Little Stark | Tony Stark

Chapter 9 - so lonely

It's already evening when we sit down around a small round table, made of metal with crooked legs and rust. I wrapped myself in my blanket, attempting to keep myself as warm as possible and at which I seem to fail considering how thin it is. I listen to the spitting of the fire in the back as I watch the two adults playing a boardgame. After Dad lost to the doctor a dozens of times, he seems to get better at this game.

I draw my attention to the doctor and ask,"Where are you from?"

"I'm from a small town called Gulmira," he explains as he continues playing. The man rolls the dice and I follow the object as it spins around. "It's actually a nice place."

"Got a family?"

With a smile Yinsen replies, "Yes and I will see them when i leave here." He picks up his cup of water and takes a sip before asking, "And what about you two?"

"Only each other," Dad replies as he does not take his eyes off the game.

"Well," I say as I tuck my hair behind my ear. "We do have friends who are basically our chosen family."

Dad looks up and I watch a smile forming on his lips. He sounds rather distant when he says the next words. "Yes, they are." He looks far in the distance as he seems to be thinking. I believe that it had just ocurred to him how they must be feeling right now.

After they finish their game, Dad takes a break and lays down in his bed. I take his place and keep the doctor company. Dad seemed to be asleep after a while and thats when our heartfelt conversation begins.

"How do you think he is really doing?"

I look up at Yinsen and raise my eyebrow. He adds, "Deep down, you know."

My eyes wander to my sleeping father and I stare at the little arc reactor in his chest. I shrug as I say, "Honestly, I'm not so sure."

"He could be doing better than I am or he is even a huge mess deep inside. The thing about my father is that you can never know for sure." I look back at Yinsen and smile. "And that's coming from the person who has spent almost her whole life with him." He chuckles at the comment.

"I do know that he misses home, a lot, our friends and you know, the ability to live without a round shining piece of metal, which contains a lot of energy." I roll the dice and speak in a jokingly tone, "But this is just a wild guess."

The doctor laughs and says, "You and your father are a lot alike."

"Yeah," I sigh. "I hear that a lot."

A few minutes pass after he asks, "And how are you doing?"

I chew on my lips as I think of a way to speak the truth without sounding like a spoiled brat but then I just go with the true version of myself. "I really miss the comfort of laying in my bed. In my room. Surounded by my properties."

I get another chuckle from him and he repeats,"But deep down?"

I snort at those words. I roll the dice again before drinking a little bit of my water. "I miss everyone. And everything."

There is a moment of silence before I continue. "I miss feeling the warmth of the sun or when the rain drips down my body. I wish I could go back to when we just spent our days in the workshop instead of a cave." I pause to take a deep breathe. I try to hold back my tears but I just can't.