afterglow - tony stark

06

Snow giggled as she followed Pepper into the store to get her sparkles dress.

_____

As they were leaving, there was a paparazzi person in the mall, waiting to see celebrities. They spotted the white-haired girl who had returned to the States with Tony Stark.

"Hey, can I get a picture?" he called out as he ran over. "What was your time like in captivity with Tony Stark?"

"We're not answering any questions," Pepper handled it smoothly as she breezed on past him while looping her arm with hers to keep Snow close.

The loudness of the man caused attention and they all recognized her. The woman that returned with Tony Stark.

Soon, a whole crowd was upon them, clamoring for her to say something about Tony as Happy pushed through them, "Clear a path, please."

Hands were reaching out for her, desperate to get her attention, and she started to breath heavily. She started to get flashes in her head of being in the cave.

"Please, I can't do it," she pleaded for mercy as his soldiers circled her.

"You will," Raza commanded.

His mercenaries suddenly reached out and grabbed her. Their hands that were like iron held her in place; they held her so tightly it would be sure to bruise. She thrashed in their grip.

Raza pulled out a knife before walking towards her. She thrashed more as the mercenaries held out her arm to him.

Then she felt it. The sharp point of the knife dug into the flesh of her shoulder before he dragged it down her arm.

She screamed so loudly that it echoed off the cave walls. As her tears fell, so did her blood.

She looked away from the damage that was being inflicted on her skin and found the flower pot she was given. It was still new and the flower still bloomed.

She focused on it as she willed the pain to go away and suddenly the flower grew. No, it exploded into the room with many more flowers of every color and vines that attacked the men holding her and threw them into the walls.

As soon as their grip left her, she fell to the floor in pain as she clutched her arm. She watched as her blood soaked onto the floor. Raza had ran out in fear and the flowers retreated back into one single plant in the small planter.

Flowers became her iron that day but she didn't know to use it; not yet.

Snow felt overwhelmed and she clutched at her arm as she felt the phantom pain. Tears built up in her eyes as they finally got out of there and she started to cry as they got in the car.

Pepper felt her eyes widen, "It's okay. It's over now."

"They're going to get me," Snow cried as more flashes went through her head; she had the image of pleading on a balcony but a hand pushed her anyway. She started falling and she remembered reaching for him to try to grab onto something but she fell through the air... "He's going to get me."

"He?" Pepper asked. "You're not over there anymore. You're here. Nothing is going to get you."

Snow grabbed her red marigolds she brought with her. She clutched onto the flower pot tightly as it was her safety. She started to breathe more slowly.

She looked at Pepper with teary eyes and she felt embarrassed as she choked out, "I'm sorry."

"You're apologizing for crying. It's alright to cry. Everyone does it..." Pepper said in surprise before trying to lighten the mood with a small smile. "And trust me I am an ugly crier."

Snow smiled a bit as she sniffled, "Thanks, Pepper."

_____

When they got home, Tony had actually come up the stairs to greet them (mostly because he was jealous of the time Snow spent with Pepper when she could've been spending it with him). But then he spotted Snow with tear stains on her cheeks.

"Who made you cry?" he said defensively.

Snow just gave him a slightly ashamed look before she ran off to her room. Tony stared in shock before looking at Pepper, "What did you do to my Snowflake?"

Pepper sighed, "We got spotted by the paparazzi. It overwhelmed her. She spoke about a he. That he was going to get her."

He. Tony assumed it was Raza. After all, he was the one that kept her held captive in the cave.

"I'll talk to her."

_____

"Hey, Snowflake, can I come in?" Tony knocked on her door softly.

It was only a moment before she opened it. As soon as she did, she went back to her plants and sat down on the floor with them.

Tony walked in slowly before sitting on the floor as well. He peered at her softly, "Are you okay? Wait, that was dumb. Uh..."

He scratched his head, "You know I'm going to keep you safe, right?"

Snow finally looked up at him softly, "I know."

"But..." Snow gained teary eyes. "I can't help but feel that he's close."

"He? Raza is across the world...."

"Not Raza," she denied. "I remembered something from before the cave. I think..."

"What is it?"

"He pushed me...and I fell," Snow said sadly like it hurt her that he had.

"Whose this he?"

"I didn't see his face in my memory."

"Then how do you know it's a he?" Tony asked.

"I just...know," she huffed.

"Okay, so we have a he," Tony said as he gently reached out and caressed the scar on her arm. "And he's never going to hurt you."

She stared at him softly before she crawled over to him onto his lap and hugged him. She had her head pressed to his chest and her arms looped around his neck.

Tony stopped breathing for a moment. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head.

"Can we stay like this for awhile?" she asked quietly; she'd never really been held before and she decided that she liked it. It was soothing.

"Snow, I'm not moving from this spot until you tell me to."

She smiled and hugged him even more tightly.