To Neptune And Back

Miles' Rock (Chapter 31)

The usually abnormally long table that sits in the common room seems small today. The long, polished table stretched out before everyone is spread with a feast that not even a team of superheroes could finish off in one sitting. The soft, ambient glow of the overhead lighting casts a warm light throughout the room. The smell of the roasted turkey, almost big enough to curb the Hulk's appetite, the scent of garlic found in over half of the side dishes, the earthy scent of the sage-infused stuffing, and the unmistakable smell of the mac and cheese covers the room. Steam can be seen rising from the mashed potatoes as they are passed around the table, a fluffy mound of perfectly whipped goodness being scooped onto plates.

Laughter and cheerful, almost carefree, chatter fills the room. Seated around the table in this moment aren't 'Earth's mightiest heroes' but rather a makeshift family. Steve's boyish smile shines brightly as he passes food to his friends, Sam and Bucky exchange playful banter as they poke fun at one another relentlessly, while Tony can't resist showing Peter one of his newest gadgets that sits on his finger taking on the appearance of a normal ring. Vision sits next to Bruce, the two talking about a subject so boring nobody else cares to join in on. Natasha sits with Nate in between her and Clint, she helps the young boy cut his food while his dad gets caught in conversation with Yelena who lives to heckle the original Hawkeye. Kate tries defending her mentor but ultimately accepts that there is nothing she can do to stop Yelena and instead focuses on the mound of food on her plate. Clint's oldest two children talk amongst themselves while occasionally talking with Peter when he isn't being enamored by Tony's gadget. Laura and Pepper chat about their days and question how either of their husbands have made it this far in life when all the two of them do is make chaotic, near life ending decisions on a daily basis. Wanda and yourself, the culinary masterminds behind the extravagant meal, share secret smiles of satisfaction and happiness as you watch your friends enjoy each bite and laugh at all of the bad jokes and stories being told around the table.

The amount of time and effort that was put into this one meal quickly became worth it as you watched everyone around the table with smiles on their faces. This was more than a normal dinner, it was a scarce moment of togetherness that in their (and now your) line of work and with the amount of loss that each and every person at this table has experienced, was not a normal occurrence. This meal served as a reminder that even those whose jobs it is to keep everything together, also need moments of being held together. The amount of gratitude and warmth coming from every seat at that table made all of the work to make this dinner a reality more than worth it. The clinking of utensils against plates, the bursts of laughter, and the overall sense of contentment that filled the room easily made this a moment to remember.

All too quickly you found yourself in the aftermath of the feast, packing up the bits of food that were left uneaten. The fridge becoming your battlefield as you play a game of tetris trying to expertly arrange the containers of food within the limited space. From your spot in the kitchen you can't help but to smile as you watch Steve, Sam and Bucky don aprons as they launch into the least desired task of washing all of the dishes. What had originally started as a cooperative cleanup mission quickly turned into a mini water fight. The trio never cease to amaze you at how the three grown men can somehow always act like children when around one another without proper adult supervision (aka Natasha Romanoff).

"Want to join in on the fun?" Steve has a mischievous glint in his eyes as he raises his water soaked hands in the air in defense.

Shaking your head no, you keep a smile on your face but point toward your pile of containers that are still waiting on the counter to be placed somewhere in the already overflowing fridge. "Getting drowned in soapy bubbles doesn't exactly sound like how I want to end my very long day, but I appreciate the offer."