Spencer POV
We all walk out of the room and into the common area in much better spirits than we left it.
It appears as though everyone was just on pins and needles waiting for our return. Or maybe to see if I killed Gamora.
Most seemed surprised that we're in such jovial moods now. This is fair. Last they saw us, I had a gun resting on Gamoras forehead.
And, to be honest, I'm a little surprised, too.
But here we are.
Before we get any further into the room, because I know we will be bombarded with questions, I stop Nebula and bring her into a hug.
"Oh.. um.." she is unsure at first, but relents, hugging me back.
I pull away so I can talk to her.
"I know we weren't put through the same things with Thanos, you had it a lot harder and he was your dad. But if it weren't for you, I don't know if I would have been able to keep going as long as I did. You made my.. stay there as bearable as possible. I never got the chance to say it before, so thank you."
If you could see her blush, she would definitely be blushing.
She scratches her arm, which I know is a nervous habit of hers.
I know, Nebula, with a nervous habit? But it's true. You can trust me on that. It's something only I saw before as she would never let her dad or sister see it, so seeing her do it now in the open makes me realize her and Gamora really have come to better terms.
"Um.. you're welcome. I know I wish I could have done more for you.."
"No, don't do that. You did as much as you could. You were the.. friend, that I needed. That meant a lot to me. Still does," I offer her a smile and she returns it.
"Thank you, Spencer. You helped me get through a lot, too. And once you disappeared.. well, I think it gave me at least some clarity. It's what helped bring Gamora and I together. You still mean a lot to me, too."
"It's really good to see you now. You seem a lot better. And I'm really happy you and Gamora got over the stupid feud you had and really became sisters. I know how much that must have meant to you."
"Yeah, it wasn't always easy, but we've gotten closer. She is more like a sister to me now. It also helps that our dad is dead."
I have to laugh at her bluntness, "yeah, I don't think many people would say that, but I'm more than glad he's gone, too."
We both laugh before I'm being called over by Tony.
"I guess I'll see you a little later, the party isn't that big."
"We'll talk later. See you, Spencer."
I then make my way over to Tony who is accompanied by Steve, Nat, and Fury.
Did I not mention he's here? Yeah.. my bad.
"Mind telling me what the hell that was about, Spencer?" Fury is pretending to be all mad.
"Captain, it's.. complicated. I know Gamora from a part of my past that's, well, let's say less than pleasant."
"Elaborate."
"You guys didn't make the connection? Gamora and Nebula are Thanos' kids.. I was under Thanos for awhile? Did you really think we wouldn't have had at least some kind of contact?"
Tony furrows his brows, "yeah. I guess in hindsight we should have definitely made that connection a lot sooner."
"You think?"
"I guess we were so use to her being on our side we forgot that she was ever a part of that. I'm sorry Spencer," Steve says, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I just shrug. "It's okay. I mean, no one would have guessed I was going to have that kind of reaction. I didn't expect it. Not that I expected to see them, but still. I think the anger was just a cover for the pain they reminded me of." I shared more than I meant to.
Nat smiles at me, "it's okay Spencer. I don't think any of us have seen that side of you. But I also don't think any of us would mess with you after that."
"My bad," I offer my biggest smile.
Fury narrows his eyes, "and now?"
"And nowww.. Gamora and I are going to try and work things out, I guess. I mean she'll be in space and I'll be here. It's not like we'll work together or anything. But I'm not going to let this continue to mess with me. I'm putting it behind me."
He nods his head. "So that means.. a no on the avengers offer?"
"Didn't know that was still a thing, but yeah, it's a no," I confirm.
"Okay then." He uncrosses his arms. "Well, I'm going to get going, but I truly am happy for the two of you. You really make each other happy. And I'm happy to say I didn't have to make good on my promise to make you disappear if you hurt Nat."
I gulp. "Never will have to, sir."
"You seriously said that to her?" Nat asks.
"He wasn't the only one," I confess.
"Wait, who else?"
"Uh.. just about everyone. Don't worry love, it clearly didn't stop me." I wink at her.
Fury is already walking away.
"Well! Sounds like we should get back to the party!" Tony shouts, ignoring what was happening between Nat and I.
We just agreed, and went back to talking and enjoying our time with the people that matter most to us. (Okay, most of them. Some more for me, some more for Nat.)
I apologized to everyone for the scare before and promised that everything was good now.
People slowly started to leave. I took Melina and Alexei back followed shortly by Clints family. Though none of the kids wanted to go.
Then it was Athena and Nadias turn. Yeah.. explained a little bit of my powers to them, not the whole story, of course. But, with everything that happened, I owed her something. I promised they would find a wedding invitation in the mail and took them back to Greece.
Then it was just the avengers.
We're all just talking, nursing our drinks, most of us in no big rush to have a hang over.
Okay, like Wanda and I are a little more gone than the rest.
I'm talking to Nebula with Yelena as I think Nat is talking to Hope and Scott.
Holy shit. There's so many of them. I don't know how I remember all of their names.
"Wait, wait. So you both thought you could sneak out? And Gamora caught you?" Yelena stops mine and Nebulas story.
"Well, yeah. I mean what was the worst that could happen? He already had.. creative ways of getting us to do what he wanted," I say simply.
"That was actually one of the only times Gamora didn't tell Thanos. She decided to punish us herself."
"Yeah, but at least we got punished together!" I joke. We can joke about it now, right?
Yelena just shakes her head.
Then I feel an arm snake around my waist and pull me closer to.. Nat.
"Hi, love." I give her a kiss.
"Hello fiancé," she responds.
"Mm, I love when you call me that," I kiss her again, deeper.
"Don't worry Nebula, they do this a lot. They forget other people are in the room with them," I hear Yelena call us out.
I pull away with a smile, "I'm not sorry about it. She is my amazing fiancé, this is our engagement party, and I'm going to kiss her anytime I want," I mess with Yelena.
Then turn to Nat, "as long as you're okay with it, of course."
"Oh, I am more than okay with it," and she kisses me again.
"I can't say I'm surprised. Her love language has always been touch," this time it was Nebula.
I laugh a little as Nat and I pull away, "calling me out Nela?
She smirks, "maybe a little."
"Well, you certainly didn't mind." My amazing comeback.
Then I realize what I said.
"What do you mean?" Nat asks me.
"Uh.. just that Nebula didn't mind that my love language is touch," I don't explain further.
She raises an eyebrow at me, "okay? Care to elaborate? Why would she mind?"
I look over to Nebula and she shrugs, so I just let out a long sigh.
"Uh.. that she didn't.. mind.. being on the receiving end?" I question it. I'm questioning it all.
I'm questioning how much I drank and why.
Why did I have to speak?
"And what does that mean? How am I suppose to take that?" Nat is a bit tense right now.
"It means that Spencer and I were as close as you could get under Thanos' watch." Nebula explains.
"That doesn't help me."
I gulp, looking down at my drink, thinking about what it would be like to dive into it and not have to participate in this conversation.
"I knew you two were a thing!" Great timing Gamora.
I look at Nebula, "we never really.. put a label on it."
"Yeah. We could never really be anything under my father. He would have torn us apart. Well.. even more so. Either that or exposed the fact that we cared for each other, using it against us," Nebula explains.
I just nod my head in acknowledgment.
"Is that true, Spencer?" Nat asks softly this time.
"No, they're right. That is something Thanos would have done," Gamora agrees.
"So.. you and Nebula.. you.." Nat is trying to piece this together.
"Yes we.. cared for each other. We understood each other. We felt a lot of the same pain," I try to describe how we were or felt. I don't know.
"Was that it for you? We felt the same pain. That's the only reason you cared?" Nebula sounds hurt.
"No! No, of course not. I was just saying that's how we first connected. We were able to lean on each other. Trust each other."
"Sounds like it was pretty serious," Nat accuses.
I throw my head into my hands, covering my face. I can not come out of this conversation in any positive way. I just keep saying the wrong things.
And no matter what I say to try to explain how I feel, it's wrong.
So I'm not going to speak.
"Spence, are you okay?" It's Yelena.
I follow the hand she placed on my shoulder so I only look at her. "I think so.."
She pulls me into a hug and I let myself sink into it.
"Hey, bub. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you about your relationship with Nebula. It was just.. unexpected," Nat tries to comfort me.
I let her, releasing my hold on Yelena for one around Nat.
She kisses my head as she rubs my back. "It wasn't something I was trying to hide. I never thought I would see them again. I didn't expect this either."
I pull away, "Nebula and I.. were something to each other. I still care for her as a person, of course. But I love you, Nat, for all of my lifetimes. Why do you think I asked you to marry me?" I trying to make light of this.
"I love you," and she pulls me into another deep kiss, I don't hesitate to kiss back.
"Now that that's out in the open, I want to know for how long?" Gamora asks.
We all give her a look.
"What?" Really Gamora?
Then we all laugh, whatever tension that was still there now dissipated completely and we eased back into our normal conversations.
Right.
Just a normal night with the avengers.