Nothing Will Ever Bring Us Back Together
Chapter Ten- Meeting the parents part one
STARK HOUSEHOLD
"Are you sure you want to do this, Ethan?" Ella Stark asked. It was finally the date they had set for meeting Pepper and Tony. The two of them had decided to do Ella's parents first because they didn't freak out every time they heard Ethan's name.
"Come on Ells, I'll never be ready but you might want to start preparing yourself to meet mine. However bad this is, tomorrow will be ten times worse. Your mum doesn't carry a gun everywhere she goes, your dad doesn't need to have a bow to hand at all times. They even sleep with weapons under their pillows for God's sake."
"Ethan, it will be fine. Ok, here we are, home sweet home."
"Seriously? Your house is massive." He was really impressed but Ella was just embarrassed.
"Yeah, and I hate it."
"My house must be so small compared to yours."
"It's probably nicer, your part of town is so pretty. And your house is probably much more homey. Mine is just empty rooms we don't need. Where are my keys?" Ella shook her bag out. "I give up. J? Can you open the door?"
"Certainty, Miss Stark and accomplice." The door opened but there was no one standing behind it.
"Who's J?"
"A robot. He's sort of like a butler but he is a robot. Real name is J.A.R.V.I.S. Listen, Hey J what's the time and where are my parents?"
"The current time in Los Angeles is approximately four oh seven pm. Mr Stark is currently in his lab and Mrs Stark is currently in her office."
"Thanks J. Are you ready to meet my parents, Ethan?"
"It's now or never."
"Do you mind the stairs? I hate the lift. It's four flights though."
"What ever makes you happy." Ethan smiled. The pair walked up the stairs together to Pepper's office.
"Mum? I'm home."
"Hi El. How are y- you brought your boyfriend round!" Pepper studied Ethan. She saw Clint's hair, Natasha's eyes but mainly Clint in all the dominant features. If she didn't know his surname, she wouldn't have made the connection.
"Yep. You didn't believe that I would, did you?" Ella's voice started to rise.
"Well, it wasn't liked that..."
"Yes it was, exactly like that. Come on, Ethan." Ella stormed out. Ethan shrugged and followed her. She led him up to her room.
"That's my mum. Never believes me, always working. She will get J.A.R.V.I.S. to tell my dad and he will be up in a sec. He's always in his lab working on something new. His lab is more of a workshop though." Ella said as Ethan sat down next to her on the bed.
"You have a lovely room." Ella smiled.
"El, are you in there?" Tony Stark asked and as Ella gave an 'I told you so' look to Ethan she replied.
"Possibly. Did mum send you up?"
"Possibly. Well that and the vials which must not be spilt were shaking with the running of the stairs." Ella laughed. "Come on El, let me in."
"No."
"Jarv? Open Ella's door for me please." The door opened.
"Oh, yeah. Hi Ethan. Why does your mother want me to talk to you El?"
"Hello, Mr Stark."
"Tony is fine. El?"
"Nothing, dad. She jut annoys me sometimes."
"She annoys me, too. What did you do?"
"Go ask Jarv or bother Joe."
"I'll do that later. I have to do the boyfriend quiz first."
"Oh God no. Good luck Ethan." Ella buried her face in to the nearest pillow.
"So, where did you meet?"
"On the school bus."
"When did you ask her out?"
"Spannish lesson. I was writing Ella's pen pal letter thing for her."
"Sorry, she is not good at Spannish."
"Good at science though, I probably have the best lab partner."
"I'm rather good at science too. Anyway, I'll ask you some more questions later. Gotta talk to Peps."
He left the room and Ethan said, "Who is Peps?"
"My mum."
"What is her real name?"
"Viginia but most people call her Pepper. I am sorry about that, by the way, that is my father. A person who is very childlike and overuses sarcasm."
"It's fine." There is a knock at the door.
"Ella? Can I come in, please?"
"What have you done, Joseph?"
"Dad might have caught me in his lab."
"Oh, God, you are done for. Come in." Joe walked in to the room.
"Hey, Katya's brother."
"Just go hide in the wardrobe or something." Joe went. "That is my annoying little bro who is slightly strange-"
"HEY!"
"You didn't have to listen. And that concludes my slightly dysfunctional family." Ethan ssmiled as Tony shouted up the stairs.
"HAS ANHONE SEEN JOSEPH HE HAS BEEN IN MY LAB, AGAIN!"
"YEP, HE'S IN MY WARDROBE." Ella shouted back.
"Ella!" Joe hissed as the door opened.
"Come on, Joe," Tony said, smiling through his anger, "I have something to show you." Once they had left the room, Ella looked over at Ethan who was smiling.
"Kat does the same thing to me," He said, "But I can't do it to her. She would kill me," He lifted up his top a little to show a line of fading bruises. "That's from when I called her friendless, the day we got them slips. Yeah, my sister is deranged as well." The two of them carried on talking, not knowing that Tony and Joe were listening just outside. Writing notes to show Pepper. And to use against Ella.
"Mrs Stark requests that you come to dinner, Miss Stark and Accomplice."
"His name is Ethan, J."
"Miss Stark and Mr Barton." They went downstairs and ate, not really talking but occasionally asking Ethan a question. When Ethan went home, he felt happy and hoped Ella would be ok with his parents too.