"Just remember, underneath the suits"
"They're just normal people, I know. Well you know apart from one of them being a God and another one turns massive and green"
"Yeah, so normal people" Tony started to open the car door.
"They know I'm, uh that I'm" her words faltered.
"That your my niece. Katarina breathe, it's going to be fine" she gulped.
"Yeah, of course" she forced a smile and climbed out of the car. Tony went to the boot and grabbed her single duffle bag.
"You sure this is all you need, kid". She nodded, before following him inside the huge complex.
"So everyone lives here like some superhero frat house" she asked as they walked up to the mezzanine.
"Not exactly, they've all got a room here but they flit in and out depending on what's going on. There will always be someone here though" he paused.
"Do you want to see your room first or get the meet and greet over and done with" she looked at her feet debating whether leaving it any longer would make it harder or easier. A voice from the other room made the decision for her.
"You must be Katarina" she lifted her head, her green eyes connecting with the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen.
"I'm Steve" he stuck out his hand, pushing herself back to reality she took it, trying to match the firmness of his shake.
"Nice to meet you"
"Tony's told us all about you, he says you're quite the tech wizard" Bruce had appeared behind Steve.
"I know the basics" she said.
"She knows more than the basics, Katarina upgraded Peter's suit in the car on the way here and the kid is going to love it!" Tony steered her into the lounge. Hands were held out and shaken as she tried to take it all in.
"So any special powers we should know about" Clint asked with a glint in his eye.
"Oh no, I'm just, uh normal"
"You mean Tony hasn't had you enrolled in some crazy martial art we've never heard of" Bruce joked.
"I did some self defence at school but I'm more of a behind the scenes girl"
"I can train you if you want" Clint eagerly offered.
"She doesn't need any training, she will not be becoming an avenger. So don't be getting any ideas Clint" Clint held up his hands in defeat.
"Say no more Tony, but Katarina if you find yourself at a loose end and want to beat up a punch bag then let me know" he winked.
"Come on, I'll show you where your room is, before Clint has you learning Archery in the lounge"
She followed him through the maze of corridors and doors, before he stopped.
"Natasha is on your left. Steve on your right and just across the way is Thor but to be fair he doesn't often stay" he unlocked the door, handing her the keys and letting her push the door open.
"I didn't do any decorating but you can go wild kid"
"Tony, I'm not a kid. I'm 25"
"You'll always be a kid to me Katarina, I'll let you get freshened up and then I thought we could get a takeaway, it's sort of a Friday night tradition"
"Sounds good, I'll try not to get lost on my way back" she smiled as he left the room. The smile disappeared as the door clicked shut behind her, deflated she sat on the bed running her hands over the white sheets. Fresh straight from the packet.
"Fresh start" she said aloud. Glancing her watch she set about putting her few personal belongings away. The wardrobe was huge, her minimal amount of clothes barely filled a fifth of it. She padded across the soft carpet to the bathroom, shrugging off her clothes and stepping into the shower letting it rinse away the hours sat in the car.
She knew she had stayed in there too long but the water pressure felt so good she actually felt relaxed for the first time in ages. Finally she made herself get out pulling a fluffy towel around herself. The full length mirror taunted her from across the room, she tried not to let her critical eyes pull apart her naked form. A knock on the door made her drag her eyes away and hastily pull on her robe.
"Just a second" she belted it around herself, cursing that her hair was dripping wet. She pulled open the door meeting those blue eyes again.
"Sorry, I didn't mean" he started turning away.
"Its okay I'd just finished" she ran a hand through her short dark locks.
"Tony wants to know what you want for dinner, we're getting Chinese"
"Oh I'm easy, just uh a chow mein would be great" Steve nodded.
"Anything else?"
"No that's all. Thanks" she smiled.
"I'll see you downstairs in a bit" He turned to leave and she shut the door.
"I'm easy. Wow great choice of words Katarina". Cursing herself she quickly threw on jeans and a t-shirt, before adding a sweatshirt. She searched for a hair dryer but couldn't find one so towel dried as best as possibly before piling half of it into a bun. She looked back in the huge mirror, unsatisfied by what looked back at her. Her mind thought back to when she'd seen Natasha, she looked like a goddess. A goddess who could kill you but she was just perfect. Sighing, Katarina pulled off the baggy sweatshirt and t-shirt. Replacing it with a lace camisole and Cardigan.
"It's just a takeaway night" she whispered to herself before heading out of the door.
"So you didn't get lost" Steve said as she walked in.
"Only took about three wrong turns".
"Tony, your niece has style" Natasha remarked as she entered the room carrying the Chinese cartoons that had just arrived.
"She went to fashion school, before she realised it was a big waste of time and changed to do engineering" he said, a proud smile forming in his face. He patted the space on the sofa next to him and she sat down.
"Breath out" he whispered in her ear. She hadn't realised she'd been holding it in. She breathed, smiling as Natasha passed her the cartoon.
"Thanks"
"So fashion school, what's that" a voice she hadn't heard before asked from the armchair. She looked up staring straight at Thor. Her mouth was struggling to make words.
"It's a school where you, uh design clothes and then make them" she finally managed to get out, trying to calm herself that she was talking to the God of Thunder, whilst sat sandwiched between Captain America and Iron Man.
"So you sew your own clothes?" She snapped her attention from the literal god to Natasha.
"I was never good at the sewing bit, I prefer designing". Tony passed Natasha an Starkpad.
"That's what she designed in the car for Peter"
"Wow, so not just a pretty face" Natasha said handing it back to Tony enjoying the tiny blush that had spread across the young girl's face.
Katarina let the rest of the evening happen around her, dipping in and out of conversations with a few nods and smiles of agreements. She watched the minutes tick by, aching to be in the quiet of her room. Tony noticed her, almost zoned out.
"Katarina it's bedtime" he said tapping his watch.
"Tony she's not a kid, you can't give her a bedtime" Clint said, taking a swig of beer.
"My house, my rules"
"Honestly I am exhausted," she said, getting herself up.
"Night kid" Tony said, kissing her on the forehead.
"Night Tony and thank you"