This is just a super short little ficlet, only 414 words in Microsoft Word. But it had to be written, because the idea bounced around in my head so much during practice today when I heard the band director's metronome. Inspiration can come from the weirdest places!
Disclaimer: I do not own Iron Man, because if I did, Maya Hansen MOST DEFINITELY WOULD NOTbe a character in Iron Man 3!
He can remember the writing on the plaque that rested in the glass case—Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart. Once upon a time—so, about two years ago—Tony would have been fine with saying that yes, the glowing blue arc reactor was pretty much his heart. Now, the arc reactor was just a hunk of metal in his chest, keeping smaller pieces of metal from moving, and also powering his Iron Man suit.
Now, he admitted that his true heart was the organ in his body that was constantly beating, keeping time to the rhythm of his life.
Tony often wondered if Pepper was the sole reason for this admission. After all, it was her that his heart had always longed for. It was for her that his heart beat faster. It was also for her that his heart beat slower—like when she wore that backless blue dress and he could have sworn that his heart stopped. It was thoughts of her that seemed to clench his heart and drag him back home after another one of Iron Man's missions.
For the skeptics that had been around long enough to believe that Tony had an organ that simply kept his flowing rather than a heart that did that and was also capable of true feeling, all that was required to change their beliefs was the knowledge that Tony loved Pepper. As the world knows, love comes from the heart.
Of course, one has to know hate to know love.
Tony hated that he hadn't realized his feelings for Pepper sooner. He hated that once he realized said feelings, he hadn't acted on them sooner. He hated that he hadn't stopped mass producing weapons sooner. He hated that Obadiah had turned around and dealt weapons to terrorists. He hated that he had trusted said man, only to be brutally stabbed in the back.
It was these hatreds that caused his heart to beat to an irregular tempo, a song with no set rhythm whatsoever.
But his heart would settle back down with one look, one touch from her. Because at the end of the day, it wasn't for his regrets, his hatreds, his suits, his robots, or any of that that his heart beat for. No, it was for Pepper that his heart would continue to beat, whether it be fast, slow or normal. It was for Pepper that his heart would beat, ticking the time with her away like an internal metronome.
What do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know via reviews! Sorry for the shortness, but, as mentioned before, this simply had to be written. It was taking up too much space in my head, and I needed that space to focus on other works.