Fic: In Another's Eyes (Chapter Twelve)
Title: In Another’s Eyes
Fandom: The Avengers (AU-Cinematic Universe)
Characters: Antonia “Toni” Stark, Steve Rogers, others.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Toni/Steve
Warnings: Mentions of Non-Con, bondage
Summary: A stalker is targeting Toni, which skews how she sees herself and how she allows others to see her.
Author's Notes: I like this chapter. That is all.
( Chapter One) ( Chapter Two) ( Chapter Three) ( Chapter Four) ( Chapter Five) ( Chapter Six) ( Chapter Seven) ( Chapter Eight) ( Chapter Nine) ( Chapter Ten) ( Chapter Eleven)
Chapter Twelve:
Toni was not going to run off with Pepper; Steve needed to be less paranoid and he knew it.
They had talked that morning, after what happened in the workshop; Toni admitted she’d had feelings for him since she was young and he instantly stuck his foot deep into his mouth.
“For Captain America?” His tone could have been a little less condescending and he knew it. Well, he knew that now at least. Toni had been hurt by that, it was visible. Before he could apologize, she stated that she was off to see Pepper; as if by magic, Natasha walked in and Toni got her to go with. Steve then asked if Toni was running back to Malibu to have a tryst with Pepper. The glares he got from both women were terrifying and were followed by a promise that anyone who even looked at Toni wrong would never be found.
In short, Steve was not having a good morning. It got worse when he heard Clint call his name.
“Hey, Cap! Rhodey’s here looking for you!” Steve was unable to decide where he would be able to successfully hide before Rhodey spotted him.
“Come on,” the colonel said, his voice monotone. “We’re going to get a drink.” Steve wasn’t sure where they would be finding a drink at 10am, but he was very sure he didn’t want to argue.
The drink ends up being in a bar on the other end of the city, one that Steve is pretty sure is owned by Stark Enterprises; there’s no one in there but Steve, Rhodey and the bartender and Steve is suddenly worried that he’s going end up with a nice pair of cement shoes. He really needed to stop watching those mob movies that Toni seemed to have an abundance of.
“Toni tell you?” Rhodey asked after a silence that describing as uncomfortable was an understatement. “That she’s had a thing for you since she was a kid?” Steve nodded. “You think she meant Captain America?” Another nod. “Yeah, you’re an idiot.”
“I… what?” Rhodey took a swig from his bottle of Sam Adams, shaking his head.
“When most people meet you for the first time, what do they call you?”
“Captain America,” Steve replied. Stupid question, really.
“And what did Tone call you?”
“Captain Am…” Steve stopped, looking towards Rhodey but not at him. “No… she called me Captain Rogers.”
“Bingo.” Rhodey grinned. It was not at all comforting. “Yeah, Captain America’s cool and all, but Toni…” He looked at the confused captain and grinned. “She never told you?”
“Told me what?” Rhodey shook his head, muttering something; “Typical” was as close as Steve could figure. “Rhodey, tell me what?”
“That light show in her chest ain’t the only problem with her heart.” Rhodey turned to face Steve, a dead serious look in his eyes. “She caught pneumonia as a kid, she was seven. It was a viral strain and it about killed her heart. She needed a transplant, but…”
“But what?”
“But not even Howard Stark could get his kid’s name pushed to the top of the donor list.”
There was silence for a moment, each man taking another drink. The concept of transplanting organs was still relatively new to Steve; he had read about it, of course, but the idea that someone could actually take the heart from a person who had just passed on and give it to another, saving their life… it was mind boggling, yet exciting. For all its other problems, Steve had to admit that parts of the future were just brilliant.
“The waiting list was longer in the 80s than it is now,” Rhodey continued. “Back then, it could take years before someone could get in; most died before they got close. Toni didn’t get her transplant until she was twelve, spent most of the time in between in bed.” Steve couldn’t imagine someone like Toni stuck in bed for so long; five years, waiting for a surgery that might never come. The idea that someone like Howard couldn’t use his influence to get her in sooner was outrageous… it made Steve wonder if there was some other reason she couldn’t get in.
Steve had been a sickly child, but it had never been to the point where he was supposed to stay in bed for more than a few days, a week tops… he wouldn’t have been able to do it. While he couldn’t imagine it, Steve had to admit that Toni being stuck in bed so long made sense. It explained so much about her; how she couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes before having to get up and walk around or at least start doing something, anything with her hands. It explained why she was so quick, why she loved speed and horsepower and doing things she didn’t know how to do just to get a rush she felt she needed (while it was second hand knowledge to Steve, the race car in Monaco came directly to mind). She spent five years of her life in bed; some people might say “Oh, only five years”, but those were years when children are the most active, running around and having fun, and Toni had missed all of them. So she did what any Stark would do; she spent the rest of her life making up for lost time.
“I never knew,” he said. It was all he could think to say.
“Doesn’t surprise me, really,” Rhodey admitted. “I mean, it’s Toni we’re talking about here… though I figured she would have told you of all people.”
“Me? Why?” Rhodey grinned at him.
“What do you think she did all that time?” Steve shook his head, having no idea. “She read your comic books. More importantly, she read your file.”
“My… my military file?”
“No, your high school file.” Steve’s eyes widened; Rhodey rolled his. “Yes, the military file. She started with that, actually.”
“Why?” Rhodey shrugged his shoulders.
“Why does Toni do anything? She got bored, found your file in her dad’s office and started reading. Personally? I think Howard left it for her to find.” Steve raised an eyebrow.
“What makes you think that?” he asked. Toni’s memories of her father were always different than his. He remembered Howard as a good man; nice guy, quick with a joke… the least modest man in the world, yes, but someone that brilliant didn’t really need modestly. Toni remembered him as a cold man who didn’t even like her, let alone love her. It was hard for Steve to believe Toni’s father and his friend were the same Howard Stark.
“Howard wasn’t a good dad most of the time,” Rhodey admitted. “Honestly, I don’t think it was something he ever wanted and therefore, he didn’t know how to deal with it. So he dealt with it the same way he’d deal with anything he didn’t want; he ignored it.” He took a deep breath. “But… I don’t think even Howard could ignore a sick child… especially not one who reminded him of his old friend.”
“…you think Toni reminded Howard of me?”
“Oh hell yes. With all the similarities between you and Toni? Your health issues before the serum? I think Howard knew he was a terrible father and letting Toni find your file, letting her read about Steve Rogers and not just Captain America? I think he was trying to give her hope.” What Rhodey was saying worked with Steve’s memories of Howard. It made him feel better.
“Does she still have problems?” Steve asked. “With her heart, I mean?”
“She used to, off and on; the arc takes most of the stress now.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Toni and I have been friends since we were kids. I was there for the heart problems, the surgeries… the constant “Steve Rogers is so awesome” ramblings. She loves you. And after everything that’s happened to her, she deserves to be happy.” Rhodey’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That being said, if you do anything to hurt her, I will kill you. Captain America or not, your body will never be found.”
Steve Rogers had once stormed a HYDRA base with just a helmet and his shield, saving the lives of many soldiers in the process. He had punched out Hitler (albeit, a fake one) over one hundred times, rode a zip line off a mountain to land on a moving train, and crashed an aircraft into the arctic, surviving seventy years frozen in ice. None of that compared to the absolute fear he just had driven into him by James Rhodes.
“Understood, Colonel.” Before Rhodey could say anything else, Steve got a call on his cell phone. He looked at the number; unlisted. Fury. “Yes, sir?” he said when he answered the phone. The color ran from his face instantly. “Understood, Sir. On my way.”
“What is it?” Rhodey asked, paying the tab while Steve was distracted.
“There’s a giant robot attacking Brooklyn. Toni’s already there, she’s all alone.” Rhodey got to his feet.
“What the hell are we waiting for?”
Fandom: The Avengers (AU-Cinematic Universe)
Characters: Antonia “Toni” Stark, Steve Rogers, others.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Toni/Steve
Warnings: Mentions of Non-Con, bondage
Summary: A stalker is targeting Toni, which skews how she sees herself and how she allows others to see her.
Author's Notes: I like this chapter. That is all.
( Chapter One) ( Chapter Two) ( Chapter Three) ( Chapter Four) ( Chapter Five) ( Chapter Six) ( Chapter Seven) ( Chapter Eight) ( Chapter Nine) ( Chapter Ten) ( Chapter Eleven)
Chapter Twelve:
Toni was not going to run off with Pepper; Steve needed to be less paranoid and he knew it.
They had talked that morning, after what happened in the workshop; Toni admitted she’d had feelings for him since she was young and he instantly stuck his foot deep into his mouth.
“For Captain America?” His tone could have been a little less condescending and he knew it. Well, he knew that now at least. Toni had been hurt by that, it was visible. Before he could apologize, she stated that she was off to see Pepper; as if by magic, Natasha walked in and Toni got her to go with. Steve then asked if Toni was running back to Malibu to have a tryst with Pepper. The glares he got from both women were terrifying and were followed by a promise that anyone who even looked at Toni wrong would never be found.
In short, Steve was not having a good morning. It got worse when he heard Clint call his name.
“Hey, Cap! Rhodey’s here looking for you!” Steve was unable to decide where he would be able to successfully hide before Rhodey spotted him.
“Come on,” the colonel said, his voice monotone. “We’re going to get a drink.” Steve wasn’t sure where they would be finding a drink at 10am, but he was very sure he didn’t want to argue.
The drink ends up being in a bar on the other end of the city, one that Steve is pretty sure is owned by Stark Enterprises; there’s no one in there but Steve, Rhodey and the bartender and Steve is suddenly worried that he’s going end up with a nice pair of cement shoes. He really needed to stop watching those mob movies that Toni seemed to have an abundance of.
“Toni tell you?” Rhodey asked after a silence that describing as uncomfortable was an understatement. “That she’s had a thing for you since she was a kid?” Steve nodded. “You think she meant Captain America?” Another nod. “Yeah, you’re an idiot.”
“I… what?” Rhodey took a swig from his bottle of Sam Adams, shaking his head.
“When most people meet you for the first time, what do they call you?”
“Captain America,” Steve replied. Stupid question, really.
“And what did Tone call you?”
“Captain Am…” Steve stopped, looking towards Rhodey but not at him. “No… she called me Captain Rogers.”
“Bingo.” Rhodey grinned. It was not at all comforting. “Yeah, Captain America’s cool and all, but Toni…” He looked at the confused captain and grinned. “She never told you?”
“Told me what?” Rhodey shook his head, muttering something; “Typical” was as close as Steve could figure. “Rhodey, tell me what?”
“That light show in her chest ain’t the only problem with her heart.” Rhodey turned to face Steve, a dead serious look in his eyes. “She caught pneumonia as a kid, she was seven. It was a viral strain and it about killed her heart. She needed a transplant, but…”
“But what?”
“But not even Howard Stark could get his kid’s name pushed to the top of the donor list.”
There was silence for a moment, each man taking another drink. The concept of transplanting organs was still relatively new to Steve; he had read about it, of course, but the idea that someone could actually take the heart from a person who had just passed on and give it to another, saving their life… it was mind boggling, yet exciting. For all its other problems, Steve had to admit that parts of the future were just brilliant.
“The waiting list was longer in the 80s than it is now,” Rhodey continued. “Back then, it could take years before someone could get in; most died before they got close. Toni didn’t get her transplant until she was twelve, spent most of the time in between in bed.” Steve couldn’t imagine someone like Toni stuck in bed for so long; five years, waiting for a surgery that might never come. The idea that someone like Howard couldn’t use his influence to get her in sooner was outrageous… it made Steve wonder if there was some other reason she couldn’t get in.
Steve had been a sickly child, but it had never been to the point where he was supposed to stay in bed for more than a few days, a week tops… he wouldn’t have been able to do it. While he couldn’t imagine it, Steve had to admit that Toni being stuck in bed so long made sense. It explained so much about her; how she couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes before having to get up and walk around or at least start doing something, anything with her hands. It explained why she was so quick, why she loved speed and horsepower and doing things she didn’t know how to do just to get a rush she felt she needed (while it was second hand knowledge to Steve, the race car in Monaco came directly to mind). She spent five years of her life in bed; some people might say “Oh, only five years”, but those were years when children are the most active, running around and having fun, and Toni had missed all of them. So she did what any Stark would do; she spent the rest of her life making up for lost time.
“I never knew,” he said. It was all he could think to say.
“Doesn’t surprise me, really,” Rhodey admitted. “I mean, it’s Toni we’re talking about here… though I figured she would have told you of all people.”
“Me? Why?” Rhodey grinned at him.
“What do you think she did all that time?” Steve shook his head, having no idea. “She read your comic books. More importantly, she read your file.”
“My… my military file?”
“No, your high school file.” Steve’s eyes widened; Rhodey rolled his. “Yes, the military file. She started with that, actually.”
“Why?” Rhodey shrugged his shoulders.
“Why does Toni do anything? She got bored, found your file in her dad’s office and started reading. Personally? I think Howard left it for her to find.” Steve raised an eyebrow.
“What makes you think that?” he asked. Toni’s memories of her father were always different than his. He remembered Howard as a good man; nice guy, quick with a joke… the least modest man in the world, yes, but someone that brilliant didn’t really need modestly. Toni remembered him as a cold man who didn’t even like her, let alone love her. It was hard for Steve to believe Toni’s father and his friend were the same Howard Stark.
“Howard wasn’t a good dad most of the time,” Rhodey admitted. “Honestly, I don’t think it was something he ever wanted and therefore, he didn’t know how to deal with it. So he dealt with it the same way he’d deal with anything he didn’t want; he ignored it.” He took a deep breath. “But… I don’t think even Howard could ignore a sick child… especially not one who reminded him of his old friend.”
“…you think Toni reminded Howard of me?”
“Oh hell yes. With all the similarities between you and Toni? Your health issues before the serum? I think Howard knew he was a terrible father and letting Toni find your file, letting her read about Steve Rogers and not just Captain America? I think he was trying to give her hope.” What Rhodey was saying worked with Steve’s memories of Howard. It made him feel better.
“Does she still have problems?” Steve asked. “With her heart, I mean?”
“She used to, off and on; the arc takes most of the stress now.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“Toni and I have been friends since we were kids. I was there for the heart problems, the surgeries… the constant “Steve Rogers is so awesome” ramblings. She loves you. And after everything that’s happened to her, she deserves to be happy.” Rhodey’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That being said, if you do anything to hurt her, I will kill you. Captain America or not, your body will never be found.”
Steve Rogers had once stormed a HYDRA base with just a helmet and his shield, saving the lives of many soldiers in the process. He had punched out Hitler (albeit, a fake one) over one hundred times, rode a zip line off a mountain to land on a moving train, and crashed an aircraft into the arctic, surviving seventy years frozen in ice. None of that compared to the absolute fear he just had driven into him by James Rhodes.
“Understood, Colonel.” Before Rhodey could say anything else, Steve got a call on his cell phone. He looked at the number; unlisted. Fury. “Yes, sir?” he said when he answered the phone. The color ran from his face instantly. “Understood, Sir. On my way.”
“What is it?” Rhodey asked, paying the tab while Steve was distracted.
“There’s a giant robot attacking Brooklyn. Toni’s already there, she’s all alone.” Rhodey got to his feet.
“What the hell are we waiting for?”