The Woman Next Door

Part One. New Home

"Yeah, sure. Of course dad, I never forget that. Okay, yep. Yes? Alright, I have to go. Yeah, I'll call you later, okay. Alright, bye dad."

Holy shit, Y/N thought. Their dad was relentless and could speak for days on end. A childhood and young adult life spent under his nose in NYC nearly drove them insane. Five hours between Y/N and their father is just what they'd been praying for.

They threw their keys down on the counter and rested their phone face down. Running their hands through their hair, a long breath exited their mouth. Life was exhausting with Tony Stark as your father and Y/N had spent years wishing he'd just been a normal father.

Of course they loved him, but being a the heir to Iron Man isn't easy. People had always wanted pictures with them, wanted to know if they were going to take over when he was done, wanted to be known by association. Years and years of never making a friend that only wanted to know Y/N for who they were and not who they were related to wore them down.

A few months ago, they finished their degree in education and had moved northwest in New York. They'd spent 4 years at Syracuse University while living back at home in NYC during breaks. Finally, they'd be able to settle down there away from the constant chaos.

Tony wasn't happy about the situation but Pepper had done her best to relax him. Y/N was 23 now and needed to experience a life of their own. Life under the thumb of someone's father was something Tony himself knew wasn't healthy.

Finally, he'd given in. The phone call they'd just received from him was him double checking to make sure everything was set.

"Do you need me to come help move stuff?"

"You know the suit would let me carry more in than any help you can hire."

"Did you remember your emergency station?"

He's finally given in when Y/N gave up and let him send them there with an emergency station. What it would do was shut down the entire house. Windows boarded, doors covered, everything locked in to create a metal like box to keep Y/N safe from whatever was going on outside.

They wanted to make this transition into adulthood on their own. Whatever happened, happened, but they couldn't help but feel thankful for things like this. Who else was gifted a machine that would shelter you from a world ending obliteration? No one, from what they knew.

Sharon Carter knocked on the front door, bringing Y/N from their trance. They'd been sucked into their own mind after that draining conversation with their father.

"Hi hi, need some help?" She smiled walking in.

"Yeah, get my dad to leave me alone for ten minutes, please?"

Sharon laughed. The two had been best friends since they were seven. They'd sat next to each other the first day of second grade and been inseparable ever since. She also understood how overbearing their father could be, considering how she'd ended up working alongside him right out of high school.

"We both know nothing I say is going to change how he is. He's quite literally wired this way," she tried to stifle a laugh at her pun but lost it when Y/N gave her a look.

After finally taking a good breath and a little laughter break, Y/N told Sharon what boxes to help bring in. They'd fully moved out of their room back home and had a lot of things already bought to start out.

Sharon helped carry in their childhood memory box, kitchen supplies, and massive book selection. "Holy fuck, I thought you might have given some of these up during the move."

"Why would I do that when I have more room for them now?" Y/N laughed back. Their bookshelves at home were overflowing but the built in shelves in their basement were a dream come true. An entire wall was dedicated to housing their prized possessions.

By the time the two had unloaded the entire truck, the sun had sat and the street lights had turned on. Y/N offered Sharon to stay the night, which she turned down now that she also lived right down the road. It was now late July and she'd moved in right after graduation in mid June.

Sitting on the floor of their basement, sifting through their books and deciding how to organize them, Y/N laid back on the floor exhausted. The ceiling was dabbed after painting, which left dots for them to get lost in as they tried to stay awake.

Their mind drifted. Now 23, they'd lived through so much. Their dad was considered the protector of earth, the man who saved the human race from extinction. His sacrifice had given them all another chance, but had severely affected his health.

Everyone assumed he would recover and he was, for the most part. He just would never be the same. His right arm and torso had been severely burned from the snap. It had even traveled up his face and singed that whole side.

Luckily, his insane wealth had paid for the best doctors. It had been about a year since it happened and in that time, the amount of surgeries he'd undergone were immense. Many to save his face that he was so proud of. His hand alone has upwards 20 surgeries itself. Then his arm, shoulder, and torso added an additional 5 or 10, Y/N could never remember.

They loved their father, more than the world. Y/N had a relationship with their parents that so many children dreamed of. It was just harder when it came to protection. He was lenient for the most part, but his advances on technology made his child the perfect test run.

Who better to test his protective gear on? This way, he knew they'd be safe and he'd be able to work on it for as long as he could.

Pepper, on the other hand, was much more relaxed. She was there when Y/N got frustrated with his overbearing parenting. It was rough for her to keep a united front with him at times, but she did agree. All she wanted was for them to be safe from all the things he'd seen.

Being Iron Man's child wasn't easy and Pepper herself had witnessed it before. She'd been targeted on multiple occasions just for being his wife. The last thing either of them would ever want was for Y/N to be at the same end of that.

They rubbed they hands over their eyes and pushed themselves to sit. All this could wait until tomorrow. Right now, they needed some fresh air and a bit of that late night summer warmth.

The front porch furniture had not arrived yet, but Y/N found an old folding camping chair from the garage and set it out. It was too nice of a night to pass up. The thermometer read 74°F while they relaxed into the seat.

Closing their eyes, Y/N notified how quiet it was. While they could hear kids in their own houses throughout the street, it was nearly silent compared to New York City. For the first time, Y/N Y/L/N was putting down roots in a place away from the chaos. For the first time, they'd be known as someone other than Iron Man's child.

It was getting late now, but they'd considered sleeping out on the front porch at this point. A testament to how safe they felt here compared to their place of birth. Anything was better than the constant fear of another attack coming and the possibility of it being right outside your window.

At least here, 5 hours away, they could prepare. At least here, they'd be away from the center. New York City had become the place to attack, whether it was terrorists or aliens, it didn't matter. They went straight there each time.

Y/N stood and stretched their arms up and back. This was a perfect time to go inside and pass out. Sharon had helped them set up their bed and frame earlier, leaving them to have a peaceful first night in. Before opening the door to head inside, they caught a glimpse of the house beside them.

It seemed to be the kitchen window from what they could gather, but a woman was dancing around as she cooked. The music was just barely loud enough to hear, but they couldn't make out any words. Only the base was strong enough to reverberate loud enough to hear.

She caught their eye for a bit too long. Before they knew it, Y/N had probably been staring for over a minute. Something about her was just captivating. The way she moved, the way she smiled, the way it seemed as though she didn't have a care in the world.

What I would give to be so carefree... they thought.