Close Your Eyes

Here she was in the middle of the morning drinking coffee that Pepper set for her and she couldn't find the decency to leave. For some odd reason when Pepper saw that Dasha was ready to leave after the cup of coffee that she was sipping on, she quickly asked her to stay a little while longer.

When the doctor asked why, Pepper gave her the most sentimental crap response she wasn't ready for, 'I think Tony would want you to be here after all that has been happening since he returned.'

That red head surely knew how to pull her guilt strings and turn it into some violin that will play some depressing song. So after her last cup of coffee, she put it in the sink as she wrapped her hair up into a ponytail after feeling some of the hair fuzz up from the sheets she slept in last night. Dasha couldn't complain saying that this wasn't a nice house or being treated so kindly.

Pepper was an honest and wonderful woman which made her wonder how in the hell Tony has convinced her to stay her willingly. Sitting on the couch with Pepper watching the News, she frowned seeing a commentator bashing on Tony's company.

Even though she couldn't tolerate Tony all that much, the young woman did wonder what was going through his mind when he shut down his company.

Was he trying to prove that his company was more than building weapons? That's all the Stark family was known for, he couldn't change that even if he tried, and it was just a stupid idea all together.

"How's Willow?"

Dasha broke out of her trance as she glanced at the woman that was perched on the sofa next to her, she smiled replying she was doing just fine. From their short encounters, Pepper and Dasha has built some sort of friendship and they knew the basic about one another but never too personal.

That's just how she liked it.

It would be weird to have Tony's personal assistant know certain things about her so she can tell her boss what makes her tick or not. He already figured out one way to piss her off all the time.

Just looking at his face made her blood boil; as the two kept conversing they were interrupted when Tony called through a tablet that was on Pepper's lap.

"Pepper is Dasha still here?"

Dasha kept her lips shut as she looked at the tablet to see a picture of his arrogant face being displayed; the blue eyed woman glanced at the doctor wondering if she should tell Tony the truth.

The brunette kept shaking her head hoping that she wouldn't rat her out, she rather stay up here with Pepper than going anywhere to see that man.

The long pause made Tony think before he spoke up again, "Just that pause alone confirms what I have been thinking. Dasha you're a surgeon, right?"

The dark eyed woman pursed her lips as she crossed her arms refusing to speak, if she didn't speak then maybe he thought he made a fool out of himself thinking she was here when she wasn't. Hearing a sigh he spoke up again, "I'm not an idiot, Dash. I know you're here. Can you come down please?"

Dasha didn't move or speak as her eyes were now focusing on the television screen after the whole embarrassment of last night she rather not speak to him right now. Her cheeks felt heated just thinking about the incident and his response irked her, 'There's nothing to be ashamed of. You have a better body than I expected'

Better than expected?

Should she be offended?

That answer was simple. No. She shouldn't because she doesn't care what he thinks about her body and being concerned in any type of way would give him reign on her conscious.

"Alright, if you want me to wither away and die in my garage that's perfectly fine with me but I promise you that you will surely miss me."

Dasha huffed as she heard the guilt trip playing card and hearing him coughing wasn't going to make her go down there. You don't care. You don't care. You don't care. She kept repeating herself as Pepper looked at the conflicted woman with sympathetic eyes saying if she just went she would get it over with soon enough.

She hated that Pepper was right and she should take her advice, dealing with this asshole for so long she knew exactly how to get him off her back. Without saying a word she got up from her seat and marched down the stairs where Pepper instructed her to go and put in the password she gave to her.

This was completely stupid. Tony could be so melodramatic sometimes but seeing him sitting on a long chair with a heart monitor told her otherwise.

When Tony heard the door open he grinned padding his fingers over his naked upper body with glee, "Knew you would love me enough to come down and rescue me."

Dasha rolled her eyes as she grumbled, "What's wrong?"

"Let me see your hands first." the woman gave him a look which he mimicked one right back; she gave up and showed him her hands.

Once she passed the test her eyes couldn't help but glance at the bright blue light that was being held in Tony's hand. When he raised it up a bit he told her that he needed her to help him replace the old one with the new one.

"I don't have any experience with this sort of thing and the last time I have done something as similar to this was my intern year doing a heart transplant."

"But you do have experience and asking Pepper would make her squirm shoving her hand into my chest so I thought you wouldn't mind doing me a favor." As he spoke to her he firmly grabbed the arc reactor and twisted it so he can lift it up and pull it out of its socket; he handed her the old faintly blue reactor and she took it with ease and put it on the tray right next to Tony.

"Now you are going to gently go in and lift the wire out." Tony explained leaning his body back into the chair. Dasha pursed her lips thinking how in the hell can he be so calm about this?

She didn't know anything about this and messing with some kind of device she has no knowledge of made her uncomfortable. She rather know what she was dealing with than going in blind, basically.

"Gently lift the wire out and don't let it touch the outer wall or it will go beep just like operation." he repeated.

"Operation?"

Tony gave her a look before a light chuckle left his lips, "Out of all people, a surgeon no less doesn't know the game operation?"

Dasha gritted her teeth, "Someone that is ready to leave." turning around he grabbed her arm "Wait, wait, wait. I'm just kidding. Can't you take a joke? Ha ha?" giving her a smile this time but she just rolled her eyes once again and he couldn't help but think that if she kept doing so her eyes were going to roll out of their sockets.

The woman bit in the inside of her cheek as she gently put her hand inside of his chest, Tony instructed her what to do and she did what she was told without making a face. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her seeing the concentrated look on her face.

The way her face was totally relaxed made him relax and her pink supple lips were in a small pout as she squinted her eyes a bit. The mole on the left side of her brow actually looked cute on her and it was the first time he noticed something as small as that. As she finished up she grabbed a towel wiping her hands off, "Is that all?"

"It's not but I don't think you are willing to give me what I want." a light smirk played on his lips.

Dasha scoffed as she took the old arc reactor, "Do you want this?" he dismissed it telling her to get rid of it, keeping it wouldn't do him any good. Gripping the small item in her hands she turned around and shook her head when she heard him say, "My offer still stands!"

The woman walked up the steps with a slight drag of her feet, giving Pepper the small thing to her telling her what Tony told her. "He doesn't want to keep it?" she shook her head before she grabbed her bag, "I'm going to go. I have a few errands to run before I do my runs at the hospital." The red head nodded her head bidding her goodbye as she walked out of the house feeling a little more drained than she did when she woke up.

Dasha could promise that just being around Tony drained her mentally and emotionally, climbing into her car the soft music playing in the background lifted her spirits.

Backing out of the estate she higher the volume hearing John Legend's voice echo through her car; he was the only man she could stand right about now and taking the long drive towards her first errand was going to be long.

Funny how her errands consist of grocery shopping, cleaning her house, and doing her laundry; Dasha never had anyone doing her errands for her.

She felt like a child when she has someone doing something as simple as doing her laundry or cleaning her house; it was something she didn't mind doing but it did take almost all day when she ran her errands.

Then her phone rang, she muted her music as she tapped the call button in her car, "What do you want Ivy Rae?" annoyance filled her voice as she saw the familiar picture of her baby sister. She could hear the same irritating whining coming from her sister's lips as she said, "Why are you acting like such a bitch? I can't call my favorite sister for no damn reason?"

"Never." she responded naturally "You always want something from me so what do you want?"

Dasha didn't want to waste time talking to someone that didn't think of anyone but themselves, the older woman thought of many times she was thinking of taking child custody of the tiny girl. This wasn't something she wanted to do but seeing that Ivy was going to ask her something she knew she would have to take Willow. When Ivy beat around the bush by complimenting her she had to roll her eyes.

"When do you want me to pick up Willie?"

"As soon as you get off of work; heard that you have a short day today. Thanks so much you don't know how much I love you right now."

Dasha frowned hearing a deep voice in the background before a giggle hit the receiver, she knew exactly what the man said but she rather not indulge in what he murmured to her sister. "Sure. I hope Willow understands when you tell her that she is staying with me."

"She totally understands Dasha. She's grown and she knows mama has other things to do. Thanks for taking her for the next few days, love you Dasha!"

Before the older woman can say anything, Ivy hung up the phone. A few days? What the hell was going on? This pissed her off.

How can she take care of a child when she had hundred plus hours of work per week? This wasn't something she planned but seeing that she didn't want her father to have all the responsibility she thought maybe this would be good practice to balance on family and work.

"I'm going to kill her." she murmured pressing the volume button so she heard John Legend's voice filter the air once again.

This was going to be a long day and seeing the look on Willow's face once she knows that she won't be staying with her mother as long as she would have liked would crush her. Willow hasn't even spent all that much time with her mother, only a day or so before being thrown to either Clyde or Dasha.

One day Willow wasn't going to believe Ivy Rae when she told her that she loves her, those innocent brown eyes will be filled with hate and it was going to be the woman's fault. Willow shouldn't be going through something like this. Dasha bit her lip wishing that her mother was around; maybe she would have gotten through Ivy Rae.