It Only Takes a Second

- XXIX -

"Happy birthday!" Natasha greeted, entering the room with a grocery sack in her hand. Almost immediately, everyone swarmed her.

"Thank you," Harry chuckled from the bed. He was already really excited about today, because he was being released from the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital and everyone, spare Natasha, were flying back to the United States.

Harry didn't know it yet, but Clint and Fury were scheduled to fly back tomorrow afternoon to help Nat. Tony would come closer to the time of the trial.

"I brought donuts!" Nat laughed, shooing everyone away. "Get back heathens, Harry gets first pick!"

Harry glanced inside the box and chewed his lip thoughtfully, choosing the strawberry glazed donut.

"You like strawberry donuts?" Peter asked, eyebrows rising in surprise.

Harry shrugged. "Kind of. But usually nobody else wants it so I'll let everyone else choose what they want. This is okay."

"Absolutely not!" Bucky walked over, plucking the strawberry donut out of Harry's hand. "First of all, strawberry glazed is my absolute favorite, and I will not let you, who only 'kind of' likes them, eat the only one. And second, it is your birthday, and screw what everyone else wants. You're sixteen! Choose your own damn donut!"

Bucky took a dramatic bite out of the donut and moaned. "I haven't had one of these since 1944. It's just as good as I remember."

"Buck, I would have taken you to get a donut," Steve murmured softly from behind him.

"There were more pressing matters. Like milkshakes. And... God, literally anything. Hydra didn't let... nevermind," Bucky trailed off, taking another large bite of the donut, filling his mouth so full that he couldn't speak.

"I really love the chocolate glazed ones," Harry spoke, breaking the silence and picking up a chocolate long john.

"That's a good choice. I think I might take one of those too," Peter nodded, grabbing one exactly like what Harry had and tapping it to his, giving a small exclamation of 'cheers'.

"Cinnamon twist all the way," Tony spoke, plucking the twist from box. "Pep, can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine with whatever. Just make sure it wasn't touching the strawberry one," Pepper gave him a small smile, before seeing Harry's confused face.

"I'm allergic to strawberries," she explained. Harry's mouth dropped into an 'O'.

"I'm so sorry! I know there have been times before when I have made breakfast and it's had strawberries. I didn't know, I'm so sorry!"

"Harry, really it's fine. As long as it doesn't touch whatever I'm eating, and I don't consume them, I'm fine. What you've been making is fine. Don't worry about it."

Harry's body relaxed a bit. He felt bad that he didn't know anyone's allergies, but he made a mental note to ask Friday about it once they got back to New York.

"Are you ready to go home today?" Tony asked, taking a big bite out of his donut.

"You have no idea," Harry responded. "Even though I'm just going to the med-bay there, I'm ready to be home."

"I'll bet," Pepper nodded, "after we finish with donuts, I'll go finish signing some release forms and then we can go home."

Harry nodded, squeezing Peter's hand in a combination of nerves and excitement.

"What do you want for dinner tonight? And dessert?" Steve asked. It was always tradition to have whatever the birthday person wanted for dinner and dessert, and he was going to make sure the tradition carried on with Harry as well.