Hi everybody! I have a new chapter out, like I promised. Also, I will mention that due to it being Summer here, I will be very slack on getting any more chapters out, if only because it'll be too damn hot to do so (though surprisingly enough, it's actually been a pretty tame Summer). So, enjoy!
Interlude III
It was a beautiful morning: the sun was out, the birds were chirping in a nearby tree, and Voltaire was snoring on the end of my bed. I should be making an effort to get out into the sunshine, or even waking Voltaire up just so the noise would end, but I was too comfortable in me bed, and too blissed out about the events that transpired last night.
After an agonizing 4-and-a-bit months, I met the most wonderful, handsome man in the world—who not only treats me like his queen, but also loves me as much as I love him. Sure, the road to this point had been pretty bumpy, to say the least; super-villain attacks; my ex-boyfriend showing up; the whole mess in Wakanda were a few of the bumps I cared to name, but the fact that T'Challa and I were now together completely out-weighed all the bad things.
Unfortunately, one of those bad bumps was a rather big and permanent one: Tony. My overprotective big brother went absolutely ballistic when he found out that T'Challa and I were secretly talking to each other before he officially joined the Avengers. Tony was also very reluctant to let me go to the Summer Ball in case I found a boyfriend. When he finds out that I have a boyfriend, and said boyfriend is the guy he can't exactly trust all that much, my brother would quite possibly turn nuclear.
:Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.: I told myself before snuggling deeper into my blankets, determined not the let the dark Tony-shaped cloud hang over my head and bring me down. Nothing would ruin this day for me.
Except that I suddenly remembered that T'Challa promised to come over in the morning. Meaning today, right now, morning.
"Aw, do I have to get up? Oh, sod it, I will."
######
Was there such a thing as being overly happy? If Voltaire could talk, he'd probably bark at me to cool it down. Ok, so maybe I was listening to happy, up-beat songs that blared loudly from my laptop, and maybe I was happily moving to the beats. Why's that a problem? I'm allowed to dance!
As I browsed though my clothes, trying to decide what to wear, I came across an article that I hadn't seen before: a summer dress. Normally, I'd do everything to avoid dresses or skirts, or anything girly, mostly because there wasn't really anything I liked. The notable exception was the ball gown: it was beautiful, which made me feel beautiful and so on.
The dress I just found was another exception. It was a pale pink colour that was quite tasteful (to me, at least) with shoulder straps as wide as my thumb. There was a band that sat just underneath the chest, the rest of the material falling to just above my knees. What really sold me was the pattern along the band and: little black kittens.
Nearly choking on my own laughter, I took the dress and a few other things into my bathroom and had a shower, bopping along to the music. Ok, so it could be considered too loud if I can hear it through my bathroom door and over the water. Oops.
After I was cleaned and dried, I got dressed and stood in front of the mirror, trying to decide how to have my hair. The problem with shoulder length hair was that you can't do any fancy yet simple styles. Eh, whatever. Shrugging to myself, I simply dried my hair, ran a brush through it and left it to hang down.
Checking over my appearance to make sure it looked alright, I opened the door and stepped into my bedroom, only to stop short at the peculiar sight before me. Someone was on their knees, with half their body underneath my bed. I could also hear whining from underneath there, which meant Voltaire had taken refuge from the loud music, and my guest was trying to coax him out.
Usually, I'd be very worried about having strangers in my bedroom, but I recognized who the person was, no thanks to my cheeky inner-self. Though—and I will deny this if ever brought out into public ears—while T'Challa does have an attractive back, I found his front more appealing.
Feeling a little bit impish, I tiptoed up behind him, pausing for a moment in case he might have heard me. Mind you, between my bare feet on the carpet and the loud music, I felt pretty safe that he hadn't. Grinning, I reached forward and lightly tapped his lower back. The startled yelp I heard in response made me giggle madly, even as T'Challa crawled out and his turned head to give me a playful scowl, which only made me giggle harder.
"Good morning, Rose." T'Challa greeted with a roll of his eyes as he began to stand up. I could barely manage a reply though my slowly simmering down laughter, which made him pout adorably. Once at his full height, T'Challa pulled me flush against his body, and let himself fall backwards onto my bed.
It didn't help my giggle fit all that much; it only brought up a fresh wave, but the moment T'Challa pressed his lips against mine, I felt a tingly but calming sensation wash over me, and the giggles stopped. Softly sighing, I slid my hands up his chest and stretched my arms above his head, feeling his hands smoothly rubbing up and down my spine. After a while we pulled away, but only a little bit.
"Good morning, T'Challa." I whispered through still tingly lips as we gently nuzzled the tips of our noses together. The slightly dazed smile he gave made me feel like I was glowing from the inside out, before he gave me a light but lingering kiss. My head eventually wound up on his shoulder, my arms curled under his head as his curled around me in a warm, firm embrace. I think this was quickly becoming a favourite hobby of ours.
"Did you sleep well, my love?" T'Challa questioned in a soft voice, melting my insides to a pile of lovey-dovey goop.
"Perfectly." I whispered back, quite happy to spend the entire day like this. T'Challa murmured something under his breath before one of his hands came up to comb through my hair: something he usually does when he felt content. Feeling completely relaxed and at peace with the world around me, I snuggled closer to T'Challa, his body much more warmed than my bed.
I almost fell asleep when I felt a cold, wet nose press against the back of my knee, resulting in a startled squeal and a ruined moment.
"Not funny, Voltaire!" I growled at him as both T'Challa and I sat up. Said furry beast just sat before us with a smug look on his face, which I found rather infuriating (if only because it made him look more adorable) whereas T'Challa found it rather funny.
Finally getting the point, and taking pity on my poor puppy, I pulled myself away from T'Challa and his warm arms before trudging over to my laptop and turning everything off. Voltaire gave an almost human reaction of relief before jumping onto my bed and curling up in the sunny patch to sleep.
T'Challa and I exchanged a smile before I quickly grabbed a pair of ballet flats and we quietly left my bedroom so the poor dog wouldn't be disturbed by us, and headed downstairs for breakfast. A part of me hoped that Hawkeye wasn't awake yet, because once he finds out that T'Challa and I are now dating, I predict lots of teasing and dirty innuendoes for a very long time. Or at least till I could convince Hulk to 'lightly' persuade him to stop.
We made it down to the foyer before T'Challa suggested me go into the greenhouse. I did ask why, but the sneaky man wouldn't give me an answer. If it were anybody else, I would have told them a giant 'no', but since this was T'Challa—the man who always makes me feel safe—I cut him some slack. But only a little.
Deciding to be a bit more playful than usual, I pushed myself onto my toes to place a kiss to his cheek, and then dashed away with a cheeky laugh. I heard him chuckle in reply and gave chase. Thankfully, the back door was already open, so I kept running into the sunshine, dodging all attempts of 'capture' by T'Challa, the pair of us laughing as only two people deeply in love could.
I was eventually captured by my love when he caught me around the waist, lifting me into the air and spinning around. Absolutely giddy with happiness, I could only laugh in delight before being lowered to the ground. T'Challa gave me a smug look of triumph, which dissolved into a genuine smile when I giggled again, and threaded my hand around the crook of his elbow and escorted me into the greenhouse.
The sweet aroma of the different flowers was the first thing to greet us, followed by the familiar sights of the flowers and trees, calming my fluttering insides. I smiled when I heard T'Challa inhale deeply and humming a little. T'Challa led me along the wooden path to the pond area, and I will admit I was surprised to see Mr. Foxworthy standing beside the table, a bright smile on his face when he saw the pair of us.
"Good morning, Miss Stark. King T'Challa. He greeted us then gestured to the table, "Breakfast is served." My brain went blank for a few seconds as it processed everything that just happened, before it kicked back on and caused my cheeks to turn red. T'Challa gave me a sly and incredibly smug look as he lead me forward.
Apparently, my boyfriend—ooh, I just love the sound of that word!—decided to be romantic this morning, and had obviously roped Mr. Foxworthy into creating an intimate breakfast meal for two in the privacy of the greenhouse. The sneaky old fiend—teaming up with my boyfriend against me! Well, I couldn't exactly complain about the results.
Once the pair of us were seated, and our breakfast unveiled, Mr. Foxworthy seemed to disappear, leaving T'Challa and I along to enjoy our meal alone. Knowing T'Challa, he'll definitely try to make me blush by any subtle means. Well, two can play at that game!
Not even a minute late, T'Challa offering me a bite of his strawberries and cream. Determined to get back at him, I accepted the offer. There was no limit to my satisfaction when my innocent—pfft! Tee-hee!—actions had T'Challa going wide-eyed, flushed and shifting in his chair. When he finally caught on to what I was doing, I burst out giggling while he pouted and took a drink from his cup of tea.
"Very funny." He remarked once he got control of his composure again. I honestly tried to give him an apologetic look, but my giggles kept getting in the way. I couldn't help it: it felt good to get him back the same way he got me.
When my giggles finally subdued themselves, I managed to give him a 'sorry' look, even as the edges of my mouth twitched, but it was enough to get T'Challa to smile at the humour of it all. Finishing all the food and tea left us feeling full, so T'Challa led me away to the pavilion. Taking a seat closest to the glass wall, the pair of us cuddled close together, letting the peaceful atmosphere of the greenhouse was over us.
"I like this." T'Challa murmured quietly, his hand intertwining with mine as his thumb brushed against the back of my hand. "It fills me with such calm and happiness." I felt the same way, and snuggled closer into his side. I felt a warm kiss press against the top of my head before his free arm wrapped itself further around my waist, keeping me pinned to his side and heart.
It was in the calmness of this tender moment that I suddenly realized something: I still needed to pass on a message from T'Chaka to his son. To do that, however, means brining up a few unpleasant memories of an event we probably wished never happened. I really did not want to bring that time up, but I did make a promise.
"Rose?" The warm voice in my ear spoke, nearly startling me out of my skin. "Is there something wrong?" T'Challa asked in a concerned tone. There wasn't really an easy way to do this, was there? Well then, I guess I better just tell it straight.
"There's nothing wrong." I promised him as I pulled away to see him better, "I just remembered a promise I made to someone." The concern in his face hadn't disappeared, but now T'Challa looked confused and curious at me words. Folding my hands together and resting them on my lap, I took a deep breath and looked into the warm and loving eyes of the man I loved the most in the world.
"In Wakanda, when I was hit by Spindle Thorn? I...I guess I'm saying..." I could barely think of the right words, I was so nervous. It was slightly frustrating, too. Sensing my frustration, T'Challa reached over and covered my hands with his. My eyes looked into his, and I felt everything inside me begin to calm down.
"Take a deep breath, Rose." He instructed in a calm, gentle tone, "And take your time." I seriously want to know how the heck he knows how to calm me down, especially when I don't know myself.
Following his instructions, I took a moment to gather a few words together and tried again.
"After I was hit, and put under...I think I woke up in Limbo." I finally got out slowly, "or at least some plane between the two. Getting to my point, I met up with some people over there. Two of them were my parents. The other was...it was your father." Taking a deep breath, I continued.
"When I crossed over—for a lack of a better phrase—I started to lose a few of my memories. Mostly the ones about you; how you made me feel safe and warm. And how much stronger I became thanks to you. But what I really forgot was how much I loved you.
"That's when your father showed up: he helped me to remember you. When I was waking up, he asked if I could pass on a message to you from him." I said, coming to both the end of my story and my point. "He wants you to know how proud he is of you, and that he loves you."
The moment the words had left my mouth, it felt like a weight had been taken from my shoulder, leaving me feeling like I could breathe a little easier again. Or at least for a while, when T'Challa got over his shock and the words sunk in, which should be an interesting experience.
Speaking of T'Challa...
I wasn't sure what sort of reaction I was really hoping for, though a positive one would be nice. Instead, T'Challa was rather quiet, and not moving. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to drop this particular bombshell on him so soon—especially since it dealt with the afterlife and people he loved being sent to said place.
Too busy mentally beating myself for such a stupid move, my entire body jerked as his hand curled underneath my chin and directed me to look back at him. I barely had a second to focus on anything before my vision was clouded and a warm mouth slanted over my own quite firmly, swallowing my squeal of surprise.
Now I understood the phrase of a kiss stealing your breath away.
Melting under his mouth and the press of his hands against my back, I offered no resistance as T'Challa slowly lowered the both of us down against the velvety cushions. A sigh escaped through my nose as T'Challa settled his body on top of mine; while somehow not crushing me, I could still feel the ripples in his abdomen against my stomach, and the broad planes of his chest expanded and contract with each breath. Before I could be completely drunk from his intoxicating kisses or his musky scent, T'Challa pulled away to let us breathe again, his warm breath fanning my face. "Thank you, my love." He spoke in a husky tone. I felt my eyes open on their own, letting me look up at him.
"For what?" I whispered breathlessly. T'Challa softly chuckled before pressing a soft kiss to the tip of my nose and to my lips again. Which did not help my 'drunk-from-his-entire-being' brain focus on the conversation.
"For being the most wonderful young woman that you are." He answered honestly, "I cannot begin to imagine what my life would be like without you in it."
"Very quiet, I would think." I teased him. "With the amount of trouble I land myself in, it's a wonder." It was meant to be a joke, but privately I was serious. T'Challa would really have a more peaceful life if I wasn't in the picture, causing so much trouble for him and everyone else.
"Perhaps, but it would lack a certain beautiful young woman." He replied. I barely finished rolling my eyes before T'Challa reclaimed my lips again, causing a wave of warm, loving comfort to wash over all of my senses.
Sure, T'Challa made a quiet life if I wasn't around, but then again we never would have found each. So I guess me getting into trouble isn't as bad as I make it seem.
The feeling of his mouth moving against mine felt—in a word—delicious, like warm honey and as intoxicating as the strongest alcohol. I gave a soft sigh through my nose as my hands curled into fists against his chest, the soft fabric of his shirt hiding the strong muscles in his body. One of his hands moved to cup my face, T'Challa moaning low as we continued to kiss each other.
"I sincerely hope the pair of you aren't planning to go any further, otherwise this will get a helluva lot more awkward." A female voice teased.
I think I just set a record for the quickest simultaneous reaction: the second I heard that voice, my entire body bucked, making my knee to fly in Panther's leg (which clearly hurt him). As my knee connected to his leg, I squealed loudly into his mouth as I pushed the pair of us apart, which caused T'Challa to lose his balance and fall off the couch. Since he still had a grip on my body, I was taken for the ride and landed heavily on top of him.
The same female voice from before roared with hysterical laughter even as I was levitated off of my poor boyfriend's body and set on the ground.
"Not funny, Alenka." I grumbled, getting to my knees and rubbing my now bruised hip.
"Sorry about that." She chuckled, "But it was an opportunity I couldn't resist." I levelled her with a flat look, which she answered with an apologetic shrug. Breathing out a huff, I shook my head at my head at my friend: it doesn't show up all that much, but Alenka is known for pulling pranks. The times that she does get into the mood, I'm grateful that she doesn't make me the butt of them.
"So what brings you to our world?" I sighed heavily, accepting her hand as she pulled me up, "A social catch-up?" The look on her face changed from being playful to sombre and serious, meaning this wasn't a friendly visit.
"Unfortunately, no." She answered, confirming my suspicions. "I need your help with something. Or rather, someone from another Earth." It wasn't so much as her tone of voice that concerned me, but rather her words.
Alenka has a strict rule about never letting people from other Earths cross into another, even if they were good guys. Mostly because they usually had some sort of knowledge that could potentially cause serious harm in the other world. Or the Earth they visit could have some information that would be equally devastating to the person.
All in all—for Alenka to come to ask us for help with another 'Earthling', means that either this person was unresponsive (in a manner of speaking) or she needed our help to take the person down. The second option was always a scary prospect, so I really hope it's not that one she needs our help for.
"What sort of help do you require, exactly?" T'Challa wisely asked as he stood beside me, his hand resting around my waist in a comforting manner. "Surely a being as powerful as yourself does not need help in defeating a villain." The corner of Alenka's mouth twitched upwards in a tiny smile before her serious façade fell into place again.
"Defeated them, no. Comforting them, yes." She responded. I exchanged a confused look with T'Challa before turning back to Alenka for more information. Wordlessly, she reached into the pouch on her hip and withdrew a crystal clear flat rock that fit in the palm of her hand. Using her powers, she projected from the rock an image of the person in question. And I was surprised.
The person was a young girl, probably a few years younger than me. She stood straight and tall, allowing for a better look at her. The outfit she wore was certainly unique: a black body-suit that covered everything below her neck, showing off a slender body, and a black cloak with a hood covered her shoulders, flowing to her inch-high-heeled feet. There were two areas that weren't solid black; a white bodice with shimmering silver runes and sigils emphasized her bust and waist; a band of red that circled her hips and wrapped around the tops of her thighs.
"She goes by the codename Merlin, and she's a powerful magic user." Alenka explained to us both, "She's a few years younger than you, Briar: 16 years old with the coming August. So you can probably relate better with her than the others." Maybe so, but there were a lot of questions I wanted to ask before I committed.
"When you say 'powerful magic user', how powerful are we talking?" I questioned slowly, "And why does she need comforting from me, of all the people in all the Earths?" Alenka gave a slight grimace, which did not make for a good sign. It never made a good sign when Alenka, of all people, grimaces.
"She's named herself 'Merlin' due to her heritage: she's Merlin Ambrosius' great-descendant," She began to explain, "And though she isn't quite as powerful as him—and nowhere near my level—her magics are certainly strong enough to cause some concern. As for your second question...well, she had a rather nasty blow-out with her friends/teammates."
...At what point did Alenka think that having an all powerful mage with stress issues in our world would be a good idea?!
"I hate to ask, but is that wise?" T'Challa asked for me, "A sorceress as strong as Merlin is worrying enough, but for her to have stress issues is—"
"I never said she had stress issues." Alenka interrupted in a firm tone, "What I said was that she—more or less—blew her top off at her friends. She isn't a danger to your world; she just needs a quiet, safe place to stay that isn't in her world. Call it a vacation, if you will. A badly needed one."
I gently bit my bottom lip as I thought about her request. If it were a normal girl, I'd have no problem in looking after her till she cooled off. Given that she's a sorceress was worrying. Though if she's already released her anger on other people, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad. There is one thing, though.
"What sort of blow up did she have with friends?" I asked Alenka.
"From what I've heard, some of her friends have been taking advantage of Merlin and her new-found powers. If that wasn't bad enough, she also had to take on the job of safe-guarding a sub-world, and all the problems within that world." Alenka told me honestly, "So when a certain loud-mouth finally pushed the wrong button too far, she snapped. Big time. She's past the 'completely enraged at people' phase; it's the combined 'I said some hurtful things' and 'I give up on everything' phases that have certain parties worried."
Oh, so that's what Alenka wanted me to help out with! Well, why didn't she just say so in the first place?
"Sure, I don't have a problem with having her here." I smiled, "Though you may want to run it by Tony first."
"I already have. He's agreed to let her stay at the Mansion." Alenka nodded. That's when she broke into her trademark Cheshire Cat grin, the sort that implied something that would definitely involve me.
"Speaking of Tony: he'll be coming here later this evening, and he'd like a word with you." She smirked saucily, "Something about dancing away with an old friend from high school?"
######
What I remember was that I felt a cold weight sink into my stomach, and the colour drain from my face. What I didn't was that I had fainted, so it came as a small shock when I came to and found myself lying on a couch inside the mansion. When my eyes finally focused, I saw T'Challa sitting on the edge of the couch beside me, lightly patting a damp cloth against my forehead.
As soon as he saw that I was conscious again, T'Challa softly smiled down at me, making me smile back.
"How do you feel?" He whispered softly. My smile turned into a grimace as I recalled the reason I had fainted in the first place: my brother finding out about what happened at the Ball. Sensing that I was far from ok, T'Challa removed the cloth from my skin and replaced it with his hand. As he tenderly stroked my face, I gave a soft sigh as my eyes closed again, this time from the bliss and comfort I felt in his touches. I guess I should cherish these moments while I still could.
"Rose?" I opened my eyes again to look at T'Challa. It probably didn't help me that I had started to tear up. My boyfriend frowned a little at the sight, then shifted to lay down beside me. His arms curled around my shoulders and waist, pulling my body close to his, so that I was effectively pinned between the back of the couch and his comfortingly warm, solid body.
In this position, I felt loved and cherished, not to mention protected. It was like T'Challa had become my guardian angel, and his wings were sheltering me from the world outside.
"You are worried about your brother, aren't you?" T'Challa inquired, though he made it sound more like a statement. In any case, he hit my problem on the head with eerie accuracy.
"He's the only family I have left." I whispered, "I can't lose him, but I can't lose you, either. You both mean so much to me now; I'm scared he'll make me choose between you and him." T'Challa remained quiet for a while, pondering over my spoken fears like I was.
The logical part of me tried to assure me that Tony would never be so cruel as to make me choose between the two men that I love the most in my life, but my fears du their claws in deep, and it made me think of the worst case scenario.
"I do not believe Iron Man is that heartless, my love." T'Challa finally spoke, his words making my fears freeze in their tracks. "He is your brother, and is quite protective of his only living sibling. It would make sense that he would only want the best sort of man for his little sister, and that I can protect you as best as I can." The more I thought over his words, the more the fear began to fade away, letting the logical part take a firmer hold.
"You're right." I exhaled lowly, "He might be a pain about it, but he really does want me to be happy and protected, given what a certain slime-gutted slug did to me." At the vague mention of that particular cretin, T'Challa tightened his grip around me, almost crushing my body against his. When I lifted my face to look up at him (and tell him to loosen his grip), T'Challa pressed his lips firmly against mine. Hoo, mama: if I wasn't already lying down, this kiss would definitely have knocked me onto my butt.
"Wow." I croaked huskily once T'Challa pulled back a little. I opened my eyes to see T'Challa looking all too smug for his own good. Which resulted in the pair of us getting into a tickle fit for the next few minutes, and it ended with T'Challa winning, as usual. One of these days, I'll get the better of him, and when I do, I plan to enjoy every moment of it.
######
It was well into the evening when it all happened. T'Challa and I were in the front room, curled up on the couch while watching a film. Voltaire had also joined us, lying on the floor in front of the couch. That was when JARVIS announced that Tony was in the Armoury, and that he wanted a word with me. My nerves reared up again, and would've caused me all sorts of havoc if it wasn't for my loving and attentive boyfriend.
Between his gentle kisses and caresses, I felt calm again—if only a little bit. He then offered to come down with me, and stand by my side in case Tony flipped his lid, but a part of me wanted to do this alone.
It wasn't easy getting T'Challa to stay up here, but in the end he grudgingly agreed to, and have his driver ready to pick us up in case the conversation ended up being a repeat of last time. Something that I hoped wasn't going to be the case.
Another thing T'Challa gently demanded was that I take Voltaire with me. How Voltaire was going to be of significant help was a little beyond me; unless he planned on biting Tony if my brother upset me too much.
With one last hug from T'Challa, and Voltaire faithfully at my side, I entered the elevator and descended into the sub-levels, where either a happy beginning or a sad ending waited for me. I prayed to every heavenly being that existed that Tony wouldn't make me choose.
I paused at the Armoury doors, trying to calm down enough no to fly into a panic attack. Taking a deep breath, and giving Voltaire one last pat for assurance (or even luck at this point), I took a step forward to activate the doors.
The lights inside were on brightly for a change, and as Voltaire and I walked further into the room, I could see Tony busily working away on one of the Iron Man suits, whilst having a conversation with JARVIS. From the tone of the conversation, Tony seemed to be in a happy and playful mood. Let's hope that mood lasts when he notices I'm here for that chat he wanted.
Voltaire happily trotted over to Tony, where the furry beast proceeded to lick the back of my brother's head in several slobbery kisses, catching my brother off-guard.
"Ah, oh, ew! Voltaire! I just had a shower!" Toy protested loudly as he attempted to fend off anymore doggy kisses while wiping the back of his neck. I couldn't help but laugh at their antics, which attracted Tony's attention.
"Hey, sis!" He cheerfully called, finally pushing Voltaire away and getting to his feet. "How've you been?"
"Good." I answered honestly. Scared out of my mind with worry about what comes next, but otherwise just fine and dandy. "Thor told me you guys had an encounter with a real alien. How'd that turn out?" Even though I already knew from Thor what had happened, I did want to hear it from Tony's perspective, hopefully without making it look like I was stalling.
"Kinda awesome." My brother answered as he set down his tools and wiped a rag over his head, "A little crazy at times—there was a bomb to deal with, of course—but mostly it was awesome. Hank loved it, of course: talking to an actual alien." Of course Ant Man would love that experience: the guy was an adorkable, peaceful nerd who loved the thrill of discovering new things.
"By the way, I had a call from Quatermaine a few days ago." Tony added, "Said that while we dealt with an alien bomb, the rest of you guys had an adventure in Wakanda." And here comes the moment of truth.
"You could say that." I muttered nervously before trying a positive tact, "I made a few new friends over there." Tony turned to me with a knowing cock of his eyebrow, meaning my goose was cooked.
"And had a run-in with Joanna and Kyle, too." He added casually, "Plus a super villain named Killmonger, right? And of course, Project Spindle Thorn." Forgot cooked; I was atomic-nuked!
"Tony, I can totally explain." I started to say when Tony raised his hand, signally me to stop talking. Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man! I am so dead. I should have brought T'Challa down with me.
"Thing is...I'm proud of you." He said. He's so going to kill m—pardon?
"Come again?" I asked dumbly, causing Tony to sigh a little and smile at me.
"Quartermaine—plus Hawk and Cap—told me what happened over there and how you saved T'Challa and his kingdom." Tony elaborated further, "I have to be honest, I never thought you would go that far for him. I guess it shows how much you love the guy." His words made me blush a little, and I shifted nervously on my feet.
"Then Gerard called up this afternoon." Tony added, "Said how you and T'Challa looked at each other at the Ball last night. He told me that 'he never saw two people so perfectly meant for each other, not since Howard and Marie': that's a quote, by the way." ...Well...that's a bit surprising.
"Truth is...I kinda knew that already." Tony exhaled heavily, "I just didn't want to admit it, or admit that..."
"That...?" I prodded curiously.
"That my baby sister was growing up, and moving on." He finally said. I could only stare at my brother when the whole conversation began to sink into my mind, and I felt my heart start to pond with overflowing love. So that's why Tony has been so hard on me; he was scared that if I got a boyfriend, there would be no reason for me to go to my brother for help. Oh, that lovable goof.
"Also, if he really means that much to you, I don't have a problem with T'Challa being your boyfriend." Tony added, "Not that you really need it, but I give my blessing on the whole thing." With a soft, happy laugh, I lunged at Tony and threw my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. I felt his arms wrap around me, giving me a gentle squeeze, as he returned the hug.
"Thank you, big bro." I whispered tearfully into his chest, "Thank you so much." I felt his chest rumble as he chuckled before he pressed a loving brotherly kiss to the top of my head.
"Love you, too, lil' sis." He responded warmly, "Just promise me something?" I tilted my head back to look at him, and saw the slightly uncomfortable look on his face. "Can you two keep the gooey stuff private, please? I doubt I can handle seeing my sister getting her face sucked off by a guy with a cat fetish."
It was either the image of said scenario, or that he said T'Challa had a cat-fetish (which is pretty much true): whichever one, it still caused me to shriek with loud laughter. I laughed so hard I nearly fell over, but Tony held onto me and kept me upright...even if he was roaring with laughter too.
"Once we had both calmed down, I promised Tony that T'Challa and I wouldn't be that open with our affection—though how the hell was I going to keep a straight face when I look at T'Challa and the words 'cat-fetish' popped up?
:Snerk! HA, HA, HA! Oh, I love it!: my inner self squealed with laughter, threatening to make me laugh out loud all over again.
Tony, Voltaire and I headed back to the elevator, discussing the up-coming arrival of this Merlin girl that Alenka asked us to looked after. Tony said that she was due to arrive in a few days, possibly even next week (time between the different Earths tended to move differently), so we decided to make the proper arrangements soon.
In the back of my mind, I marvelled at how my life at turned out so far, and what the future may had for me now. Well, no matter what was thrown at me—I would met it with my head held high, and the people I cared for at my side.
So get ready world—Briar Rose Stark in better than ever, and ready to rock!
Ta-da! So what do you guys think? And like I said in a previous chapter; I introduced a new character. Which Earth (meaning which story) she's from though, I won't say. OK, I haven't posted it out yet, but go with me: I'm super happy about this!
Anyways, now that we're back on track-next stop, the Invasion of Kang! Bye guys, and hopefully I'll see you all soon!