There was a kitten on the countertop.
No one was surprised this time.
The members of the Avengers were gathered in the kitchen for breakfast, all in various states of dress and wakefulness, but all watching the new addition to the Tower.
Tony was slumped over the island, arms curled protectively around a mug of coffee with his head resting on his bicep, eyes slipping shut periodically.
Steve sat to his left, scooping up eggs and sausage from his plate while he stared contemplatively between the kitten and his genius friend, still trying to figure out why the man had suddenly decided to keep a pet.
Natasha was leaning against the fridge, one foot propped up against it underneath her and arms crossed over her chest. She wasn't eating. It amused her to hear all the theories Tony came up with about what she ate for breakfast (her favorite so far was the tears of SHIELD interns), so she never ate in the morning when he was around.
Bruce sat on the stool across from Tony with a cup of tea, some yogurt, and a faint smile. His genius brain hadn't taken long to realize how the kitten had really come to be here; he knew his fellow science companion rather well, after all.
Clint was sitting on the countertop with a bowl of cereal, staring intently at the little fiend where it sat primly, tail curled around its feet and looking around at all of them. He was still suspicious. Nothing could be that cute and completely innocent.
Thor stood near the toaster, a pile of pop tarts next to it and one in his hand that he munched on happily, a broad grin on his face for the tiny Midgardian creature.
The six of them had wandered into the room one-by-one to retrieve their various breakfasts and, for once, had been sitting quietly ever since. It was the first time they had all been together with the creature and none of them wanted to be the first to bring it up.
Eventually, though, Clint couldn't take the silence.
"Okay, Steve was it you?"
"Huh? Was what me?"
"The cat. You brought here didn't you? Why isn't Tony saying anything about it?"
"Well-" Steve tried to answer but Clint kept charging on.
"I mean he hates animals. I know he's usually pretty comatose in the mornings, but I had thought this would rouse him for sure."
"Uh..."
"Because I'm the one who brought it here." A muffled, grumbly voice had filtered its way through crossed arms and squirmed around a coffee mug to resonate softly in the quiet room. Tony hadn't even moved.
All eyes turned to stare at him.
"...What?"
In the still pause that followed, the kitten suddenly stood up on its feet and began to stalk forward, heading straight toward Tony. The Avengers all turned their stares to the tiny creature, breaths held as it nuzzled its tiny nose into Tony's forearm.
The genius lifted his head just enough to make eye contact with the feline and then everyone's eyes widened in shock when a tiny, soft smile graced the genius's face. He stretched out a hand and ran a finger over the kitten's head until it purred contentedly and pressed against the touch.
"...Oh." Clint looked floored.
Bruce, rather less surprised than the rest of the team, spoke up. "It needs a name if it's going to stay here."
"I vote fiend. That thing is a miniature monster."
"Clint." Steve looked at him sternly before turning back to the cat, a softer expression sliding onto his face. "What about Shadow? He's got such a beautiful grey color."
Natasha spoke up softly, surprising a few people. She didn't normally share her opinion unless asked. "I like Shadow."
Thor boomed from the corner of the room. "I believe a name like Shadow is unbecoming of such a magnificent creature. Perhaps the name of an Asgardian hero would be more fitting?"
"Agent." Tony spoke softly, chin propped on his forearm while he continued to scratch at the kittens neck and head, with a gentle smile and a touch of sadness in his eyes.
Everyone else fell silent, remembering that Tony had only ever used that term to refer to one person in particular. No one made any new suggestions and they all quickly got lost in their own memories, some fond, some exasperated, some sad, some happy.
After a moment, Steve spoke up, using his best command voice. "Agent it is."
Agent looked at him and meowed.
-
NOTES:
