Tony scratched at the chipped windowpane in the empty room. The others had long since left. He must've slept in. He winced at the cheerful cries, watching balefully as they threw snowballs at each other. His lip twitched, his nail digging a painful stripe into the paint. He hissed and tried to pry the splinter out of his nail. His eyes snapped to Natasha's lithe form chucking a snowball straight at Barnes's head. His eyes flicked to Rogers for a fraction of a second before he beamed, a full teeth smile that had Tony leaning closer to the window. 

     "Don't fall out now." 

     Tony spun around, embarrassment flushing his cheeks. "Sorry." He wiped the fog off the window. "I didn't mean to get so close."

     Sarah clucked, propping a laundry basket against her hip. "That don't matter to me, boy. What are you even looking at?" She set the basket down and stepped over to the window. Her blue eyes looked between the window and Tony. "Well, what are you watching them for? If you want to have fun, you can go out there."

     Tony smiled softly. "I'm okay. Really," he added. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't. I don't play in the snow."

     She rubbed his shoulder. "There's a first time for everything. My Steve, why, he couldn't run around or throw a snowball back in the day. Always started wheezing like an old dog in the doghouse. He used to be as scrawny as a twig until he bulked up. Do you think he ran around playing with snow? Well, he sure as hell did. He was terrible at it, too." Tony blinked. "What I'm trying to say is just to have fun. You never know how long you'll be around to do it."

     Tony looked the small woman over. The weight on her shoulders was still there and her blonde hair was thin and stringy. She could be speaking from experience. Maybe she's sick, he thought. Tony looked out the window. "I don't want to intrude, uh, Sarah."

     Sarah turned to pick up the basket. "Intrude? They won't even mind." Tony shook his head numbly. Sarah sniffed. "Well, you can't stay in here."

     "Wha-"

     "I need to clean." Sarah made an exaggerated motion with her hands. "Y'all are messy enough. My house is starting to look like a pigsty."

     "Sorry. Do you need any help?"

     "Yes," she started pushing him toward the door, "you can help me by going outside. Go on." She waved him away with a fond smile, watching his back with a smirk before closing the door with her hip. 

     Tony stuffed his hands into his sweatshirt on his way down the stairs. The cheers and laughter crescendoed the closer he got to the back door. Tony wiggled his toes in his boots, steeling himself for the attention that would be on him. He reached for the door, hesitating for a second before it was barreled open by Thor. His blonde locks had snow sprinkled throughout, big clumps clinging to his short beard and his eyelashes. He grabbed Tony's forearm before he could fall,  lips spread in a blinding smile that froze Tony in place. No one had ever been that happy to see him.

     "Anthony!" he boomed. Tony flinched in his arms but the large junior didn't seem to notice. "Have you come to join our snowball fight?"

     "I-I guess?"

     Thor's smile grew. "How wonderful!" Tony's eyes widened when he was pulled out onto the porch. His boots slid against the slush. Thor held on tighter. Tony gave a full-body shiver at the sudden temperature change. "Friends, Anthony has decided to join us!"

     Rogers wiped the snow off of his reddened face. "The numbers are even Thor."

     Tony shook his head vehemently. "I'm not joining your snowball fight. I was kicked out by Sarah. She wanted to clean." Tony looked at his boots. "I'll just sit on the porch or something."

     Natasha flicked a snowball at Rogers. "Even if he made the teams uneven it wouldn't be a challenge. He doesn't have an arm."

     Tony scowled. "I do, too."

     Clint huffed, a smirk playing on his lips. "All I hear are some words. You can't prove anything sitting on the porch."

     Tony wrenched himself free of Thor's grasp. "Fine," he growled. "What team am I on?"

     They shared a look that made Tony's skin crawl. Natasha bowed her head. "Mine." Tony shuffled over to her side. Natasha tossed her snowball into the air, the compacted snow glistening in the morning sun. "Bruce, Thor, Tony, and I versus Clint, Bruce, and Steve. Is that all right with you?"

     Grunted affirmation was all they received before the war started. The cool air chilled Tony's throat as it reached his lungs, sending a chill through his body. Tony threw himself to the ground when two snowballs were sent flying toward his head. He had to spit out a clump of snow before standing. Tony brushed his hoodie off, grimacing at the wet splotches forming all over the fabric. He looked up when Bruce jogged over to the porch steps. Bruce was out and Tony hadn't thrown a single snowball. 

     Tony scooped up a handful of powdery snow while the other guys were occupied with Natasha. Her spider-like grace allowed her to weave between the projectiles with ease. Tony took a steeling breath, doing his best to compact the powder into a decent ball. He scowled when it crumpled in his hands. Too much pressure, he thought. This is juvenile. I can't make a simple snowball. 

     Tony ducked another snowball, directing his scowl towards Barnes. His previous smile was gone and the blank mask was back. But Tony had already seen him smile once. That was enough to prove he wasn't a total emotionless robot. Tony snorted and focused his attention back on his failed attempt at a snowball. Tony stamped his snow-laden boot deeper into the snow. He didn't know why he was getting so upset over such a simple thing. He crossed his arms. Only simpletons know how to make a snowball. 

     "Having trouble, Stark?" Barton called from the porch steps. Tony huffed. "What? They didn't teach you how to make a snowball at that fancy college?"

     Tony stiffened. "No. I was too busy sleeping around and partying to partake in such juvenile activities. College taught me many things." Tony grinned until his mouth hurt from the stretch. "I could give you a few pointers so whenever you decide to man up and take Natasha you're not too inexperienced." Barton sat stock still beside Bruce. The snowball fight had stopped in the background and Tony was only now realizing it past the sound of his heartbeat. Tony rocked back on his heels with a shrug in place. "I mean, I can only give you advice. It's on you to actually put it to-"

     Tony winced when cold snow exploded on the back of his head, trailing down into the collar of his hoodie. He turned around, his heart picking up speed at the sight an oddly cool Natasha. But he could see the anger in her eyes. It was almost palpable. She lazily tossed a snowball into the air and caught it, never taking her eyes off of Tony. With a shake of her head, she dropped it. It left a crater in the jumble of snowy footprints. Natasha's back was rim-rod straight as she walked into the house. 

     "Tash..." Bruce trailed off when she walked past him. Tony raised an eyebrow when the boy he considered his only friend here shook his head with defeat visible on his shoulders. He put his head in his hands and heaved a sigh. 

     Tony's eyes widened when Barton suddenly ran toward him. Tony stumbled back into the snow. He watched as Barton got closer, his boots kicking up snow. Tony jutted out his chin defiantly to bring attention away from the fact that he was shaking all over. Clint ran straight past him. He felt something invisible click in his chest and suddenly he was breathing again. Tony clutched his hoodie with slippery hands, trying to keep himself breathing deeply. He craned his neck to see Barton and Rogers holding Barnes back by his shoulders. They were red in the face and shouting at him, their boots digging into the snow. 

     Tony crawled back into a pair of legs. One look into Bruce's calculative face made his stomach twist. He slumped dejectedly against him, watching remorsefully as Thor easily defused the situation. He spoke to Barnes in hushed tones until he wasn't fighting against his friends. He shook Thor's hand off gently then followed Rogers into the house. Tony kept his gaze down when they walked past, glaring a hole into the nearby snowbank. 

     Tony stood shakily. He averted his gaze from the disappointed look on Bruce's face. "What?" Tony snapped. "Spit it out, Bruce."

     Bruce scowled at him, hands balling into fists. Tony had known about Bruce's anger problems but it was another thing to see him visibly holding them back. Bruce breathed deeply. "You're a dick."

     "So I've been told. Is that all?"

     Bruce scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Tony...just stop. That was uncalled for."

     "What? Some simple teasing?" Tony smirked smugly. "If I knew that was going to ruffled all of your feathers I would've done it sooner. You should've seen Clint's face-"

     Tony was cut off when Bruce grabbed his collar. "You don't get it. You can't joke about things like that with Natasha."

    Tony tried to push Bruce away. "I would understand more if you just told me outright. Otherwise, I'm never gonna get it. I'll forget and it'll be like we're in a time loop. C'mon Bruce."

     "Tony, stop."

     "No," Tony wrenched himself free to give himself breathing room, "you stop. You drag me here out to the freaking boonies with a bunch of people that I hate and hate me back. Rightfully so, I presume. I can only imagine how high on their shit list I am right now." Tony crossed his arms. "If you were expecting me to bow down and make this easy, you were wrong. I don't even know why you insisted on bringing me here. I would've been fine in the Manor-"

     "Why? So you can drink yourself into oblivion!" Bruce shouted. Tony flinched back but Bruce was just getting started. "Tony, don't forget that I'm the one that found you about to get run over."

     "I was fine," Tony growled, shame coloring his cheeks.

     "You were almost run over. That is not fine in any sense of the word." Bruce stepped forward. "Just stop trying to be this supreme asshole. Okay, I get that bringing you here might've been a bad choice on my part. I'll admit that. But you're here now. So stop trying to sabotage everything and just be grateful. Try to make it work. We come to Steve's house to have a fun break, not deal with your attitude."

     "Then you shouldn't have brought me," Tony said. It was a last-ditch effort to see who's side Bruce was on. "Attitude and I are a package deal."

     Bruce looked away from him. "I guess not," he mumbled. Bruce ran a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this without asking you." Tony didn't want to tell him that technically he was asked. "You're free to go if you want. But, Tony, I hope you know that we want you to stay. Nat and I. Even Thor. We invited you for a reason."

     "No, you didn't. You did it because you were pitying me." Tony shrugged. "Now you know you're pity was misplaced, Banner. I'm not family material as you've gathered."

     "But-"

     "I think I'll just go. Make it easier for everyone. Don't worry. I have lab stuff to do at home." Tony reached for his phone but Bruce grabbed his wrist. His eyes traveled up the boy's arm until landing on familiar brown eyes. "What?" he whispered.

     "Please don't leave. Just for one more day. Two actually. Two days. Stay for Christmas."

      "I thought we'd established the fact that I'm not wanted nor welcome." Ouch, Tony thought. That one kind of stung.

     Bruce dropped his hand. "Oh, you're not. That's blatantly clear." Tony frowned at him. "But that doesn't mean we can't fix that. All you have to do is get along with them. It'll be easy if you can stop being such a prissy ass."

     "It's my best trait," Tony teased. "And," Tony picked at his hoodie, "I don't think they'd like me regardless. It's a natural ability for Tony Stark to be unlikeable. Comes with the territory. It's inevitable, really." Tony sighed. "Probably for the best anyway. Wouldn't want to rain on this fun parade any more than I have."

     "Just do it, Tony. Drop the act and be yourself. What is so hard about that?" Tony clamped his lips shut, digging his boot in the snow. How was he going to tell Bruce that he couldn't be himself when he didn't even know who he was? And even if he did, he probably wouldn't like him all that much considering everyone hated him already. "Try, okay? Try. And make sure you apologize to Nat. Sooner than later if you want to live long enough to get through this break."

     Tony weighed his options, ignoring Bruce's hopeful gaze. It was harder to say no when someone asked for his presence. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll apologize and stay here. Two days is all you're getting. Then I'm flying out."

     "Okay."

     "Regardless if they like me or not."

     Bruce smiled. "Okay."

     "This is gonna backfire so hard. I'm reserving the right to say 'I told you so' right now."

     "Okay, Tony."

     "I'm warning you." Tony crossed his arms. "They're going to hate me."

     "Trust me. They don't hate you as much as you think, okay?" Bruce bumped his shoulder against Tony. "Get out of your head sometimes." 

     Tony wrinkled his nose. "Okay," he mimicked. 

     Bruce rolled his eyes and headed toward the steps. "And apologize. Seriously."

     Tony nodded. "Okay."