#stark! reader

You’re used to the northern chill, how you could see your breath with each exhale, and how frost clings to your lashes. It’s a comforting cold that is so familiar to you that the freezing cold is etched into your bones. The cold in the Stormlands is vastly different, the kind of cold that sends your marrows into a dull ache, skin tugging with every deep inhale of petrichor that always hangs in the air. And the sound, the battering thuds of rainfall upon the stones of the great keep amidst the echoing splashes from the wild waves just outside. Whereas the sounds in the north are muffled by the snow, a mere whisper around the ancient soil.

Despite the fireplace of a man sleeping beside you, homesickness rushes through you like the lightning flashing just outside the chamber walls. You could see the flash of light just beyond the rattling windows, and you grip at your lord husband beside you, completely unbothered and used to all the noise.

Your cheek presses along his bare bicep to find the reprieve you’re looking for. You could smell the ink and parchment on his relaxed palms beside your head as his ring finger twitches in his sleep. Lyonel’s expression is soft and peaceful as he lays asleep beside you, absolutely exhausted from his duties as the new lord of Storm’s End, and his duties as your husband. His dangling earring is squished in between his cheek and the goosefeather pillow, and his lips are agape as he lets out an exhale that flutters your lashes.

You’d cuddle closer but you don’t want to stir him awake. As another thunder rolls and shakes the walls, you flinch, inhaling the lavender atop his skin to calm yourself. There were storms in Winterfell, but never to this degree. To think you would be used to it but the feeling of the ache of seeking your home doesn’t give you enough reprieve to fully feel at home in your husband’s land. Even when you really want to. You’re lady Baratheon now, and you must comport yourself and feel the rain upon your skin, but alas, you wish it would be snow instead.

“You look exceptionally pretty when you’re wallowing.” Lyonel’s voice cuts through the sound of the crackling braziers and the thunder clap outside. The lightning illuminates his features, the dark circles under his eyes, and the way his lips tug into a softened smile that is reserved only for you, you’d think that you did not just stir him awake from your clinging.

“Lyonel.” You sigh his name, smiling apologetically as you instinctively pull away, and yet he pulls you back by your nape gently, before rubbing at the crease in between your brows. “Did I wake you?”

“I felt a disturbance within my lady wife that made me so upset that it woke me up from my slumber.” Pulling you impossibly closer, he brings his lips to the crown of your head for a kiss, sniffing the scent of lavender in your hair. “That and the bloody storm is trying to reclaim our keep once again. Why are you awake, hm? Thought I exhausted you.”

You let out a chuckle, a thumb rubbing along the corner of his eye to rid of the crust clinging there. “I was for a moment, but I dreamt of home again.”

“Tell me, my she wolf.” Holding you close, he wraps his arms around you whilst pressing gentle pecks along your face until he could feel your shoulders ease.

“I dreamt of the snow beneath my feet, and the sound of direwolves howling in the distance.”

“Was I there to sweeten the dream even more?”

Chortling, you kiss his jaw with a smile. “You were, and you were completely freezing.”

“Sounds about right.” You could feel his smile on your cheek.

“I also dreamt of a fawn running around in the godswood. I think it’s quite telling.” His smile grows atop your skin. “Don’t you think?”

“I may not be a maester or a practitioner of magic but I think you are right.” Leaning away to look into your eyes lovingly, Lyonel shares a gentle smile with you, no matter how tired he is. “I suddenly had a profound thought.” His palm cups your cheek lovingly, thumb running over your skin affectionately.

“Tell me.” You whisper, a leg hooking over his waist and squeezing him to his delight.

“It’s high time we come visit your home. Perhaps the cold would be better for your disposition, the maester did recommend for you to not stress yourself too much. This old keep is not helping with that.”

“This keep is my home now too.”

“I know, but…” his rough knuckles instinctively brushes along your stomach that still doesn’t show the growing life within it, too early to show the signs. “It might be better for the babe to be born where his mother feels safer. I could manage my duties there through ravens, it would not be a burden to me. And it would make me feel at ease with you feeling comfortable there.”

“I feel safe here, Lyonel. It’s just that…I miss home, that’s all.”

“Has anyone told you that you’re far too kind for your own good?” His eyes narrow teasingly, before nuzzling his beard on the crook of your neck that sends you into a giggle.

“I’m a northerner, my love,” your laughter echoes around the chamber, quieting down the loudness of the thunder outside. Your fingers are in the curls of his hair, softly tugging as he kisses every space on your neck. “the ice just hides underneath all the softened snow.”

Head pulling away, cheeks reddened with a pink hue, Lyonel Baratheon, who once unseated the grey lion within fifteen lances, looks upon you with such love that it’s enough to part the grey clouds outside to make way for sunshine. “To the North then?”

You nod without question. “To the North.”

—

It has been a full month since you both settled in the north. Lyonel is still getting used to the cold that bites at his Stormlander skin, and yet he exudes the aura of a northerner. He’s trying his best and trying to keep up with your kin, and he’s doing quite well, more than you thought he would.

And he was right, being home is helping, and the maester has said that it’s doing wonders to the growing babe in your stomach. You’re starting to show now, and your dear father has commissioned a dozen or so gowns just for the occasion, citing that when your mother was with child, she always complained that her dresses were getting smaller each day. So he had all her old gowns repaired and made to fit your growing form.

You feel utterly coddled, Lyonel barely leaves you alone, and when he does rarely go out without you, he’d be home before the sun could set. And his arms would always be ready to receive you.

It’s one of those days where he has no choice but to leave your side. Your father and brothers had asked him to go hunting with them, so with some displeasure, Lyonel left to go on a three day hunt with them. You suspect that it’s your father’s ploy to give you some time for yourself, which you are grateful for, if not for the hunt taking three whole days without your stag by your side.

By the second day, you’ve become antsy. You don’t stay too long in your chambers because the room smells like Lyonel, even the furs and pillows smell like him. You dare not get the sheets changed though when it’s the only thing keeping you sane. Instead of walking aimlessly around the keep, you go to the godswood to pray, and each day he’s gone, you stay longer and longer. Despite the biting chill that runs down your spine, you stay there, just staring up at the red leaves and watching the frost cling to it like silk.

It’s the day when he’s supposed to come home, and yet the hunting party is still nowhere to be seen. You would worry, but you know that your kin wouldn’t let anything happen to your husband lest they see the ice in your veins.

A soft bark comes from the archway, and you turn to face the source, finding the said husband cradling a rather large and fluffy puppy.

“My love.” Your expression brightens the moment you meet with Lyonel’s eyes. “You’re late.”

“My apologies, my doe.” He mirrors your smile, crossing the distance as the snow crunches underneath his boots. “It’s this little one’s fault.” Moving the cloak over the hound, the puppy sets his dark eyes on you, tail wagging as his fine white coat looks as soft as the snow falling atop your shoulders. “We met him on our way to the hunt, and he never left my side. You and him have the same type in Stormlanders I see.”

Chuckling, you pet his fur, and you now know that he is as soft as you think he was. The puppy huffs at your hand, giving it a little lick, and it seems that he’s as taken with you just like he is to your husband. “He’s beautiful, I assume you’d want to keep him?”

“Only if my wife says so.” Lyonel has the softened look of a man pleading his wife, all big eyes, complete with his lashes fluttering and with a pout unbefitting of a lord paramount. The drifting snowflakes upon his dark hair like dotted stars along the night sky helps his case. You would’ve said yes anyway, you can’t just say no to him whilst he’s holding the most adorable creature. “The babe will have a companion.” He adds, brows raised to help convince you even more.

“Taking care of a direwolf would be hard work, my love. But I’m sure we’ll manage.” You peck the tip of Lyonel’s cold nose, before looking at his befuddled expression. “My father didn’t tell you it’s a direwolf, didn’t he?”

“He said it was a regular hound!”

—

“Thunder, where are you?” You waddle around Winterfell, your long furry cloak draping right behind you as you search every nook and cranny of the ancient keep. “It’s supper time, my sweet!”

“You’re calling the dog for supper before your husband?” Lyonel appears from behind a stone column, hands on his hips, a brow raised and looking like a northman in the bundle of thick furs and velvet he has on. If not for the Baratheon sigil and the golden hues on his doublet, people would’ve mistaken him for a Northman. Until he speaks that is. “You’re cruel, my love. It never crossed your mind that I’d want supper too?”

You stifle a chuckle, a hand caressing your growing belly as he walks closer in his longer strides. “I just thought that you were already at the great hall.”

Humming, Lyonel’s hand rests at the small of your back, massaging the ache there. Whilst the other rubs at your belly lovingly, as if the babe inside needed comforting too. “I came here to fetch you. I would never have supper without my lady wife.”

“Is it not because you needed a shield against my gossiping aunts?” Palms atop his sturdy chest, you gently caress him there, before rising up to intertwine your fingers above his nape, all the while gazing into his eyes lovingly.

“That too.” Leaning in and nuzzling your nose, he goes in for a kiss, savouring your warmth. But before his lips could meet with yours, he feels a wet snout poke his leg, and a tug right at the hem of his trousers. Lyonel lets out a defeated sigh while you laugh, a mirthful chime that is music to his ears. “Gods, Thunder, you always appear when you are not needed.”

Thunder barks softly, big puppy dog eyes gazing up at the two of you whilst his tail wags atop the stone floor, brushing away the freshly dropped snowflakes.

“Oh, he’s always needed.” Bending down, with Lyonel’s hand still on the small of your back, you scratch under Thunder’s snout, right where he favours being petted. “Aren’t you, boy?”

Lyonel feigns a huff, but from his smile alone you could tell that he’s resisting the urge to pat the growing direwolf, who is now almost the same size as the adult hounds roaming around Winterfell.

“Oh, come here, don’t be jealous, my stag.” You coo, standing back up to scratch Lyonel right under his beard. He rolled his eyes for a second, before melting at your touch and how your nails scraped gently at his jaw. “Look at you, I could practically see you wagging your tail, my good boy.”

His half lidded eyes open immediately, as if you offended him. The corners of his lips curl into a mischievous grin, and you know that you will be late to supper even more.

“Lyonel—!”

You’re lifted up, his arm hooked underneath your legs, and the other cradling your back. Your squeal echoes around the snowcapped courtyard, and Thunder gallops around the two of you, wanting to play too.

“You call me a hound? Let me show you how a hound shows his love, hm?”

—

Lyonel cannot deny it any longer but after four months at Winterfell freezing his antlers off, he could not bear to stay any longer. It’s not as dreary when you are near and whenever the Northmen have a feast it’s a good kind of revelry, but he finds that the walls have eyes in the ancient keep. As if the ghosts of last Starks stalk the halls, haunting his every move. He can’t believe it but he wants to go back to Storm’s End with you.

When he enters the shared chambers all weary and dreadful from another awful night of nightmares, and all he wants is to hold you and have a nap with his arms around you— Lyonel did not expect to find his side of the bed occupied.

There, laying down beside you with his head upon your belly is a sleeping direwolf, his white fur making it look like there is fresh snow fallen atop of you. The dog has grown as large as a foal, with long legs and a maw that could separate a man from his arm. But beside you, Thunder looks like any hound that now prefers you over him.

“Thunder.” Sighing, Lyonel yanks his cloak off and throws it haphazardly on the foot of the bed. “Move.”

“He’s asleep.” You mumble, eyes still shut as your fingers rake through his fur. “Don't wake him.”

“Where am I supposed to sleep?” Arms gesturing around the occupied bed, Lyonel runs a hand through his curls. “He’s a direwolf, he does not belong on the bed.”

Chuckling, you already know what your husband looks like before you could open your eyes. Reaching for him, his hand immediately slides around your own. “Come, there is plenty of space for an afternoon nap.” You scooch back, making the direwolf roll over before situating himself beside you once again. Opening the covers for him, you invite your husband to your side.

There is space for Lyonel beside you, but he’ll surely fall from the bed if he so much move a limb out of place.

“My love…” He points at the measly space when Thunder has a whole Dorne sized space on the bed.

“If you can move him then you can retake your bed, but as you can see…” you pat your belly. “I could not.”

Sighing, his eyes narrow at the sleeping direwolf. Thunder cracks one eye open, as if sizing him up, teasing and testing him before going back to sleep.

“Fuck me.” Head tossed back, Lyonel admits defeat to the direwolf, slithering underneath the covers beside you with a huff.

Your arm immediately curls around his torso, and he feels his frustration ebb out of him. “See, we fit.”

Grumbling, Lyonel cuddles closer, head pressed on your temple as his arm slithers from underneath you. You expect for that to be the end of the little one sided civil war he has going on with Thunder, but instead of your husband falling asleep with you curled around him, Lyonel takes you in his arms and hauls you around and away from Thunder, pulling you atop him and then back to his other side carefully and effortlessly.

You didn’t have enough time to process what happened when he’s the one curling around you protectively this time around. “Lyonel.” Chuckling, you muffle your laughter atop your palm.

“Shh, you’ll wake him.” He says atop your skin, nuzzling your neck and holding you tenderly. “Dream of me, my love.”

Lyonel took the direwolf home to be your sworn protector when he isn’t near, and to be the babe’s guard when he is born, but for now he shall battle with Thunder for your attention. All the while avoiding the large pointy teeth he has.

Your mom dies, your dad is back from the ‘dead’ and the world’s most annoying, eccentric billionaire. Your boyfriend is a superhero who, apparently, learned the multiverse is a real thing and refused to touch on the subject anymore for fear of ‘timey-wimey anomalies’ and all that stuff. Then, your ‘dead’ dad moves to your side of the country, buys a tower, starts to build it and put things together all the while he nearly: died of palladium poisoning, had a giant Russian nearly kill him, his best friend got his own suit, and the pirate-looking guy came back around.

Again.

This was very, very weird. Okay? 

It seemed like in such a short amount of time, things were getting even more weirder than usual. Hell, you thought that growing up having a guy run around dressed as a spider was fucking weird. Imagine how strange and unusual it was that your new norm was your father flying around in a red and gold suit to save the day?

Horrific.

To top it all off, you caved.

To be fair, it took you awhile. At first you rejected working at Stark Industries, which was fine, because with all the drama in Tony’s life and trying to fix up that building, it was just taking far, far too long to move everything to the East Coast. Hell, sometimes he was still going over to the West Coast to deal with his empire.

But, when it seemed like Tony was grooming you to work at the company alongside Pepper and leave your current job because of his illness, when you realized that SHIELD seemed just as shady and questionable as every other government agency you had considered after working with them for awhile, when working freelance was just too difficult and annoying to sift through the serious inquiries against the Stark stalkers, well, you realized that maybe it was time to see how Stark Industries would work with you joining them. 

That leads us to today, your first day working at Stark Industries, and you already had a sense of dread. You’d been in the bathroom all night shooting your anxiety into the porcelain throne and listening to Peter’s jokes about you trying to kill him in his own home. To Peter’s credit, he did say if you had this much dread working for him, that you didn’t have to, that you could just do anything else you wanted, but there was a part of you, maybe it was sick and twisted, that just had to know what Stark Industries would be like.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you took a shower and put on your clothes for the day. Tony gave you a start time, and whether it was your poor quality of sleep your desire to constantly rebel and piss him off, you were electing to generously ignore his request.

Entering the kitchen, you saw your boyfriend standing behind your usual seat at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers on the back of your seat while he smiled at you.

Peter also had his fair share of drama. Almost two years later, and Peter’s lab work was slowly but surely making progress, but his work as Spider-Man seemed to be moving at a much faster pace. There was a Vulture guy, someone who you think might have been named Kraven? You couldn’t remember, but it was all utterly chaotic, and that didn’t even count all the other various gangs and mob bosses on a daily basis. 

It was because of his desire to fight these sorts of crimes and stay on the street-level to protect the little guy that Peter refused to have anything to do with SHIELD, plus, well, his father did have a few words to say about that as well. Besides, Peter owed his life to being down in the streets with his favorite New Yorkers. After all, if he was too busy fighting aliens and galactic stuff, how could he have ever met you?

Although, to be fair, he definitely met you on accident. And, of course, he fell out of a portal. But his reasoning was that it was on a street — well, it was in an alley. That still counts, right?

“Did you make waffles for breakfast?” You asked with a smile on your face as you approached the kitchen.

“I actually made pancakes, and they came out absolutely disgusting, so I ordered some waffles. Look, look, I got Nutella and strawberries to go with it. And, and, and?” Peter ran to the refrigerator, yanked the door open, and dramatically fanned his arm out to the side to show the door, “We have whipped cream.”

“Are you sure? I thought we used it all on Friday night for human sundaes,” you leaned over the counter while Peter checked the can. You watched as he frowned and shook the empty can in his mouth before expertly tossing it into the recycling bin.

“Okay, so we don’t have that. But we have breakfast, and you’re going to have a magical day,” Peter said as he came around the counter and rested his hands on your hips. “It’ll be fine. You two get along better than you think.”

“I don’t know. He’s annoying.”

“Right, and you’re not?”

“Hey!” You pouted while he laughed and squished your cheeks in his hands before he pressed a kiss on your forehead. “Dickhead.”

“You happen to like my dick head, so,” Peter shrugged easily and escorted you to your seat. “It’ll be okay. Pepper will be there! You love Pepper.”

“Yeah. I’m not sure how she dealt with him for so long,” you sighed and sat down while Peter grabbed a strawberry and brought it to your lips. You spotted Peter’s hand, opened your mouth, and let him place the strawberry slice in your mouth, playfully biting the tip of his finger. He hissed and pouted before playfully squeezing your thigh and sliding into the other seat. Your shoulder sagged as you looked to him,“This is fine. Right?”

“It’s fine, honey,” Peter smiled softly as he stared at you. “You’re going to do great things, trust me.”

“Okay…” you sighed dramatically and grabbed your fork. “Hey, since there’s a multiverse — “

“No —“

“Do you think there’s one where Tony also has a kid? What’s she like, or he? Does he have a daughter in every universe? How —“

“I don’t know, and I couldn’t tell you anyway,” Peter told you.”

“But you trusted Happy because you saw him —“

“I —“ he paused for a moment as he stared at you and thought back to the day they learned your original name would’ve been some variation of MJ. Peter took a deep breath and shook his head, “I think you should focus on our universe and our life, no?”

“So boring,” you stuck your tongue out at him.

“Oh, really? You didn’t say that the other night,” Peter quipped. “In fact, I think it was along the lines of, mmf-hmph! mhm—“

Face burning in embarrassment even though no one was around to hear him tease you, you hurled a strawberry at his cheek. Peter was laughing hysterically as he let it land on his cheek, holding his gut and cackling while you hid your face in shame.

“Hey, no need to be embarrassed. We’ve practically perfected web bondage. I mean, did we rip off your mustache a little bit last time? Yes. We should probably stick to regular gags, but — ah!”

Peter jumped out of his chair and ran away from you as you jumped out and chased him. You cornered him into the bedroom where he let you spear him onto the bed. You grabbed your pillow and put it over his face. Leaning forward, you shushed him and told him to go to sleep while he flailed dramatically beneath you before going still.

Peter flipped you quickly after that, straddling your waist with his thighs while he laughed into the crook of your neck after tossing the pillow away. You were a giggling mess beneath him as one hand wound its way through his hair and the other ran up and down his back.

“I have to go,” he murmured after a few minutes of this cuddling. He pecked your neck before leaning up and kissing your lips. “Do you need a ride to work?”

“Uh,” you thought about it before being interrupted by your phone. Peter shot his web across the room to grab it and hand it to you. Checking the phone, you shook your head. “Nope, he told me it’s a late start because he wants to work on something tonight. So….”

“I’ll pick you up tonight when you guys are done, then,” Peter nodded and kissed you a third time before getting up. “Eat your breakfast! Take your vitamins, all that good shit.”

You shook your head and sat up just as he poked his head back into the bedroom, “Yes, Parker?”

He shot you a toothy grin, “I love you, Y/N.”

He still made your face heat up every time he said that, “I love you too, Peter. Now go! Don’t be late!”

“Who, me?” He called out to you as he grabbed his waffles, made a sandwich of it, and headed to the fire escape. “Never!”

Shaking your head, you flopped back down into bed and stared at the ceiling.

If only your mother could see you now, an amazing relationship, some sort of companionship with your father, a new place, an entirely new life for you. It was unlike anything you could’ve imagined. You wish she was here to celebrate it with you.

~*~

Late in the afternoon, you arrived at Stark Tower. It was more put together now than it had been, that’s for sure. Hell, it basically looked like it was finally completed and had some employees move in already.

You got off at the designated floor, the penthouse you had seen when Tony first bought the building. You quickly thought back to the day where you all met Nick Fury hiding in the darkness. You shook your head as you stepped out of the elevator and spotted Tony and Pepper immediately.

Tony was sitting on the sofa with an arm around the back. One leg crossed over the other as he whispered something in Pepper’s ear. You watched as she laughed and leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder as she muttered that he was deplorable.

“Spawn in the room,” you announced your presence as you stepped off of the elevator. Neither one jumped away like they’d been caught red-handed. Instead, they turned and greeted you with smiles. Well, Pepper smiled. Tony raised an eyebrow.

“You’re late.”

“You told me to come in late.”

“Right, and that was after you should’ve been here. So, technically, still late,” Tony said while Pepper sighed and lightly smacked his thigh. “What? It’s true.”

“It’s nice to see you, Y/N.” She said, loudly, and over Tony’s voice. “Come here, we were just going over the blueprints.”

“Yes, you can finally see what I’ve been working on that you’ve been denying yourself of,” Tony explained as raised his hands and brought the blueprints to life in hologram form. 

“The holograms? Yeah, I know. I installed them for SHIELD because they couldn’t understand the blueprints you sent.”

“Yeah, I thought that’d be funny, really give them a test, yet only my Spawn could understand it. How precious,” Tony quipped. “But, no. I mean this, the tower. It’s going to run on arc reactor energy, completely clean. I’m going to give it a test run tonight and I want you to be a part of it.”

You blinked, “Why?”

“Eh, feels like this should be some father-daughter type of shit,” Tony shrugged casually, refusing to show an ounce of feelings of parental desire. 

 That wasn’t very, well, strange at this point. See, Tony hiding the fact that he was dying certainly put a strain on the relationship you two had been building. Pepper and Peter theorize it’s causing the two of you to put each other at a distance to not have any feelings hurt. Again. Both feel like you two are stunted morons and are waiting to see you two sobbing in each other’s arms one day.

You’re their favorite idiots, though.

“Okay, then. A very, very large arc reactor to power an entire building —“

“And part of it is underwater but that’s neither here nor there and we have nothing illegal or questionable to worry about,” Tony said.

You looked to Pepper who nodded, “I took care of it.”

“Great,” You set your bag down on a chair and rubbed your hands together. “Okay, then. What can I do?”

Later that evening, surrounded by containers of takeout and a bottle of champagne that had yet to be open, you and Pepper were hanging around the workbench while Tony was flying out to dive under the Hudson and take the tower off the grid.

While he was doing this, the elevator doors opened and Peter was exiting the elevator and heading towards you with a smile on his face and a black jewelry box in his hand. When you turned around and spotted the box, you tilted your head to the side curiously while Pepper beamed and greeted him.

“Hey, Peter. How are you?”

“I’m great, Ms. Potts, thanks. How are you doing? Still sane after being with these two?”

“I think sane is a debatable term in their presence,” Pepper teased.

“Okay. Rude,” you nodded while Peter leaned in and kissed you. “Hi there.”

He grinned, “Hey. Look, I got you something —“

“Peter, this seems potentially expensive — “

“Just open it,” Peter insisted, pushing the box into your hands.

You glanced over your shoulder at Pepper who smirked to herself and turned around, focusing her attention on Tony and the work he was doing. You weighed the box in your hands for a few seconds before lifting the lid. What you found inside made you cackle quickly before reaching your hand in. Peter watched in utter delight as you lifted up a brand new stun gun in your favorite color, “You didn’t!”

“I did,” Peter beamed. “I know you lost yours, and you kept forgetting to get a new one, so I got you a brand-new, trusty tool for self-defense.”

“You are a sweet man, Parker. Thank you,” You cupped his chin and gave him a kiss before spinning around and waving the weapon around with glee. Peter shook his head as he set down his jacket and backpack and walked up to the desk to inquire what Tony was working on.

Pepper explained what was happening while Tony was working. When he announced that he was returning and that all they had to do was the work on their end, you happily pressed the button while Pepper spoke to Tony.

And flirted.

You looked at Pepper with a mock expression of horror while she shot you a wink and continued on.

“How are we doing?” Tony asked as he approached. “Looks operational. Am I a god or what?  Ladies, how does it feel to know an absolute genius while also being absolute geniuses — Oh, hey, Cummy Parker.”

“Tony!” Pepper hissed quietly.

Peter shook his head, “Hey, Tony. Nice tower.”

“Thank you. Maybe one day you too can be this brilliant,” Tony teased, his back to you as he leaned in to kiss Pepper, all the while you ere slowly raising your taser. 

Peter caught this and slowly lowered your hand, even though it would be amazing to see you stun him.

Again.

You looked up at Peter and pouted while Pepper and Tony were flirting, pouring champagne, and moving into the living room. Peter smiled down at you and shot you a wink before kissing your forehead and coaxing the stun gun back into the case.

Suddenly the elevator doors opened, and you all turned to see Agent Phil Coulson entering the party.

“Security breach! It’s on you,” Tony told Pepper as the two of them stood up from the sofa.

“Hey, Coulson,” You smiled and waved to the agent as Pepper greeted him.

"Phil, hi!” She smiled brightly.  “Come in.”

“Phil?" Tony questioned as she quickly made her way over to him.

“I can’t stay,” he nodded to Pepper before glancing at you and Peter. “Ms. L/N, Mr. Parker, it’s good to see you both as well. However, I’m afraid I’m afraid I come with business.”

“That’s okay, Phil,” Peter began.

Tony scoffed, “What is happening? His first name is ‘Agent.’ Never forget that,” Tony replied. 

Ignoring Tony, as one must do to deal with him, Phil lifted the portfolio tucked under his arm and attempted to hand it to Tony while saying they needed him to look at it. Tony, of course, did not like to be handed things, so Pepper took it from him, gave him champagne, and then handed the portfolio to Tony.

“Should I be here for this?” Peter leaned down to whisper in your ear as they talked about the Avenger Initiative. “After all, I said no.”

“As did I, and Tony was rejected. You’re fine, Peter,” you replied back in a whisper. “But, you know, at least you weren’t rejected.” You said loudly, locking eyes with your father.

“Apparently I’m volatile, self-obsessed, don’t play well with others,” Tony explained as he brought the device over to his workbench. 

“Well, who doesn’t know that?” Pepper quipped to Phil who smiled ever so slightly.

“This isn’t about personality profiles anymore,” Phil insisted.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Tony brushed him off. “Ms. Potts, can I have you over here for a second.”

Pepper excused herself, leaving you, Peter, and Phil to stand around each other while they spoke quietly. You paused your lips and nodded a few times as you shoved your hands into the pockets of your slacks. “So, how’s SHIELD?”

“Good, good. We took care of that New Mexico problem,” Phil explained. “You were right, mythical weaponry definitely only moved for one reason.”

You smirked, “I told you so.”

Peter balked. “Wait. What happened in New Mexico?’

“Classified,” Phil told Peter. “But it could very easily be unclassified, should your career aspirations desire a change. You’d be a wonderful team player. Actually, we’d like you in on this as well.”

“Leave the kids out of it,” Tony’s voice was heard across the room, arm waving back at Phil while he kept his eyes on the holograms of various people fighting in front of him. “They stay out of it.”

You rolled your eyes, “We can make our own decisions.”

“You couldn’t even decide what you wanted for lunch today,” Tony answered. “They stay out if it, far, far out of it.”

“I think he’s still upset that giant Russian guy threatened you,” Peter said quietly before turning to Phil. “I’ve got my own work down here, but if you guys need me, I’m just a phone call away.” Peter blinked for a moment, wondering if this man knew of his other identity. “I mean, well — “

“We’ll keep that in mind, Spider-Man,” Phil winked and turned his attention to an approaching Pepper who asked for a ride to the airport. Phil said his goodbyes and left with Pepper.

You and Peter joined Tony’s side, curious as to what he was studying. You and Peter were marveling at what was being displayed, all the while, Peter was thinking about what an Avenger was, his mind going back to the young Peter Parker he had met right before he met you.

“Wow,” you trailed off. “So that’s what they did after New Mexico. Loki Laufeyson, interesting,” you mumbled to yourself as your eyes went to the blue cube. “This looks dangerous.”

“This looks like it’s not in your job description. “Tony quickly put it away. “You two need a ride somewhere?”

“I’ve got us covered,” Peter spoke up.

“Good. Beat it, I’ve got some work to do. Try not to get kidnapped or anything, would ya?” Tony said as you and Peter started to walk towards the balcony. 

“I’ll leave the kidnappings to you,” you replied as you wrapped your arms around Peter’s shoulders. You looked at Tony and sighed watching him bring everything back up to study over. You then turned your attention to Peter, “Be gentle with this drop. I’m still not used to this.”

Peter snickered to himself, “That’s not what you said last night —“

“You’re disgusting, go home!” Tony roared as he fought off the potential trauma this could induce in him.

Arriving at home after picking up some takeout, you and Peter climbed onto the sofa together, limbs tangled up in one another’s as you both put on a movie to watch while you ate.

“Do you think they’ll call for help?” Peter asked you after a few minutes of silence.

“Nah,” you shook your head as you took a bite of food. “We’ll probably see them fuck something up on the news, though.”

Peter nodded and stared at the TV, “So, did you know Captain America was back?”

You cleared your throat, “That’s classified, Peter. I mean, why would I, of Stark DNA working with SHIELD, know of Captain America’s return?”

“You fucking knew didn’t you?”

“Anyway…” Tony continues as the other Avengers chuckles die down after Steve’s outcry “he arrived not too long ago. Happy is next door giving him all the T&Qs and they should be done now. Let me just check and I’ll introduce you all.” Tony then leaves the room, and the other Avengers start to talk among themselves.

I pull out my phone and type ‘NYC spider boy’ into YouTube clicking on the second search result with 20 million views. I have seen this video before as my friend Michael sent it to me around a week ago.

“Do you think there are many other super kids wandering around the city?” Sam asks, whilst looking at the video of my shoulder. Currently the hero is stopping a city bus from off-roading into some confused tourists by building up a wall with his web.

“I doubt it, I mean I guess he’s the only one going viral” I answer, moving the angle of my phone so the others who have gathered around me can see “but it would be cool to be able to meet some people my age who do what I do, no offence guys”

They all laugh. Being the youngest Avenger and hanging out with 30+ year olds all the time can be kind of isolating, but it’s like having a super close family. A family who also happen to be in life and death situations regularly together. But that’s a great bonding experience I would say.

“Guys, this is Peter, the Spider-Boy” Tony draws our attention away from my phone to the door where he has just entered.

“Spider-Man” Peter mutters as a lame attempt to correct him.

“Peter?” I question and the boy stood in front of me was not who I expected. I didn’t expect the masked vigilante swinging through New York to be someone that I knew.

“Y/N?” He responds, looking even more confused than I am “What are you doing here?”

-

“So Tony Stark is your dad?” Peter asks.

After seeing a guy from your school who you shared a chemistry class with last year, walking into a super-secret meeting for superheroes where he will be now joining your team. It is understandable that Peter and I were now talking this out to figure out how this state could be so small.

“Yep” I answer. We were sat next to each other on bar stools at the kitchen island. Wanda made some of her famous fruit smoothies for us and we were both stirring them around with our straws whilst conversing alone in the main living space.

“But your last name isn’t Stark, or Potts?” He continues, genuinely really confused about this whole situation.

“Yeah, well you can’t have the daughter of a billionaire and superhero couple walking around New York City alone, going to a normal school, having normal hobbies. It’s like asking for me to be taken hostage. So, I don’t have either of their last names and the general public doesn’t know I exist. It’s for my safety” I continue, reciting this memorised answer I’ve had to say to multiple people once they find out my existence.

Peter nodded as if he was understanding everything, he probably was, but I guess this wasn’t the conversation he planned to have today.

“And you’re the great Spider-Man” I continued, wanting the change the subject from me to him. “How did that happen? Wait… were you Spider-Man when you sat behind me in Chem last year?”

He began to explain to me the story, it happened to him on our school trip to OSCORP we took last year for our Chem class that happened just before the end of the semester. Something about a radioactive spider. It was strange, kind of the weirdest superhero transformation story I’ve heard. And I’ve heard quite a few.

My story was nowhere near as interesting. I guess having superhero parents who were always around weird alien technology and contaminated substances led to some weird epigenetic alterations of their reproductive cells and then when they had me, I could turn invisible.

They didn’t know at first, I was seemingly a normal baby. Then at my 2nd birthday party when they surprised me with a freaky clown, I was so scared that my body just decided to turn invisible. They weren’t expecting it, the clown definitely wasn’t expecting it and they had to cover up with a very convincing lie.

From then, whenever I was embarrassed, scared or essentially in a situation where I wanted to disappear. I did. Literally. It wasn’t entirely effective though as even though my body tuned invisible, the clothes I was wearing didn’t. I spent the majority of my preteen years of being a walking hoodie and jeans with no head or hands protruding from the gaps. For my 13th birthday Bruce and I got to work on a suit which responds to the activity of my skin cells, when I was invisible, my suit was invisible. It made it a lot more effective for me to actually be invisible when I turned but it also meant my dad let me start training to become an Avenger.

Training was fun, I worked with Nat a lot in our gym in order to become an efficient fighter. ‘Just because people couldn’t see me, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t know how to serve a mean right hook’ she always said. I also spent a lot of time with Wanda, trying to manage my powers. Now I am able to actually turn invisible and visible again on demand. And it only takes extreme embarrassment now to turn me invisible against my will, which is great because mum and dad finally let me, after my years of begging, attend Midtown High and stop being home school. This is where I met Peter last year and now I’m at Columbia studying genetics and engineering. A double major, I know but when you’re around the top geniuses in the world everyday, there is no such thing as too much learning.

“So, I guess we’re the only Midtown Alumni to have these crazy powers huh?” Peter finishes. After a long ramble about his becoming a superhero story. I guess he wanted to ease the tension after I couldn’t really think of what to say after “that’s super cool”. It wasn’t like I wasn’t interested, I really was, but when I wanted to have another person my age to hang out with, I didn’t expect it to be the boy I spent my senior year of high school obsessing over. I had turned shy, like really shy, like my normal levels of shy times 50. I couldn’t think of what to say.

“Sorry, if that story was too long and boring, I’ve only gotten to tell it to one person before, my best friend Ned so I was kind of excited to be able to tell it again.”

“No, it wasn’t boring, it was genuinely really cool!” I say a little too loudly and enthusiastically. I cringe at my tone of voice and speak normally again as I continue “It’s just I didn’t really expect the new Avengers recruit to be you, you know, like someone I know. It’s just kind of weird, but nice? I don’t know, now I’m rambling”

Peter chuckles.

“Umm, so are you going to be staying with us whilst you train or are you going back to Queens?” I ask, hoping this new question will miraculously erase Peter’s memory of what I last said.

“A bit of both, my Aunt is back in queens and I don’t want to leave her completely alone, but this upstate facility is a little too far for an everyday commute. I’m here just for today but once I start training on Monday, I think I might stay for the whole week.”

“Well, I can give you the tour! Since you’ll be staying with us soon, I guess you’ll want to know where everything is!” I say whilst jumping of my bar stool and putting my half full smoothie cup in the fridge. I noticed peter has just finished his, so I grab the glass and put it in the dishwasher for him. He thanks me as I do so.

“So this is the kitchen, where we make our food, different from the kitchen where the chefs make our food for occasions, charity events blah blah blah. And also, this seating area here is kind of the main seating area where we’ll sit throughout the day. Lots of sofas because there are lots of us and this is Bucky’s armchair. Don’t ever sit in Bucky’s armchair.” I say, stopping behind the chair and resting my hand on the headrest.

“Bucky, scary guy with the metal arm right?” Peter questions whilst following me at a slight distance around the room as I show him around. I nod. “Yeah, don’t worry, I won’t be sitting in his chair” he laughs.

I continue to show him the rest of the complex, the gym, the labs and finish up on the floor with all our rooms.

“I’m not sure which one of these rooms will be yours because we have a couple spare ones, but they all have the same layout. Look I’ll show you mine” I walk into my room, then hold the door open for Peter so he can follow me in.

“Uh, so this is my room. Obviously, yours won’t be decorated like mine but It’ll be the same size and have an en-suite attached with a full shower and tub and stuff. You know, the basics” I say, whilst sitting on the edge of my bed.

“I like your room, it’s cosy” he adds whilst looking around and then heading for the bookshelf as soon as he spots it.

“Ah thanks, I mean it’s cool, bigger than when we were in the tower in the city so I can’t complain” I say whilst also looking around. What is it about someone else being in your room that makes you see it with fresh eyes and make you super self-conscious that there is going to be a rogue piece of underwear on the floor? Even though I know I tidied my room this morning.

“Holy crap, Vision you scared the life out of me” I say on an exhale whilst holding my hand to my chest after the large gasp I just made as he enters the room, through the wall.

“Sorry, but your door is open” He continues, “Mr. Stark has told me that your car is here to take you back home Mr. Parker. If you would just follow me, I can lead you there” Vision continues, as if him just floating through my bedroom wall and speaking to the boy from my chemistry class now turned superhero was a normal thing to happen on a Thursday evening.

“Oh… thanks Vision” Peter says with some hesitancy, you can see that this is a weird circumstance for him too. “Well, I’ll see you on Monday then” he says smiling at me and walking towards the door. Which vision doesn’t use to exit.

“Yeah, see you then” I smile as he closes the door and I’m left in my room listening to him shuffling down the corridor.

"Hey," you respond, not feeling or sounding too eager. They all pick upon it, but what they don't pick up on is the way Chrissy glares at you. Chrissy scoots closer to Peter, resting a hand on his thigh. You chose to ignore it.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asks.

"As much as I'd like to chit chat," Chrissy speaks up, sounding way too sweet to actually be sweet. "I think Tony might be looking for you."

"He is?"

Chrissy shrugs, picking at her nails, not looking up at you. "Last I checked," she mumbles. You roll your eyes, walking off towards your room. He would have called it it was important.

From that point on, nobody talked to you for the rest of the day. You stayed in the comfort of your room's solitude. Not a single person asked about you. Not when Chrissy was there to entertain. An angry sigh escapes your lips as you watch them all play a game of Cards Against Humanity without you. Everyone laughs as Chrissy cheers from winning another round.

The days seemed to pass by much in this fashion. Days turned to weeks, which turned to months. It was slowly growing on you until being alone was all you wanted to do anymore. The lonliness began to eat you up, making you feel depressed and angry. You'd begun to feel like you were truly loosing your place, and slowly, your assurance in your purpose.

Chrissy continued to climb the ranks and everyone was wrapped around her finger. You'd try to reach out to the others, understanding that communication is a two way street. However, it always seemed to fall apart as soon as Chrissy walked into the room. You're convinced she's watching your every move because she's always there to intercept every single interaction. Ultimately, she got to a point where she was invited to events.

Parties, galas, and any other event was no longer fun because all you ever got was a simple greeting and a rushed five minute conversation.

You sit alone at a table at one of your father's gala after parties. The gold dress you wear making you stand out, yet no one approaches. until you see an all too familiar man slowly walk up towards your table. Curly brown hair, warm brown eyes, and an inviting yet excited smile. It's contagious as you find yourself smiling back.

"This seat taken?" he asks. Looking up at him, and with a certain excited gleam, you shake your head eagerly.

"Feel free," you respond, watching as he pulls the chair opposite you out and takes a seat.

"I'm Shawn-"

"Mendes, I know," you cut him off. He looks amused as you gasp from how rude you're being. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. I'm Y/N-"

"Stark, I know," he cuts in, a s mink on his lips as he leans back. You never really took him as a cocky person, bout here he is, making a Stark all flustered. "Can I ask why you're all alone?"

You seemed to naturally let your guard down around him. The walls were quick to fall and you held such deep and personal conversation with him. He reciprocated, letting you in on tons of personal information. As the night continued, the two of you talked, danced, and laughed together.

From that point on, the two of you became close friends and Shawn introduced you to the amazing world of writing and making music. As your family continued to push you away and fall into Chrissy's hand, you learned to write your feelings away in some of the most lyrically beautiful prose you could. So much so that Shawn was taken aback by it all.

As time passed, you found yourself constantly examining your relationship with Shawn, realising that it's not as platonic as you'd expected. The cuddling, the kisses, the hand- holding and gentle touching. Maybe the fact that you'd just slept with him last night, just before he's meant to leave for tour.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" he asks, stepping out of the restroom, towel wrapped around his waist. You bite your lip as you watch him  walk over. He picks up your shirt from the floor and tosses it at you nervously.

"I'll be fine," you tell him. He nods, still unsure. You sigh, kneeling on your bed and crawl over to him as he stands leaning against your bed. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, lips pecking his shoulder. "Seriously, I'll be fine," you assure him. "Maybe I'll write something new while you're out being a popstar," you joke. He chuckles, placing his lips to yours.

"Maybe you'll write something better than me," he states when he pulls away.  "Who am I kidding? I know you can."

Your heart swelled at his words. How can someone be so sweet and caring? So loving.

Once he left, you were stuck by yourself. However, you didn't allow yourself to get upset because you decided that you cannot buse all your happiness around Shawn. So, you got up and got productive. You showered, cleaned your room, got breakfast, and cleaned some more. You managed to say hi to your dad before Chrissy came along and you went back to your room. You grabbed your notebook and your pen, walking over to the garden room, guitar case on your back.

"Okay, we can do this," you say as you pull your guitar out. You flip open to the last song you wrote, one that's close to completion. Just needs a line or two. You then press record on your phone's voice recorder app.

"Falling over and over again," you sing, trying the chords you'd accidentally strummed the other day. You decided to keep the same general progression. "Oh, why does it have to be this way?"

The sound wasn't working, so you ditched the guitar, trying to find a sound through other mediums.

"From the place I was, to the place I am, to the place I want to be," you sing, following your own tune, letting your voice be your guide. "For the mountains I've been climbing over and under and over," you continue, finding your voice.

"From the place that I was to the woman I've become, I'll be there to see the tower you fall from," you belt out, really getting into it. "No this kingdom isn't quite what it may seem. You're an illusion you'll never be queen."

You sigh, flipping the pages in your notebook. "We'll come back to that one later, let's try Left Side of Everywhere," you tell yourself. This song was complete, now it's just a matter of recording it.

"There is no doubt tonight," you sing as you strum along on the guitar. However, you find yourself ditching the actual lyrics and singing something new. "I'm falling, I'm falling so in love with how you are to me. For you I would give anything, try to be a better person."

The words took you by surprise as you think of Shawn. You take a pause, falling into a rabbit hole of emotions and thoughts.

First and foremost, you're in love with Shawn. How could you not be? He's been nothing but kind and supportive of you. He's helped you through multiple breakdowns and he's given you purpose again. Sure, you've always had purpose even before he came along, but he helped you realize thats you're so much more than Tony Stark's daughter or a friend of the Avengers. So much more than just Shawn's friend. It doesn't matter if everyone is blinded by Chrissy's temporary shine, because you're so much more than that and you have things to say. Shawn encourages that. You don't need people who easily push you away and forget about you when someone new comes along.

"Now that I have the world in front of me," you sing excitedly. "I'm never turning back. How could I ever let this go?"

You pick the guitar back up and press record again, repeating the line and letting all your thoughts out.

"So many times I fall, I'm falling, I fall apart," you sing. "I'm so concerned with pity things, it drags me farther down. Why do we run from things we're scared of? I see it now it's all so clear. No, there's no turning back from here. Now that we have the world in front of us, we're never turning back. How could we ever not believe?"

It all seems rather silly, but you grow more excited with every word. You lose track of every word you've sung, but good thing you recorded it. Finally, after a minute, you end it, settling on going back to a loving tone,

"How could I ever let this go? I love the thought, what this all could mean. You're the only good thing left in me. Now that I have the world in front of me, I'm never turning back. How could I ever let this go?"

With that you call it a day.

Three months later, Shawn comes back, way too excited to see you. He arrives at the tower, meeting you in the common room where everyone, Chrissy included, is hanging out. He steps out of the elevator, quick to pull you into his arms and press his lips to yours in a sweet yet passionate kiss. When the two of you pull away, you grab his hand, pulling him towards the hall without acknowledging anyone.

Back in your room, you show Shawn your semi completed album. He listens to it, a large smile placed on his lips.

"So?"

He pauses as he pulls you into his arms. "It's amazing, just like you."

You smile, pulling him in for a kiss. He smiles into the kiss, pulling away to mumble a simple question. "Be my girlfriend?"

An excited squeal escapes your lips as you eagerly nod. Loving every second of this moment. You're excited. For your future, in music and with Shawn. Hopefully, a reconciliation will be in your future as Well, but for now, you're okay with where you are and you believe everything will fall firmly into place.