Avengers || WinterIron || Avengers || Assembling the Avengers || Avengers || WinterIron || Avengers
Title: Assembling the Avengers – Living at Stark Tower
Fandom: Avengers; Marvel Cinematic Universe
Avengers Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Avengers reserved to Marvel. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Warnings: m/m, Canon Divergent Post-Avengers (2012), Team as Family, families of choice, adoption, fluff, hurt/comfort, PTSD, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, m/f, f/f
Main Pairing: Bucky/Tony
Side Pairings: Hope/Darcy, Bruce/Jane, Clint/Natasha, Rhodey/May, Happy/Pepper
Marvel Characters: Anthony 'Tony' Stark, James 'Bucky' Barnes, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanova, Thor Odinson, Hope van Dyne, Sam Wilson, Sharon Carter, Katherine Keener, Harley Keener, Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales, Edward 'Ned' Leeds, Peter Parker, May Parker, James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Maria Hill
Summary: After the battle of New York, Tony invites the Avengers to live with him in Stark Tower. Everything evolves from there on out. Living together in the tower changes the team-dynamic, changes the fate of the Avengers and how their line-up grows differently over time.
Assembling the Avengers
Living at Stark Tower
Chapter 6: Giving Hope
As long as the triggers were in place, James Barnes was a danger. Everyone was acutely aware of that and maybe Barnes himself the most. Tony the second most. The scene of Barnes killing Maria replayed in Tony's mind every time he looked at Barnes' face. Steve was hovering. He hovered a lot. Barnes came to crash at Steve and Sam's floor for now – the whole HYDRA thing had kind of accidentally led to the destruction of Sam Wilson's home and considering the wings and help he had offered during that phase, Tony had offered a place to stay. The floors were large enough. Sam was grateful and he easily integrated into the Avengers' training schedule and home life.
Barnes didn't integrate as easily. He stayed on Steve's floor nearly all the time. Both Barnes and Steve had agreed to let Jarvis keep a close eye on the Winter Soldier. Barnes knew, he knew he was dangerous, he knew things could easily go South. It eased Tony's nerves a little to know Barnes was self-aware in this regard. Still, Barnes' presence set him on edge.
"You need a break, Tones", pointed Rhodey out.
Tony frowned as he watched Rhodey pace in front of the mirror, just to head back to the closet and pick a different shirt. Fifth one in the past ten minutes. He kept turning and checking himself and then going back to the closet. If Tony's mind hadn't been as distracted by the specs he was working on, he would have noticed the oddity of that behavior sooner.
"What's with the fashion show, platypus?", asked Tony, trying to distract his best friend.
"I... Ah. When I dropped Peter off at his aunt's after the junior scientists last wrecked havoc in the labs, May Parker, Peter's aunt, she might have, perhaps... asked me out."
Rhodey looked flustered as he scratched his cheek. Oh that was an interesting turn. Tony grinned and sat up some. He had heard from Rhodey about May. A lot. A lot more than Rhodey was aware of most likely; he kept talking about how pretty May was, how sweet her smile was, what a hard-working single mother she was for her nephew. Rhodey had been gushing for weeks.
"Rhodey has a girlfriend, Rhodey has a girlfriend", chimed Tony in a sing-sang voice. "Rhodey and May sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Jarvis! Call Pepper, I need to tell her!"
"Tony!", exclaimed Rhodey exasperated. "Please. Give me a date or two before I tell the rest of the family. See where things go, if they go anywhere. Don't put so much pressure on it."
Tony pouted, but he understood where Rhodey was coming from. "I'm happy for you, Rhodey-bear. You deserve someone to be happy with. Oh! Also, I like Peter and once you and May get married, he is like legally my nephew and I can be the fun, cool uncle!"
"Tones, you and me aren't legally brothers", noted Rhodey fondly.
"Bold of you to assume that your mother hasn't long-since adopted me", countered Tony dryly.
The look on Rhodey's face showed that he wasn't entirely sure just how serious Tony was about that. Better leave it at that. Grinning to himself, Tony returned to his schematics. The tablet in his hand projected a model of a metallic arm up. No longer distracted by questions about his private life, Rhodey stepped closer to take a look at what Tony was working on. He sighed.
"You need a break, Tones", repeated Rhodey pointedly. "You're working on an arm for Barnes. When you're not fine-tuning that thingamajig that's supposed to un-brainwash Barnes. He is not your responsibility. You let him live here. You don't need to spend every waking moment on him."
"He was a prisoner. He was brainwashed to be turned into a weapon", whispered Tony softly. "When I was in Afghanistan, in that cave, they tortured me, tried to break me, tried to make me their weapon. I got lucky. I got out. He was with HYDRA for decades, Rhodey."
"You're working yourself into the ground for the guy and you're not sleeping because his presence still haunts you", countered Rhodey pleadingly. "You need to get out of the house."
Sighing, Tony put the tablet away. "You win. I'll take the kids on a little vacation. Because it's not just me. Gwen here, with him... I don't... He can't be trusted yet. Which is why I am working so hard. The 'thingamajig' is done. A professional therapist will have to use it, because it requires delicacy and therapy. I'll pack Gwen and leave for two weeks, it is a school vacation. And if I take Petey-pie... you and May would have the place all to yourselves for two entire weeks."
He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, prompting Rhodey to throw a pillow at his head.
/break\
The Avengers had an assembly in the living room. Bruce and Jane sat together on the armchair, Bruce having a hand resting on Jane's lap, Jane's fingers interlaced with his. Darcy stood behind them, arms crossed on top of the backrest. Sam, Clint, Natasha and Gwen sat on the couch. Naturally, Steve was pacing tensely, knowing exactly what this was about. From his spot on the other couch with Thor and Rhodey, Tony could see that Barnes himself was nowhere to be found. The two had a mutual avoidance of each other, for the same reason.
"I called Helen Cho and a colleague whom we trust. They'll start Barnes' treatment next week."
"So... you... won't administer the treatment yourself", asked Steve with the sad puppy-dog eyes.
"I'm not that kind of doctor, Cap", offered Tony with a chuckle. "I made the device, I explained it to Helen in great detail. What Barnes needs is a therapist to walk him through the trauma linked to the triggers to undo them, as well as a medical doctor to supervise his vitals and make sure nothing goes wrong. I'm not needed. So I'll be taking a vacation. Rhodey promised to stick around, take my spot if Iron Man is needed – War Machine will be a very good replacement."
"A... vacation?", echoed Natasha wondrously.
"Yeah. I'm packing all the squishy, little humans and we're going to San Francisco."
"Do I count as a squishy, little human? Do I get a vacation?", asked Darcy excitedly.
"Yes, you do", confirmed Tony with an amused, little smile. "Darce, Jane, Gwen – don't pout, you may have powers, but you still can't fully control them. Brucie, care to join us? Little science trip to San Francisco? There's something I am dying to check out."
"Well, a vacation does sound nice", mused Bruce, eyes finding Jane.
"Oh, come on. They're just gonna be lovey-dovey all day", sighed Gwen exasperated.
"We're going to have all the sciencey fun. You get to pack all your friends, who get permission from their guardians, to come along too", offered Tony, making a grand gesture.
"Ye—es!", exclaimed Gwen, getting her phone out to text the boys immediately.
"This is going to be epic!", cheered Darcy. "It's been so long since I was last on a vacation."
Tony smiled amused at them, before catching Steve's eyes. The blonde looked guilty, knowing that Tony was basically fleeing his own home because he didn't feel safe right now. But that had been Tony's choice. He had allowed Barnes to stay here and he wanted to help Barnes. He'd just like to skip the experimental phase before Barnes would be fully himself again.
"Look, I'll be frank. This isn't safe", declared Tony honestly. "Confronting Barnes with his triggers has a great likelihood of actually triggering him and we may have a murderous HYDRA assassin on the loose here. I'm not risking the girls, or me. So we'll take a vacation and I trust you professional spies, soldiers and our local god to keep him under control."
"Sounds like a good plan then", noted Sam, one eyebrow raised as he looked at Steve.
"I... Yeah. I trust this to work. It's StarkTech, of course it will. And when you get back, I can introduce you to Bucky, the real Bucky", nodded Steve with a small half-smile.
Tony returned that half-smile, heart warmed by the trust Steve put into him.
/break\
"Where are we going, Mister Sta—Tony?", asked Peter eagerly as he followed Tony.
They had arrived in San Francisco only hours ago, setting up their rooms in the fancy hotel Tony had booked for them. Darcy and Gwen shared a room, so did Bruce and Jane (to tease them, Tony had ordered some rose-petals on the bed), while the three boys bunked together. Miles, Ned and Peter had been unbearable during the flight already, so much teen excitement bundled together.
"Pym Tech", declared Tony. "They're doing some... fascinating experiments these days and I've been looking forward to meeting the head of the science department."
"Trying to spoof them?", asked Ned curiously.
"Something like it. Making her an offer to work for the Avengers, at least."
He grinned at the kids. The grand tour of Pym Tech was something that the kids were going to enjoy, those little science nerds. Miles and Gwen were already running ahead. It was nice that their parents had given them the all clear on the vacation. While the kids would be on that tour, Tony was going to talk to Hope van Dyne. Daughter of Hank Pym, who inexplicably had a long-lasting feud with Tony's father. Maybe it was time for the children to mend the bridge; considering Hope went by her mother's last name and not the name of the business she was running was very telling.
"Miss van Dyne. I'm your lunch-date today", announced Tony with a charming smile.
She had agreed to meet with him, which was a good sign. Smiling politely, she followed Tony toward the in-house restaurant for their lunch meeting. She watched him, waited.
"So your father is a great disappointment and your brilliant mind lives in his shadow", started Tony. "That sounds familiar to me. But did you know that your parents also were superheroes?"
He pushed a file over toward her. Pictures of Ant-Man and the Wasp – Hank and Janet Pym. He had found the files among the huge info-dump they had gotten from the SHIELDRA outfall. The guarded look on Hope's face showed that she knew about this. Interesting.
"Why would I trust you, Stark?", asked Hope curiously.
"I know about stepping out of your father's shadow. Being a hero of your own", offered Tony slowly. "I can see the look on your face, Miss van Dyne, you have considered this. Let me guess: Daddy dearest is not a fan of the idea of his darling daughter being a hero?"
The silence and the furrowed eyebrows spoke volumes. Tony offered her a smirk. Hope's mouth was a thin line, lips pressed together as she held onto the files in front of her.
"Why are you here, Stark?", asked Hope blankly.
"Because you are a brilliant woman, working in her father's shadows while trying to step away from it – your name, it's a clear give-away. I'm offering you a place to fully step away from it. Put that mind of yours to good work for the good of the entire world. Become an Avenger. I know you're working on your father's shrinking science – which also tells me you two aren't on good terms, otherwise you'd have his input on the matter. We have more and better means and... if you want to fight the good fight through more than just science, we offer you that too."
Neither of them touched their food as they stared each other down. The tension only broken when Darcy Lewis made an entrance. She put down her bags and sat down next to Tony.
"Man, this city is crazy. Gwen texted me you guys are here. Thank you for being at the restaurant. Food! I am starving and my feet are killing me and who—o is your gorgeous new friend?"
Tony smiled bemused at her as he turned from Darcy to Hope. "Hope van Dyne, Darcy Lewis."
Darcy smiled brightly and tilted her head as she shook Hope's hand. "A pleasure to meet you."
"...Likewise", replied Hope with a certain amount of befuddlement.
"Darcy is in charge of the Avengers PR and social media. Also a lot of babysitting for our collectively shared adopted daughter Gwen. The Avengers are more than just heroes, we're a... family", tagged Tony on after a moment of watching the women. "You would be working very closely with her, if you consider my offer, Miss van Dyne."
Hope turned to glare at him at that, though then she was quickly distracted by Darcy starting to talk a mile an hour about being an Avenger and about Gwen. Well, that was a sales-pitch if Tony ever heard him. Though the assets Darcy was showing off with that low-riding shirt seemed to fascinate Hope far more than the words spoken. Well, who would have thought that bringing their local lesbian along would be actually useful in recruitment?
/break\
Bucky. It was what Steve Rogers kept calling him, but slowly, he started to remember Bucky. Every day, he had two sessions with his doctors and the device Stark had made for him. Stark had made a device for him, even though the Winter Soldier had killed his parents and he didn't understand this. But then he saw all those people living here, in Stark's home. He had observed them. The way they bickered in the kitchen together, in their silly pajamas, sharing dinner, movies, strategic meetings, training sessions, a... teenager. The child. Gwen Stacy. They helped her with her homework and with figuring out her powers. This was confusing. They were more a family unit than a strategic team. They helped each other, off the field. And for some reason, they wanted to help him.
He had had four days' worth of sessions with his doctors now. Unraveling his past, tracing his steps back to the triggers and trying to undo their effect on him. It was a slow process – well, it was a fast process considering how many decades he had had the triggers, but knowing there was a way to undo them, it made him impatient. They couldn't tackle multiple ones in a day; the risk of actually triggering the Winter Soldier was too great. One trigger at a time. Agonizingly slow.
A part of him – the Winter Soldier part – hated that he didn't have his arm anymore. The archer had quipped about literally disarming him, the first night he had been at the tower. But he understood, the scattered part of his brain that remembered a life before the Winter Soldier understood just how dangerous his arm made him. Also it hurt. Stark had taken it with him to take it apart, analyze him and 'make him a better one', for some reason that he, once again, couldn't fathom. Another part of him, the part reluctantly aware of the fact that he was a human being, was glad to be rid of the weapon and the pain that came with the heavy piece of junk. They had removed the plate on his shoulder and Doctor Cho had carefully checked it out. It was infected, it needed to heal first. So for now, he only had one arm. Which was both good and bad, because he was less of a danger for those trying to help him, but also he had lost his greatest weapon for self-defense.
"You look better", commented the widow in that smooth, curious voice of hers.
He spoke, sometimes, not much, no long-winding conversations, but over the past few weeks, he had at least started to speak on occasion, when spoken to. Mostly by Steve, the widow or the falcon, who lived with Steve (and with him now, it seemed). Blinking slowly, he looked at her.
"How?", he asked, because he felt like crap right now.
Sleep was even harder now, because the sessions brought memories to the forefront of his mind. Memories of people he had killed and torture he had suffered. He was drained, there was no other word for this. Exhausted. But not ready to give up; he wanted this. Wanted to become better.
"Your eyes look haunted", was the reply he got, which was even more confusing. "They were blank when we first met. No remorse, no compassion, only the mission. You feel again, which means you're regaining your humanity, which means... you're getting better."
He grunted at that and returned his attention to the cereals he was eating. She was right, he guessed. He was better, in the sense that he felt more human, less like a weapon, like a tool to be used to kill. Only that being human came with pain. And exhaustion.
/break\
Hope stared at the picture in her hand. Her mother, in full Wasp regalia. She looked so beautiful, so powerful. And so proud. She was proud to be a hero. And Hank, he never spoke of her, he wouldn't allow Hope to be a hero herself. He was thinking about it – about a legacy – she knew that. He wasn't even considering her. And it made her seethe with anger. The same anger that had made her change her name to van Dyne. She had been raised to loathe the Stark name, based on some feud her father had with Tony Stark's father. Tony was his own person. Hope was her own person.
"I did not expect you to invite me to drinks", declared Darcy as she sat down opposite her.
"I want to talk about the Avengers", offered Hope with a smile. "Thank you for coming."
"Aw. The Avengers. I had hoped this was a date", sighed Darcy with a pout.
Hope stared and blinked, her cheeks heating up a little. "A... date. I... it... could be. Yes?"
When was the last time Hope had been on a date? Surely years ago. She was far too busy with work. Darcy offered her a bright grin at that and got more comfortable before ordering a drink.
"Date it is, then. Not like I'm not used to talking about the Avengers. When you work for them and live with them, everything tends to be about the Avengers", joked Darcy. "What do you want to know? Because I can tell you, Thor will never leave a PopTart for you in the kitchen and Clint never cleans up his dirty dishes, he just expects them to magically vanish. But Nat can kill a man with her thighs and watching that is, honestly, worth it. Speaking as a huge lesbian here."
Darcy's grin got broader and she winked at Hope, who simply cleared her throat in amusement. Darcy was cute, not just to look at. A date would be a nice change of pace. Hope smiled softly.
"That's a... good enough start, I suppose. What's it like working with the Avengers?"
Hope had trained her body hard, she was physically ready to become a hero. But more so than that, she would be interested in the Avengers' private science department. Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Jane Foster – that was an impressive line-up and they were only the big names. They ran a proper science department that spanned multiple floors in Stark Tower. A science department that helped all around the world; the Avengers had started to branch out. There were more heroes out in the world – heroes who had been experimented on, had been in accidents or had strange mutations that brought them powers. And the Avengers were recruiting and training them all over the world, loyal former SHIELD agents that now worked for the Avengers had been stationed in all countries that had proven to have superheroes; with the agreement of the local government. Young, inexperienced heroes got the guidance and training that they needed and the funding. A network of heroes was coming to life and Tony Stark had offered her a spot in this network.
/break\
"All work and no play make Tony a dull boy."
Blinking doe-eyed, Tony looked up at Bruce. There was a teasing smile on Bruce's lips as he approached and sat down next to Tony, pointing at the tablet Tony was working on. The new arm.
"You know me, Brucie, my brain always works", chuckled Tony.
"We're on a vacation, Tony", sighed Bruce. "Jane and I took a city tour. We've been on three dates since we got here. Even Darcy went on a date – with Hope van Dyne, though I still have questions as to how she met her. The kids are determined that Alcatraz is haunted and they are building... Ghostbuster gear... to catch the ghosts. Which, by the way, gave Gwen her hero alias."
"Hero alias? She's still a kid!", exclaimed Tony in protest.
"Ghost-Spider", continued Bruce, ignoring Tony entirely. "I like it. Peter had suggested Spider-Woman, Miles had suggested Spider-Girl, but she doesn't want to have her hero identity be defined by being a girl. Ghost-Spider has a nice ring to it, don't you agree?"
"Yes. Very much. I'll change mine to Iron Ghost", huffed Tony. "...The kids are doing what."
"Everyone is having fun. Only you have been working. Have some fun, Tony."
Fun? Tony quirked a smile and put his tablet away. Maybe he should try that.
Author's note: Next chapter, full Bucky-Tony bonding and Bucky getting used to the Avengers!