Steel Meets Iron

Chapter 4

It was raining when Raven woke up to get a glass of water, it had been raining the whole day and normally she would have gone outside and splashed in the puddles but Pepper wouldn't let. She had spent the entire day doing nothing, which was probably why she couldn't sleep. Stark Tower was creepier at night, it already had a dark color palette in the darkness it was like a glossy cave. She was never afraid of the dark, she had spent so much time in closets she welcomed the darkness like a safety blanket. You could hide in the darkness. Be safe.

She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water and popped a raspberry in her mouth. She was biting at the fastened cap when the sky outside rumbled, she hardly noticed until a loud crack of lightning roared illuminating the room. Raven gave a surprised scream dropping the bottle. She had never heard lightning that loud before.

"Raven? Is that you?" The lights came on and Pepper was there. "What's wrong?"

"It startled me," she explained grabbing the bottle. "I never heard lightning like that before."

Pepper turned to go to bed but outside's little storm didn't seem to be getting better and a part of her didn't want to leave Raven alone. Something in her wary eyes told her to do something.

"How about you sleep with me and Tony?"

Raven face's resembled a puppy that was just offered the bed edge. "Can I?" It then dimmed. "Won't Tony mind?"

"Of course not, come on."

"Don't tell me," Tony groaned, unaware of Raven's presence in the doorway. "She's afraid of thunder too." He looked up and saw Raven there clutching Pepper's hand. He made a grumble rolling over before patting the bed in resignation.

Pepper got into bed and Raven crawled in the middle, she burrowed under the sheet curling towards Pepper who had this content look on her face that Tony could only counter with a wiry twist of his lip. She was just loving this, a little baby to cuddle with. Soon she would want more kids running around, and not previously owed ones either. Kids, he thought in horror, he could see it now a pack of rugrats running wild, little destructive super-smart rugrats. Now he could sleep. Pepper was still lapping this up running her fingers through Raven's hair which caused the girl to look up perplexed.

"I'm sorry," Pepper pulled back her hand.

"My mommy used to do when I couldn't sleep," she muttered into the sheet. "She would sing to me too." She whispered, "Do you know That's Amore?"

Pepper shook her head, "Do you want to teach it to me."

Raven snuggled closer and put Pepper's hand in her head,

"In Napoli where love is king," she sang softly, "when boy meets girl, here's what they say." Pepper slowly joined in stroking her head. "When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie, that's amore. When the world seems to shine, like you've had too much wine, that's amore."

Tony watched the exchange. Raven was cuddling with Pepper and for a minute it wasn't so bad taking in their peaceful faces.

"Bells 'll ring," they continued, "ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling and you'll sing Vita Bella. Heart's 'll play, tippi-tippi-tay, tipppi-tippi-tay like a gay tarantella. When the stars make you drool, joost-a like a pasta fazool, that's amore. When you dance down the street, with a cloud at your feet, you're in love."

Tony suddenly remembered that song, that stupid song, where he had heard it last. Vivian would hum that song all the time, he couldn't stand it and when she got drunk she would belt it out. She loved that song. And she had sung it to Raven. He could see her now, on the balcony of his old house in Malibu, long satin dress soft make-up that brought out those eyes. He could hear her crooning those words of those damn lyrics to the moon. Eyes sailng away.