Fic: Belong Here
[What happens when you listen to a song on repeat two days straight.]
When Ben's request to be reassigned to the New Avengers was approved after his SHIELD evaluation, she thought maybe she had a chance to be to. But here she was in California.
Not that there's anything wrong with California. Under other circumstances she'd be happy to run around L.A. and the Demeter is a romantic locale for a weekend getaway. Under other circumstances.
Amelia's not really sure who gave Jake permission to come with her. Actually she's not sure he did get permission. But no one questioned him. No one ever questioned him. He could probably come with her for the whole summer assignment. She hopes he does if it comes to that but the fact would remain he chooses to be here. She was sent here. That's the circumstance.
Henry's office has bookshelves on every wall, even under the window. Half of them are related to theatre and film in some way and the other half psychology, including a wide variety of self-help books. Amelia thinks maybe he bought out the section at one of the Borders' Closing Sales. She picks up a book and flips haphazardly through, more to occupy her hands than anything.
"List one: things I like about me." She considered. I'm dramatic. That can be a negative. I'm confident. Sometimes. I strive to be the best. My best. The best. Sigh I'm intelligent. Maybe not as smart as Ben but still.
"List two: things I don't like about me." Much easier. Self-absorbed. Spoiled. Deceitful. Arrogant. Angry. Childish. Distrustful. Untrustworthy. Indecisive. Impulsive. Manipulative. Needy. Self-destructive. Destructive to others. Stubborn.
Well. She kind of likes that she's stubborn.
"What are you reading?"
Amelia jumped at the sound and closed the book. "Uh. A Sullen Girl's Handbook." She made a face. "I just picked it up."
"My best friend buys me these, one for every birthday, holiday, whatever occasion comes up. It's an in joke, I guess."
"Your best friend buys you self-help books as a joke?"
Henry chuckled and nodded.
"Okay."
"So what were you doing with the handbook?"
"Adjectives." He gave her an inquisitive look. She made quotations with her hand: "'Describe yourself'."
Henry sat down and gestured for her to do the same. "And how do you describe yourself?"
Amelia sat, straight, on the very edge of the seat. "Indefinable."
He smiled. "Not sullen?"
She did not smile. "Why am I here?"
"Why do you think you are here?"
Eyes narrowed. "I don't want to be psychoanalyzed, I want a straight answer."
He took a breath and blew it out over his teeth. "Mainly to meet, see our operation, discuss this summer's schedule."
"Why am I coming here this summer?"
Henry considered her a long moment. "Because Tony Stark wants you to."
Amelia frowned. Her instinct was to argue that wasn't hardly a good reason but then she'd never imagined Tony Stark cared what she did. "I thought it was my mom's idea."
"No, she wanted you on her team, but --"
"Really?" Amelia interrupted.
Henry's eyes softened. "Yes." She was quiet. "So. What do you know about my team?"
She shrugged. He waited.
"You're misfits."
He started to chuckle again and cleared his throat instead. "Misfits?"
"People who aren't good enough to be on the West Coast Avengers. And they're people who aren't good enough to be on the Avengers."
"Well, that's just not true."
"...Sorry." She looked honestly contrite.
"But you might be right to call us misfits. I don't know if we meant to start that way, but we did and with a few unfortunate exceptions, it's worked well for us." He clearly loved his team. "You know what's another word for misfit?"
Amelia shook her head.
"Indefinable."
A small smile played at her lips.
"But just because you're here doesn't mean you belong here. That is what this six weeks will be about. Deal?"
She hesitated; chewed at her lip. Henry stood.
"Tell you what. Let's retrieve your young man, I'll give you the three penny tour, and then you can talk about it. Alone."
Amelia nodded. "Okay."
"Okay."
When Ben's request to be reassigned to the New Avengers was approved after his SHIELD evaluation, she thought maybe she had a chance to be to. But here she was in California.
Not that there's anything wrong with California. Under other circumstances she'd be happy to run around L.A. and the Demeter is a romantic locale for a weekend getaway. Under other circumstances.
Amelia's not really sure who gave Jake permission to come with her. Actually she's not sure he did get permission. But no one questioned him. No one ever questioned him. He could probably come with her for the whole summer assignment. She hopes he does if it comes to that but the fact would remain he chooses to be here. She was sent here. That's the circumstance.
Henry's office has bookshelves on every wall, even under the window. Half of them are related to theatre and film in some way and the other half psychology, including a wide variety of self-help books. Amelia thinks maybe he bought out the section at one of the Borders' Closing Sales. She picks up a book and flips haphazardly through, more to occupy her hands than anything.
"List one: things I like about me." She considered. I'm dramatic. That can be a negative. I'm confident. Sometimes. I strive to be the best. My best. The best. Sigh I'm intelligent. Maybe not as smart as Ben but still.
"List two: things I don't like about me." Much easier. Self-absorbed. Spoiled. Deceitful. Arrogant. Angry. Childish. Distrustful. Untrustworthy. Indecisive. Impulsive. Manipulative. Needy. Self-destructive. Destructive to others. Stubborn.
Well. She kind of likes that she's stubborn.
"What are you reading?"
Amelia jumped at the sound and closed the book. "Uh. A Sullen Girl's Handbook." She made a face. "I just picked it up."
"My best friend buys me these, one for every birthday, holiday, whatever occasion comes up. It's an in joke, I guess."
"Your best friend buys you self-help books as a joke?"
Henry chuckled and nodded.
"Okay."
"So what were you doing with the handbook?"
"Adjectives." He gave her an inquisitive look. She made quotations with her hand: "'Describe yourself'."
Henry sat down and gestured for her to do the same. "And how do you describe yourself?"
Amelia sat, straight, on the very edge of the seat. "Indefinable."
He smiled. "Not sullen?"
She did not smile. "Why am I here?"
"Why do you think you are here?"
Eyes narrowed. "I don't want to be psychoanalyzed, I want a straight answer."
He took a breath and blew it out over his teeth. "Mainly to meet, see our operation, discuss this summer's schedule."
"Why am I coming here this summer?"
Henry considered her a long moment. "Because Tony Stark wants you to."
Amelia frowned. Her instinct was to argue that wasn't hardly a good reason but then she'd never imagined Tony Stark cared what she did. "I thought it was my mom's idea."
"No, she wanted you on her team, but --"
"Really?" Amelia interrupted.
Henry's eyes softened. "Yes." She was quiet. "So. What do you know about my team?"
She shrugged. He waited.
"You're misfits."
He started to chuckle again and cleared his throat instead. "Misfits?"
"People who aren't good enough to be on the West Coast Avengers. And they're people who aren't good enough to be on the Avengers."
"Well, that's just not true."
"...Sorry." She looked honestly contrite.
"But you might be right to call us misfits. I don't know if we meant to start that way, but we did and with a few unfortunate exceptions, it's worked well for us." He clearly loved his team. "You know what's another word for misfit?"
Amelia shook her head.
"Indefinable."
A small smile played at her lips.
"But just because you're here doesn't mean you belong here. That is what this six weeks will be about. Deal?"
She hesitated; chewed at her lip. Henry stood.
"Tell you what. Let's retrieve your young man, I'll give you the three penny tour, and then you can talk about it. Alone."
Amelia nodded. "Okay."
"Okay."