ROBIN STARK // iron man 1 a.u

Chapter 6

A love like that makes a man have second thoughts,
Maybe some things last forever after all.

 • • •

Perhaps, being in-charge in the mess hall for Robin is not as bad as she thinks. From being an enlistee, to a trainee, to NCO and up to being a CO, Robin never once tasted a good food inside the mess hall. At least, in the training camp and in the US Air Force HQ. They were either too sour or doesn't have any taste at all. Of course, as an trainee they'd eat just anything after an exhausting training session. They needed to be exposed foods that taste like shit look like, but not in the officers' mess hall.

Good thing, today's her turn to be in-charge for the officers mess hall and she has a list of food she'd like to serve for the officers. See, if there's one way she can do to fix her problem, she might want to start here. Captain Marshall may be her one enemy now, but she needed others to be on her side to win her case. Though, giving good food towards them sounded illogical.

The officers' mess hall started to get full with officers from the youngest to the eldest, from every department and division coming in to dine for lunch. The room where it was once quiet, turns loud and noisy as they laugh their hearts out after the long hour of duty. But they especially looked amazed and happy when they see the food the cook serve.

"We're having spaghetti today? I say wh-a-a-at?"

"Butter chicken? Man, am I in heaven?"

"God bless the chefs today."

Robin felt so proud hearing their chatters, complimenting their menus for today. She thought her hiding spot was good enough because she doesn't want to be seen as if she's wanting their sympathy for her latest case, but she's found by Rhodey who was amongst the officers on the line, waiting for their meal.

Rhodey put back his plate, left the line and went to meet Robin in the kitchen. "You got their hearts."

"We've been eating like we're at war, Colonel. I figured that it's not wrong to prepare something good for them while I'm in-charge." Robin leaned her bum against the iron table, arms on her chest as she faced Rhodey, whose back was facing the crowd. "Go eat before it's finished."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure I can get them at 10880 Malibu Point. More than I can ask for." Rhodey smiled at the woman in front of him and his heart bloomed when he saw Robin's small smile tugged on her lips though she quickly brushed it away.

Rhodey then gestured Robin to follow him to exit the officers' mess hall, though the Lieutenant frowned for the sudden change, but she followed anyway. "Did you see Tony yet?"

"He was here just now. Why?"

"Did he mention anything about a big project he's working on?"

"Which big project? Because it seems to me that everything he does is a big project." Robin was not wrong. She knows her brother. Every time she goes down to that workshop and sees Tony sitting in front of the computer, tinkering, he will always say he's working on a big project.

Rhodey sighed, running his hand through his head. "That's the thing. He didn't tell me what, but he just say that he's working on something big and he wants me to be a part of it."

"Then, just be a part of it," Robin simply says.

"Uh, I don't know, Robin. He sounded so serious like it's between life and death. If he's working on something, I need to know if it would effect with my position in the military."

"What, this is not for the military?"

"That's what he said."

Robin paused, biting her lower lip as she thinks what her brother could be working on that he wants Rhodey to be a part of. Tony is precise. If he wants someone to be a part of it, it means he really wants them to be a part of it. That also means he puts 100 percent of his trust onto that person. "Ah, shit." Robin sighed heavily and wished she could unsee what she saw the other day in Tony's workshop.