little piece of heaven (tony stark's daughter)

3

rosie's p.o.v

after an hour of sobbing, pepper pried me away from my dad and he left.

"everything will be fine tiny, i promise, i'll be safe and home in a couple of days. i love you".

that was the last thing he said to me before leaving, and i knew it wasn't true, i could just feel it. i don't understand why i suddenly have some form of sixth sense but i hate it, i don't like knowing things like this. i'm used to understanding, predicting, but only because i'm clever. i don't think this is a thing that comes with being clever.

rhodey came round to tell me that daddy had disappeared. him and pepper made me sit down in the living room, but i already knew what they were going to tell me, with two days until my birthday dad was running out of time to come back and for everything to be normal. i screamed a lot, cried, shouted. rhodey ended up picking me up and holding me until i calmed down a little and eventually fell asleep having exhausted myself.

yet i still insisted on going to school the next day. pepper was unsure, but helped me get ready anyway. it's my last day of being seven and i want to be with livvy and adam. i wear black leggings with a pastel pink t-shirt that says 'genius' in white letters  and my yellow raincoat. pepper braided my hair into two dutch braids, small yellow plastic roses woven in with wire. i learnt to tie my laces a few weeks ago and so a little bit of satisfaction is brought to me as i tie my yellow converse.

i've always loved the colour yellow, i'm not sure if normal people have lucky colours but yellow is definitely mine, probably why i'm wearing so much of it today. hopefully it will help bring daddy home.

pepper drives me to school, it feels weird because usually this is when i talk to my dad in the mornings, but he isn't here. i stay quiet for the majority of the journey, trying to figure out my own emotions. last night i was distraught, now i just feel kind of empty, emotionally and physically. pepper tried to force a pop tart down my throat but i wasn't having it. though i'm definitely empty, i don't want to eat anything at all.

she kisses my forehead before i leave, something which i usually wouldn't overthink because she does show affection towards me, but today it feels weird. it's almost like she's taking over the role of my dad, trying too
hard maybe?

deep down, i know that i'm just overthinking, missing daddy.

i feel like i should be worrying more than i am, something isn't settling right in my stomach. it isn't a pop tart. some part of me isn't clicking completely, i should be distraught but i can't bring myself to feel it.

i look at my shoes as i walk into the school building, i don't want to make eye contact with anyone else. it doesn't matter though, they all go quiet as i make my way through the hall. it's uncomfortable to say the least.

i make it to my locker, liv and adam aren't there yet and so i decide to wait for them. that didn't happen.

"how does it feel to be an orphan?"

the words came from mason howard. he stood about a meter away, smirking at me, mocking me. ive never been the fighting type, never been in a fight before in my life, but he struck a chord and made me very angry. a single hot tear rolled down my cheek and i launched myself at him. my fist made contact with his face again and again as i released my anger through punches.

i was dragged away by a teacher a few minutes later, but not before i gave him a bloody nose. i came away with my own bruises and scratches but a slight sense of satisfaction. that, however, was overpowered by the knowledge that people think my dad is dead. he can't be dead, i need him, he's all i've got.

"oh rosie" pepper walks into the office, pity written all over her face. i don't say anything, just keep staring at my shoes. "let's go home, come on" she takes my hand in hers and leads me out of the school. i know people are staring, probably partially my own fault on that one. i just boiled over i guess.

my dad would be disappointed in me if he could see me now.

he'd tell me he didn't raise my to talk with my fists or let my anger rule my actions. he'd have wanted me to outsmart mason instead of make him bleed. but daddy isn't here and that's the problem, he isn't here. i told him not to go, i told him that it wasn't safe. i knew.

so maybe it's my fault? or what if the things i said caused it to happen?

dead man walking, that's what i said. what if i was right? what if he dies because i said he would?

"i want you to know that i'm not mad at you, the principal told me what that horrible child said and he deserved what came to him.. though you probably shouldn't go around hitting anyone else" pepper glances over at me from the drivers seat. she brought one of my dad's cars to get me and it smells like him. i don't say anything in response and she glances at me again "we'll find him, rosie, we won't stop looking until we do. i know he's alive and he's thinking of you".

when we get home, i go straight to my bed. i curl up in my double duvet and place a pillow over my head in the hopes that i can block out the world and nothing will be able to get to me. it doesn't work though, all i want is my daddy and i can't have him.