It’s only when Natasha is admiring the necklace you bought her that she realises she doesn’t know when your birthday is. The thought crosses her mind because her own birthday is December 3rd, only a few weeks ago. For her birthday you’d given her a cute pair of earrings and now for Christmas you’ve given her the matching necklace. Natasha has known you for a couple of years and she realises with a sinking stomach that she’s never celebrated your birthday once. Never even bought you a gift or anything.

“When’s Y/N’s birthday?” Natasha asks.

Steve, who’s sitting next to her, looks up from the book he’s received and is thumbing through “What?”

“When’s Y/N’s birthday? Have you ever got her anything?”

Steve thinks for a moment and then shakes his head “No, I have no idea when it is.”

Natasha frowns and stands, making her way around the room to ask everyone when your birthday is but it seems that no one has any idea. Although she feels awkward Natasha realises she has to bite the bullet and ask you directly “Hey, Y/N.” You look up from the board game you’re playing with some of the other Avengers and smile “This is going to sound like a completely random question but… When’s your birthday?”

“Tomorrow.” You reply cheerily.

Natasha’s expression goes through the seven stages of grief “I- What- Tomorrow? The day after Christmas?”

You nod “Yeah, tomorrow. And don’t ask how old I’m gonna be, ‘cos that’s rude.”

The other people around the board game are also aghast “You never told us that!” Sam says.

“Wait, if your birthdays tomorrow, what have you done every year?” Wanda asks.

“Well, the first year I joined I was sent on a mission on Christmas Day evening so I was away for my birthday.” You say thoughtfully “Then last year I went to the movies and then to a nice café to treat myself to a slice of cake.”

“By yourself?” Clint bursts “Why wouldn’t you ask us to do something?”

“I’ve always found everyone’s pretty tired after Christmas and they don’t want to do anything so I just have a quiet celebration by myself.” You say easily “I don’t mind, it’s been that way since I was a kid.”

“But- We’ve never even bought you anything! Or got you a card or a cake!” Natasha says.

“When I was a kid a lot of people used to write ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy Birthday’ on my gifts. You could just start doing that.”

“No way, that’s crap!” Tony pipes up from across the room “You deserve your own special day.”

You shrug “Well, it’s a bit late now. Don’t worry about it.”

Natasha silently fumes and crosses the room to where Tony is sitting “It’s not too late, is it?”

“Well, let me see.” Tony says “No store is open, even if we order something online the earliest it would arrive is the 27th-“

“We can make her something though, right?” Natasha persists “You could whip something up. Wanda can make her a cake, she’s a good baker. We must have decorations around here somewhere. Let’s throw her a surprise party.”

“I could ‘whip something up’?” Tony queries.

“You’re the genius, figure something out.” Natasha hisses “I have a party to organise.”

Birthdays are important to Natasha. After not celebrating her own as a child she feels very deeply that everyone should get the opportunity to have a lovely birthday as an adult. Everyone is always surprised at how seriously Natasha takes birthdays – she doesn’t like a big fuss on her own but she’ll celebrate with people she particularly likes. You, her, Wanda and Yelena had gone for afternoon tea on her birthday which she’d loved. Low-key but heartfelt, just how she likes it.

You have a big heart and Natasha thinks you’ll want to celebrate with everyone in the compound. Maybe people will be tired from Christmas Day but Natasha doesn’t care. Everyone’s celebrating your birthday whether they like it or not.

Natasha is pleased to find that everyone she approaches genuinely wants to make your day special. A lot of them are heartbroken to realise no one here has celebrated your birthday ever since you joined. Everyone volunteers their expertise to help make the day special. Wanda is of course happy to make you a cake, Clint and Vision offer to stay up late and decorate the common room, and Tony disappears to his lab to ‘whip you up a gift’.

You remain blissfully unaware, enjoying the rest of your Christmas Day with the Avengers. You don’t dislike your birthday but you’ve never had a big fuss, not even when you were younger. Some years your parents had suggested having another special midway through the year and had treated you to a day at a theme park one year, a theatre trip the next and many other nice things. You’ve grown used to friends being either too tired or too broke to do anything on your actual day though.

That’s why you’re surprised to find Yelena beaming at you when you open your bedroom door that morning “Surprise! Happy Birthday!”

She hugs you and you immediately hug her back “Wow, thank you!”

“Ah you’re already dressed, perfect. Come on, we’re going on a little outing.”

“What? Who is ‘we’?”

“You, me, Thor, Steve and Natasha. Which will be… Interesting.”

“Where?”

“Ah, can’t tell you that.” Yelena grins, looping her arm through yours “But I do know that you’ll love it.”

Since you hadn’t actually booked yourself anything specific for your birthday (you’d had a vague idea of visiting a museum) you happily go along with whatever Yelena has planned – which turns out to be an escape room. It’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ themed and soon you all throw yourselves into it. Steve and Thor are a little bemused at the concept of an escape room but they soon get into the spirit of it. You, Yelena and Natasha are very good at solving the complex puzzles whilst Steve and Thor find fun in doing the more physical ones. At one point they both have to try and throw an apple into a small hole though they’re quickly banned when Thor accidentally throws it so hard it dents the wall.

Ultimately you make it out with sixteen seconds to spare. Natasha slings an arm around your shoulders as you all leave “What did you think?”

“That was so much fun!” You beam “I’m surprised you managed to get us a booking for today.”

It hadn’t been easy – most escape rooms in New York were completely sold out for the day after Christmas. That morning Natasha had badgered Tony into making a call and they’d found a company willing to squeeze in an extra booking especially for the Avengers. It had been expensive but definitely worth it. Natasha has had just as much fun as you have.

You all head back to the compound and the four of them steer you towards the living room where the other Avengers all shout “Surprise!”

Your mouth falls open – the living room has transformed overnight. The Christmas tree is still up but all the other Christmas decorations have been taken down and replaced with birthday decorations. There’s also a wall covered in photos of you and the other Avengers over the years. There’s a wrapped present on the table along with a homemade birthday card, signed by all of the Avengers. Tony nudges you “Come on birthday girl, open your gift. I want to see what you think even though I already know you’re going to love it because how could you not?”

You sit down on the couch, feeling a little self-conscious as all the Avengers watch you expectantly. Once the gift is unwrapped you find a Stark Tablet. Tony sits down and immediately starts explaining “I already loaded it up with some games. I also snuck into your bedroom; sorry but also not sorry, and hung up fairy lights. This is connected to them, see, you can switch them on, change the colours-”

Tony is in his element explaining how the tech works and you smile, looking forward to seeing what the fairy lights in your room look like. You do love a bit of ambient lighting. Suddenly the Avengers all start singing Happy Birthday and your cheeks immediately flush as Wanda approaches you with a beautiful homemade birthday cake, complete with candles. Most of their singing is loud and off-key but you can’t help smiling – that’s how this song should be sung. You close your eyes and then blow out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Natasha asks.

“She can’t tell you that!” Clint teases.

You grin “Yep, I’m afraid I can’t tell you that. Might not come true otherwise and I’m not risking it.”

Yelena begins rallying people to start playing games whilst other Avengers approach you to clap you on the shoulder and wish you a happy birthday. You smile – the attention can make you a little shy but you secretly love it, and you’re touched they went to so much effort for you. Nobody seems too tired after the Christmas celebrations yesterday and everyone seems delighted to be spending your special day with you.