Warrior's Heart |Thor|

19. Among Friends

Much to Esme's delight, the gathering of Thor's friends did not stop after the first one at Pepper's place.

The next few times after had the same venue, to which Esme did not mind. She liked the travel, seeing the familiar cabin, greeted by people whom she felt she could call friends.

As the group continued to meet over food and drink, Esme got to bond more with the ladies in attendance. She seemed to get along with them all equally, but she favored Pepper more—mostly because after a few more appearances, Morgan had called her "Aunt Esme". It was not a title Esme thought she would ever get, but she couldn't reject the child's claim.

The group of friends gathered throughout the season. Another gathering was in progress, the next one would happen in winter. The temperatures were moderate, for now. All trees had shed their foliage, ready for the coming cold. The woods around Pepper's cabin were more eerie now, less lively.

It didn't stop the people gathered at the cabin, though. It didn't damper their spirits in the slightest.

Despite the weather being a little too cool, the men had once again gathered around on the porch making idle chatter. The ladies kept inside, watching as the children played before them. Though Pepper offered wine, only Wanda and Esme had a glass.

The routine felt comfortable: the men and women did their own thing. More often than not, the men's obnoxious, joyful laughter travelled through the cabin walls to the ladies' ears. Nobody would go home until the wee hours of the follow morning.

This time felt no different, not until Pepper offered up a suggestion.

"As much as I love hosting these, we need a change of venue," she said nonchalantly.

Esme perked up. "We can host it!"

"Whoa, don't even let us get the chance to offer up our places," Laura said with a laugh.

"What if we do like a mini Christmas party?" asked Wanda.

Esme was familiar with the concept but hadn't really celebrated. How much fun could it be to celebrate by yourself?

"We can do finger foods and such," the strawberry blonde continued. "Maybe come up with a few games so we're not all just sitting here talking."

"Your idea, you set up the games," said Laura.

"Fair enough. Now comes another, bigger question: should we have Christmas together?"

The women looked at one another in silence. To Esme, the idea seemed like a no brainer. It'd be her first Earth holiday she'd truly spend with someone, with others.

"If you asked the kids, they'd say yeah," said Pepper. "But only because they'd want to milk presents out of everybody."

"They can't be that selfish," said Esme.

"When it comes to presents, sure. Do you not remember being that way when you were younger?"

Esme glanced down at her hands. "We didn't celebrate Earth holidays on Asgard. I mean, I got presents on my birthday. Since I've been here, I've never really celebrated the holidays." Because I had no one to spend them with.

"That's changing this year," Wanda said adamantly. "Let's do it. Let's get together for Christmas, all of us."

"I still want to do the small party," Esme insisted.

"Sure, have at it. I'm sure Thor will be more than happy to help out. So," Wanda looked to Laura and Pepper, "who wants to host Christmas?"

"Well, wait a minute, we're just skipping Thanksgiving?" asked Laura.

Esme watched as the ladies spoke about the forthcoming holidays. In the back of her mind she was focused on the mini party she and Thor were to host down the road. She wasn't sure where to start. She had nothing around the house that she could use to get more into the holiday spirit. And being that she held no employment, she wasn't chock-full of currency.

I don't want to snipe everyone's decorations and borrow them for the party. I want this to feel like us.

"Esme?" Wanda snapped fingers in front of the Asgardian's face. "You've got a face that's worrying us."

"What's wrong with my face?"

"You look worried," said Pepper.

"Not worried, just...thinking. Pre-planning."

"Don't make it a huge event, it's supposed to be small."

To an Asgardian, downsizing an event seemed difficult. To Esme's knowledge, she couldn't think of a time where an event on her home realm was scaled down.

When the time came to leave, Esme's mind was still running with ideas of the mini party she and Thor were to host.

"You know more about the holiday than I, any ideas?" she asked the God of Thunder casually as he drove the two home.

"A date hasn't even been set for it yet."

"I know." Esme looked out the window into the night. "I just want it to go okay."

"It will. Give it some time and we can go from there."

"Human culture is weird, Thor."

He chuckled. "You're gathering that now?"

"To be fair, I wasn't up for learning about the culture when I got here. I was more focused on trying to pick up the pieces that Thanos left us once he slaughtered half our people." Esme chastised herself for letting that ramble go too far. But it was true, her sole focus had been to figure out day-to-day life in New Asgard. She'd wanted to be with her people, not humans in a foreign place where she knew nothing.

"Do you have nightmares, from that day?" Thor asked quietly. They were stopped at a light, waiting for their turn.

"On occasion. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't." Subconsciously, she rubbed the scar. "Of all the things to scare us, and they're bloody, silly nightmares."

"They're by no means silly, Esme. What happened did happen. Those along with our memories haunt us, remind us of that fact. Everyone fears something."

"But we've battled aliens and your psychotic sister and her undead army! You took on Thanos multiple times. There was no fear there."

"Just because someone doesn't look frightened doesn't mean that they aren't."

To Esme, that was a confession. It made Thor no different than anyone else. True, she had never seen him go up against the purple bastard herself. Maybe she was convincing herself that her former fiancé could never turn into someone who feared anything. Certain people had reputations to uphold.

"I believe, rather than fret over the party we're to host, we should figure out what to bring for Thanksgiving," Thor said. "From what you mentioned, it sounds like we'll be spending future holidays with our friends."

Our friends. Not his. Ours. "Pepper decided to offer to host, so I think Laura might be handling Christmas. I'll have to reach out to see what needs to be brought. Let's hope it's something simple and something we don't have to make."

"If you haven't learned to cook in all the years you've been alive, how have you survived?" Thor asked her teasingly, rather dramatically too.

Esme smiled. "I've got my ways."