Tony Stark stood barefoot and annoyed in the center of his sprawling Malibu living room. The soft hum of technology filled the quiet space, interrupted only by the rhythmic blinking of the blue arc reactor in his chest. Its glow lit the glass walls faintly as he scowled at the security monitor by the front door.
"Are we still at ding-dong?" he muttered. "We're supposed to be on total security lockdown. I mean, I threatened a terrorist. Who the hell is that?"
Jarvis's voice, ever the model of digital calm, answered from the speakers above. "There's only so much I can do, sir. When you give the world's press your home address—"
Tony cut him off. "Don't. Just don't. Should I ring Rhiley—"
"I'm beginning to suspect you prefer her company to mine."
"She's significantly more polite, sir."
Tony rolled his eyes. "And grounded, by the way. You're grounded. You don't get to keep secrets from me—like having an aunt I didn't know about who somehow looks younger than I do. Goddammit. Steve probably knew too, didn't he?"
"Most likely, sir."
Tony let out an exasperated groan and muttered, "I need a vacation." He began calling the Iron Man suit to him, piece by piece, the metal clamping around his limbs with quiet hisses.
When the door finally opened, he was met with the sight of Maya Hansen, the woman from his past, standing with her usual confidence and that infuriatingly unreadable expression.
"You're not the Mandarin, are you?" Tony asked dryly.
"You don't remember," she said, a flicker of a smile touching her lips.
"Should I? Don't take it personally. I barely remember what I had for breakfast."
"Gluten-free waffles, sir," Jarvis supplied.
"Right. Stop!" Tony snapped, raising a hand just as Jarvis began to mention who made them.
"Rhiley made—"
"Nope! Nope, not happening."
Maya chuckled softly. "Look, I need to talk. Alone. Not here. It's important."
"Yeah, well, I'm taken now, so you'll have to forgive me if that doesn't work on me anymore."
Before the tension could thicken, two duffle bags came flying over the balcony above and thudded onto the floor.
"It's with her," Maya added quickly.
Tony winced. "Tony?" Pepper's voice called from the upper level. "Is someone there?"
He deactivated the suit. "Yeah, it's Maya Hansen! Old work acquaintance. Botanist. Barely knew her."
Pepper descended the stairs slowly, arms folded, gaze sharp. "Please don't tell me there's a twelve-year-old kid waiting in a car."
"Thirteen," Maya corrected. "And no. I need help."
"Why now?" Tony asked.
"Because I read the papers," she said, voice low. "And I don't think you'll make it through the week."
"I'll be fine," Tony muttered.
Pepper reached the bottom stair. "Happy's in the hospital. I didn't know we were expecting company."
"We weren't," Tony replied.
"And ex-girlfriends?"
"She's not really—"
"One night," Maya clarified.
"Great night," she added.
Tony shrugged. "You know how it is."
YOU ARE READING
Radioactive | Bucky Barnes
Fanfiction"I want to go back to the time you first told me your name." Rhiley, the twin sister of Howard Stark, finds herself wrapped up with the one and only James Barnes. The next time she sees him is on her new assignment with the 107th Infantry Regiment...
