Warning: Mentions a girl getting her measurements taken while asleep.
Waking up the next morning was an experience to say the least. I would have thought the whole previous day was a dream if it hadn't of been for my surroundings. I was still in the med bay of the Avengers Tower, shiny chrome and all, and I had no clue what time it was. You would think with all of the new technology in this room they would at least have a clock! So leaning up on my elbows I glanced out the window only to see that it was still dark outside and the city was still lit up for nighttime. Normally this was when I would get up to get ready for my work day, but apparently the good doctors sleep medication couldn't even let me sleep through my internal alarm or my day off it seemed. I sighed audibly though quietly, and it was as though that was the sign that it was time for the day to start.
The lights automatically switched on going from dim and gradually growing brighter until they were at a normal brightness. The tinted glass windows, which I didn't even realize were tinted, opened up slightly to let the fresh morning air in, and a morning radio talk show started playing quietly from a hidden area somewhere in the room.
"What the frick frack?" I groaned. It was too early to be fully awake for this crap.
"Good morning Ms. Monroe." J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke suddenly, and I'll admit that I jumped a bit off of the bed I was on.
"Um. Good morning J.A.R.V.I.S." Speaking to the ceiling was quite awkward for me, and I mean what was I even supposed to talk at?! So I settled for sitting up on the bed and looking at my lap while I listened and carried on my conversation with the A.I.
"I hope you slept well. The Master had some clothes sent up for you in the night. I took the liberty of taking your measurements while you were sleeping so they should fit appropriately."
"You took my measurements." I stated blandly and slightly upset. That was really personal and not something that should have been done without my permission and definitely not while I was unconscious.
"Of course. Mister Stark wanted to make sure you would be comfortable so I simply scanned you while you were sleeping. It was completely non-invasive."
Exasperated I looked at the ceiling. "You're not helping your case dude."
"I do not know what this "dude" is that you speak of, however I will not scan you again without your permission if that is what you prefer."
"Yes. That is what I prefer." I said as I got up and looked around for these "clothes". I found them on the little bedside table to the right of me, and with a little more "investigating," I found an attached bathroom to do my business and change in.
The clothes ended up being a pair of black leggings, a pink tank top, and a new pair of underwear. I thanked God that he didn't get me a bra and that the underwear was still in the packaging. I had way too many bra's as it is, and I'm already uncomfortable with the fact that he knows ALL of my sizes and got me underwear. I was really hoping something wouldn't fit so I could stay in my comfy and familiar clothes, but of course, all the clothes fit perfectly. Conflicted, I decided to wear the clothing as it would be rude of me to not wear them. After all, he did go through the trouble of getting them for me. However I was definitely going to bring up the nonexistent boundaries of his A.I. with Tony later.
At some point yesterday my hair had been taken out of its ponytail, so without a brush it was going to be all kinds of messed up. My fingers would work just as well in a pinch, so I walked out of the bathroom while combing my hair through my fingers, only to almost run into Tony.
With a cup of coffee in one hand and what looked like one of those monthly science journals in the other, he looked delicious.
"Tell me Mr. Stark," I teased as I walked up to him and touched his Arc Reactor with my pointer finger. "Do you always look ready for a photo shoot?"
His Black Sabbath T-shirt hugged his biceps and upper body wonderfully and even his jeans and shoes looked designer. I didn't even want to know how much his wrist watch cost.
"That is a wonderful question, of which I will answer as soon as you answer one of mine." He wrapped his arm that held the journal around my shoulders and began to lead me out of the med bay, and the lights automatically dimmed as soon as we left the room.
"But I asked first." I fake pouted.
"But I'm richer. Speaking of. Pancakes or waffles?"
"What does that have to do with money?" I laughed as I looked up at him to see him smirking down at me with a glint in his eye as we came to the elevator and stepped in.
He pushed a couple of buttons on the panel and then scanned his eye. As soon as we started to move, he repeated himself. "It doesn't, but that's besides the point. Pancakes or waffles? Clint doesn't know which you would prefer, so he's making both for breakfast. I'm asking for future reference. As for your question." We stepped out of the elevator into the common room where all of the Avengers were sat around the buffet as Clint cooked breakfast. "Of course I always look ready for a photo shoot. Never know when your picture will be taken."
He led me to a stool in between Natasha and Steve so with a happy "good morning." I took my seat. Natasha or Nat as she told me to call her last night nodded her head at me with a stiff but still there small smile, while Steve turned to me and gave me a beaming grin.
"Morning Doll. How'd you sleep?"
"I slept good, but we really need to lay down some boundaries with J.A.R.V.I.S. Can you have boundaries with an A.I?" I asked everyone at the table.
"You know that is a good question. Tony have you heard of boundaries?" Nat asked him as she turned to him.
"Wait . . .I . . . That's not what I. . ."
"Nope never heard of them. Why Nat? Need something ordered your embarrassed to tell the hubby about?" Tony snarked as he shot me a wink.
"Oh Tony, you know I'd have no other but you." Nat responded blandly before turning to me and rolling her eyes making me clap my hands over my mouth to keep my laughter in.
"Sorry Widow, but I'm fortunately taken." Tony raised his coffee mug to me in a toast gesture and I blushed and turned to Steve.
"Are they always like this?"
"Only when they aren't trying to kill each other. So it's a good day." He winked.
"What's this about boundaries now?" Clint said as he set a plate of pancakes and waffles down in the middle of the table and everyone started grabbing food.
Wide eyed I could only watch as the food seemed to manifest and then disappear just as quickly as it had appeared in the first place. Thor had a HUGE stack of pancakes on his plate, and so did Steve while everyone else had a healthy portion of food on their plates as well. The gentle clanking of a plate being set down in front of me made me lean back, and into a hard body. When I looked up, I saw Tony.
"You never answered my question so I got you a waffle, pancakes and bacon, because who doesn't love bacon." He put his hands on my shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze before walking back to his seat.
"Thanks Tony." He nodded at me and went right back to his breakfast like he didn't just do something sweet for me. I took a few bites and closed my eyes in bliss. These pancakes were delicious and I didn't even need to add butter which is usually a must for me.
"Stella?"
"Hmm?" I looked up at Clint around a bite of pancake and he chuckled.
"You were saying something about boundaries?"
"Oh right!" With a mini glare on my face I turned to Tony. "I'm mildly irritated at you, but mostly mad at your A.I."
"What did I do?" Tony asked looking honestly bewildered.
"J.A.R.V.I.S. scanned me and took my measurements last night. I don't remeber saying that was ok."
"I just needed to know your sizes so I could get you some clothes for today. It was non-invasive." He looked confused so I figured I'd slow it down for him.
"It doesn't matter if it was non-invasive or not. I didn't say it was ok. He measured my body. All of it."
"Is this true Tony?" Steve asked, and though I could tell I wasn't meant to see it, I could see him clenching and unclenching his fist on his lap so I softly put my hand on top of his. He shot me a gentle smile before his face hardened and he looked at Tony again.
"Oh Tony tell me you didn't?" Nat groaned as she let her head fall into her hands.
"Tony." Bruce exhaled his name as though looking for patience. Thor was too busy eating everything in sight to care about the conversation at the moment, but Clint was silent. Dead silent.
His face was set as though made from granite and it looked like he had a tick in his jaw as he stared straight ahead at nothing. Once everyone saw the state Steve and Clint were in they stopped talking, but Tony didn't.
"I don't understand what the big deal is. It's only J.A.R.V.I.S. first of all, so it's not like I was taking a literal measuring tape to her body. All of those documents are sealed so no one can look at them, and she was asleep so I don't see how it's any skin off her back really . . ."
"She was asleep?" Clint stated quietly as his head slowly turned to look at Tony, and Steve quickly stood me up and pulled me away from the buffet and pushed me behind his back in a defensive position. I noticed that we weren't the only ones that had moved either.
Natasha stood next to me with a hand on my back, but was standing on the balls of her feet poised to move at a moments notice. Thor had stopped eating and was holding the strap of his war hammer in his hand as it rested by his feet. Mjolnir was its name if I remember my mythology correctly. Bruce had stood up and backed against a wall, probably to avoid a little green problem should a situation arise.
Tony and Clint didn't move, just stared at each other and I was worried. They were fighting already. I had caused a fight already. Tension was so thick in the air you could practically cut it with a knife as I peeked around Steve to see my other mates. My intention had been to calmly discuss what happened because I felt slightly violated, not stir up a whole bunch of trouble!
"Of course she was sleeping! She had had a long day and needed rest. There was no need to keep her awake for something that could be done while she was sleeping!" Tony's voice began to rise and my soul mark began to itch as Steve stepped towards Clint and Natasha wrapped an arm around me.
"Do you even see the problem here Stark?" Steve asked?
"The problem was getting her comfortable clothes to wear today and I solved that problem." Tony snapped.
"By violating her privacy! By violating her!" Clint snapped as he stood so quickly from his stool it crashed to the ground, and he banged his fists against the bar. Startled from the sudden noise I jumped slightly and I felt Nat give my shoulder a little squeeze. Turning my head I gave her a quick smile before turning back to look at my mates.
They stood in a triangle formation and Tony was at the point. I wasn't that mad at him, not the way they were thinking I was and making everything out to be. I understood he only wanted to get me clothes. If it had been for anything else then I would have been pissed. I just wanted him to ask permission next time he did anything like that.
"I didn't touch her!" Tony shouted outraged.
"But J.A.R.V.I.S. did." Steve said in his normal voice. All the muscles in his back were bunched tight under his white shirt so I knew he wasn't calm, he was just the only one talking at a normal volume. Tony didn't have a response to that, neither did Clint.
"You didn't touch her, but you had J.A.R.V.I.S. scan her and take her measurements. Not only did you not ask her permission, you did it while she was asleep and therefore unable to ask him what he was doing or say no. You took away her right to choose. Do you see the problem now Tony?"
Tony looked pained, like he was going to be physically ill as he nodded and the tension in the room slowly went away. I shrugged out of Nats arms and walked over to him and gave him a hug.
"Its ok Tony. As long as you don't do it again everything's fine." I held him tightly in my arms with my head resting on his chest. Not a moment later his arms wound around me and he pulled me even tighter against him as his chin rested atop my head.
"Never again angel, never again."
With a nod I pulled out of his arms and went over to Clint who was still standing looking furiously at Tony.
"Its okay Clint. I'm okay." I whispered as I hugged him. What I wasn't expecting was for him to scoop me up into his arms bridal style and to start walking out of the room without a word to anyone.
"Where are you two going?" Natasha yelled after us.
"Somewhere where we can talk." Clint replied. "Privately." He whispered against my temple as he kissed it gently.
"Take me away Batman. Just not too far, Steve and Tony might have a problem with that."
He grunted and threw me into the air slightly making me shriek before he caught me on the way down and continued walking as though nothing had happened. The only change was the smile on his face.
"Okay. Surprise. I got it."