Work Text:
Sam woke up feeling calmer than he had in weeks, well-rested on top of that.
He turned around in the awfully comfy bed and stayed in the warmth for a few more minutes before throwing the blanket off himself and standing from the mattress.
Stretching, back protesting only slightly as one of the many scars gotten in the battle that had not fully healed yet protested under the stretch, he walked up to the window and opened the curtains, the little arrow pattern still making him smile slightly.
The view today was slightly less beautiful then what it had been the days before, rain falling down on the fields and forest that surrounded the Barton farm.
As soon as he opened his door he was greeted with the sight of Cassie padding down the stairs, the big plush ant she had gotten from the Antman himself for her birthday pressed close to her chest.
"Hey, Lil' larva what you doing?"
"Getting some breakfast before uncle Clint eats it all."
"Best get down there as well then huh?" Sam said before squeezing himself past the kid and racing her down the stair towards the living room.
Once they got down there and Sam had stopped faking an asthma attack just to spite the girl, he noticed how the room was filled with pleasant conversation.
Laura and Bucky were standing in the kitchen, supposedly making tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Bucky also had the dreadful task of keeping Peter away from the brownies they had baked to eat that afternoon, swatting his hand playfully each time the kid got too close and mockingly telling Tony to keep his kid in check.
Cassie raced past him again, pulling Peter away from the plate while telling him to wait like everybody else. The now 18-year old let himself be pulled away easily, grinning at the people seated at the table.
Those included Clint and Steve, the two of them seemingly having made a challenge out of wearing the ugliest Christmas sweater, both begging Natascha to tell them which was the worst one. The woman in question just sat opposite of them, arms wrapped around Wanda, who was leaning against her heavily, still half asleep and shook her head.
The table was long and almost completely packed. Thor, who sat next to the two men, had supposedly taken the task on him to entertain the Barton kids. Both Cooper and Lila sitting on the god's lap, making little braids in his hair while Bruce, who sat next to Thor and watched him play with the kids with a soft smile, held Nathaniel close while his parents were occupied.
The scientist held the kid with incredible care, though his face showed that he was thrilled beyond words that the kid's parents trusted him with the infant, who was currently making happy little gurgling noises as Bruce pressed him close to the Thor-sized hoodie he was wearing.
As soon as Bucky noticed Sam had come into the room he got a shit-eating grin on his face and walked over to him, handing him a cup of obviously ice-cold coffee.
"You're welcome, honey."
"Thanks love, just what I needed. Laura, I assume he put salt into it?"
"Nearly half the canister"
"Wonderful."
Sam emptied the cup without taking a second glance at it and thanked Laura as she handed him a normal mug, humming in pleasure as he noticed how she had put exactly the right amount of milk and sugar into it.
"Ey Tones, move your ass."
Tony grunted as he stood from his spot on Pepper's lap, making it easier for the woman to shuffle to the side before her husband nestled himself in again, Pepper wrapping her arms around his waist with an eye roll directed at Sam as the man sat beside them, leaning on the rough wooden table on his elbows and sipping on his coffee.
He watched the rain fall down on the already muddy grass surrounding the farm and sipped his coffee, lips curving upwards as Bucky sat next to him and shoved a plate of breakfast food towards him with a sigh as if the man was seriously bumped that the seventh attempt on that prank hadn't been a success.
Sam offered him a brownie he had managed to snag from the still warm plate as he threw the coffee out. A peace offering.
Bucky smiled at him, not the cocky one he would gladly hit off of the man's face. No. A genuine smile was given to him so generously as he took the still hot brownie from Sam and nodded once before taking a bite and practically moaning at the taste.
Peter, as soon as he saw why that noise was coming out of Bucky's mouth, gasped and expressed his anger about this betrayal by sitting as far away from them as possible and crossing his arms like a five-year-old would do when being denied something.
Laura, the woman was an angel really, simply walked by Peter and slid a plate with another brownie on it in front of the kid before sitting down herself.
Her high and melodious laugh mixed in with a deeper chuckle that came from Stark as they watched how the kids entire being seemed to light up at the treat in front of him.
Sam just rolled his eyes and leaned against Bucky, looking towards where Cassie and Scott were sitting on the floor, the kid's father was telling her about the quantum realm again, a story so elaborate that she never tired of it.
Only the good parts though. Only the good parts.
It really was a good idea to come here after everything.
***
The sky had cleared up a bit and, while the ground was still muddy and made their shoes and clothes a mess, Scott was now chasing Cassie and the Barton kids, Cooper yelling in excitement while Cassie and Lila ran away hand in hand, laughing and yelling at Scott to come and get them.
After a few minutes of fake almost catching he did and they fell into the still wet and muddy grass, the two girls attacking him right away while Cooper held Scott's arms along his side, the man screaming that he surrendered as soon as they started tickling his sides.
On the porch, two men sat in rocking chairs watched them ravage their fellow hero, one with a mug of coffee while the other had some tea.
They talked about the old times, Steve telling the inventor about how Bucky was back then, about how different everything was before the serum and the word superhero got slapped onto him.
Howard came up eventually after Steve had told about how his father was less than kind to him and, after asking if Tony was alright, his shoulders tensed significantly after the mentioning of his father and all his good doings, the mechanic let out a sigh before finally answering the question after many years of asking.
They talked about Howard and Steve learned that he was put before the man's own son.
Steve learned more than enough to put an end to the praise he used to give the man if he were brought up and rank him just as low if not lower as his own father Joseph who, just like Howard, had not shied away of using violence on their child.
And he stretched out an arm to lay a comforting hand on Tony's shoulder, showing that he might not fully understand but will stand by the man's side still. And Tony gave him a smile and returned the gesture to show that he would do the same no matter what.
After that, they moved on to more pleasant conversations about Maria and Jarvis and Sara and about how Steve would find a place in Brooklyn after they returned.
About the therapy dog that was waiting for Tony once he got back and that he and Pepper were going to go to actual stores to shop for a new couch because he had never done so and she had said it was more fun then it seemed.
The only noises other than their voices and the occasional shouts from the kids and Scott were the sharp whispers and short laughs coming from just a few feet away from where James Buchanan Barnes and Samuel Thomas Wilson were arm wrestling like their life depended on it.
Well. Sam did. Bucky seemed to take the biggest pleasure from looking bored out of his mind while telling Sam that this was not fair for him and that he wouldn't hold it against him if he gave up.
Sam, knowing damn well that he most definitely would, asked for a rematch time after time, truly throwing all his strength into winning a game that depended on muscle power from a known supersoldier. The comments and laughs Bucky threw his way did nothing to demotivate him. If anything it made him more determined to win, even grunting while throwing all his strength and weight into the match after Bucky announced that Sam had lost match number twenty-seven aswell.
On the other side of the glass doors, Natascha was holding her laughter as Peter ranted about just how unsafe it was to throw darts right in front of somebodies face.
"If I hadn't moved away I would have been pierced by this dart!"
"Come on baby spider even if you didn't have reflexes so fast it would surprise even me, my aim never falters and it wouldn't have hit you either."
"It could have though!"
"Can I offer you a training lesson in which I shall teach you some cool new tricks for fighting baddies as a form of peacemaking?"
"That does sound pretty cool. Though only if you teach me some ballet as well. The spinning thing they do if possible."
"You're pushing your luck Peter but I'll accept. We have a deal baby Spider."
"That nickname has to go too! I'm not a baby!"
"Pushed too far now."
In the livingroom Wanda, who had come down way later then most of the others because she had stayed up all night practising making the water in her glass float and shape into the 'water dragon' Cooper had told her he had had a dream about, was, together with Laura, making Clint turn red. They had taken some of the ugliest pieces of clothing out of the man's closet and were now parading around in them, Mocking him in ridiculously high pitched voices while pretending to shoot a bow and arrow.
Thor just watched them from his place on the couch that was near to the fireplace, the red and orange flames licking at the wood.
The god had a lazy but amused smile playing on his lips as he absently rubbed Bruce's tummy.
The scientist hadn't meant to fall asleep really. But Thor was big and warm and smelled like pine trees, rain and home and as soon as the sat down, Bruce still holding little Nathaniel who seemed to have a liking for him, he went all mushy.
And they softly talked about kids and how Bruce would love to have one of his own one days and how Thor would make a wonderful father if he ever was to have a child to raise his own.
And Bruce had drifted off to sleep leaned against the god's warm chest. Nathaniel was taken by his mother who, after feeding the infant and playing with him for a while, brought him upstairs to sleep.
She came back with a fuzzy blanket and a soft smile, telling Thor that she would let Bruce mother the baby more often before laying the blanket on them.
Thor just tucked Banner closer, arms wrapping around the scientist as he slept soundly, nestled against the god's chest with a small smile still softening his facial features.
And Thor had to agree, she really should let him take care of the child more.
Because he didn't think he'd ever seen him so truly happy.
And as he looked around, he noticed how most of them looked happy, peaceful the least.
Yes, it really had been a good idea to come here.