If You're In, I'm In

A week later was Christmas. I loved Christmas. It was my favorite holiday simply because every year we host Christmas dinner and everyone comes no matter what. I also loved buying gifts for everyone. I spent months trying to find the perfect gift to give each member of the team. I woke up and went downstairs to find Steve, Sam, and Bucky already there.

“Hey, guys. Merry Christmas”. I said.

“Merry Christmas Iris”. Sam came and pulled me into a hug.

“Oh, Sam. why so happy this morning”.

“Because it's Christmas and I got a great sleep last night-”.

“And he has had two glasses of spiked eggnog”. Bucky cut him off.

“Sam! Already. It's 10 in the morning”.

“And”. He said.

I just rolled my eyes. Nat came down shortly after I did and scolded Sam for being tipsy this early in the morning. Wanda and Vision came down together next holding hands and whispering to each other about who knows what. Peter was last followed by Tony and Pepper. Bruce somehow just showed up in the living room ready to get the day moving.

“I never sleep in this late”. Peter sat next to me on the floor next to the Christmas tree.

“It's ok. You are going to need to get all the sleep you can before the urchin comes”.

“Stop calling him the urchin. He's much cuter than that”.

“Fine. I will call him spider urchin cause he's half you so that means he can be called something half cute”.

“Deal”.

“What are you two whispering about down there”. Tony interjected.

“Nothing. Just making sure we didn't get anyone the same thing”.

The gift-giving commenced. Sam and Bucky went in on the Susan Alexandria bag I had been wanting. Her store was here in the city and every time we passed I commented on it. Bruce got me a set of art prints. Nat got me a mushroom taser since I constantly complained about the clunky black one she made me carry and a pair of earrings. Steve, who isn't the greatest gift giver, actually did a pretty good job and got me a pair of green platform converse. Wanda, as per usual, read my mind and got me a record player with a bunch of records from the antique store we always went to together. Tony and Pepper gave me a coupon to see any Broadway show I wanted. It was most definitely Pepper's idea. Finally, I got Peter's gift.

It was a small box wrapped in Star Wars wrapping paper and topped with a white bow. I ripped open the paper to reveal a beautiful silver necklace with two flowers engraved on the front and the words “If you're in I'm in” engraved on the back.

“The one flower is a chrysanthemum for the day you said ok and then the rose is for June since that's when he's due”. He whispered to me.

I teared up a bit and I pulled him into a hug, “This is really beautiful Peter. Thank you”. I whispered back.

“Do you want me to put it on?”.

“Yes please”. I swept my hair away from my neck as he clipped it around my neck.

“I haven't opened your gift yet”. He said picking up my gift.

“It's not as good as this”.

“I'll love it no matter what”, He ripped the paper and gasped, “No way the complete star wars archive books. I've been so excited to read these”. He flipped them over reading the backs.

“Do you really like them?”. I asked.

“I love them, Iris. Thank you”. He pulled me into a hug this time.

We sat around for a few hours watching Christmas movies before we realized we should probably get ready for dinner tonight. I was making chocolate crinkle cookies. Baking was something I enjoyed. It was my late at night and I can't sleep activity.

Our guests started arriving around five. Those guests included Happy, Clint, Laura, and the kids, Scott, Hope, and Cassie. Dr. Strange and Christine usually came as well but Steven had some weird time stone crisis or something like that. Dinner went on beautifully as usual. The light banter and joking never seemed to stop.

I loved having a family. Being born to be used as a lab experiment doesn't really lend itself to a sense of security and love. My dad was always there for me and he didn't know that my mom was using me for her own selfish reasons. I missed him. Especially on days like these. Like most people who have lost someone in their life I will always wish we got more time.

About halfway through the festivities, Tony stood like he was prepared to make a toast.

“It's nice when we can all get together and celebrate as a team and as a family. I love giving away free food and shelter every year-”.

“Tony”. Pepper scolded.

“Sorry. Anyway, Pep and I have something we would like to tell all of you. We have bought a home upstate and we will be splitting our time from here at the penthouse and up there in hopes to make that our permanent home one day”.

I was shocked, to be honest. I never thought Tony would leave this place.
“So you've finally decided to subtle down huh Stark”. Clint smirked.

“I'm starting to but don't think that means that any of you have gotten rid of me. You will never get rid of me. Even after I'm gone I will haunt you”. Tony nodded and sat down seemingly finished with his speech.

“So what's going to happen with the tower?”. Steve asked.

“It will still be operational. I just won't be here all the time. What you worried I'm gonna kick you out. I could never do that to you, Capsicle. Maybe to the sparrow over there but not you”. Tony joked.

“Hey, watch it, Stark. I'm the falcon”. Sam finger gunned him.

“More like the dodo bird”. I chimed in.

“Shut up chameleon girl”. Sam side-eyed me.

I just rolled my eyes. Dinner finished shortly after that and we moved into the living room to hang out before everyone would have to go home. Peter was playing with the youngest of the Barton children, Nate. He was five. They were building one of Peter's old lego sets. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. I started to daydream about the future. Getting sent videos of him taking his first steps, picking him up from school when Peter couldn't, watching his first baseball game, or going to his first piano recital, or his first science fair. I imagined Peter kissing the cut on his knee to make it feel better and making him take a cheesy first day of school photos. He was going to be such a good dad.

My heart panged when I remembered that I would only be a small part of all of this. It was my choice. I know that. As weird as it may sound I was happy to watch it all happen. We have both lived more life than most at our age and something that I was so scared of at the time has turned into a good thing for both of us in two completely different ways. What I'm trying to say is we needed a win and I think this was it. It's funny how life works out like that.

Wanda smiled at me from across the room and I told her to get out of my thoughts and she just rolled her eyes, smile still intact. My attention went back to Peter and Nate. The latter of the two had fallen asleep and Peter was carrying him to an empty portion of the couch. He grabbed a blanket and tucked the boy in.

“Thank you Peter for playing with him”. Laura smiled at him.

“It was no problem, Mrs. Barton”.

“Oh please, I've told you to call me Laura a billion times”.

He smiled before plopping down next to me. “You know you aren't doing a great job of keeping our secret over here”. He pointed down to my stomach and sure enough, my hand was resting on my bump.

“Damn. Hopefully people just think I was full or something”. I whispered. He laughed.

“You guys have been whispering all day. What's going on with you two?”. Nat squinted at us.

“What we can't talk to each other Natasha”.

“I'm not saying that I'm just saying you guys have been weirder than normal today”.

“Or are you being weirder than normal so subsequently everything else is weird to you”? Peter crossed his arms.

“I think that that is a plausible explanation”. Scott piped up.

“Oh shut up Scott”. Nat cracked a small smile.

“What about the necklace you got shifty over here underoos. That was a very nice gift”. Tony is always meddling.

Peter blushed slightly, “That's exactly what it is, a nice gift. Nothing else”.

“Sure it is”. Sam squinted at him before the conversation shifted somewhere else.

Before we knew it the night was over and everyone went home. I stole Peter for just a moment because I got him a gift that I didn't want anyone else to see.

“It's not anything special but I saw it and I knew I wanted to get it for you”, He opened it and smiled. It was a baby book, “You can put in all the information during the pregnancy and then the day he's born and all the important milestones, and then there is even a page where you can write a letter to the baby”.

“This is really nice Iris. Thank you”. He pulled me into a hug. This one was different from this morning. It was tender and soft. We melted into it for what seemed like forever.
“Merry Christmas Peter”. I whispered in his ear.
“Merry Christmas Iris”.