Warrior's Heart |Thor|

15. The Gathering

Esme had not expected a big turnout, so she wasn't disappointed when there wasn't a full house.

As the guests entered, Thor had to introduce Esme—or reintroduce her depending on who came through the door. The last time she had seen Bruce Banner, he was either a normal human being or a raging green monster. Now the Bruce Banner she saw was somewhere in the middle of both. It was startling at first.

She had briefly met Clint Barton after the stint Loki pulled in New York. He brought his wife and three kids. Esme was also introduced to two people she had never met before, one Sam Wilson and one Bucky Barnes. The two, she felt, had a married couple vibe with how they picked at each other.

When Esme met Wanda Maximoff, something about that girl she liked right off the bat. Thor did nothing but praise the young girl, whose cheeks blushed bright when she was complimented.

Though this was all that showed up, Esme knew there were faces that weren't going to show. She would have liked to have met Natasha and Tony again, more so to see how much having a family had changed Tony. She'd also noticed that Steve Rogers wasn't in attendance.

Esme and Wanda helped Pepper set the table for dinner. The kids were off playing or listening to the adults talk.

"Nice turnout," Esme commented as she set plates all around. Wanda was behind with napkins and cutlery.

"I'm glad this was suggested," said Pepper. "Everyone kind of went their separate ways after..."

"If Thor ever tells you it was his idea, I convinced him to do this."

"How has he been?"

"He definitely looks better," commented Wanda.

"I want to say he's better, but...it's a day-to-day basis," Esme admitted. "Some days are great, others aren't. He's had a lot of loss in his life, and it's not easy to be burdened with that knowledge every day."

"He seems to be doing okay," said Pepper. "I'm guessing you're a big part of it."

"You could say that."

"Way to keep it ominous, now I want to know the backstory," Wanda teased lightly.

"To keep it short, I knew Thor back when we were children. Due to his royal status, I was forgotten about. Lo and behold, when Loki became a pest to Earth, he wanted my help. It seems that no matter how much time passes, we somehow find our way into each other's lives again."

"Are you two involved?"

Esme paused. "That's difficult to answer. It's complicated."

"How cliché of you to say."

"It is true, though." Esme finished setting the last of the plates. She went to collect glasses to put around the table next while Wanda finished up with the napkins and cutlery.

"You don't need to talk about it if it bothers you, Esme," said Pepper thoughtfully.

"Maybe if you break out some wine and we break off from the men, perhaps I may tell you then."

"Hold her to that," said Wanda.

Once everything was set, everyone took their places around the table. Esme mostly listened to conversation amongst the group. Though everyone met her briefly, she still felt like an outsider.

"Say, Esme, you got any special power?" This question came from Sam Wilson. He was an attractive black man with a lean build, but there was an underlying fierceness Esme could pick up on.

Esme snapped out of her quiet state. "Aside from keeping this one in check?" She nudged Thor beside her. "Aside from being strong due to my Asgardian blood? No, by Asgardian means, I'm pretty ordinary." While she was not fond of lying, she did not trust these people enough to let them in on her little secret. Thor as of now only had that privilege.

"Thor's been telling us how kickass you are."

"Oh really now?" She cast a side-glance at her former flame. "Does any of that include the times I've kicked his ass?"

There was a collective "oooh!" from some of the men at the table. Thor's cheeks went bright red.

"Only in training, never in a serious battle," Thor stammered.

"Hey, I'm not knocking any woman who wants to become so badass." Sam leaned back in his chair. "I know a lot of ladies like that. Those two are." He nodded to Pepper and Wanda. The two women ate quietly, while Morgan looked at her mother in awe. "You guys should form a team!"

"Is that really necessary?" Wanda asked incredulously. "Most things that happen now police can handle. We're not assembling an all-female team to handle robberies or hit-and-runs. That's too small-scale." She looked to Esme. "But you should meet the rest of them sometime, we banded together in the final fight against Thanos."

At this, the table fell a little still. Thor looked down at his plate. Bucky ate his food, also staring at his plate. Bruce messed with his silverware. Nobody could look each other in the eye. It was an unspoken thing to all of them, except Morgan and Esme, who took no part in it.

"You did invite Carol, didn't you?" Wanda asked Pepper.

"Tried to contact her, never got an answer. She's probably off planet, too busy protecting the rest of the galaxy. She's starting to become a workaholic if you ask me."

"Who's Carol?" asked Esme.

"To put it simply: another badass lady." Wanda smiled. "I think you'd like her. Maybe when she gets some free-time, she'll drop by. She's got some amazing, serious power."

"Like you?"

"I don't think our abilities can be compared. Mine is more about the mind, hers are on a more cosmic level."

"If it makes you feel any better, Esme, I don't have any special gifts either," Pepper chimed in.

"Some of us just have natural talent," said Clint.

"Or some serious tech."

Esme's comfort level rose the more she became engaged in conversation. Under the table, she was very well aware of Thor's fingers looping through hers, offering a comforting squeeze every so often.