Don't Make This Easy, I Want You to Mean It
Lights out, I still hear the rain.
When I wake up and reach for him, he’s not there, but I’m quickly informed by JARVIS that he’s went in for a meeting and will be back later. I worry that sometimes I’m not enough to keep him here. Or just to keep him mine. But then I’ll find a little note, like the one I’m staring at, and it’ll be just enough to remind me that he still loves me. I take it off the bathroom mirror and put it with the others in my jewelry box. I slide my ring off and start the shower, getting it warm. I shower quickly as I’m reminded by JARVIS that my sister is waiting for me in the lounge. Thor must be leaving for awhile again. That’s really the only reason she comes over.
I wrap a towel around my hair and slip on my clothes*, walking through out the bedroom. “Jarvis, can I see Tony, please?”
“Yes, Mrs. Stark.”
Our t.v. clicked on and a picture of the meeting room popped up, zooming in on a not-so-happy Tony. I couldn’t hear what was going on, but he wasn’t happy. “That’s enough, Jarvis, thank you.”
The screen went black and I walked down the hallway, hearing sniffling and crunching. That’s always a good sign. Not.
“Sis**,” I whispered.
“What?” You could hear the bitchiness leaking from the very word. “How long?”
“A few weeks…”
I nodded in silence and took the cup of coffee waiting for me on the bar. Jarvis knows me all too well. I sip on it as I sit next to her. She, of course, had to have the saddest movie playing. She can’t be sad by herself, I suppose.
We sit in silence, mostly because she’s sad and then mostly because I don’t know what to say. My husband doesn’t go to another realm on a weekly basis, so this is really all I can comfort her with.
“Mrs. Odinson, would you like a more upbeat movie?” Jarvis suggests.
“No, Jarvis. I like this one. Thanks.”
He doesn’t reply, which is odd, but then again he knows when to back off. A sigh rolls out of my mouth as her bottom lip starts to tremble. Her mind keeps her way too busy.
“Why can’t he be normal?” She whispers.
“You knew he wasn’t when you started dating… He even told you he couldn’t be here all the time.”
She buried her face into the cushion next to her and mumbled something along the lines of: “He could give up being king and stay with me.” It’s really the same thing every time he leaves.
“Sis, it’s just like all the other times.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He’ll be back.”
“You don’t understand.” She whispered. “Tony doesn’t leave you.”
I stood up, leaving her like a lump on the couch as I put my coffee cup in the sink. I’d really do anything to get away from her. It’s only ten A.M. and I’ve already got a headache. Which Jarvis has pulled out the Advil for, waiting beside a cold Dr. Pepper. I popped them in and washed them down, slowly returning to the dreadful spot on the couch.
“Jarvis,” She sighs. “Can I see Thor?”
“I’m afraid my systems won’t reach that far, Mrs. Odinson.”
She nodded, but more tears filled her eyes and her head rested against my shoulder. Her trembles are what get me. That’s when I know that she’s more than upset. “Did he say he would call?”
She nodded. “When?”
“Every night until he returns,” She whispered.
I nod and know she won’t be happy until then. Jarvis turns off her movie and starts to play an old favorite, The Lion King. I can see her eyes brighten just a little and know that he can keep her occupied until he calls.
“Mrs. Stark, Tony will be home in a few minutes.” Jarvis tells me.
I nod, removing myself from the couch and anticipating every second that ticks away. He does this to me. Making me a crazy mess until I know he’s safely here. Jarvis continues to tell me exactly how far away he is and my sister calls for me. I can hear her moving around, but then his car pulls into the drive. I smile to myself, knowing he’s safe.
“What did you need, sis?” I yell for her, seeing that she’s disappeared from the couch.
“Nothing,” She sighed. “Jarvis found it.”
She fell back into her depressed state as she curled up on the couch. I wondered off into the kitchen, looking for nothing in particular, but settled with Chili Cheese flavored chips. A set of keys fell on the counter next to me and he let out a long sigh, looking at me with sad eyes. It broke my heart.
“What’s wrong?”
He didn’t say, just kept looking at me with big, sad eyes. I sat the chips on the counter and wrapped my arms around his waist. His arms brought me closer, hugging me tight to his chest. I felt trembles, knowing they weren’t coming from me. “Tony,”
“I’m fine, really.” He whispered, letting go and walking toward the lounge.
I nodded, knowing better, but also knowing not to push things that are broken. I grabbed the chips and an extra pop, sitting next to Tony. He took the pop I offered and grabbed a handful of chips, always one to eat away the problem. His eyes shifted from me to Haley, noticing her depressed stature.
“What’s wrong, cupcake?” He asked, earning a glare. She hate’s him.
“Nothing,”
He glared. “Fine,”
Oh, I just love when they are together. Rolling my eyes I fold into him, resting my head in the crook of his neck and sighing as I hear the hum of his arc reactor. His hand slips behind my back and my legs end up in his lap. His nose tickles my neck as he breaths deeply.
“Please, stop.” She whispers.
It’s barely loud enough for me to hear and I know he’s heard it by the way he’s tensing up. She gets under his skin and he can’t handle her. So this only fuels him to go further. His lips ghost along my neck, stopping at the tender spot above my collarbone. I can see from the corner of my eye that she’s texting someone. This someone will have to be the only other person who can make his skin crawl.
“Steve’s on his way.” Haley smirked.
It didn’t bother him like I thought it would. He continued to mark up my neck. “Mr. Stark, Steve Rogers is approaching.”
He pulled away, smiling, but I could still see the hurt in his eyes. I rolled from under him and offered my hand, gesturing toward the bedroom. “Let him in, Jarvis.”
I laced our fingers as Steve walked in the living room. I pull him into the room, shut and locking the door. “Tell me right now, Anthony Edward Stark.”
“Whoa, full name,” He whispered.
“Now,”
He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. “Um, the Avengers, we’re kind of going on a mission. Maybe.”
“Continue,”
“This mission will require me to be gone for a long time, like months.” He sighed, obviously seeing the worry on my face. “And it’s really dangerous.”
I could feel my heart start breaking, slowly, but surely. He just watched, not really knowing because I’m trying to keep it calm. He’s obviously realized that something will go wrong and he might not make it back.
“Marls,” He whispered as tears streamed down my face. “It’ll be okay.”
I shook my head, knowing that it wouldn’t. He wouldn’t come back to me and I’d be alone. Something we both feared. I could feel my heart race at the thought. “Shh…”
His arms were around me and lips pressing soft kisses into my hair. “I'll be back for you. I promise.”
I wrap a towel around my hair and slip on my clothes*, walking through out the bedroom. “Jarvis, can I see Tony, please?”
“Yes, Mrs. Stark.”
Our t.v. clicked on and a picture of the meeting room popped up, zooming in on a not-so-happy Tony. I couldn’t hear what was going on, but he wasn’t happy. “That’s enough, Jarvis, thank you.”
The screen went black and I walked down the hallway, hearing sniffling and crunching. That’s always a good sign. Not.
“Sis**,” I whispered.
“What?” You could hear the bitchiness leaking from the very word. “How long?”
“A few weeks…”
I nodded in silence and took the cup of coffee waiting for me on the bar. Jarvis knows me all too well. I sip on it as I sit next to her. She, of course, had to have the saddest movie playing. She can’t be sad by herself, I suppose.
We sit in silence, mostly because she’s sad and then mostly because I don’t know what to say. My husband doesn’t go to another realm on a weekly basis, so this is really all I can comfort her with.
“Mrs. Odinson, would you like a more upbeat movie?” Jarvis suggests.
“No, Jarvis. I like this one. Thanks.”
He doesn’t reply, which is odd, but then again he knows when to back off. A sigh rolls out of my mouth as her bottom lip starts to tremble. Her mind keeps her way too busy.
“Why can’t he be normal?” She whispers.
“You knew he wasn’t when you started dating… He even told you he couldn’t be here all the time.”
She buried her face into the cushion next to her and mumbled something along the lines of: “He could give up being king and stay with me.” It’s really the same thing every time he leaves.
“Sis, it’s just like all the other times.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He’ll be back.”
“You don’t understand.” She whispered. “Tony doesn’t leave you.”
I stood up, leaving her like a lump on the couch as I put my coffee cup in the sink. I’d really do anything to get away from her. It’s only ten A.M. and I’ve already got a headache. Which Jarvis has pulled out the Advil for, waiting beside a cold Dr. Pepper. I popped them in and washed them down, slowly returning to the dreadful spot on the couch.
“Jarvis,” She sighs. “Can I see Thor?”
“I’m afraid my systems won’t reach that far, Mrs. Odinson.”
She nodded, but more tears filled her eyes and her head rested against my shoulder. Her trembles are what get me. That’s when I know that she’s more than upset. “Did he say he would call?”
She nodded. “When?”
“Every night until he returns,” She whispered.
I nod and know she won’t be happy until then. Jarvis turns off her movie and starts to play an old favorite, The Lion King. I can see her eyes brighten just a little and know that he can keep her occupied until he calls.
“Mrs. Stark, Tony will be home in a few minutes.” Jarvis tells me.
I nod, removing myself from the couch and anticipating every second that ticks away. He does this to me. Making me a crazy mess until I know he’s safely here. Jarvis continues to tell me exactly how far away he is and my sister calls for me. I can hear her moving around, but then his car pulls into the drive. I smile to myself, knowing he’s safe.
“What did you need, sis?” I yell for her, seeing that she’s disappeared from the couch.
“Nothing,” She sighed. “Jarvis found it.”
She fell back into her depressed state as she curled up on the couch. I wondered off into the kitchen, looking for nothing in particular, but settled with Chili Cheese flavored chips. A set of keys fell on the counter next to me and he let out a long sigh, looking at me with sad eyes. It broke my heart.
“What’s wrong?”
He didn’t say, just kept looking at me with big, sad eyes. I sat the chips on the counter and wrapped my arms around his waist. His arms brought me closer, hugging me tight to his chest. I felt trembles, knowing they weren’t coming from me. “Tony,”
“I’m fine, really.” He whispered, letting go and walking toward the lounge.
I nodded, knowing better, but also knowing not to push things that are broken. I grabbed the chips and an extra pop, sitting next to Tony. He took the pop I offered and grabbed a handful of chips, always one to eat away the problem. His eyes shifted from me to Haley, noticing her depressed stature.
“What’s wrong, cupcake?” He asked, earning a glare. She hate’s him.
“Nothing,”
He glared. “Fine,”
Oh, I just love when they are together. Rolling my eyes I fold into him, resting my head in the crook of his neck and sighing as I hear the hum of his arc reactor. His hand slips behind my back and my legs end up in his lap. His nose tickles my neck as he breaths deeply.
“Please, stop.” She whispers.
It’s barely loud enough for me to hear and I know he’s heard it by the way he’s tensing up. She gets under his skin and he can’t handle her. So this only fuels him to go further. His lips ghost along my neck, stopping at the tender spot above my collarbone. I can see from the corner of my eye that she’s texting someone. This someone will have to be the only other person who can make his skin crawl.
“Steve’s on his way.” Haley smirked.
It didn’t bother him like I thought it would. He continued to mark up my neck. “Mr. Stark, Steve Rogers is approaching.”
He pulled away, smiling, but I could still see the hurt in his eyes. I rolled from under him and offered my hand, gesturing toward the bedroom. “Let him in, Jarvis.”
I laced our fingers as Steve walked in the living room. I pull him into the room, shut and locking the door. “Tell me right now, Anthony Edward Stark.”
“Whoa, full name,” He whispered.
“Now,”
He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair. “Um, the Avengers, we’re kind of going on a mission. Maybe.”
“Continue,”
“This mission will require me to be gone for a long time, like months.” He sighed, obviously seeing the worry on my face. “And it’s really dangerous.”
I could feel my heart start breaking, slowly, but surely. He just watched, not really knowing because I’m trying to keep it calm. He’s obviously realized that something will go wrong and he might not make it back.
“Marls,” He whispered as tears streamed down my face. “It’ll be okay.”
I shook my head, knowing that it wouldn’t. He wouldn’t come back to me and I’d be alone. Something we both feared. I could feel my heart race at the thought. “Shh…”
His arms were around me and lips pressing soft kisses into my hair. “I'll be back for you. I promise.”