Chapter 4

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For a week you wandered around the tower, particularly those areas reserved for the Avengers and made notes. All of the team noticed, but they didn't ask any of the questions they undoubtedly had. Though by the end of the week, you had plenty for them. Everything from favorite colors to hobbies and favorite weapons. Nat finally flat out asked you what you were up to.

The corner of your mouth lifted in a smile. "Just doing a little organizing. You'll see soon enough."

She narrowed her gaze as she looked you over. "We're not much for surprises around here. Too many of them have led to nothing good."

You gave a little shrug. "Not really a surprise. More like me making a plan and getting all my ducks in a row before implementing any of it."

"So, forethought?" She pursed her lips. "We could certainly use some of that around here."

"What are you trying to say, Nat?" Tony asked as he walked in the room. "We all know you like my impulsive nature. Don't lie."

She rolled her eyes and left you alone with your soulmate.

"How's it going, hot stuff?" He made a show of looking around. "I don't see many changes yet."

"It hasn't been three weeks, Tony," you responded as you had most every day when he made inquiries into your progress.

He stepped toward you, closing the distance between the two of you until he was only a foot away. "You're up to something and I'm not sure I like it. I'm the sneaky one around here."

You didn't say anything as you forced your gaze to remain locked with his though every fiber of your being screamed for you to close the remaining distance between you. That wouldn't totally be out of line or anything. Your heart raced and you wondered if you affected him even remotely the same way he got to you.

After a moment that felt like forever, he took a step back and turned to the rest of the room. "Gear up. Fury ordered a training mission. Wheels up in sixty."

There was a collective groan from everyone in the room save you.

"How long?" Steve asked.

"His exact words were more than three days. Less than forty." You had to stop yourself from smiling at the disgruntled tone in Tony's voice.

Everyone started to disperse. "If there is anything you'd like me to take care of while you're gone let me know," you called.

Tony turned his attention back to you and gave you that little smirk. "You got this?"

"I got this," you assured and immediately started to check to see if anything needed to be rescheduled.

***

Three days later you were on an empty floor of the tower that had been under reconstruction until you got hold of it. Now the rebuilding was done and the workers were putting the finishing touches on the paint. Tomorrow, all the things you'd ordered would be brought in by a horde of workers. The Avengers were going to come home to an all new tower.

"I'm not sure what I expected when Stark told me he was hiring an assistant for the team, but it sure as hell wasn't this," a deep voice said, startling you.

You turned to find none other than Nick Fury standing near the elevator with his hands clasped behind his back. Tony had warned you that you would have to interact with the man at some point, but you had assumed you'd have Tony there as a buffer. You swallowed past the lump in your throat. "Hello, Director. What can I do for you?"

He held up a form as he studied you with his one eye. "Are you the one that sent this requisition form over?"

You sucked in a breath. You'd assumed some faceless worker bee would fill the requisition. "I am."

He nodded. "Did Stark read this before he signed it?"

"Unlikely. This is Tony we're talking about. He tells me it's my job to read things. Which to be fair, my background in law is one of the reasons he hired me. At least, that's what he says anyway."

The corner of Fury's mouth curled in a small smile. "And should I agree to supply this equipment, what are your plans?"

You shuffled through a couple of screens on your Stark tablet before handing it over. He read through the information quickly before looking up in surprise. "Are these numbers accurate?"

"As accurate as I can be without real world data, yes."

"Impressive." He handed you back your tablet then walked toward the elevator without another word.

"Does this mean I get my supplies?" you called after him.

"Already delivered." He stepped into the elevator and used his hand to keep the door from closing. "You have also been granted SHIELD security clearance at Stark's request. Don't make me regret it."

Your eyes went wide as your brows shot up into your hairline. "Y-yes, sir," you managed to stammer out just before the door slid shut.

"Jarvis," you said after you had a moment to pull yourself together.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Why exactly does Tony think I need government security clearance?" You bit your lip, worried about the answer.

"It is my understanding that Mr. Stark wishes you to be available in whatever capacity the team requires which may necessitate you knowing some more delicate aspects of their missions," the AI explained.

"He's known me for two weeks, Jarvis."

"Ten days to be precise, Miss. I believe Director Fury voiced the same concerns to Mr. Stark himself."

"And what did Tony say?"

"Mr. Stark said he had a feeling you could be trusted though he was unable to explain why when the Director pressed him."

You blinked several times as you processed that bit of information. Was it possible Tony felt the connection between you without even knowing you were soulmates? After a moment you shook your head to clear it. Dwelling on this wasn't going to get the work done. "Jarvis, please make certain all deliveries and workers are still scheduled for the appropriate times tomorrow."

"Of course, Miss."

***

Tony's money certainly made it easier for you to get things done quickly, though there were still a few things you had to do on your own due to you being the only one around that had clearance to enter certain spaces. Still, you managed to have everything completed by the time the team returned from their mission. You met them as they unloaded from the jet. A SHIELD agent stood beside you. You ran your eyes over the team and quickly ascertained that they were in good spirits. That would make this much easier.

As they spotted you, they shouted greetings while eyeing the man beside you suspiciously. "What's this?" Steve asked.

"This is a SHIELD agent. New protocol. If possible, a SHIELD agent will be on hand to meet you after any mission. That agent will be responsible for cleaning and repair of any weapons and for restocking your muster gear. If you would like to hire someone permanent for the position that is also an option," you explained.

Before anyone could ask the questions that seemed to be on the tips of their tongues, all of your attentions were drawn to Tony as he came into the room from a different door. He'd undoubtedly landed on his balcony and come down to meet the rest of the team. "There you are, hot stuff. I have some questions."

"I think we all do," Bruce said with a gesture at the agent.

You couldn't help a small chuckle as you turned to the man beside you. "You are dismissed, Agent. Thank you."

He gave a crisp nod before quickly vacating the room.

"There have been some changes while you were gone," you explained. "If you're up for it we can go over them now or we can do it later. Whichever."

"I think we better do it now." Tony rubbed a hand over the top of his head as he scowled. Jarvis had warned you that Tony didn't like change but you didn't think it would take long to win him over.

You nodded and walked into the nearest hallway. There was now a line of black lockers along one of the walls. Your eyes were glued to your tablet as you came to a stop in front of them. After you flipped through a couple of screens you turned it off. "I just sent you all a document detailing the changes in case you have any questions. These lockers are your muster lockers. They are encoded to the handprint SHIELD had on file for each of you. Inside is a uniform and a bag equipped with all your favorite goodies. If there is anything you want taken out or added please let me know. I have a detailed list of what should be packed in each bag so they can be replenished after any mission."

Everyone moved to find their locker. They were marked by a small emblem beside the palm reader. You glanced at Tony. "As I'm certain you noticed, yours is on your floor as you tend to come and go from there. We can move it down here if you wish."

He studied you but did little more than nod. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he rocked on his feet as he watched the others. A little further down the hall you showed them the large board where you could keep track of everyone's schedules, though everything on it was letters and numbers that meant nothing if you didn't already know what they stood for. And just past the board was an office for Steve. Across the hall was a meeting room. "This puts all the work related stuff up here, away from your living spaces. I wanted to give you more separation."

If the smile on his face was any indication, Steve was all in with the new layout. You gave the rest of them a smile. "This also means no one besides the team needs to have access to the other floors."

"That works for me," Nat mumbled and Clint nodded in agreement.

"All right. Shall we?" They all filed into the elevator with you. "Jarvis, if you please?"

"Of course, Miss."

You couldn't keep the grin from your face as he moved to the first stop. The doors slid open and the team was met with the familiar sight of their common living area. "You can leave your bags in the elevator," you told them, indicating the bags most of them had been carrying since their arrival.

"Can't we just put them in our rooms?" Steve asked.

"You can, but there are no longer any private rooms on this floor. Well, mine is because it made sense I be centrally located but the rest of you have been moved."

"You can't just move our things without asking," Natasha said, immediately defensive.

"How do we know you didn't mess with anything?" Clint said over the top of her.

"Who cleared this?" Steve demanded.

You'd been prepared for questions but their harsh tone surprised you. You held up your hands in an attempt to calm them while you took a deep breath.

"I believe that you will all be most pleased with the changes that have been made," Jarvis spoke over all of them. "All personal belongings were moved under her strict supervision and placed precisely as they had been in your original rooms. Your agitation is quite unnecessary."

"Did my AI just stick up for you?" Tony asked, his voice heavy with disbelief.

You shrugged. "We've bonded." When he just continued to stare at you, you cleared your throat and turned away from him. "This floor now houses the common area as before. The kitchen has been expanded and also includes a large dining table so meals can be taken together. Also on this floor there is a theater, a library and an arcade."

"Let's move on to the private rooms," Steve suggested still sounding slightly disgruntled. "We can explore later."

The others nodded or made sounds of agreement and you led them back to the elevator. One floor down it stopped again. The doors slid open to reveal a floor decorated in neutral colors with blue accents. "Captain, this is your floor. There is also a room for Thor should he return and need somewhere to stay. There is a kitchenette, a private bathroom attached to your room and a studio with floor to ceiling windows."

"Can I—" Steve gestured to the room outside the elevator.

"Of course," you said with a smile you no longer felt. "Would you like us to wait for you?"

He shook his head without looking back. "No. I'll look at the other floors later."

With that Jarvis shut the doors and dropped to the next floor. "Agents Barton and Romanoff, this is your level." It too was in neutrals but with purple and black accents. "Yours is the only floor without room for new team members. You also have a kitchenette but the extra rooms have been prepared for your family, Agent Barton, should you decide to bring them to the tower."

Clint turned his head to you in surprise. "Fury said that wasn't possible. That we couldn't get the clearance."

This time your smile was genuine. "That is no longer a problem since I separated the living quarters from the rest. You'll find the necessary clearances in your bedroom."

He and Natasha hustled off, chatting excitedly to one another. As the elevator slid shut, you turned to the two remaining team members. "There is one more floor below here that is set up to house more team members if necessary. For the time being, it is empty. As I'm sure the two of you have noticed, we are going up this time. Dr. Banner, I have placed your living quarters on the same floor as the lab. Not only for conveniences sake, but the only person you will have to worry about sharing your space with is Tony."

Tony frowned. "There isn't enough room on that floor with the medical facilities."

"Medical facilities are now housed on the business floor. Storage has been moved to other locations in the tower. If you are worried about the space in the lab, you shouldn't be. I have actually expanded the lab area." You stepped out of the elevator and they followed close behind. "As you can see, the décor has been changed to neutral colors. Dr. Banner, your lockdown room is now between your room and the lab. It is accessible from both locations. Jarvis provided the specifications of the original room and oversaw the construction."

Jarvis unlocked the door to the lab as you approached. You held it open for the science bros to follow you inside. "There is also a meditation room in your private quarters, Doctor. As you can see, your lab is larger. There is a state of the art coffee system. It's easy to use once you figure it out, Mr. Stark. Jarvis has the full instructions. This button here will dispense hot water only. The far cabinet is fully stocked with the teas Jarvis says you are partial to, Dr. Banner."

Bruce beamed as he rubbed his hands together and shuffled off to check out everything you'd told him. You turned to Tony to find him watching you with dark eyes. You cleared your throat and gestured to the back of the lab. "That door there leads to a set of stairs that feeds directly into your private residence. Your handprint or Jarvis is required to open the door on either end."

He just continued to watch you and you gave him a tight smile. "Have fun looking around and let me know if you need anything." You turned, prepared to disappear into your own room when a light touch on your arm stopped you.

"They were just surprised, you know," Tony said.

You frowned at him. "What?"

"When they snapped at you. None of them meant anything by it."

"I didn't think they did," you said, but dropped your head so he wouldn't be able to read the expression on your face.

"Mmmhmm." He placed a finger under your chin and lifted your head. "Just like you didn't start calling everyone by their last name or title after that."

"I am their employee, not their friend, Mr. Stark."

He arched a brow at you as he stepped away. "We'll see about that."

He called your name, stopping you at the door.

"Yes?"

"Call me Mr. Stark again and you're fired."




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