Fic: Christmas Special Night (Rudolph's Shiny New Year)

[bookishwench]

“That was… weird.”

The Avengers, gathering to celebrate New Year’s Eve, nodded in agreement with Tony. Thor, Loki, Sif, and Peter, who had all arrived via the Bifrost earlier after Peter’s stay in Asgard, had looked a little exhausted to begin with. The others had asked about Peter’s trip, but the four of them had said they emphatically that didn’t want to discuss it right now. After watching “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year,” they appeared to have been drained of any remaining energy. Natasha, seated next to Bruce, was giving the screen a quizzical look while he chewed a handful of chocolate covered potato chips thoughtfully. Pepper, leaning against Tony, looked a little angry, while Tony seemed confused. Steve and Bucky, sitting together on a smaller couch, scowled. Clint and Laura, who had decided to attend the New Year’s party while the neighbor down the road babysat the Barton children in return for borrowing their car for Christmas, were vaguely amused as they took in the reactions of everyone else. Meanwhile, Nick and Maria carried in two more platters heaped with cookies and brownies from the kitchen, Nick with a chocolate chip cookie already stuffed in his mouth.

“I realize the characters state repeatedly they are waiting for the so-called twelfth bong of the clock,” Loki said, “but I rather think another sort of bong was used liberally during the writing of this story.”

Steve did a truly spectacular spit take with his hot chocolate, winding up with launching a miniature marshmallow at Bruce.

“Sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “Just kind of surprised me is all.”

“It does seem pretty accurate, though,” Bruce said. “This thing is trippy.”

“I do not understand any of this,” Sif said, snagging a brownie and seeming to get a little more energy back from it. “Why does the talking deer have a light on its nose?”

“That’s a whole other story,” Bucky said, pouring her another ginger ale, “literally.”

“Don’t fret, Sif. There’s a ridiculously catchy song about it that will educate you on Rudolph’s unfortunate condition in about three minutes if you wish,” Loki said. “In brief, he’s a freak of nature, shunned by all until his oddity proves useful.”

Sif regarded the blank screen for a moment, then said, “That is depressing, yet familiar.”

A general chorus of agreement sprang up from around the room.

“Rudolph looks just a little bit different in this one,” Bruce said, squinting. “It’s like he’s a Rudolph knock-off. Sort of, I don’t know—”

“Like his eyes are out of focus half the time,” Tony piped up. “He looks like he’s had one too many eggnogs.”

“It’s too bad Happy wasn’t here to watch Happy,” Peter said, grinning. “He’d probably have gotten a kick out of that.”

“Happy doesn’t get a kick out of much of anything, kid. It’s part of his contract,” Tony said, picking an oatmeal cookie off the plate Maria had carried in. “This has fiber in it, so I figure it counts as nutritious.”

“You have a very generous definition of nutrition,” Nick said, snagging another chocolate chip cookie.

“It’s New Year’s Eve,” Tony said reasonably. “None of these calories count because a new year starts in less than an hour.”

“Really?” Nick said, raising an eyebrow. “That’s how it works?”

“That is precisely, scientifically how it works,” Tony assured him. “I’m a genius. I know these things.”

“Then in that case, Maria, please pass the brownies again,” Nick said, grinning.

“Okay, can we all just agree that in the interim between the first Rudolph story and this one that none of these characters learned anything about the importance of not bullying people?” Steve said.

“I mean, they do show that it hurts Happy’s feelings when people laugh at his ears,” Bruce said. “That’s something.”

“Yeah, but they covered the idea that being taunted over differences makes people miserable when Rudolph and Hermie left Christmastown the first time,” Bucky said. “Now the same idiots are picking on a literal baby with big ears, and the lesson is supposed to be that if people are laughing at you, you should be happy that you’re bringing them joy.”

“That does not make sense,” Sif said, shaking her head. “When I conquer my enemies and laugh in their faces, they do not rejoice that they have made me happy.”

“Right?” Clint said. “Yeah, I feel sorry for the kid at the end as much as at the beginning.”

“Same here,” Natasha said, putting down the wrapper from her cupcake. “It’s still really cute, don’t get me wrong, but it’s saying some fairly disturbing things about people who are different being the ones who need to change rather than the people who are hurting them learning some damn manners.”

“Hear, hear,” Sif said, nodding and raising her glass to Natasha with a smile. “The problem is not with the outcasts but with the ones who cast them out.”

“Do I need to be concerned now that our kids love this one?” Laura said with a laugh.

“Nah,” Clint said. “They should be fine. And if not, we’ll ship them off to one of the islands in the Archipelago of Last Years to hang out with Sir 1023.”

“Wait, that reminds me. Something’s bugging me,” Bruce said, pulling out his phone and searching for something. “Ha! Got it! I thought I recognized that voice. Sir 1023 was played by Frank Gorshen!”

“Who?” Steve asked.

“The Riddler!” Bruce said. “You know, Batman, Robin, the old show from the 1960s?”

“I didn’t bring that one up in the overview of the sixties,” Natasha said, giving a half-smile. “My bad. That’s obviously culturally important.”

“I thought the Riddler played by Jim Carrey a really long time ago,” Peter asked.

Tony sighed deeply and shook his head as he said, “I keep forgetting you’re practically a fetus.”

Peter made a sour face, biting into a Christmas cookie and chewing sullenly.

“I haven’t seen this one since I was about seven,” Maria said. “It’s weird, but it’s still amusing, if confusing.”

“Agreed,” Thor said. “I am glad the freakish reindeer with the abnormally red nasal fungal infection got his revenge upon his enemies in the form of his victory on his given quest!”

“And I’m glad Eon didn’t die,” Loki said, shrugging. “I was rather rooting for him.”

“Of course you were,” Tony said as Pepper punched him lightly on the arm. “Anyway, hooray for not treating people like crap because they’re different, Santa is still kind of a jerk, and this thing has been out of whack for over a decade because it refers to the year 19-wonderful.”

“Speaking of different,” Steve said, looking over at Bucky, who gave him a smile. “Uh, small thing. Or really, not small, but I don’t think it’s going to impact much of anything. Anyway, I hope not.”

Steve took Bucky’s hand, holding it gently.

“We’re together,” he said finally.

Silence filled the room for several seconds, and then…

“Oh, come on! Y’all couldn’t have waited a few more minutes?” Nick yelled. “Okay, who had December 31?”

“I did!” Thor said, grinning. “I have won!”

“What?” Bucky said, looking around as money started changing hands.

“A few of us had a betting pool going for when you two would finally admit you were together,” Pepper said. “I said Thanksgiving.”

“Christmas Day,” Peter said.

“And I had New Year’s Day, right after midnight,” Nick said. “I’m out fifty bucks!”

Loki started to laugh, grinning at his brother, “Well, I’m surprised. I had no idea you’d figured it out. Natasha and I thought we were the only ones who knew.”

“So… you’re all fine with us?” Steve said.

“What, you thought we wouldn’t be?” Tony said. “I’m a little hurt by that.”

Bucky just threw back his head and laughed in relief as Steve put an arm around him.

“Sir,” JARVIS said, breaking into the conversation, “You wished to be notified when the New Year was approaching. It is now five minutes to midnight.”

“Okay, ladies and gents, that’s our cue,” Tony said. “Grab a beverage, throw on a coat if the cold bugs you, and head out to the roof. We should be able to see plenty of fireworks.”

The whole group of them began moving out of the theatre and out onto the helipad. Bucky and Steve looked at each other and exchanged sheepish grins while Pepper and Tony filled everyone’s glasses with champagne or pop in preparation for toasting in the New Year, and Bruce passed out hats and noisemakers.

“You know,” Bucky whispered in Steve’s ear, “it’s still traditional to kiss someone at midnight.”

“Is it?” Steve said, giving him an innocent look. “I had no idea.”

By now, the final countdown had begun. As the seconds ticked down, the Avengers and their guests looked out into the dazzling lights of New York with a feeling of hope.

Finally, JARVIS intoned, “Three, two, one, happy New Year!”

The whole lot of them erupted into shouts of glee. Tony swept up Pepper into a sweet kiss as Clint dipped Laura dramatically and did the same. Lady Sif gave Peter a kiss on the cheek that made him blush. Bruce rather shyly stroked Natasha’s cheek before she nodded and the pair of them kissed as well while Loki silently celebrated in the background by jumping up and down and setting off his own fireworks. Steve and Bucky kissed as well, holding one another close and no longer feeling any need to hide.

“Don’t look at me,” Nick said to Thor. “I ain’t kissing you.”

Thor laughed heartily and, just for good measure, put a loud, sloppy kiss directly on the top of Nick’s head to the great delight of Maria.

As the others broke into a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne,” Bucky took Steve’s hand and pulled him back inside the penthouse, stopping in the living room.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

“Absolutely nothing,” Bucky said. “Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?”

“Nope,” Steve said. “I never end up keeping them, so what’s the point.”

“Well, I think I might be about to break a record with how fast I’m getting mine checked off,” he said.

“And what’s that?”

Bucky reached into the pocket of the Dodgers hoodie he was wearing and took out a small box.

“This,” he said, opening the lid.

A gold ring with a ruby, a diamond, and a sapphire set in it lay glistening inside.

“Buck,” Steve said, his mouth dropping open. “Are you…”

“I love you,” he said. “That’s everything that matters. I had a whole stupid speech, but you’re a lot better at that than I am, so I’ll make it simple. I’ve loved you for decades, and I want to keep right on loving you for the rest of our lives. So, whaddaya say? Will you let me make an honest man of you?”

With tears glistening in his eyes, Steve took Bucky’s hand, whispering, “I dreamed about this for so long, but I never thought I’d ever get the chance to be able to say it. Yes.”

Bucky’s smile could have lit up New York more brightly than the fireworks over Times Square before he grabbed Steve and kissed him like he never wanted to let him go. When at last they parted, they just stood there, staring into one another’s eyes as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

“You dropped the ring,” Loki said. “It rolled under the coffee table.”

“Thanks,” Bucky said, then did a double take along with Steve.

Everyone was standing by the windows, watching the pair of them like a favorite movie.

“How long have you all been there?” Steve asked.

“Long enough to know we’ve got a wedding to plan,” Pepper said, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

“Congratulations!” Peter said, blowing his noisemaker until it unrolled all the way.

“Now that’s a good start to the New Year,” Clint said approvingly.

“So, have you set a date yet?” Tony asked. “What’s the color scheme? Are we doing a DJ or a live band? Where’s the stag night going to be?”

“We’ve only been engaged for thirty seconds!” Steve said, laughing.

“But we are invited, right?” Bruce said with a grin.

Bucky looked around the roomful of faces, all of them smiling, some of them even teary, and said, “Of course. You’re family.”

Nick smiled at Maria and whispered, “And you said bonding nights wouldn’t work.”

“I stand very happily corrected,” she said.

“Okay, nobody’s topping that, so party’s over. Everybody go home,” Tony said. “We’ve been here over a year. And don’t forget about game night in a couple weeks!”

People drifted this way and that, stuffing cookies into pockets and heading towards the elevator or the helipad. Tony and Pepper remained standing in the living room, arms around one another as they wished everyone a good night.

“This has been a really weird year,” he said as the Bifrost swept away Loki, Thor, and Sif.

“Every year with you is a weird year,” Pepper said, “but yeah, this one was extra weird.”

“But good?” Tony asked.

“But good,” she agreed.

“Happy New Year, babe,” he said, then kissed her with the warmth and happiness of the whole holiday season, ending in both of them sighing contentedly.

“So,” she said, giving him a coy smile, “shower?”

“Considering I haven’t showered since last year, that’s a great idea,” he said.

And their new year began very happily indeed.