Work Text:
“No, no, no , Steve, what are you doing ?” Sam groaned, snatching the candle out of Steve’s hand and carefully setting the jar back onto the shelf. It was approximately the fourth gift idea that Sam had nixed and snatched out of his hands. Steve wasn’t really sure where he was going wrong.
“But why?” Steve frowned. “Nat mentioned Sarah likes candles and the earthier scents the better.” Before the serum, Steve wouldn’t have been able to identify all the ‘earthy’ scents but he really thought he had gotten it right this time. Which had been difficult all on its own. He hadn’t realized that he would have to smell so many candles. The combined scents had begun to give him a headache.
Sam squinted his eyes in disbelief and shook his head slowly. “Okay, first off, I really don’t want to know why or how the Black Widow knows that about my sister but you can’t just go bringing her a candle. And you’re sure as hell not bringing my mama some off the shelf bath kit. What the hell, Steve. It’s gotta be a little more personal than that.”
“I’ve only met your sister twice and your Ma once,” Steve argued. “That’s hardly enough time to justify getting them a gift that’s personal.”
“Yeah, but they also know that you’ve got me on your side,” Sam countered.
“But what I give them should come from me, not from conspiring with you.” The Steve frowned, distracted by the handful of things in Sam’s shopping basket. Out of curiosity, he catalogued the various items to see what sort of things he had selected.
Steve winced and pulled a bottle of--rather expensive--brandy from the basket, “Who’s this for?”
“Stark,” Sam said easily. “He’s done more than enough--”
Sam was immediately interrupted by Steve shaking his head firmly in the negative. “No, Tony’s gone sober.”
“Oh,” Sam blinked, staring at the bottle resting in Steve’s hands. “I didn’t realize. Good for him.”
“Yeah, he’s gone a couple of months already,” Steve said absently. “Hasn’t hit his year yet but I don’t think getting him alcohol for Christmas is a good idea.”
“Obviously,” Sam scoffed, taking the bottle back from Steve and putting it into the cart with a mental note to put it back where he found it. “So what do you get a billionaire then?”
“Oh, Tony’s surprisingly easy,” Steve grinned. “He’s got a ridiculous sweet tooth that he’ll never actually admit to. Clint has a thing for games. Board games, card games, video games. Doesn’t matter, just be prepared to be roped into playing whatever it is with him afterwards. Nat’s a foodie. I think last year I ended up getting gift certificates for a nice Thai place. JARVIS and Ms. Potts helped me find a good one.”
Sam nodded thoughtfully, obviously trying to commit each of the Avengers’ tastes to memory but he had an odd smirk on his expression and Steve narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What’s that look for?”
“You realize that you just stood there and gave me all the information about your family that I’ve spent all day trying to give you for mine,” Sam pointed out, brow arched somewhat accusingly.
Oh. Well, when he put it like that, Steve supposed it did seem kind of silly. But it was different, wasn’t it? The team, as much as Steve cared for all of them, weren’t actually family, were they? Steve didn’t have family anymore. And, he could admit that he was nearly desperate to make a good impression with the Wilsons. Steve stumbled over the words, attempting to accurately explain his thought process. His ramblings were cut off when Sam rested a hand on his forearm, halting the onslaught of words.
“Steve, breathe,” Sam said gently but with a small smile. “My folks will like you, they already do, so don’t stress it. And ,” he continued with another one of his pointed looks, “those people are your family, Steve. Maybe not by blood but all of you lean on each other like you wouldn’t anyone else. That’s what a family does.”
Steve nodded slowly, his perception of the things in his life shifting slightly. Clint’s surprised expression when he found Natasha asleep with her head on Steve’s shoulder. The scarcely ending banter and teasing between he and Tony. Taking the time to learn sign language to better communicate with Clint on bad days. Bruce sitting with him and spread of calming teas on the nights when the ice was entirely too close to the surface. Maybe...Maybe Sam had a point. Maybe not in the conventional ways but the team had fallen together.
“Now, are we gonna help each other out with this whole Christmas shopping thing or are you going to leave me to manage on my own,” Sam asked.
Steve gave a small smile, some of the odd weight he hadn’t realized he had been carrying lifting from his mind, and bobbed a nod. “Yeah, okay,” Steve agreed after a moment. “What’s the game plan, then?”
“I’m thinkin’ that we put everything back and start from scratch,” Sam admitted with a wry grin. “Start with yours first since now we both know their guilty pleasures.”
Steve readily agreed and followed Sam through the store, pushing the cart along as they went. Christmas shopping with Sam was an odd feeling. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but odd nonetheless.
Steve could remember the many, many cold Christmases growing up. They never really did have much but his ma did her best to make sure that he had a little bit of something to wake up to Christmas morning. They would attend Mass and then they would meet up with the Barneses. No matter how little their families had, it was always a good day. The first few that he had out of the ice had been awkward and lonely. It had made him miss everything that he had lost more than any other time of the year. The first year had been especially rough.
It didn’t ache as deeply anymore, Steve noted. Between the team-- his family , apparently--and now Sam and his family, he felt a little more settled. A little warmer, as though the people he had managed to surround himself with were able to push back the lingering presence of the cold.
He startled from his thoughts when a warm hand settled on his low back and he swung his gaze up to meet Sam’s. Steve offered a small smile at the look of concern, “Just lost in thought.”
“Wanna share with the class?” Sam asked carefully.
“Used to be my favorite time of the year,” Steve smiled wistfully. “Starting to think it might be again.”
Sam’s answering grin was warm and fond. “Good to hear,” he said. “Now come on. We’ve been here an hour already and only succeeded in figuring out what not to get everyone. Gotta step it up or we’ll be here all day.”
“That would be a shame,” Steve responded dryly.
Sam narrowed his eyes playfully, “No time for sass, Rogers. Move it.”
Steve just grinned and obeyed.