Work Text:
“Hey Mr.Stark! And before you ask, Yes! I absolutely nailed my physics test. Honestly it was like they made it for pre nursery. Anyways I was wondering if you were fr-,” it was at this point that Penny looked up from her phone since entering through the elevator and froze.
Mr.Stark was sitting on his couch drinking coffee nothing unusual right but unlike all the times he was not alone, sitting with him in all glory were the rogue avengers.
Penny blinked. Once. Twice. She immediately scrolled through her chats with Mr.Stark and then Happy’s.
Had she missed any notification from them?Was she supposed to be here or not? Judging by the shocked look on Mr.Stark’s face she figured the answer was a big 'NO'.
Everyone looked either shocked or confused or both except for Miss Romanoff who looked impassive as always despite the subtle raised eyebrows. Penny was blank because the last time she checked weren’t they all on the run? The media has named them the Rogue Avengers after all.
Before she could think anymore Mr. Stark cleared his throat and Penny blushed and tore her eyes away from the current company. Had she been staring at them the whole time? Embarassing. She looked away from them and locked her eyes with Mr.Stark.
“Ms.Parker, I think you are on the wrong floor”, he said formally with a pointed look at her.
Penny frowned ‘Ms.Parker’. Since when did he call her Ms. Parker. She opened her mouth to call him out on that but suddenly snapped it shut. Oh right! The Intern Cover! It would have been a disaster if she had spoken her mind right now.
----------------
Meanwhile the avengers were taking note of everything. They were surprised when a teenager entered the avengers common room, confused when she was telling Tony about her test, why on earth would tony ask a kid about her test? They saw the confusion on her face at being addressed so formally by Tony, saw as she indignantly opened her mouth but closed it within a second and finally relaxed her features into fake fascination.
“Oh! I am so sorry Mr.Stark. I didn’t notice. I thought this was the Intern’s lab and-and the telling about the physics test was just-just an inside joke! yeah an inside joke ,” Penny finished lamely. She was never winning an award for her acting skills anyways. She gave an awkward salute and cringed God that was so not cool. She turned around and started moving towards the elevator.
-------------
“Excuse me, Who are you?" a voice stopped her mid move. A voice she had heard thousand times in her school PSA's. A voice she once used to fangirl over but not anymore. Penny sharply turned and glared at the owner of the voice.
Mr.Rogers was curiously starting hoping for a answer he would never get and then Penny's spider sense picked up something.
From her peripheral view she saw how Mr.Stark stiffened and his heartbeat stuttered and then resumed as he took several deep breaths unnoticed by everyone and something snapped inside her.
In her shock and embarrassment she had forgotten how Captain Rogers had hurt and betrayed Mr.Stark. They all had at some point. She didn’t know much about what happened but she had seen how injured Mr. Stark was and how he had closed himself up in his lab for days. A little help from Rhodey and Pepper though they had certainly been very tight lipped but who could resist her puppy dog eyes for that long had confirmed her suspicions that the reason for this were his so called team mates. The same people Mr. Stark had at one point considered them family and knowing him like she knows now..she knew how much of a big step that was for him. To give someone the title of his family after his history. And Steve Rogers had gone and ruined it..did the same thing as Obadiah Stane but worse..so much worse. He had betrayed and lied to Mr. Stark. Honestly it shouldn’t have taken her that long to figure it all out considering that the supposedly ‘talking’ to Captain Rogers had him stuck in the Medbay for weeks, with his suit broken.
Anger coursed through her veins like fire and she clenched her fists tight. She wanted nothing more than to punch Rogers in his perfect teeth but that wouldn’t look good on her intern story. And that brought her on a stop because right now she was just a stupid intern on the wrong floor. Penny needs to take control of the situation. She needs to protect Mr. Stark and she really needs to stop spacing out considering the current company. She lessened her glare and tried to make herself look more alike a 16 year old than a revengeful enhanced being, though it might not have the desired effect as her eyes cold than ever regarded Rogers.
“I am his intern”, Penny said coldly and even though Rogers looked shocked at her coldness he nodded nonetheless. She glanced back at her mentor.
Mr.Stark was giving her looks that screamed ‘GET OUT OF HERE’ but she ignored him. This was her chance. She had imagined multiple scenarios of what she would do to them when she would meet them but all that she had imagined as spider-woman. It doesn’t matter though Penny Parker could also win this in her own way.
“I didn’t know you were interested in interns Tony,” Ms.Romanoff said.
Mr.Stark cleared his throat and was about to reply but-
“I don’t think you know him at all Ms.Romanoff”, Penny replied before she could stop herself.
Ms.Romanoff snapped her head towards Penny and this time the surprise was evident on her face before she schooled her features back into nothing. Ms.Romanoff stared at her and on any other occasion this action would have made her squirm under her gaze but she was Mr.Stark’s protector right now. She could not afford any weakness, so she met her eyes unflinchingly.
Mr.Stark cleared his throat again. Loudly. “I think that’s enough from you Ms.Parker. Go to the lab. Now”.
It was a clear message to Penny ‘You’ve said enough.Go to your room kid.’ But Penny wasn’t going to back down and leave Mr. Stark alone especially when she could hear his heartbeat frantically beating. He was scared. For her. Even though they both know that she was the safest with Mr. Stark here and Rogers would never hurt an innocent civilian and the fact thag she was in the tower with Friday watching everything but the mind rarely listened to such logic.
“Oh! I am sorry Mr.Stark I completely forgot to tell you that Ms. Potts made me your personnel intern again. She told me to be with you in case you needed anything and asked me to reschedule a few things”, she said sweetly.
“Pepper told you to do that”, Mr.Stark asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
Penny nodded,“I would call Ms. Potts and let her confirm this but she is in a very important meeting with some investors. She told me not to disturb her.” Penny replied confidently. "I am sure Friday would confirm that if need be" The A.I. chimed in at her mention and the robotic voice filled the area, "Penny is correct, Boss. Miss Potts is indeed in a meeting with Mr. Hayes , Mr. Macleod and their lawyers and had activated a 'life or death or don't disturb' protocol for the remainder of the meeting." Penny tried not to show her glee as her earlier stored information came useful for her plan.
“Personnel Intern? Again? Why would you need a personnel intern Tony”?, Rogers asked exactly what she had hoped.
“Oh! I don’t think you know Mr. Rogers but Mr. Stark was badly injured a year before. He went to talk to some of his _friends_ ”, she made a great emphasis on the word and looked directly in his eyes,“but came back injured pretty badly and his suit was broken too. So he needed a helping hand to do a few things here and there in the lab, which of course he did after spending weeks in the Medbay”, Penny sighed looking sad but then looked up,"You wouldn’t happen to know who he went to talk would you, Mr. Rogers?” she asked in what she hoped was curious and desperate tone and not the accusatory one she would have liked
Rogers blanched and his eyes were immediately filled with guilt and shame. She noticed the same expression on Barnes face and watched with amusement as all the avengers looked away avoiding contact. Huh! Serves them right.
Penny chanced a glance at Mr. Stark’s face and he was looking at her in bewilderment and mouthed 'Really Kid?' Penny just shrugged.There was a tense silence for a few minutes in which Penny casually just stood there and the avengers avoided looking at Mr.Stark. Except for Ms. Romanoff who was still staring at her.
Then Mr.Stark stood up and turned towards her, his back facing the avengers. His features softened and morphed into fondness but his voice was still reserved. “Are you done?” he asked.
“Of course Mr.Stark, that is if everyone is done questioning my presence”, Penny replied.
Mr. Stark sighed but turned back and said, “ Your rooms are the same as yo-”
“Wait- they are staying here?”
“Tony, No-”
I looked at Mr. Barton surprised but he was looking at Mr.Stark.
Mr. Barton continued, “We’re not here looking for a place to stay. We just came here to see you and to apologise for um-stuff”.
“And where are you all going to stay now?”
“ Well, Steve and Bucky are staying at my house for a while”, said Mr. Wilson.
“And Nat will stay with me till she wants, Lila is also missing her anyways”, Mr. Barton said with a soft nostalgic smile before he schooled it.
“Me and Vision also have a place in mind too”, continued Ms. Maximoff as Vision nodded.
Penny relaxed but frowned when Mr. Stark looked a bit- what disappointed? Sad?
The avengers looked at each other and then at Mr. Stark, waiting for him to make the first move.
“I am sorry for that comment in the Raft Tony. I know you care for us and would never hurt us intentionally least of all Rhodey”, Mr.Barton started.
Mr.Stark looked surprised but nodded and didn’t say anything.
“I am sorry too Tony. I didn’t mean to hurt you”, Ms. Romanoff voiced.
“It didn’t hurt”, Mr.Stark replied immediately as if on auto pilot and judging by the looks of it nobody believed him.
And finally Mr.Rogers spoke his voice was filled with sorrow, “I am sorry Tony. I am sorry we fought over the accords instead of solving the problem together, and I am sorry for-,” he trailed off looking uncertainly at me “ for withholding such important information from you but I didn’t know how to approach it and then I thought it was best left unsaid. I know it was not up to me to decide that but I did and I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
Mr.Stark looked away and didn’t say anything to Rogers though he swallowed a few time before he spoke again and asked instead , "You all will come to team meetings, right? Good. We’ll discuss and set the time for it. And as I was saying your rooms are the same as always so if you know you uh- want to visit sometime or stay overnig- umm nevermind that."
“We would like that”, said Barnes quietly , “Sometime yes."
“Oh-okay good."
Penny was relieved. It seemed that they had finally come to a truce though a tentative one and maybe with Rogers too (his apology sounded quite sincere). She was honestly baffled when she thought that they came here for a place to stay and was going to rebuke quite loudly but then hearing them eased her emotions somehow. She was glad they hadn't come here asking for favours but to make ammends. Now that everything was calm, she squealed internally. She has just met the Avengers! And she also showed them their place (well maybe be a little). Penny wondered what Ned would think of this. He would freak out of course and maybe even pass out. Who knows cause this is huge!
The avengers were going downstairs from the elevator now to go and meet Pepper as her meeting would be almost over but Ms. Romanoff stopped close to Penny and whispered in her ear,
“It was nice meeting you…..Spider-woman."