Thirteen
I awoke the next morning fully expecting an empty bed. I was pleasantly surprised to smell Lana's sweet perfume. I opened my eyes to see her head on my shoulder and a hand on the Arc Reactor. She was so beautiful lying against me. Her soft porcelain skin had the slightest touch of pink, her raven hair so soft against me. So peaceful. I almost hated to have to leave her in bed, but I had to pee. I squirmed out from her and tiptoed off. My body sore in so many places.
I wanted to return to to stare at her peaceful face more. When I did I was caught off guard, as sleeping in her place was Loki. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. My Lana was there, safe and sound. No one else.
"Great, now Thor's got me paranoid too." I whispered to myself shaking my head. "Maybe I need to stop drinking." That thought brought a smile to my face. Me, stop drinking, ha!
She was so beautiful, just sleeping. I didn't want to leave, but someone needed to start coffee. And I still needed to pee.
I rummaged around for coffee and food in the small lab kitchen after returning from the bathroom. I hadn't been shopping. That was something Pepper always did.
Pepper. I thought I had her out of my head.
"Jarvis, can you find us some breakfast and coffee to be delivered?"
"I highly doubt that sir, as it it 1:30 in the afternoon, but I will try."
"Thanks, Jarvis." I looked around noticing the mess for the first time since I'd been there. Tools scattered on every surface, my gauntlets torn apart across the main desk, a fist shaped hole in the glass of that desk, broken glass on the floor, a TV with a wrench sticking out of it. Take out containers and clothes littered the floor.
"Hey, Dum-E. Get that glass." I ordered the machine. He enjoyed sweeping and was an excuse for him to put the fire extinguisher down. I grabbed a trash can and starting picking up. I glad it was dark in the lab last night, didn't need Lana to think I was a slob… Well, I am.
Breakfast arrived as I was finishing cleaning up. Jarvis had managed to find us French toast with lots of whipped cream. It looked more like desert than breakfast, but what's a computer to do at two in the afternoon.
I arranged everything on plates and brought it into the bedroom off the lab. Lana was sitting up when I backed myself into the door.
"Good morning." She murmured.
"Good afternoon, princess. I brought breakfast and coffee." I sang.
"How sweet, but I've never had coffee."
"Never had coffee? The nectar of the gods?" I mocked her, jokingly.
"I will try it if you quit." She smiled.
"Ok," I handed her the paper cup. "I didn't know you've never had coffee before, I didn't know how'd you like it. So I added some sugar and milk. I hope you like it." I sipped my own black coffee.
"Is this what you have for breakfast everyday?" She gestured to the overly sugary French toast.
"Fuck no, I usually have a cup of coffee and forget about eating until about dinner."
"Then what's the special occasion?"
"You." I smiled, leaning in to kiss her. She smiled into my kiss. We are in relative silence. She did, however lick the whipped cream from the corner of my mouth.
"I see you found my necklace." Lana lifted the charm off my chest.
"Uh, yeah. You left it in the casino hotel room. I didn't think you'd want to lose it." I went to take it off.
"I thought I had lost it! You keep it for now. Something to let you think of me, when we're not together. It looks good on you too."
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"What does what mean?"
"The snakes? Does it mean something? Like the medical bracelets." I played dumb so I could hear it from her.
"I don't think it means anything. It was my mothers. I thought it was pretty and she gave it to me, that's all." She still played with the charm. Thor was wrong, for once. She had nothing to do with Loki. I couldn't wait to gloat this in his face.
"Thor told me the snakes were part of his brother's crest."
"Thor has a brother? Probably big blonde and stupid too." She sneered.
"Not a fan of Thor."
"No."
"No, Thor's brother is nothing like him. I met him during the battle of New York." I sighed.
"Tell me about him?"
"Well, he's taller than me, and he seems intelligent. He led the attack on New York. I guess a person has to have some smarts to construct an invasion. Were you there, in New York?"
"Yes, I didn't know what was happening. What else about Loki?" She pressed.
"Ha, I didn't get much else. I was busy being thrown out a window by him. The next time I saw him, Hulk had smashed him into the floor." I finished as she cringed at the prospect of being thrown around by the Hulk.
"And Thor says this symbol has something to do with Loki?" She was still playing with the little charm before letting it drop to my chest, right above the reactor.
"Something like that, but I wouldn't worry. He assured me that Loki had died in battle. Died a hero in fact, saving Thor's little woman."
"Is that so." Lana smiled, but changed the subject. "You said you wanted to talk."
"Yes, that's what we're doing." I smirked.
"What do you want to know?" She giggled at my joke.
"Anything, everything. Your likes, dislikes, give me something."
"I like you." She grinned leaning in to kiss me, stoking my goatee.
"I like you too, but we sound like fifth graders. Maybe we need a few drinks to loosen our tongues."
"But it's 2:30. You think we should be drinking so early?" She did smile with a dirty thought behind those eyes.
"It's five o'clock somewhere." I went to find some whiskey to add to our coffee. "Irish coffee, my love?"
"I am finding a liking to this coffee."
"Good, good. That's a start. So, we've established your name is Lana. You like coffee, alcohol, and me. And you don't like blondes." I stated. Lana playfully smacked me on the arm.
"I'm not good at this. I've had very few serious relationships." She sighed.
"Well, there's something we have in common. My one serious relationship walked out of my life about a month before I met you, Lana."
"My last was many years ago." She looked at a spot on the far wall, lost in memory.
"Do you want to talk about it? Or is it too painful?"
"It's a bit painful yet." She smiled and returned to the present. "My adoptive parents never approved."
"Are there kids?"
"Oh, gosh no. It's just we spent a long time together, and when we broke up, there was a lot of fighting. She hasn't forgiven me yet."
"She?" I tilted my head like a confused cocker spaniel.
"Ha ha, I forgot that's not quite comfortable to talk about here, yet."
"Here? Oh, America? Oh, yeah. I guess. So, you're European?" I blushed slightly.
"I know what you're thinking Anthony Stark, and we'll discuss that later." She lightly smacked me again for my dirty thoughts. "Yes, I'm from Great Britain."
"I thought I heard an accent there. And you're adopted."
"Yes, mother and father adopted me as a baby. I have an older brother too. They seem to like him more." Again a sigh.
"What makes you say that?" I took her hand and caressed it lightly.
"I've only found out that I am adopted. My brother has always been doted upon, groomed to inherit my fathers legacy. I fled here to start my own life and prove I am worthy of my parents affections." She sighed again. "Don't get me wrong, I loved my mother very much, but I wish I had fathers affections, like he did for Th…Theodore."
"You said loved."
"Yes," Lana stared down into her coffee. "Mother died earlier this year."
"I'm sorry," I gathered her into my arms. "But I know what you're saying about parents. My father had more affection for his work than he did for me. My mom loved me and I loved her, but I was just a nuisance to my father. Always in the way." It was my turn to sigh. "I did everything to impress him, including graduating from MIT when I was 17. When that didn't work, I turned to drinking, drugs and sleeping around."
"You're father is not impressed with your company or your saving the world?"
"My parents died before my eighteenth birthday. I argued with my father before the crash. They know nothing of this." I gestured to my lab. I held my head in my hands. Lana rubbed my shoulder.
"We seem to have a lot in common."
"It seems that way. I think we need another drink, or at least I do."
"You go ahead." Lana smiled.
"Going to take advantage of while I'm drunk again?"
"Did you not enjoy yourself?"
"I did enjoy it. It was just…different."
"Your first time?" She cooed. I nodded and felt a touch of red in my face.
"That obvious."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'm not. Okay maybe a little." I admitted.
"Don't be. I wanted to make you feel good without hurting you further." Lana pointed to my cast. I smiled. "You'd do the same for me, if I was ever hurt." Lana took my hand and laid her head on my shoulder.