It Takes Two: Marvel One-Shots

Holding On (Tony Stark)

Laura Williams had known Tony for a very long time. They met at MIT, and made quite a duo, a 15 year old with genius level intellect and then a 17 year old who was the only one who could possibly keep up with him, and even so, he was still smarter than her by a landslide. Their friendship had been strong from the moment they became friends, until...until the day that Tony's parents had been killed in the accident. Tony would barely talk to her then, and she didn't have time to go around chasing him and begging him to speak to her. 

So, on the day that Tony had inherited Stark Industries, she had gone to congratulate and comfort him, then moved to the other side of the country to pursue her dream job. She didn't know that she could have gotten a job just like that at Stark Industries. And she didn't know that Tony was just about to offer her that job. He didn't call her, he didn't try to talk to her. He had felt somewhat betrayed, especially considering the fact that he had started to fall in love with her around that time, but the death of his parents stopped him from admitting it. And now, it was too late. She had left. 

Many, many years later....

"Miss Williams, Mr.Stark is on the news again." Chris, Laura's chauffeur and basically her waiter, knocked on her door, giving her the news. She groggily got  up and off her bed, glaring at the door slightly with Chris on the other side. 

"Chris, you do realize that I was drunk when I asked you to tell me every time Tony was on the news? That request no longer applies when I'm sober. Or drunk. Or ever." Laura clipped, looking away from the door and putting on clothes. 

"My apologies, Miss Williams. I just thought you'd like to know. Ever since the alien attack on New York, I know you've been worried about him." Chris teased, but he kept a calm tone to not let Laura in on him teasing her. She laughed and shook her head, walking over to the door and opening it after she had finished getting dressed.

"It's called compassion, Chris. I used to know Tony very well. Of course I'd be worried about him when he's running around in a metal suit and probably in some terrorist's hit list." She said, walking past him and heading to the kitchen. "Anyway. What's on my schedule today?" She looked through the fridge for some milk and then grabbed a box of some random cereal from the cabinets. She didn't care which one she had in her hands, they were all sweet except for Chris's Cheerios, which Laura always put in a separate cabinet.

"You'll be speaking at your younger sister's college today. That's it." Chris answered, watching her as she sat down and prepared her cereal.

"Great, now I get to see the brat again," Laura complained, starting to eat. "Hey, Chris, have you eaten yet?" 

"Of course. I get up a lot earlier than you do. I still don't know why you insist on eating cereal every day instead of letting me prepare you a breakfast."

"I'm trying to stay humble, Chris. I don't want to be selfish and show off-"

"Like Tony?" Chris finished her sentence. After having a bit much to drink, she usually complained about Tony's selfishness. Or she used to, until New York was attacked. 

"Yes. Like Tony." Laura muttered. She didn't like to say he was selfish anymore or admit she used to think of him as just that. Chris, sensing how uncomfortable she was, decided to change the subject.

"I told the college we would get there around noon. It's 9 o'clock right now, and it's only an hour drive."

Laura gave him a slightly annoyed look. "'Only' an hour. Only isn't exactly the word I'd use." She went back to eating her cereal, and Chris smirked slightly and went to his room, which was way less messier than Laura's. For someone who figured out how to get renewable energy to parts of the world where that was previously unimaginable, Laura was a mess. That was one of the many reasons Chris had stayed with her, despite her father asking him to. She needed someone to be with, especially since she refused to get into a relationship with anyone.