A Very Merry Marvel Thanksgiving

[wasafreak]

Thanksgiving hadn't been something Teddy anticipated celebrating, and even now that he's here, it feels odd. Not just the fact that his jaw is wired shut and he's got a brace on his leg, but the fact that he was invited to Captain America's house and arrived to find the original Cap and Bucky and alternate universe Peggy Carter setting up a pretty impressive Thanksgiving buffet is just so surreal. Steve greets them at the door with a genuine smile and pats Billy on the shoulder and ushers them in to get drinks, and Teddy tells himself he's paranoid and Bucky isn't shooting him and Billy a sideways look warning them off of getting caught making out in any more closets, and then reminds himself that this is real life.

Kind of.

Instead of agonizing over what an appropriate tropical island equivalent of 'nice Holiday sweater' was, he let Billy dress him (also literally, see again: brace) and thinks they made the right call- the house is all warm wood craftsman, and the three heroes already there are dressed casually but nicely, and there are old photos and some pretty incredible drawings hanging up, which distract Teddy and Billy to the point of rudeness, except Steve seems all too glad to tell them stories and answer questions. Bucky chimes in to remind him of details and it's... it's maybe the coolest thing that has ever happened, other than discovering his connection to the Avengers.

It relaxes him, and Teddy types up short phrases and sentences on his iPad when he feels really compelled to contribute, keeps "Happy Thanksgiving" on his clipboard to copy and paste it when new people arrive. It doesn't take more than an hour for a pretty respectable number of people to show up, the chatter growing in volume, and even though it's been a pretty crappy couple of months, and a pretty rough couple of years, Teddy finds himself feeling pretty good.

Comments

[prodigaljaybird]

Jason's concession to the holiday is a shirt with buttons, though he leaves the top three undone in the heat, and doesn't think of going anywhere without the knife and gun he's carried with him since Halloween. He's been here long enough to understand the usual whims of the place - people's fears aren't likely to return for a while, but Jason trusts that the island's just a big enough dick to surprise him.

He keeps largely to himself, communing with the food - desserts in particular - more than the people, but is in a decent enough mood when he feels someone sit down beside him.

[onlyapassenger]

"You should try some of the bird," says Bucky, edging the platter closer to Jason's plate once he eases down beside him. "That much sugar's not good for you."

The same can probably be said for their friendship, but there's only so many times he can apologize before the point becomes moot.

[prodigaljaybird]

"Hasn't hurt me yet," Jason grunts around a mouthful of pie, but he leans over and grabs a forkful of thigh, dragging it onto his plate. He's discovered it actually tastes pretty good when he smears cranberry sauce on it.

Chewing, Jason looks Bucky's plate over and snorts, somehow without choking. "I'll eat more meat if you eat at least some sugar, man."

[onlyapassenger]

"I'm saving the pie for later," says Bucky with a roll of his eyes, but for the sake of fairness, he reaches across the table to push a piece of pie into his plate, barely missing the gravy he's got piled on for the potatoes.

"And God knows how many cavities you've gotten hidden in that mouth of yours."

[the_wasp]

"Sorry," Jan says once she settles into the seat beside the quiet young man. "Complete stranger sits down next to you at one of these things, I'm sure you immediately think, 'Oh God, she's gonna kill me with awkward small talk!' But you've got the quiet corner over here and these boots aren't made for walking. You mind if I chill here for a few minutes?"

[prodigaljaybird]

Jason stares, looking as winded as she should after that much talking between breaths. It might actually be more than even Lux could manage. "It's not my house," he says after a long swallow, then forks in more pie. "You can sit wherever."

[the_wasp]

"How very generous of you," Jan replies with a smirk.

"You look like you like the pie," she remarks, moving to unzip her shoes and try to give her feet a little break. "Did you try the cookies? I made those. But you can be honest with me if you didn't like them. I can take it."

[halfscarlet]

Billy hasn't really left Teddy's side much, but once he catches Teddy talking to Wasp with the same look Billy's pretty sure he's sported a few times, he decides to let him have that moment to himself.

Instead, Billy spots Jason and walks over, settling in the seat beside him. "Hey, Happy Thanksgiving."