Water

Natasha loves water. She knows there is nothing better for exhaustion than a tall glass of water. She loves to swim: she loves the way her body wakes up upon hitting the surface- the cold water is invigorating. Water makes her aware of every muscle in her body. She is able to shut off her thoughts and memories and just become the cold, from her scalp to her toes. She loves the fluidity of her motion, the grace of each flex and bend. She loves the parallel world that comes to her underwater- no noise, no worries, nothing- just cold. She swims laps for hours, until her lips are tinted blue and the bottom of her feet are covered in wrinkles. Then she'll sit in a Jaccuzi, letting the jets massage her shoulders and the steam warm her to the core of her being.

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Thor doesn't really need water to survive- when drinking Midgardian drinks he prefers Starbucks. He likes swimming, but never alone. If he is with others, splashing and playing, then he does enjoy it heartily. But alone- even he, a mighty god- is powerless to escape the distant memories. He and Loki having swim races (Loki usually won: his lithe form aided motion).  Loki enchanting fish to follow him and nibble at his feet. As a young boy, sneaking up on his brother in the baths and making him startle and curse. As much as Thor loves the memories, a bitter feeling overtakes him- that he will never again horse around with his brother that way. It is a cruel emotion, having to put the safety of innocent lives before a loved one. Thor knows in his heart that he will always love Loki, but there are still too many mingling feelings to think of him unprecedented. Thor would rather see how long he can keep Clint underwater than swim alone. Half of him mumbles that he did the right thing, but the other half (the half that's winning) asks him what difference a few mortals' lives make. He wants Loki back. And there are too many memories of splashing around with the other god for him to enjoy swimming alone. Maybe one day.

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Bruce Banner is grateful for water. He's been in situations where it is a very precious resource. He knows the price that dehydration brings: the lethargy, the aches, the confusion, the madness. He is thankful with every glass, and he drinks about twice as much as anyone else on the team. It also is a god preventative for turning into the Hulk- if he feels his muscles beginning to grow, he can dunk himself in water to calm down. And every time he finishes his time as the not-so-jolly green giant, the first thing he feels is thirst. He drinks gallons of it. As far as swimming goes, he doesn't hate it, but he doesn't prefer it over other types of exersise.  He'd rather go for a long walk instead. But he never forgets how wonderful it is to have drinking water.

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Clint doesn't really care about water. It's just there. Bruce tell him that he takes it for granted, but he thinks as much about drinking water as he thinks about pickling dead animals. Which is not all that often. If someone gives him water, he'll drink it. He won't hate it or enjoy it. But there is one thing he loves about water: Boats. He used to sail when he was a kid. It went well with his outdoorsy nature, hiking, archery, hunting, fishing, trapping, sailing. He likes kayaking more now because it depends on the strength and stanima of the boater while sailing relies on wind and currents. He'd love to try white water rafting some day.

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When you're imprisoned in ice for seventy years, water isn't your friend. Steve needs to eat a lot of calories because of the super fast metabolism the serum gave him. But he needs little water. Like Clint, he'll drink it if it's handed to him, usually by some well meaning SHIELD intern. He's developed a bit of a phobia of swimming. He'll get in the water when panic kicks in. It goes along with the claustrephobia. He can't be immersed in water without a feirce, internal dread taking over. But that's only if he's not rescuing someone. If some poor little kid is floating down the river, then he'll jump in without a second thought. But without the adrenaline, he can't go in without feeling the ice crushing, pressing, imprisoning. Steve Rogers doesn't like water.

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Tony Stark abhorrs water. He will drink it only if he is really thirsty and there's nothing else available. He knows little tricks to get around drinking water. He'll eat watery foods and drink water based drinks- but never water. If he tries to swim, he'll begin to choke and thrash and panic. He swears he cn still feel the hands of the terrorist grasping around his neck, plunging him into the water again and again...each time he vows he'll comply, but when he's taken up again he refuses, refuses to build the missile...on and on it goes, Tony refusing, terrorist dunking, Tony gulps water, and every time he thinks he's drowning, <knows he's drowning.... He'll never admit it to the other Avengers, or even to Pepper, but now he usually washes himself off with a soapy towel instead of showering, unless he's just worked out. Tony hates water, and they'd peg him with hydrophobia if he ever admitted it. The press would have a field day. He just stays away from water altogether. Good thing the iron suit can't get wet...