Chapter Seven
“Come on, come on, come on!” You bounced around the kitchen like it was Christmas morning, chai tea latte in hand as your family pulled on their flannels and denim jackets.
Everyone laughed as you all piled into the big-ass, 15 person Avengers van. Why did you have an Avengers van? Because you guys were a family and that’s how car trips happen, boys and girls.
Finally, you arrived at the pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful, backwater, family run business; none of that agri-tainment capitalistic business here! As you climbed out, Wanda adjusted the beanie on your head and kissed your nose, you scrunching your face up in happiness. You slipped your hand into hers, then pulling it into the pocket of your red wool coat.
And so, the Avengers entered the pumpkin patch.
Mass chaos ensued.
It wasn’t busy at the patch; there were no hoards of screaming fans or anything. But have you ever tried to take a team of super-humans and alien gods to a pumpkin patch?
It was the best, really. Thor and Loki kept loudly proclaiming their joy, pointing out almost every pumpkin in sight. You had filled them in on Midgardian Samhain customs and they responded with the unbridled enthusiasm only gods could possess. It was adorable.
What else was adorable was watching Nat and Bruce, two people who never really got to celebrate anything as a child. They were hesitant but bore soft smiles as they knelt down in the pumpkins, looking around for the perfect pumpkins.
Tony and Pepper pushed Morgan in the red crate pumpkin cart for the time being, until it started being loaded up. Unfortunately, that time came pretty soon.
Sam, Steve, and Bucky were holding a competition for who could find and carry the biggest pumpkins. You laughed at their antics before looking for pumpkins yourself with Wanda. You each picked a medium to large one to carve but your favorite pumpkins were nowhere to be seen yet.
Once the cart was loaded with a ridiculous amount of pumpkins, you all moved on to the stand by the side of the patch. You squealed in joy; there were baby pumpkins!
You ran over, tugging Wanda along with you as you ran your other hand over the piles of baby pumpkins. There were super tiny ones and misshapen ones, in every shade from green to orange. While you obsessed over their adorable-ness, Wanda left with some of the boys to buy hot cider. She returned with two steaming mugs as you struggled to pile fifteen baby pumpkins into the already overstuffed cart.
As Tony dragged Thor and Steve off to help him pay for and load up the pumpkins, you sat down on some hay bales in front of Wanda, leaning back on her lap as Loki and Bucky sat on either side of you. Morgan quickly ran over and jumped on your lap, sticking her cold hands against your neck.
You all smiled, breathing in the fall air with each other`s warmth at your sides. You squeezed Wanda`s hand.
“I`m going to go check out that booth, see if I can get candles for Samhain or anything.” Sliding Morgan off your lap, you stood. Wanda nodded, taking Morgan. You basically lived in the same room anymore so you would just get one set for you both. Loki trailed after you as you entered the small shop.
“So are you Wiccan, then?” he asked as you walked around the shop, passing the scented candles for the plain taper candles. You sighed.
“Its complicated. I`m not really anything right now. Growing up Catholic, everything was taught to us. We didn’t make any decisions on our own. To be drawn to a religion or spirituality that is entirely self driven and interpreted is really hard for me to wrap my head around. I want someone to just be like, okay, here, this is what you should believe, this is what you should practice, but it doesn’t work like that. I have to figure it out for myself and that’s pretty slow going, considering that I`ve never been able to decide things on my own before. But I`m trying so I guess that’s all I can do.”
He nodded, before turning his attention back to the candles. The two of you picked out four white taper candles just because, and four pillar candles in orange, black, silver, and gold. You also selected some patchouli incense and dried rosemary. As you paid, Loki slid a small, hammered silver necklace with an etched pentagram on it across the counter. You looked up at him and smiled. As the cashier bagged your purchases, he clasped it around your neck. You took a deep breath. It was time for a new beginning.