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No one could say that the avengers didn’t have any issues - least of all the avengers themselves. All of the original 6 had issues that married each other and had baby issues of their own.
They were a dysfunctional family, but still a family. Anyone could see that they were close, but no outsider really knew what living with these six was like. Until they joined anyway.
Thor had no inside voice but gave the best hugs this side of the bifrost. And probably the other side too if one is being honest.
Bruce was not that kind of doctor but always offered an ear if anyone needed to talk. In a house of spies and soldiers and warriors, a kind ear was a cherished gift.
Clint did not take anything too seriously but seemed to always know when someone needed comfort food (Mac and cheese was his specialty). He thought a problem could always be solved if one has a belly full of laughter and warm food. And the others learned sign language to communicate with Clint when he didn’t want to wear his aids.
Steve worked out his anxiety on punching bags and treadmills but could also veg out with the team after a particularly taxing day (emotional or otherwise). He liked going to stores and finding the softest throws for the common area.
Natasha was feared by anyone with even the tiniest bit of self preservation but if asked to? She’d spend her whole day watching romantic comedies, eating ice cream and throwing popcorn at the screen. She’d probably deny it if asked outright, but she was the one who always made sure the freezer was stocked with everyone’s favorite ice cream.
And Tony? Well, Tony was all arrogance and cockiness on the outside, but nobody was fooled. Everyone knew that Tony showed his love by taking care of his found family. Whether that was on the battlefield or buying them their favorite cereal or building them new tech, whatever it took, he’d do it in a heartbeat.
Tony had been alone for so long that the first few times movie night was held, he spent the whole time sitting at the bar, drinking in his surroundings instead of his scotch. The sound of laughter being something he could get used to, but afraid to let himself enjoy.
Slowly, he began getting closer and closer to the sitting area. At first, he sat in an armchair. Tony noticed that Natasha shared the couch with Clint, her head in his lap while he ran his fingers through her hair.
By the time he made it to the couch with them (there was a whole ‘will he, won’t he’ dance to the whole thing), Thor had begun sitting on the floor next to Clint’s legs so that Natasha could run her hands through his hair. The only change when Tony sat on the couch was that Nat put her feet up on his lap and wiggled her toes for Tony to massage her.
Somehow, and no one ever knew exactly when, movie nights became a weekly family affair. Someone would cook (or order in), Steve’s soft throws would be passed around, pillows would be strategically placed for heads to be comfortable, drinks and snacks close by so that they could be easily reached. They all knew that once a comfortable spot was found, no one would want to move.
And the room kept filling with more and more people. It seemed that every single one of the original six brought someone first to the tower, then to the compound when everyone had moved there.
Thor brought Jane and Darcy once so they could spend a weekend in the city enjoying all the revelries offered. Darcy took one look at her guest room and declared it her own room and swore that she’d know if someone other than her used it. Next time she visited, there was a plaque with her name on the door. Thor’s brother would come to join the family much later and much younger, after a heartbreaking death at the hands of a mad Titan. .
Bruce showed up one day with Betty and introduced her as his wife, proudly showing off their matching rings. Everyone was overjoyed with the news and that night, an impromptu wedding reception was held and attended by all their loved ones. If a picture of the two of them laughing and holding hands made it to a certain website known to be frequented by a certain Secretary of State, a certain billionaire had nothing to do with it.
Clint brought Pietro and Wanda after rescuing them from a Hydra facility. The two of them had been lured with promises of vengeance, but had quickly realized that hate was like taking poison and expecting their enemy to die. By then it was too late to leave and the experiments they were subjected to caused changes to their genetic makeup. They are now free of hate, and learning to accept the love of the Avengers.
Steve brought Bucky once he caught up with him in Italy, holed up in an old church that had been destroyed and never rebuilt after WWII. Sam joined them at around the same time since he was ‘basically an Avenger’ by then. He and Bucky spent hours on the roof talking about nothing and everything.
Natasha brought her sister Yelena; and life in the compound was never the same again. She decided that Wanda needed someone to help her navigate the joys of online shopping. They both would try to find the worst gifts for everyone and enjoy watching them try to say they love it. Since her sister’s arrival, Natasha’s edges smoothed, she is no less lethal, but is now quicker to give love and receive it.
Tony brought kids. Lots and lots of kids. Harley, Peter, Kamala. He took credit for kid!Loki but Thor felt his brother should go towards his total count of strays.
In the end it doesn’t matter who brought who. What’s important is the full compound during the holidays, the common areas filled with laughter; the easy affection between all members of the family.
A light touch on an arm.
Soft kisses on foreheads.
Sharing a blanket during cold nights.
Letting someone put their cold feet under warm thighs.
An open door at any time of day or night because sometimes sleeping next to someone keeps the nightmares at bay.
Love. Just love. Romantic, platonic, familial.