Iron heart

five

A month into our stay it was clear that we weren't going to be leaving anytime soon. That we were going to be stuck in this cave for an unprecedented amount of time for reasons that neither of us knew. Isabella had turned twenty one a few weeks into the cave, and I made a very strong point in my mind that we would redo the celebrations once we got out. Atlantic city, Vegas, Mesquite, heck even Amsterdam it didn't matter she got to pick. All I knew is that we were drinking to the Empire State Building and dancing harder than anyone would ever think. Another thing, Isabella wasn't only a virgin, she was a virgin to alcohol and drugs too.
She was still slightly in her shell but I had broken most of the shell down. She gardened a lot, I melted stuff and colored in it. We were still living off of the instant food and beans because that's all that'd grown in yet. Isabella had told me more and more about her ex boyfriend and I hated him more and more. apparently the breakup happened two days after his brother had gone nuts at her eighteenth both . He had brought ten her to the Forrest behind her house and said he didn't want her, and left her and then him and his family left town. Also when he left her I think she was in shock because she said she kept walking and walking looking for him until she fainted. I made another point in my mind to find this douche and make him aware of the events.
Replacing the car battery with an arc reactor had been a beautiful experience and had helped smash the wall that Isabella had.
(Flashback)
"Alright so your sure?" she asked again
I was bringing over the arc reactor to put it in, getting it ready. I was going to do a better job than Pepper did when she put my reactor in.
I nodded "for like the fifth time, I'm sure."
She looked me in the eyes looking like she was going to cry. That had been happening quite a few times the past but getting used to being stuck in a cave and the stress I expected she had claustrophobia which really wasn't helping. I sighed at this reaction to so many things nowadays, but it showed her mind and body making attempts to adjust.
"You'll be fine alright, I know what I'm doing. I have one of these in my chest to bells."
This calmed her, so I unbuttoned a few buttons of her shirt and spread it just widely enough to get a good look at the car battery. I saw it in her chest and it make me wince, as it was turning the skin around it purple.
"Which is good, because the battery is going all virus on your body." I said quickly.
Slowly I took the car battery out of her chest making her breath hitch.
"Hurry tony, I can feel it."
I reached in there and grabbed the wires I was supposed to, connecting them to the ones on the reactor. With no hesitation I put the small contraption in position before sliding it into her chest.
"There"
She sighed "okay"
"Do you want a sticker honey?" I said in a mockingly sweet voice.
Laughing she jumped off the counter
"Hell no"
"But you were such a good patient."
I hugged her from the back, then she turned around and hugged me back
"Thank you, Tony."
(End of flashback)
Yes, breaking down the wall was a joy, and I was still convinced Isabella was an angel in disguise.
It was getting nothing but colder in the cave as the long days and nights rolled on. Our calendar showed it was mid November so that was what we expected. We had given up on taking turns with the blanket during a week where it got particularly cold. In the cold of morning we realized we weren't able to make enough heat by ourselves. Remember the contraption that connected the cots together. Ya we used that, it was awkward the first few nights especially to an awkward Isabella who has never slept next to anyone in seemingly ever. I assured her I wouldn't do anything she didn't want, and to tell me if she got too uncomfortable. So she layed down as far away from me as possible but the colder it got, the closer she got. by the morning we were spooning, warming each other up with our body heat making it warmer than either of us could really remember. It was a position so innocent and cute, that I could have been convinced that we were in love. Isabella was the kindest person in the universe always asking how I was, and making sure I got the fare share of my life story out. Once during a more exhaustively cold morning without noticing my numb hands had gotten slightly burned while grabbing the pot of milk to put in the oatmeal I was officially done with. She had promptly panicked, made me sit down and take care of the burn herself with the shitty bandages we had to work with. I was fine of course, but she wouldn't be so sure until she had taken  care of me herself. Luckily all of her wounds had been taken care of, and she now remembered that her kidnapping had something to do with a car crash in the middle of nowhere. Her body wasn't gaining any weight, it was arguably losing some. The food sucked, that was clear enough. But it didn't have as much calories as the actual versions of them did and the limited options made eating creatively hard. We were both sick of oatmeal and cream of wheat, of the healthy cereals that were gross. Instant Mac and cheese that wasn't from the name brand wasn't any better. The beans that had grown in were kind of good, but they were also kind of gross because of the kind of beans they were. Neither I nor Isabella could tell what kind of beans they were but they sucked.
Little did we know, we had something to look forward to.