i'm with you, every step of the way

Chapter 7

"Steve, Steve, Steve!!!!" Wanda all but chanted, letting go so Steve and his mom can come in. Sarah joined the other two moms after setting down the pie she brought on the dining room and walked to the living room so they could all chat. "It's been so long!!! I missed you!!!" Wanda said, holding on to Steve's arm. Steve still looks confused but his eyes are soft when he gazed down at her, his smile getting wider each second. He looked up and seemed to search for Natasha, who when he exchanged glances with, just nodded and smiled a little.

"I missed you too, kiddo," he said and ruffled her hair, in which she pouted but laughed at. "How's your new place and school? That working out well?" he asked, looking at her and Pietro.

"Aye, don't act like Natasha hasn't told you!" Steve looked at Natasha, who wouldn't meet his eyes, and back at Wanda. Oh. She doesn't know. "But anyways, it's so weird at first, you know? Fitting in and all that. So different. Good thing I have Pietro with me," she said, her eyes looking sad. "How about you? Damn, you look so different! Every time I come here Tasha says you're always busy so I haven't had time to see you," she said accusingly.

Steve laughed nervously, "yeah, I uh, got football practice most of the time," he said, obviously uneasy as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Man, no wonder you're ripped. Why is everyone being gifted by puberty so nicely? You and Bucky look good, whereas I'm still so lanky," Pietro complained and huffed. Over the past few years, he didn't really gain muscles, he just grew taller.

"Hey, stop complaining, at least you're tall," Wanda shot at him. "And your legs are in better shape, thanks to all that running you do," she waved at his legs, showing her point.

Bucky came a few minutes later and Natasha opened the door as Steve was still being bombarded by Wanda and Pietro's questions. His parents joined the other adults and Natasha brought him to where the other three are after setting down the apple cider they brought.

"Oh, look, isn't this wonderful! They're all together again!" Win, Bucky's mom, exclaimed and clasped her hands together. "What a great Thanksgiving indeed!" she said and told them to pose for a picture. The other two moms, Victoria and Sarah, along with Wanda and Pietro's mom, Magda, all took out their phones to take pictures of the mini-reunion of the kids. Wanda, Steve, and Pietro are sitting on the couch, all smiling brightly and leaning against each other. Natasha and Bucky are standing beside them, with Natasha's arm hooked around Bucky's.

"Come on kids, it's almost dinnertime. Natasha will you be a dear and set the table please? And can you guys go help her?" Victoria asked, to which the kids nodded and rushed to the kitchen, where everything is laid out and just needed to be brought to the dining table. Wanda still hasn't stopped talking to Steve, claiming that she has "years worth of stuff to talk to him about", and Natasha just doesn't have the heart to tell her that she probably has done more talking to him than she and Steve had in the past 3 years.

Once everything is ready and done, the adults walked in and everyone stood around the table. Since they all can't fit in one table, they decided to just put the food there and anyone can sit wherever they want while eating. However, the parents ask that since they are technically not eating all together, that everyone goes around and say one thing they are thankful for.

The adults said some typical stuff like "thankful for having each other", "good health", "smart and wonderful children".

When it was Natasha's turn, she simply said, "I'm thankful for having Bucky back," and she looked up at him and smiled. In which Bucky replied, "I'm thankful to be back," and they got cheers and whistles from everyone but Steve, who is trying to keep his calm composure and not make it look like what they said affected him. They look like they could get married right this second and stay together forever and that thought is just unsettling for Steve for reasons he can't fathom. He swallowed the sigh he was about to let out and just waited for his turn.

"I'm thankful for having great friends and family around me," Steve resorted for a simple answer. Which he really means; his mom may be the only family he really has but even though Bucky and Natasha may be giving him the cold shoulder, their parents treat him like their own son as well, and he's very grateful for that. As for friends, well, he didn't really mean his football team, but is referring to the ones he's with. When he said this, Natasha looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes and Steve looked straight at her, as if wanting her to see that by "friends," he means her, he means, them.

"Always so dramatic," Wanda rolled her eyes but patted his arm, knowing that he truly meant it.

The five of them went to the garage to eat. Natasha's garage doesn't really have cars in them, but there's a table tennis set, a couch, and a TV hooked with video games.

"Whoa, you guys got a Wii? Let's play after we eat!" Pietro said and took a seat at the couch next to Wanda and Steve. Since it only holds up to three people, Natasha and Bucky sat on the carpeted floor below them so they could all talk together. The two has agreed that for Wanda and Pietro's sake, they would treat Steve no different and as if times haven't changed since they were all last together. It might even be kind of fun. And they'd have to be see him a lot anyways, from school and since their parents are very close friends.

"Tash, what happened to cheerleading? You're not joining this year?" Wanda casually asked and Natasha almost choked on her food. She coughed and Bucky gave her a weird look, leaning over to rub her back and offer her his drink, in which she gratefully drank. "Calm down, it's just a question," Wanda said, a bit confused at Natasha's reaction. Steve wanted to sink down the couch.

"Sorry, I just swallowed too quickly," Natasha explained. "No, I didn't join this year. I guess cheerleading isn't my thing anymore," she said, her voice sounding melancholy but fierce. Steve was avoiding her look and she scoffed quietly, turning her back at him. Good thing Wanda didn't notice. They continued to talk and eat until they were all full. Pietro asked to play Wii Sports but everyone was too full to move they all just resorted to playing Mario Kart until it was late.

When it was time for Steve and Bucky to leave, the atmosphere between the five was happy and light. Bucky and Natasha talked to Steve for several times throughout the night and that brought a glimmer of hope in Steve's chest. Maybe it's not too late for their friendship after all.