Keep The Home Fires Burning
Maria's eyes were as wide as two gold saucers. "Wow, that really happened? And in the grocery store, too?"
"Yes. I always had a suspicion that Peter loved Steve like a father, but hearing it from his lips was the final confirmation. I think it's wonderful, though. Don't you?" Wanda smiled at Maria as she browned meat in a pot on the stovetop.
"Of course. That's amazing. I remember how I used to say that Peter saw Steve as an uncle more than a father figure. I was far off base."
Both women looked over at Peter, who was currently on Vision's back as they put up the Happy Birthday, Natasha! banner over the entrance to the living room. How he'd grown in the five years they'd known him. That growth was definitely attributed to Natasha, but Steve was another important factor as well.
But first, it began with the adoption.
Natasha adopted Peter when he was eleven years old. His parents had died when he was a toddler which was why his Aunt May and Uncle Ben became his legal guardians. Unfortunately, when Peter was eleven years old, they were both killed in a car accident and that had left him without any family at all.
Luckily, Natasha had been friends with Peter's aunt and when she heard about his situation, she chose to get involved. At first, she thought it would be best if she were just his foster mother for a while, then give him up to a pair of adoptive parents.
That idea didn't last long, though, and that was mostly due to Steve. He told Natasha that it wouldn't be fair for her to only have Peter around as a foster kid since he wouldn't be staying with her long. It was a hard thing to get close to a child, only to give them up to someone else.
While the redhead tried to argue that she didn't have the time to devote to Peter as a full-fledged adoptive parent because of her job, Steve reminded her that the Avengers Tower was full of caring people who could take turns looking after him if she ever needed to be away on a lengthy mission.
There was hardly, if ever, a situation where every single one of the Avengers had to be out fighting. And on the rare occasion that there was, Pepper and Maria could manage to drop by and make sure Peter was doing okay - they actually went to Natasha and confirmed this for her as a way of giving her more incentive.
To be honest, everyone knew that her claims of keeping Peter as a foster child were pretty half-hearted. He just had a way of warming his way into your heart and staying there for good. Natasha already adored the boy after a mere two weeks of his arrival.
So, later that year, she formally adopted Peter. Of course, there was some concern from the courts about Natasha's past about her being an unfit mother, but Tony Stark's lawyers took care of everything. They also got testimonies and statements from all of the Avengers - even Vision, who was surprisingly vocal in his support of Natasha's abilities as a parent - and people they knew who they could trust.
The media managed to get wind of it, which was a mild annoyance because when does the media ever report anything that isn't the least bit exaggerated and sensationalist? Everyone had an opinion about the Black Widow having a child, but none of them understood the situation.
It wasn't the Black Widow who chose to adopt Peter, but Natasha Romanoff. She was not the same woman she'd been when she was with the KGB or even when she first joined SHIELD. She had truly changed for the better.
"What are you girls talking about?" Sam came over and kissed Maria on the temple.
His girlfriend smiled at him as she added spices to the pot of marinara sauce she was heating. "Wanda was telling me how Peter confessed that he looks at Steve as a father figure."
"No kidding?" Sam smiled and began to nod. "Yeah, that makes sense and it's fitting, too. I never said anything out loud, but I kind of always thought of them as a unit, you know? Steve, Natasha and Peter. They really fit together."
Maria shook her head ruefully. "I feel so silly. All this time, I thought Steve and Peter had a more uncle-nephew relationship, but I was way off base."
Bucky patted Maria shoulder. "That's nothing to feel bad about. Remember, you don't live here like the rest of us do, so you haven't seen all the little things that we have on a daily basis."
"Like what, for instance?"
"Well...two years ago, Wanda and I were having a picnic in our room, but I forgot the wine. So I went to the kitchen to get it and I saw Peter and Steve, sitting on the stools at the island."
"What were they doing?"
"Studying."
"Oh, my God!" Wanda exclaimed in surprise. "Are you serious??"
"Yeah."
"Bucky Barnes!" I can't believe that you never told me about this!" She smacked him on the chest.
"Well, you never asked, so..."
"Okay, okay. It doesn't really matter, now. But what were they studying?"
"History. Which is funny because Steve had missed so many years and important events in US and world history due to being frozen."
Maria snapped her fingers. "Right, but didn't he take some kind of history course for a year to fill in everything he missed?"
"Mmhm. Nat helped him with that as part of the whole century adjustment thing she was doing for him. That's actually one of the reasons why they got so close. Since they were spending a lot of time together, it only made sense that their relationship would improve."
"Who would have thought that Steve learning that course would have such results?" Wanda signed and cupped her face in her hands. "It's almost like something out of a fairy tale."
Bucky opened the refrigerator, looking for a can of beer. Once he found one, he opened it and took a long drink. "I guess you could say that. If Nat had seen Pete and Steve bonding, she'd have gotten misty eyed over it."
"That's true," replied Sam. "The more she's around Steve, the more affectionate she became. He rubbed off on her pretty good."
"Love is a powerful thing," mused Maria as she gently bumped her hip to Sam's. "You know that better than anyone."
"Indeed, I do." A playful glint appeared in his brown eyes.
She ran her finger along the bottom of his lip and grinned at him suggestively. "And since you love me so much, I have something in mind that I'd like you to do."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"You can help me make the lasagna!"
Wanda laughed softly and Bucky snorted.
Sam frowned at his girlfriend. "No fair. You teased me."
"Well, the sooner we get this lasagna ready, the sooner we can have a little fun before Steve and Natasha get here." Maria pressed her lips to Sam's neck and sucked the skin softly.
"Get a room!" Groaned Bucky and he threw a hand towel over their heads.
Maria pulled back from Sam's neck and smirked. "I wouldn't talk, Barnes, seeing as how you and Wanda kept everyone awake with all the noise you made last night."
Bucky just rolled his eyes, but said nothing because she had him there. He looked at Wanda and the sauce she was still stirring. "Is there anything I can do to help speed things up?"
The young brunette raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah. We only have three more hours before they get here and we need to have everything set up when Natasha comes into the kitchen."
"You can help me with the salad."
"Okay. Even though I hate salad, this is going to be a great one. We're doing it together?"
"Mmhm."
"But couldn't you get it done faster without me by using your powers?"
"I could...but I like us doing things as a couple, Bucky. You and I making a salad together is an intimacy that I've never the luxury of experiencing before."
Bucky understood what Wanda meant. Domesticity was what she craved. Sure, they were living in the same quarters and everyone knew that they were dating, but they never did anything remotely close to cooking together.
He didn't know why, either. The thought just never crossed his mind, but it obviously did for her, and he wasn't going to turn his girl down for anything. He liked the idea of doing this with her. It was new territory for him, but since they were together now, why not experience something different?
"Okay, doll. You bake the chicken and season it and I'll cut up the vegetables. How's that sound?"
Wanda's eyes brightened and she stood on her tip toes to kiss him softly. "It sounds perfect."