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TONY STARK was much kinder than Melanie imagined him to be.

Growing up in the Midwest, she pictured all billionaires to have a holier-than-thou attitude and self-righteous persona.

She was right, of course, that's exactly what Tony was like.

But he also made her laugh. Surprised her on her first day as "The Avengers Chef" with a top-of-the-line cooking and baking set.

He claimed it was for his own reasons, but she knew it had to do with his heart.

(Pepper liked to joke he didn't have one. But Melanie knew if he could land a woman like Pepper — he wasn't missing the cardiac muscle.)

Speaking of her new job, it's something Natasha pushed for once they met.

She'd saved Melanie's life from an alien — a Chitauri, she later learned — and when their eyes connected, time stood still.

Melanie never really believed in soulmates. They didn't seem plausible and were founded on the fantastical idea that someone could be perfect for you.

Despite's Lucy's stories about her late husband, Melanie thought soulmate was an interchange word for love.

But then green met blue and she realized how naive she'd been to think it impossible.

Natasha promised to find her after the battle, and true to her word, she was sought out a week later.

She was given a room at Avengers Tower, a job as the Avengers Chef, and a chance to know Natasha.

The only problem was Loki.

See, Melanie had heard of people having multiple soulmates, but it was few and far between.

And she really liked Natasha.

Natasha was pretty and soft and made Melanie blush just by standing next to her in a room.

Loki was cold and antagonistic and mean.

But he did have nice cheekbones and she supposed she could work with that.

"Mels, what's for breakfast?" Steve asked, pulling Melanie from her thoughts.

Melanie set the tray of French toast down, serving fresh fruit and drinks as well.

She set out a placemat for Loki, like she always did, but a part of her knew he wouldn't join them. Like he always did.

It was weird at first, learning to bunk with the Avengers. As fame reached them and people began to obsess, it wasn't long before it came out that Melanie was involved with one of them somehow.

Luckily, Natasha was very protective, and the other Avengers knew better than to say anything, so Melanie was more speculated on than confirmed.

Still, it was weird sometimes to sit across from Captain America and discuss why Star Wars was better than Star Trek.

(He still understood neither franchise.)

"French toast," Melanie answered Steve, setting a place for Natasha. "Morning, boys!" She chirped as Clint entered the room, rubbing his eyes, closely followed by Bruce, who was cleaning off his glasses.

"Good morning, Melanie," Bruce smiled kindly at her, taking a seat. "How'd you sleep?"

Bruce was kind to Melanie the day she met him. She was nervous, of course, knowing what he could turn into, but he only complimented her cookies and confessed he, too, had a love for Lord of the Rings.

Which made him super awesome in Melanie's book.

Clint grunted in response, sitting next to Steve and plopping his head down on his arm.

He was not a morning person.

"Morning, sunshine," Natasha's voice grabbed Melanie's attention as she came up the stairs from her morning training. Her hair was pulled back and she wore a black workout outfit. She walked past Melanie, hand trailing over her waist lightly.

Melanie shivered at her touch, face turning red.

"Hi, Nat," she smiled warmly at her soulmate. "Good workout?"

"It was," Natasha replied smoothly, brushing back a piece of Melanie's hair. "I like your lip gloss," she commented lightly, eyebrow twitching up before she took a seat.

Melanie froze, fighting back the urge to burst into squeals and giggles.

Natasha hadn't done anything with Melanie, and Melanie hadn't done anything with Natasha.

The soulmates talked for hours together most nights and often left each other sweet notes or made suggestive comments — that was more Natasha to Melanie than Melanie to Natasha — but they hadn't done anything more than friendly in the two weeks Melanie had been at the tower.

"Gross," Tony commented from his seat at the head.

Melanie jumped lightly at his voice, not seeing him enter and he sent her a blank look. "I thought it would be hot, having two girls into each other, but you're literally nine years old."

"I'm twenty-one," Melanie protested weakly, taking a seat next to Natasha. "Nat's only twenty-eight."

"It's not like she's Cap's soulmate," Clint pointed out, chugging down his coffee. "Guy's like a million."

Melanie's nose crinkled up in distaste when her eyes met Steve, who looked equally as grossed out. While conventionally attractive, there was something so platonic and almost fatherly about Steve that made her stomach gurgle thinking about it.

"Okay, moving on," Steve cleared his throat. "Thor's coming down tonight, Tony, his room ready?"

Tony nodded, sipping on his coffee. "Pep's working on the furniture being brought in today. He'll be next to Loki, on the fourth floor."

"How is Loki?" Melanie asked curiously, sipping her juice. "Anyone talked to him?"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.

After being cast out from Asgard for his actions and stripped of his magic — with a highly technological bracelet that muted his powers and Melanie didn't understand the science behind it at all — while living with the Avengers.

Both for Earth's protection and their own sanity.

He'd come out of his room three times in the two weeks Melanie had lived there, and she doubted anyone had checked on him.

Thor returned to Asgard for a bit, smoothing things over with his father, before he decided to return back to Earth.

Per Steve's request and an agreement with SHIELD, the Avengers were to live in Avengers' Tower to not only guard Loki, but pursue the betterment of humanity.

"I'm sure he's fine," Clint rolled his eyes. "He's lucky we don't chain him to a wall."

"That's not fair," Melanie spoke up with a frown, "everyone makes mistakes."

"Mel, he blew up your apartment building with aliens he brought down," Natasha looked at her pointedly.

"Sometimes people make bigger mistakes then they intend to," Melanie shrugged, biting a strawberry. "One time, I got really mad when I was a kid about this kid at school who was being mean, and when my grandpa asked me to do dishes when I got home, I threw a frying pan at his head." At their wide-eyed looks, she hastily clarified. "It didn't hit him, I have terrible, awful aim. But it did put a hole in the wall that he never got the money to fix, and just ended up putting a really creepy clown painting over it."

A beat of silence.

"What the fuck?" Tony asked with a deadpan expression, before the group all burst into laughter.

Natasha placed a hand on Melanie's back, rubbing it lightly, a rare smile on her face. "You're adorable," she met Melanie's shy gaze.

"And weird," Clint added. "I mean, Tony's right: what the fuck, Quill."

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this is pure fluff idc if it's cringe or whatever, shit is getting me through the day. thank you guys soooo much for the love that's already been shown to this book!! also, i know this was a bit boring but we'll get some cuter stuff next chapter. <3