Thaw

Secret Santa.

"Are Tony and Pepper here yet?" I asked.

"Yea, arrived this morning." Happy said from beside me.

"Excited for Christmas?"

"Mmm, It's supposed to snow a lot upstate."

"You don't like snow!?"

"No, it's all cold and wet." He shriveled up his nose in disgust.

"I love snow." No surprise there.

"I wonder why." He scoffed.

"Pepper!" I put my bag down and ran to hug her. She was on her phone by the couch while Tony was pouring himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

"Astrid! You've grown!" She chuckled and stood up, hugging me back, my body just reached by her chest.

"I know. It's been so long!" I had grown, I was more toned now and grew a couple inches to 5'4.

"How have you been holding up, I hope they're not too hard on you."

"Eh, it could be worse." I shrugged.

"Excited for Christmas?" She sat back down and dusted the invisible dust off her crisp pencil skirt.

"I guess, I mean I've never celebrated before," I said and sat down across from her.

"Well, we'll be sure to make it the most memorable first Christmas ever." Tony came over and stood behind me, ruffling my hair.

It was nice catching up with Pepper, we only talked over the phone once a week, but usually, she was extremely busy. I hadn't seen her in person since leaving the tower a few months ago.

"You don't miss school?" She asked.

"I mean, ya of course I do. I mean, I'm thankful to have friends here, but, no one's my age. I miss Rosa and Lorenzo, and the cats of course." I laughed.

"But if it's what it takes to become an avenger then I'll live," I added when she gave Tony a look saying 'I told you so.'

"You're brave. Most kids would be terrified to be a part of something like this, but not you."

"Well, I'm kinda just working behind the scenes, I still haven't been able to go on a mission." The team had gone on 3 missions as a group since my arrival at the facility, Vision staying back to 'watch over' me.

"Yea, well. That's just Tony being overprotective, not anything to do with you, I think you're perfectly capable of joining in on a small assignment." She admitted.

Later.

"Miss, your presence is requested in the lounge." Fridays voice drowned out the music lowly playing on the speakers in my room. I was working on a new and improved painting of Caps shield for Christmas.

"Thanks Friday, I'll be down in a second." I screwed on the paint caps and pulled on a hoodie, I went barefoot to the living room, bumping into Wanda on the way.

"Why are we all being called?" she asked.

"I dunno." I shrugged.

"Oh, my gods!" I gasped.

We walked into the room side by side to see a bunch of boxes and a large pine tree just almost stretching to the top of the high ceiling.

"Well, it's not gonna decorate itself." Tony mused setting down another box.

"You really went all out this year," Steve said as he and Sam cut the tape off revealing the content of the boxes. They were ornaments and other decorations.