Thor sat next to Steve, beaming and questioning him on what had happened while he was gone. Steve appreciated Thor sitting with him; this would be a very awkward ride if he had to sit near Tony.
"I've decided I want to take you all to Asgard soon," declared Thor. "You would be treated as kings and queens!"
Tony snorted. "You don't need to add 'queens' just for Cap's sake, Thor. We all know he's a princess."
Steve bit his tounge and said nothing. If Tony wanted to be an ass that was fine. Just peachy.
Thor frowned, confused. "I was speaking of Lady Romanoff, though."
"Don't listen to Tony, Thor. He's being an ass," Clint clarified. "Just how he is."
Bruce, sensing an impending fight, quickly changed the subject to something more relevant that wouldn't make the Other Guy want to play. "What's the coolest mutant power you've heard of?"
Steve sent him a grateful look and said "I think it's cool that one of them can change her appearance at will." He scratched at his cheek. "Though I suppose that would be a security hazard-"
"There's supposed to be one who can rival Nat's hand to hand skill," Clint said from the front of the jet. "Apparently she's got some sixth sense that lets her know where people are around her and stuff. Hell, I'd like to see her kick your ass," he grinned, turning to his side to look at Natasha.
She turned to Clint and said something in Russian that made him burst out laughing. "I certainly hope that doesn't happen."
Steve almost smiled for real, hearing them banter. Then he caught Tony staring at him any trace of mirth he might have been clinging to fled, only to be replaced by the loud buzzing of emptiness. He sighed and turned on the MP3 player Natasha had lent him, searching for the band she had told him to listen to. He played the first song and listened to about thirty seconds before hitting next, his face turning red.
Natasha noticed. "Which one did you start with, Cap?" She asked, a grin on her face.
"Um, Closer?"
Natasha burst out laughing. "Yeah, you'll want to try something a little less sexual. Check out Head Like A Hole."
Tony snorted. "You actually got Captain fucking America to listen to Nine Inch Nails? That's just weird." He turned to Steve. "You don't want to jump into modern music like that. Try Snow Patrol. Much more your speed." Tony stopped, considering what he just said and nodded to himself. "You'll like Snow Patrol."
So Steve switched artists and listened to Snow Patrol until Natasha and Clint landed the jet. Once on the ground, Steve handed Nat her MP3 player back and murmured a thanks. Tony led them out and onto what looked like a basketball court.
Steve took in his surroundings; a great big mansion, kids that seemed to range from age eight to well over eighteen. He noted the line of three that he supposed were the welcome group. He studied them carefully.
There was a man who looked to be in his early thirties with a strange pair of sunglasses on, a young, dark-skinned woman with white hair and a young woman with holes in her jeans and jet-black hair. The one with white hair stepped forward and flashed them a smile. "Welcome. I'm Storm. This," she motioned to the man. "is Cyclops. And-"
"I'm Twist," the girl stated, a humorless smile stretching across her face. "Welcome to our humble abode." She gestured grandly toward the mansion.
The welcoming smile Storm had on slipped slightly. "Yes, well. Come with us. We'll show you to your rooms and then to Professor X."
Steve watched the girl called Twist. She seemed to be taking in everyone separately. She grinned right at Natasha, flexing her fingers slightly. Steve wondered if this was the girl Clint had talked about and leaned toward him to ask before he remembered Clint didn't want to talk to him at the moment. He resumed his normal stance, hoping nobody had noticed. He didn't notice the one pair of eyes watching him carefully, analyzing his every move.
The Avengers followed Storm and Cyclops into the mansion, Twist trailing behind. "You'll be on the top floor with some of the X-men."
She led them up the stairs, stopping in front of the first door. "This whole hallway is open. You have your choice in rooms, thought they are mostly the same. We will be waiting in the next hallway over, first door on the left. Please make yourself at home." Storm nodded to Twist and Cyclops and they left the team in the hallway.
Clint snorted, breaking the silence. "She looked like she wanted to eat you alive, Tasha."
"I'd love to see her try," Natasha smiled dangerously.
"We should pick our rooms," Bruce said, the barest hint of a smile on his face.
Tony threw open a door, kicked his bag in and slammed the door behind him. Clint tried to catch Steve's eye, but he followed Tony's example and opened a door and walked in, hoping someone else would take charge and decide when to go meet the X-men.
Natasha sat down and put her earbuds in, hitting play and slowly pulling things out of her bag.
' I'll sing it one last time for you, then we really have to go. You've been the only thing that's right in all I've done.'
Natasha sighed. This is what Steve had listened to? No wonder he wasn't talking. This was buzzkill music; something that should not be listened to during a breakup.
She sat back, feeling bad for everyone involved.
Clint sat on the floor, his head resting against the wall. He felt absolutely terrible. Not necessarily for Tony; Tony was an ass. Tony could get over this easily. Steve, on the other hand...
'And I can barely look at you, but every single time I do I know we'll make it anywhere away from here.'
Steve was not like Tony. Steve wouldn't just bounce back. Steve didn't have a Natasha or a Pepper.
Thor looked out the window of his room. He missed Jane. He missed his brother. As much as he loved his friends, he still felt incomplete without Jane.
'Light up, light up, as if you have a choice. Even if you cannot hear my voice I'll be right beside you, dear.'
Thor took a deep breath. He had to make time to visit her soon.
Tony stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he have something good without ruining it?
'Louder, louder, and we'll run for our lives. I can hardly speak; I understand why you can't raise your voice and say...'
Tony had never been good at talking things out. He vowed to not ruin any more relationships because of his idiocy.
Steve laid on the floor, pressing the side of his face into the carpet and considering bashing his head into it repeatedly. He was an idiot, plain and simple. He knew it was all his fault; Tony hated him and Clint wouldn't even look at him.
'To think I might not see those eyes makes it so hard not to cry. And as we say out long goodbyes, I nearly do.'
He remembered the look in Clint's eyes as he helped him clean up his mess from the punching bags, how he looked unhappy and confused. He hoped that Clint was happier now; he honestly just wanted everyone happy.
Bruce shoved his head into the pillows. He couldn't believe what was happening.
Strike that. Yes he could.
Tony was being an ass. Clint was being emotionally indecisive. And Steve was still a damn martyr.
'Have heart, my dear. We're bound to be afraid, even if it's just for a few days of making up for all this mess.'
He really, really hoped they could figure this out. Bruce had finally found a group of people he could be comfortable with, and now he was terrified of losing them.
In the end, it was Natasha who rounded up the troops to take them to meet Professor X. One by one she knocked on their doors, and one by one they came out, quiet and sober. They walked to the door Storm had told them to go to and knocked. Twist opened it and let them in. An older man in a wheelchair smiled at them and said "Welcome, Avengers. We have a lot to talk about."