Till the End of the Line: Our Now | Stucky Fanfic

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

2013

There were people everywhere. The house was packed and spilling out onto the yard in every direction. It was New Year's Eve and Tony Stark - despite everything that had happened to him - was throwing a party at the house he was renting just outside of Los Angeles. The party was an exclusive event and highly sought after, so Steve wasn't too surprised that he didn't recognize many of the people. After all, most of the guests were friends of Tony or other celebrities of various mediums. (Steve still struggled with being a "celebrity" if he was being honest. Sure, he had been well-known in the forties, but he never considered himself famous. Then again, for the most of his fame he had been off in the middle of Europe...)

Steve was overwhelmed.

People kept coming up to him and asking for pictures, thanking him for his service, and just genuinely gawking over the fact that he was there. It didn't help that Tony kept calling him out for not being social enough and with a lot of grandpa jokes at that. It's not Steve's fault he's chronologically old enough to be a grandfather to any of the guests, he blames the serum and the ice. (The jokes only make it more painstakingly obvious that there's a gap between him and his peers now, more so than when he was younger. That's what hurts the most.)

Either way, Steve was glad to have found Bruce and set up camp near one of the fires, facing the pool as they watched the partygoers. "Were you ever into all of," Steve motioned to the party, "this?"

Bruce chuckled, fiddling with his water bottle. "Not exactly. I've always been very focused on my work and not much of a social child." Dr. Banner adjusted his glasses and glanced at the captain, posing the same question.

Steve shook his head. "A friend of mine would get invited and I'd tag along sometimes, but that was mostly it. With my asthma and everything else, it wasn't smart for me to be out partying all night. Not with the smoke and drugs and the liquor."

"Must be rough to watch everyone get sloppy drunk and obnoxious knowing you can't join them."

"Not much different than you, to be honest. If I wanted to, I could always drink Thor's stuff," Steve said. "I simply don't like to drink."

"Why's that?"

Steve blushed, his shoulders hunched and his body leaned forward as if to appear smaller. "I don't trust myself when I'm not completely in control of my body. I know how my body works and what it's strengths and limitations are when I'm in the right mind. When I'm not, I," Steve paused to sip at his drink, "I worry that I'll hurt someone."

Bruce patted at Steve's shoulder, a knowing look on his face. He was about to say something when Tony announced from the balcony that it was almost midnight and called everyone outside. The doctor and captain reluctantly gathered near the pool with the rest of the occupants, everyone watching the projector screen that had the countdown ticking towards midnight.

"Only a minute left, then we can leave," Bruce mumbled low enough for the words to be intelligible (he knew Steve would be able to hear him in all of this mess, thanks to the serum). Steve smirked, arms crossed and his glass dangling from his fingers.

Tony and Clint popped up beside him, Tony in between him and Bruce. They were both shouting along with the timer, laughing and swaying with the tick of the clock. Steve laughed along with them, finding their antics amusing.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Tony and Clint both put their hands on Steve's shoulders.

"Six, five, four..."

Somehow they shuffled forward, the crowds getting closer to the screen in anticipation.

"Three, two, one!"