Disclaimer:I do not own anything pertaining to Marvel Comics or Iron Man, or anything else related to this material of which I written about. All rights are reserved by the original owners.
Author's Note: Have I ever mentioned sequel pressure? Unless you've personally started writing a sequel, you may not realize the stress of having to match and/or outdo one's own work. I'm still really feeling the pressure to make this story awesome, so I hope it gets easier. In this chapter I'm worried about how Tony sounds – if he seems a bit OOC don't hesitate to send along a message and I'll try to clarify. Thanks for all the reviews and alerts!
Chapter 2 – His Home
Seemingly out of the blue, Tony Stark had called and invited her to stay at his house in Malibu. It had only been one week since their plane landed in California, yet it had already felt like an eternity for Julia. Somehow Tony must have known it, or maybe he was just feeling the same way. In any case, she was to be packed and ready to go in two hours. She was used to packing lightly anyways, and in well under an hour she had a duffel bag waiting on her bed.
Julia returned to her room after showering and getting dressed and her mother entered almost immediately afterward. "Julia," she began tentatively, "what is the bag for? Do you plan on going somewhere?"
"Yes, I'm going to stay with a friend for a few days."
"Really? What friend would that be?"
"Tony."
"A man… I see. Wait a minute – Tony as in Tony Stark?"
"Yes."
"You're going to stay with that man?"
"He called and invited me."
"Julia, you're supposed to be at home, with your family, resting. The doctors were very precise about that."
"They didn't say that I couldn't leave the house though."
"Adjusting to a normal life is going to be a challenge, you can't rush it. I don't think that going off with Tony Stark is the best thing for you right now."
"Tony Stark?" an all too curious voice asked.
Julia nearly groaned audibly; her sister, Florentina, seemed to have a talent for appearing at the wrong time.
"You're going somewhere with Tony Stark?" the young woman was almost gushing.
"Before you get your rumor mill going, try getting the facts straight first. My friend, who happens to be Mr. Stark, has asked me to stay at his house for a little while. I'm leaving in twenty minutes, and I'll be back in a few days," Julia explained. "You are both making this sound like a bad thing; I've already been living in the same cell with him for three months."
"This is different," her mother countered. "Before you were prisoners and relied on each other for survival, but now he's gone back to his own life, and if you remember what that was like… Besides, you've seen the footage of that press conference – the man is obviously traumatized by the event and not thinking clearly."
"Of course he's traumatized. I'm traumatized! But what he said took courage, and whatever he has in mind, I support him. I understand what he meant; unless you were over there and experienced what we did, it's not going to seem like logical thinking."
"He's still a man though, and it will just be the two of you all alone together." Tina had a smirk on her angelic-looking face, knowing that her remark had probably deeply irritated her sister.
Julia's body tensed and she clenched her jaw; few people could anger her as much as her sister seemed to take delight in doing. She took a breath to calm herself before speaking. "You have no self respect."
"What?"
"I don't think that Tony ever respected any of the women he's charmed into a bedroom, but maybe that's because those women never respected themselves and were willing to throw themselves at a man who could care less about them the next day."
The comment silenced Florentina and seemed to pacify Mrs. Ramirez. They both left her room and Julia packed up the last of the things she would be taking along.
A black Rolls Royce Phantom pulled up in front of the Ramirez house right on time. Just the sight of it brought people to the windows to gawk at it, not just at her home but at those all around the neighbourhood. Suddenly this didn't seem like the best idea after all. Julia had already received a large amount of attention from people, but this was going to overdo it.
A well-dressed man got out of the driver's seat. There was no point in making him walk up to the front door, so she picked up her one article of luggage and made her way out. Upon getting closer she recognized the man as Tony's chauffeur. He briefly took off his sunglasses and stepped forward to take her bag.
"Ms. Ramirez, it's good to meet you." He extended his other hand in greeting. "I'll be driving you today. Mr. Stark wanted me to apologize for not personally coming to pick you up; Ms. Potts has advised that he remain at home."
"That's alright," she replied.
With a slight amount of hesitation Julia's mother rushed over and gave her a hug. "Now, you'll call me, right? And don't forget to follow the doctor's instructions. And if you want to come home early…"
"Mom, I'll be fine. Don't worry." This was beginning to feel like summer camp or something, but Julia could appreciate her mother's apprehension. "I'll see you in a few days – take care." She waved to the rest of her family, who were standing on the porch, and slid into the car, the chauffeur closing the door behind her.
The sound of the engine was like a gentle purr as the luxury sedan smoothly pulled away from the curb. It was surprisingly quiet inside, and very comfortable. Cream-coloured leather seating was arranged in a lounge style and complimented by footrests and a theater system. There were many additional accents that personalized the vehicle, though Julia didn't notice them as she was already overwhelmed just by being in such an extravagant mode of transport.
"Would you like anything to drink?" the chauffeur asked. "There is a coolbox toward the floor between the seats, and the drink cabinets are on the door."
She looked inside of both and found a small assortment of alcohol. "I think I'll just have a bottle of mineral water, thanks. I don't think we've officially met."
"Harry Hogan. My friends call me "Happy", so feel free to do the same."
"Thanks, I will. Call me Julia."
"Well Julia, enjoy the ride."
His house could barely be called a house – it was more of a large, sculptured, modern mansion – but if that's what he called home she wasn't about to dispute it. The Rolls came to a gentle stop precisely before the front doors; Happy had likely had much practice getting that right. When they stepped inside, the temperature was perfect; not too cool from the air conditioning. Actually, everything looked perfect – the artwork and décor, the crystal clear windows, the spotless white floors.
Julia was just removed her shoes when Tony entered with a dazzling grin on his face. "Hey! You're finally here – it seemed like forever since I called you. How was the ride? Happy must have taken the scenic route." He approached and gave her a surprisingly warm hug; even Happy looked a little taken aback at the display of affection. "Enough sentiment – come in!" he continued enthusiastically.
Tony led her to the living room where his assistant was working on a laptop. She stood when she noticed the new arrival. "Ms. Ramirez, it's nice to see you again."
"Same to you, Ms. Potts."
"Please tell me that you two won't be this formal all the time," Tony remarked. "Come on Julia, we've got a tour to get through."
The house was much more than she had anticipated, though Julia had not been sure just what to expect. It was a blend of modern lines and futuristic tech with classic influences. The design was very open and bright with almost every window displaying a breath-taking ocean view.
"While you're here I want you to really make yourself at home; treat my place as you would yours. Don't feel restricted about privacy or anything, everything is open to you. Hey Jarvis, could you make a note of that?" he called out.
A polite, accented voice answered; "Yes sir, Julia Ramirez is to have full access of the house."
"What was that?" She was a little alarmed that someone, or something, had actually answered him.
"Jarvis – he runs the house. Think of him as an automated butler, though he's many times more advanced than that. Don't worry, you'll get used to him. Ok, so we've got the kitchen – I've got someone who does the cooking because I can't make anything above a sandwich, but whenever you're hungry just help yourself, whatever you want… We've got washrooms everywhere – pretty self-explanatory… Over here is where the staff can stay, since they're here part-time… Down here is the weight-room – I'm in here a lot… This is Pepper's room; she's actually here basically all the time… There are interface systems all over the place, so ask Jarvis if you need help with them… And this, is your room…"
It was easily the most amazing guest room that she had ever stayed in. Everything was white – the gleaming floors, the minimalist furniture – and the secondary colour was gray, highlighting items like the bedding and décor. Beyond the sheer white curtains was a spectacular blue ocean view.
"This is really beautiful Tony."
"Thanks. So, when you're settled I'll be in the living room – I've got one more thing to show you."
Julia took the opportunity to gaze out the windows, feel the impossibly soft duvet on the bed, and marvel at the bathroom. She felt a little overwhelmed by it all. It was almost startling to come to the realization that he actually lived this way, with all of this wealth and luxury. However, for all his money he really did have good taste. Finally Julia mustered up the courage to go find him.
"I thought you might have gotten lost," Tony quipped as she entered. "Pepper has been bugging me about what our plans are for dinner and what we'd like to have – anything in particular you'd like?"
"Uh, chicken?"
"How would you feel about chicken parmigiana?"
"That sounds great."
"Chicken parmigiana it is. You are so easy to please; I like that, though I'm one to talk, since I can be a little…"
"Demanding," Pepper interjected.
"Exactly," he confirmed, smiling at the woman. "And you handle everything so gracefully, Ms. Potts."
"Thank you Mr. Stark."
Julia noticed how well they got along; their humourous banter probably got them through many issues. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have to manage someone like Tony. Although he wasn't mean or cold like so many top executives seemed to be, his fast-paced lifestyle likely left a lot of clean-up for his assistant to handle. If Tony's past exploits were any indication, Virginia Potts was frequently worried about damage control.
"Ok Julia, there's one more place you have to see; this way." She followed him down a curved set of stairs and they paused at a door. "Remember this code," he instructed her as he punched in the numbers.
On the other side of the thick glass was Tony's workshop, a fusion of the state-of-the-art, the essentials, and the classic. Beyond the main area it opened up to garage with high ceilings and plenty of open space. He was beaming proudly as she gazed about.
"This is where I spend most of my time."
"This is incredible!"
"I think that my best work gets done down here; there are no distractions and I've got everything I need. I'll show you the latest project I've started." Tony sat down at a desk and with a few clicks had dimmed the lights and brought up a holographic interactive display.
Julia instantly recognized the image being projected and came closer to look at it. "The suit?"
"Yes. These are the renderings and technical aspects of it. I've been doing them up since the other day, but I think they're finished."
"I'm confused – what is this for?"
"The first suit, Mark I, worked quite well, all things considered, but there is an enormous amount of potential in that whole concept. Now that I'm here I can work on it, I can make it better. I'm not entirely sure what the end result will be, but I'm going to find out."
Julia was speechless, she honestly couldn't think of anything to say.
Tony stood and walked over to her. "Julia, I'm not making this for Stark Industries or anyone else. I want to discover what I can do with this. I want you to work on this with me."
Finally her eyes met his; there was a serious expression there, he wasn't fooling around in the slightest. "I don't think I'll be able to construct something as complex as what you're talking about."
"Of course you will! You built the first one. And it will be so much easier this time around – for starters we won't be in a cave. Please say you will."
She smiled. "You always knew I would. Yes, I will."
Stark had a lengthy table that was used to host formal dinners but this night it was set for only two people. Instead of at opposite ends, Tony and Julia were seated across from each other at the middle of the table. To her it felt a little strange not having many other people around in such a big house. His personal chef had prepared a full meal for them and after dessert was served, he would leave. Happy had his own suite on the property where he lived most nights, and Pepper insisted on forgoing the meal to finish up some work.
"This is the first proper meal we've had together, unless you're counting fire-side eating," Julia commented.
"I really hope that my table manners haven't deteriorated to the point that I can't go out in public," Tony joked.
"I guess you usually eat out."
"Yeah, but it gives my chef a lot of time off; it's more of a part-time job for him. So, how have things been for you since you got back?"
"They've been alright I guess, a little slow. It's going to take a while getting used to everything, though I think that regardless there would have been an adjustment period after my tour finished."
"You're doing counseling, right?
"Yes. My mom usually drives me in; my family is a little paranoid about me going anywhere on my own. I think they're afraid that I'll just snap and have a nervous breakdown or kill someone. The doctor already advised them about things like approaching me from behind and so on."
"Worried about triggering a defensive reaction?"
"Something like that. I mean, I wouldn't intentionally try to hurt someone, but after what happened in Afghanistan I might suddenly go into survival mode… I don't know yet. I feel like a risk."
"Well, this is a good place to unwind. I've got a pool – I had actually forgotten until I looked out a window. In any case, I'll be careful not to sneak up on you."
Julia smiled. "What have you been doing recently?"
"Me?" His tone switched, indicating annoyance and sarcasm. "I've made a nice mess of the company, alienated my best friend, and have basically been living in my workshop."
"I saw the press conference."
"Maybe I should've waited on that one… but I would've done it eventually anyways. I've got everyone telling me to lay low and get some rest. Obi, my business partner, and Rhodes both think I'm dealing with post-traumatic stress."
Though Julia actually agreed with that statement, she decided to postpone saying anything about it. Knowing him, he'd probably dismissed any notion of seeing a therapist.
"Oh, I did find the time to put this together." Tony unbuttoned his shirt to show her the device in his chest.
"You built a new one?" she asked, amazed.
"And in less than half the time it took to build the first one. I needed a stronger one, especially since I'll be using it to power the new suit."
"Don't tell me you installed that yourself – Yinsen put it in the first time."
Tony chuckled. "I would've done it but my hands were too big for the task. Pepper helped. Although she was terrified, she made a very capable nurse; I mean, I'm still here aren't I?"
At that moment Pepper entered the dining room and stopped abruptly. Julia realized that the scene must have appeared questionable from where she was standing – the two of them finishing dessert and Tony sitting there with his shirt undone almost to the navel. She seemed to shrug it off and carry on walking in.
"Ah, Pepper – we were just talking about your brief stint as a nurse the other day," he said as he casually buttoned his shirt.
"Yes, that was quite an experience," she commented diplomatically. "I'm all finished here so I'll be off for the evening, unless there's anything else you'd like me to do."
"We'll be fine until tomorrow, thanks. It's a little late, are you sure you won't stay?"
"No, I think I should just get home; I've probably got laundry to do or something. Good night Tony, Ms. Ramirez."
"Good night," they responded in unison.
"I'm going to have a nightcap – want one? Tony asked his guest.
"Sure."
They took their plates to the kitchen and he went to the liquor cabinet, which happened to be very well-stocked.
"So, I'd like to start this new project tomorrow. I really don't have anything else going on, since I'm supposed to be recovering or something. One thing you should know about me is that I get really… intense about things when I really get into them."
"Tony, I've already watched you work night and day for the better part of three months – believe me, I already know."
He handed her a drink and they strolled out to a balcony.
"Pepper just wanted me to warn you. Ever since I got back I've been down there working. I just want this to be more of a retreat than an internship for you."
"I'll think of it as a working holiday."
They stood and stared out into the night at the crisp sparkle of stars.
"Y'know, I never really appreciated all this until we were in that cave. Things I never thought that I'd miss, like the sound of the ocean, or a fresh breeze, or the sky."
"The night sky in Afghanistan was actually really amazing. There aren't many lights, and it's cold, and you're way above sea level, and the stars are just incredible. Makes you wonder about your place in it all – or at least it does for me."
"Yeah…" After a while Tony glanced over at her; "Hey, you look a little beat."
"I haven't been sleeping so well, not yet at least."
"I know what that's like."
"Think I'll turn in now. Thanks for having me come over."
"My pleasure. Good night." He leaned over rather haltingly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Wow, that was awkward, sorry about that."
She laughed in return. "Good night."
Her room was quiet and tranquil, making Julia feel even more tired than she thought. Knowing that there was no one else around made her feel a little anxious. When she was a captive there had always been at least one other person nearby, and at home her family was all in the same house. Even in the air force Julia had had a roommate and was used to sharing a room with somebody, but here there was only Tony. She wondered how he could stand it. There was of course the omnipresent Jarvis, but still it wasn't the same. By the time she slipped into bed she felt less insecure. The soft blankets and pillows made it feel like she was enveloped in a cloud. Julia was asleep in moments.