sporadic | avengers

THIRTY-FIVE / when it was christmas

ROOM THREE: PINKY

He woke to Wanda standing above him. She was wearing joggers and an oversized sweatshirt with a tree on the front. Vision furrowed his brow.

ROOM SEVEN: ATOMIC NUMBER TWENTY-SIX MAN

Tony stumbled out of bed to turn off his alarm on the other side of the room. After wiping the sleep from his eyes, he noticed the cup of warm coffee with a note saying: "Come out to the tree when ready. Hugs, Bruce."

ROOM FIVE: KITTY

"T'Challa? Hon, are you up?"

"Getting there. Natasha, you can come in," he declared. She opened the door and stood at the entrance. The King pushed off his sterling white comforter and sat up.

He wore flannel pajamas, of course.

"I still don't understand it."

"I know," Natasha said and watched as he got up. "I don't fully understand it either, but I like the idea. Come on."

He followed.

—

Out in the common living room, the Avengers gathered around the Christmas tree. Countless red-wrapped gifts laid all around. Bruce and Tony stood, side by side, coffee in one hand and the other's hand in the other hand (if that made any sense).

They beamed happily as the tides came in of their friends and their eyes grew.

Natasha handed out cups of coffee or tea or cocoa to everyone and, eventually, they all settled into seats.

The group talked for awhile, mostly explaining Christmas to T'Challa, Vision, and Thor. Thor didn't understand a baby to be an almighty God, and refused it completely - though still accepting his gifts (aye, no judgement!).

T'Challa got onboard with the idea, without refusing his own faith. Vision didn't understand the idea or the commercial of it, but he was happy his friends were happy.

Then, the gift-giving began.

Vision received cookbooks and a gift certificate at the Humane Society. Wanda received plants and spell books. T'Challa received a cat calendar and slippers.

Natasha got a new knife holster and tickets to the Russian Ballet. Steve got movie tickets and boots. Tony got a mug and toolkit. Bruce got the Shakespearean Collection of Plays and Grimm's Fairytales.

Eventually everything settled and the gifts had all been given. They sipped on drinks and nibbled on bagels.

"I think I understand, now," Vision said. Wanda's hand found his. "Everyone has a different idea of the holiday, but at the end of the day, this is Christmas."

He looked not at the tree, nor the gifts, not even the snow and drinks. He looked at each of his friends' faces.

"It's the friends, the family. We are Christmas."

Wanda squeezed his hand and smiled. Everyone seemed to soften and forget tomorrow's work and tonight's difficult dinner. Everyone existed, right then, as a group, as a gathering, as Christmas.

__

NOTE:
Have a very Merry Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays, from the bottom of my heart.