After ruminating over it for some time I figured that there'd be no harm in posting thing's I've written a while ago to this account, because feedback is always nice. I've heard that this site isn't really very friendly with reader-inserts but frankly...I don't care (The rules, kinda, but people's personal opinions on them, not at all). I kinda read up on why the reason is and seeing as there isn't any sexual content in this one I think I should be ok. Frankly I don't care about anyone's personal opinions on them - I like them and I like writing them. Just as long as I'm not getting sued.
I don't own anything in the Marvel universe.
It had been a full week since your father had passed. After his long battle with pancreatic cancer, it was almost a blessing in disguise that he wasn't suffering anymore. That didn't mean it sucked any less, though. Up until now, you had been crashing on friends' couches. Being recently fired from your latest grocery-bagging endeavor, you didn't really have much to spare in the finance department. Certainly not enough to get yourself a decent apartment.
That's why you were here, on the doorstep of the newly renovated Avengers Tower; with your palms sweating and pupils dilating as you stared almost hopelessly at the door.
This is never gonna work. You groaned inwardly, chewing at your thumb nail nervously. Your stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. You hadn't seen Tony Stark in years, and there was no guarantee he would even remember you.
Once upon a time, your father had been good friends with Tony Stark – best friends, even. He'd been at the hospital when you were born; how many people could say that? He'd shown up to all your birthday parties – seriously, there were pictures and everything – brought you fancy new toys whenever he visited, and even been named your godfather.
Honestly, you hadn't known what had happened. You just noticed him coming over less and less. Next thing you knew, it'd been almost a decade since you'd last seen him. Now you did, though. It kept one busy, being a superhero and all.
Not knowing what else to do, you knocked timidly on the gargantuan doors before you. It seemed like a silly thing to do. You almost expected that one Lord-of-the-Rings-looking guy – what was his name? Thor? – to pop up in front of you and say "One does not simply knock on the door of the Avengers tower".
You didn't know what you expected, exactly – maybe a password or a face cam or something – but definitely not something as mundane as just knocking on the door. You waited for what seemed like an eternity before out of nowhere, a voice spoke. "Name?"
Ok, that was cool. Where was it coming from? You didn't see any kind of speaker. "Um…Y/N…?" Oh, brilliant…way to sound like you don't even know your own name. "Yeah," You spoke again, for some reason feeling like you needed to sound surer of yourself, "Y/N."
"One moment please." The crisp British tone implored you to be patient. Never really one of your strong suits, especially when nervous – but you figured this once that you could manage. True to its word, the voice sounded a moment later, maybe even sooner. "Mr. Stark is on his way down."
"Okay, Mr. Swanky-door-voice-man." You hummed under your breath. Bouncing on the balls of your feet, you did what you had been doing for the past few minutes: wait. I did my waiting. Twelve years of it. In Azkaban! You couldn't help but smile at your own stupid joke, and at that moment the door swung inwards to reveal the same man you had known for most of your childhood. He looked at you as if trying to remember something that was just on the surface of his memory but kept dipping underwater every time he made a grab for it.
"Don't tell me…" Was the first thing he said to you, "You're my long-lost daughter from a meaningless one night stand and you've come to collect on your last few years of allowance?" You were at a loss for words. Well that answered the whole "will he recognize me" question. You let out a sound that was kind of like a laugh and kind of more like a Chihuahua being strangled.
"Close. You were actually really tight with my dad when I was little. I remember you being around a lot from the time I actually started to remember things, and my dad told me recently that if he took a turn for the worst that you'd be able to help me. Yeah…he died." Okay, so that was a rather blunt way to tell a man that his best friend had passed away, but you were kind of still in shock, yourself. That's how you dealt with sad things, sarcasm and nonchalance. How else were you supposed to survive this, after all?
Tony just stood there for a while with a look that said "haven't heard that one before" until his face actually lit up with recognition. Or maybe that was just the clouds moving from where they had been previously, revealing the sun they had been blocking. Yeah, probably that second one. "Oh, shit, you're Y/N!"
"Yep…have been for my whole life, in fact." The corner of your mouth turned up in a good-natured smirk, "Weird how things work out, isn't it?"
"Wow," He leaned against the door frame like the nostalgia was too intense for him to stand upright any longer. He had a sort of dazed smile on his face and his shoulders shook once as he exhaled a single laugh, "You're so big, now. Wow."
"Yeah, homeless, too." You shrugged with a grin. "But, hey, I know you're, like, a really busy guy and all so I understand if you can't really let me stay, or anything. I was honestly just hoping you could give me a loan or something and I'd be on my way."
"Psh, hell no, I won't give you any money – you're staying with me." In one sweep of his arm he had you by the shoulder and was leading you inside. In a whirl of movement you were herded into an elevator and transported upstairs. The doors slid open and Tony was already on his way out before they were even wide enough to fit himself between. "I'm really sorry to hear about your dad – we were really good friends, but I didn't get to see either of you much once business started booming, y'know. Don't mind the mess." He gestured to a broad-shouldered blonde sitting in one of the tall chairs seated by the island in what looked like a kitchen.
"Oh my god," You breathed, star struck within seconds, "you're Captain America! Wow! Hi!"
He smiles politely, despite looking a bit confused as to who you are. "Hello, miss-" Before he can get too much out, one of the vents pop open and a form drops down from the opening, landing like a cat before straightening up and brushing off. Holy hell, it was Hawkeye.
"Holy shit, Tony, don't tell me she's from one of your famous one night stands." He pauses for a second before he adds, almost horrified, "Or is she one of the ones you actually knocked up?"
Steve gives him a look, "Clint, that's rude."
You wave your hands frantically in front of you, still a little dazed, "No, no, it's alright. Tony already said it, anyway."
This does nothing to comfort him, and he turns to Tony. "Tony!"
Desperate to change the subject before you get anyone else yelled at, you ask the first thing that comes to mind. "Yo, so what's it like being an Avenger? It seems pretty hectic from the outside."
"Well, it's a lot of responsibility, for one." Steve is the first to answer. "But it's our duty to this earth. If we have the power to do something, we should. So we do."
"It can be pretty cool, sometimes, though. It's hard work, but we also get to travel a lot and we're given all these high-tech weapons to use to kick some serious ass." Clint adds on with a nonchalant shrug.
"It sucks!" Tony had disappeared into the kitchen while you were distracted, but you heard his yell distinctly, meant to drown out whatever the other two had to say. You smiled in amusement before you could stop yourself.
Steve sends a disapproving look his way before turning back to you. "Anyway, are you related to Tony in any way?"
"Not really. He's my godfather. My dad died really recently, so now I'm extremely homeless and broke so I was all: 'might as well be shameless, too, and mooch off a rich family friend'." With a bashful grin, you realized you had been rambling again. It had always been easy for you to trail off into tangents and tell more than what was needed, and sometimes it got you into trouble. At the very least, you usually said something generally harmless but extremely odd and ended up scaring the other person away.
Instead of any of that happening, Clint just gave you a solid nod. "Smart." He grunted, tone reverent.
Steve looked on with sympathy. "I'm so sorry to hear that." You waved him off with an understanding smile.
Tony had reappeared on the opposite side of the island of Steve. He was practically beaming. "Wow, it's like you're really my kid. I feel like we're already bonding." He lifts a beer to his lips and swallows a gulp before setting it back down and tapping his fist against the counter top. "That decides it, we have spare rooms out the ass. Hell, we have spare floors; you're staying with us."
"Shouldn't we consult with the others, first?" Steve glanced at him with a serious furrow to his brow.
"Right. And do you think Fury is going to allow a stranger to stay here?" Clint supported, shooting you an apologetic look as if he was down with it but still didn't completely agree with the idea on behalf of the rest of the team.
"Hey, are we forgetting that this used to be exclusively my tower? If I say she can stay, she can." Tony spread his arms as if to say "stop right there" and frowned. "Besides, Fury may be hard ass, but he wouldn't leave a kid homeless, would he? Her dad just died and she's got no way to get her own place."
"Well…" Steve trailed off, as if he wanted to say yes but was still hesitant.
"I'm cool with it." Clint shrugged. He had obviously given up considering the entire team, seeing as Steve had that covered.
"Thank you – I have battled every homeless person in the tristate area in order to be the best." You execute a perfect flex, like the one you had seen in that inspirational Shia Labeouf video that had dominated the internet lately.
Tony couldn't help the toothy grin that spread across his face, and the other two had to chuckle. "You're hilarious, kiddo, you'll fit right in. JARVIS, buddy, call everyone into the lounge for a 'team meeting', will you?"
"Yes, sir." Came the voice you had heard at the door. It sounded like it was coming from all over. You jerked.
"Holy shi- Your ceiling talked."
"That's just JARVIS, my A.I. Think virtual butler, slash co-pilot, slash best friend. He's pretty much everything around here."
"That…is so sick."
"So what's your name?" Steve inquired.
"Yeah, and how old are you?" Clint piped up. You introduced yourself fully. Just as you finished speaking, the rest of the team began to pile into the room.
"Brother Anthony, what is the meaning of this sudden assembly?" Thor questioned loudly, looking rather confused and maybe a little worried that the entire city was under attack once more.
"Yeah, and who's the kid?" Natasha rose a slim eyebrow.
"Our new roomie." Tony introduces you as you wave with a tight smile, "Her dad and I used to be buddies but he passed away and now she's homeless. As her godfather, I'm pretty much next in line to take care of her as legal guardian, so I've decided to let her stay. I'm just letting you all know so no one attacks the poor girl if they see her in the hallways one day."
"I won't be any trouble, I promise. I'm the cool kind of homeless." You gave a thumbs up, "The type that doesn't yell at the sky or try to shank you for money."
"You are just going to allow her to live here?" The girl you recognize as one of the new members – Wanda, you thought – accused.
"Well, we let you guys stay, didn't we?" Clint smirked at her. The other twin, Pietro, laughed.
"He has a point," He said before Wanda shot him a deadly look. He cleared his throat and glanced at the floor before sobering up and looking to Tony, "I mean, it is different – we are Avengers, now."
"Hey! If Reindeer games can stay because Point Break wants him to, and Tin Man can stay because Capsicle so wishes it, Y/N can crash here because of me."
"But Loki is my brother!"
"And Bucky is my best friend. He needed help after everything he'd been through."
"And Y/N doesn't? Just because she doesn't have any powers or SHEILD training, you don't want her here?" Tony continued to argue on your behalf, but suddenly at this you got an idea.
You cleared your throat loudly to get everyone's attention, and when they all looked to you, you smiled weakly. "Sorry, but seeing as this argument is about me, I feel like I should weigh in. Um…Captain, can you pick up that cup beside you and hold it up for everyone to see, then put it back down?"
"This one?" He lifted the crystal clear glass at his side and held it out for everyone to see. You nodded and he set it back down. You kept your eyes trained on the thing intently, concentrating on it. When you felt like you had a good enough handle on things, you nodded again without taking your eyes off of it.
"Okay, now pick it back up." You told him, and he does. Or tries to.
"What the…it's so heavy!" He exclaimed. "How are you doing that?"
"Shit, I forgot you could do that, kid!" Tony laughed, looking almost proud.
"But what exactly did she do?" A studios-looking man stepped forward. He adjusted his glasses on his nose. Bruce Banner, wasn't it?
"Mass manipulation, my dear Banner." Tony grinned excitedly, staring at the glass that the captain was still trying to pick up. Everyone else glanced over at you in surprise. Your concentration broke as you looked away, and you heard a shatter as the mass of the glass returned to normal and went flying from Steve's grip.
With a wince, you offered a sincere apology. "Uh...basically I can make any object, including myself, heavier or lighter."
"Incredible," You heard Bruce exhale.
"How exactly do you forget something like that, Stark?" Nat questioned incredulously, shaking her head at him.
He shrugged, unbothered, "Hey, haven't seen her in years, give me a break."
"Does this mean I can stay? You can give me a background check and drug test and whatever else, I'm a good kid I promise. I won't cause any trouble?"
"Good kid?" Tony snorted "You used to beat me at UNO all the time when you were younger, always hitting me with the +2 and +4 cards."
"Yeah, well you lost because you thought you were playing a card game. UNO is no game. There are no friends in UNO."
"Truer words have never been spoken." Clint nodded solemnly, and Nat hummed in agreement.
"Harsh, kiddo. So is everyone okay with this, now? Because she's staying even if you aren't." Everyone eventually agreed, even the ever-silent Bucky and Loki.
"Welcome to our home, Lady (F/N)!" Before you knew what was happening, Thor was in front of you and scooping you into a warm crushing hug. He lifted you from the ground easily.
"Thor, you will crush her, you bumbling oaf!" Loki spoke up for the first time since entering, probably from experience.
"You are light as a feather! Is this your ability in effect?"
"Actually, I think you just lift things a lot heavier than I am on an almost daily basis. Also, it's been a few days since my last decent meal."
"Yikes." Clint commented, "Well the kitchen is always stocked – it has to be, really – so knock yourself out."
Thor released you and you smiled at everyone gratefully, feeling rather emotional at this point. "Thanks so much, but I think I'd rather take a bath first. It's been a stressful week."
"Alright, follow us –Wanda and I'll show you to your new room. You can stay on our floor so you can get away from all the testosterone every once in a while." Natasha waved for you to follow, and you obeyed as they piled into the elevator.
When the doors close, Wanda shuffles a little. "I am sorry about your father. My brother and I lost our parents at a young age, but we had each other through everything. It must be difficult to be on your own."
"It's been difficult, but I'm adjusting. Thanks, though. I have to admit I've been a little terrified. One day I had a roof over my head and a…a father, and then all of a sudden I didn't anymore. I still don't think I've completely registered that he's gone, and I don't really want to at this point. I've never really dealt with the whole death thing very well. My dad and I were never very close with the rest of our family, so I didn't really have anywhere to go. I didn't want to be a bother to anyone; I was really only planning on maybe getting a loan from Tony, not moving in, but I can't really pass this up when I've never really lived on my own." You bit your lip nervously, "I promise not to cause trouble for the rest of you."
Nat laughed under her breath, "That's pretty clever." She commended you. "This might be fun, anyway, we could always use more girls around here. You might even be able to join the team, with your abilities and everything."
Wanda agreed with a giggle. "That might be true."
"Good," You sighed in relief, leaning back against the elevator wall. "They all seem pretty nice, too."
"Careful with Loki, though. He's technically with us, now, but he did attempt to destroy the whole city."
Wanda nodded, "Even though he is paying for his crimes, he can still be…"
"A stuck up dick?" Nat supplied, making you grin when Wanda nodded.
"How bad could he really be?" They exchanged looks before returning their gazes to you.
"Trust us, you do not want to be on his bad side." Wanda warned.
"So basically, don't look at him for too long and don't get too close, he might bite." Nat grinned deviously. "He's usually in his room or the library – especially the library – so it shouldn't be hard to steer clear most of the time."
"He likes to read, then?" You perked up at this. It might not be as easy as they seem to think – you were a big reader, yourself, and often sought the solace of a library when things got rocky.
"Oh, yeah, real bookworm." Nat chuckled. You smiled gently, figuring maybe you could bond over that trait that you seemed to share with the god. You'd do your best to get along with everyone - that was for sure. They wouldn't replace your father, but they would make the loss a little easier to bear. The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and you let your two guides lead you to your new residence with a content smile on your face.
Let me know what you thought, yeah? This is a request from my imagines blog. I have a few more that I might post, too - but if you enjoyed it, feel free to check out the others at tagged/written
I haven't written any 18+ material, yet, so you should be safe if you're watching out for that.