A/N: I apologize up front if I was inaccurate on any of the facts about fourth of July. If, people. IF.
"STRIPES!" Tony yelled. "WAKE UP!"
Steve jumped up and fell on the floor. He groaned as Tony danced. He placed a flag on Steve's pillow before yelling, "HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!" and running out of the room. Steve rubbed his eyes and fumed as he realized that it was 7:40 in the morning; the night after Tony had dragged the team out of the Tower and to a big party, not getting home until 6:00. Which was an hour ago.
Steve growled as he plopped back on his bed, placed the flag gently on his night table, and fell back asleep.
Tony snickered as Steve woke up hours after his intrusion, with the team trying to fuel themselves on coffee and blueberry pancakes and strawberries, with whipped cream, in honor of the momentous day (Tony's idea.) Tony nudges Loki, who was reading the newspaper beside him on the couch. He looked up and nudged Natasha, who got up and nudged Clint as Steve opened the refrigerator. By the time Steve turned around, the whole team was staring at him, a few of them holding back smiles.
Steve frowned. "What?" He looked around the room before his eyes settled on Tony. "What?"
"Oh! Oh nothing, it's just that…you're Captain America…and it's the Fourth of July…"
"Yes?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
Tony blurted out, "And…well, Natasha here, wanted to take you out," which earned him a stab in the ribs with an elbow. "You didn't let me finish," Tony said through gritted teeth. "Well, not as a date, but just to, you know, show you around the city."
"I've already been around the city," Steve countered.
"I don't think saving the city from an alien threat counts," Natasha countered. "No offence, Loki."
"None taken," Loki said coolly, completely brushing the comment off as he looked expectantly at Steve. "So are you going?"
"Stretch your legs a little bit," Banner said. "In fact, I'll go with you two, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Natasha said. "So how about it?"
Steve looked at his team – and Loki – with a questioning glance. "Is there something going on here?"
Tony scoffed. "Whatever are you talking about, dear Steven?"
Steve squinted.
"Oh, by the gods," Loki mumbled under his breath.
"Great! The Big Guy, America himself, and the Woman Assassin," Tony said, herding them to the elevator. "What could possibly go wrong?" Before Steve could respond, the doors closed.
Immediately, Tony clapped his hands together and spun around. "Birdseed, you got the streamers?"
Clint nodded. "I'm on it."
"Good. Loke, you got the invites?"
Loki growled, but nodded. "Are we…?"
"Yes, Thor is invited."
Loki scowled.
"I'm picking up the presents, don't give me that look. JARVIS! Get the playlist together."
"Already done, sir."
"Great!"Tony whipped out his phone and called Pepper. "Pep, you got the stuff?"
"What is this, a drug exchange?" Came the reply.
Tony frowned and took the receiver away from his ear. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Sir, Miss Romanov, Doctor Banner, and Mister Rogers have left the building."
"Great!"
He switched the phone off and sighed happily.
"I still do not understand."
Tony turned around to where Loki was sitting. "What?"
"This 'Fourth of July.' What is it?"
"Technically it's these United States of America declaring independence from Britain a long time ago. We did this by making the document called the Declaration of Independence. Some very important people wrote and signed it, and we celebrate the day of this document being ratified on the fourth day of the month of July; hence, the fourth of July."
"Yes, you have already explained this to me," Loki said, "but what does this have to do with the Captain?"
Tony smiled. "The Declaration of Independence isn't the only thing that has happened on July 4th."
At 8:00 that night, everyone hid behind the couches, and Tony had JARVIS turn the lights off.
"Sir, they're back."
There were multiple "Shhhh!" –es shared before the elevator doors opened, letting out a laughing Bruce and a smiling Steve. Suddenly, the lights flicked on, and Frank Sinatra flooded the speakers.
"SURPRISE!"
Steve jumped as the Avengers team, along with a few SHIELD agents came from their hiding places, smiling and laughing at Steve's face.
"Wh-what?"
Clint slung an arm around a startled and amused Steve. "What are the odds that Captain America's birthday is on the fourth of July?"
Steve's eyes widened. "But- how did…?"
Tony opened his arms. "I'm Tony Stark. What don't I know?" He smiled and slung his arm around Steve's other shoulder. "Come on, we've got hot dogs and beer. And then when the beer doesn't work, we have alcohol."
Steve smiled. The party went on through the night, with Clint and Tony getting drunk (of course) and Steve laughing and talking with the other agents. The cake was brought out, and Steve groaned when he realized that Tony put candles that you can't blow out on the cake. But he laughed all the same, and didn't even mind when he realized that the cake read, "Happy birthday, Gramps!"
The night went on, with a drinking match between Thor and Steve – and by the end neither one was drunk, and nobody knew who had won.
Finally, after Clint almost set the bar on fire, and after at least more than half of the people had arrived at the party became drunk, the crowed lessened, and finally, the last agent left.
"Well," Tony said, slurring his words. "That…was-sa greah party." He collapsed on the couch next to Clint, who had already passed out.
Steve laughed and threw a blanket over them both.
"'Ey."
Steve looked up at a semi-awake smiling Tony.
"Happy Birth'ay…"
Steve smiled. "Thanks, Tony."
A snore was the reply.
Steve shook his head.
"You know, he planned this all."
He turned around. "Miss Romanov. Loki. I thought you were…"
Natasha shrugged. "Decided to wait for everyone else to go to bed."
"And I was just finishing my drink." Loki threw back the rest of what he was drinking.
Natasha nodded in Tony's direction. "He planned everything. All for you."
"As soon as he figured out your day of birth," Loki turns to face Steve, "he decided to make this celebration."
"Really?" Steve said as he looked around the Tower. "Stark did all this?"
"He had help," Loki murmured. Natasha nudged him, and Loki glared.
"Yes," Natasha said. They all stood there in silence.
"Well, if that's all, I guess I'll say goodnight," Loki said.
"Same." They both headed to their rooms, leaving Steve to look around. He smiled to himself, before asking JARVIS to lower the lights and going to his room.
The next morning, Tony and Clint had to explain why they were hugging each other while they were sleeping on the couch.
A/N: Yes, yes, it's a shit fic, but I wanted to write something for July 4th. For people who don't live in America, maybe you'd enjoy my other stuff. Also my excuse: it's 2 in the morning. That enough of an excuse for you? Reviews welcome, and I need sleep. Night!