K I L L Y O U R D A R L I N G S
ii. oh, what big teeth you have!
chapter two.
1991.
THE HATRED SHE FELT FOR OBADIAH STANE WAS PETTY, THOUGH NOT ALL THAT UNCALLED FOR. The man was a wolf in sheep clothing, dull eyes cautiously flitting around him like a prowling predator on the hunt for a prey, his aging features stoic when out of sight yet frighteningly friendly underneath the glances of the public eye. He was the epitome of a power hungry man who demanded respect and screamed dominance with every strategic move he made — she felt like little red riding hood ready to be eaten raw as she dubiously awaited his arrival, wringing her hands in anticipation instead of fear. He didn't frighten her, not in the slightest, but she had learned much of the complexity of his being that leveled even that of Howard Stark. Anxious, was a better description of the desert drought claiming her throat and the spinning of her head that came from the meeting about to take place.
"If it isn't my knight in shining armor!" Novaleigh was torn away from her thoughts as Tony Stark approached her, a lopsided grin playing on his lips that nursed whatever strong liquor his glass held this time around. Her eyes squinted, a lousy attempt at reading the expression on his face — was he serious? She was certain noon hadn't even passed with a fleeting flicker. Bloody hell. "Are you following me now, pretty? I must say I'm flattered —"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Stark." She interrupted with the smallest of chuckles, a soft accent curving around her words, the sound almost like a symphony. He blinked in surprise, how couldn't he have noticed that she had an accent, much less one that made her sound even more attractive? "I'm here for business."
Though stunned, his charming grin remained unyielding, smugness clear in his movements as he sipped on the drink grasped between his shaking fingers. Novaleigh would pay to get a glance at the enigma swirling around within his skull, one she was desperate to decipher with reasons beyond her. What made Tony Stark so special? So intriguing? Was it because the tragedy remedying through his bloodstream reminded her of her own? Or perhaps it was in his eyes that held the same pain hers did, once?
"I didn't think girls like you could be that feisty."
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Her reply was instant, almost accusingly sharp-toned, like a punch in the gut. He found himself fond of the way her cheeks became flushed when she was angry.
Tony smirked coyly, swirling the transparent liquor around with flicks of his wrist. He was mesmerizing in the worst way possible, she noted, but still as complex as her favorite paintings and books. He was like art. Breathtakingly conflicting. "Take it as you like, pretty."
With a roll of her eyes, she replied to his comment with words that slipped past him, dark hair that framed her defined features gently moving with her graceful movements. Tony couldn't help but stare, even when she tilted her head to the side in confusion to question his silence. She was too pretty for her own good, and he could feel his attention drawn back to her ambrosia lips like it had that night she assured his safe return home.
But they were interrupted before Tony could even attempt to make a move.
"Miss Moon. Thank you for coming, it's always a pleasure," Obadiah Stane grinned slyly as he took her steady hand, his whole demeanor resembling a snake so thoroughly it made her skin crawl with uneasiness. She shot him a tight-lipped nod as she took her seat at the table. "Tony, can you wait outside please?"
The Stark boy raised his half-empty glass before exiting the room and closing the door behind him, "Whatever you want, boss."
Novaleigh soaked up the silence falling over them before she cut straight to the point, questioning, "Why am I here, Mr. Stane?"
His lips twitched, "You lack patience, Miss Moon. Like your mother did. Quite interesting, if I'm honest."
She narrowed her doe eyes into a sharp, threatening glare, though he continued nonetheless with an uncaring smile painted on his face. "I'm offering an alliance between Moon Technologies and Stark Industries. This —" A thick file was placed in front of her by who she assumed was his assistant, the girl nervously retreating back to her place in the background. " — is merely the start, but it's something."
Opening the file reluctantly and glancing at the words, she could barely comprehend what was happening. Slightly baffled, she ceased flipping the pages and glanced at him. Wry thoughts bloomed within the walls of her mind like the flowers she admired on the misty spring mornings rather than the unhealthy amount of wealth resting underneath her fingertips. As unhealthy as the numbers written down neatly on the papers before her. "You're selling Stark Industries?"
"Partly. With Moon Technologies in charge of our stockings, both companies can continue to grow swiftly over the entire world." He folded his hands behind his back, still standing tall in all his glory. Obadiah Stane. CEO of a company that wasn't even supposed to be his. She despised that. "See this as a peace treaty, to wash all the bad blood previously between us away."
Novaleigh rose from her seat, nails digging into the table as her jaw clenched, "You mean when Howard Stark attempted to steal my father's technology — his friend's technology — for his own good?"
"Your father was a brilliant man, Miss Moon. So was Howard. It was a matter of time —"
"Drop it, I don't want to hear your excuses. Let their bad blood be buried with them." Her words were icy cold, fists clenched tightly. Obadiah blinked owlishly as a burning anger claimed her words, "Moon Technologies is no longer ruled by competitiveness."
"So you'll agree?" He dared to question with a sinister kind of smile that made her blood boil.
She scoffed in disbelief, "My company works towards a peaceful future, whilst you—" The word was spat with disgust. " — sell weapons for wars of the past. I am not interested in tackling my father's legacy to the ground by accepting this petty attempt at a partnership. When the real representative of Stark Industries decides to step forward, I'll reconsider, but I have a feeling I won't have to."
"Tony refused to inherit the company, which makes me the real representative of my company. You shouldn't assume things like some schoolgirl gossiping around. I thought your people were supposed to be smart."
Now that was the final straw. She was fuming with rage, lividly sneering, "The moment I refer to you as the representative of Stark Industries is when Hell freezes over." Smacking the file to his feet, she pushed her chair back and moved towards the door, muscles locked in place by the hostility coursing through her veins.
"I wish this meeting could've gone better, Miss Moon. I hope I can make you reconsider in the future, somehow." His voice sounded bitter as he called after, the sound of a lingering promise behind his words though Novaleigh was too angry to care. She swiftly turned back around with a last, sarcastic smile.
"I seriously doubt that." And with that, she exited with a new determination itching in her fingers, the urge to prove herself burning brightly behind her eyes. But her wildfire did not outrage the one wrecking Tony's insides.
"Just so you know, you had no right to say any of that. I don't want the company, that's why I declined the position in the first place. " There was a hint of frustration lingering in the air between them, the tension thick enough to be sliced through with a knife. It was crystal clear he had overheard the short-lived meeting as his eyes shot daggers at her — if looks could kill, Novaleigh Moon would be thriving in the afterlife.
"Tony, listen." She spoke solemnly, calming the rage burning within her to offer him her wisdom. Her voice gentle in a way she feared breaking his already cracked pieces, the unwavering anger gone. "I know that Howard was a shitty excuse for a father, but he built this company with his blood and sweat. He fought to be able to leave a legacy behind, and it doesn't matter that you're scared to carry such responsibilities — they will become easier to bear because this is what's been in store for you since you were born," The glare on his face softened, and his tensed posture fell. "If you need someone by your side through all of this, you know where to find me. But don't let Obadiah Stane steal what is rightfully yours. What Howard sacrificed everything for. Don't let it go in vain."
He visibly winced, a sound like choking erupting from the back of his throat. His knuckles were taut and leisurely turning white as he struggled to formulate a coherent sentence, hand tightening visibly. Novaleigh swallowed down her pride and reached out, carefully taking the half-empty glass from his deathly grip. Her soft fingers brushed against his skin — fleetingly, briskly — and he looked almost surprised by the impetuous contact before it disappeared into thin air as she moved to place his glass on the unoccupied desk. Tony swallowed down the lump in his throat, "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't," She replied simply. "You don't have to rely on anyone. But I hope you one day have as much faith in yourself as I do in you, Tony. You're stronger than —" Motioning towards the alcohol, her voice sounded distant, as if she too felt lost in the world. " — this."
And for a second, he felt himself wanting to believe her.
( pls comment what you thought because this was a bitch to write, also this has almost 1700 words and man i haven't written this many words in like a year. bless. )