Clara Belle • Avengers Soulmate AU

| chapter seven |

| chapter seven |

S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters - main common room

" - he stabbed me. We were eight at the time." Thor concludes. Clara moves her bulging eyes over to Loki who was obviously suppressing a laugh at the 'fond' memory of him and his brother. At the look of his team and nudges towards his soulmate who looked - quite frankly - petrified, he backtracked. "Of course - it's all fun and games! He knew it wouldn't hurt me and it was just like a little poke in comparison to Midgardians. Nothing like that will happen to you."

At his reassurance, Clara visibly relaxed a little, content that her trickster God of a soulmate wouldn't stab her randomly at any point. They had all moved to the common room after dinner, and made quick work of the introductions once Steve told them it made the young woman feel better.

"But... shouldn't you have been sent to the big house?" She asks him in confusion. He furrows his eyebrows at her question.

"Prison." Bucky interjects politely, knowing it was Clara's slang that threw the God off.

"No, no. I'm a Prince, a child one at that, and it was all fun and games. The only punishment I got was that from my mother. She didn't teach em magic for another two weeks, until I promised to not stab Thor after turning into a snake." He explained. "So, next time, I turned into a frog. Didn't suspect a thing."

Clara couldn't help but giggle at the sole look of pride on his face, which broadened when he heard the sweet tune come from her mouth.

"So... how do all of you know each other then?" She questioned, looking around at the group of people she wouldn't have imagined together.

"The Avengers. We've saved Earth a few times, beat all sorts of people who wanted to take over any sort of place. We were brought together by Nick, Nick Fury, and others joined along the way. Originally it was just Steve, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, Clint and I, but we picked up these strays when we found them." Tony explained with a hint of teasing towards the others. "Though my dad knew Steve and Bucky years ago, so in a way I already sort of knew them."

"Was he from our time, then? Your dad?"

"Howard Stark." Was all it took for Clara's eyes to bulge once again. Tony was Howard Stark's son? I mean, she probably should've have made the connection when she heard Tony's last name, but her mind had been too distracted to even really notice.

"Wow, I never even realised. His stuff was really killer diller, but way too cheesy for us at the farm."

Tony felt himself smile at the girl's way of speaking. He realised she must talk more like older people than posh when she got more comfortable, and he was happy that she was settling. Peter, on the other hand, was still confused.

"Why do you speak so differently? It's not bad, I just never hear Bucky or Steve say anything like it."

"Wait, I'm talking differently? I'm sorry, I didn't realise!" A blush adorned Clara's face, embarrassment rushing to her as she realised she must have sounded silly.

"We speak it to each other, but not you guys - you wouldn't understand half the stuff we say anyway. It'll be nice for someone else to know we aren't just speaking gibberish." Steve grins at Clara sweetly. "She was just saying how Howard's stuff was the best, but way too expensive."

"Oh, I can relate to that." Peter laughed, grabbing his drink. "I like hearing you talk like that, it's interesting."

"...May I go to the bathroom, please?"

Once the team explained to Clara that she doesn't have to ask to do things, especially things such as going to the bathroom, she went to do her business, though Loki insisted on sending an illusion with her so she wouldn't get lost.

"That's really neat, there's two of you." She had said, much to Loki's delight. He made a mental note to showcase his magic to her in full, even if not soon.

"She reeks of innocence. It's so refreshing." Stephen observes as the team settle down on the couches in front of the large TV screen. They had put in the next Disney film on the list that Bruce had made with Clara earlier that day.

"She apologises for any little thing, it's endearing, no matter how unnecessary. Pepper will love her." Tony said.

"We're taking her to the tower in a few days, right? Her own room and everything?"

"Yeah, last adjustments are happening tomorrow and should be done by tomorrow evening, we can go whenever she wants."

"It's so nice just to be able to say I've - or we've - finally got her. Coming back to now when we've already gone through it, I thought it would be hard. But it's already so much better than I thought. I can't believe we were meant to meet her the first time round."

"You and me both, kid." Tony smiles at him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "You and me both."

Clara yawned silently as she kept her eyes on the large screen in front of her. They were filled with wonder and admiration as she watched Cinderella dance with Prince Charming in the beautiful blue dress. The film had been a bit hard on her, seeing Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella treat the girl the same way she was treated.

Part of her couldn't help but wonder just how similar the two blondes were. They both had horrid starts to their lives, being treated as a slave by those who were meant to care for her, but if Cinderella could meet her Prince, especially without a soulmate bond, does that mean she could have the same thing?

"How accurate is this really, though? Do you have these balls?" She heard Pietro ask someone, not really focusing on what he was saying. She did, however, focus when she heard Thor answer him.

"Yes, we have many balls. Especially for special occasions, like birthdays and such. But no girls showing up and disappearing at midnight."

"You have balls?" Clara's eyes widened at his words and she couldn't stop herself from asking. Some of the team chuckled slightly at her innuendo, but internally admired how she was too innocent to understand the other meaning of her own words.

"We're princes, my love." Thor informed her nonchalantly. "Not of anywhere on Earth, a whole different realm. Asgard."

"Realm? Asgard?"

"It's like another Earth. Like Mars, but not." Stephen told her, and if her eyes could have bulged any more, they would have popped out at this point. There were other Earth's??

"So you're not... human?"

"No, my dear. We're Asgardians. Similar, we look the same, and have the same characteristics, but we live for much longer and have higher statuses, as well as a few different things like strength, health, and things like that."

Clara Belle didn't think she could handle more new information.

•••

haha hi

i'm sorry for the absence, and i can't say how long it'll be before i update again, but my investment is in the kingdom series right now that this is one i will now write to pass the time, more than work on religiously. it will still be finished though, i promise!