Chapter 16 - Drunk Heroes

The big birthday bash had a slow buildup all that day. It was usually a little like that every year, but it was apparent this was going to be different when people from all of the schools started to trickle in early in the day.

People from the Chicago school were there at breakfast, and the teachers from the LA school were there by lunchtime. Hisako had even flown in from Japan, with Laura and Gabby rounding out their little group of that just meant that everyone was ready to get down to it by the time the actual party started.

And hardly any time passed from the 'official' start before Logan and Kurt had flanked James and gotten started. Which was particularly fun since it seemed that Logan had arranged for everyone of age to bring a shot to have with James — rather than bust out the Asgardian stuff too early. He was going to hit him with massive quantities instead, which just made for more participation with everyone else.

Chance was particularly entertained when he came around with a crooked grin. "They did this to me too. Apparently, it's tradition."

"It is," Logan said. "And if we'd been in Canada, it'd happen at eighteen."

"Which is scarier because I couldn't skip the hangover back then," Chance stage whispered to James before he threw back his shot. "Keep up, James."

James shook his head and took the shot Chance handed him. "This is such a ridiculous idea."

"But fun!" Gabby called out from where she was literally perched on a stool on her hands rather than her legs, gleefully making sure everyone participated even if she hadn't had more than the one shot with James.

James smiled her way. "So, you're the official cheerleader? Or are you keeping track?"

"Yes!" she laughed.

"She volunteered to be bookkeeper," Logan said before he waved for her to hand him a bottle.

She grinned as she tossed the bottle to Logan. "Plus, it's fun to watch everyone fall over themselves. Noh is already in the world is spinning stages. He gets there faster now he's older," she said with relish, tipping her head toward where Noh had his head on Jubilee's lap.

"That didn't take long," Logan said with a little frown as he turned to watch the show.

"He's such a lightweight," Gabby said gleefully.

Kurt turned her way as if the idea had just struck him. "Are you keeping track of everyone?"

Gabby grinned at him crookedly. "Ye-up!" she said. "How else am I going to make sure everyone gets wasted properly?"

"It's for science," James said, nodding before he gave Gabby a hug.

"Exactly! My little brother gets it," she said over James' shoulder before she positively dove into the hug.

"And we'll know then exactly where you stand later," James said with a laugh for Kurt. "All those years of 'I can keep up' … we'll see."

Kurt let out a little huff. "You certainly will."

Gabby giggled and whispered just so James could hear, "He's behind, but don't tell him. It's funny."

"If he actually caught up, he'd die of alcohol poisoning," James said.

"Oh, I've factored that in," Gabby promised. "I've got a system for healers and non-healers."

"So those of us ahead of the curve are already miles ahead numbers wise, is what you're saying," James said.

"That's the whole point, isn't it?" she pointed out, then let out a gasp. "Oooh, I don't know what Kari's new toy does. Does he heal? Can I make him drink Peterquill's space stuff?" she asked excitedly when she saw Kari and Lucas.

"No, he's not a healer, but you can try the space stuff," James laughed with a grin. "Just make sure you record it."

Gabby laughed delightedly and flounced over to Kari and Lucas to insist that he join the party, even if Kari was still a few months shy of the age limit. And it was hard to argue with her when she literally had a hold of his arm and was dragging him into where all the superheroes were drinking and laughing together.

And Kari just had to laugh as she teleported over to where Joulie was sitting a bit apart from all of the insanity. "This is a once-a-year craziness, I promise," she said with a smile.

"That's good," Joulie said. "Because that's a whole lotta crazy in a small space." She leaned forward, looking almost scandalized. "How is Captain America tipsy? I didn't think that was possible?"

"He can get drunk if he works at it enough," Kari explained. "And he always does on the joint birthday. It's a thing."

She shook her head slowly. "Still. It's a little weird to see."

"You get used to it," Kari said, shrugging. "But if you want to just… not? There's always the party Tyler's running with all the little ones and people who don't drink while their parents are wasted."

"Yeah, I already had a couple, and I got my kiss, and I am entirely sure that there was something stronger than whiskey in that glass of his."

"Well, we have Asgardians and aliens among us," Kari pointed out.

"That boy's gonna be a mess," she drawled out.

"He is," Kari agreed. "Best to just let him and his dad and mine do their thing. My mom and K will collect them eventually."

"Yeah, I'm going to go to the kiddies and cookies section of the house," she laughed.

"I'll probably meet you there after I rescue mine," Kari laughed. "He looks a bit overwhelmed." She tipped her head toward where Lucas had found himself in the middle of several retired Avengers, with Clint and Nat on either side of him encouraging him to drink more. "Oh, Uncle Clint, no," she muttered, teleporting off to go save Lucas.

Clint tried to protest the removal — something about how he had to work over his niece's boyfriend properly or he wasn't a good uncle — but Gabby helped Kari by grabbing Clint and all but dragging him over to James.

"Found one!" she told James. "You haven't had your shot with him!"

"You don't have to go hunting," James laughed as Gabby handed both of them a shot and waved for them to drink.

"Umm, it's instinctual, brother mine," Gabby sang out. "I'm going hunting! Have fun!" She flounced off into the crowd, to Clint's obvious amusement.

James raised his glass with Clint. "She's just like this," James said.

"I gathered," Clint chuckled before he knocked his back. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Thanks," James said, though once both of them had taken their shots, the group around them rose up in a cheer — as they'd been doing since the start of the party.

Clint grinned at him and ruffled his hair. "Make sure you hit Nat, too."

"Will do," he promised. "I'm sure she'll bring her own though — and avoid the whiskey."

"Oh yeah. She's packing," Clint laughed outright. "You shoulda seen Kari's European idiot when Nat made him take the shot of vodka. Straight."

"The stoner bro?"

Clint laughed even harder. "I think he thought she was going to murder him if he didn't go along with it."

"Mom told me how to do vodka the Swedish way. I'm told it's a pride thing."

Clint snorted. "Probably why they took so long to warm up to each other."

James turned to watch, half leaning on Clint just so he could be close enough to sign. Looks cozy.

Clint chuckled at that. Yeah, she's having way too much fun. It's great.

Send her over when she's bored. I'm sure Dad'll be fine switching to vodka for a hot minute. Or we can watch her and mom do shots.

Definitely, Clint signed, laughing to himself. "I'll send her your way," he promised before he headed off, still grinning.

So of course, it was no time at all before Natasha headed over, vodka in hand, to sit between Logan and James, getting in her traditional snuggle with Logan too. "Happy birthday."

Both of them leaned over to kiss her cheek at the same time with a stereo 'thanks' that had her smiling outright.

She set the bottle down in front of them and grinned. "Now. This is just for the three of us, da? No one else."

"Da," James agreed, though Logan gave her a raised eyebrow look before he kissed her again and nodded.

"You playin' bartender, darlin'?" Logan asked.

Natasha chuckled. "I have plans."

Logan raised an eyebrow and tipped his chin down. "You sure about that?"

"Oh, absolutely," Natasha said, pouring out the vodka.

"Go get 'im," he said, nodding as he picked up his glass.

Gabby came partway through the vodka bottle with Scott in tow and then did a sort of presentation dance to James. "Ta da! Both godparents! I insisted! I know he already did a shot, but it has to happen!" she said.

"You're awesome," he said with a grin, looking at her backwards over his chair. "Got any other surprises for me?"

"Well, I'm planning to carry your girlfriend over when you're done, but that's for later," she beamed at him.

"That's good," he said, nodding as Gabby handed a shot to Scott and waited for all three of them to have one in hand. When they tossed it back, the crowd rose up in shouts again, which was getting funnier and funnier every time it happened.

"Join us," Natasha said, waving him over. "But get your own whiskey," she added, leaning on Logan a bit — not necessarily too drunk yet but leaning on him anyway.

Scott shook his head at that as he leaned back. "Oh, sure, I see how it is."

"Got a bottle for you here, Slim," Logan said, pushing one his way.

Scott shook his head once more but poured himself some of the whiskey, though he was grinning James' way. "Not what you expected for the twenty-first — or was it just about what you thought?"

"No, this … is pretty much what I figured it would be," James said. "Not like it's not an annual thing, right? I'm just not running drinks."

"The big sister cheerleader is new," Scott pointed out.

"She likes to shake it up," James laughed.

Scott smirked before he hooked an arm around James' shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "Well, I know I said it already, but happy birthday, James."

"Thanks, again," James replied, hugging him right back.

"But I have a more serious question." Scott shook his head and ruffled James' hair. "Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about that, I'm here," James promised.

"Good," Scott said, smiling wider before he poured himself another shot.

It was almost the end of the night, though, when Tony decided it was time to call everyone's attention. "So, okay, I'll let everyone get back to the very important drinking in a minute, but I got one more toast to make," he said, smiling crookedly. "To my new vice president of research and development. You know. The birthday boy."

James was shaking his head at Tony, but Natasha was quick to pull him into a hug and kiss his cheek as Tony started chuckling to himself. "Thank you, for that," James laughed, though it wasn't clear if it was directed at Natasha or Tony.

Natasha simply beamed at him anyway before she got up — or at least tried to — and the bottle of vodka between the three of them finally made itself known when she grabbed onto Logan's shoulder to stay upright with a muttered curse and a giggle.

Tony was chuckling at the scene as he handed James a shot. "Alright, VP, here's to the future, right?"

"How long have you wanted to do this?" James asked as he took the glass and held it up a little. "Specifically, this."

"You gotta have a sense of timing, kiddo," Tony chuckled before he threw his glass back with James, grinning widely the whole time. "Go out on a high note," he added over the shouts around them.

"Glad you're here," James laughed, but as soon as his glass was emptied, Gabby topped him off again.

"Like I said, wouldn't miss it," Tony laughed, taking his drink with him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my wife and kiss the sense out of her!" he declared.

"She was doing shots with K," Gabby called out. "You're welcome!"

Natasha giggled Gabby's way. "Oh yes, we should invite her to more things," she told Logan.

"She's got an open invite," Logan laughed as he got to his feet and put an arm around her back. "But I think Stark has the right idea. Probably oughta get you squared away, Tash."

She nodded as seriously as she was able. "Yes. I had plans," she said.

"You still got 'em, darlin'," he said as they made their way through the crowd to where Clint was laughing with Kate, though all that they caught walking up to them was 'stoner bro. BRO.'

Kate looked up at their arrival, still laughing, and grinned even wider when she saw Logan. "Oh, did you get my husband properly liquored up already, or do you only do one Hawkeye delivery service at a time?"

"I left him with James. Not sure who's in charge," Logan chuckled. "But Thor was getting ready to start pouring."

"Oh, so he'll be ready in thirty seconds," Kate giggled, laughing even harder when Natasha positively slid onto Clint's chair and draped herself into a long kiss. "Guys. Guys. Leave the room first," she laughed.

Clint didn't respond until Natasha was done with the kiss before he grinned Kate's way. "Oh, fine," he said, getting up with Natasha and tipping his head Logan's way. "See you 'round."

Logan offered Kate his arm as he watched them go. "You want to go to the Elf?"

"Please and thank you," she sang out, letting him lead her to where Kurt was laughing with James and Thor. She pulled very nearly the same trick Natasha had, sliding into Kurt's lap to just start nipping at his ears to get his attention, which absolutely worked to get them properly wrapped up — though thankfully for the others still there, the bamfs got their friends to privacy before it could get too involved.

And it wasn't long at all once Thor was involved before James and Logan were both simply leaning on each other and completely wasted. They'd had a really solid start with the rapid-fire booze that Gabby was making sure they had, but once the Asgardian stuff came out, it was a totally different ball game. Especially when Thor wasn't holding back on the pours either.

They were both in great moods, grinning and chuckling, though James absolutely was the one to hold back and finally say enough was enough. "No, I'm done," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sure I can't stand, so that's it. I'm out."

But that was really just the cue for Gabby to bring Joulie over — and help her get James up to her room with a cheerful, "you're welcome!" that had Joulie shaking her head at her.