stoneheart ; 𝐭. 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐤 , 𝟐

08 | a new set of eyes

february 2019

"AS FAR AS car dealerships in the middle of Wisconsin go," Tony remarked, stepping out of his own vehicle, "this one's not bad."

It had taken him a few weeks to track down the person he was looking for, but he'd finally done it. Standing in front of a local dealership for used cars, he tried to ignore the wave of uncertainty that washed over him. 

There's no way this is the right place, he told himself, but shook his head and straightened his thick winter jacket. Stifling a shiver, he cleared his throat and put his glasses on, watching as FRIDAY's controls lit up in his vision.

"The dealership is closing in fifteen minutes, boss," her Irish accent filled his ears. "Maybe we should have come earlier?"

"No," he shook his head again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We'll need the least amount of people here as possible. I don't exactly have time to be signing autographs." FRIDAY's silence afterward was as much of an agreement as he would reach with the AI, so he marched through the snowy parking lot, trying not to completely ruin his shoes.

Tony didn't usually wear jackets, even in the coldest parts of winter in New York. He never needed to. But he was glad that he looked at the weather report for northern Wisconsin before making his trip, per FRIDAY's suggestion. 

Sometimes he wondered if he would survive without his trusty AI, always in his head, always reminding him to take care of himself. 

It was an icy negative eight degrees Fahrenheit, which called for a thick winter jacket. He probably should have worn more than just a pair of jeans and a flannel button down, but Tony was all about making a fashion statement, even if it was for the last stragglers at a local dealership in the middle of nowhere.

The wind whipped harshly around him, and if it weren't for the few light poles in the lot, illuminating the darkness, he probably would have walked straight into a car. He'd forgotten how early the sunset was during the winter, as he'd hardly been outside in months. It was hardly seven o'clock, and the skies were already pitch black like it was midnight. 

"Perhaps you should have brought a hat?" FRIDAY suggested. 

Tony scowled, unable to ignore the shiver that racked through his body that time. "Shut up," he snapped, his teeth chattering, "you know I don't like hats. They mess up my hair." It struck him that FRIDAY was very easily his only friend, the only person he'd talked to consistently for months on end. And she wasn't even a person. She was an intelligence that he'd created to assist him in his most Avenger-like conquests, and he'd had none of those in what felt like forever. 

He hadn't even seen Happy in awhile. Rhodey called him periodically, but he was always too busy to stop into the compound for a visit. Tony was completely alone. 

He trudged through the snow, getting closer and closer to the front doors of the dealership when he fell into the depths of his mind. He'd decided only a few days ago that the most dangerous place for himself was in his own thoughts, as he was unable to decipher what was real and what was fantasy. 

He was alone: real.

He had no idea what the future held for him: real.

He wanted to save Jack: real.

Jack loved him: fantasy. He'd imagined it all. She'd manipulated him, just as she was supposed to.

He loved Jack—now that was a tricky one.

Thankfully, he didn't have to ponder it, as he reached the well-lit dealership and pulled open the door with a stiff hand on the icy handle, relishing in the warm air that burst out from the otherwise closed off space. Inhaling deeply, he sighed at the sweet air freshener that wafted through the air.