"She is everything I need that I never knew I wanted.
She is everything I want that I never knew I needed."
-The Fray, "She Is."
On the twenty-third of December, Thor arrived. He brought with him four other Asgardians, three men and a woman. The welcoming committee had basically consisted of Steve and Paisley; Tony and Bruce were doing science in the lab, Fury was working with Agent Hill, and Clint and Natasha were God knows where. They hadn't been expecting Thor to bring anyone extra, so the ones who introduced themselves as 'Lady Sif and the Warriors Three' were almost a shock.
"Friends," Thor boomed, careful not to hug Paisley for both of their sakes, "I greet you in the name of the Mass of Christ!"
Steve blinked and Paisley chuckled. Ah, it was good to see the man again – he always had such a way with words. "Hey, Thor." The armed goddess one step behind him seemingly bristled with the familiarity by which Paisley addressed their Prince.
He grinned. "Lady Paisley, hello, and to you, Captain." Steve nodded in response. "I must introduce you to my companions! This is Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three. They have fought at my side for many centuries."
Paisley gave them a nod and Steve stuck out his hand, but the more stout man – Volstagg – pulled him into a bone-crushing hug instead. Paisley chortled at the man's surprised expression, and sent him an amused look, to which he scowled. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the woman named Sif greeted eloquently, while the blonde man beside her shot a wink to Paisley. She couldn't help but wonder how long the list of quirks applicable to Asgardians was.
The group went inside the building from the roof, the faction of male warriors accompanying Steve, while Paisley stuck further back with the golden god, who was, in turn, flanked by Sif. "Where are the others?" He asked the blonde agent, giving her a cautious look. The last time he'd seen her, she was kicking him in the balls and crying every ten minutes - not exactly the best mental condition. He hadn't received any news in Asgard, especially with what they were already dealing with on his planet. The Tesseract had made a sufficient enough short-term replacement for the bi-frost, which allowed him to go to Midgard for the strange holiday.
She hummed in response, and he noted her visible improvement. "Actually, that's something I want to talk to you about. Just so you know, Clint, Natasha, and Bruce are all back, and Tony's awake."
He looked almost shocked. "The Man of Iron is awake? Is his mind well?"
She listened closely around them, keeping an ear out for the hum of the arc reactor. Sif, behind them, listened diligently, not cutting in. "He's forgotten some stuff; basically anything that doesn't have to with me is gone. That includes you…" she trailed off, trying to think of a quick way to get her point across. "Just, uh, don't be shocked when he doesn't remember you. We think his memories were tampered with."
"Tampered?" He questioned, though his tone was accepting of Tony's condition. "Are there any theories as to who may have caused this?"
Paisley resisted the urge to blurt out that it was probably his psychotic brother. "I'll let him explain the rest to you. It won't be that hard to figure out, trust me." Sif cast her a suspicious look; Paisley had figured that she wasn't on the woman's nice list as of yet. After Thor gave a curt nod, they arrived at the lab. Paisley looked towards the three musketeers and the warrior goddess, motioning to Steve. He, in turn, motioned to them to follow him.
Thor raised a brow as they began to protest. "What is this for?"
Steve shrugged. "Fury wanted me to bring them in for a briefing, just some routine mess." While they still looked unsure, Thor gave them the go-ahead. As the Captain took his friends away, Thor stepped into the lab, followed by an almost apprehensive Paisley. She just hoped Thor and Tony wouldn't re-initiate the pissing contests of old.
"Stark!" Thor boomed excitedly, causing Tony to jump and turn.
He tilted his head to the side, studying the man with an almost blank expression at first. Thor's grin faltered – so, he really didn't remember. "Oh, Thor. Hi," the billionaire walked over, followed by the ever-unassuming Banner, hands in his pockets.
Thor clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder, giving him a friendly, helpful look. "Lady Paisley has told me of your condition. I will find the most brilliant healer of Asgard that I can, perhaps it will do you well."
After Thor's quick and not-so-subtle announcement, Tony sent Paisley a look of 'really now?' She responded with a sheepish shrug, reminding herself to later discuss with the god the value of tact. "Ah, yeah, thanks, man." The genius responded, not able to shake how it all sounded like some sort of black market deal. "Good to see you."
His grin returned. "And you, as well."
Paisley had to cut in before the level of discomfort increased any more. She cast a look to Bruce, wondering if they were interrupting something important. He didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, so she took that as a good sign. "So… Tony, while we're on the subject, why don't you explain the terms of your awakening to Thor?" She asked, hinting heavily to the role of Loki. Thankfully, Tony caught her reference.
He nodded, "yeah, yeah, one second. Got a stool?" He asked. Thor looked around, finally settling on a seat that Paisley couldn't help but notice was quite smaller than he probably needed, bringing a slight smile to her face. The large god gave Tony and expectant glance as he sighed, thinking about how to start it all off. "Well, I was asleep, right?" He asked a rhetorical question, to which Thor gave a nod. "It was all really dark and fuzzy for a while, but then I just kind of appeared in this white room. I walked around, and I could hear things – Pai's voice – and then there was some funky mirror… Sorry, I can't really get all the details; it's been a little while.
"Anyway, I was looking in this mirror, and it got all distorted. Then, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw this flash of green, and heard some footsteps. I followed it," he explained, and Thor took every word to heart. "It felt like some kind of wild goose chase. But then, I finally caught up to him. The guy told me to wake up, because someone who owed him a great debt was in danger."
Thor cast him an inquisitive look. "Who was this man?" He asked.
Tony frowned, entering some data into one of the screens nearby. His brow was furrowed in concentration and what could have been frustration, and Paisley couldn't help but feel that he was tired of repeating the same story to everyone. He probably was. "Loki, or something," he muttered in response, unsure of the name or accusation.
Paisley cast a glance to Thor that caused the light bulb to flicker on above his head. His eyes held a tone of recognition. "You believe my brother has tampered with your memories?"
When the billionaire nodded, Paisley cut in quickly as to not urge on any bad blood between the two. God, that would be an awful Christmas. 'Deck the halls with Thor's hammer up Tony's ass' didn't sound like a fun thing at all. "It's mostly speculation. I mean, with that kind of evidence, we have to look at all possibilities."
The golden god only glowered at the wall in some sort of concentration, still not fully convinced that his brother had anything to do with the situation. "You're sure you saw my brother?" Tony and Paisley both nodded simultaneously.
"He had no memories of any of it, so at first, we were at a loss as to who woke him up. The second he saw Loki's picture, he identified it."
There seemed to be a struggle going about in Thor's mind as he debated the possibilities. "If what you say is true…" he started, and then backtracked, "I will have words with my brother. But, I guarantee you no success. Loki does not speak with anyone." Paisley and Tony both nodded in response. Thor's seriousness slipped again, from grave to jolly. "Now, where is the food?" Paisley looked to Bruce, grinning lightly.
That day, they learned many things about Asgardians. First, they had seemingly bottomless stomachs; they'd already suspected this when it came to Thor, but when they saw Volstagg practically inhale Fury's private refrigerator, it was only confirmed. Of course, they had to get the hell out of dodge; the second the director saw the thing had been emptied, he'd head straight for his meddling Avengers.
Paisley also enjoyed their quirks; she knew Thor well enough already, but getting to know Sif and the warriors was an entertaining task. Fandral was like an erogenous black hole; nothing fazed nor perturbed him. Of course, Tony and Steve soon grew tired of him, and they'd both gotten a bit ticked off when Paisley told him he was enchanting. Volstagg, though he consumed like no tomorrow, was merry and sweet, like the dwarves from Snow White. She often found herself laughing at his jokes, greatly entertained by his antics. Hogun the Grim was, indeed, grim; he refrained from speaking or smiling, despite Fandral's greatest efforts. Then, there was Sif. Sif did not like Paisley or warm up to her as she'd hoped; her formality with Thor, her 'egging on' of Fandral, and her overall manner had most likely irked the goddess. Paisley overwhelmingly decided that she didn't really care all that much.
After about fifty winks and charms from Fandral, Tony finally pulled Paisley away from the merriment. She jokingly rolled her eyes at his protectiveness, though she had to admit, she thought it was endearing. Nothing would come of it; Tony wasn't violent with her, it was benign. Completely and totally benevolent.
"Let's go somewhere," he said an arm around her waist. "Let's get out, do something."
She leaned into him for support, sighing. "We go on that Yangtze trip in, like, three days? It's all right."
He frowned, mulling over ideas. "Let's go ice skating."
She chortled. "What?"
"You know, Rockefeller Plaza, the big tree, just you and me…"
"And fifty other tourists," she commented, "although, it sounds nice. I can't skate to save my life, but…"
He laughed, pulling her into the elevator. They were ready to go, he decided; after ours of visiting with the Asgardians, she'd changed from her SHIELD uniform into a pair of dark wash jeans and some fuzzy boots she said Steve had gotten her. He made a mental note to buy her a newer, more expensive pair, for Christmas. Her hair was lazily piled on the top of her head in some sort of bun, and she wore a very warm gray sweatshirt on top of it all. He was similarly dressed, very well insulated. Though he'd been able to protect against it most times, on the off chance his arc reactor got cold, it was honestly the most terrible chill he would ever get. "Aren't you supposed to have, I dunno… crazy good balance?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "Having good hearing does in no way ensure you won't fall on your ass ice skating." He rolled his eyes as they stepped into the lobby, dodging some surly guards and spilling from the large, steel and glass building. He hailed a cab, and they slid in, safe and sound.
"Rockefeller, good sir," Tony announced to the driver, who nodded and made a swinging U-turn. "Also, Pai, feel free to fall on me. I'm comfy."
Paisley snickered, and they were there before they knew it. This had been the first time in a long, long time that she was able to see the lights that were meticulously placed around the city, and the giant looming tree that sat above the Rockefeller rink. It was honestly gorgeous; she very nearly cried. Tony would have made fun of her, she would have punched him, and he would have laughed harder at her efforts. She decided it wasn't worth it, but she smiled at the thought. God, this was perfect. She had Tony back, she had her sight, and it was Christmas. She was finally able to put all the Roxxon stuff behind her, and they were moving on. She almost felt at peace.
They rented the skates, and as soon as she stepped on to the ice, people swarming, she fell. Cursing, she took Tony's hand, which was quivering with all of his laughter. As soon as she was up, she pushed him down and gripped the edge, shakily edging away. She cast a look back, grinning as Iron Man struggled up, scowling, but laughing. "Catch me if you can," she mouthed, and his arched brow let her know that he'd accepted her challenge.
Hell, the man could skate. She hadn't expected him to actually be good; he caught her fast, and she couldn't stop laughing. He held on to her tight, chuckling as people passed, giving them odd looks. She could've sworn she heard camera clicks peppering the sound of the skates passing through the ice. With a sigh, she realized they'd probably be on the front cover of the next day's tabloid. He seemed not to notice or care; when you've spent your whole life on the cover of a magazine, how on earth could one more affect you? She brushed it off as easily as he did. Besides, the public barely knew her. She hadn't been grouped in with the other Avengers in press conferences or in tributes. She was nobody, but Paisley couldn't erase the fact that she liked that status.
Tony sighed, kissing at her neck. "Wonder what Goldilocks and the 5 Gods are doing?"
Paisley mustered a giggle at his name for them, shrugging. "Not this," she replied, almost tripping over some stupid kid that raced in front of her.
Of course, Tony once more erupted into a fit of laughter. "No, certainly not this. Heaven – er – Asgard forbid they have this much fun."
She sniggered, shivering a bit at the cold permeating her sweatshirt. He was doing a damn fine job of keeping her warm, but she'd broken from the embrace to study him just a bit. Since the accident, he looked like he'd aged a bit; there was more gray in his hair, and she'd joked with him about getting some hair dye for it. Though, when push came to shove, she thought it looked more… distinguished? Not that Tony Stark wasn't already, well, distinguished. Hell, he was Tony goddamn Stark. He was one of the most notorious playboys the world had ever welcomed, one of the richest, smartest men in the history of America. Handsome, too. He'd had Pepper Potts, yet he'd gone to some pathetic, blind, short little SHIELD agent. She'd always been at a loss as to why. "I love you," she said after a pause, and his joking exterior faded into something with more of a subliminal layer of punctiliously interwoven emotion.
"Hey, I love you, too." He smiled lightly, pulling her back to him by the waist. Then that damned kid came back, and they were both on their asses. "Told you I was comfy," he'd muttered as they were helped up. They returned to the headquarters shivering and cold, stuffed from a last-minute trip to Burger King, and sore from the falls.
"It's Christmas Eve," Paisley crooned, grinning like a madwoman. Tony groaned, rolling over to face the ceiling's hologram clock that he'd installed for his personal convenience.
"It's five A.M.," he responded, groaning, soliciting a smirk from the blonde nestled into his chest.
She trailed her fingers along the contours of his chest, which was bare and warmer then it had been before. God, he was pretty. He'd probably disown her if she actually called him pretty, though. She inwardly smiled, making note to call him that in front of people. "You have company coming within the hour," she reminded him, and he sat up quickly, checking his phone.
He scanned through a few messages, stumbling up and out. "Shit, you're right." Rhodey would be making his appearance, and he had to get him at the airport; Fury had denied the movement to get him landed on the Quinjet pad, leaving Tony with only that option. The plane came in at six, meaning he should get his ass there. Traffic would be a bitch, and he didn't have Happy there to sneak him through all the back exits and maneuver the taxis. Agh, he needed to get Happy to come back. Once more, he'd lost the kids in the divorce. He pulled on an undershirt, opening up the small closet to dig out a casual suit. He'd have to dress up for Rhodes, the man would probably arrive in his military get-up. Tony debated showering, though since he did it all last night, he dismissed the fact. A little cologne would do the trick.
And, presto, he was ready. With a sigh, He leaned over the bed to kiss a lazy Paisley square on the lips, nearly ditching the task he had to accomplish for just another five minutes. The bed was so inviting, warm, and she was there… snap out of it, Stark. She almost pouted as he pulled away. "I'll be back in a bit, gotta pick him up."
Paisley nodded, "Be good," she sighed, sitting up to watch him go. Her blonde hair fell in waves down past her collarbone, and he couldn't wait until it grew back. Not that what she had now wasn't a good look – he just really missed the length.
He cast her a dazzling grin before slipping out, heading down to the lobby without any hindrances. Another cab, another tired old guy with road rage. JFK airport was crowded as always, especially on Christmas Eve. He was barely able to make his way in and head to the baggage claim area to find his friend. He hadn't seen Rhodey in a long time; he was almost worried he'd miss him. But, when the very man strolled up to him with a grin on his face, he couldn't help but grin back.
"Rhodey!" He boomed, clapping the man on the back.
James Rhodes laughed heartily, grinning at his friend. "Long time no see, Tony. Causing mayhem?"
They stood in the midst of the people, grinning like little boys. "'Fraid not, my man. I've been tamed."
Rhodey chucked, digging a folded up scrap of paper from his pocket. The man stood tall and dapper in his uniform, looking as if he'd just come from a grade-A Hollywood military movie. The thing was a crumpled up magazine cover from the National Enquirer, featuring a picture of him kissing Paisley at the Rockefeller. Wow, they moved fast. At least no one called TMZ. "Tamed, you say?" Rhodes chuckled, handing him the paper.
Tony raised a brow, reading the paper. "Stark Strikes Back," he scoffed. "… his first since Potts? Oh, Lord." He continued on, "romance with a fellow Avenger?" In the corner was a shaky cell-phone snippet picture of the petite blonde shooting at an alien.
"Pep's gonna have a field day with that," Rhodes commented as they started walking. "You and that blonde are all over those celebrity stalking shows. Speaking of, Potts and your former bodyguard have hit it off."
Whoa, that floored him. "Waiiit. Pepper's with Hogan?"
He nodded, a bemused expression on his face. "Don't know how he swung that. No offense, but I tried to get on that, and she turned me down. Actually, I asked them to come out here, too; I said, 'hey Happy. Maybe you could get your old job back?' Now he works for Pepper," he explained, "but he just smiled and said, 'the last time I told someone I was Iron Man's bodyguard, they laughed in my face. It's more believable that I'm with Pepper.'"
The genius rolled his eyes as they exited, whistling for a taxi. "Well, can't blame him, I guess. I am pretty fabulous, it must be hard guarding that."
"Yeah, yeah, hotshot," James snorted, sliding into the yellow cab. His luggage was put in the back, and Tony climbed in after him. Stark gave the cabbie the address for the building across from the headquarters, something he'd heard Paisley do the previous night upon their return from the Rockefeller. "So, you gonna introduce me to the lady? Or was she a one-time thing?"
He smiled to himself. "You'll meet her."
Rhodes nodded, almost in confirmation. He just hoped she wasn't some gold-digger, Lord knows Tony didn't need any more of those. "Good. I'm glad to see you, man."
Paisley finally sauntered out of their room in a SHIELD uniform about six thirty, expecting Tony to be back. Then, she remembered that JFK airport was the most trafficked airport she'd ever seen, and the thought faded. She'd be lucky if she saw him next year.
Steve and the Asgardians in the break room were glued to what appeared to be TMZ; she could pick Harvey Levin's voice out anywhere. She swung her head around towards the sound, wavy blonde tresses unbound as they normally were. "What's up?" She asked, craning her neck to look past Volstagg.
"You are on the television, Lady Paisley." Fandral practically purred. She looked to Steve in question, who, in turn, looked slightly annoyed.
She walked over, brushing some hair behind her ears. "What for?" Paisley asked. She didn't really need to; she could already hear the cries of 'Tony's new main squeeze' erupting from the flat-screen. "Oh Lord," she muttered, eyes fixed.
One of the men on screen was dying laughing at a comment made by one of the other people, and the camera panned back to Harvey. "I mean, damn, she's not typical Stark grade. I get the whole 'inspiring Avengers romance aspect, but I honestly think Stark hit his head in the fall. Look back to Potts. All those girls he escorted home. He liked them leggy, tall. Supermodel tall. This one's just tiny." She rolled her eyes they re-winded footage of them falling all over each other, cracking up. "I mean, she's pretty, but where's the booty?"
Steve scowled and shut off the TV. "That's what they call entertainment these days?" He asked, tossing the remote away from Fandral's groping hands. Thor, too, looked on with light distaste.
Paisley chortled. "It's funny when they're not talking about you," she murmured. Hell, at least they knew she was an Avenger.
"Is the Midgardian image box always so vulgar?" Sif asked, arms crossed.
"Yes, it is," a voice called from behind them as Tony entered in with a man that could only be James Rhodes close behind him.
Steve saw the military uniform and saluted, but was waved off. "Captain Rogers, if anyone should be saluting, it's me to you. It's an honor to finally meet you." He stuck his hand out and Steve smiled bashfully. Paisley could tell that Steve was happy to have anther military man around.
Steve took his hand firmly, shaking it like the rough and tumble men they were. "Likewise, sir."
Paisley nearly turned to stone when he looked at her. He'd be comparing her to Tony's other girls, especially if he saw any of what was circulating. Hell, she'd be compared to the gorgeous, classy, willowy Pepper – who, Paisley was still befuddled as to why Tony would let that go – and man, she was worried. Here was Tony's closest and longest friend; his opinion would matter. Bros before hoes. What if she was ousted?
Ho-lee shit, Pai. Get your act together. That wouldn't happen. She was just pathetically worried and still a bit shocked by the media's response to her. Pretty soon, they'd find out her name, her face would be out there, she'd get stalked by paparazzi, too… "Ah, you." Rhodey greeted, and she stood up a little straighter. Tony had an amused look on his face as his friend continued on. "You must be Paisley. Tony told me lots about you in the cab."
"Hope it was good," she joked weakly, and they shook hands.
He chortled, and Tony looked like he was about to die of laughter. Paisley was looking for approval? When did hell freeze over? "All the dirty details. I'm just wondering when the wedding is," came Rhodes' clever response, which caught her off-guard. He burst into laughter at her shocked expression, grinning like Tony would. "Relax, Reynolds. I'm just playing."
She exhaled, letting out a relieved hoot. "Sorry, I'm used to military men like Steve being all stiff," she poked at her friend, who looked at her with a dejected hilarity.
"Yeah, well," Tony propped an arm against James, leaning on the man. "Rhodey's all about the fun. Isn't that right, Rhodey?"
He rolled his eyes. "I think I remember you rejecting me for your fun-car once," he responded deftly, referencing the time in Afghanistan. 'This is the fun-vee,' Tony cast him a smile as he looked to the Asgardians, almost double-taking at the odd troupe. "Hello," he nodded to them.
Thor was the first to speak up. "Hello, Sir Rhodey." He addressed, his formality and accent sounding completely comical when he pronounced the moniker.
"Please, call him War Machine."
'War Machine' rolled his eyes at the philanthropist, correcting him. "Call me James, please. You're Thor?" It wasn't hard to guess. The golden god only nodded. The remaining Asgardians introduced themselves, and Tony tried to hook Rhodes up with Sif. Of course, she hadn't liked that, and nearly decapitated Stark. Of course, Rhodes decided that that was one of the funniest damn things he'd ever seen.
I'm so sorry for yet again splitting this chapter! It's taking me a while to get these out, and I didn't want you guys to have to wait too much longer. I promise Christmas will be in the next chapter. Anyways, Rhodey's finally made his appearance, Paisley's in the limelight, and things are about to start escalating. All of these little details will sum up into bigger and better details, trust me!
So, I'd like to thank everyone for their patience with me. Thanks to all the reviews, follows, and favorites; it means so much. You guys keep me going. :)
-Caroline.
