Chapter Text
“Well, I want a test done, Helen.”
Pause.
“No, I can’t just take your word for it, considering how I’m freaking Iron Man, and frankly, I’m surprised nobody’s tried this before!”
Pause.
“No, I- look, I’m not saying you’re lying, I’m saying I’d be more comfortable if I knew. As in, scientifically. I can’t go gallivanting around with a kid under my arm all the time, now can I? At least, not one that’s not even mine.”
Pause.
“Alright. Thank you, Helen. Yeah, I’ve got like six guest rooms, okay? She can stay here. For now.”
Pause and click.
“Hey, shortstack.” I pop my head in the doorway, not bothering to act like I wasn’t listening. “Your mom and I agree, you should stay here. For now. With me. Yeah.” Tony Stark runs a hand through his hair, betraying his nervousness.
“Okay,” I shrug.
“Yeah, okay.”
Pause.
Tony realizes I’m still standing in his bedroom doorway, lost. “JARVIS,” he calls out.
“Yes, sir?” Comes the slightly unnerving british voice.
“Give her directions, would you? I’ve, uh, gotta make some calls- a call.”
“Which room, sir?”
Stark pauses, then smiles that infamous Stark smile. “Give her a view.”
It’s actually kind of fun to be lead around a giant tower by an automated, glorified nanny. Especially when said nanny doesn’t have an form of embodiment, therefore no power to stop me whenever I get curious.
“Take a left up here- left, LEFT, no, don’t go- please, miss, you shouldn’t be- oh, dear.”
“Have a sense of adventure,” I laugh giddily, rounding another bend.
“At this point, it’ll be an adventure novel once we get to your room.”
“If,” I taunt.
God, Stark Tower. It’s even more amazing- and definitely prettier- on the inside. Somewhere on what must roughly be the middle floors of the tower, I stumble across the kitchen. The kitchen. It’s amazing. Stainless steel everything, marble countertops, the works. But my eye falls most heavily upon the gleaming gem claiming center stage on the mahogany table on the other side of the counters. How the hell do you get pizza from Chicago in New York? Gingerly, I lift the cardboard top. Instantly, the smell of rich cheeses and perfectly done meats invades my senses. I welcome the intrusion, scanning the cupboards to try and figure out which one most likely holds the plates.
I try the one next to the fridge first, but only come up with bowls. The one above the stove teems with spices. It’s when I open the cupboard above the sink that I’m graced with a choice of china or paper. I grab two paper plates stuck together, so all my evidence will be disposable.
This time I throw the top of the pizza box all the way back, unveiling the true glory that is pepperoni and pineapple. “Jeez, we must be related,” I laugh to myself, softly. I don’t know how observant Jarvis is, or if he’ll rat me out.
Only two slices have been taken, so i take three, leaving three behind. Noticeable; yes. Blameable; no. The only flaw; I still need Jarvis to tell me where my room is.
“Hey, Jarvis.”
“Why are we whispering, miss?” Something tells me you know why, buddy.
“No reason,” I say instead. “How ‘bout that room-with-a-view?”
“Oh, now you want to go to your room. Hiding, I presume?”
“Noo,” I grin. “Just, y’know, tired.” I fake a yawn.
Obviously Jarvis isn’t buying it, but I guess artificial intelligences have the capacity to be amused. “To the left, then, miss.”
I guess artificial intelligences also have the capacity to exact revenge. I’m lead around for a good half hour, with comments from Jarvis such as “Oh, dear, I was looking at the wrong portion of the blueprints. Wrong way!” Or, my favorite, “I just want to give you time to eat, miss, pizza stains are not only a complete giveaway but a pain to wash out.”
“I knew you knew,” I mumble.
“Of course I knew, miss,” Jarvis retorts coolly.”I am this tower, after all.”
Y’know what else is a pain? Computers with ‘tude.
Stark is waiting for me in my room by the time I finally get there. “Took you long enough, what were you two up to?” He asks with mock seriousness.
“A bit of adventure, sir,” Jarvis replies. I hold back a giggle, sliding my empty plate behind my back. Stark eyes my clasped hands with a raised eyebrow, turning to a wall that is completely glass.
“Mmmhm.”
After a longer pause than what would be considered comfortable, I clear my throat. Stark half-turns from the window. He motions me over with a sweep of his arm. Standing next to him, I realize I am sort of short. Not bad, Munchkinland short, but I do meet his shoulder exactly. Being short next to Tony Stark feels like standing next to Shaquille O'Neal or something. Must be his ego, things like that tend to add a few inches.
We stand like that for awhile, both seemingly taking in the view, but in reality looking at nothing in particular. The view from here is pretty great, I will admit. New York is sprawled out before me, the cars simply ants and the people simply invisible.
“So Iron Man might be my dad.” I look at his face in the window, watch his reflection. Stark makes a face like he’s mildly impressed. “That must be neat-o.”
“Why didn’t this come up before now? I mean, I’ve been dadless for seventeen years.”
“Maybe she wants him to pay for your college degree.” Stark looks over at Real Me instead of Reflection Me, smiling mischievously.
“Well, he might have to make up for missing out on my sweet sixteen then,” I fake seriousness, much like he did when I finally showed up.
“What is with teens these days, I mean they are obsessed with getting cool, trendy cars for birthdays and then seemingly even more obsessed with speeding, drag racing, drunk driving, and crashing.”
“Current events alone states that you’ve done all of the above, Mr. Stark.”
He huffs a laugh, looking back out at the night.
“Yeah, well, I have a lot of cool, trendy cars.”
Eventually, Stark leaves, after talking me through- rather speedily- all of Jarvis’ functions I can access, including turning the windows into mirrors or a sort of blackout curtain simulation. It is only after I am alone that I realize he seemed impressed that I was able to pick up everything he told me, with minimal questions asked. At some point around midnight, I hear Jarvis announce that “Ms. Potts has arrived.” I glance out the window idly, noticing an impressive- looking jet flying off away from the tower. I do recall something about there being a helipad on the roof, but I don’t remember anything about jets.