Avengers: Altruism [N. Romanoff]

12. Satisfaction

CHAPTER 12
Satisfaction

"An alcoholic father, a homeless woman, a mother who watched her own child die due to a car crash she caused..."

Tony Stark had been caught in his tracks the next morning, as he walked up the stairs to regretfully meet with his hypnotherapist once more. Claire anticipated the moment he would finally walk up, he knew she would wait and wait, at least until he needed to pee.

"I've treated many people. A man who couldn't walk out his own house because of the fear of the people he would have to look at, never mind talking to, on the street. He's now a weatherman."

Tony listened on, curious as to her other accomplishments.

"Sure, I work children's parties on the side, but I sit with the very same children who only need the helping hand. I'm the name on the artwork they draw during school times because I'm the hero to them. It's a lot of pressure, sure, and I know it's being slightly arrogant to admit so, but it's true. I've had a young man sitting in my office, I watched him grow older and older, and I helped him recover over the fact that he had lost his best friend, mother, and his own daughter... a plane crash. Small aircraft. I now see the man every Christmas because he finds comfort in his girlfriend, my sister."

"Tony... whatever you've got lurking in the shadows, I won't push you, but I'll need to meet the monsters eventually. You need help, you can't bubble it up. Where would you be in the future? If you want to be a superhero, you have to be a fully healthy and capable one, otherwise, how can you expect the children to look up to you?"

Tony Stark could never recall a moment other than this in his life when his voice had gone for a temporary trip to elsewhere, he was famous for his quips, he was quick and witty and funny, and he was never silent and never speechless. Yet, now, his voice was lost on another planet, respect replaced everything he once used as an escape mechanism.

"Coffee?" she sheepishly offered, holding a cup wide in front of her, in between their two bodies.

"Maybe you're not half-bad, Houdini," he smiled, accepting the steamy mug.

"Still very old. You've got to be better than that, man."

"It's a classic."

"Okay, Rocket-ship."

The laughter was so soothing to hear. Claire was prepared for as many of these up's and down's she was about to get thrown her way like hurdles, it was going to be a very complicated and bumpy road. Only, Stark was no average American. There were dark secrets hiding behind his smile, but thankfully he was about to develop a best friend to help him through every single one of those secrets.

That afternoon after they spoke for hours, Tony got permission to meet the one and only Simba Cat.

"Ahhh, Zabenya!"