A/N: So, I read a whole load of Avengers fanfics recently and I wanted to write one. I haven't got an idea of a plot really, so this fic'll be really lighthearted and easy-going. There are currently no featured pairings in the plan (I have ideas for about 9 chapters), so please request if you want them! I can write fluff, but this will be a smutless story. There's no Vision here because I don't like him (sorry). Also, if you have any requests for how this story should go then please tell me, and I'll be happy to weave some stuff in. Without further ado, here's chapter 1.
The Loki in this story is not blatantly evil, think post-'Beneath A Veil Of Bitter Ice' style. If you haven't read that fic, READ IT. NOW. IT'S INCREDIBLE.
Also note: WHSmith is a stationery and book shop here in the UK.
DISCLAIMER: I am not in any way related to the workings of the MCU.
CHARACTERS: Thor, Cap, Tony, Nat, Clint, Bruce, Wanda, Loki, Odin, Frigga, Sif, Warriors Three.
For the most part, the Avengers were calm.
Thor had left three days ago to visit his family, and in a stunning turn of events Tony had successfully taught Steve how to operate the microwave.
Well, almost.
"YOU LEFT THE SPOON IN THE PASTA POT!?"
"How was I supposed to know the spoon contained a stash of tiny grenades?"
"Shit."
After cleaning out the microwave, Steve slumped on the comfy sofa next to Bruce with a fresh pot of pasta (courtesy of Tony). They switched the TV over to football to watch the game.
The Avengers had decided it would be best to stick together when-off duty, for the purposes of team building and general antics. Avengers Tower was their base. They each had half a floor to crash out in on their own, for sleeping or when Bruce needed some well-deserved 'introvert time'. It was during these down-times that he and Tony brainstormed the latest Stark invention - teleportation. The massive, bulky machine took up the other half of Natasha's floor, with a similar arrangement in one of Clint's barns. This allowed him to live in both places, with both of his families.
Thor's space was regal, to say the least. A huge four-poster stole most of the space in his room, covered with elegant Asgardian drapes to match the ones on the window. His wardrobe was half battle and half normal clothes. The walls were mostly clear, with only a few photos of the most beautiful spots on Asgard delicately patterned, cream wallpaper which Tony insisted would make the bright reds and golds of the room stand out.
Natasha's, on the other hand, was a little less 'loud' and a lot more subtle. She had three chests-of-drawers of varying heights, a messy double bed and a tall, thin wardrobe for dresses and a stash of weaponised shoes. Every inch was planned out for the perfect defensive protocol - not for practical reasons, of course, but just because the mental exercise kept her on her toes. A total of twenty-seven knives were hidden away in prime positions.
Across the hall was a purpose-built studio. Natasha spent her 'downtime' opposite the mirrored wall, practicing martial arts and limbering for flexibility. A pair of tattered pointe shoes lived in the corner to be used to rewind from the most stressful assignments.
Steve's section one floor above was similarly organised. His room was a bit more decorative than Natasha's and he boasted the world's softest armchair procured from a yard sale one afternoon. Of course, the main reason for picking this floor was to bagsy Tony's gym directly above the ballet studio.
Wanda, being the newbie, got the other half of the Captain's floor. She didn't have much stuff yet, so her space was fairly empty, but each member of the team had chipped in to give her bedroom a little bit of life. Her only request was to leave the walls clear. After a trip to WHSmith for twenty black Sharpies, Wanda let herself loose with extravagant doodles, releasing her creative flow. The effects of every mission were seen clearly in her artwork, but not one section of the wall she covered became sad to look at.
Bruce's area screamed 'absentminded genius'. His room was littered with scribbles, blueprints and 'back-of-the-envelope' equation solving. Despite the lack of organisation, his room was a haven of calm; the scribbles gave a feeling of tangibility and concrete knowledge when the world seemed to fall apart. The decor was subtly classic, in complete contrast to the high-tech modern lab opposite which backed onto Clint's teleportation station.
Tony and Pepper stayed in the penthouse, leaving the floor below as the common area with a kitchen-diner and three huge elongated sofas surrounding a coffee table/TV table/cards area/drinks machine.
This is where Steve sat himself to eat his pasta when Thor came storming in wearing full battle regalia, nicking and downing half the pot and smashing it on the floor.
"Another!"
"Thor, that was my pasta!"
"Enough with your feeble protests! I bring great news, my friends. My father has invited you all to Asgard for a celebration in your honour. As mortal heroes, you act as the ambassadors for Earth during this age of great peace between our realms. What say you all?"
Clint was a little skeptical. "You really think Loki's reconciled enough for us to visit Asgard?"
"My brother is not a threat to anyone's safety. Their dignity I cannot comment on. But he will not harm anyone, I assure it."
Aside from Clint's wariness, all the Avengers were well up for the trip. "I'll have to put JARVIS on surveillance of New York whilst we're away. Is the Bifrost OK for rigging up a feed to connect with him?" Tony asked.
Thor looked bemused. "Our gatekeeper, Heimdall, is all-seeing. If anything happens during the course of your stay, he will not hesitate to inform you."
"When do we leave?" questioned Natasha.
"Will half an hour be sufficient? Our servants will take care of your lodgings and any other assistances you may require, so you need only to pack your clothes. My mother has insisted on making you all a set of formal Asgardian attire to commemorate your visit. You may bring some of your own formal wear as well. Oh- and do not forget your battle armor."
"Why do we need weapons?" asked Steve.
"You shall see."
Five minutes later, Clint and Natasha appeared with slightly edited emergency travel bags in hand. Clint's bow and quiver were slung over his back and Natasha had a stash of small weapons hidden inside her Black Widow suit.
After ten minutes, Wanda appeared with a small red rucksack, not having much stuff in the first place. She had packed a few clothes, one of Pietro's jumpers and a sketchpad. Bruce turned up on the 15 minute mark nonchalantly with only a few musings about the colour of his emergency Hulk shorts, not willing to admit that he'd lost pretty much everything in his own mess.
Steve arrived in the lobby after 20 minutes. He had dressed in his Cap suit and strapped his trademark shield to his back, dragging a neatly packed suitcase behind him. The rest of the team subconciously moved towards him to form a group.
Tony appeared with one minute to spare and a suitcase filled with as much as he could pack in 29 minutes. He hopped out the door of the Avengers Tower trying to tie his shoelace towards the faint Bifrost mark outside.
When they were all on the mark, Thor raised his head and hammer to the sky. Thunder cracked deafeningly above them.
"HEIMDALL! OPEN THE GATE!"
A/N: First chapter done! Yay!
Please give me any suggestions, they're appreciated so much! I think I want to get straight on with the next chapter so it shouldn't be too long before I update. Leave a review, reviews are love and love is good. Also free virtual marshmallows to EVERYONE because marshmallows are also love. It only takes a few seconds to add your suggestions/tell me what you thought!
~FlamesOfHestia