Summary: Everyone has Christmas traditions; even the Avengers.

Tony could smell the hot cider coming from the kitchen as soon as he exited his lab. Shaking his head with a small smile, he started up the stairs in search of Pepper.

Already, Clint had found his way into the Tower and was sitting in the living room, buried in a pile of blankets and reading a book. Sam, Steve, Wanda, and Natasha were still gone, but Vision was in the kitchen helping Pepper with the cider based on the muffled conversation he could hear. Rhodey was in the same spot he'd been in since Tony went down to the lab hours ago.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Katniss," Tony greeted, walking past him and into the kitchen to find Pepper.

Clint grunted. "Thanks."

Bruce joined him on the couch a moment later and picked up a tablet while Tony walked over to Pepper and kissed her cheek.

"Did you need something in particular?" Pepper asked, smiling as he pulled away.

Tony looked at her innocently.

"Yes, I wanted to remind you I loved you," he cheekily.

Pepper laughed softly and rolled her eyes, returning to the cider.

Almost as if sensing the cider was nearly done, the lift dinged and Sam, Steve, Natasha, and Wanda came into the Tower. Returning from a last-minute mission, they were all at varying stages of exhaustion. Seeming the most awake, Wanda was talking animatedly with Natasha who only appeared to be listening partially. Following behind them, Steve and Sam looked ready to fall asleep. At the smell of apple cider though, Sam perked up and turned into the kitchen.

"Pepper, you're the best woman in this world and if anyone ever tells you otherwise, I'll kill them," Sam said seriously, taking a cup of cider and promptly burning his mouth when he took a large gulp.

"I'll remember that next time I'm in a meeting," Pepper smiled. She handed Natasha, Wanda, and Steve mugs of cider then handed one to Tony. "The cookies will be done in a couple of minutes."

"Then we can start A Christmas Story?" Tony asked. Pepper nodded and Tony grinned.

It was a tradition he'd started with Rhodey in college and continued ever since. When Pepper began joining them for Christmas, she added the cider and cookie part to the tradition and Tony had refused to let it go when the team began to join them as well.

"Do you need any help, Pepper?" Wanda asked.

"Sure," Pepper replied. Reaching for two mugs, she handed them to Wanda and said, "Take these to Clint and Rhodey for me."

Wanda disappeared with the mugs and didn't return. Tony left for the living room to cue the movie a few minutes later while Natasha helped Pepper plate up the cookies.

In the living room, Steve had claimed the armchair before anyone else could take it and Wanda was sitting beside Clint. Natasha squished in beside Clint and Vision sat on Wanda's other side. Deciding to join Rhodey on his couch, Tony and Pepper took a seat together and Sam and Bruce found comfort in the large bean bags on the floor.

"Everyone ready?" Tony asked, looking around to make sure everyone was seated and within reach of a plate of cookies. After confirming everyone was comfortable, he hit play on the DVD and settled back between Rhodey and Pepper to watch the movie for over the twentieth time. 

* * * * *

Christmas morning started out with the fire alarm waking up most everyone in the Tower. There was a stampede of feet as everyone rushed into the kitchen to see what was happening only to find Vision wearing an apron and frantically trying to turn off the alarm.

Tony groaned and turned around to return to bed, Clint and Sam following close behind. Steve helped Vision turn off the alarm then went into the living room to read for a few hours. After reassuring Vision and telling him not to worry, Pepper began showing him how to make pancakes without burning them while Natasha dumped out the black pancakes. In one of the kitchen chairs, Wanda slouched over and watched Vision learn how to cook properly with her chin in her hand.

"It's okay," Pepper assured Vision, "Even Tony messes up pancakes sometimes."

"I don't understand," Vision said, watching as she mixed up some more batter then handed it to him. "Pancakes are supposed to be an easy breakfast food."

"Everything takes practice," Natasha told him before joining Steve in the living room to watch some TV before the day officially began.

* * * * *

After the initial crisis, the day went smoothly. Pepper helped Vision make his pancakes then everyone was called into the dining room for breakfast. Afterwards, they gathered in the living room, scrunched tight together on the couches, and passed out presents.

"Gramps goes first," Tony declared, leaning back against the couch.

Steve rolled his eyes and picked his first present.

"Where's Thor when you need him?" he mumbled, closely inspecting his first gift.

"It's not a grenade, Cap," Clint said irritably, "Just open it so the rest of us can get on with it."

"If you're so eager to go, be my guest," Steve offered.

Clint didn't need to be told twice and ripped open the present Natasha had gotten him. He pulled out a box of magnets with things written in another language.

"I didn't have time to get you anything on the day between missions, so I hope you're happy," she said, nudging him with her toes on the other side of the couch. Clint just grinned and tore into the box, reading each magnet closely while others opened their gifts.

After opening all their presents, the team stayed in the living room for a few hours. Natasha and Clint were talking about the magnets she'd gotten him as she translated some of the ones he wasn't sure about. Across from them, Sam and Steve were telling Bruce, Rhodey, and Tony about their last mission and Pepper was talking with Wanda about when they should go to the spa (a gift from Pepper to Wanda; the promise of a girl's day). Vision listened contentedly.

"We should go to the park," Clint suggested to the group.

The team turned to look at him in varying states of confusion.

"Come on,' Clint groaned, "It's probably pretty empty since it's Christmas and we could have a snowball fight and make snowmen."

"We could do that on the balcony, too," Tony pointed out.

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him. "You want someone to fall off the edge when the snowball fight gets heated?"

"Snowball fights can't get heated," Tony told her haughtily, "Snow isn't hot."

Natasha rolled her eyes, but Pepper was on board with the idea so a few minutes after Clint first made the suggestion, the team was bundled up and piled in the lift.

They walked to Central Park and as soon as they'd found a place devoid of people, a snowball found a home on the neck of Steve's jacket. Stopping short, he turned around to see who had thrown it. Everyone just stared at him with wide eyes, wondering the same thing. That is until Steve noticed snow on Natasha's mittens and the slightest smirk on her face.

"You're going down, Romanoff," he warned. He scooped up snow and threw it at Natasha, but she ducked and the snow hit Pepper in the face.

The entire group went silent, waiting for Pepper's reaction.

"This is war!" she shouted, packing a snowball and throwing it at Tony.

All at once, everyone started bending down and packing snowballs to throw at each other, screaming about killing whoever had hit them (Natasha), ducking behind trees to avoid getting snow in their face (Bruce), or throwing barely made snowballs at whoever they could find (Clint).