Ariana Lynch. Ariana Lynch is the kid Tony Stark would be looking after for a month. It isn't really something he wants and he is not looking forward to it. The sooner he gets it over with, the better. He isn't sure exactly how he got talked into doing this. He was drunk beyond belief. He had apparently made a deal that he'd agree to take care of some kid for a month and if he wanted could add time and/or adopt after.
There's no way he is going to adopt this child. He doesn't want it. He is only doing this to make sure that Pepper doesn't murder him for cancelling a deal with one of her closest friends. She can be really scary when angry.
Sitting on the couch, waiting for her arrival, he is surrounded by the Avengers. They all can tell he has been dreading this day. The day the little child would come and destroy what little peace they have.
"This is going to be a long month," Stark groans, placing his forehead on his hand. No one responds. "Is it too late to back out?" the billionaire asks, looking up and around for an answer. He is met with the glares of his teammates and puts his hands up in surrender, "just a joke, just a joke."
But everyone knows it isn't just a joke. Honestly, some of them don't want a little kid running around here bothering them either. "How old is she again?" Sam asks, opening the refrigerator.
Stark opens his mouth to answer, but he stops, closing his mouth. He doesn't know the answer to that question. It is probably one that Pepper's friend had told him when he was either drunk as hell or hungover as shit.
The look on Sam's face as he realises the man has absolutely no idea how old the little shit is was priceless. Tony would have laughed and made a snarky remark if it wasn't for the thoughts about the child that is on its way over. When the elevator opens, they all see the kid standing there, but she is definitely not what any of them were expecting.
Ariana Lynch walks into the tower with amazement painted over her face. These must be some expensive penthouse-apartment thingies. She and Rebecca -Pepper's friend- stop just at the elevator. The blonde lady gestures to the elevator, urging the girl to go in. The girl doesn't move, she is frozen.
"C'mon Lynch, he's waiting for you," Rebecca urges, trying to hide her impatience. She has other things to do. Things that are more important to her.
Ariana notices the impatience she tried to hide, but she tries to ignore it as she mumbles, "could you at least take me up and get me through the introduction?"
Rebecca looks at the girl with a face that reads 'seriously' replying, "you're fifteen for god's sake, you can go by yourself." She tried to hide the impatience and irritation in her voice, but she let it slip out. She needs to go, she is already late for her date. She doesn't want to make him think she stood him up.
"But I just thou-" she begins.
"Seriously Lynch? I have somewhere to be. Stop being such a child." she scolds in the calmest and nicest possible way. The girl looks hurt, hurt by what the blonde woman said. She turns to the elevator and gets in with her head lowered. Rebecca knows her mistake and immediately regrets it. "Bye Lynch!" she desperately calls out, trying to get one last smile before she disappears behind the sleek doors. But there's nothing. She doesn't look up, she doesn't wave, she doesn't flash a smile, nothing. She just stands still as the doors closed.
To say Ariana is nervous would be an understatement. She wants so badly for this to go well. The last time she had lived in an expensive apartment-penthouse thingie she had upset her guardians very much. They threw her out like she was an infectious parasite. This time, she is determined to not make mistakes. She sighs, no, that's impossible. I always make too many mistakes.
The elevator slows and she feels like she is going to vomit; oh yes, what a perfect introduction that would be. Her breathing becomes shallow as the doors open to reveal her new guardian. She feels as though it stops when she is met with the stares of multiple people. Why are there so many people? Why are they staring at me like that? Did I go to the wrong penthouse thingie? Did he forget that today was the day I was coming?
The Avengers stare at the teenager who stands frozen in the elevator. They watch her golden-brown eyes flicker across the room looking at every one of them multiple times. She doesn't step out of the elevator. Natasha Romanoff sees her and immediately knows what is going on in her mind, she is terrified. She doesn't know what caused the terror; perhaps the new home? The new environment? All the people staring at her?
The deafening silence is broken as the redhead decides to go welcome the scared girl into the room. Everyone else has been frozen from the moment the doors opened. Natasha wants to comfort the girl and welcome her into it. She steps onto the elevator where the doors would meet and holds out her hand for the girl slightly smiling, "Natasha Romanoff."
The girl hesitantly looks down at her hand and slowly reaches to shake it. Who is she? Rebecca hadn't mentioned anyone except for a 'Tony Stark'. She is gently pulled into the room by Natasha. Everyone stands still and time seems to stop. It feels like they're all waiting for her to speak up. She tries to open her mouth to introduce herself, but as soon as she moves her eyes up off the ground, the voice gets caught in her throat forming a lump. Why are they all staring at me so much?
Tony sits on the couch watching the teenager look at the ground. She looks up and slightly parts her lips as if she's about to say something, but quickly closes them, returning her gaze back to the ground. He doesn't know if it is better or worse that he got stuck with a teenager. On the one hand, she would be able to take care of herself, she wouldn't make messes everywhere, she wouldn't need a babysitter 24/7, she would probably leave them alone and not bother them too much, but on the other, she would be trouble with parties, fights, boys, drama, drugs, and alcohol.
After a few minutes, he stands up and awkwardly claps his hands together, "right, well -uh welcome Miss Lynch."
She looks up at the man and gives a small smile and head nod. She hides the cringe she wanted to make as she hears that last name roll off his tongue. Of course, they're going to know about your last name dumbass. Just don't get upset about it. Maybe after a few days, I can just calmly ask them to stop calling me that.
She doesn't like her last name. Not that there's any problem with the name 'Lynch' but only for the sole fact that it reminds her of her parents. She tries not to think about them.
A dark-skinned man sitting on a chair at the island counter smiles, "Sam Wilson."
The tall man standing behind the island with long blond hair gives a small wave, "Thor Odinson."
"Clint Barton," a man says at the end of the long dining table.
Next to him, another man speaks, "Bruce Banner."
"Wanda Maximoff," the girl smiles sweetly at her; at the same time, she notices two muscular men make their way from the back of the room. She eyes them cautiously and notes that one of them has a metal arm.
The blond muscular man that had just walked up with his friend speaks first, "Steve Rogers."
"James Barnes," his friend states.
So many people to remember, but wait- where's her guardian? Not one of them had introduced themselves as 'Tony Stark'. Her eyes dart over to the man that awkwardly stood up and welcomed her, he is making his way towards her. She remembers that he had never actually introduced himself. Is this him?
"Tony Stark," he grins. "But you probably already knew that."
This man is confident, too confident; cocky some would say. He holds an air of importance. He wears expensive clothes and holds himself in a very confident and semi-professional manner. He seems to be one of those 'I'm rich and I'm better than all of you' kinda guys.
She awkwardly chuckles at his last statement, she doesn't really know that. The only reason she figured was that because everyone else in the room had introduced themselves, spare the man standing in front of her, so she came to the conclusion that he was to be her new father figure for a month. Rebecca told her that he might adopt her or that he might let her stay longer, but she knows better than to hope. She'd make too many mistakes and mess it all up anyway. Besides, now that the man stands before her she knows without a doubt in her mind that he does not want anything to do with her.
"It's too bad we had to cancel the party, I think you would have enjoyed it," Stark says, walking over to the bar. She glances around her with a confused look. Welcome party? For someone as insignificant as her?
"Romanoff told me not to hold a welcome party for you, so we compromised and brought the team here," he explains while pouring a drink. She notices the glare that he receives from the blond- what was it..? After recalling the moment she remembers: oh right, Steve Rogers. Everyone goes back to doing their own thing, but Ariana doesn't move. She just watches the people around her, taking everything in. She notices that a few people are still staring at her: Natasha, Steve, James, and Clint. Her heart picks up its pace when she sees the look in James and Natasha's eyes. She can't tell what they are feeling or thinking. It is as though they are analyzing her, and they are.