Hearts Collide

“Hello,” Alex said smiling and waving awkwardly to everyone as they stared at her confusedly.
“You’re kidding, right?” Clint asked as he lifted an eyebrow.
“Since when did you have a daughter?” Natasha asked scoffing at the thought of Tony being a father.
“For eighteen years,” Tony replied coolly.
“Dad,” Alex interrupted, “I’m nineteen.”
“What?” he asked confused. “For how long?”
“For about five months,” Alex sighed causing the room to become silent.
That silence was broken by Tony saying, “Kids—they grow up so fast.”
“So you’re not kidding? This really is your daughter?” Steve asked still feeling skeptical.
“No. I’m some bimbo he hired,” Alex remarked sarcastically causing Steve to blush and mutter a quiet “sorry”.
“Well,” Bruce said clearing his throat, “she’s got your sarcasm.”
“And my brain,” Tony responded cockily. “Speaking of which, let me show you the lab over here, Alex.”

“Okay Alex, I want you to be very careful while you’re doing this.”
“Dad,” Alex whined while she adjusted her safety goggles. “I’ve used a laser before. Relax.”
“Alright then,” Tony said smiling. “Let ‘er rip.” With that, Alex activated the laser they were testing. The laser let out a beam that was aimed at a large diamond. Within a few seconds of being activated, the laser cut through the diamond.
“Wow,” Alex whispered amazed as she turned off the machine. “I can’t believe you did it. You actually created a laser that powerful.”
“That was nothing,” Tony said removing his goggles. “I just wanted to make sure you can handle yourself.”
“Of course I can handle myself,” she said punching him playfully on the arm. “I’m not a little kid. You can trust me with lasers and whatever else you got in this lab.”
“Okay then,” Tony said hugging Alex causing her to smile. Their little father-daughter moment was cut short by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
“Excuse me, am I interrupting something?” a deep voice from behind asked.
Tony turned to face the door and answered coolly, “Nothing. Just a father-daughter moment, unless you still think she’s some bimbo. What are you doing here, Captain?”
“Again I’m so sorry about that,” Steve said nervously. “And I came to ask Alex if she wanted to join Clint, Natasha, and I for dinner at the T.G.I. Fridays.”
“I don’t know…” Alex said suspiciously, “You guys kind off said some messed up things about me.”
“We’re so sorry about that. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—your dad’s prank,” Steve said stumbling on his words.
“I’m just kidding,” Alex giggled. “It just means that we did an awesome job at messing with you guys.”
“So is that a yes?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Alex responded grabbing her purse. Before she left, she paused at the door, turned around to face Tony and asked, “You alright with this dad?”
“I thought you said you weren’t a little kid,” Tony replied sarcastically causing Alex to smile. “Go ahead. Do what you want. Just don’t tell them anything embarrassing about me.”
“I won’t!” Alex exclaimed as she left with Steve.
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“May I take your order?” asked the preppy waitress twirling her pen waiting for us to talk.
“I’ll have the sirloin steak,” Natasha said starting off the chain of orders. The next to order was Clint, Steve, and finally Alex.
“I’ll have the New York Cheddar and Bacon Burger,” she said causing Clint to raise an eyebrow. “What?” she asked feeling awkward as the waitress left.
“Nothing,” Clint responded. “It’s just I thought you’d order something fancy.”
“Well, considering that nothing on this menu is over thirty bucks, I don’t know where you got that idea from,” Alex replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
“It’s because you’re Tony’s daughter,” chimed in Steve. “I guess we just assume that you’re into that luxurious lifestyle.”
“That’s ridiculous, guys,” Alex said. “I lived with my mom my whole life and we’re pretty normal. Stop making assumptions about me.”
“So your dad was never there for you?” Natasha asked with her voice softer than usual.
“No!” Alex said defensively causing all eyes to focus on her. “I mean he was there for me. Not all the time because he was busy, but I was fine with that. Besides, he always made it up to me.”
“How?” Natasha asked softly.
“Well,” Alex began as their food was being served.
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By the time the four were done with their food, Alex had told them almost everything Tony had done for her including the more embarrassing things.
“And every year, until I was about ten, he would dress up as Santa and give me presents,” Alex said laughing, “I knew it was him, but I went along with it.”
“Wow,” Steve said smiling. “That’s very sweet of him. I never imagined Tony doing something like that.”
“Neither have I,” Clint said trying to contain his laughter.
“I think we’re done here,” Natasha said coolly. “Check, please.”
“Okay so what do you guys want to do now?” Alex asked excited.
“We’re not doing anything. I got what I came for and now I’m leaving,” Natasha responded as she got up and left the table. This confused Alex until she realized what was going on.
“Natasha set me up so she could get dirt on my dad, didn’t she?” Alex asked sadly as she looked down at the table.
“Yeah,” Clint said awkwardly not knowing how to feel. “She and I were going to use it to get back at Tony for messing with us earlier…and other times.”
“And you?” she asked as she turned to face Steve with slight anger evident on her face.
“I—I had no idea about it,” Steve said fumbling over his words. He may have not had any part of it, but he still felt bad for it.
“Great,” Alex said. “Just when I thought I started making friends…”
The table was silent. No one said a word as the waitress came back with the check. Alex instinctively reached for the check, but a hand stopped her. She looked up and saw Steve’s hand blocking hers.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“This is on me,” he responded awkwardly.
“No,” Alex said with a mix of sadness and anger in her voice. “It’s on me like this whole night has been.” With that she put down the appropriate amount of cash, collected her things, and left the table.
When she stepped outside into the busy streets of New York she tried to hail a taxi, but each time she hailed one, someone took it from her. “Dammit,” she cursed to herself.
“Alex, wait,” she heard a voice behind her call. She turned around and saw Steve running towards her.
“What do you want, Steve?” she asked semi-irritated.
“I wanted to apologize.”
“Don’t,” she said clearly hurt. “It’s my fault for being stupid and actually thinking that I could hang out with people like you. I shouldn’t have come to New York. I’m too much of a simpleton!”
“You’re not stupid,” Steve said sincerely. “You just fell for Natasha’s tricks and, believe me, you’re not the only that has.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked curiously.
“Natasha used her skills to get some dirt on me some time ago,” Steve sighed causing Alex to laugh.
“Well then, I guess I just have to watch out for her,” she said not realizing that a person had stolen the taxis that she was had hailed again. “Dammit,” she muttered when she realized it.
“Here, let me hail you one.” Within a few seconds a yellow Taxi appeared in front of Alex and Steve opened the car door for her.
“Thanks Steve,” Alex said smiling as she stepped into the taxi. “I guess New York isn’t so bad.”
“It’s not,” Steve responded. “You should give it a chance.”
“I will. Good night, Steve.”
“Good Night Alex,” he said as he closed the car door.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
“Stark Towers.”