Chapter Text
Inside everyone, including the children who were still awake, were gathering back into the main room for the toast. As Sarah and Bucky approached their assigned table, they saw Cass and AJ seated in their chairs. Cass looked like he was gonna drop at any moment: his eyes were dropped so low, and his head rested on his older brother’s shoulder. AJ just sat back with his brother rested against him and his baby sisters in his lap, who was way too awake and energetic for Sarah’s liking. “Um ma’am what are you still doing up?” she asked the toddler who was constantly pushing her little fingers in her brother’s face and giggling as he made faces at her. Jehlani grinned up at her mom before dropped her head against AJ’s chest as if she didn’t want anyone but him. That was until she saw Bucky and then, well, all bets were off.
“Daddy!” she screeched, reaching her little arms out for him. Her big gray-green eyes looking up at him: a spitting image of his mothers. The room, which had quieted down for the toast, just smiled at the interaction. Bucky turned red of embarrassment at the sudden attention from the rest of the room. He just chuckled nervously before scooping the little up and sitting down in between Sam and Sarah. Jehlani immediately laid her head down in the crook of his neck and placed her thumb in her mouth indicating to her parents that she’ll be asleep before the ball even drops.
As Bruce started to talk, Sam began picking with the little girl, whispering for her to take her thumb out her mouth, before Sarah sent him a glare.
“You stop her from going to sleep Sam, and you and Misty are taking her home with you” she whispered to him.
“No can-do sis, we have big plans tonight” he whispered back smiling brightly. Sarah looked over to see that AJ was preoccupied on his phone before she suddenly placed her right hand on Bucky's left thigh leaning over the man to talk closer to Sam.
“Oh, believe me, big bro, I’ll be seeing fireworks tonight too” she said smugly with a wink. Bucky immediately coughed and chuckled awkwardly and Sam made a face.
“I know that’s right, Sar” Misty said giggling.
“Don’t encourage her” Sam said disgustedly, “you always take it too far, I don’t need to know that y’all do that” he whispered back. Sarah quietly laughed as she sat back in her chair.
“I’m literally holding our daughter,” Bucky interjected with a bewildered expression. Sam just glared at the man.
“Let’s just listen to the rest of the speech” he grumbled as the group turned their attention back to Bruce.
Bruce stood on the small platform stage that was slightly raised above the floor. “I really thought Cap would be the one to speak” he started nodding at Sam, “but uh I guess I was delegated to do the speech this year because I’m one of the few people left from the very beginning. I believe Peter said I was an ‘OG Avenger’? which may have just been his way of calling me old” he said skeptically. The room chuckled. You could hear Peter’s table, which consisted of the ‘Young Avengers’ as Happy calls them: Peter, Joaquin, Harley Keener, Yelena, Kate Bishop, Elijah Bradley, and RiRi Williams, laughing at the older man’s confusion. Pepper immediately shot them all a look of disapproval before they settled down. “These past few years have been some of the hardest years that we have faced as a people and as those who have tried fighting for them” he continued. “A lot of people think that it’s the powers and the abilities that keep the Avengers together, and maybe at the start, that’s what the six of us thought as well, but…. We all saw firsthand the destruction and heartache that came in those moments when we weren’t all on one accord. When we weren’t together, it didn’t matter if we were Gods, or what powers we had, we were weak…” he looked down briefly, taking a breath. “We lost some of our best friends, parents, sister, brothers, spouses, neighbors, but in the end, the gravel beneath us didn’t sink. It’s because of everyone in this room, heroes and the families that keep them afloat, and to the few that sacrificed their lives so we could be here, that I’m able to say that the Avengers stay together and are strong because we’re a family. So may this next year bring new adventures but also love, happiness, comfort and some good old-fashion rock-n-roll”
Bruce turned to the right and saw Clint and Thor being pushed onto the platform by Laura. “Go” she motioned to the two men. The room laughed as the two men begrudgingly joined Bruce. Clint looked down at his watch and saw the clock read 11:58pm.
“To Family” The three men said together, raising their glasses with the rest of the room.
“You gonna lead us in our countdown Cap?” Clint asked Sam who happily stood up to do so.
When the countdown finally came to its conclusion and everyone screamed Happy New Year, Bucky felt more content than he had in a really long time. After bidding AJ and Cass goodbye as they skirted back off to the huge children’s slumber party downstairs, he watched as the love of friendship and family was passed around the room in a way that would have made him run for the hills just a few years prior. With his daughter, miraculously still sound asleep against his chest, he gave Sarah her true New Year’s kiss. He joked with her that the other ones were just the hors d'oeuvres and appetizers in which she whispered that she was ready to put the baby to bed and skip to dessert.
“See, I told you the party wouldn’t be terrible. Came in a grump going out with two pretty ladies on your shoulders” Sam told Bucky as they all walked out together. He nodded his head to the man just before they parted ways, “take care of your family man, don’t screw it up this time” he said lightheartedly. But to Bucky it meant the world.