EYLIS ※ Tony Stark [3]

1 - RECURRING DREAMS

ANGIE'S FOOTSTEPS made a quiet sound as she walked to the window of the bedroom. Her forehead rested against the cold glass, a soothing contrast to her damp skin. She breathed heavily but silently, trying her best to regain composure.

Her eyes focused on the view outside the window, in hopes of distracting her from the turmoil of her thoughts. It gave onto the main square of the Avengers Facility, seemingly frozen in time at this advanced hour of the night.

Angie stayed by that window for a long time, although she couldn't tell how long exactly. She didn't hear the ruffle of sheets behind her and quiet footsteps edging closer.

The feeling of an arm sliding across the small of her back pulled her out of her thoughts. The unease painted over her traits relaxed ever-so-slightly as she glanced to her side. A sleepy but concerned Tony was looking back at her.

"Everything okay?"

"I had that dream again."

Tony heaved a sigh, running his hand along the length of her back.

"Come back to bed," he told her softly "It's just a dream, Angie."

There was a time she would've agreed with him. She had never given much attention to her dreams; but this was different. It had been recurring so often these last few weeks, she couldn't figure out why. The scene felt much less hazy, the two silhouettes — the mother and her daughter — got much more focused each time.

Tony still insisted she was overthinking it, but her guts told her there was something more. It certainly didn't help that she woke up more distraught every time the dream came to her.

"You can go back to sleep," she told Tony "I'll be right there."

He planted a kiss on her temple, trying to communicate a bit of reassurance before leaving her by the window. She returned to gazing outside, replaying the scene for the countless time. She tried to remember every element, every word spoken, every gesture, but still couldn't make sense out of it.

Angie finally shook her head, as if it would disperse the intrusive thoughts. Tony was right, she really was overthinking this.

After all, she did not believe in premonitions.

⁂

It had been an uneventful morning in the tech lab when Tony strolled in, coffee in one hand and tablet in the other. Angie had come early; her work was a welcome distraction from the nagging feeling in her stomach she always got after that dream came to her.

"Finished?" Tony asked, throwing a glance at the workstation over Angie's shoulder.

"I'm almost there," her eyes did not leave the magnifying glass over the nanotech device she'd been working on for the past week.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard, you're allowed to take breaks."

This time, Angie did look up from her work to glance at him in slight incredulity "I'm not handicapped, you know."

"I know, I know," Tony put his hands up. She always got wary of his over-cautiousness. In a way, she had a right to. After all, Angie was a shield-maiden. There was very little she couldn't sustain. Overworking herself in the lab was not exactly a strain.

"By the way, Angie..."

"Yeah?" she let out, her attention back on the workshop table.

"I was thinking it might be time to move out of the Avengers Facility."

Angie's head snapped up again to look at him, this time putting down her tools.

"Where does that come from?"