Hearts Collide

"Alex, where have you been?" Tony asked when she and Steve entered the lobby of Stark Towers.

"Steve was showing me around the city since you were busy," Alex replied casually. "How was your meeting? What did I miss?"

"Fury was on my case about the contracts I made him sign. They didn't mention you so he got pretty upset. …In my defense I said that, you just popped up and tricked me into letting you stay—"

"Hey!" whined Alex.

"But Pepper said he has no right in kicking you out since you are, after all, my daughter."

"Really?" Alex asked smiling. "Awesome. Pepper's the best."

"That she is," thanked Tony smiling.

"Tony and Pepper sitting in a tree," Alex teased. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Alex and Steve—" Tony began.

"In the city walking. Exploring Manhattan, and just talking," Alex sang plainly as she walked towards the elevators to go back to her room with Steve following her causing Tony to raise an eyebrow. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go call my mom," Alex said smiling knowing that would silence her father.

"Well played, Alex," Tony said as the elevator doors closed.

The elevator ride was quite until Steve spoke up. "So what was that about?" he asked nervously.

"That's been going on since I was twelve," Alex began. "Every time I've hung out with a guy, he's always teased me and said that I liked him. So I would always bring up mom, since it makes him feel uncomfortable."

"Why would your mom make him feel uncomfortable?"

"I have no idea," Alex sighed. "It just does."

"Doesn't that make you upset?" Steve asked concerned.

"I don't know," Alex admitted. "I mean every child wants their parents to be to together, but I know my mom isn't right for my dad."

"And you think Pepper is?"

"Yes," Alex stated simply. " Pepper was has always been there for my dad, and she's made him change. Plus she's nice to me so I wouldn't mind if she's the one he's with forever," Alex said as a small smile formed on her face.

"You must really care about him," Steve stated.

"Yeah," Alex replied as the elevator door opened to the floor where her room was. "I'll see you later, Steve," she said as the elevator doors closed.

Alex lazily made her way to her bed and tossed her bag on a chair, but not before taking out her phone. She automatically dialed an all too familiar number. The phone rang three times before the person on the other end picked up. "Alex?" a feminine voice asked.

"Hi, mom," Alex responded. "How have you been?"

"I'm the one that should be asking you that," Alex's mom scoffed. "How's New York? Why didn't you call earlier?"

"I've been busy with things," Alex stated.

"I have no doubt about that," Alex's mom said sighing. "Did you and Tony build a robot or something? Because, I swear, if you get shot by a laser, then I'm going to kill him."

"No, mom," Alex laughed. "Dad and I have only been playing video games and—"

"Hey Alex," Tony interrupted entering the room. "Pepper and I are going to a Japanese restaurant for dinner and wanted to know if you wanted to—–are you still talking to your mom?"

"Yes and yes," Alex responded.

"Tell Christina I said hi," Tony said awkwardly as he escaped Alex's room.

"And now I'm having dinner with him and Pepper," Alex continued. "Also, he says 'hi'."

"Tell him 'hi' back and that if he give gives you an Iron Man suit or spoils you I'm going to strangle him."

"Mom," Alex whined.

"I'm just kidding…kind of," Christina said murmuring the last part. "Have fun at dinner, and be safe. I don't want you to be shot by any lasers," Christina teased.

"Don't worry, mom. I won't."
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"So what you're saying is that you want me to shoot you with a laser?" Alex asked confused standing in front of a beam.

"Not a laser—, a beam," Tony answered corrected as he walked to the other side of the lab. "I need to see if the upgrade I did made on my suit will deflect an attack. That way case if anybody wants to shoot me, I can just use their attack against them."

"Oh, so you're making a rubber band shield all over your suit."

"What?" Tony asked confused.

"You know, 'rubber, glue, back to you'," Alex began causing Tony to raise an eyebrow. "That thing parents tell kids to say to their bullies when they're made fun of."

"That's a weird way to put it. And it makes me wonder if you were teased as a kid," Tony stated suspiciously. "But yes."

"I was only teased in middle school because I was the smartest kid there," Alex scoffed. "Anyway, if I attack you with a beam, in theory, wouldn't I be the one getting hurt? You do know mom would kill you if I get shot with a laser; she told me this three weeks ago."

"First of all, I'm not stupid, I'm only going to set the beam to one percent, so it will feel like getting hit by a beach ball," affirmed Tony. "Secondly, it's a beam—"

"Like that makes it any better," interrupted Alex.

"And finally, I feel offended that you have are doubting me and my skills."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Alex said smiling and aiming the beam at Tony. She took a deep breath before pressing the beam's trigger. She saw the beam hit her father's suit and return to hit her.

But before it could, she heard someone exclaim, "Alex, look out!" before grabbing her by the waist, pulling her to the ground, and shielding her. The beam gently hit the shield that was blocking both Alex and the person who pulled her to the floor.

"Steve?" Alex asked confused looking up to see the muscular blonde hovering over her causing , which caused her to blush slightly. She quickly got up from the floor and straightened herself out. "What are you doing?" she asked trying to sound casual.

"The beam," he fumbled confused at her calmness. "It was going to hit you, so I—"

"Dragged her to the floor and probably bruised her," remarked Tony as he walked over to the two. "Look at your shield, cap. Does it look like it's even been hit?" Steve stood up and looked at where the beam hit only to discover that his shield looked appeared to be completely unaffected. "Do you really think that I would do something that would harm my own daughter?" Tony questioned.

"Sorry," Steve murmured. "Force of habit."

"It's okay, Steve," piped Alex placing a hand on his arm. "It's the thought that counts," she said causing a small smile to form on his mouth. "So what are you doing here anyway?"

"Came here to see Alex?," Tony teased.

"What? No. I came here to get you," Steve answered.

"What for?" Tony asked

"Clint told me that Natasha wanted you for something," Steve answered.

"Alright," Tony said as he got out of his suit. "Where are they?"

"In the training room," Steve said.

"You coming, Alex?" Tony asked.

"Sure," she replied as the three made their way to the training room.