Your Little Stark

Book 3 - Chapter 1

    My eyes floated from customer to customer. I wondered what they were talking about. All I could see were their lips moving at this distance. At the center of the seating area, I could pick put a broad-shouldered man sitting alone, he was visible though the blur of cars that drove along the street. He dawned a brown leather jacket overtop a brown plaid shirt. There was a somewhat vintage aesthetic radiating from his person. His hair was blonde and combed over to the side. Not the most common hairstyle. I narrowed my eyes, my head tilting slightly to the side. He seemed to be sketching something on a notepad, his eyes were focused down at the table with his pencil gently scribbling against paper. Something seemed oddly familiar about him for some reason. Like I've seen him before or met him once. 

    "Jes!" Pepper called, shaking me from my concentration "Come on! Let's go" I looked over to see that the cross walk had turned green. I began to cross the street, trying one last time to see the man, but he was already standing up and leaving a tip. His face was turned away from me. 

Weird.

      Ten minutes later, we were back inside of the tower. I bounced eagerly on my feet beside her as we elevated the floors to the penthouse. It was nearing the time where Dad would lay the groundwork for his clean energy project "Tony!" Pepper called as the elevator doors slid open to reveal the open, polished living room "we're back, got you some loafers!"

    The Stark Tower was significantly more high-tech than our house back in Malibu. The whole north side of the penthouse was made entirely out of windows. Holograms floated around in the air and tools were scattered around on the table by the small staircase that descended into the living room. The intent with the mess was to get the tower to run on clean energy from the ARC Reactor that's built into the basement level of the tower below us.

    "Pep" Dad broke away from the table where he had been working all morning and moved towards Pepper, planting a swift kiss on her cheek. She smiled, setting the bags down on the table "Look, I think I have the right calibrations set for the cities wiring under the harbor, that means, we can go ahead with disconnecting the tower from the cities main frame without risk of triggering  surrounding power grids" he went on. I waited patiently beside him with my dimple extended out "What.. are you doing?" Dad asked with a raised eyebrow, finally noticing me standing at his side.

"Waiting for my kiss!" I pointed to my cheek, closing my eyes.

"Ew no, gross, Jes-Germs" he joked, pinching my cheek. 

"Your face is gross" I fired back, rubbing my face

"You should brush your hair, it's tangled"

"You should brush your life! It's tangled!"

"Ok children, settle down" Pepper plopped down on the couch and started digging through the bags of clothes.

I narrowed my eyes "We'll continue this later"

He scoffed, flashing a smile "sure"

    A that moment Peppers phone began to ring, she groaned out loud "These reporters from Spain keep calling but I don't have a clue of what they're saying" she dropped the phone on the table "they want to know about Stark Industries clean energy prototype, and I can ever seem to get ahold of a translator-"

    "I got it, 7th grade Spanish coming at you!" I jumped, grabbing the phone from her hand and holding it to my ear. She began to protest, but I had already accepted the call. Dad crossed his arms, eager to hear my language ability "Hola! ¿Quien es?" The man on the line babbled to me in a thick Spain accent, luckily, I have practiced the Spanish language over the past year, and also French and German on the side"A Sí Señor! Mi padre no está libre en este momento, Lo siento, adios! Me encantan hamburguesas!"

I hung up the phone, tossing it back to Pepper "How was that?" I asked with a smile.

Pepper smiled, giving me a round of applause "That was impressive, Jes. What did you tell them?"

    "Oh" I smiled sweetly, sitting down on the stool at the edge of the kitchen table "I gave him all of Dads personal information" Dad paused at that, his drink halfway up to his mouth, Pepper grew wide eyed, her head moving back "I'm kidding!" I handed her the phone "I thought we all told jokes in here"

Dad came over and ruffled my brunette hair "This is why I can't stand eleven year olds"

"I am twelve" I corrected with a raised finger. 

    "Whatever" he poured himself another glass. I followed after him "Anyway, I'm about to head out and disconnect the Tower from the cities power grid under the harbor. From there, we will officially run on clean energy. Then, we'll give the press something to report on" he shot a humorous glance to me "and next time, don't tell them you like hamburgers" 

"Can I fly out and do it?" I asked, raising my hand up as if I was in a classroom.

"How bout, no?" he put a glass in front of me on the table and began pouring me water.

"Ugh" I groaned, placing my forehead on the table and shutting my eyes "Well, when can I fly around in the Ironman suit?"

I felt his hand rest on my head, and I heard the smile on his lips "one day"