialize with strangers.
As time went on, Pietro noticed both his sister's and Esca's discomfort, and he stuck closer to them. He grabbed Wanda's hand and murmured something in her ear—Wanda smirked and exclaimed, "Says Mr. Popular," before taking refuge in a corner of the room.
"What did you say?" asked Esca.
"I told her to sit down before she practically explodes with displeasure," chuckled Pietro. "No one else has arrived for a while, so I thought it would be good for her to sit down."
Esca nodded and glanced over her friends. Tony, Rhodey, Clint, and Thor were drinking something and laughing. Pepper was exasperated with their antics. Steve was chatting with a man named Sam Wilson. Wanda was being joined by Vision in the corner, and Natasha was storming towards a man in a tweed jacket.
She watched Nat and the man for a moment—even from ten feet away, Esca could hear Nat say, "Just shut up and come with me." Then she forcefully seized the man's arm and pulled him around the corner, much to Esca's confusion.
"What was that?" she asked Pietro, who had seen the display, too.
He glanced at her before murmuring, "That was Dr. Banner. It appears he's come back."
Esca swallowed, hoping for Banner's sake that Natasha had loosened up at the bar.
"Let's… head over to Steve and Sam," suggested Esca uncertainly. She didn't want to dwell on what might happen between Bruce and Natasha; just then, she bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, but seeing who it was, she grinned. "Hello, Robbie! I didn't know you were here!"
Robbie just raised his glass and grinned. "Natasha invited me, dear, and I wanted to congratulate you and Wanda! Is this Wanda's brother?" he asked, gesturing to Pietro.
"Oh, yes!" laughed Esca. "Please excuse my terrible manners—Robbie, this is Pietro. Pietro, this is Robbie. He works at Schwarma and has been excellent company when I visit."
The two appraised each other for a moment, but then they shook hands. "Congratulations to you as well," said Robbie, one of his silly grins on his face.
"Thank you," said Pietro, apparently deciding that he could hang out with Robbie.
"Here, why don't you come with us to meet Steve and Sam?" suggested Esca. With that, they made their way over to the two men, both of whom smiled upon seeing them.
Steve grinned at Esca and held an arm out for a hug. Esca gladly walked toward him and embraced the super-soldier, who announced, "See, she's like my sister. Everyone adores her."
Sam grinned and waved at Esca, who returned the gesture. "Nice to see you again, Miss Rarity," he said.
"Same to you, Sam," she responded truthfully. Out of everyone she had met, Sam had been one that Esca had gotten to know better. He had been an aerial military paramedic for a time—he and Steve had told her stories about when they took down HYDRA and SHIELD; in fact, they were getting into one of those stories now.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy," reminisced Sam. "Remember when we got captured? It was only thanks to Maria Hill that we got out. Bless that woman," he sighed.
"It was one of the few times I was bested in combat," said Steve with a chuckle.
"Oh, I'm sure you still could've won," announced Esca generously.
Hearing her faith, Steve laughed. "I don't know, Miss Esca… Almost getting shot by that girl Zelda made me reconsider rejoining the battle. At least she prevented some others from killing me right on the spot."
"Zelda?" gasped Robbie, stepping backward. "You—know her?"
Steve narrowed his eyes somewhat. "She almost shot me in the head once. We also share a mutual acquaintance."
"James," said Robbie, raising an eyebrow. "He's your mutual acquaintance."
Steve stepped back as if he'd been punched. "What?"
"They've been hiding from HYDRA the past two years," Robbie said slowly. He obviously knew that Steve had a connection with the man named James, and seemed hesitant as he continued. "After something happened, two years ago, they got out of New York. They didn't want to work for HYDRA anymore… They're in Salt Lake City… You aren't—thinking about hurting them, are you?" asked Robbie apprehensively. "They just want to live in peace."
Esca stared between the two, uncertain about what exactly was going on. It was obvious that whoever this James person was, Steve had a deep connection to. Zelda just happened to be the person that knew them both, and would ultimately lead Steve to James.
Steve swallowed and lowered his head. "Do you know for a fact that they're all right?"
"I do," confirmed Robbie. "I got a letter from her just a week ago. She's an elementary schoolteacher and he's doing something for their city government or whatever. They're very close to Zelda's cousin… and they're happy."
Esca saw the look on Robbie's face. It was obvious that he missed them more than he let on—meanwhile, the bittersweet pain that Steve felt was written all over his face.
"That's good," he said at last, clearing his throat. "I'm glad they're happy." And he quietly excused himself to grab another glass of water.
Robbie exchanged looks with Esca. "Do you think I made a mistake, telling him that?" he asked her anxiously.
She gazed at Steve's retreating back and was about to respond—though what she would've said she had no idea—but Sam got to it first. "No, man, it was a good thing you said what you did. Steve has been looking for his friend almost nonstop the past two years, and he hasn't been getting anywhere. I think he just needs some time to let the information soak in."
Hearing this, Robbie seemed somewhat comforted. Just then, Tony swaggered over, Clint on his heels. He stopped in front of Esca and declared, "Drink this." He thrust a glass of yellow and pink swirls in front of her.
"What is it?" asked Esca suspiciously.
"It's a daiquiri," he explained. "Mango and raspberry. It's delicious, and you like fruit, so I thought you'd enjoy it."
Esca couldn't help but laugh—it appeared that when Natasha said Tony would try to get her to drink, she had been right. "You know I can't drink yet, Tony. I'm not twenty-one."
Tony looked around theatrically before throwing his arms to the side. "Do you see any cops around here? Because I don't. This is my house, baby, and I helped set up this party for you. Now do me a favor and drink it because I want to see your face when you do."
With a sigh, Esca exchanged looks with Pietro, who was obviously amused. Then she glanced at Sam, who was chuckling. Clint was nodding frantically, gesturing for her to take the daiquiri. "If I take it, will you leave me alone?" asked Esca.
"Certainly. Cross my heart," smirked Tony.
With a sigh, she took the glass from his hands and drank from it. The beverage was sweeter than she'd anticipated, but in a good way. Esca decided she liked it—she finished the drink in one sitting. Then, handing Tony back the glass, she said, "There we are. Now don't try to convince me to get another one."
Tony and Clint bugged out at how quickly Esca had downed the beverage. "Holy shit!"
"Too bad Rogers isn't here to reprimand their language," murmured Pietro to Esca, which made her laugh.
Tony appeared not to have heard him. "That was quick! Where'd you learn to chug a drink like that?"
"Switzerland," replied Esca. "The legal drinking age there is eighteen. Not that I paid any attention to that, seeing as I lived there when I was sixteen and seventeen."
Clint whistled in astonishment. "Looks like you got yourself a bad girl, Maximoff."
Esca chuckled a little uneasily. What was Clint implying, exactly?
"Oh, yes, she's so dangerous," mocked Pietro. "She's so dangerous she giggles when I do this." And he poked her in the side, which made Esca jump into the air and shriek.
"Pietro! You weren't supposed to let them know about that!"
But Tony and Clint were already laughing, and Sam was clapping Pietro on the shoulder. Esca knew she would find no support here, so she looked around for Wanda or Natasha, but they were unfortunately nowhere to be found. "Steve! I need you! They're bullying me again!" she announced, but she didn't see Steve anywhere, either.
Just then, Thor ambled up to Esca and loomed over her shoulder. "Who's bullying you?" he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at the men assembled in front of him.
Esca just giggled again. "Don't worry, Thor, I was only kidding."
"Very well," grinned the god, gently placing a hand on Esca's shoulder. "But I will have your back, if you need it."
"Thank you, Thor!" beamed Esca, raising an eyebrow in challenge at the other men.
Knowing that having a god as Esca's bodyguard might be bad for Tony and Clint, Pietro exclaimed, "Oh, look at the time, time for you to get some rest, Esca Rarity. Goodnight everyone!" And with that, he plucked Esca off the ground and skyrocketed up the stairs, Tony's and Clint's jeers following them.
In two seconds, once they were in front of Esca's door, Pietro kissed her suddenly. Esca, not expecting the gesture, gasped a little before returning the kiss. The moment she did, however, his lips trailed down her chin to her neck, which made her inhale sharply and shiver. Her hands were on his back, pulling him close to her; she started remembering the night on the lake, and she realized that he was holding her the same way. A burst of electricity spurred through her… was it possible he truly cared about her?
Maybe he did—but then Esca realized he wouldn't for long. At this thought, she pushed him away, raised an eyebrow, and mused, "Well, that was abrupt."
Pietro grinned knowingly and replied, "I know. I just couldn't hold it back any longer—I've wanted to do that all night. I'm sorry. Actually, I'm not really. But I knew if I didn't get you out of there to kiss you, Stark and Barton would've tormented you relentlessly."
"You were helping them," accused Esca.
"I certainly was not," he objected, pouting somewhat. She laughed at his expression as she remembered what Clint had said, that she was Pietro's girl. She wasn't sure how to feel about that…
He seemed to notice her discomfort and asked, "What is it?"
She shrugged. "I don't know… they're crazy," she laughed, trying to avoid the question.
"That's not going to work on me," declared Pietro, looking into her eyes. "You are bothered by something."
Knowing that he wouldn't let her go to sleep until she told him what she was thinking, Esca groaned and asked, "What… are we, Pietro? Friends? Or… something else? I don't know. The others obviously think one thing, but I am not certain."
"We are whatever you want us to be," he murmured, kissing her forehead. Esca looked down at the ground—what did she want?
She had wanted friends, and she had those now. She had wanted a best friend, and she was blessed to have both Natasha and Pietro. But did she want something more than that? If she did—but no, how would that happen? Being in a relationship with Pietro would mean she would have to tell him everything. It would mean risking losing him.
Could she take that risk? What if she lost him?
"Okay," was all she said. "Goodnight, Pietro."
And Esca embraced him before entering her room to sort out her thoughts.