Yuanfen

Before anyone could really believe it ten years had passed. The disaster Steve had felt coming had come and gone and so had many more. After Peter Parker, Tony decided to keep an eye out for young heroes, and whenever they’d find them they’d keep an eye on them till they were old enough and then they’d train them. With all the new Inhumans and science constantly evolving it seemed like super powered people just popped up constantly. Eventually, one ragtag group of them ended up becoming the newest Avenger team, and the others finally felt that they could retire, barring anything too crazy.
Retirement from the Avengers meant different things for everyone. For Clint and Natasha it meant spending more time with Laura and the kids, but it also meant continuing to train new heroes as they cropped up. Between Tony and Daisy they developed a computer system that found most of them pretty quickly. Tony also generously funded a facility near where they lived where they could train the kids and any of them who wound up without somewhere to live could stay till they got on their feet again.
For Tony it meant having the time to spend on the things he cared about most. He kept working on gear, as it was a bit of a family tradition, but he also got to work more on things that changed the lives of everyday people too. Most importantly, he used his newfound free time to finally get his relationship with Pepper to stick. They’d gotten married, and things really seemed to work this time.
One of Tony’s best inventions was to help people with spinal cord injuries. James had helped him trial run device after device and finally he’d made one that worked. It didn’t help everyone, but it helped James and thousands of others. For James it meant he could work his old job with the government again, which he did for a few years before deciding to retire from that as well and just focus on helping people. Sam had given him a few contacts in the VA in DC and he loved his work there.
Sam had gotten settled in at the VA in New York where he worked half the year. The other half of the year he spent in Wakanda. He’d never specifically said why, but Steve had a sharp suspicion he and T’challa weren’t just friends. No one particularly cared, as Sam was so happy with things. Steve knew one day Sam would probably move there permanently, but that day hadn’t come yet.
Scott had moved home to spend more time with his family, as well as the Pyms. He was never more than a phone call away. He and Hope dealt with small problems on their own, and were happy together.
Wanda and Vision chose not to retire. They were both young enough they weren’t ready for that part of their lives to be over. They helped Natasha and Clint with training the others, and worked with the newest Avenger team. They dated and were happy, even if others didn’t always understand their relationship.
Steve and Bucky were the first of the group to retire. It took them two years to get married, and they retired the same day. No one had believed it would stick, but when it did it encouraged the others to do the same. Max had given them a kitten as a wedding gift, and after a year they’d gotten a dog too. Then two years ago they’d finally made the decision to adopt. Initially they’d planned on a baby, but things rarely worked out the way they planned. Their social worker had called them in a panic asking if they’d consider siblings, two year old Sarah and five year old Mason, because she was having trouble placing them together and didn’t want to separate them, even if it was just temporary. Despite their anxiety they’d agreed, and within a few days they'd fallen in love with them and they adopted them right away.
Everyone was heading to Wakanda for a big get together. It’d been 11 years now since they all met, and they always got together this time of year. This year T’challa couldn’t get away so they’d all agreed to go there.
Steve and Bucky spent their first evening in town curled up on the couch next to Sam and T’challa just like they used to all those years ago. They could hear all the kids running around playing tag while the adults sat together talking and catching up.
As the night drew to a close it was time for the little ones to go to bed. Laura got Nate and Steve and Bucky got Sarah and Mason and they all headed separate ways to put them to bed.
“Papa,” Mason asked as they tucked the kids in. “Tell us a story.”
Bucky smiled and sat down next to Steve on the end of the big bed the kids were sharing. “About what?”
“About when you and Daddy lived here.”
Bucky smiled and grabbed Steve’s hand. “That was a very long time ago. One of the best days we spent here was Daddy’s birthday. Daddy hadn’t told anyone else his birthday was coming, but I knew. I also knew it was the first birthday Daddy wouldn’t be able to see the fireworks, and it was the first time we’d been together for his birthday in years. So I found a recipe for apple pie and tried to make one for him, since that’s what we’d always had as kids. But Papa didn’t really know anything about making pie then, and Daddy came in the kitchen because he was looking for me and I was covered in flour and had burned the pie.”
“I wiped the flour off Papa’s face, cut a big slice of pie, put ice cream on it and ate it anyway.” Steve said leaning over to kiss Bucky’s forehead.
“Why?” Sarah asked wrinkling her nose.
Steve chuckled, “Your Papa had worked so hard to make that pie that I didn’t want it to go to waste. The only part that was burned was the crust, so I just ate the middle and the ice cream. Besides, it’s tradition.”
“When Clint came in to make dinner he was so horrified by the mess and by the fact that you’d eaten it he taught me how to make the pie properly instead of making dinner.” Bucky said smiling. “Everyone ate apple pie and ice cream instead and Sam found a live stream of the fireworks online for us to watch.”
Steve smiled at Bucky and squeezed his hand gently before leaning forward to kiss both kids on the forehead. “Now it’s time for you to go to bed.” Bucky followed suit kissing the kids on the cheek.
“Goodnight little monkeys,” Bucky said smiling. He and Steve stood up still holding hands. “Sleep tight.”
“Night Daddy. Night Papa,” The kids chorused as they slipped out of the room.
Steve pushed Bucky gently against the wall and kissed him. When they pulled apart he smiled, “I love you.”
Bucky smirked, “I know.”
Steve rolled his eyes, “I know you didn’t have a lot of fun stories to pick from, but that was one of my favorite days too.”
“Burned pie and all?”
“Burned pie and all.” Steve said nodding. “It didn’t matter what had happened that was gonna be the best birthday I’d had in years, cause I finally had you back.”
Bucky smiled and ruffled Steve’s hair, “You’re a sap, but I love you Steve Rodgers. You’ve made my life perfect.”
“And I’m the sap,” Steve said chuckling.
Bucky rolled his eyes, “Whatever. We’ve come a long way since then.”
Steve nodded, “It feels like yesterday, but also like it was another lifetime.”
Bucky smiled, “So, you made a wish that night. Did it come true?”
Steve blushed, “It did.”
“You want to share?”
“I wished for us to be happy.”