Hey everyone, once again, a QUICK update. Aren't you happy…
Anyways, here is more um…fighting and arguing and Tony Stark. What more can you ask more? Enjoy. And, as always, review!
The next morning, Harmony got up and jumped into the shower. If yesterday's events were a prequel to today's, she would need to jumpstart her day with a warm shower. Afterwards, she got out, and slid into a pair of tight jeans and a tee-shirt. Scrubbing her hair at the roots, she wandered around her room lazily and dumped her backpack out on the bed. Her prized photo album.
She picked up and thumbed through it. When getting to the last page, she noticed a photograph was missing. It was very recent one of her and Carter together in front of the mall. Strange. She searched through all her junk in her backpack. Maybe it had fallen out. No such luck. Fuming, Harmony slammed the album shut and flopped onto the bed backwards.
Even though her and Carter were going through some rough times, that was her favorite photo of them. Debating whether to call him or not, she stuffed everything back into her backpack and tossed it onto the floor.
"Good morning, Miss Clay," Jarvis welcomed. At first, Harmony was startled, and then remembered who it was.
"What…how are you…in here?" Harmony blinked in confusion.
"I am hardwired all over the house, Miss Clay. I am at your service at all rooms in the Stark Mansion," Jarvis replied. "Anything I can do to assist you?"
"No thanks, Jarvis," Harmony smiled in spite of herself. "Wait. How…I mean…can you tell me where Mr. Stark is?"
"Mr. Stark is in his workshop," Jarvis answered. "Let me know if you require any of my services."
The room feel eerily silent. She really didn't like the prospects of spending all summer with this man who was already overtly driving her crazy. True, she had said and done some…unfriendly things, but Tony had been able to match her jab for jab, and that was more then anything Harmony knew could do. Yes, boiled down to it, Harmony had an unsung respect for this genius.
Quietly padding into the kitchen, Harmony surveyed the dismal scene. The crispy bagel still held its offending residence in the sink, now cold and stiff. Peanuts were strewn all over the floor, a griddle was crusted with batter and the dishwasher cocked open.
Setting right to work, Harmony found a broom in the closet and swept the floor. She emptied the dishwasher, which took longer due to the fact she was unfamiliar with the kitchen. Finally, she washed and put up the griddle and took out the trash – including the bagel. Finally, the kitchen was manageable.
However, after her long cleaning task, Harmony was in no mood to cook. Besides, she was an intern, not a maid. She debated within herself as to the terms of the mansion. She was allowed to leave, but it almost seemed as if she was confined to the classy and neat walls of the Stark mansion.
But she wasn't, so she left.
She was surprised her crappy old pickup hadn't been towed from the premises. It stuck out like a sore thumb against Tony's Audi and several other pricy vehicles in the driveway. She may be smart, but she was not rich, and even a internship for Tony Stark didn't pay overly well. Maybe for an internship, but not for a steady job.
Harmony found a empty, low budget donut shop. She always bought from the small shops for two reasons – they were cheap, and they needed the business.
"I hope Tony likes donuts," Harmony mumbled under her breath as she plopped the boxed dozen onto her ripped up cloth seat. In spite of her justifications at her intentions, Harmony really had brought the donuts as a peace offering. Even though her feelings for Tony hadn't changed in any way, she figured they'd better cope with each other if either intended to make it through the summer with their sanity.
As if Tony smelled her coming, he met him in the kitchen.
"Jarvis said you left. Where did you go?" Tony interrogated.
"Guess," she said a little more sarcastically then she meant to, and slid the box of donuts onto the kitchen counter. Tony cut his eyes from donuts to her several times, as if inwardly assessing the situation.
"Forgiven," he said, and flipped open the lid. "What, no chocolate?"
"Sorry," Harmony mumbled.
"No problem. Just kidding," Tony bit into a donut and wiped his lips. For a second there was a very awkward silence. "Listen, Harmony. I know you're just an intern, but would you mind telling me, or Jarvis, if you leave? I don't like not knowing where my people are."
"Why?" She knew she was just being difficult.
"Because I don't. Now, are you going to come help me?"
"Help you…?"
"Work on what you are hired to work on. The molecular physics and whatnot project," Tony started in on his second donut.
"Oh. Yeah, sure," Harmony nodded and brushed her braid out of her face. "Tony."
Tony raised his large brown eyes to hers and blinked innocently.
"I know what happened last night was…weird. But I think we can…live with each other if we really try. Alright?" Harmony smiled shyly.
"Sure. Just don't go yelling at me, okay? I don't like that," Tony's mannerisms indicated he was slightly hurt by the named action.
"Agreed," Harmony said.
"Lets get to work," Tony grabbed the donuts off the counter and motioned with his head. "Workshop, now."
Harmony almost had a hard time keeping up with him as she wove his way through the house and into the workshop. At the bottom of the stairs, he paused.
"Hey…thanks for the donuts," he smiled.
"You're very welcome," Harmony smiled back. Finally, they had come to some sort of clarity.
Tony had been working on a molecular level model, which had on a table in the workshop.
"What is this for?" Harmony said.
"This is my brainchild," Tony pulled out a stack of papers. "See, I'm trying to get a contract with a company."
"I thought Stark Industries was reconsidering weapons manufacturing," Harmony said, opening the box of donuts, which Tony had left on the end table.
"Yes, we are. But this isn't a weapon. I guess you could say this is a pacifier,"
"How so?" Harmony bit into the soft warm skin of the donut and reveled in the sweet, crusty sugar on her tongue.
"Jarvis, pull up the plans for the project," Tony commanded, rubbing his hands together.
"Of course," Jarvis replied amicably. On the holographic table, several images and an assortment of graphs, charts and equations popped up.
"See, I am trying to create an element that can be put into almost a missile," Tony reached into the mish-mosh of holographs and pulled out a model of a rocket. "It can be safely detonated, but merely releases a gas with pacifies."
"You really need a contract just for a pacifying gas?" Harmony scanned the diagram.
"Its not about the gas, Harmony. It's about signing a contract with a sister corporation. Becoming business partners."
"I wasn't aware Stark Industries needed a business partner," Harmony crossed her arms.
"Times are changing," Tony met her staunch gaze. "Hold this." He handed her the holographic missile gingerly. "Just keep your fingers pointed and palms flat."
Following his instructions, Harmony carefully supported the simulated image on her fingertips in wonder. Remarkable.
"Now, we should be able to make a prototype of both the missile and the element in a month for the company before any other corporations try to edge in for the contract. But we're gonna half to double time it." Tony snapped his fingers and twirled a holographic element structure in his hands. With a finger he twirled it deftly in his palm so Harmony could see all sides.
"Got it?" Tony suddenly smacked his palms together and the model instantly disappeared. He used a single finger to slide the missile off Harmony's wrist and flicked it into a virtual file folder on the table.
"I think so," Harmony watched as Tony snapped both fingers and all the images disappeared.
"Let's get going then," Tony hopped off the stool he had taken up residence on, and snatching a donut out of the box, hop skipped and jumped over to the molecular model. "The actual missile should be a piece a cake. It's the element that's gonna be hard to engineer. It'll be much like an anesthetic, scaled down a simple disorientate. Much of the work is already done. But we need to finish this model to display for our presentation to the company."
"That's it?" Harmony was crestfallen. Simple model building would not expand her knowledge of physics.
"No. If you want to finish up these plans and work a couple of these equations out that'd be great. I'll double check all your work and complete the plans in a second. Just let me finish up this model. Oh, and we have to build the missile, of course."
"That's not a small task," Harmony took the stack of plans from him.
"I know, but I got you," Tony said, and quickly whirled around in the chair and began welding on the model.
Something about the way he said it made something pinch and burn in Harmony's chest.