Chapter 30
"So, what I want to know is, how did Bruce and Clint get together anyways?" Tony asked, his mouth full of partially chewed cookie.
Steve smacked his arm. "Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"
"What? Everyone wants to know," Tony shrugged.
"I meant about talking with your mouth full."
"Oh. Well, anyways, nobody answered my question. I'm looking at you, Bruce," Tony gave a pointed glare to said science nerd.
"Why do I have to tell you? Ask Clint," Bruce mumbled, after swallowing.
"Nope. You're my best friend, not him. Therefore, it's your duty to explain to me," Tony replied.
"Fine. Well, I guess for me, it started about a week or two ago. I was feeling lonely - you were too busy with your boyfriend to notice - so I called Natasha and asked her if I could come over and hang out with her. We've been 'friends' for a while now. She said I could, as long as I didn't mind hanging out with her friend, Clint. I accepted and came over. See, we'd already met all the times you two," He gestured to Steve and Tony. "Got us all together for group dates or whatever, but we barely exchanged two words the entire time. So, Natasha disappeared for awhile, and we talked. I don't know, I just was... attracted to him," Bruce continued awkwardly. "He was good company, and I liked him, despite the fact that we barely have anything in common. I didn't tell anybody, though I would've told you, Tony, if you weren't so... preoccupied, about it. I figured I'd forget about him in a few days. I didn't, and since he wouldn't leave my mind, I told Pepper. Pepper, however, couldn't keep her mouth shut, and she ended up asking Clint what he thought of me. Apparently, he responded with something along the lines of, "I'd tap that.""
"I said no such thing! Twisted words, I swear," Clint denied.
"Right. Pepper told me what he 'said', and then proceeded to make a reservation for us at the restaurant. If I recall correctly, I think it was the same one that Tony and Steve went on their first 'date' at, but I don't remember. So, through Pepper's Cupid-esque schemes and Clint's oh-so-eloquent tongue, we ended on a date. The rest you guys already know, I suppose," Bruce shrugged. "I did ask Clint not to tell you guys about us, because I wasn't sure if we were going to end up 'dating' or not."
"So... the diary entry wasn't about your wedding?" Barney said.
"... No. We're not getting married, we just went on our first date!" Clint scowled. "Who says we're even together? Maybe we're just dating occasionly or something."
"Really? Wow, I thought we were together now. Suppose I was under the wrong impression," Bruce mumbled.
"No, that's not what I meant! I was just wanting Barney to shut his stupid face!" Clint protested.
"Guys, keep the domestics outside, if you please," Loki muttered, taking a sip of cocoa.
"Well, guess I can understand that. He is a pretty big jerk," Bruce said thoughtfully.
"Friends, if you'd been watching the windows, you would have noticed that the snow stopped minutes ago," Thor said, interrupting the conversation.
"Marvelous, I want to go home," Loki said, relieved.
"Okay, looking for clarification here. Bruce and Clint are together, correct?" Steve spoke up. The two nodded simultaneously. "The snow stopped," Thor nodded. "And we can go home?"
"Yeah. C'mon, vamanos!"
"Tony, did you just quote "Dora"?" Steve looked amused.
"Pfft, no. I learned Spanish last night. Now let's go, I'm tired," Tony yawned, stretching the 'i'.
"Come Loki, Darcy, we must make our way back to my vehicle," Thor announced, pulling on his coat, scarf, and gloves.
"Nuh-uh. No way. You two crazy... How is it Loki puts it? Loons. You two crazy loons go back to the car. I'll wait here and you can come get me. Kay?" Darcy said, not really asking.
"Very well, I shall see you soon," Thor gave her a kiss. "Come Loki, let's go."
Loki sighed. "Goodbye, Natasha." He got up and, pulling on his coat (Which was much thinner than Thor's, and Steve thought it something of a miracle that he didn't freeze to death.), followed Thor out the door.
"Okay, let's get into Barney's butt-ugly van/car/thing," Barney let out an indignant noise. "And get the heck out of here." Clint said, rubbing his hands together.
"You go ahead. I'm going to stay here with Darcy and leave with Thor and Loki. I'm sure they won't mind," Bruce said.
"Okay, see you later," Clint said, and, after looking at Barney, kissed Bruce before waltzing out the door.
"Stupid Clint," Barney grumbled.
"You're just jealous that you can't ever get a girlfriend!" Clint's singsong reply came from outdoors.
"Your ex-girlfriend dated me!" Barney shouted as he exited.
"Bobbi? Her standards are *low*, man!"
Steve just groaned. "This'll be fun."
Tony snickered and pulled his boyfriend out the door.
"So, everyone's got a happy ending, huh?" Darcy said to Bruce.
"Yeah, seems like that."
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
December 25th
"Steve! Get up, we're going to be late!"
Steve groaned and rolled over.
"Seriously? Come on, bud. It's Christmas, and remember, we're going to the Starks' house! I've got all the presents in this big Santa bag I bought at the Dollar Tree. Cool, huh?" Steve's uncle entered the room and waved it in front of his face.
"Yeah, sure." Steve sat up with a slight smile.
"That's the Christmas spirit! Now, put on a sweater or something, it's freezing outside," He dashed out of the room.
"Got it," Steve stood up and trudged to his closet, grabbing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"Steve, I told you, sweater. Seriously, you're going to die of freeze-ation."
"You mean I'm going to freeze to death, or I'm going to die of frostbite. Freeze-ation isn't a word," Steve said, not bothering to change his shirt before he pulled on his cost.
"I'll be fine," Steve assured as he walked out the door.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
"Bruce, sweetie, it's time to get up. You don't want to be the last one arriving at the Starks', do you?"
"No, Mom. I'm awake anyways, I have been for hours," Bruce replied, walking down the stairs.
"Oh, that's good, then. I'm pretty sure Maria invited your boyfriend's family too, so they'll be there."
"Yeah, that's what Clint said."
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
"Does he HAVE to come?"
"Stop whining, Clint," Mrs. Barton scolded. "Barney is your brother, and the whole family was invited, so of *course* he's coming. Get over it."
"Yeah, you can deal," Barney smirked.
"Ugh, whatever," Clint scoffed.
"I'm not going!" He turned, stomped up the stairs, and slammed his bedroom door.
"You are too going. It's Christmas, now get your butt down these stairs!" She ordered adamantly.
Clint grudgingly trudged down the stairs. "Fine, but I won't enjoy it."
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Thor dug frantically in the kitchen cupboards before running to the bathroom and banging on the door. "Loki, where are my Pop-Tarts?!"
Loki peered out from the bathroom. "I threw them away," He answered coolly and shut the door.
"What? Why? You couldn't have!"
"Yes, I did. Father has informed me that the Romanoffs are bringing breakfast for everyone to the Starks'. I knew you wouldn't care and you'd end up eating those stupid breakfast pastries anyway, so I threw the last of them away. Mother said I could," Loki replied, somewhat muffled by the door that was between them.
"But that's not fair! I get hungry!" Thor complained.
"You can eat with your girlfriend and the rest of us," Loki responded.
"Nyah," Thor made a face at the door.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
"Tony, did you mess with the tree again?" Maria remarked, looking at their 12 foot tall Christmas tree.
"Depends on what you mean by 'mess'," Tony answered.
"Just as long as it doesn't spin out of control and kill us all," Howard said, appearing from the dining room.
"All the places set?" Maria asked.
"Yes, dear."
"Good. Tony? Go greet the guests, please."
"Mom, you always make me do that," Tony groaned.
"Fine, do that or change that t-shirt into a suitable sweater."
"No. No, no, no. I hate my sweaters, they're ugly," Tony shook his head. "I refuse."
"Then greet the guests," Maria replied.
"Ugh, fine," Tony replied.
"Really, you'd expect that you'd have a better attitude on Christmas Day," Howard said.
Tony just walked to the door.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Christmas was perfect.
Natasha's family had brought lots of food, cinnamon rolls being the main dish. (Everybody ate at least one.)
Everybody exchanged gifts.
And the rest of the day was all of them playing board games, video games, any sort of game, really.
The end of the day had finally arrived, and everybody was getting ready to leave.
"Wait, since we're all here, I have one question. In the, what, three months you've been here, I've never ever heard your uncle's name," Clint said to Steve before anyone had left. "What is it?"
Steve laughed and looked at his uncle, who didn't say a thing. "Well, since you asked..."
"Yeah, seriously Steve, what is his name?" Tony asked.
"Oswald. He's Uncle Oswald," Steve grinned.
"Your name is... Oswald?" Natasha resisted the urge to laugh.
"Ah, what a... unique name," Loki replied.
"Hey, at least it's not Kevin," Bruce responded.
"Kevin? What's wrong with the name Kevin?" Thor asked.
"I don't like the name Kevin," Loki shrugged.
So everyone had a good Christmas.
Everyone there, at least.
But 75 miles away, there was one thirteen year old boy whose Christmas was spent much differently.
He had a perfectly fine Christmas.
At least, until night came.
Night fell, and his house was burned to the ground. With his house, everything else.
Including his two parents.
So what would the next year bring? Nobody knew. For Steve, it meant his first year spent without his parents. For Bruce, it meant his first year not feeling lonely. But for thirteen year old, teary-eyed Peter Parker, nothing good seemed to be able to come of it.
The End.