𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒 - 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴. ✔︎

Secret Santa

a/n: guess who's back?? back again?? lmao do people still read this btw? anyways, i had to write an early christmas one-shot because i feel terrible for the one i wrote a year ago because it was super, incredibly shitty, i don't know what i was thinking ! ( i honestly am considering to delete that one-shot ! ) (update; its been deleted)

ps, this is inspired by the office episode "christmas party" where jim gives pam a teapot for christmas w the note inside (and amongst other things) ! !

There was always that one thing that Steve Rogers had looked forward to every single year. Ever since he could remember, Christmas was above all, his favourite time of the year. Back before all this superhero business, way back when he was the scrawny little kid he was, Christmastime was the moment he cherished and spent with his parents, in their little apartment in Brooklyn. Every year, it was the same old tradition: listening to Christmas classical music on the phonograph, beside the fireplace while Steve's mother, Sarah, would read Steve's favourite classic book of all time, A Christmas Carol. Though it was all but simple, it meant everything to Steve.

However, since thawing from under the ice and returning back on the field to fight against sworn enemies, his newfound family were far from simple. Tony, to say the least, was very well known around the globe due to the famous grand Christmas Eve party he threw every year and they were beyond anyone's expectations. It was, first of all, Tony, and of course being the Tony-self he is, beyond extravagant, was definitely at the top of his vocabulary.

Well, every year until the Ultron incident. The Stark Christmas festivities had died down a little, turning into a simple, yet still somewhat extravagant celebration just between his own little family, Earth's Mightest Heroes. Tony supposed it was for the better.

Growing up, Tony Stark never succumbed himself in traditions. It just wasn't in his nature. His father was never around, not even during the holiday season. He'd either be overseas at a 'business trip' or curled up in his own attic office, too focused on his own work to even spend a minute with his family. Sometimes, there were things about Howard Stark that reminded Tony of himself. His mother, Maria, on the other hand, tried her best to give her only son the best Christmases each year. Though the businesswoman had matters of her own to tend to, she was always putting Tony first. To be perfectly honest, his own mother was the only happy Christmas memory he could recall. That was until she was murdered. And Howard too.

And then it was Tony, all alone.

It took him years to come to his senses and when he finally did, it was all because he became close with his team. A team he never would've considered his full and real family until they accomplished one single battle together. Tony was thankful. It helped him avoid repeating the actions of his own father, and, costing his relationship with Pepper.

So, year after year, The Avengers would gather at Stark Tower, until of course the incident, where they relocated the party elsewhere: at the one place they each called home, and that was coincidently, Avengers Headquarters.

Though crime doesn't sleep or take a break for that matter, it didn't stop the Avengers from enjoying five days off from the field and all the busyness of being crime-fighting heroes.

"You know what time of year it is, FRIDAY?"

Tony Stark strolled like a supermodel into his complex of a building that was once his father's, that he kindly inherited and has since turned into a 'house for the Avengers'. He swiped his sunglasses off from his eyes, even though it was the middle of winter, and lay them on the nearest counter.

"It is currently the Winter Solstice, sir," FRIDAY replied back in her monotone, Scottish accent.

Tony turned his attention to the fireplace, quickly clapping his hands to ignite a cozy, warm fire.