How do you heal?

Chapter 89: Dance With Me Tonight

When Annie entered the bar she clung to Pietro. Just like Kelly had said the place was packed.

"Auden's friend is a bartender here!" Kelly called out over the music. "She saved us some tables in the back, let's go!"

And so they followed. As they walked however they were stopped several times.

"Annie, is that you?" A high voice called out as a tiny brunette with curly hair grabbed her arm.

"Kara?" Annie's face lit up. Kara had been a neighbor to Annie and Alex in college and she hadn't seen the tiny spitfire in years. "Oh my god how are you?!" She pulled Kara into tight hug.

"I'm so good! Marcus's mom decided to take the kids last minute tonight so we snuck out and now I am so glad we did! I feel like I haven't seen you since Marcus and I's wedding! Is Charlie here with you, I heard you guys got married? Marcus will be so excited to see him."

Annie's answering smile was sad but warm. "We did, about five years after graduation but he passed a few years ago. Car accident."

Kara's face fell. "Oh, Annie, I am so sorry to hear that. You two were-"

"Thank you," Annie cut her off. Her time with Charlie was everything she could have ever wanted at the time and while she would forever love him she had made peace with the fact that he was gone. "Where's Marcus? I'd like to introduce you both to my boyfriend, Pietro." Annie reached back and pulled him to stand beside her and he greeted Kara with the grin Annie knew and loved so well.

Kara's face went a little red and she fanned herself. "Annie, you are lucky I am a married woman or I might just try and steal this one from you!"

"An impossible task." Pietro said as he smiled down at Annie before looking to Kara. "But nice to meet you nonetheless."

The reunion between Kara, Marcus and Alex was long overdue and Alex and Annie insisted their old friends squeeze into the tables that had been reserved for the Easton clan.

Despite those tables being in the back of the bar and the group they were with being overly large, Pietro was surprised at how many people came to the table to greet Annie and Alex, all with faces of excitement and joy at seeing the duo. College friends, old co-workers, even the couple who owned the diner Annie worked at in high school found their way over.

"For someone who claims to be a recluse and hates crowds you seem to be pretty at ease right now as well as very popular." Pietro said as he pulled Annie closer to him after what felt like the thirtieth reunion ended.

"I am slightly tipsy and most of those people were Alex's friends. I was just a tag along."

"They all seemed pretty happy to see you too."

"Probably because I made most of them birthday cookies at least once and they remembered how good they were." She said with a small giggle before sipping at her drink and leaning into him.

Pietro loved when Annie was like this. He loved her at all times but this. With anyone but him and Alex and occasionally Sam and Loki she was so often guarded or reserved and tried to let herself melt into the background but a few drinks and good music? She was joy incarnate. Sunshine in human form. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

A younger couple went up to sing karaoke and Pietro recognized the beat of the song. So he took the lull in conversation as an opportunity to pull Annie to the dance floor.

What are you doing, weirdo?" She asked with a melodic laugh.

"Dancing with you." He said as they stepped onto the floor.

Marvin Gaye by Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor came through the speakers as the young couple sang, not all that well, and Pietro started to dance, moving Annie through the steps he could do in his sleep with ease. Remnants of his happy childhood and dancing with his mother in their tiny apartment.

"I'm not the best dancer." She whispered and he leaned in to nip at her ear before he laughed.

"Luckily, I'm good enough for both of us." With that their gazes locked and she followed as he led her through the steps he didn't think he could ever forget. Wanda and Vis were also on the dance floor. Pietro could see a sparkle in his sister's eyes that he hadn't seen in a very long time and the two couples were so vibrant and assured everyone else made room for them to do as they pleased for the length of the song.

Their dance was a version of a modern swing. Pietro twisting Annie about and then pulling her close to steal a kiss before reverting back to swing and swapping partners with Vis for just a moment. Soon enough the whole bar was swaying back and forth watching them. As the song shifted to Meghan's verse Pietro took Annie in his arms and slowed their steps, pressing their foreheads together.

"What's that look for?" He half whispered, half shouted into her ear over the music as he saw the near revenant gaze she wore.

As Charlie joined Meghan in the verse again Annie shook her head and took a deep breath. "Just feels like I might get to live a happily ever after after all."