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Rolling out of bed, you yawn and stretch out your limbs. Each inch of you slowly waking up to greet the day. You turn your head side to side, cracking the joints and releasing the pressure build up. Standing to your feet, you walk to the bathroom and stare into the mirror. Your eyes immediately find the generic words inked into your collar bone since your 18th birthday. Your nose scrunches at the generic phrase. ‘Welcome to Starbucks. Can I take your order?’ Eight simple words made you swear off the chain when the words appeared. Now you prefer to drink your coffee from a homemade pot. Part of you is thankful for it, well your wallet is at least.
You sigh and go about your routine, brushing your teeth, washing your face, and getting dressed. Today is the first day joining the team. You have only met the Captain and Stark so far, so part of you is excited. But another part of you is nervous to start. What if you don’t fit in? What if they don’t like you?
You shake the anxious thoughts from your mind and glance at your phone to check the time. Holy shit, you only have 20 minutes until you are supposed to be at the tower. You throw on your blazer and speed down your apartment steps, dashing towards the closet taxi.
“Avengers Tower please.” You say quickly, hands running down your blazer to smooth out the fabric.
“Sure thing.” The cabbie speeds off from the sidewalk.
You sigh and lean your head against the window. You should have spent less time gazing into the mirror. Your thought is interrupted by a deep yawn, sleep clouding your eyes a bit.
“Damn it.” You whisper under your breath.
“You okay back there?” The cabbie asks, not overly concerned with your well being.
“Sure thing.” You say, trying to reassure yourself. Your trusty travel mug is sitting on your counter, steaming with freshly brewed coffee. So in other words, not in your hand.
Your head flops back onto the head rest. Well, this day is just getting better and better.
Only 15 minutes pass before the taxi pulls up to the sidewalk outside of the tower. You scramble to hand him some cash before tumbling out the door. Now that you have realized that you have forgotten your coffee, you figure out that you have also put your blazer on inside out.
As you stumble up the steps, you wrestle with the fabric, trying to right it on your form.
Once you push open the glass doors, you are met with the smirking face of one Tony Stark.
“Hey there sweetcheeks. Ready for your first day?”
You can’t help the grumble that escapes your lips.
“Ouch, woke up on the wrong side of the bed, did we?” He continues, ushering you along towards the elevators.
“Sorry Stark. I rushed through getting ready this morning and forgot my coffee.”
“Is that all? You are just like Katniss with the caffeine addiction then. We have a coffee maker in the labs and on the common floors, so we can get your fix in a bit.”
“Oh thank God.”
“You can just call me Tony.” He grins and you roll your eyes. “Anyways, if you need anything you can always ask JARVIS, my AI.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“And you?” You answer in a question, head tilted towards the elevator ceiling.
“You’ll get used to it. Anyways, today will just be about getting to know the team. Which you could do better if you just moved in.” He pokes you with his elbow.
“Thanks but I like my own space.”
“You would have your own space! I could give you your own floor if you wanted.” He gives you puppy dog eyes.
“I will think about it.” You respond, beginning to cave at the look.
“That’s all I ask.” He says with a wide grin, and you know that the conversation is far from over with him.
The elevator doors open to what looks like a living room with a kitchen off to the right. From the kitchen is the enticing smell of fresh brewed coffee
“And here is one of the common floors. We tend to chill here or what not in our down time.” Stark explains, and before you can step off to follow the smell, the elevator doors close and you rise again. You grumble in frustration, having salvation torn from you when you were so close.
“I’m just going to show you a few more things, the lab, library, training rooms, medical bay, etc.”
The tour continues with Tony pointing out different amenities and other areas of the tower.
At the med bay, Tony actually gets off to show you your office.
“Although you will be with the team much of the time, I thought it was best to give you an office in the area where you might find yourself frequently.”
“Thanks, Tony.”
“No problem.” He waves off your gratitude and continues back to the elevator.
Finally you end up at his lab.
“Okay, well this is me. Capsicle will find you later to go over training schedules and truly assess you to figure out partners for missions and whatever else goes on in that patriotic head of his.” Tony rolls his eyes, hand waving in the air in exaggeration. “You can take the elevator back to the common room and get your coffee before he finds you.” At that, Tony turns and leaves.
You cautiously step into the elevator and tilt your head to the ceiling.
“Um, JARVIS?”
“Yes, how may I assist you?”
“Could you please take me back to the common floor?”
“Right away.”
Before he even confirms, the elevator is descending back towards the floor in question.
Once the metallic doors slide open, the smell of coffee hits you again. This time you are able to follow the smell into the kitchen on the right.
Upon entering the kitchen you find what must be the world’s most complicated coffee maker. Dozens of buttons litter the machine, each only adorned with a tiny picture and not a helpful word.
You find a mug and place it where you think the beverage will be dispatched from, but is only a guess with this contraption.You reach forward to push what you think is just the button for ‘black coffee’ but hesitate before your hand finds its home back at your side.
The ironic part of this whole situation is that you think you would be able to figure out the machine, if you had your morning coffee.
You stare at the machine, intent on figuring it out. Maybe if you stare at it long enough, it will reveal its secrets.
“Oh come on. I just want a simple cup of coffee.” You plead with the machine, maybe trying to appeal to it. Who knows what kind of systems Tony has put into his appliances if an AI runs the whole tower.
You stare at it for another few minutes before the metallic monstrosity gets the better of you. You throw your hands up in frustration and sigh. Backing away from the machine you sit at the counter to put your head in your hands. Why can’t you figure out a stupid coffee maker? This machine can’t get the better of you. For Gods sake, you are an Avenger now.
You continue to stare at the empty mug in frustration before your thoughts are interrupted by footsteps making their way into the kitchen.
The figure crosses over to the coffee maker and presses a few buttons as the machine whirls to life.
“Welcome to Starbucks. Can I take your order?” He jokes.
Your eyes snap up in disbelief. The owner of the voice is none other than Clint Barton, Hawkeye.
“So you are the reason I have those generic ass words on me.” You find your voice.
His eyes widen in realization as he stares at you.
“You-you- what?”
You smile, happy to know that you're not the one fumbling for words for once. “And as for the coffee, if you could ask it to please spare a cup of black coffee I would be forever grateful.”
He shakes his head in disbelief and smiles. “Coming right up.” He turns and hits a few more buttons and arranges the empty mug to catch the dripping dark nectar.
Once he hands it to you, he stands there staring.
“You okay?” You ask, waving a hand in front of his face.
“Yeah, yeah, of course.” He stumbles forward to try and take the spot at the counter next to you but clips the side of the counter. “Awe, counter.” He pouts.
“You okay?” You ask again, eyebrow raised as you finally lift the mug to your mouth. The rich bitter liquid warms you from the inside as it races down your throat. The caffeine begins to wake up your senses and your anxiety catches up with you. You have just met your soulmate. And he is none other than Clint Barton.
“I’m good.” He reassures you, taking the spot at the counter.
You finally take a look at him and notice his dirty blonde hair in a mess on the top of his head. A bandaid haphazardly placed on his nose, a bit of a cut sticking out the bottom. His eyes sparkle with hope as he studies you the way that you are studying him.
If this man is truly as a mess as he seems, the two of you are really made for each other.
“So, soulmates?” He asks.
You nod, pulling the neck of your top down just enough to show your clavicle and the inked words there.
He nods with a smile and reaches down to pull up his pant leg but falls out of the chair in the process.
“Awe, chair.”
“Are you alright?” You hastily climb off your chair and reach out to him, but hesitate.
He looks up at you, “I’m alright. Happens a lot. Well, at least off the field. I don’t seem to be so clumsy on missions, but I can still sometimes take a bullet or two. They always seem to find me-”
“May I?” You ask, cutting him off.
He looks at you and nods.
You gently take the band aid from his nose off, before placing two fingers over the cut. A gentle light comes from your fingertips and the wound slowly begins to close.
Only a few seconds later has the wound gone with no remains to be seen but the band aid.
“I get it.” He says, reaching up a hand to poke at his nose.
“Get what?” You ask him, confused.
“Why we are soulmates.”
“And why is that?”
“I’m a mess, and you’re a healer. That and we both seem to need coffee to survive.” He gives you a grin.
“I think there’s a lot more to it than that.” You say seriously.
His grin falters as he takes in your serious expression. “What?”
“I think it's more that we speak fluent sarcasm.” You grin, letting the serious tone melt away.
He laughs, finally reaching down to pull up his pant leg and reveal your words inked there. “And here I was hoping you would fall for my winning personality.”
“Maybe. But you sure do know how to make a cup of coffee.”
“Then consider me your personal barista.”
The two of you are sitting on the floor, coffee mugs in hand, laughing at each other when Tony walks in.
“Shit, there’s two of you.” He turns and leaves the room, calling over his shoulder. “The offer to move in is still there, Florence Nightingale.”
Clint stares at you, “Are you gonna-”
“I am considering it.” You smirk, eyeing him up.
“You really should, I mean Stark has this place fully stocked with-”
You cut him off with a brief kiss, shocking him into silence. “I think I just might, especially if my favorite barista is here.”
“Well in that case.” Clint stumbles to his feet before helping you to yours. “Welcome to Starbucks.” He says with a grin before giving you a chaste kiss in return.