Energy

As soon as Pepper crossed his mind, Tony felt the urge to tell Christie more about what had been going on with his life. He spoke about how he had become Iron Man and how that had brought him and Pepper closer, something he had always wanted.

“But…” Tony trailed off with a sigh.

“But what?” Christie wondered encouragingly before taking another sip of wine.

“It just didn’t work out… I can’t even explain it- I really don’t know what went wrong,” he continued. Despite how frequently he contemplated their past relationship, Tony still couldn’t quite pinpoint where exactly he had slipped up. His jaw locked as he tried to fight tears that were on the brink of falling, blaming the alcohol for his emotional vulnerability.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Christie whispered, placing a comforting hand on his and giving it a squeeze. She had never imagined that Tony could even feel strong emotions, since he seemed so reckless, selfish and passionless when they had fought. But now she knew that was far from the truth. Tony wasn’t irritating; he was just irritated at the time. It was just a poor, and incorrect, first impression.

“She told me it was the danger, that she couldn’t cope with me risking my life as Iron Man,” Tony continued after a deep breath. “I offered to stop, but she didn’t take that as an answer.”

“So it wasn’t that then.”

“No… I still don’t know what did it for her,” he shook his head, brow creasing with frustration. “I thought we were going great. I felt connected to her, happier than ever, didn’t even consider cheating or any of the other crap things I used to do to my girlfriends… But it wasn’t enough for her.”

“When did she break up with you?” Christie asked softly.

“Not too long before the Avengers were assembled. A month, maybe. I was still a mess, I know that now,” Tony explained, showing some regret.

“I’m so sorry, Tony.”

“Me too,” he said with a weak smile, finally meeting her eyes.

“Perhaps you two couldn’t work because she’s always been an employee. I know it works out in the movies, but this is real life,” Christie suggested. She kept her voice calm and sympathetic as she tried to offer him a solution to ease his mind.

“Maybe you’re right,” he shrugged before drinking again, a larger mouthful than last time. “Maybe you’ve just got to have that spark with someone right from the beginning.”

“Yeah, I think you do,” Christie grinned. Tony was perking up, yet falling silent, and she decided to return the favour and open up about her own life. “Want to hear another sad story?”

“Is it sadder than mine?”

“You’ll have to be the judge,” Christie smiled slightly as she repositioned herself on the comfy couch.

“I’m listening,” Tony said as he began refilling their wine glasses.

“When I was fifteen, I was basically sold to the government. I didn’t have the best life before that: lived in a crappy suburban area and sometimes we went without food or the power got cut. My mother needed more money, and she gave me away,” she began, skimming over the details that she didn’t want to delve into.

“That’s awful,” Tony remarked as Christie tasted the fruity wine again.

“Not compared to what happened next,” Christie stated. She had to take a deep reassuring breath before continuing. “These scientists kept me in some top secret location which must have been underground. There weren’t too many other kids there, and we weren’t allowed to do much. Shortly after I arrived, I was injected with a million and one compounds and then shocked with electricity.”

“You’re kidding. The government did that to a teenager?” Tony questioned with disbelief. His brown eyes had widened with pure shock.

“They did. Whatever they were trying to achieve worked. Not on others, only on me. Afterwards, the scientists tested me physically and mentally, and constantly took blood samples. I soon discovered I had this energy…”

“Electric energy?” Tony wondered and Christie shook her head.

“Not quite. It’s different, but I can’t give a name to it. I just call it energy, and it’s limitless. No idea where it comes from, but I can use it to attack, defend myself, and now fly,” she explained. Tony nodded, eager for her to go on. “Once I was older I realised I was stronger than the scientists, and I escaped from the complex. I’ve basically been living anonymously on the street ever since, though apparently SHIELD never lost their eyes on me.”

“I think that’s incredible. You’re so strong.”

“Thanks,” she smiled meekly. Christie felt a bit strange about telling her life story to Tony, but at the same time she didn’t regret it. She had a surprising sense of security in his company, and now a weight had come off her shoulders. Christie hoped Tony felt similar.

“Are you hungry?” Tony asked out of the blue after a moment of silence. Christie smiled and nodded, glad that he had broken the ice, and they headed to the kitchen to grab a snack of cheese and crackers. She took a seat at the breakfast bar while Tony stood on the other side, leaning on it and drinking and eating as they conversed. The tone remained positive as they continued to get to know each other, both seemingly liking the other more and more.

“You know what… I’m feeling pretty dizzy and like I need to go to sleep, so I’m going to have to leave,” Christie eventually said. Tony heard the disappointment in her voice.

“Don’t go. It’s not even midnight yet,” he whined as she stood.

“I really should…” Christie sighed. Tony shifted to stand in front of her, a slight smile still on his face from a joke she had said moments ago. “I… I had a really fun time with you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Tony grinned. He’d done what he’d set out to do. Christie leaned forward and hugged him. She was grateful for giving him a chance. “So you’ll stay?” Tony breathed next to her ear and Christie almost shivered. She hadn’t thought she’d ever be so close to the man who had only annoyed her.

“Yeah, I’ll stay,” she whispered before pulling away. After sharing one last smile, Christie left.