Upstate New York, USA

Early Winter 2015

The days were counting down and Nina was finding her excitement levels were inching higher every day.

As were her anxiety and nerves, but she was trying very hard to ignore that bit.

The day when she would be moving into her dorm, ready to start classes at MIT was coming ever closer. As her Aunt had implied that Stark had hinted, Nina had passed her exit exams with flying colours and her acceptance into the prestigious school had been secured.

So now it was just a matter of getting ready and waiting. Christmas was coming in just a couple weeks and after that?

University.

Thinking on it nearly had her bouncing with excitement.

Even Pietro was getting drawn into it, her cheerfulness bolstering his admittedly more reserved opinion on the dwindling days she had left at the Compound. Especially given his recent mood following the Avenger's first attempt to put a stop to a mercenary named Crossbones in Sudan. Long story short, it had not gone well, the former HYDRA operative slipping away from Captain Rogers, the Twins, Nat and Sam in no small part thanks to Pietro disregarding one of Steve's orders and deciding to take things into his own hands when he thought the Team wasn't doing enough fast enough.

It obviously hadn't panned out.

"You should have seen Captain Rogers lay into Pietro," Wanda had told Nina later, her voice heavy and grave. "I'm not sure I've ever seen him so angry. Not even during everything with Ultron." That Nina could imagine given what she'd also overheard a couple days after the failed mission.

"You're part of a team, now, Maximoff. You have your job to do just like everyone else and you have to trust that your teammates can do their job just as well as you can. Wanting to make sure the bad guy doesn't get away and wanting to protect your team is understandable," the Captain had been saying just as gravely as Wanda had been telling Nina about the whole thing, his frustration and disappointment clearly evident, "but we need to be working together. We lost out on Rumlow because you thought you knew best and you didn't trust your team. We can't do our job if we don't trust each other. You have to focus on your job, on the mission. If you don't? That's when someone gets killed." And Pietro hadn't taken it as well as he could have, meaning he hadn't taken it well at all. It had taken several days for Nina and Wanda to snap him of his foul mood and get him to understand Steve's point, though the resentment and certainty on his part that he had done the right thing still lingered to some extent.

What definitely didn't help any of them was that after what had happened in Sudan, Crossbones seemed to be getting bolder now that he knew the Avengers were onto him. If he hadn't been on the Avengers' radar before, he certainly would've been now. Which meant there was now an added drive to get ahead of him.

It was certainly never boring around the Compound, that was for sure.

And Nina was going to miss it. All of it. The training. The place itself. Even the tension and anticipation that came from an active mission held an odd sort of appeal.

But especially the people. Nina was especially going to miss seeing the people she had come to care about within the Compound everyday. Pietro, certainly, though that one would be a little easier since he'd promised with a wonderfully roguish light in his eye that he would visit often. She would miss Wanda and the Captain and definitely her Aunt Nat. Sam, Rhodey and Vision. Even Stark's odd sporadic and unannounced visits.

And she would miss her mom. No question there. She was used to being occasionally separated on some level—Nadine had been leaving Nina to look after herself for short spans of time for a couple years, now when she had gone off on missions. But going away to school and her mom popping off on a mission? Those were two very different things. And it left a tremoring bundle of nerves hiding just beneath her breastbone at the thought.

Not to mention her increasing worry for her mom.

While Nina was pretty sure she had gotten through to her mom on some level about staying that first time and the successive times she'd brought it up since, she still wasn't reassured that her mom wasn't still genuinely planning on moving on once Nina was settled off at school. She had Natasha's assurances, of course, that the redheaded spy was working on it too, but there was a restless energy that Nina could just feel around her mom that had her worrying.

And she couldn't help but think that Nadine moving on from the Compound and the Avengers was one of the worst decisions Nadine could make.

Oh, from a practical, even tactical perspective, each and every one of her mom's reasons had made perfect sense. Rationally, Nina even had to admit Nadine might be right that she had lingered too long.

But so far as Nadine's happiness was concerned?

Perhaps Nina hadn't known her mom as well as she once thought she had, but that didn't mean she didn't know Nadine.

And Nina was observant. Nadine had said so herself. Perhaps not so much as others she knew, like Natasha, but she was certainly not blind.

Though, she suspected even a blind person could see what was happening.

Her mom liked Captain Rogers. Like, really liked. And judging by the way Nina had noticed the Captain watching her mom back? His reactions when she and Pietro had been teasing him when he'd caught them in the Common Room the other day?

The way he'd blushed, Nina recalled with a pleased squirm of satisfaction?

He definitely liked Nadine too.

Finding out her mom and Captain Rogers had a similar appreciation for classic big band music? That had been eye-opening, for sure, especially to see them smiling and laughing about it. Seeing them working together to anticipate Crossbones' next move? Observing their lunches after their weekly—and sometimes twice-weekly, now—sparring sessions? There was obviously a connection and a quickly growing sense of comfort with each other that Nina couldn't deny made her own heart flutter on her mom's behalf. There was definitely a chemistry there...on multiple levels. And it made Nina incredibly hopeful.

Heck, when they sparred? It looked like a dance. It was every bit as impressive to watch as when either of them went up against Natasha. But it was somehow different when it was her mom and Steve. More. Almost...intimate.

And when, just the week before, she'd caught a glimpse of the Captain impulsively grabbing Nadine's hand and giving her a little spin during one of their sparring sessions? Nina's heart had nearly thrummed happily right out of her chest. She hadn't been exaggerating to her mom when she'd said Nadine seemed happier around Steve. The look on her mom's face had been one she hadn't truly seen before they had moved into the Compound. Not until she'd started spending time with Steve.

Happy. Truly happy. Nadine had been having fun. And Steve had been smiling, his eyes almost sparkling with laughter as Nadine scolded him despite subtly leading him through a few simple steps, seemingly perfectly content in his arms.

Of course, her mom had then promptly laid him out on his ass, but still. It surprisingly hadn't quite broken the moment to see her kneeling over him as she smirked and he groaned at having let his guard down.

The only real question was if either of them had realized what was happening between them or, perhaps more importantly, if they both realized that the feelings that seemed to be growing between them were reciprocated. In that, Nina suspected the answer was a resounding no.

At least it was in her mom's case. Steve was hard to read in that regard. It seemed like it the other day. But then there were times when he almost seemed to remind himself of something when he caught himself looking at Nadine and the hints on his face that he liked her would disappear. But then, as Nina thought about it...there were brief, fleeting moments when she could almost swear her mom did the same. So maybe they weren't as oblivious to their own feelings as she thought. Each other's, maybe... But one thing she was fairly certain of was that neither one had acted on it.

Which meant that now it was just a matter of getting them to do just that.

Because honestly? Everyone knew. It was going to happen. Wanda had known without even having to read their thoughts. Natasha definitely knew, having asked Nina if she noticed it during one of their earliest 'niece/aunt' bonding dates. She'd probably noticed before Nina had, really. She was fairly sure whenever Clint popped in to visit or they all visited the Barton farm that he saw it as easily as if it was written in neon lights. Laura definitely did. Sam suspected. Pietro had obviously figured it out given how he'd been baiting Steve the other day... She was pretty sure even Vision had some notion, and he was so adorably naïve about human interaction, sometimes.

But surprisingly, Nat had told Nina to back off about the whole issue.

"We've given them everything they need," her aunt had assured her the day before as they'd settled at their table, specialty coffees in hand—delicious coffees, Nina remembered with a grin. "Now they just need to wrap their heads around what we've made them realize and let the rest happen naturally." Nina had groaned, impatient.

"Can't we, you know," she'd said with a vague gesture, "give them a push?" She'd huffed when Natasha had raised a brow at her, prompting her to correct herself. "...more of a push?" Natasha had shaken her head, a fond grin tugging at her lips.

"There's history to be worked around," she'd finally said far more sedately than she'd been so far during the conversation. "You know your mom's got history that's not entirely pleasant with your father that she's still working to come to terms with on top of finding him, and Steve's got hang-ups of his own. You know he periodically goes to visit the woman he was in love with back in the forties, right?"

Nina had only been able to nod solemnly. Pretty much everyone working with the Captain had some idea that he regularly went to visit Peggy Carter in her nursing home, and had been doing so since not long after the Battle of New York. And it was undoubtedly hard on him. Nina might not know the Captain as well as Natasha or even her mom, but she'd definitely been able to see the sad shadow that always seemed to hang over Steve whenever he came back from one of his visits.

Nina had been struck by the thought then that perhaps that was part of why her mom was holding back. On top of her perhaps wanting to get some closure between her and Nina's father after whatever it was that had happened between them first—something Nina could admittedly understand the need for—maybe Nadine didn't want to overstep when Steve was still attached to his old lady-love. And maybe that was why Steve was hanging back too. Could he feel bad about liking someone else? It was so frustrating!

Couldn't Nadine see that Steve was interested in her now?

Didn't he know that it was okay to love someone else after so much time?

Nina just couldn't quite understand it. Just as she still wasn't sure she understood her aunt's insistence that they back off for the time being for all that she had begrudgingly given her word. Surely it was better to...to do something! Obviously neither of them had quite gotten the messages, blunt and otherwise if they weren't doing anything about it.

Right?

Nina huffed now just as she had during her and Nat's coffee date. Why did it have to be so complicated? Couldn't her mom and Steve just get together so her mom could be happy?

Nat's expression had softened at Nina's frustrated huff, and she had reached out to squeeze Nina's hand in reassurance as the twinkle came back to her bright green eyes.

"Don't worry," she'd said slyly. "It'll happen. The push just needs to come from one of them, now. If it were to come from one of us at this point? We risk them just digging in their heels and never admitting they like each other." And grudgingly, Nina had to admit Natasha had a point. That did sound like something her mom would do.

So she had backed off. Nina hadn't said a word to her mom about Steve since her chat with Natasha, difficult as it was to withstand the temptation. It was just so obvious!

She flopped back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.

And there she had hoped something might happen before she went off to school. It would've admittedly made her feel a bit better about leaving her mom. But that was seeming more and more unlikely as the days and weeks passed.

Not to mention she wanted to be there when it happened. Though she was still undecided if there was going to be an 'I told you so' involved when it finally did. Because it was going to happen. She had taken her aunt's reassurance that it would to bolster her own optimism.

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Nina cocked her head up at the sound of Wanda's voice, not quite willing to pull herself all the way upright just yet. Wanda had invited herself in, apparently, and was currently edging her way around Nina's room, shooting the younger blonde a curious, questioning look. Nina wrinkled her nose at her friend before sighing and relaxing back against the comforter. Hmm. She hadn't realized her mental defenses had gone up. It really was becoming quite instinctive to have her powers shielding her mind almost constantly, now. Most of the time she didn't even recognize that she was doing it anymore. Really, it was just so much a part of her now, she barely even thought about the comforting warmth that lived in the centre of her chest or the hazy barrier that safely surrounded her thoughts these days.

"My mom," she answered simply. Wanda made a faint sound of understanding as Nina said it. Nina huffed, forcing herself to turn over so she was lying on her stomach, her chin on her crossed arms as she watched Wanda poke through the jewellery laid out on her dresser; there were a couple new pieces her Aunt had talked her into when they'd been out yesterday, Natasha proving far too enthusiastic an aunt when it came to shopping. For someone who didn't wear much in the way of jewellery—understandable, of course, given Nat's occupation—and stuck to practical clothes, Natasha certainly did like shopping...though Nina suspected that was just as much a case of living vicariously through Nina on that score than anything else. "And Captain Rogers." Wanda's eyes glinted impishly as she spared a glance at Nina.

"You're still not happy Natasha told you to back off, are you." Nina scowled half-heartedly at the brunette.

"Would you be? It's so obvious, Wanda."

Wanda made an assenting sound in response. Nina blew a loose strand of hair back from her face, absently reaching up to tuck it back into her messy bun.

"Have there been any hints that either of them are going to make a move?"

Wanda spared Nina a commiserating look. "Well, she definitely likes him as much as he likes her. I can get that much without even trying. But they're very careful about it, so it's hard to catch why they aren't acting on it. Especially since your Mom's been practicing at guarding her mind against my powers. I think they're both trying hard not to think about it, to be honest." She shot Nina an admonishing look then. "Besides, you know I don't actively look into people's heads. Especially teammates. It's rude."

Nina's nose wrinkled again as she pulled herself up to sit cross-legged on her comforter, reaching over to the pair of shirts laid out on the far corner of her bed. She tossed them to Wanda.

"Nat made me," she said with a wry grin. "And next time, you're coming too. I swear, the woman's favourite past-time is shopping for other people...and meddling with other people, come to think of it." Wanda giggled, examining the tops.

"They're cute," she said, holding up the charcoal one with a subtle paler grey and baby blue geometric pattern overlaying the front panel, "I like this one." She grinned up at Nina, and suddenly the younger girl was feeling wary at the impish light that appeared in her friend's eyes. "And I won't say no. I like shopping for other people too." Nina groaned, tossing a pillow at the older girl. Wanda simply flicked her fingers, sending it flying back on a scarlet wave to Nina, laughing as the blonde's own powers negated the tendrils to let the pillow drop to the floor with a soft thump.

But then Wanda's expression grew sympathetic again, though there was a rather self-assured cast to it as she draped the pair of shirts over the chair next to Nina's dresser as she returned to their primary topic of conversation. "Don't worry, though. Your mom will catch on. I'm sure of it. And your mom is definitely one to go after what she wants once she decides what she wants," Wanda said with a wicked glint in her eye as she glanced up from once again perusing Nina's Natasha-encouraged collection of jewellery. She slipped one of the rings on, considering it before swapping it out for a different one.

Nina snorted as she watched her friend amuse herself. "You have no idea," she agreed with a grin. Wanda smiled brightly, still examining the ring she had put on as she all but skipped over to the bed.

"So? Did you get it?" Wanda said, changing the subject as she flopped herself down next to her blonde friend. Nina smiled at the question, glancing over to her side table where a rather nondescript box containing a vintage Brooklyn Dodgers hat sat.

"Yeah, I got it," she said with a self-satisfied and eager grin of her own. "It arrived yesterday."

"Steve's going to love it," Wanda declared, smiling widely. Nina giggled, pulling out and re-twisting up her hair as she did.

"Figuring out Christmas gifts is so much easier with you being able to read people's minds," Nina said with a laugh. Wanda grinned, and with a flick of her fingers, summoned Nina's laptop toward them with a cloud of crimson vapour as she was scooting back to make herself comfortable among Nina's collection of pillows, gesturing for Nina to join her.

"Of course," she quipped impishly, her eyes gleaming happily. "Now, what do we do for Pietro..."

A/N: Thanks for Reading!

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