"Movie night!" Jessica called, running into the enormous living space.
It had been six days since the press conference, and Jessica had settled into the Avengers HQ nicely. She and Peter got a long pretty well, and Tony and Rhodey were thrilled to be able to spend more time with her.
Natasha and Vision, who met Jessica when Peter did, also liked her a lot. Although she tended not to let herself get attached to too many people, Natasha bonded with Jessica, and they spent hours training in the gym or just talking. One time, Tony burst into Natasha's bedroom, ready to complain about how she took toilet paper out of his bathroom, but found her and Jessica sitting on her bed, eating fruit rollups and looking at looking at pictures of Catwoman cosplayers.
Yeah, Tony was a little surprised, but hey! If Jessica was going to join the family, she might as well bond with everyone over something, even if it was fruit rollups.
Vision, on the other hand, didn't hang out too much with Jessica at first. When she saw him flipping through a copy of Anna Karenna though, they debated over whether Anna desevered to die for what she'd done.
Of course she spent time with Rhodey, her step dad. He was her rock, and she had missed him when he was away. When she and her Mom heard of his accident, they were terrified; she cried for hours, and prayed that he'd be alright. Words could not describe her relief when she found out he wasn't going to died, but her heart broke a little again when she was told he'd never be able to walk again, and, if by some miracle he could, it wouldn't be a lot.
"Yes!" Peter exclaimed, squeezing Gwen's hand even tighter.
Peter had been very eager for Jessica to meet his girlfriend, and Jessica had wanted to meet her also. After all, Peter had been rambling about her ever since he and Jessica first met.
"I love movies!" Gwen added, gesturing for Jessica to come sit down next to her on the couch.
Jessica, Peter and Gwen sat down on the couch, and Tony followed, carrying two bowls of popcorn in his hands. Natasha came next, grasping a box of fruit rollups, one of which she handed to Jessica. Rhodey wheeled in next, then Vision, who fazed through the wall.
"Okay, so what're we going to watch?" Tony asked, sitting down on the floor.
"You sure you want to sit there, Tony?" Gwen questioned.
"Too late. I'm already here," he replied saucily, handing Gwen one of the popcorn bowls.
"Guys! C'mon!" Jessica exclaimed, taking the wrapper off her fruit rollup.
"I have an idea!" Peter said "Batman verses Superman!"
"Yes!" Jessica and Gwen yelled in unison, and then they started giggling.
"I haven't seen that yet," Natasha added.
They all started talking to each other excitedly, their strands of conversation almost inaudible. Tony glanced up at Rhodey, who was parked next to the couch. Rhodey chuckled to himself, and shook his head. Tony looked irritated.
"Let's watch something else guys," he complained, grasping a few kernels of popcorn in his hand.
All eyes turned to him.
"What, why not?" Jessica protested loudly.
"I know the reviews weren't the best, but it's Ben Affleck at Batman! How could it be cooler?" Peter added.
"That's just it," Rhodey murmured under his breath, receiving a strong glare from Tony.
"I prefer real life super heroes like—I don't know—me?"
"You're such a bastard," Natasha muttered under her breath.
"Wow, Tony, wow," Rhodey said, a cheeky smile crossing her face.
Once again, Tony glared at him, but this time, Rhodey wasn't going to give in.
"How about you tell us the truth, Tony?" Rhodey pressed, turning his wheel chair towards his friend.
Tony muttered something about 'meddling' under his breath.
"Yeah, Tony. How about you tell us?" Jessica challenged.
"Yeah," Peter added, which was accompanied by Gwen ardently nodding along with him.
"Fine!" Tony exclaimed "But you have to promise not to laugh!"
"I don't think we can," Gwen replied.
Tony rolled his eyes dramatically, and sighed.
"Peter, can you tell me what my Instagram bio says?"
"Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist."
"What's the third word?"
"P—playboy."
"Now, kids . . . This just isn't something you should do. I mean, like ever. It's just, back in the day, I was a playboy."
"What do you mean 'was'?" Rhodey taunted.
Tony ignored Rhodey and went on.
"Anyway, I was at a red carpet even. I don't remember which one, but after the event, there was an after party. Guess who was there?"
"Uh, no," Peter said.
"He's in t—the movie."
"Ben Affleck?" all three of the teenager exclaimed in unison.
"Oh my gosh, Tony! Playboy and Ben Affleck? You didn't—"
"What no! Get your mind out of the gutter, Peter Parker!"
"S—sorry."
"It did involve his lovely girlfriend though."
"His girlfriend?" Peter asked timidly.
"Yeah," Tony replied sheepishly, scratching behind his ear.
"Oh my gosh!" Natasha exclaimed, her eyes wide open with shock.
"Who? Who?" Gwen questioned.
Tony looked down at his feet, trying to ignore the pestering.
"Tony?" Rhodey said again.
Tony muttered something quietly.
"Speak louder, Tony Stank!"
"He said something again, a little louder, but not loud enough to understand.
"Louder!"
"JENNIFER LOPEZ, OKAY? ! JENNY FROM THE BLOCK!"
"TONY STARK!" Jessica and Gwen shrieked once again in unison.
Peter flushed bright red, and looked down at his hands.
"In my defense she's a really good—"
"Ew, no!"
"And I didn't know Ben was dating her!"
"How could you not?" Natasha question, opening another fruit rollup.
"I might have been drunk."
"That's not an excuse."
"She liked it!"
"What a dirty—"
Natasha shook her head, snickering under her breath.
"Ben was pissed to say the least."
"He gave you a black eye," Rhodey added.
"Shut up, Rhodey!"
"Alright, story time with Tony is over!" Tony exclaimed "Start the movie! I don't care!"
"But story time isn't over," Rhodey cut in.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Nope, Mr. Stank. Keep going, please."
"Alright fine. So, at another party, several years later, Ben and I were in attendance. Not together, of course. We don't really get along anymore— Anyhow, I had way too much to drink, I when I say way too much, I mean way too much."
"Go on."
'So, I was at the bar, drinking another shot of tequila when his then wife showed up to get drinks for her and her then husband, Ben."
Peter, Gwen and Jessica's eyes widen once again in disbelief.
"I started talking to her, and she was polite and all, at least I think she was . . . Then, I—um—kissed her."
"My god, Tony!" Jessica almost screamed, clutching a pillow to her chest.
She was clearly enjoying "Story Time With Tony" way too much, which annoyed Tony a bit, but if he had learned anything in his life, it was to own things.
And he was gonna own this.
He leapt to his feet, and extended his hands dramatically.
"I kissed her and it was probably the best kiss she ever experienced in her entire life!"
He started pacing back and forth, waving his hand in the air, and then he turned back to his eager audience.
"Ben saw me kissing his wife, and he knew—oh yes, he knew that she was kissing me back. In a raging fury, he charged towards me."
Tony reached out in front of himself dramatically, staring over the teenager's heads.
"He grabbed me by the neck, and said to me 'Anthoney Stark! I hate you. You have kissed my women twice now and I shall have to end you.'"
"Really?" Peter said in awe.
"No, silly!" Gwen said laughingly.
"Yes," Tony replied, ignoring Gwen's comment "His wife started pleading for my case, and said 'Oh Ben, please! Please spare him!' And I muttered 'Don't worry, doll face! I can overcome your beast of a husband!'"
"Wow," Natasha murmured, sarcastic awe in her voice.
"Ben squeezed tighter and tighter and tighter, but then I, with my brilliant mind, kicked him right in the—err—crotch, and he fell back, right onto Michael Keaton, who was watching nearby. Anyway, he fell back, unconscious!"
He paused for dramatic effect.
"I then grabbed his wife by the waist, and exclaimed 'Never cross with me, Benjamin Affleck ever again, or I'll beat your sorry ass all over again!'"
Peter listened in disbelief. He wasn't stupid, so he was sure a lot of Tony's story was well . . . fabricated. Glancing over at Gwen, he stared at her. Gwen's mouth hung open in shock at Tony's outlandish story. Jessica too seemed highly entertained. She was constantly chuckling to herself, and shook her head in disbelief a couple of times.
Natasha was laughing also. She was mostly surprised Tony had never shared this story with her before. Although they met under less than perfect circumstances for forming a friendship, they became pretty close over the years. He told her a lot of funny stories about his Don Juan-like escapades, and she was always entertained. However, this one was better, even though she knew parts of it were well . . . exaggerated.
Rhodey was the only one of the bunch who had had the pleasure of hearing this story before (minus the part of knocking the actor unconscious.) Still, he found Tony's embellishments rather amusing, so he leaned back, and watched Tony's dramatic performance continue.
"I then kissed his wife again, just as he came back to it. He was upset, growling to himself like an angry mama bear. I'll never forget the look on his face . . ."
Tony gazed off into the distance, attempting to look as dramatic as possible. His audience of teenagers were thrilled and entertained, even more than Batman vs. Superman could have.
"In the end, I left Mrs. Affleck with Ben. After all, I am an incredibly merciful guy."
Natasha choked.
"Shut up, Natasha!"
"Sorry."
Tony sat back down on the floor, criss-cross-applesauce. He held his hands up, and put his fore finger and thumb together. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply.
Everyone watched him with fascination, anticipating Tony's next possible antics.
"Oh, I remember that day like it was yesterday! It is painted so clearly into my mind. I think it was probably one of my best moments."
He opened his eyes quickly to wink at Natasha. Of course, the assassin rolled her eyes. Tony closed his eyes again.
"Ben Affleck desevered to get his ass beaten—"
"It sounded like you were getting your ass beaten for a second," Peter added.
Tony shushed him.
"So, my children, that is my story. Please remember it, and the lessons it teaches you."
"What lessons?" Jessica asked.
"Oh be quiet, Jessica Drew! Anyhow, that is my story for tonight, folks. Maybe I'll tell you another one another time."
With that, Tony jumped to his feet, grabbed his popcorn bowl and left.
Everyone burst out laughing.
"That son of a bitch!" Rhodey exclaimed.
Gwen leaned onto peter's shoulder, gasping for breath.
When they finally stopped, they sat in silence for a few minutes.
"So, you wanna watch the movie now?" Jessica asked.
"Nah," everyone said in unison.
"So," Peter asked "Who was Ben Affleck's wife?"
"Jennifer Gardiner, but they're divorced now."
Peter's eyes widened in surprise.
"Anthony Stark, you dog!"
Everyone started laughing again.
They sat around in a circle on the floor, eating their popcorn, discussing Tony's epic take down of the famous actor. Each time they retold it to each other, they laughed, but no one could do Tony justice.
Well, he is Tony Stark.
Who on earth could do him justice?
Hey Everyone!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I wrote this today actually because I'm working on a mission, but it's not coming together too well. Since I want it to be absolutely perfect (for you guys,) it make take a while. I hope this holds you over. Diving into some of Tony's previous mishaps is something I've always wanted to do, and although I love Marvel much more, I enjoy watching DC flicks. I also wanted to establish Jessica as Peter's friend.
Please like/follow/review! It really motivates me to write more. So basically, if you want chapters sooner, leave a review. ;p
Much Love,
gotmoreissuesthanvogue