"That shouldn't be allowed."
Natasha didn't answer. She just leisurely swirled a candy eyeball in her red-colored, fizzy drink. A lovely Halloween refreshment.
"It is just such an easy way out!"
Maybe a tiny smile showed on the agent's face before she masked it with taking a sip of the beverage. Sweet and tart like a raspberry. Could use a nice, alcoholic kick, but it would do for now. The night was still young and the party was just starting, just like Clint was starting his whining fest.
The annual Halloween party at the Avengers headquarters was always a big hit, mostly thanks to Tony, who definitely didn't spare money for Halloween decorations and catering. Lifesize skeletons sitting or standing casually in every corner, cackling witches, fake spiderwebs, colorful lights and food that looked absolutely disgusting and horrid but in reality, was tasty and fresh and made from the best ingredients. The open bar was a great option too, brimming with colorful drinks and swathed with the subtle mist coming from the blocks of dry ice submerged in black cauldrons. Spooky, eerie and mesmerizing. It was a picture-perfect Halloween party and it just seemed to get better and better each year, Tony somehow always managing to outshine the previous party. That was a gift.
Watching everybody in costumes was the best part. One could think that after the whole superhero thing, walking in costumes during their free time would be a hassle, but the truth was, that in those moments they all felt the most human. Having certain skills and abilities didn't isolate them from the rest of the world and it was a good feeling to be a part of something almost everyone on the planet enjoyed and partook in.
One of the cutest costumes definitely belonged to Wanda, which consisted of frills, a long red cape, and a red dress and a picnic basket, her own take on the Little Red Riding Hood's costume. Vision matched his girlfriend, in a plaid shirt, and a werewolf like appearance, that kept changing all the time for more and more realistic after talks with his teammates about how a proper werewolf should look. Someone wise once said that there were as many opinions as there are people and Vision kept adding to his werewolf look, becoming more ad more frightening, while Wanda remained a sweet balance to him. They were not the only couple wearing matching costumes and Bucky and Sam also came in pair, but no one knew why they chose salt and pepper shakers costumes, probably there was no big reason behind it, just pure desire to have fun. Or forgetfulness and it might have been one of the last costumes available in the shops.
The costume Clint had the most problems with, was Steve's. Each year, Tony showed in a stunning, detailed costume and Steve, like Tony's, at first boyfriend, then husband, had also the best stuff. They usually didn't match, but their costumes were always nice to look at.
This year seemed that Steve didn't have a costume at all.
"Cheater!" Clint called after Steve, when the soldier was squeezing past him and Natasha, seemingly in a hurry.
"Excuse me?" Steve stopped, looking at Clint, who this year decided to get a very nice and stylish vampire costume, ruffle on the front of the shirt and cape on his back included, while usually he just collected some lost clothes and tried to make the best out of it, often dressing us one of his teammates. That joke never got old, but this year Clint decided that he needed a slight change.
"You are not even wearing any costume, Steve!" Clint complained, eyeing up and down the green army fatigues and a military cap Steve had decided to wear. If the Captain of Avenger's team decided to use minimum effort for this year's costume and go as a soldier, the least he could do was tore the material here and there and splash it with fake blood, creating a zombie-soldier look. That would be cooler than the boring, too normal version Clint was looking at in an offended way, while Natasha, quite happy with her devil inspired costume, and, she wouldn't admit to it, loving the black hairband with attached plush red horns.
Steve smiled good naturally and straighten himself, standing in a typical military pose, feet slightly apart and arms crossed behind his back.
"You must be mistaking me for someone else, civilian, I am Captain Roger Stevens," Steve said, sounding almost as if reading from a script, keeping a straight face, even if his eyes sparkled with humor. "I am looking for Doctor Howard Potts, have you seen him?"
"Who the hell is-"
"Captain."
"Doctor Potts," Steve brightened, turning in the direction of the voice. He reached his hand and pulled the just arrived person closer to himself.
If Clint thought that Steve's costume was a lazy idea, Tony's costume was the epitome of laziness. Just a regular dark blue suit, one of many Tony had in his wardrobe, nothing special or Halloween about it. Only the dark blue tie speckled with colorful circles was eye-catching, but again, not reflecting the spooky holiday.
"Fancy seeing you here, Captain Stevens," Tony said, smiling tiredly, his hair a bit messy and showing that he was clearly in a hurry to make it earlier to his own Halloween party instead of his usual fashionably late.
"The pleasure is mine, Doctor."
"What's going on?" Clint asked, voice colored with some nervous laughter. He looked from Steve to Tony, while the couple already seemed to be lost in their own world, holding hands and foreheads pressed together. "Tony?" Clint asked, hoping to get a more precise answer from the genius.
Tony blinked and moved slightly away from Steve, just to get enough of space to look at Clint. "I am not Tony. I am Doctor Potts. Howard Potts. You see," Tony said quickly, cutting off Clint who had just opened his mouth to say something, and locked his eyes with Natasha's instead, "I and Captain Stevens worked together at Camp Leigh back in the 70s. It wasn't an easy time for people like us, and this is the only night a year when we can come back and finally be together. Right, my love?" Tony put his hand on Steve's cheek, and Steve turned his head slightly to the side, kissing Tony's palm tenderly. After that, he took a step back, clacking his heels together and slowly bowed.
"Doctor Potts, may I have the pleasure of dancing with you?" Steve said, reaching his hand for Tony's.
"I thought you will never ask, Captain Stevens," Tony replied charmingly, taking the offered hand and both men moved to the dance area, Steve taking the lead.
"Wow," Clint grinned mischievously, his fake fangs sparkling in his mouth as he observed the couple, the fake love story fresh in his mind, "that's… so lame."
"Nah," Natasha scrunched her nose, also looking how Steve and Tony held each other, slowly swaying in a dance resembling foxtrot, completely ignoring the cheerful and loud notes of The Monster Mash the rest of the team and guests were dancing to. Maybe it was a tad sappy, but also incredibly sweet. "That's just them," she concluded, fishing out the candy eyeball and crunching it between her teeth.
After all, it was just Steve and Tony, being in love during every possible occasion.