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Today was going to be a day like no other. It was the Fourth of July, Captain America’s birthday. Steve didn’t want it to be a big deal. Tony wanted to make a big deal about it, like he made a big deal about everything. Thor was all for celebrating, well anything. Bruce wanted to stay in his lab with the peace and quiet. Clint and Natasha had other plans. While the two men argued the spies slipped out of Avengers Tower.
Two hours later they were on the roof with a grill, picnic table, and enough food and beer to feed an army. Or as it were, a couple of superheroes. Clint turned his iPod on and started grilling.
Natasha smiled when she saw him bobbing his head in time with the music. She walked over and kissed him. Natasha laughed when he used the opportunity the steer her around the roof like they were on a dance floor. She held onto him and moved to his ‘80’s rock. She giggled and kissed him again. “I have to go cook.”
“Alright, alright.” He graciously let her go. When she bent down to grab the plastic bags Clint grinned and smacked her ass.
Natasha just rolled her eyes. Any other man would have died for that, but not Clint. He was…special. “Don’t burn the burgers.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
She smiled and headed back down into the tower.
Tony and Steve were still yelling at each other. Thor was looking on with mild interest. He watched Natasha walk in and cocked his head to the side. “Lady Natasha, did you go shopping for more food?”
“I did.” She put the bags on the counter and unpacked them.
“For Steve’s birthday?”
“Yes for Steve’s birthday.”
That shut Tony and Steve up. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know I didn’t.” She started to make macaroni salad. “Clint is grilling burgers on the roof. And he has beer.”
“Grilling on the roof? There’s no grill on my roof.”
Natasha just smiled.
Curiosity got the better of Tony, like it usually did, and he headed to the roof.
Thor followed for the promise of food and beer.
“Thank you.” Steve looked at her. “You didn’t have to do this, really.”
“I know we didn’t. But it’s always fun to spoil Stark’s plans.”
Steve laughed. “Yeah.”
“Go on, I’ll be done here soon.”
Steve nodded and joined the boys on the roof. But not before dragging Bruce out of his lab.
Natasha joined them twenty minutes later with macaroni salad and fruit salad.
Their BBQ went over very well. Natasha sat in Clint’s lap; they were both quite skilled at eating around each other. They shared stories about past Fourth of July’s, laughed, and made fun of each other. It was needless to say that the spies had the most interesting stories.
When all the food was gone, thanks largely to Thor, Clint disappeared back into the tower. He came back with a large ice cream cake. He insisted on getting the ice cream cake because Steve never had it.
Steve blushed when he saw it was decorated with a cartoon version of him and read “Happy Birthday Captain!”
After teaching Thor how to sing Happy Birthday the Avengers sang it loud to a red faced smiling Steve.
By the time they finished the ice cream cake the first firework hit the darkened sky.
Thor jumped to his feet and started yelling about another attack. The other Avengers started laughing.
“Relax big man, its just fireworks.” Clint smiled, his arms around his Natasha.
“Fireworks?” Thor lowered his hammer looking confused.
“Just fancy lights sky.”
He sat back down. “Fancy lights in the sky.”
“It’s how we celebrate our freedom. We eat, drink, and blow shit up. We’re American, it’s what we do.”
Tony, Bruce, and Steve grunted and nodded in agreement as they drank their beer.
Natasha smiled. She knew just how Thor felt. Her first Fourth of July in America confused her too.
Coulson, Pepper, and Jane showed up a few minutes later to watch the rest of the fireworks with them. After the grand finale, which had Thor cheering, the insisted Steve open his presents. He thanked them all for the various Captain America memorabilia, DVDs, CDs, and boxing gloves.
Just another day at Avengers Tower.