Tony Stark (cutsthewire) wrote in thedisplaced, @ 2018-09-04 11:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log/thread, julia wicker, tony stark / iron man (mcu) |
WHO: Tony Stark (MCU) & Julia Wicker
WHAT: After a conversation on the network takes a turn, Tony shows up at Julia's to check on her and clarify something that apparently didn't need clarifying
WHEN: Aug. 31, after this
WHERE: Julia's place
WARNINGS: None
STATUS: Complete in gdocs
Standing at Julia’s door with her red glass key in his hand, Tony was still trying to figure out how a relatively benign conversation about potential thievery had led to her opening up about the painful parts of her past she had kept hidden from him up until now. He had been his usual irreverent self, having no idea what she was wrestling with. He had read her comment once, then a second time, feeling a mixture of surprise, outrage, and awe. He had long thought Julia unflappable, undaunted. But she was stronger than even he knew. Based on her reaction, she expected him to be appalled. And he was. Not at the actions of which she said she was ashamed, but by the circumstances that had precipitated them. Hers was a cruel universe. Tony knocked at the door, not knowing exactly what he would say to Julia, only that after an information dump like that one, it felt important that he see her. She felt a little like a coward, telling him over the net. At the same time, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see the look on his face when he found out. Neither pity or horror. She just wanted it out. And now it was. Marina was working at the club that night, and Julia was thankful to have the place to herself when Tony came over. Her face was carefully neutral, doing her best to prepare herself mentally and emotionally to however he might respond. There was a small voice in her head that thought he was the sort of person that would come over to end things in person, though she hoped that wasn’t the case. All she wanted was to move forward. The door was open wide and Julia leaned casually into the door frame, waiting to see if he planned on moving forward or not. Quietly she greeted him, “Hey.” “Hey,” Tony echoed. He studied her face, still slightly sunkissed from their time in the Florida Keys. He made no move to enter. He still wasn’t sure what the right thing to say in this kind of situation was, but it seemed important for her to know that she had not scared him off with her confessions. “So,” he began, a crooked smile forming faintly on his lips as he held her gaze. “Bank robbery, huh?” None of what she’d told him was a laughing matter, but the bank heist seemed the easiest point of entry. Julia looked down. “I didn’t even really get to help. Too many things trying to kill me. Quentin, Kady and the others basically took all the risk.” She shrugged. Without saying a word, she backed away from the door frame, door wide open, wordlessly inviting him in. When she looked up, there was a small effort made to return the smile but she looked tired. It didn’t feel like there was a large, awkward age difference between them. Some days Julia felt much older than her twenty-something years. “I wasn’t suggesting we should rob banks to expand funding for Fort Neil,” she clarified, wryly changing the subject. Tony's face fell slightly as he stepped inside. While he hadn't pushed Julia into spilling her secrets, he found that he felt responsible for the heaviness that was very clearly weighing on her in light of it. “Nice to know the option is always there.” Even if he had no intention of taking advantage of it. Not waiting to follow Julia's lead this time, Tony walked over to the couch in the living area and sat down. He was silent for a moment. Then, “I’m sorry.” He didn't exactly know what he was apologizing for, just that he felt sorry. For Julia having endured all that? For inadvertently bringing it up? The first floor was a mostly open floor plan. Julia closed the door behind him and did not follow him directly to the couch. Instead she entered the kitchen area, found a bottle of wine that had been purchased from a grocery store, and opened it up to pour it into two stemless glasses. Then she met him at the couch, handing him his glass before sitting down next to him. “You have exactly nothing to be sorry for. It felt like the right time to tell you, so I did.” She took a small sip from her wine glass. Tony took the offered wine without any of his usual blanching at being handed something. That was always more of a power play than an actual thing. “That was a lot to put out there all at once. I know that couldn't have been easy. But I’m glad you told me.” Not that there was any comfort in having this information, but it wasn't lost on Tony that it meant something that she finally felt comfortable enough to share it after all this time. Julia shrugged. “It was easier to tell you all at once.” She remained quiet, as though trying to subdue and shove her feelings back into place. It got a little easier with time. She was still learning how to live with her past. She took a swallow from her wine glass to prolong having to say anything else. “I know you’re still struggling balancing your life here with your life back home. But if we are going to spend more time together, I felt like you should know.” Tony was quiet too, sensing from her mannerisms that Julia had more to say. He had noticed that she often fussed with whatever was in her hands when she needed time to collect her thoughts. “You're not sick of me yet?” he asked once she’d finished speaking. The question made her smile. Mostly because she found it completely ridiculous. She still wore the watch he made her. Julia always wore the watch, her wrist now felt naked without it. Instead of answering right away, she scooted in closer and leaned in against him. “Well when you keep turning into giant bird men and cartoons…” “I do have a knack for keeping things interesting.” As if he’d had control over either circumstance. Tony moved his wine glass to his other hand, then wrapped his arm around Julia as she leaned in close. “And I can throw together a mean pasta dinner. Another highly valid and not at all superficial reason to have me around.” He took a sip of the wine and made a face. “What are we drinking?” he asked, looking into the glass as if he might find the answer there. “Quite a few reasons to have you around,” she agreed. One arm moved to hold his in place around her, the other holding her glass. Julia snickered at the question about the wine, and was instantly relieved that he came. The last thing Julia needed was to dwell. She knew about his collection and what they were drinking was not anywhere near worthy. “I promise it didn’t come out of a box,” was all she would claim. Tony held the glass under his nose and swirled the contents, doing his best impression of a seasoned wine taster. He took another small sip. “Definitely the best twelve dollars can buy,” he declared with a smirk, then took a larger drink. He settled back into the sofa a bit, his arm still draped around Julia. After a moment, he spoke again, his voice just a little bit softer than before. “I know it’s easier not to talk about the heavy stuff. I understand why you weren't in a rush to tell me about all that.” It was clear that what he was saying required some effort on his part. Not out of insincerity, but because he was stepping outside his comfort zone. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m well-rehearsed in The Stark Men’s Guide to Being Emotionally Unavailable.” He tried to smile, but it looked more apologetic than anything else. “But if you ever feel like you need to talk about it, I’m your guy.” Julia’s expression softened. “You’ve always made yourself available to talk.” Julia turned to look at him, eyeing him carefully. Did he really think that about himself? “It’s why I said anything to you about it in the first place.” Julia’s small frame had to reach to keep her position on the couch next to him so she could set her wine glass down on the coffee table. “The first time we met? Granted we were drinking. When I told you about my what? You listened to me then. When I wanted to make the battery? You were there. When I completely fucked up? You were there and you cleaned up my mess. Tony, since I’ve known you, you’ve always been my guy.” “Not sure being available to talk shop and reliable in a pinch are indicative of much.” His general M.O. when it came to the emotional stuff was avoidance. Talking was never a problem. But talking about the things that mattered? Here was where Tony struggled. It had been like pulling teeth for him to admit his attraction to her to anyone but himself, and then even more to act on it. And then there’d been the piss poor way he had responded to the news of his own engagement. Still, her words touched him, and despite his attempts to conceal that fact, it showed on his face. He shifted his jaw to the side and took a line out of Julia's playbook by bringing his wine glass to his lips and taking a sip to avoid having to say anything else. Julia smiled softly. “That wine looks like it is physically causing you pain to drink.” She wasn’t exactly in a position to call him out on avoidance. Not for the first time that night, she had attempted to change the subject to something easier to talk about. “Would you like something else?” Tony knew she was talking about the wine and not the emotional conversation, but she might as well have been. He answered for both when he replied, “It’s an acquired taste. I’ll work on it.” |