To All Those Brave and Lovely

Christmas Break

Christmas comes slow.

Nora tries to get in the spirit of what might be her first real holiday season ever, not arguing against the peppermint and ginger bread flavored drinks MJ wants to get, good naturedly listening to Christmas carols on the way back from school with Evangeline, and helping Peter make Christmas cookies because he can't do it on his own.  Still, it's hard, considering that the news is still pondering over who the master minds behind the technology take over were and agents from SHIELD keep showing up at odd hours to talk to Tony.   

"It's all under control,"  Tony tells her each night that he happens to be home, whether its across from her at the dinner table or during their (now less frequent) tutoring sessions or standing in her doorway when he thinks that she's asleep and totally not texting Peter.  "We've gone up against worse and come out on top.  Everything's going to be fine."

Nora keeps wondering who he's trying to convince- her, or herself.

"I think we're going to go to the Avenger's complex, once you get off school,"  Tony says suddenly, looking at her over the rim of his sunglasses.  He does this sometimes, comes up with a burst of information that appears to be random when Nora really knows that it's something that had popped up on the computer feed being constantly shoved across his lenses.  "Spend some quality time with the team, all that nonsense."

Nora thinks of arguing, of telling him about the party that MJ planned to throw and Evangeline's holiday tea party (whatever that is) and the shopping that she still has to do, but doesn't, because his face now has the tired and strained look that he has after too many meetings crammed into too little time.  "It's getting worse, isn't it?"  She says instead, watching him carefully, trying to find the little flickers of expression that would let her know if he's lying or telling her the truth.  "The security threat went up again."

"No,"  He says, coming around to lay his hand heavy on her shoulder before moving on to the kitchen, the conversation over.  "Everything's going to be fine."

Nora isn't completely ready to give up on her idea of an exciting Christmas break,  so when the invitation comes in on her phone from MJ, she doesn't hesitate in going, promising FRIDAY that she would be back before morning and there was really no reason to alert Tony.  She knows, in the way that people always know when they're doing something potentially harmful, that maybe it's better off to just stay behind lock doors and not become a moving target, but the part of her that is looking forward to loud music and junk food and seeing Peter doesn't really care.  

"You're here!"  MJ says from her spot sitting on top of the counter, right where she said she would be.  She has a book in hand, the sudden outburst of noise causing those nearest to her to look over at the two of them.  Nora can already here the whispers spreading through the house, murmurs about is it really her and how did she get invited and she's here with Peter, the internship, remember?  "I didn't think you would be able to come."

"Of course I was going to come,"  Nora says automatically, but an hour later she wishes she hadn't, since she has a throbbing head ache and has no idea whose house this is and hasn't caught sight of Peter yet.  

"He's in one of the rooms upstairs,"  Ned tells her, smiling at MJ in a way that makes her think that the two are sharing a joke.  She hopes its something about her and not about why Peter went upstairs without telling her where he was at, to a room with a bed and no one to interrupt him.  "The noise and the lights get to be too much for him sometimes, ever since.."

He cuts himself off, MJ giving him a look .  If Nora had been paying more attention and not already making her way up the steps, she might have wondered what he was about to say, about what happened to Peter to make it hard for him to stand in a room with his friends when the music got too loud, but as it is, she's already on the top steps and peeking into every room, praying for the sight of just Peter, Peter alone and without a girl that isn't her or MJ.  "Peter?"  She says, peeking into one of the rooms, finding him with his head in his hands and perched on the edge of the bed.  "Peter, is that you?"