23. Chapter Shopping

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Shopping,

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Shopping,

is cheaper,

then therapy.


Theia's Pov

After what felt like an eternity of pure suffering, we finally pulled into the underground garage of the Avengers Tower. The massive steel doors slid open as Tony pressed some button on a controller, and for the first time in hours, he drove like a normal human being. It was unsettling. Was he feeling okay? Should I be concerned?

The moment we parked, I stepped out and immediately froze. My jaw may or may not have physically dropped. "Holy crap..." I muttered, spinning around to take it all in. The garage was full of cars—every kind imaginable. Sleek sports cars, pristine vintage models, custom builds... it was basically a museum of luxury on wheels.

"Never seen this many cars before?" Tony asked, shutting his own door with an obnoxious smirk.

I turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "No, Tony, I haven't. Believe it or not, I'm not a freaking billionaire."

He rolled his eyes like I was the ridiculous one here and then walked toward an elevator I hadn't even noticed. Steve and I followed, my head still spinning from the overwhelming display of wealth.

A soft chime sounded as the elevator doors slid open. Once inside, Tony casually commanded, "Friday, take us to the 87th floor."

Wait, wait, hold on—Friday? What happened to JARVIS? Wasn't Tony supposed to fix him? I mean, he was the one who built him! That was definitely going on my list of questions to bombard him with later.

The elevator dinged again, and as the doors slid open, I immediately recognized the floor. The kitchen. The dining area. I remembered being here before. This place was practically its own palace.

"I'm ordering lunch. Chinese sound good?" Tony asked, already typing away on his phone.

I blinked. "Uh, I haven't had Chinese in forever... I don't really have a favorite."

Tony let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, I'll get you what I usually order—and something simple in case your taste buds are boring."

With that, he wandered off, leaving me alone with Steve. The silence quickly became unbearable, so I blurted out, "So... what happens to me now?"

Steve turned to me with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

I scoffed, gesturing around at the luxury surrounding me. "I mean, obviously, I can't stay here forever. And I refuse to go to some foster home or an orphanage. So... what's the plan?"

Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, we'll figure it out. Don't worry."

I groaned. "I am so sick of people telling me that. I just—I just want to finally have somewhere to belong. But I don't."

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