A/N: For the purposes of this story, the pandemic did not happen.
At Last
It was midnight, Oct. 27, 2020, when Natasha Romanoff returned to Avengers Tower after a long and exhausting mission. To be honest, Natasha was so tired, she didn't know what day it was or what time it was. She just knew it was late.
She dragged herself into the Avengers common room, needing to get some food before she crashed. The lights were dimmed, the only way to get the movie experience on the ginormous flat-screen TV, according to Tony. The set was on, but tuned so low no one would be able to hear it.
No, Natasha corrected herself, as she came in view of the couch. A super soldier would be able to hear it. She was about to call a greeting, when she realized Steve's face was wet. He was sitting in silence, eyes fixed on the screen, while tears poured down his face.
Food and fatigue forgotten, Natasha moved to see what upset her friend. She was at a poor angle for viewing but she realized the screen held talking heads, sportscasters, she recognized. And she caught a glimpse of the Los Angeles Dodgers logo in the background.
"Oh, Steve," she said sympathetically. "Did they lose again?" Steve had been unhappy when the team lost in 2017 and 2018, and then incensed to find out the Astros had cheated in 2017. He would be devastated if they lost again.
"No, they won," Steve said softly. His voice was full of emotion. His face was full of shock, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "They finally won."
Natasha shook her head in amusement. "Then why are you sitting here alone, crying."
"The others ran out," Steve said. "They said we had to celebrate. Tony said something about champagne. I think Bruce went for more snacks." He gestured at a table littered with empty bottles and bowls that contained a few unpopped kernels of corn or a dusting of Dorito crumbs. "And Clint said something about fireworks."
Natasha face palmed at the idea of fireworks inside.
Natasha sat next to her friend. "And why are you crying?"
"Because. I heard it, finally. Words I waited my whole life to hear."
"If I may, Agent Romanoff," Jarvis said politely.
Natasha gestured agreement. Jarvis replayed a moment on the TV. It wasn't even part of the game. It was a commercial, but the voice said in excited tones: "The Dodgers are World Champions!"
A bright grin flashed on Steve's face and he gestured at Jarvis to play it again. "The Dodgers are World Champions!"
"I waited my whole life to hear that," Steve explained. "As a kid, I would have given anything to hear that. All six of the Dodgers previous wins came while I was in the ice. And now I've seen it. The Dodgers won the World Series. The Dodgers are World Champions!"
"And that calls for a celebration!" Tony said, entering while he popped the cork off a pricey bottle of champagne. Clint followed with, fortunately, sparklers and party poppers. Then Bruce came pushing a cart with snacks and a cake with the Dodgers logo.
"I hid it in my room. I didn't want to jinx them by bringing it out before the game was over," he told Steve, who was smiling broadly.
Natasha was touched. She knew the guys didn't really care about baseball but Steve cared about the Dodgers and they cared about Steve.
"Is there any real food?" she asked Bruce.
"Hotdogs and salads in the fridge."
She fixed herself a plate, then joined the boys for cake and champagne — and to keep an eye on the sparklers.
"Congratulations to the Dodgers, past and present, Brooklyn and Los Angeles," Tony said. They all raised their glasses.
Steve grinned from ear to ear. "The Dodgers are World Champions!" he proclaimed, and they all drank champagne.
A/N: Technically, all the Dodgers World Series wins have come in my lifetime, though I was just a baby for the Brooklyn win.
