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Chapter 262 Do You Yearn?
Looking at the familiar faces, Leo exclaimed, “You guys are here! How lively!”
As he handed the tray of food to Bucky, Bucky immediately started placing slices of lamb into the pot. He shook his head and chuckled before taking off his jacket and casually tossing it onto the couch to his right. Then, he found an empty seat and sat next to Erik.
“We also invited Uncle Peter and Aunt MJ, but they are visiting Granny May, so they couldn’t make it.” Erik and Leo had been living together for two years and he was all smiles as though he had forgotten all the sadness.
Natasha joined in as she sat next to Leo, carrying a gust of fragrance aroma with her.
Erik noticed the tiny Steam in Natasha’s hand and was instantly attracted by it. He eagerly asked Natasha for Steam, wanting to play with it.
When Natasha leaned over to pass Steam to Erik, she caused a slight bump with Leo.
Excited, Erik received Steam and was engrossed in having an amusing conversation with it, triggering merry waves of laughter from everyone.
Meanwhile, Natasha quietly approached Leo’s ear and whispered, “That thing on your waist poked me just now. Put it away before you hurt Erik later.”
Stunned, Leo instinctively looked down and realized that Natasha was referring to the Smart Utility Belt around his waist. The belt was entirely black and wider and thicker than the normal belt, with a particular imposing dragon emblem on the front. The belt must have accidentally poked Natasha earlier.
Since he understood the matter, he smiled faintly and pressed the center of the dragon’s head with his left hand. In an instant, the belt swiftly detached and shrank before wrapping around his wrist like a watch, with the dragon’s head serving as the dial.
Lowering her head, Natasha’s gaze fixated on Leo’s wrist and she clicked her tongue in envy, “I want one too.”
“Actually, I’ve prepared something similar for you, but it’s still a work in progress. So, wait for a bit.” Leo whispered to Natasha, “By the way, what about the matter I told you last time? A list of detailed requirements for the suit.”
Hearing Leo’s words, Natasha’s heart warmed and she replied softly, “I have it. I will give it to you after the party.”
“Sure,” Leo nodded.
At that moment, Foggy, who was sitting next to Ol’ Tom suddenly announced, “I have some great news for everyone…”
But he paused midway and winked at Matt instead, saying, “Matt, if you’re not going to say it yourself, I’ll do it for you as your partner.”
Everyone immediately shifted their attention to Matt, including Leo as their eyes sparkled curiously. Even the tiny Steam flickered its eyes, gazing intently at Matt.
In the season of cold weather, while enjoying a warm hot pot, it wouldn’t be complete without some gossip!
However, everyone knew that Matt couldn’t see with his eyes, so everyone’s gaze didn’t pressure him at all. But he could still sense the anticipation from the collective sound of their breaths and heartbeats. Besides, it wouldn’t be long before this news became impossible to hide, so there wasn’t any need to keep it a secret.
Holding his wife, Heather’s hand, Matt stated, “We are expecting. I’m going to be a father soon.”
Although Matt’s eyes couldn’t show anything, everyone could see the expression of happiness and longing on his face.
Natasha hurriedly leaned in closer to Heather and they began chatting softly with each other. While the others were genuinely happy for Matt and Heather as they applauded enthusiastically, filling the room with joy and cheer.
Taking the opportunity, Bucky grabbed a piece of sliced meat and savored it for a moment before nodding in delight, “The meat is cooked perfectly, and the taste is perfect. I specially sourced an authentic Sichuan hot pot base from a Chinese restaurant owner I know. It’s not something you come across every day. Come on, give it a try!”
As for the mischievous Erik swiftly took a slice of meat before hurriedly gulping down a glass of cold water while fanning his mouth, “Hot! Hot! Hot!”
Bucky burst into laughter immediately while Ol’ Tom also took a slice of meat and wore a contented ace, “Wow! When I had it for the first time, I’m already loving it! Can’t get enough of it.”
“No wonder I saw you at that hot pot restaurant on Street 54 the other day. So, who was the lady sitting with you? I feel like I’ve seen her more than once.” Foggy dug in as well as he teased Ol’ Tom
Glaring at Foggy, Ol’ Tom declared, “That? She’s my girlfriend! You’re jealous, huh?”
“Congratulations! Old man, you finally found true love at the age of forty-five! I’m happy for you!” Foggy appeared to have a good relationship with Ol Tom.
The fire of gossip among the group grew stronger and everyone was eager to know what Ol’ Tom had been up to. Ol’ Tom began to recount his story. It turned out that six months ago, he met a divorced woman who was thirty-eight years old and they fell deeply in love at first sight and shared a strong bond. Recently, they had been discussing marriage. Perhaps in the near future, Ol’ Tom would purchase a new home and move out from the current one.
Blessings poured in from everyone as they ate and chatted.
Next came the anticipated section of the conversation. Every single man and woman present was questioned about their love life. Even Erik couldn’t escape as Natasha questioned him about his ambiguous relationship with a girl from school.
Only the tiny Steam remained entertained throughout the evening, happily rolling around the table.
With satisfied bellies and merry conversations, time quickly passed and midnight soon approached.
On January 1, 1995, at exactly 12:00 AM, the bells of all the churches in New York began to chime. People started to pray, silently making their New Year resolution. Leo, too, couldn’t resist but silently made a resolution of his.
After midnight passed, everyone had their fair share of fun and it was time to rest. Together, they tidied up the trash in the house, and then Matt, Heather, and Foggy bid their farewells and left.
At home, Erik and Ol’ Tom, who had limited energy for staying up late, went to bed. As for Bucky who was fueled by a bit of alcohol, was still brimming with energy and prepared to head out to find something to do.
In the living room, only Leo and Natasha remained. Not wanting to disturb Erik and Ol’ Tom resting, Natasha pulled Leo by hand and led him into her bedroom.
It was Leo’s first time entering Natasha’s bedroom. The room itself wasn’t large and the interior decoration was simple, consisting of a bed, a chair, a table, and a cabinet.
Natasha had the usual cosmetics that women commonly used, and there were quite a few of them, all appeared to be premium brands. But there were also things that weren’t typically found in a woman’s bedroom.
As Leo peered through with his Mechanical Force Vision, there were two handguns in one of the drawers and two metal batons underneath the bed. For some reason, he instinctively activated his Mechanical Force – Insight to observe his surroundings. Maybe it had become a habit.
Switching off his Mechanical Force Vision, he looked at Natasha with a puzzled gaze.
Natasha pulled a chair over for Leo to sit and then took a seat on the bed herself. “A couple of days ago, I asked about the matters with Africa after Teacher Bucky came back. You want me to accompany him to eliminate the H.Y.D.R.A. base located in Africa?”
“That’s right, I’m planning to do so,” Leo nodded. “Why? Don’t you want to go?”
“No, I’m willing to go,” Natasha replied. “But you usually take care of these things yourself. Why do you suddenly want us to take care of it? I heard from Teacher that you even want Matt and Peter to join in.”
Evidently, a woman’s intuition is sharp as Natasha keenly sensed that something was amiss. It seemed like Leo was planning for military training.
“Let me make it clear first, it was Bucky’s idea to involve Matt, not mine. I won’t take the blame for that,” Leo clarified his innocence first before posing a serious question to Natasha.
“Natasha, do you yearn for the vastness of the starry sea?”