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synthneon2025-08-04 12:54 am
bubblesong) wrote in synthneon2025-08-04 12:54 am
Entry tags:
🫧 mcu/nikke || ❝ there's so much on my mind i don't know where to start. ❞
Mr. Stark is currently still in the workshop and nearly complete with a replacement arc reactor. Should I tell him that you are on your way?
No, that's okay. It's fine... thank you, JARVIS.
[ Little Mermaid quietly walks through the hallway leading to the workshop within Avenger's Tower. Barefoot, just as she would if they still lived in Malibu. The Tower has become home... in that sense it's the place they live. It's not really home to her and never has been. What makes it anything close to "home" is that Tony is here.
And, that Peter Parker loves coming to the Tower and working on things with Tony.
Little Mermaid pauses and frowns. She looks down at her hands. She's not mad that Tony snapped at her. Yelled at her, pushed her away. She understands something happened, and it's something he doesn't want to talk about. Something he doesn't want to talk about with anyone. The arc reactor was damaged and she didn't have the chance to offer even helping fix it as he had already snapped at her and had gone straight to the workshop.
She told Peter that he did a good job. Everything he needed to do in Berlin he did exactly as he should have. He kept more or less out of danger, and came home safe. Those would be the things that mattered the most to Tony even if he would never really say it out loud. Then again, he hasn't said much to anyone since Berlin and since coming back "home" from... wherever it was that he found Steve.
With a slow exhale, Little Mermaid continues walking down the hall. She holds her hand up above the door, letting JARVIS properly identify her, then opens it. JARVIS doesn't announce her entrance. Not that he would need to, as Tony most likely already knows she is in the room. Her hand gently pushes the door shut behind her, making sure it makes no sound whatsoever. She isn't naive enough to think that Tony hasn't noticed, because he always notices when she walks into the workshop no matter how quiet she tries to be.
She looks over at the familiar robotic arms and gives them a small smile and a little wave. At least it means Tony had more than JARVIS to keep him company over the last day or so. That's good--it means he wasn't entirely alone. It also just highlights in her mind how much she relies on Tony's company. She's missed not seeing him for the last twenty four hours. Of course, she misses him just as much when he has to be Iron Man, or when he does press meetings with Pepper far away, or has to go on business trips. This feels different... because he feels farther away than when he's physically not there.
The extra chair that usually she (or Peter) occupies is near by. She quietly takes a seat in it, using the ball of her foot to move backwards just enough to give him the distance she feels he wants. He's pushed the press, his teammates, his friends away, but never her. It's uncharted waters; a new dynamic to their relationship. She doesn't want to enter his space entirely until he invites her back. Even if he tells her to leave? At least he will know that she is still there and doesn't plan on leaving no matter the harsh words or tone he's used with her. They've been through so much already. Why would she leave now?
Couples argue.
That's normal.
Isn't it?
Her amber eyes lift towards the overhead screens that show the details of the arc reactor. A tilt of her head. Is that a new design? Maybe she's just not as familiar with the inside of the arc reactor as she thought. The outside design is one thing of course. She is very familiar with that--intimately familiar.
Little Mermaid's shoulders sag slightly as she looks back across the workshop one more time. There are pieces of his newest suit, which tells her once again it needs repairs or an entire retrofit. She can see from where she is at that the chest piece took direct damage from a slash motion. Which is why he would of needed to repair the arc reactor. She glances down with a small frown before glancing back over at the suit. Near the suit, she can see a hint of a blue and red circle with... claw marks? Her eyes dart once more back to the famous hardware her fiancé wears into battle.
She feels her heart sink as she realizes what it is and what it means.
Her hands flex but she folds them together. No. She has to wait until Tony invites her into his space. He has to feel it's okay for her to be there. That it's okay for her to see him like this. This isn't being frustrated at his company, or business, or politics. This isn't a panic attack. This is something else she doesn't know very well about him. Another piece of the puzzle she's been constructing for a few years now. Something else to learn about him and his life before she entered it.
Uncharacteristically for her, she has remained silent since she entered the workshop. Not even her customary sounds have been heard. ]
No, that's okay. It's fine... thank you, JARVIS.
[ Little Mermaid quietly walks through the hallway leading to the workshop within Avenger's Tower. Barefoot, just as she would if they still lived in Malibu. The Tower has become home... in that sense it's the place they live. It's not really home to her and never has been. What makes it anything close to "home" is that Tony is here.
And, that Peter Parker loves coming to the Tower and working on things with Tony.
Little Mermaid pauses and frowns. She looks down at her hands. She's not mad that Tony snapped at her. Yelled at her, pushed her away. She understands something happened, and it's something he doesn't want to talk about. Something he doesn't want to talk about with anyone. The arc reactor was damaged and she didn't have the chance to offer even helping fix it as he had already snapped at her and had gone straight to the workshop.
She told Peter that he did a good job. Everything he needed to do in Berlin he did exactly as he should have. He kept more or less out of danger, and came home safe. Those would be the things that mattered the most to Tony even if he would never really say it out loud. Then again, he hasn't said much to anyone since Berlin and since coming back "home" from... wherever it was that he found Steve.
With a slow exhale, Little Mermaid continues walking down the hall. She holds her hand up above the door, letting JARVIS properly identify her, then opens it. JARVIS doesn't announce her entrance. Not that he would need to, as Tony most likely already knows she is in the room. Her hand gently pushes the door shut behind her, making sure it makes no sound whatsoever. She isn't naive enough to think that Tony hasn't noticed, because he always notices when she walks into the workshop no matter how quiet she tries to be.
She looks over at the familiar robotic arms and gives them a small smile and a little wave. At least it means Tony had more than JARVIS to keep him company over the last day or so. That's good--it means he wasn't entirely alone. It also just highlights in her mind how much she relies on Tony's company. She's missed not seeing him for the last twenty four hours. Of course, she misses him just as much when he has to be Iron Man, or when he does press meetings with Pepper far away, or has to go on business trips. This feels different... because he feels farther away than when he's physically not there.
The extra chair that usually she (or Peter) occupies is near by. She quietly takes a seat in it, using the ball of her foot to move backwards just enough to give him the distance she feels he wants. He's pushed the press, his teammates, his friends away, but never her. It's uncharted waters; a new dynamic to their relationship. She doesn't want to enter his space entirely until he invites her back. Even if he tells her to leave? At least he will know that she is still there and doesn't plan on leaving no matter the harsh words or tone he's used with her. They've been through so much already. Why would she leave now?
Couples argue.
That's normal.
Isn't it?
Her amber eyes lift towards the overhead screens that show the details of the arc reactor. A tilt of her head. Is that a new design? Maybe she's just not as familiar with the inside of the arc reactor as she thought. The outside design is one thing of course. She is very familiar with that--intimately familiar.
Little Mermaid's shoulders sag slightly as she looks back across the workshop one more time. There are pieces of his newest suit, which tells her once again it needs repairs or an entire retrofit. She can see from where she is at that the chest piece took direct damage from a slash motion. Which is why he would of needed to repair the arc reactor. She glances down with a small frown before glancing back over at the suit. Near the suit, she can see a hint of a blue and red circle with... claw marks? Her eyes dart once more back to the famous hardware her fiancé wears into battle.
She feels her heart sink as she realizes what it is and what it means.
Her hands flex but she folds them together. No. She has to wait until Tony invites her into his space. He has to feel it's okay for her to be there. That it's okay for her to see him like this. This isn't being frustrated at his company, or business, or politics. This isn't a panic attack. This is something else she doesn't know very well about him. Another piece of the puzzle she's been constructing for a few years now. Something else to learn about him and his life before she entered it.
Uncharacteristically for her, she has remained silent since she entered the workshop. Not even her customary sounds have been heard. ]
no subject
Still... it usually feels like it helps more.
Maybe this is just something that will take a long time to heal. If it ever does.
Her head tilts at his usual Tony Stark smile. She returns it with her own again, noting the more tired expression he had given her. Tony always signals how he feels in different ways from most people. Sarcastic self deprecating comments versus truly saying how he feels. Comments that can be flippant and maybe even hurtful to the party listening to it. That's just how he is. People who know him will understand most the time what he is really doing or saying, but, she has realized there is a limit on that from others.
She isn't vain enough to say she is the only one who can really notice him... but it seems that way sometimes. Especially now.
The comments made about the young man whose mother abused them at MTI, the jokes about his shoulder. The flippant remarks about Captain Rogers and his father. Little Mermaid has been watching them stack up, up and up. No one else noticed but her. Not even Natasha, who in the end, flipped as well.
She has to wonder if all Tony really has is her... despite his best efforts.
Her arms raise and gently guides him to rest against her bosum. Then, following his wordless request, she gently begins brushing her fingers through his hair. The gel easily comes apart thanks to the warmth of the hot tub. She can tell how he has already relaxed. Usually she would make a joking remark about how they were both right that the hot tub would help... but now doesn't seem to be the time to make any jokes.
They'll talk about the Avengers and the Accords once he has slept. Rhodey should be out of surgery by then. Not that she is entirely certain what happened in Berlin, and Peter could only relay what happened at the airport.
They have never really needed words to communicate. She learned a long time ago that Tony communicates what he really feels without words. ]
If you need to fall asleep for a little bit? It's okay. I'll be right here.
no subject
Yeah, that actually sounds pretty great. You know I’m not very good at the whole "rest" thing. It's driven everyone I've ever met nuts.
Brain tends to keep running diagnostics, worst‑case scenarios, reruns on repeat that I didn’t ask for.
[ He glances at her sideways. ] So I don't know how you're so good at shortcircuiting that.
And just so we’re clear, in case the thought entered your mind, you didn’t make anything worse. You never do, okay?
[ And maybe he won't actually fall asleep here in the hot tub, but if nothing else, he can just drift a bit and doze for awhile. ]
no subject
Instead, her head tilts forward. She doesn't kiss the top his head as her hand still works through his hair. Even once he's relaxed as much as he ever does? She continues the motion.
"You never do."
Her eyes close.
There's only one thing she can think to answer the question of how she can relax him. Maybe she took the idea too literally... maybe he will think she's just a silly girl who believes in fairytales... ]
I'm your magnet.