Warning: Mild swearing

Clint squeezed his eyes shut and jolted slightly at the crashing and yelling sounds coming from the lab as he sat in the lounge with the rest of the team. You had been fighting with your dad for the better part of an hour now, and not one of them was brave enough to break it up. "Oh, man. That one sounded expensive."

"How can you tell?"

"Close your eyes, Cap. Listen." Clint sat quietly until another loud crash echoed through the tower, smiling to himself when Steve finally nodded in agreement. "Right?"

"Yeah, there was a lot of glass in that one...woah, incoming! Everyone down!"

The group covered their heads with their hands and ducked, trying to peek out of the corner of their eyes to see exactly what you had pitched through the large lab window and towards them. Bruce hurried over to the fallen item and groaned loudly as he inspected it, trying desperately to find each broken piece. "This one was mine..."

"No, I'm not alright! How is this not obvious to you?" With the window now irreparably smashed, the team could hear every word of your argument with Tony. He had adopted you just over a year ago, and with the passage of time, your fighting had only become more frequent, but this was the first time it had ever gone this far. "Oh, wait, that's because everything is about you!"

Bruce turned and looked at Steve for support, nodding towards the lab as if he should intervene, or at the very least, manage cost containment. 'Why me?' Steve mouthed silently, shaking his head and looking away; he wasn't about to take a microscope to the head. Bruce next turned to Clint, who refused to make eye contact, and then to Natasha who he just missed as she jogged to the kitchen.

"I can provide assistance," Thor volunteered, but was held back from standing by the Captain's arm and a warning glance to stay put. "But should we not stop them?"

"No matter what I do, I'm never good enough for you! I never will be! The illustrious Tony Stark adopted the dud of the whole litter! Doctor Banner is the only one who gives a shit about me, but that's because he hasn't figured it out yet!"

"Figured what out, exactly?" Tony snapped back.

"That he's wasting his time with me! I'm never gonna be anything more than this, which will never be even close to any of you..." your voice faded, growing harsh and gravelly from the hours of yelling. "But why do you care? Just take me back and I'll be someone else's problem!"

Tony's back straightened and the small hairs on the back of his neck stood up on edge, sending a shiver down his spine. He looked at you now with the most anger you had seen, and you swore you saw a redness in his eyes, as if they were ablaze. He ran across the lab and grabbed your arm, pulling you to the back and towards the safest place he could find.

"What are you doing-" you stopped abruptly, your mouth dropping open at the large green beast now standing in the lab door, holding the equipment that you had thrown through the window only moments before.

"Hey, big guy," Tony said politely, releasing your arm when he realized that the Hulk was staring at it. "We're all good here...I can take that if you want..." He took a few steps to close the gap between them, reaching out gently to take the tool from his massive hands. "I'll get you a new one, okay? Let's just keep things calm."

"You and you," the Hulk growled, "you stop."

You had only seen Bruce transform once before, but it was at a much greater distance; not standing only a few feet away, so close that you could feel him breathing on you. His stature was beyond impressive and terrifying, making it hard for you to remember that it was your friend in there. "Holy shit," you gasped, "uh, Tony?"

The Hulk leaned down to bring his face closer and next to yours, looking at you with a mix of anger and determination that left you shaking. "You broke it."

"Oh, great," you huffed quietly, holding his gaze, "so you hate me now too, Doctor B?"

"No, don't mention-"

A loud roar built in the Hulk's throat and filled the room, though you believed it to be more for show than for any real intent of harming you. He aimed his fury at you, blowing your hair back slightly and popping your ears from the sheer volume. By now the rest of the team were gathered just beyond the door, each of them armed and at the ready if the Hulk should need to be contained.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." you replied quietly and with a clear fear in your tone, "I'll replace it."

"You stop?"

"Yes, we'll stop," you agreed, glancing at Tony. "Won't we?"

"Anything you say, big guy. You got it."

The Hulk huffed and groaned a few times, stumbling out of the lab and into a private area to return to Doctor Banner. The others waited for a moment to see Tony wave them off before leaving you two alone again, hoping that you wouldn't incite a return of the Hulk any time soon. When everyone was gone, tony pulled up a chair and rested his head on his folded arms over his workstation.

"Do you believe that? Everything you said?"

"That's why I said it," you retorted, trying hard to keep your attitude in check.

"Can we just have a civil conversation please?"

"Yes," you sighed, reluctantly taking a seat across from him, "I believe what I said."

"(Y/N), do you think that I adopted you like some charity case? Like a dog at the pound that no one else wanted?"

"Woah, Tony. That's harsh," you chuckled. "Not far from the truth, but damn harsh."

"Language!" Steve yelled from below.

"Shut the fuck up, Rogers!" Tony yelled with a wide grin and a wink as you joined with his laughter. It died off quickly and his expression returned to sadness at how you saw yourself. You really, honestly believed that you didn't deserve to be there, and didn't deserve the life he was offering you. Or the love he so desperately wanted to give. "(Y/N), I chose you because you had so much more to give and become. Because I wanted to give you a life that I didn't get. Because you reminded me of myself."

"Well, we clearly have the same temper," you snickered quietly under your breath. "You're not just saying that?"

"What reason would I possibly have to lie?" When your only reply was a shrug and a crooked grin of defeat, he laughed and stood to pull you into a tight hug. "Hangry?

"Don't you mean hungry?"

"Oh, no. If that display back there wasn't hangry, then I think the big guy has some serious competition."