afterglow - tony stark

13

        Talking seemed to be a thing that they didn't do anymore. They just sort of existed together, close, but oh so far.

                  Tony never once got angry nor did he yell at her. He didn't do anything besides ignore her presence; he was indifferent. He didn't even tell her if he wanted her around anymore.

              No, he just stayed in the workshop all day practically every day. She hardly ever saw him and if she did, he just turned and went back down the stairs.

             It made everyone very confused as to why they weren't talking or even breathing in the same space as one another. Even though Tony had never wanted to leave her side before.

              "I don't understand why Tony is having me do this," Pepper said in confusion considering the man was downstairs and had asked her to talk to Snow who was upstairs as they were sitting at a table in the kitchen. "Why aren't you two talking?"

              Snow only gave her a blank look and Pepper sighed, "Alright."

             Pepper slid over a birth certificate that had her real name on it along with some other documents and she took them gently, "Tony wanted you to have it so you'd know who your mother was. Apparently, he did some digging and found out where she was buried."

        "He did?" Snow said in surprise and tears pricked at her eyes before she blinked them away. She wasn't aware that he even wanted to know anything about her anymore.

              "Oh, I really wish I knew why you guys weren't talking because this should not be a surprise," Pepper stated and grabbed her hand gently. "That complicated ass of a man has not wanted to leave your side for a moment since he found you and, trust me, that is still true..."

             Snow could only smile tightly as she couldn't ever believe that, "Thanks, Pepper."

             _____

               Snow went to visit the grave that Tony had found. She stared down at the ground that contained the mother she never got to meet. A mother, one of the many things taken away from her, and one of the two things she'd taken away from Tony.

             She started to cry and it started to rain outside. Happy stepped forward beside her and put up an umbrella over her head while leaving himself to get soaked.

              "Ma'am," he said softly.

               She looked at him and started to crying harder. "I'm sorry, Happy. You..." she hiccuped. "You should take the umbrella."

               "It's alright," Happy gave her a soft smile despite the rain pelting him. "I'll stand here all day if you need me to."

             She smiled tearfully at the upmost loyal security guard and she hugged him, placing them both under the umbrella, "You are the very best, Happy."

              _____

            The next day, she went down the stairs slowly to the workshop where Tony was. She wanted to thank him for what Pepper told her yesterday. Although, when she came off the last step, Tony came through the glass doors.

        Her eyes widened in alarm and she shuffled backwards, tripping over the step she just walked off of. She squealed in fright as she started to fall backwards.

           But suddenly Tony had an arm wrapped around her waist, stopping her from completely falling. He was leaning over her and he had his other hand placed on the wall to keep his balance.

            Tony stared at her for a moment before he guided her slowly with his one hand on her lower back into an upright, steady position on her feet instead of leaning backwards. It made them closer and she could notice all the specks of brown in his eyes. He let go of her then but he kept his other hand on the wall beside her head.

             They just stared at each other for a long moment before Tony asked, "What are you doing?"

             "W-What?" she said as she came out of the hypnosis she had with his eyes.

             "Why did you come down here?" he reworded.

             "I, um.." she replied nervously as she started fumbling with her hands and they were so close that her knuckles brushed his shirt. Tony could feel the slight movement through his shirt and he got urge to reach down and hold her trembling hands as he became hypnotized by her eyes. Those green beautiful eyes...And then he remembered what she told him.

            He stepped back from her so suddenly; he backed up all the way to the other wall across from her. And he avoided her eyes completely as he gained a hard stare.

             "Never mind. I don't know want to know," Tony said. "Can we just not talk...ever?"

"Ever?" She felt like a black hole just erupted in her chest as she quietly squeaked. "Okay."

"Okay. Great," he snapped and she quickly ran back up the stairs.

_____

A couple of days later, she was outside by the pool. She had gotten up to dry herself off and Tony had went past the windows to the back patio before he halted.

He stared out the window at the two-piece bikini she was wearing. Her legs were on full display and she was starting to lose her pale skin as it was becoming sun-kissed. Her breasts filled out the top she had and her hair shined like a halo in the light. He couldn't keep his eyes on anything but her.

Suddenly, he was whacked in the head from behind and he rubbed at it, "Ow."

He turned to find a very angry Pepper, "So you can't talk to her but you can ogle her?"

"Well, I...no," Tony said stubbornly.

"Did you have permission to ogle her?" Pepper questioned with crossed arms.

"No," Tony looked down like a kid getting in trouble for stealing from the cookie jar.

"Then you don't get to."

Tony sighed out in irritation, "What are you even doing here?"

"I have to get you to make decisions...to run your company," Pepper reminded.

"Right," he remembered. Being CEO was no fun to him.

He glanced back out the window and Pepper smacked him again, "That's a no."

"Alright, I'm leaving the window," he started moving slowly away from it as he sulked. He could only think of how he missed his Snowflake but each time he thought of it he could only think of how he had to miss him mom, too.