Rage

Chapter 4

It was later that night. Or morning rather. Around 2am. I stood on the balcony, looking at the stars. The sky was beautiful at night. I sighed as a light breeze caused me to shiver. I pulled the sleeves on my sweater over my hands. But I wasn't cold. It was almost impossible for me to be cold. I welcomed the breeze.

I looked at the fullness of the moon and my thoughts began to wonder... what would've happened if I never left Vanaheim? I wondered what my mother was doing that very moment.

I was so deeply rooted into my thoughts that I didn't hear the sliding door open.

Tony stood next to me, "Can't sleep?"

"No. You?"

"Nope." He looked at the stars with me for a moment in silence.

"They look different from Earth." I commented.

Tony turned to me, "The stars?"

I nodded.

"Sometimes I forget you're from a different planet." He joked.

I gave him a look. How could he forget? I was nothing like humans.

"Do you miss it?" He asked quietly.

"Vanaheim?"

He nodded.

I sighed deeply, "I suppose."
I did miss it. But it had been hundreds of years since I visited.

"You said you had family there right?"

I feigned a gasp, "Look who pays attention."

He smirked, "I pay attention more than you think, Princess."

I smiled affectionately. I licked my lips, "But yeah... my mother is there."

"And she's queen?"

"Yes."

Tony chewed on his bottom lip, "Are you her only child?"

I nodded. I could tell where this was going.

"So that means you will be queen one day?"

I looked down. "Yes. Eventually."

"How long is it till 'eventually' happens?" He seemed worried. Like he was afraid of losing me.

"Hopefully a long while. And with my peoples' longevity, it is more likely that she will reign for much longer than a normal ruler on Earth would. But when she passes, I will rule."

"When you do take the throne-" he began.

"Tony..." I placed a hand on his arm, he looked at me seriously. The blueness of the arc reactor in his chest reflected in his brown eyes, "Can we not talk about this? I worry enough on my own..."

He nodded, "Sure."

That's what I loved about Tony. He always knew what topics he could poke fun at and which ones he couldn't.

There was a long pause, "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

I shook my head, "It's alright. Perhaps we will discuss it some other time."

He nodded. He looked awfully tired. The dark circles made it evident that he lacked sleep more even more than I did.

Looking at the sky again, I pursed my lips, "You know... you never told me how you came to be Iron Man...."

I prompted another conversation. I was always curious about Tony's past. I knew he had some issues. I knew because he always insisted he didn't.

Tony was just one of those people who was too prideful to admit when he needed help or when he was hurting.