That I would be your Girl - A Marvel Story

Chapter 16. Happy

***A/N&TW***  Thanks for all of the reads, you're all amazing 😘😘😘😘 TW for shmexy stuff

Pepper and I sat silently for a while the quiet of the cabin house filled my ears with calm silence. Soon the sun crested over the trees and the thumping sound of small footsteps filled my ears. Pepper's face was lit with a warm smile as her daughter came barreling into the room and straight for her. Once in her mother's embrace the small chilled turned those haunting dark eyes in my direction they were filled with an ever-present familiar curiosity.

I smiled warmly at her which she returned shyly.

"You're pretty." She said, it almost sounded like an accusation.

"Thank you," I said unable to stop smiling at her, "So are you."

She grinned wide. "Are you Uncle Happy's girlfriend?"

Pepper chuckled, "No baby, she is not Happy's girlfriend."

She pouted.

"I don't have a boyfriend." I said.

She perked up, "That's good, boys are dumb anyway, except my Daddy and Happy."

"Ok, my baby," Pepper stood setting the child on the ground, "Are you hungry for breakfast?" She asked.

The little one jumped up and down and dragged her mother to the other side of the breakfast bar and fully into the kitchen. I watched contently as Pepper readied something for Morgan to eat.

"Are you hungry?" She asked me setting a piece of toast and jam down on the counter in front of the little girl.

I smiled and thanked her, my eyes moving back towards the child that was happily devouring her breakfast. I couldn't help the envy that plagued me. She had a piece of her husband, and I was left with only memories and hopes of what could have been.

You have him. You have them... A voice echoed in my head which I quickly stopped down.

"I have a confession," Pepper said, and she busied herself at the stove with a pot of oatmeal a guilty expression plain on her face. I didn't speak so she continued, "I spoke to Steve."

My heart plummeted.

"Oh?" I worried my lip unable to meet her penetrating gaze.

"Yesterday," she said, "he reached out when he found that you were gone."

I looked once again to the little girl who was sitting beside me, she looked up feeling my gaze smiling with more jam on her face then there was on the toast.

"I haven't told him you are here. Yet." She said mixing the pot as it began to steam, "I wanted to make sure that you wanted him to know you are here."

"I-..." I looked back up to Pepper who was offering me a sympathetic gaze, "Maybe you should tell him." I said with a sigh.

She nodded and added some fresh berries to the mixture, "If you are unsure Evie, I completely understand, if you need more time..."

I shook my head, "I'm tired of running from everything. I need to be a big girl about this and face them both."

She split the mixture between two bowls dousing them with a big splash of oat milk and a dash of cinnamon then offered me a bowl. "I will call him after we eat."

I nodded stirring the contents of my bowl watching the pale concoction bleed pink and purple from the berries.

A small voice broke my melancholy thoughts, "Wanna play with me after we eat, I can show you my tree house."