Between Friends

Nearly a week later, you were all moved in with the guys and started unpacking. You had turned in your notice on Monday and started packing up immediately. You did most of it by yourself since the guys had to work during the days. In the evenings, they would bring dinner, come help with some of the packing and take whatever they could in their cars to the house. You did the same. Your friend, Natasha, who you also met that night bowling when you met the guys, came to help you on one of her days off during the week. You drank a lot of coffee and talked probably more than you packed, but it was so nice to have her around during the transition. The move all went pretty fast though, you didn't own a lot of stuff; you really couldn't since your apartment was damn near the size of a shoe box. You took your living room furniture, tiny kitchen table and 2 chairs into a storage unit with a rented trailer, both of which Chris paid for. The guys definitely had to help with that; no way you were getting that huge stuff down the stairs alone or with Natasha. It was a good thing you didn't have much since you were only getting a bedroom for yourself at the house.

Chris moved his office out of the second bedroom upstairs and into the sunroom at the back of the house, just past the kitchen. If you entered the kitchen from the front of the house, Chris's room and what was now your room was on the left with a separate bathroom between the two. The stairs leading down to the family room, Sebastian's room, another bathroom and the laundry room were in the far right corner of the kitchen.

Early in the week, you had already started clucking about finding a job while moving. Chris had told you to stop overwhelming yourself and just focus on the move that week. His reassurance was what you had needed in order to give yourself permission to handle everything at a comfortable pace.

Come Saturday morning, you woke up to the sound of the shower turning on on the other side of the wall. 'Chris is up.', you thought to yourself in a groggy haze. You looked at your phone of the bedside table; 7:35. "What the crap is he doing up so early?", you grumbled to yourself as you sat yourself up in a very sleepy manner, scratching your head and then swirling your hair against you head with your hand a bit.

It was then that you had noticed you were still fully dressed, sans shoes, which were on the floor next to your bed; a blanket had covered you as you slept on your made bed. Then you remembered how you ended up that way.

You all had some friends over last night as a kind of "Welcome Home" party for you moving in. Tony and Pepper came, Thor and Jane, Natasha and Bruce, Clint and Laura, Maria came, and Sam showed as well. There were snacks and beers; lots of beers. And later, some people did shots while hanging out in the kitchen.

You were among those shot takers, so was Seb; he'd probably be out for a while this morning as you had only had one, but he more than that... A few more, but you weren't exactly sure how many. You were too busy giggling and being sweet to everyone to notice. He kept wanting to give you piggy back rides everywhere you went in the house and yard and wouldn't stop telling you how pretty you are. You told him he was pretty too and gave him an eskimo kiss while giggling. (You giggled a lot that night.) Of course, that made him laugh and he hugged you up into his arms.

"Oh!", you cried. "Seb! I gotta pee!"

Your feet were dangling as he spun around and started toward the bathroom, "Pee-Pee Dolly coming through!", he announced loudly, weaving around a few people as they all laughed. He really did find a satisfying amusement in treating you like an actual doll, reminding you just how small you were and how he towered over you. You suspected he did it as a protective gesture also. He set you down in the bathroom and gave you wink as he backed out and shut the door. "I'll wait for you right outside the door, kay?"

The fire had been lit in the back yard a little while after everyone showed up and a bunch of yard chairs sat around it. Thor had fallen asleep in the hammock after only a couple beers; poor guy had worked way too many hours during the week.

You fondly remembered that at some point during the evening, when Chris noticed you had drank enough to start walking a bit like a newborn baby giraffe, he pulled you onto his lap while he sat around the fire. Everyone else was sitting around the fire too. Well, most everyone, less Thor since he was snoring in the hammock still and Bruce and Tony had been inside talking about jiggawatts or something while Pepper watched them. Occasionally, she looked off into space like she was having an internal dialogue.

"C'mere, hon." Chris grunted a little as he sat up in his chair and gently grabbed your waist with both hands and pulled you down when you passed in front of him and wobbled a bit. You squeaked and plopped down on his lap hard and he let out an 'oof'. You weren't heavy, but your muscles had had no interest in slowing the momentum of your descent.

"Oh my God!", you exclaimed as Chris slid an arm under your knees and swung your legs to one side, over the arm of the chair, then he sat back again. "Did you see that?! I almost died!"

Everyone laughed in a dull roar.

Chris chuckled, "No, sweetie, you didn't almost die. You are getting a little tipsy though. I think you need to sit down and take a break."

Feeling a bit drowsy, you didn't argue. Chris wrapped his arms around you and you rested your head on his chest. "You saved me from dying. You're my hero.", you mumbled and closed your eyes.

Chris huffed out a breath of a silent laugh and kissed your head. "Just rest for a bit.", he whispered.

Sebastian watched the two of you and a hint of a smile found its way to his face and then someone in the circle caught his attention when they spoke.

Chris entered the conversation with everyone again as he gently rubbed small circles on your arm with his fingertips while his other hand held his beer again and helped him talk, waving all over the place, gesturing.

Even through the noise of everyone laughing and talking around you, the warmth from the fire and Chris, along with the scent of beer and his usual cologne, made you feel relaxed and secure. The rumble of his voice through his chest and his steady heartbeat quickly lulled you into a sleep that couldn't be fought off.

"Aww.", Jane cooed, "She's asleep."

"So's your lumberjack over there.", Sam jabbed a thumb in the direction behind him. "Sawing logs like he's building a city of cabins."

By now, Thor's head and one of his legs was hanging off the hammock.

"Well, I guess I should get him home.", sighed Jane. "God I hope I can wake him up. There's no way I can carry or even drag him to the car and into the house."

It was a little hard to recall, but you vaguely remember Chris carrying you from his chair to your bed and him pulling off your shoes.

He pulled the blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed over you and sat on the bed next to you and stroked your hair twice, "How ya doin', sweetheart?"

"I'm good, Hero."

He chuckled and got up, grabbing the trash can from next to you desk and set it next to your bed. "I'm putting this trash can by your bed in case you need to hork, okay?"

You gave a thumbs up, eyes closed.

He leaned over and placed a hand lightly against the side of your head and kissed your forehead as you heard another pair of feet come into the room, "G'nite, hon, see you in the morning.", Chris said softly.

Sebastian kneeled down next to your bed and put his head on your shoulder, placing a hand on your arm, "I think you over did it, babe. I'm watching you like a hawk next time."

"No, you.", was all you said, to imply he over did it, not you. He laughed as you turned your head towards him and your lips found his forehead and gave it a loud smack.

"Goodnight, Dolly.", he murmered, referencing his earlier shenannigans and he stood.

They both started out of room and you mumbled, "Nite, Sebby. Nite, Chris."

"G'nite, sweetie.", Chris said as he turned out the light and closed the door.