Stark Bleiben | Stay Strong | Tony Stark's Daughter | Book 1

Earlier That Morning

Earlier That Morning
Tiffany's POV...

I slowly open my eyes and look around the decent sized room.

"Morning." I mumble, while lightly shoving Peter. He groans and rolls over, grunting a good morning in the process. "Are you really doing this to me?"

"Yes, now go to bed." He replies, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Please wake up, I don't want to go down there by myself." I plead.

"Why not?" He demands.

"Because I only know Vern and Pietro." I reply in a duh tone.

"Um, your dads down there." He states in the same tone.

"I meant people my age." I grumble and throw the covers off. Quickly walking to the suitcases and throwing on a t-shirt and jeans. I pull my hair up into a ponytail and look back at the bed with a glare.

"I'm sorry okay?" He sighs and stands up. "See? We're going downstairs together."

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" I demand.

"Nope, I'm going to make coffee." He replies.

"You want to make me coffee too?" I question sweetly.

"Now you're pushing it." He sighs and starts walking down the stairs.

"You were going to make coffee anyways." I whine.

"Actually-" he's cut off by two kids running down the stairs, I jump out of the way as they run past.

"Actually what?" I demand.

"Never mind." He grumbles and walks down the rest of the stairs to the kitchen. Vern sits alone on the couch, Clint and some women with a baby are the only ones in the kitchen; besides those kids and Peter.

"You okay?" I demand, sitting down next to her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She questions.

"You have that look." I shrug.

"What look?" She demands.

"I don't know, the look you get when you have nightmares." I shrug.

"How do you-"

"1) I'm not stupid. And 2) you aren't quiet when you have them." I answer.

"Oh." She sighs.

"You know-"

"Uh Tiffany. Can we uh, can we talk to you alone outside?" Clint demands, interrupting Vern.

"Uh sure?" I slowly stand and follow them outside, sending Vern a look as I go; she just shrugs and goes back to staring off into space. "Some help she was." I mutter.

"What?" Dad questions. 

"Nothing." I shake my head and sigh, leaning against the banister.

"So, this is Laura." He gestures to the women carrying the baby. "And that's Nathaniel."

"Laura as in Laura from your story that night Laura or different Laura?" I demand.

"Story Laura." He chuckles.

"So those kids that almost killed me on the stairs are yours?" I demand, he laughs again.

"Yes, they're ours."

"Well then, what are you doing to-"
I pause and think back to the conversation. "Story Laura." I mutter.

"Yeah." Dad nods slowly.

"Oh my god." I whisper and start walking for the stairs.

"Where are you going?!" He yells after me.

"T-to think about this!" I yell back, taking off in a sprint towards the woods.

To think about this? More like not let them see you cry.

I shake my head and continue as the tears stream down my face. I run as fast as my legs will allow, until I hit a tree branch that I didn't see before; causing me to fall on my butt.

"Shit." I mutter and grab my head, only to quickly take my hand away due to the pain. "Well I'm smart." I sigh.

"Yeah you are." Someone laughs from behind me, Peter.

"What are you doing?" I sigh.

"Clint came back inside and said you ran, I thought 'she's going to do something stupid so I should go after her.' Looks like I'm too late." He chuckles.

"You're an ass." I mutter as he sits down next to me.

"Why'd you run?" He demands.

"You and Vern are the only ones who have seen me cry and that was hard. I grew up with people telling and teaching me that showing emotion is bad, I just wasn't ready for them to see that yet I guess." I shrug and play with a blade of grass next to me, Peter sighs and looks up.

"I didn't sign up for all this drama." He jokes, I slap him in the arm. "I was kidding."

"You aren't helping." I whine and he laughs again.

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My friend Agent_Anna wrote this chapter for her character. We've done this before since we have each other in our stories.

~Meowlnir