InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Whatever you say, sifu-hotman."

Maria Stark (hisbetterhalf) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2012-06-30 01:09:00

Entry tags:

howard stark, maria stark

WHO: Howard & Maria Stark
WHAT: A somewhat awkward moment of domestic... something.
WHEN: Not long after this.
WHERE: Their apartment.
RATING: TBD
STATUS: In Progress

Although Colligo was far beyond anything she had ever imagined, and was quite a bit in the future compared to the year she was from, Maria liked to think she was making decent progress in acclimating herself to her new surroundings. She had spent a great deal of time studying the device she'd been given upon her arrival - a PDA, apparently is what it was called - and had taken equal amounts of time out of her days to try and familiarize herself with other advancements in technology that surrounded her as well. In some ways, it was relatively easy to do so, considering the wondrous and oftentimes far beyond their times creations that Howard came up with on nearly a daily basis. However, in other ways, it was also exceedingly difficult because all of the instructions and explanations for devices she didn't understand came with their own set of terminology that was as equally baffling to her as the device itself.

Still. For the most part, she was making decent progress. She had figured out how to use most of the things in the kitchen of the apartment that she'd been assigned, and had even managed to make a meal or two since she'd arrived without burning it to a crisp. The coffee pot was still a little confusing when she tried to figure out how to set it to brew without her there to press the button, and the microwave was quite possibly evil incarnate as far as she was concerned, but she had recently discovered how to program the television to record shows while she was away as well as set the answering system on her phone so that people could leave her messages when she wasn't able to answer their calls. True, she wasn't exactly clear on how to check those messages just yet, but she was halfway there and that was good enough for her.

Of course, if she had made half as much progress in her relationship with Howard as she had with the technology, Maria would probably say that her life was as swell as it was going to get, given the circumstances. However when it came to her husband, things were definitely slow going and so awkward, at times, that it was very nearly painful.

She couldn't blame him for that, though. Not entirely. She could only imagine how she might have reacted if their rolls were reversed and reminded herself on nearly a daily basis that she simply had to give Howard time and he would come around. Already he was making great strides to do so. Up to and including making sure he came home every night and not looking at her as though she was about to leap on him and demand he never leave her sight again lest he decide to stray. And, although she wasn't sure Howard realized as much, Maria had tried to do her best to accommodate him as well. Granted most of her accommodations were much the same as the ones she made in their marriage back home, but she saw no reason to let him know that fact. As long as he believed he was free to come and go without any questions from her whatsoever, it wasn't any concern of his at all when she had taken that nonchalant of a role even as his wife. The point was, she wasn't pressuring him to do, or commit, to anything he wasn't comfortable with just yet. All she had asked, in fact, was that he not stray. At least, not until he had given them being together in a serious way a real chance.

And that's exactly what he'd done, too. Which Maria couldn't be happier about. Even if her current happy mood had been somewhat dampened by the conversation with their son-from-the-future. Not because of Tony himself, but rather because she still had a nagging feeling that she had failed him as a mother by not keeping some of Howard's... less positive qualities from coming to light. And that was weighing heavily on her. A fact that she was trying her hardest to hide behind a soft smile as she made her way into the living room where Howard had, once again, taken apart his PDA and was studying it as intently as a child studied their favorite new toy.

Taking a seat beside him, Maria forced her worries about their son to the back of her mind and watched her husband work for a moment before asking lightly, "Call me curious, but are you hoping you'll memorize how the thing ticks so you can copy it when you get home, or are you really just that fascinated with all of those wires and things that make it go?"

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wannafondue
2012-07-02 12:23 am UTC (link)

Howard had done a lot of adjusting since arriving at Colligo. First there were little adjustments, like him being suddenly in a time completely different from his own, with new technology he'd never even dreamed of before. That was a little adjustment. He found the new time period he was in extremely fascinating, and wanted to know everything about it that he could.

Then, there were the slightly bigger adjustments, but not so big that they almost completely threw him off guard. Like Steve being alive and well. That, he could deal with. He'd spent time searching for his friend, for some hope that he could still be alive. Or at the very least, find his body if he wasn't. So Steve being alive and for all accounts healthy was something that Howard could quickly adjust to.

Lastly, there were the major adjustments. Like Maria, who had just started dating back home being his wife. Howard liked Maria. She was a great gal, but it had taken him a little bit of time to get used to that he of all people was married. He'd greatly appreciated Maria giving him time he needed to adjust, and he'd respected her and made sure that she was taken care of. He liked living with her. And after thinking about it, he wasn't going to leave her. Maria was a great woman, and it wouldn't be fair to her if he divorced her just so they could go back to dating. He hadn't strayed since she'd arrived, deciding to give them a chance. And he found out that it was a chance that he'd been willing to take...and probably would have regretted if he had just left Maria the second that she arrived. Married life, while something that Howard certainly wasn't prepared to, was something he could used to. Especially since he was with the right woman.

Though the issue of his and Maria's son from the future who seemed to completely dislike him from Howard's point of view was still something he was adjusting to. That, and from the looks of it, it was starting to make Maria uncomfortable. Howard didn't know what he'd done to make himself such a horrible parent, but he definitely did not like that their son was upsetting his wife.

So Howard had taken to taking apart his PDA when he found himself a little frustrated. Like now. It was something that soothed him, and helped him destress. Though he did look up at Maria when she spoke to him, giving his wife a small smile.

"Mostly a little bit of both, sweetheart. Apparently, you don't remember anything when you get home, but I do like seeing how it works. Among other things. I did put the television back together though, like you asked." He leaned foward, kissing her cheek softly, before turning his attention away from the PDA and to her.

"How are you doing?"

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hisbetterhalf
2012-07-03 04:15 am UTC (link)

How was she doing? Well, now wasn't that a question that could open up a whole bunch of trouble in one go. Not quite sure how much Howard had seen of the conversation between herself and Tony, if he'd even seen any of it at all since he'd taken apart his PDA, Maria wasn't all that keen on cluing him in just yet. However whatever was making her just speak her mind, no matter what, clearly wasn't pleased with that idea. So while her intention had been to brush off his question and re-direct the conversation to something else, she found herself admitting, "Not all that nifty."

Regretting the words as soon as she'd said them, that still didn't stop her from adding almost instantly by way of explanation, "I was chatting with Tony, just now. Finally had to turn that doohickey off so I could get other things done." Okay. That hadn't been too bad. She had at least been able to stop herself elaborating too much. That was progress.

Glancing over at his PDA in pieces, Maria's smile, although still a bit troubled around the edges, became far more sincere and affectionate. If anyone was going to remember the technology from this place when they went home, it would probably be him. Hoping that maybe a change in conversation would steer their talk in a direction that wasn't so heavy, she looked back to him and added, "I'm glad you put the television back in one piece, too. Thank you. I'd only just figured out how to make the thing work right and proper."

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wannafondue
2012-07-04 03:24 am UTC (link)

At the mention of Maria chatting with Tony, Howard raised an eyebrow. From what he had seen on the network, it appeared that his son from the future had an unknown problem with him. And while Howard was a little annoyed, as he hadn't even known who Tony was before arriving in Colligo, he had more important things to worry about than his son from the future who had unresolved Daddy issues. Like his wife.

"And how did that go?" He asked. "Tell me, sweetheart. Did he say anything to make you upset?"

Talking about his tendencies to take apart the technology in their apartment could wait. Right now, he was more concerned about her feelings.

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hisbetterhalf
2012-07-04 04:05 am UTC (link)

Even if she'd had the ability to lie at the moment, the thought of doing so never even crossed Maria's mind as Howard asked how her conversation with Tony had gone. Did she wish, perhaps a bit, that she could lessen the blow by making her answers less direct? Perhaps. But she certainly wouldn't have considered lying to him, especially about something like this.

Of course, it was all a moot point entirely because right now she couldn't lie. In fact, she barely got the chance to even think on what she was going to say before the urge to answer became almost overwhelming and she was responding. She did manage to keep her tone light, at least, in the vain hope that might make the sting of what they'd discussed a little easier to handle. Because, even if he didn't remember them getting married, he was still her husband, she loved him dearly, and the thought of anyone upsetting him - particularly for things he'd yet to even do - bothered her a great deal.

"He seems like a fine man," she began, first and foremost, trying to choose her words carefully. Unfortunately, that was as far as she got with that attempt before the compulsion to just speak her mind took over. With a soft sigh, she looked to Howard. "The whole mess is upsetting," she admitted finally. "He blames you for things I can't ever see you doing, would rather pretend to be someone he isn't than deal with either of us, and even though he insists I was a fine mother, I really don't see how that could be the case at all."

Exhaling heavily, she sighed once more and shrugged. "He did invite me to see his lab, so I suppose that's something at least," she tacked on as reasonably as she could manage. "But he's fairly convinced I never wanted children which, no, I'd certainly never planned on having any but what sort of woman doesn't want them, even a little? I can't think of a singular one I know who feels that way..." Making herself stop speaking, willing to bite through her own tongue if it came to that, Maria was silent for a few seconds before adding with a somewhat misty eyed expression and in a slightly wavering tone, "I just wish it wasn't all such a mess. That's all."

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wannafondue
2012-07-05 03:54 pm UTC (link)

Howard sighed, placing his hand lightly on her arm. "I'm sorry I really haven't done anything about it," he said. "I've still been wrapping my head around everything since I've gotten here, and I haven't been paying attention to him for the most part. But he was upsetting you, so I should have picked up on that. The fact that he seems to be just taking out his problems with me on you is what really upsets me. I'm going to talk to him. He can say he has problems with me all he wants, but he can't take out his frustrations on my wife."

He rubbed her arm gently. "Hey. Do you know how many times I swore up and down that I was never having children or getting married? But I've given us a try, and I can honestly say that I love being married to you, Maria. You're a great woman, and I obviously made a pretty damn good choice in letting you make an honest man out of me back home. Now, I just need to set things straight with our son. He can say I'm a terrible father all he wants, but he needs to stop going around making other people feel miserable because of his issues with me."

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