A/N: Hey guys! So I'm excited by the follows and favorites. It's weird, because I held off on this one for so long, but now I'm really happy I published. Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, Disney, or the Avengers. Just Mia :)
While I wasn't a stuck up rich girl, I had specific tastes. Tony had told Pepper to design the space how she thought I would want it, and I was not disappointed. I stepped into the hall, after the elevator stopped at my floor. Tony pointed out the major rooms, and just how much Pepper knew me. The whole floor was done in earth tones, which made me very happy. I got used to them at the hospital, and I wasn't going to give them up now. Soft blues, and greys made up the furniture in the living room, and Tony had me set up with the best in electronics.
The kitchen was a neutral wood tone with stainless steel appliances, all surrounding a slate grey, marble countertop. The bathroom was lighter, with a stone rain shower, and a deep raised Jacuzzi. A walk in closet was my next favorite thing about the apartment. I had lived in a tiny studio apartment to save money, even though I didn't need to. I needed space now.
"Can I nap?" I asked, eyeing the King sized bed. It looked like the most comfortable thing in the world. Neutral tones made up the comforter and white decorative pillows and a chenille throw were artfully placed on top.
"A small one." I heard a woman's voice say from behind me.
"Pepper!" I said, excited to see my good friend again.
"Oh, I missed you," She said, hugging me tight.
"I missed you too," I said as she released me.
"Shopping days are going to be awesome, now that you're living here," She said, smiling widely. Whenever I visited, Pepper would take me shopping for hours. One time we took a trip over four days. All we did was shop on Tony's card, cause he had stood us up for dinner.
"Well I sleep here, I live at the hospital." I joked.
"You know what I mean," Pepper laughed.
"Are you hungry? I can make us some lunch," Pepper said, pulling me back towards the kitchen.
"I would love some food," I responded with a smile. I sat down at the table while Pepper got to work. Tony took a seat opposite me, and just stared.
"What?" I said, freaked out.
"You know why I wasn't around for your childhood, right?"
"You were busy running Stark Industries, I get it Tony. I turned out alright," I joked.
"When you were about five, you asked where Mom and Dad were. I didn't know how to tell a five year old that she was an orphan. I was the only legal guardian that you had," Tony said pausing, before sighing, "But you were starting to look like Mom. And it killed me to look at you."
"Oh."
"Don't get me wrong. I loved Mom, but seeing you reminded me that she would have been disappointed in me, not paying attention to you. And just when I made the decision to play a more active role in your life, Obie distracted me with some project that needed my genius."
"I get it Tony. I'm not angry with you. When I finally understood what you did, I accepted my life before that point. You did the best you could, under difficult circumstances."
"My point is, I didn't do the best I could, not for you. And I want to make up for that. I'm sorry it took me getting kidnapped, for a wake up call on how I was treating you."
"I turned out alright because my older brother sent me to the best schools, at which I made the greatest of friends, and he still made time to check up on me, and visit almost every two weeks. I am, who I am today, because of you Tony. And that's a compliment," I said smiling at my brother, who had ducked his head in shame.
"But if I was in your life more," Tony started, but I cut him off.
"Tony, you never let me feel sad. You were always doing something to keep me happy, while trying not to spoil me. We talked each night, or at least when it was night for me. You made my childhood happy, even when you weren't there. Remember that giant teddy bear you sent to my school? They wouldn't let me keep it in my room, so I thought we could put it in the gym for the little kids to play with."
"I got a strict warning from the Headmistress," Tony laughed.
"My point is, you were in my life, as much as I needed you. I grew up independent, and able to think for myself. If I had grown up in Malibu, I would have probably been like Paris Hilton. Now, I save lives, and I fix brains. You saved me from a life of paparazzi, and being spoiled."
"An interesting way to look at it."
"Money goes to your head sometimes," I said, smiling.
"Three cheese and ham frittatas," Pepper said putting a plate in front of Tony and I.
"Looks delicious honey," Tony said, smiling up at Pepper.
"Tony, if you need me to say it, I will. I forgive you, but there is nothing to forgive." I said, giving him a look, before digging into the food in front of me. Pepper started another conversation, revolving around what would happen when Natasha and I met. She sounded like my kind of person. While I was an upbeat person, I had a morbid streak. You had to, especially to want to work on brains all the time.
"Cap has been excited to meet you." Tony said again.
"I don't want to meet the dinosaur." I said, sighing.
"He's not a dinosaur," Pepper scolded me.
"I'm still going to be at the hospital more than I am here. I'm only here for sleeping," I joked.
"Yes, miss Head of Neuro," Tony said, smirking at me, because I hadn't told Pepper yet.
"You are the head of Neuro? I thought it was just an Attending position!" Pepper exclaimed.
"The Chief is bringing me in, specifically to groom me to take his place. I need to get experience running a department before I run a hospital." I said, stunning Pepper and Tony.
"You never told me that." Tony said, confused.
"Surprise?" The word came out like a question, as I wasn't sure how to answer him.
"Jarvis, have Dummy bring up a bottle of champagne. The good stuff." Tony said, looking pleased with the news.
"It's 10am Tony," Pepper said, looking exasperated.
"Add some orange juice then." He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I just got all the tequila out of my system from last night. And I'm not proud of what happened afterwards," I said, thinking back to my night with Steve.
"What exactly happened?" Pepper said, raising an eyebrow.
"Took a guy back to my hotel and had hot sex. And then some this morning," I whispered, as I really didn't need Tony overhearing. He was busy arguing with Jarvis over the champagne selection.
"Was he cute?"
"Boy next door, but more mature. Blonde hair, blue eyes, muscles galore." I giggled.
"Oooh," Pepper said, giggling with me, "Think you'll see him again?"
"I don't know. It seemed like a one night kind of thing," I said, pushing the remaining frittata around the plate.
"Do you remember his name?" Pepper inquired, looking at me with laughter in her eyes.
"He tried giving me a fake name at the club. He looked like he didn't belong there. It was a dance club, and he looked like he needed to be at a Jazz club. Old- fashioned."
"What was his name," Pepper asked, looking to be putting something together in her head. For what I didn't know but I answered her anyways.
"Steve," I smiled. Pepper's face looked like it would crack in half when she smiled, and it freaked me out.
"It's not like I found the "One" at a night club." I joked.
"Do you plan on seeing him again? Because he'd have been crazy to consider you a one night stand." Pepper said, looking excited.
"I don't know. I'll be on-call for the first 3 months. I won't have time for dates, and while he was great sex, I'm not sure if I see myself in a relationship after Connor."
Connor, or the devil incarnate as I liked to call him, was a problem. He didn't quite understand that when we started dating, that he had to stop dating other people.
"Connor is dealt with. You're a free woman." Pepper was of course meaning the jail sentence he was serving for assaulting me when I confronted him about this, and the restraining order.
"I'm chained to my career. I don't get regular office hours or vacation." I countered.
"I've dealt with that. Just tell your boss you need a day or two off and you're free to go." Tony said coming back to our conversation.
"I'm committed to my work. I want to make a good impression on the staff before I start behaving weirdly." I laughed.
"Would you believe that I convinced him you were doing work for the Avengers?" Tony inquired, his face giving away that he said exactly that.
"I'm a surgeon. Unless someone is dying of a gunshot wound," I trailed off, before chugging a bottle of water.
"Thirsty much?" Pepper joked.
"I'm still feeling the effects of the tequila. I need to flush it out," I said, breathing deeply.
"How many shots?" Tony asked, wondering.
"A bottle," I said sheepishly.
"How big was this bottle," Tony asked, sounding wary.
"Only a litre…" I whispered.
"ONLY a LITRE?" Tony yelled.
"It's light compared to what I usually have on my nights off. I was just letting off some steam before I start tomorrow." Tony sighed. Obviously he had been cutting down on what he drank. He didn't want me to drink myself into an early grave.
"What time is that?"
"5am. I got a 12 hour shift," I explained as the elevator door opened. A single armed robot emerged with a bottle of champagne and I yelled in excitement, "Dummy!"
The robot was so happy to see me, he dropped the bottle. Tony caught it just in time though.
"I regret building him for you." Tony sighed, as Dummy rubbed himself against my stomach.
"He's like the puppy you never let me have," I said, laughing.
"Then he stays on your floor."
"You can help me keep everything clean!" I said, which made Dummy look up excitedly. He immediately set to work on taking my suitcase to my room.
"Alright, well, settle in, and come up for dinner tonight."
"Maybe. You know how much I don't like crowds."
"We aren't a crowd, we're a really big obnoxious family." Pepper chuckled.
"I've got some homework though," I said pointing to the four files on the couch, where I had thrown the hospital policy binder when I walked in.
"Anything exciting?" Tony said rubbing his hands together.
"Inoperable brain tumor," I said with air quotes.
"You're going to get it out?" Pepper said hopeful.
"I already did," I bragged, as I showed them the scans of before and after the 10-hour surgery.
"They would have been crazy not to hire you." Tony said, smirking.