Those Who Fall: Falling Series 3 (Modern Domestic Stucky AU)

Eighteen

With the second load of laundry in the dryer and the third load in the washer, Steve got the Halloween decorations out of the attic. Sure, Bucky would probably be upset with him for going into the dusty area and for getting the large tubs down by himself. Especially since Bucky wasn't there in case of the asthma attack was too severe and Wanda hadn't been taught what to do in case of an emergency. But Steve wanted decorate. Plus, he felt like he was just waiting. Waiting for the kids to get out of school. Waiting for the older ones to come home from college. Waiting for the game tonight and pumpkin picking tomorrow.

And Steve hated waiting. Especially when he was excited.

So, Steve lugged the tubs downstairs to the main floor of the house. When he dragged the third one down the staircase, Wanda placed Holly in her play-pen and asked, "Would you like some help?"

"Thank you," Steve huffed, trying to catch his breath. "But I've got it." Resting once it was on the ground, Steve took his inhaler from his pocket -- see, Bucky, I do have some sense -- and took two large hits before looking over at Wanda with a smile, "You can help decorate, if you want."

"Sure," Wanda grinned. Pushing up the sleeves of her sweater up, she asked, "Where do you want me to start?"

"Well," Steve pushed his hair away from his face while he tucked the inhaler back into his pocket, and gestured over to the tubs, "You can get the pillows out."

"This is just pillows?" Wanda quirked a brow as she eyed the large plastic tub. Holding her bump, she leaned to the side and looked into the clear bottom.

"And blankets," Steve clarified, dragging the tub around, so it was out of the way. As he popped the lid off the one he carried down last, he told Wanda, "Just put them wherever you want."

Wanda nodded, grabbing a cream colored throw pillow with festive black and orange text as it proclaimed: Home Sweet HAUNTED Home. In her other hand, she grabbed an orange pillow with a black haunted house silhouette. As she leaned over the back of the gray sofa, she asked, "Is there a place for the regular pillows? Or do I leave them?"

Walking up the stairs, so he could weave the black garland with metallic pumpkins around the banister, Steve answered, "Put them in the tub, please."

"Got it," Wanda assured, turning back and getting more throw pillows. Typically, they liked to have five decorate pillows on the sofa. Even if they only ended up on the floor once the kids got comfortable.

Soon enough, the pair worked in comfortable silence with the only sound coming from the TV. Occasionally, the pair would pause to watch what was going on in the Halloween baking/pumpkin sculpting competition that neither put on but neither felt like changing the channel. Especially not when the final product was revealed.

"What are they thinking? Making it that big?" Steve asked, holding the white, black, and orange ornament wreath. Clearly distracted on his way to the front door.

"I think that's the point," Wanda distractedly answered. Just as into it as Steve while she clutched a ghost plush to her front.

Steve's brows furrowed and he commented, "Well, that's just a poor choice. They're going to waste all their time on the thing's body that they won't have time for anything else."

Wanda simply shrugged. As Steve walked over to the front door to hang the wreath, she said, "You know, I've never meant anyone who decorated this much for Halloween."

"I don't know very many either," Steve admitted, crossing to the tub and pulling out some more decorations. Juggling the small crocheted pumpkins, he started setting them up along the fireplace mantel in front of the wall-mounted TV. "Halloween has always been my favorite, but Bucky made it even more special."

"How'd he do that?" Wanda asked as she draped a purple, orange, and black crocheted afghan on the back of the gray couch.

A small smile tugged at Steve's mouth as he picked up the ceramic bird knick knacks, "He took me to a Halloween mixer and spent the night dancing with me. Back then, he was a bit of a womanizer and all these girls kept trying to get his attention, but he kept it on me."

"Was that your first date?" Wanda pulled out a large crochet pumpkin poof and set it on the floor next to the sofa.

"Not even close," Steve laughed. Wanda's brows furrowed, and he clarified, "For a while, I went along on double dates with him because he didn't know I was gay, and -- as it turned out -- Bucky was trying to figure out his own sexuality. I feel bad for all the girls who had to put up with us."

"So," Wanda ran her hands along the back to the sofa, "How did you get together?"

"Well," Steve started draping a purple garland with metallic black bats along the fireplace hooks. " Once I finally did tell Bucky that I was gay, he didn't think I liked him that way since I hadn't made a move, and so he asked some friends to be our dates. Only, I didn't know that it wasn't a real double date. And a whole bunch of stuff went wrong because of my date, and it's just this big, long story."

Wanda nodded, smiling down at the colorful afghan, "Sounds like it."

Busying himself with putting the decorative table piece on the dining room table, Steve focused on the faux pumpkins and faux autumn foliage as he questioned, "What about you and Vis?"

"We met through Pietro," Wanda softly answered, "They were in juvie together."

Steve tried not to show his surprise, so he fixed the candles. Not knowing what to say, he lamely assumed, "So, they were friends."

"Yeah," Wanda sniffled. Steve's eyes instantly snapped to the teen to make sure that she was okay. Which she very evidently wasn't as she was sat on the couch, holding a metallic silver pillow in one hand and covering her mouth with the other as she silently sobbed.

Immediately, Steve crossed the room to her. Sitting down beside her, he guided her into him, allowing her to cry into him while he soothingly rubbed her back. Softly, Steve comforted, "Shh, it's okay. You're okay."

"I just miss him so much," Wanda sobbed.

"I know," Steve assured, smoothing her hair. And Steve did know. Maybe not what it was like to lose a sibling, but he knew what it was like to lose a loved one. He had been eleven when his dad, Joseph, passed, and there wasn't a day that went by where he didn't wish he was there. Especially once Steve became a father himself, he deeply mourned all over again because his own father wasn't there to guide him, and Steve knew that Joseph would've been one of the best grandfathers that anyone could ever ask for.

Steve could feel his t-shirt getting wet from her tears, but he didn't care. He kept his arms wrapped around her and let her cry. When she eventually calmed down, she pulled back and sheepishly tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Steve sincerely replied, holding the tissue box out to her.

Gratefully, she took one and blew her nose. As she crumpled it in her hand, she said, "Vis isn't a bad guy. He's had a hard life, and... And he's trying to leave, ya know? Leave the Murder Bots, it's just... It's just that his brother..."

After taking in a shaking breath as the tears started up again, Wanda continued, "Ultron doesn't want Vis to leave. He thinks that I'm making him."

Steve's jaw clenched, "His brother did that to you. The bruises."

For a moment, Wanda just cried. She cautiously watched Steve and he reassured, "Sweetie, you can tell me. You don't have to ever hide anything from me or Bucky. We have your best interest in mind. We don't want you or the baby or Vis to get hurt."

"I just --" Wanda hiccupped. Taking in a few measured breaths while she rubbed at her abdomen, she said, "I just don't want Vis to go back to them, to him. He's trying, he really is. But... with his record, not many people want to hire him, and since Ully practically raised him..."

Giving her hand a squeeze, Steve promised, "I'll help however I can."