Chapter 1
“What the hell would you get someone who have everything and could afford the things he doesn’t already have?”
Dean groaned in frustration as he exited the seventh store they were in with Castiel and Sam following miserably behind him.
“That’s the sixth time you ask that question and we still don’t know its answer.” Castiel retorted dryly, tired from shopping all day. Dean couldn’t really blame him, they never really needed to go shopping before so it was taking its toll on the three of them.
Christmas was approaching fast, which meant their first Christmas with the Avengers. Which meant getting actual gifts for them. Gifts that needs shopping.
They were in New York for Christmas. A fact that caused a long argument between Dean and Tony. Tony wanted the whole huge Christmas party in the tower, with lots of guests and lots of drinking. While Dean wanted it to be spent in the bunker with just them and the Avengers, a small family thing. After long arguments and interfering from the team, Tony agreed to compromise. They will spend Christmas in the Tower but will be a family thing. No big parties or a room filled with hundreds of strangers. Just the Winchesters and The team.
So, here they were, the Winchesters were in a mall shopping for gifts like normal people. Gifts for a team of superheroes that became their family. Totally normal.
The Avengers were now a part of their lives for eight months now. Eight months since the invasion that lead them to meet the team. It felt like forever not just months.
They were inseparable. Their lives now revolves around each other. A family. They fight villains together. Go to missions together. Natasha and Clint even went with them on a few hunts now. Dean could barely remember their lives before they met the team. It felt like they were always meant to be a family.
The whole thing with Cas’ anger curse two months ago only managed to make them closer. And stronger. Tony never missed a day of training with Castiel after the angel removed the cast from his broken leg and became pretty good at fighting without his armor in short months from how determined he was. In fact, the whole team train together now to learn each other’s fighting tactics and learn from them. They once made a competition, two would spar against each other, and the winner would fight another and so on. Dean was proud to announce that he once managed to pin down Steve. A fact he will never stop gloating about.
During those months, Sam and Natasha became even more disgustingly in love. It was cute to see his moose of a brother make lovey dovey eyes at a deadly, ex Russian assassin who looked at him the same way, it was too adorable and lovely and Dean will tease him for it for as long as he lived. He was absolutely thrilled for his brother for finding happiness like he did, and he could tell the team was equally thrilled for Natasha if the grins they kept giving her was anything to go by.
Their lives had changed so much in eight months. And Dean was incredibly happy about that.
He was pulled back to the present when he heard Sam and Cas discuss what the moose should get Natasha.
Oh, right. They were still looking for gifts.
Which brought him back to his current crises. What should he get for Tony fucking Stark? He already got gifts for most of the team now but then when it came Tony’s turn, him, Sam and Cas hit a dead-end and had no idea what to do.
“Now what?” he sighed as he turned to his brother and husband who looked equally lost.
“I don’t know. You are closer to him, what do you think he needs?” Sam asked curiously.
“Probably some sleep before Steve murders him, he had been awake for 48 hours now.” Dean rolled his eyes in frustration.
“What is he doing?” Castiel looked at him in confusion.
“Some new project that either my brain couldn’t comprehend or Tony is trying to mislead me or something since I don’t understand a word he says when I ask him what the hell is he doing.”
“Alright, then we have nothing.” Sam muttered. “Let’s check that store over there, we might actually find something this time.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
***
Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he kept messing with the holoscreens in front of him.
God, he was tired. Apparently he no longer could stay in the workshop for days and train to fight at the same time. His body needs its beauty sleep and he was pretty sure Steve will murder him when he gets back from DC and find him like this. It wasn’t by choice! He couldn’t handle sleeping alone in their bed and Steve had to go to DC with Natasha and Clint to do something Tony wasn’t really sure about, and also his erratic thoughts about the gifts he was making for the Winchesters would keep him awake anyway, so Steve could suck it.
“Sir, Captain Stark-Rogers just came back and he is on his way to the workshop.” JARVIS’ voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Oh shit.
Steve is going to kill him.
He slapped himself a few times to try and look more awake when he heard the glass door opening behind him.
“Hey, sweetheart. I am back!” he heard Steve’s cheerful voice from behind him and felt warmth spread through him.
He turned around with a fond smile that made Steve’s smile gets wider and he walked towards him to crush him in a hug.
Tony rested his head on his husband’s shoulder and breathed him in. “God, I missed you.”
“It was only two days, Tony.” Steve chuckled into his hair.
“Felt like months.”
Steve just laughed and kissed him softly on the top of his head. “I missed you too, Sweetheart.”
“Are you going to tell me now why you were gone in the first place?”
Steve pulled back to look at him so he could answer, but he frowned suddenly as he took in Tony’s appearance. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”
Well, shit.
“I asked a question first.” He retorted trying to divert him.
Steve gave him a stern glare. He absolutely hated it when Tony didn’t take care of himself. Tony was doing better! But this was important and he had to get it done!
“Fine, I went to DC to talk to Fury about something.” Steve relented but his glare never lessened.
“Talk to him about what?” Tony looked at him in confusion.
“Just organizing a little gift for the Winchesters with help from Nat and Clint.” Steve let out a small smile.
“Sounds important if it meant SHIELD are involved.” Tony raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
“You will find out on Christmas day. Now, what are making that kept you awake for two days?”
“You will find out on Christmas day.” Tony parroted with a smug smile. “Now if you will excuse me, I promised Dean to go shopping with him since he seemed terrified of going to a mall by himself.”
“Can’t really blame him.”
***
“Are you going to tell me why are we here?” Tony groaned tiredly as he walked beside Dean through the mall. “I thought you finished all your shopping yesterday when you went out with Sam and Cas for the whole day. And why me?”
“I did. But can’t really get Sam and Cas’ gifts while they are with me.” Dean answered with a roll from his eyes. “And since it was you who insisted on being in New York so you are stuck with me on this since I prefer to die over coming here on my own.”
“Fair enough.” Tony muttered with a sigh. He let his eyes wander as he walked until they landed on something and he grabbed Dean’s arm to get him inside the store that got his attention. “Hey, won’t Cas like that?”
Dean glanced at what Tony was pointing at and saw that it was a peanut butter maker.
“Pretty sure he will. Couldn’t exactly afford it.” Dean just shrugged after checking its price and walked out of the store, Tony hot on his heels.
“You do realize that I have money, right?” Tony looked at him like he was an idiot.
“Good for you. What does that have to do with anything?” Dean gave him a blank look.
Tony was taken aback by Dean’s response and stopped to look at him in confusion.
“Uhm, you know. I could-“
“Wait, wait. Is that really what you thought? That I asked you to come with me for your money?” Dean looked sternly at Tony with a raised eyebrow.
Tony blinked at him a few times. Not really sure how to respond. Honestly? That was always his first thought when anyone got close to him or asked him to tag along for something. Well, everyone except Steve who always absolutely refused to take any of Tony’s money and relying on his army pension that was pretty large to be honest. But usually, he came to expect that his money came first to almost everyone.
When his silence got longer, Dean just sighed and softened a little and placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder.
“Dude, I don’t care about your money and I never will. I asked you to come with me because I want your company. Nothing else. Are we clear on that?”
Tony just nodded dumbly, looking at Dean with wide eyes.
“Good. Now come on, let’s check that store.”
***
Steve entered the communal room with Natasha to find Sam and Castiel sitting on a table surrounded by wrapping paper and gift boxes with deep confused frowns on their faces.
“You guys okay?” he asked walking over to them.
The two Winchesters looked up at him and blinked a few times like they didn’t know how to answer him.
“You don’t know how to wrap a gift, do you?” Natasha stated with a fond smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“To be fair, as an angel I never really needed that particular skill.” Castiel mumbled with a scowl on his face.
“And I never really needed to learn how, we barley even celebrated Christmas.” Sam sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.
That really pulled at Steve’s heart. He knew that The Winchesters’ lives were hard. Filled with pain, mourning and death. They never really felt like celebrating any of the holidays and he didn’t blame them for it. He couldn’t imagine dealing with what they dealt with.
That’s why he was determined to make this Christmas worth it for them. They deserved to be happy. Deserved to have a family that loved them. So, he made sure to make everyone decorate the tower themselves and not rent people to do it. It was hilarious to watch Thor and Sam on step ladders to decorate the high places since they were the tallest, also watching Dean and Tony argue about what they should put on the large tree in the middle of the living room while the others were decorating around the tower with him and Castiel carrying the heavy stuff.
It was very nice, made him forget about his anxiety with the falling snow and the cold for a while. Yup, that’s right, he still couldn’t handle the cold and the sight of the snow made him antsy and a little unstable. It was better than before of course with Tony’s help along the years, but he was sure he will never be comfortable with the cold and snow ever again. And this family atmosphere made him forget about it for a while. And the sight of the decorated Christmas tree made the panic attack he had when it snowed on him while getting it all worth it.
He made sure to not let Tony know about that but he suspects he already figured it out.
He was pulled from his thoughts when Natasha sat down next to Sam and grabbed one of the gift boxes to help him wrap it.
He took another seat on the table to help out too.
“Captain America can wrap gifts?” Sam smirked teasingly at him while Castiel chuckled as he watched Steve’s moves as he wrapped the gift to copy it.
“Believe it or not, Captain America was actually a human being before the serum.” Steve rolled his eyes with a smile.
“You have to admit, it is kind of exhilarating to see you do anything other than being a moral compass and a stubborn asshole.” Natasha smirked over at him as she finished wrapping the gift and moved on to another one.
“Jeez, thanks I can feel the love radiating from you.” Steve rolled his eyes again and glared at her.
That, unfortunately, something he had to deal with from almost everybody. That most people sees him as a symbol, as the Captain. And mostly forgets that there was just a guy in there. He knew Natasha and Sam were just teasing him like the rest of their family. But other people became genuinely shocked when he did a normal thing in front of them. Like they seriously forgets he was human. And it was taking its toll on him.
He looked up from the finished gift to see Castiel smiling at him in understanding. Like he knew what he was thinking about. Steve felt himself smile back at him and his tensed shoulders relaxed again.
He was with his family. The family that knows him completely. There is no need to be tensed.
The cold really was playing with his nerves.
“Where is everybody anyway?” Natasha asked, breaking the comfortable silence a few minutes later.
“Thor went to Asgard. Getting a few things from there from what I gathered from him. Clint and Bruce are off doing God only knows what. Tony and Dean went to the mall.” He replied, never taking his eyes off what he was doing.
“Tony and Dean went to the mall?” Castiel asked while furrowing his brows. Steve looked at him and saw that he managed to wrap four gifts from watching him doing it. God, he was a fast learner. “I think we should check on them. They might get caught up in an argument and stay there forever until one of them wins.”
“Nah, don’t worry. Tony didn’t sleep for two days, he will let Dean win all the arguments since he was too tired to try and win any.”
“These two are going to kill me from their bickering.” Natasha muttered with a glare. “It was like they insist to disagree on everything just to make the other frustrated and they keep at it, refusing to back down from how stubborn they are.”
“Honestly? I am really happy about their friendship.” Castiel commented with a fond smile. “No matter how loud and annoying it was, I am really glad to see them like this.”
“Yeah, I sure knew Tony needed that kind of friendship.” Steve agreed with a smile.
“As long as it keeps Dean preoccupied from teasing the hell out of me, I am glad.” Sam smirked making them all chuckle.
Just then, the aforementioned best friends entered the room with their hands filled with shopping bags, as usual bickering loudly.
“Just because we saw more Iron Man action figures and lots of people asked for your autograph that doesn’t mean you are the strongest Avenger.” Dean objected with a frown.
“Maybe not, but it means that I am definitely the coolest.” Tony countered with a smug smile.
“No, it meant you were the only Avenger seen on the street then.” Dean retorted with a smirk.
“You are just jealous no one asked for your autograph.”
“Dude, I am technically dead years ago. As a wanted criminal. I am surprised no one asked questions about why there are two dead serial killers and an unknown man seen fighting with the Avengers for a few months now.” Dean rolled his eyes as he made his way to their table.
Steve and Natasha shared a smirk that made the other two Winchesters look at them with confusion.
“Yeah, I wonder why.” Natasha commented with the smirk still on her face.