Mentor

"If you add anything else to that thing you will not safely become airborne, I've done the calculations Tony, it won't work."
"I've done the same calculations and I'll be fine,"
"Not with your huge ego weighing you down" I grumble behind him, dancing out of the way as his hand swipes up to hit the back of my head.

"Too slow, old man."
"Speaking of decrepit things, how's Capsicle?"

I shrug, "How would I know?"
"Are you purposely insulting my intelligence? I did see the pictures online you know."

I was aware of the pictures, JARVIS had updated me this morning, nothing like waking up and seeing the headline of 'Veronica Stark, dating local Hero' taking over your window. I hadn't dated much in my life, seeing as I wasn't that social of a person, I remember some first grade 'boyfriends' and some flirting in high school but nothing had ended up coming out of it. Nothing substantial anyways.

"No, I just didn't think much of the pictures." I say absentmindedly pouring myself a drink from the fridge as Tony starts to dig around in the cupboards, looking back at me briefly.

"What's up? You have that face on, we're still not getting an animal if that's what you're building up to." I smile at the memory but shake my head, closing the fridge and turning back to my mentor.

"Do you ever wonder how weird it must be for him? Like what if you went to sleep one night and woke up in the 40's. How weird would that be?"

"You'd be burned at the stake, and that's time travel if its into the past. He had a really long nap."

I roll my eyes taking a sip of my orange juice, "It must be hard on him, poor guy can hardly work a microwave, you owe me by the way, I saved the kitchen from burning down earlier today. Caught him putting foil in it."

Tony scoffs, finally turning around a bag of chips in his hand. "How do I owe you? You live here too, see, this is how I see it. You were just earning your keep."

I set my glass down on the table giving him a look, "Earning my keep? I'm going to tell Pepper you've been belittling our relationship again. She'll make you say it."

"Really? We're going to do this?" he asks, cracking his neck sided to side before rolling his shoulders, looking up with a smirk, "Okay, Do you need attention again?"
"Dependents need it every now and then, what can I say."
"I thought we agreed that I was only required to cater to your needs for a few days a month."

"I agreed, you grumbled about it and said okay to shut me up, back when I was sixteen." I remind him, crumpling up the now empty chip bag Tony tosses it into the garbage, walking out of the room.

"Maybe I'll build you a dog, if you don't want Cap we'll have to get you something to play with" he retorts over his shoulder sending me a wink. I frown tapping my nails on the counter. Normally someone wouldn't even think of telling their child to play with a man. Sometimes his comments like that threw me a bit, Pepper had become somewhat motherly over the years but Tony had more or less stayed to same. I did wonder if that would every change a lot when I was younger, but when I was nineteen I just started to embrace the fact I didn't live with someone who was uber controlling. I mean, when I broke my leg a few years ago he did take me to the hospital and stay with me.

Mostly so he could laugh while I was high on pain killers but he did stay with me.

A sudden though occurs to me, and I hurriedly put my glass into the sink before sprinting from the kitchen towards my room.

"JARVIS? Can you put the number for that pet store I like onto my phone, please?"

"Right away Ms. Andrews, is that everything?"
"No, could you tell me where Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers are…?"

Not being able to keep the smile off my face I look down the hall to where Tony had disappeared. He didn't have to build me a dog if I bought one.



"Why do I get the impression Tony is not going to approve of this animal?" Captain Rogers asks as I coo over the Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. It was an adorable dog and I was fully aware how big it was going it get, it was so fluffy and cute though I just couldn't pass it up. I had every intention in getting a yappy little dog that would probably drive Tony nuts but he had looked so lonely I couldn't help it, I had to take him.

"Well, he probably won't. I pushed for one when I was younger, he said no. I don't think he's allergic or anything, just thought he'd end up taking care of it I guess. Which is stupid, we both know that a lie, it would have been Pepper." I snort marching out of the elevator with a bundle of puppy in my arms.

Dr. Banner, or Bruce as he asked me to call him after switching between Dr. and Banner too many times, carried two bags packed with toys and a large cushion while Steve carried a few bags of food and a paper bag with Tony's favourite scotch from the liquor store.

"Isn't he going to be pissed?" Bruce asks setting the bags down on the couch, I set the puppy down, who I had yet to name and started digging through them looking for the puppy pads which I had the intelligence to buy.

"Most likely," I shrug, "he more or less put the idea in my head though so that's his fault."

"Ma'am-"
I growl.
"Veronica," Rogers corrects himself, "I don't think bringing a dog into a home where your guardian may be opposed to the idea is a great idea."

"Ahh," I say with a smirk, "That's where it makes it okay, he's not legally my guardian. Its just like I'm annoying a really old friend who has some control over my-"

"What are you going to tell him when he finally sees the dog?" Bruce asks amused.

"That I read a medical journal about the soothing effects animals have on emotions and since we have a man with anger problems in our home a dog is a smart idea?"

"Oh no, you are not pinning this on me" he laughs, bending down to pat the head of my new puppy. I giggle to myself for a moment promptly stopping when I notice Rogers' face. It was hard and disapproving and for a moment I thought he was going to scold me.

"Look, Captain Rogers, Steven, may I call you Steve?" I finally ask, tired of calling him Captain Rogers. He nods once, that infuriating gesture, before I continue. "Tony will be annoyed, and he'll put up a fuss but once he see's this little guy he won't mind too much. I'm old enough to take care of him, all his argument are invalid now. Unless he's allergic, then we'll just have Bruce here whip him up some shot for it and be done with it. If all else fails, thats what the booze is for..."

"Oh you are soooo dead," Bruce laughs walking away from us into the kitchen, his chuckles following behind him. I huff before gathering up my new friend and leave an almost worried looking Steve standing beside the couch.

It would be fine.


Walking up beside Tony's work bench I take a seat on the stool next to him, looking down at the holographic blueprints for the modifications we had been working on earlier. He ignores me, which wasn't out of character, when we were working we didn't usually talk unless it was work related or to tell each other how stupid something was.

"Remember when I was seventeen and I asked for a puppy for my birthday? How that was the only thing I wanted and you bought me four foot tool box instead filled so I wouldn't break and or scratch your tools?"

Tony looks up at me, I could see the wheels turning in his head and I don't think he was too happy with the conclusion his brain was coming to.

"Remember how the only reason you said no was because you didn't think I was responsible enough to take care of a dog?"

"I don't remember saying that," Tony says his eyes narrowing, "and I don't think that was the only reason. I don't like dogs. I had one when I was younger, it bit me."

I laugh nervously at this, before grasping for my last straw.
"Remember that time I promised not to tell Pepper that you-"
"If you bought a dog just keep it away from me, I don't want to smell it and I don't want to hear it. In fact, if I ever step in anything that has come out of that dog both of you will be living on the helicopter pad. I'll even build you a dog house."

"Really?"
"No, I won't build you a dog house but you will be living outside."
"Thank you-"

Tony interrupts me, "Remember that time you bought a dog and reprogrammed all the computers in the lower levels for me? I remember that was a fun night for you, you had it done by the next morning and everything."

I blink a few times before accepting the repercussion, patting him on the shoulder.
"Child abuser"

Tony laughs, "You haven't been a child for five years, it's allowed now."
"I'll sick Tony Jr. on you," I threaten jokingly, firstly because my new fluff ball was with Bruce currently and I would never name it Tony Jr. Ever.

"For your sake I hope you're joking, I could also ask you to recalibrate some of the machines in the basement levels. Actually, I forgot I already did ask, funny how that works isn't it."

"Ha, ha" I laugh dryly, pulling the bottle of scotch I had gotten him out from behind my back and setting it down beside him on the table.

Looking between the bottle and I for a moment he raises and eyebrow before picking it up and inspecting it. "At least I've taught you well."



With a tired yawn I walk out of my bedroom, messing my hair up slightly as I make my way towards the kitchen, my fluff ball yapping happily behind me as he tried to grab the ties of my black silk robe.

I stop quickly just outside the front room, "No demon spawn, no bite,noooooo" I order as his brown puppy eyes look up at me as he lays down promptly clearly expecting a belly rub. I laugh lightly bending down and giving him a quick rub before standing and continues my way to the kitchen.

I hadn't been up as late as I had thought I would, every floor had computers that needed to be programmed yes, but Tony who obviously had no hand in the initial set up of them forgot that it could all be done from my lab, after some tinkering and uploading all I had to do was wait for the green light from every floor. When that was done, and my fluff ball sleeping all I had to do was make my way to the basement, hit a few breakers, do some computer work and three hours later I was in my room reading a book in my pyjamas.

I abruptly halt just before the kitchen seeing a very muscular back buttering four pieces of toast. God, he was almost more good looking from the back, suddenly feeling warm I clear my throat and put on a tired smile walking over to the fridge hoping he wasn't aware that I had just eye raped his back and backside.

God, his muscles looked like they had muscles.
"Morning, Steve" I manage to choke out when I turn my back, it was much easier to talk to him when I didn't have to see him almost burst out of a tight white t-shirt.

He should only ever wear tight white t-shirts.
"Good morning, ma'am" he answers back sounding almost as tired as I was. I don't bother complaining about the ma'am as I take some eggs, milk and juice out of the fridge.

I move around the kitchen quickly getting pans and bowls from the cupboards, stepping over the fluff ball who had found me once more and was dancing around under my feet.

"Scrambled eggs?" I offer breaking two into the bowl for myself. It seemed that Steve would get tired of toast quick and I highly doubted he was satisfied with the buttered bread. He was pretty much just too polite to go digging around the fridge too much. Not that I blamed him, I was surprised he was intimidated by the toaster after I had practically tackled him a few days ago when he went to fish his bread out with a fork.

"Umm…" he blushes slightly, "If you wouldn't mind?"
"Wouldn't have offered if I did" I tell him with a small smile before looking back at the carton of eggs, was it presumptuous to just add in the other 6 and assume he would eat that many? Or should I ask him?

Deciding that I would just cook them all and let him take as much as he wanted I get to work cracking the rest of the eggs and adding in the milk as I went to work whisking them.

"Steve? Could you turn the stove on for me? Just hit that button and press the green one beside it." I instruct as he fumbles slightly, clumsily pushing the instructed buttons. I continue mixing while I add a bit of pepper from the spice rack, and a shake of paprika before continuing with my instructions.

"Could you set the pan on the burner for me now? And, yep, just take a knife you used earlier and put some of the butter into the pan for me. Great, thanks." I thank him as he follows my instructions, I had done something similar to Tony once a few years ago when I was making one of his favourite meals, I felt that if I had Steve help me with small things like this he'd get more comfortable in the modern kitchen, maybe he'd make himself something more then toast for breakfast tomorrow.

Steve stands there for a moment awkwardly before my fluff ball runs into his feet, trying to bite at his toes. Bending down Steve picks up the puppy, a smile on his face before he looks down at me, looking more relaxed then I had seen him in awhile.

"Do you need help with anything else?"
"Nope, I got it covered. Do you like cheese or anything on your eggs? Ketchup? Tabasco?" I question grabbing a plastic flipper to stir and break the eggs up with.

Steve shakes his head and I nod towards the fridge, "Could you get me the grated cheddar for me then? And the ketchup? Ketchup's in the door and the cheese is in the second drawer down."

I watch as he steps back and turns towards the fridge, moving the puff ball into his left arm, the puppy trying to get a grip of his tight shirt sleeve with teeth.
"No," Steve orders the puppy quietly, probably trying to make it so I didn't hear him. "You don't bite things, that's not nice."

I slap my hand over my mouth to try and muffle my laughter as I spin around so my back was now to them, reaching into the cupboard and getting some plates down.
There was something completely adorable about the way he interacted with the dog, especially since he seemed to be so serious all the time, so proper.

It was kind of how I would laugh if Tony was caught cuddling a kitten.

"You're laughing at me" Steve states behind me, composing my face I turn and shakes my head in denial, a small laugh escaping my mouth anyways as I give the eggs once last stir before turning off the stove.

"Only a little, it was…out of character" I tell him, deciding that was the safest adjective I could use at present time. I look up to see Steve looking down at the puppy who was trying to lick the soldiers face.

"I used to be allergic to dogs, it's nice to be around one and not have an asthma attack," he admits quietly. I nod in understanding, piling the majority of the eggs onto his plate.

"Well, feel free to borrow him. If you can think of a name I'm still open to suggestions, he's about a week away from being dubbed 'fluff ball'."

Steve sets my puppy down and takes the plate I offer him, I give him a small smile as he takes the plate, his hand coming up to rest on my shoulder.

"Thank you." He says this seriously, his eyes locked on mine and I know he's just not thanking me for the eggs. I feel the warmth of his hand briefly on my shoulder before he retracts his hand, looking down shyly, and heading out of the room, whistling softly to entice fluff ball to follow him.

"You're welcome" I say finally not knowing if he heard or not. Feeling my chest warm, I can't help but feel like I did a good deed today.

I needed to go tell Pepper immediately.