Pepper eventually managed to drag us out of the cold air, saying we were all going to get a cold otherwise and she made it very clear that she didn't want to have to look after us when we were sick.

When we were all ushered back into the heated compound, Pepper began to pull roast potatoes and a roast lamb out of the oven that I hadn't even noticed her ducking off to do it all. Tony put Christmas music on again and we all sat around the table chatting. When everyone was finished eating, they all pitched in to help clean it up before Tony ushered us all back out into the snow.

Everyone hovered around in groups as Steve and Bucky disappeared to the garage, reappearing a couple of minutes later carrying multiple wooden things on their shoulders and dragging them on the snow behind them.

"Pair up everyone." Tony called out as Bucky and Steve dumped them in a pile.

I stood there, my eyes darting around and looking at everyone as they began to pair up, leaving me to stand around awkwardly.

"Have you ever been on a sled before?" Asked a voice and I jumped, spinning around to see Loki standing next to me, his arms folded as he looked down at me.

"No." I admitted, briefly looking back at the wooden things again that must have been sleds. "How do they work?"

"Come on, you can watch." His lips twitched in the ghost of a grin and he turn his head back ahead as I noticed everyone walking through the snow in the direction of a hill just on the edge of the tree line.

We slowly began to trek after them, the snow crunching under our boots. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, sending a little bit of my fire through my veins to give me a shot of warmth as my breath came out in swirling clouds. I found it easier to step in the tracks of someone else's boots and soon, Loki and I were standing at the side of the group as everyone stood at the edge with their wooden sleds.

I watched curiously as Nat and Steve walked to the very edge, laying their individual sleds down in the ground before laying down on them and pushing off the edge, sliding straight down at a very fast speed, not helped by the steepness of the hill. I gasped and hurried closer to the edge, my heart pounding in my chest as I watched them go down, relaxing a little bit where their cheers and yells faded away as they disappeared down the hill.

"Isn't it dangerous?" I asked nervously, looking back at Loki, who was watching me.

"Not at all." Loki chuckled. "They all choose to lay on their front, which is the most dangerous, but you don't have to. Come on, I'll grab some."

I followed after him hesitantly, my feet crunching in the snow as Bucky handed us the spare sleds he had hauled up the hill, glaring at Loki the whole time. I slowly took the sled Loki held out of me, swallowing nervously as I watched Wanda and Vision lay down on their sleds. They counted down from three before pushing off and sliding down at quite a speed. I watched them nervously as the hill began to level out and they slowed down, their laughs heard all the way from the top of the hill.

"Come on." Loki urged me, gently putting a hand on my back and nudging me forward. "Remember, you don't have to face it head on, you can just sit on it."

"No." I shook my head as I hesitantly followed him to the edge of the hill, trying to psych myself up as we put down our sleds. "I want to go headfirst."

I just didn't want to look stupid being the only one sitting up on the sled. It honestly seemed pathetic that I was this scared of something, I had done much worse and terrifying stuff, put for some reason, I couldn't bear the thought of sliding down a steep hill head first towards snow.

"Ready?" Loki asked, pulling me from my thoughts as we slowly lay down on the sleds.

I looked over at him nervously, taking a deep breath and nodded. He nodded in encouragement and counted down from three. When he reached one, he pushed off from the hill, leaving me with no choice but to follow. We went sliding down through the snow and I clung on desperately as the snow flew under me at a terrifying speed.

Suddenly, the front of my sled hit a rock or something buried under the ground and I went flying over the front of it, plunging head first into the snow. The cold nipped at my cheeks as I lay there, stunned for a moment, trying to get my bearings.

"Emily!" Fast footsteps crunched through the snow nearby as I slowly sat up, brushing snow off my face as I winced slightly. "Emily, are you okay?" I looked up and found Loki kneeling down in the snow next to me, grabbing my shoulders as his eyes darted over my face.

I fought the instinct to pull out of his grip, instead reaching up and fixing up my beanie as I brushed snow out of my hair.

"I thought you said it wasn't dangerous." I murmured, slowly standing up as he rose beside me.

"You just tripped up on a stone." He smiled, seeming relieved that I was uninjured. "It was bad luck. Come on, we'll try again."

He held out a hand to me and I reluctantly took it, letting him teleport us back to the top of the hill, holding both of our sleds. I slipped a little in the snow, but he quickly steadied me before I could fall over.

"You okay Emily?" Bruce's voice spoke from just in front of us. "That was quite the tumble."

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled weakly, nodding as I took the rope for my sled from Loki.

Bruce nodded and turned back to talking to Vision. Loki and I waited at the back of the group, letting all of the others go first before we moved forward. Laura went down with the three kids, including Nathaniel, the weight of them all making it slow enough that it was safe.

"Are you all good to go again?" Loki spoke up from next to me and I nodded, somewhat hesitantly, as I slowly followed him to the edge of the hill again.

We put the sleds down and I climbed onto mine, taking a deep breath as I looked over at Loki, pushing off when he gave me a small nod. My stomach dropped as we flew down the hill, the cold hair nipping at my nose and making my eyes watery. I blinked rapidly, trying to make sure that I didn't trip up on another rock.

Suddenly, the sled over balanced and I swung off track, sending me flying over the edge and straight into Loki, who was just next to me. Both of us tumbled off into the snow and I curled myself up, instinct making me protect my head.

"Emily?" Loki's voice spoke cautiously from just behind me. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah." I whispered, my heart pounding hard in my chest as I fought back panic.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, worry clear in his voice as I felt him move behind me.

"No, I don't think so." I shook my head, before I realised that his arms were wrapped around me, holding me close to his body, my back pressed to his chest.

I tried not to panic, stilling up quickly, forcing his hands to slip away from me as the snow crunched underneath us. The warmth from his body disappeared from my back and I hunched over in the snow, taking deep breaths as I brushed snow out of my hair.

"Are you okay?" I just managed to keep the tremble out of my voice as I tried to break the sudden awkwardness I felt.

"I'm fine." He nodded, standing up and holding his hand out for me as he moved to my side. "Are you sure you're okay? Your cheek is a little red."

"Probably just from the snow." I murmured, taking his hand and turning my head away from him before he could think about reaching out to touch it, still a little thrown off from how close he had been holding me.

"Here, you lost this." He held out my beanie to me and I looked up at him, giving him a small smile as I gently took it from his hands.

"Thanks." I put it back on, brushing snow off me, wincing a little at a twinge in my shoulder.

"You're hurt." He didn't miss a single thing, his eyes immediately darting to my shoulder, eyebrows furrowing.

"I'm fine-" I tried to protest but he was already touching my shoulder, his green magic tingling as it instantly healed the strain. I smiled softly. "Thank you."

"It's okay." He gave me a small smile back before holding his hand out to teleport us to the top of the hill.

"Gods Emily, are you okay?" Nat immediately came rushing over to me. "That looked like it hurt."

"I'm better now." I smiled weakly, brushing some more snow off my shoulders. "But I think I might sit out for the rest of it."

"Are you sure?" Loki kept standing next to me and I looked up at him. "I can make it slower if you want."

"No, thank you though." I shook my head. "I don't want to do something worse than a strain."

He nodded and Nat took my sled from me, handing it to Bucky who then gave it to Wanda.

"If you're going to take a break," Laura spoke up from where she was holding Nathaniel on her hip. "Do you mind looking after this one? I want to race Clint."

"Of course." I smiled softly, trying to hide the initial panic at handling hi again.

She easily gave him to me and I rested him on my hip like she had, struggling a little with how heavy he was compared to my thin body. I slowly sat down on the snow, not wanting to pull anything or worse, drop him because of how weak I was.

I turned my attention to the others as they slid down the hill, their laughs and cheers and daring more fun than actually sledding myself. I was so distracted by them that I didn't notice Nathaniel scooping up snow in his tiny gloved hands until he pressed it onto my cheek. I jumped at the cold shock and immediately looked down at him, blinking in surprise, only to smile softly as he broke out into a fit of giggles.