You think you'd be used to it by now. The horrible remarks from the man who was supposed to love you. The man who society told you was supposed to protect you. He didn't. Your father had always been a cold man. Unkind and uncaring. So after all these years you'd think you'd be used to the abuse. You weren't.
Which is why you were now sitting on the floor behind your desk crying quietly. Tony was big on glass walls, to let in more light, so the only way you could get away was to duck behind your desk. You knew what your father said to you wasn't true but it didn't mean that the words didn't sting. You have two minutes before Tony will be down to go over the project you're working on, a better communications unit, and you don't want him to know you've been crying. You wipe your eyes, throw on some lipstick and apply a hair more mascara, you're throwing the tube back into your desk when you see Tony. The door slides open and he grins at you, but when his eyes meet yours his smile freezes.
"Good afternoon Tony." You smile.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me. Your eyes are red, I know you've been crying."
"I'm fine Tony."
"It was your father again wasn't it." He doesn't even bother making it a question.
"I don't know what you're talking about." You lie.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y. what is that last number that called this office?"
"983442-"
"That's enough F.R.I.D.A.Y." You cut the AI off. "Fine. Busted. Yes I was crying. Yes my father called."
"I'm going to block his number from all of the phones in this office." Tony growls. "That jackass doesn't have the right to make you feel like this."
"Tony I'm fine." You're a tiny bit worried he's going to go Ironman on your father's ass.
"You're not fine." He's pacing back and forth in front of your desk, this isn't good. You knew this would happen if he saw that you'd been crying. You stand and move around to the other side of the desk and wrap your arms around his waist. You're one of the few people that could get away with this kind of contact with him, one of the few in the world. He stops pacing and just wraps his arms around you. "I'm sorry." He whispers, "I'm so sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like this." He mutters into your hair.
"Thanks Tony." He presses his lips to the top of your head and you give him a gentle squeeze. "I'd like it if you blocked him."
"Done."