A/N: I own none of the characters. Marvel owns them. The plot is all mine.
It's New Years Eve and the Avengers were all celebrating at the Stark Tower in New York. Everyone was having fun and conversing with the people that were invited, except for Steve. He hates these parties that Tony has. He stays face and holds as little conversation as possible, but is nice about it. Once he's had enough, Steve sits at the bar, waiting for midnight, watch the ball drop so he can go to back to the Avengers Compound and go to bed.
Seeing Steve sitting by himself, Natasha made eye contact with her husband Clint. The look between them said 'I don't know what's wrong with him, but something is bothering him. Try your hand at figuring it out. So she made her way over to Steve and sat beside him. Smiling Nat asked him, "Hey soldier. What's you're New Years wish?"
Laughing, Steve replied with "The same wish it has been since I was 14 years old living in Brooklyn, all the way up to when I went under in the Second World War. I know it can never happen, especially now, but can't blame a guy for tryin." Steve looked at his partner and teammate with a half smile on his face.
Returning his smile, Nat said back, "A handsome man like yourself could find any woman you want. And especially on a night like this, cute as you are, you could pick any lady of your choosing and kiss her when the clock stricks midnight singling in the New Year."
Laughing harder, Steve shot back "It's not a dame I'm wishing for." And with that surprise revelation, Steve shot his shot of whiskey, and got up to grab Barton's attention to serve him another shot.
Walking over to him, Nat sat back down beside the Super Soldier. "You can't just thrust something like that on a woman. How long were you going to go without telling me this bit of info on yourself?" She wasn't mad or angry, she was more curious and interested.
"A guy doesn't have to give anyone a full report about himself. I would be lying if I didn't say I was shocked that being a spy like yourself, you didn't know my full story already." Steve pushed his shot glass back to Clint, silently asking for another shot.
"Even the notorious Black Widow has standards…." Nat began saying before she got a look from Steve saying that he didn't believe her.
"Okay not many standards because I'm comfortable doing anything to get the job done, and know what I need to know, but you're my friend and I would never do that to friends. I like when friend delve this kind of information about themselves personally to me." She finshed with a smile on her face.
"I have so many secrets about myself that would shock a nation if they knew. And these are secrets that I have kept and thought I took to the grave with me 70 years ago, but that didn't happen. I know we are friends, but I will never tell you another secret unless I want. There is just something mysterious about a man that has secrets." He looked down at his full shot glass.
Smirking to herself, Natasha waved her husband over singling that she wanted a drink. "So that I know you bat for the other side, how many of the others know this secret?"
Letting out a haha loudly, Steve responded "I prefer fancy other men or man in specific, no one else knows. Now that doesn't mean you go spread that around." Steve said to her.
"You're secret is safe with me." She smiled and finished off her glass of wine.
Steve stayed at the bar drinking shots after Natasha left to go mingle with the crowd some more. "Hey Steve, I would love to stay here and keep serving you whiskey shots, but my wife is calling me over. Here is the bottle of whiskey, you have as much as you want big man."
"Thanks Clint." Steve said to his teammate. He has never had a problem with Clint. He genuinely liked the man because he was there to listen and never judged. He also gave good advice, never afraid to tell it like it is. He liked that. He looked around the party from his seat that the bar. He saw everyone having a good time and enjoying themselves. He smiled because he was happy that others were having a good time, even though he himself was miserable.
Looking at the clock, he saw that there was only 5 minutes left until they would ring in the New Year, and Steve sighed and took another shot of whiskey. If he could, at midnight he would kiss the whiskey bottle for saving him tonight. "Steve, poor yourself a drink and come over here. The ball is going to start to fall in 20 seconds." Yelled Tony from across the room.
Pouring himself his 20th shot, Steve made his way over to his friends as they were excitedly counting down from 60 until it reached 0 welcoming 2017. As it got down to 10, everyone was yelling, counting down the seconds. At the same time everyone yelled "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Nobody ever hearing Friday say that there has been a security breach.
As the clock struck 12am, bringing in the new year, everyone kissed either their significant other or found someone to kiss, everyone except Steve. Instead, he threw back his head, shooting his whiskey yet again. What no one took notice to was the odd man standing in the middle of the floor looking at Steve.
"Are you going to keep doing whiskey shots all night or are you going to kiss me Punk?" The strange man shouted over everyone else, making the whole party freeze and turn towards and staring at the man who breached security.
Steve froze as soon as he heard what the strange man said. "Can't be", he thought to himself. Looking at the man, he walked towards the man.
"Cap, I don't think…." Tony started but stopped talking when he saw Steve walk up the man.
"How…How is this possible? Bucky?" Was all Steve could say.
"Are you going to blubber the entire time or are you going to finally kiss me?" Bucky said to Steve.
To the shock of the entire party, Steve kissed Bucky, his best friend and secret lover since he was 14 years old. Breaking the kiss, Steve said "I have been waiting to do that for a long time Jerk."
"Me too Stevie, me too." Bucky said with a smile and tears in his eyes.
Addressing the elephant in the room, Tony says "What just happened? Hell what's happening now? Can someone please clue us in? And Bucky? As in James Buchanan Barnes? I thought you were dead?" After that last question, Pepper elbowed Tony to shut up.
"Long story short, I'm alive. Do to experiments done to me, I didn't die from falling from the train in '43. I was found and taken back to Hydra, made into an assassin, brainwashed for 70 years, but I kept fighting back. And I finally escaped, and found you Steve. I've stalked you for weeks, all of you actually. I wanted to know about you, without being noticed. I thought I would surprise you Stevie in 2017 and come back to you. I've been away long enough." Bucky told everyone.
"I know you, you're the ghost, the Winter Soldier." Natasha said from her husband's side. "Steve, he's dangerous and can't be trusted." She continued on saying.
By this time the party was emptying out. All the people left going home. Tony and the other Avengers by this time got defensive when hearing the name Winter Soldier. Tony was now in his suit, same with Rhodes, and everyone else had what they needed, never being far from weapons in case they need them. Steve stood in front of his Bucky in a defensive position. "No one is going to hurt Bucky. Look, if he was dangerous and had bad intentions, do you think he would come to a party full of people unarmed? No would be the answer. So everybody just calm down."
Looking at what was happening, Natasha said "James has been your crush since you were 14, hasn't he?"
Nodding, Steve said "Yeah he has. I love him, and I have been in love with him since. Look I thought I lost him once, I'm not about to lose him again. He's my everything. Always has been, always will be. No one is going to change how I feel." He looked at Bucky and smiled.
Clint spoke for the group "Let's all of us calm down, even you baby doll. We can all sit up and talk this over. I have nothing to do tomorrow." Steve gave Clint a silent thank you.
After three hours of sitting down, eating and having some drinks, everyone was okay with Bucky being there at the Avengers Compound with Steve. In the coming weeks they fought for his innocence and he fights along side them. If Captain America is there, you could be sure to see the Winter Soldier along side him.
A/N: I hope everyone liked this quick put together New Years story. Don't be afraid to review or send me a PM. Until next time…