"He said he would be here," Maya whispered confidently as she sat on the stairs of the university. It was now Friday and her class had ended fifteen minutes ago. There was still no sign of Tony, but Maya knew he would be here. He said he would.
Ten more minutes passed and Maya frowned slightly. "Of course," she muttered. She waited a few more minutes and when there was still no sign of her father, Maya sighed. She checked the time on her watch before shaking her head and standing up.
A little part of her had felt like he wouldn't show up, so Maya was thankful for the fact that she had put her rocket boots on before leaving the house that morning. She made her way down the rest of the stairs and was just about to take off when a voice spoke up from behind her.
"Woah, giving up on me already?" Tony asked from behind her as the sound of his suit hitting the ground filled the air. Maya didn't turn and instead crossed her arms. "Well, I have been waiting for thirty minutes now. I thought you weren't coming," Maya admitted, her shoulders slumping slightly.
There was a moment of silence. "Well you thought wrong," Tony finally said. Maya smiled before turning to look at her father who was in his Iron Man suit. She walked over to him and titled her head in curiosity. "Why'd you bring the suit? I was expecting a car," Maya told him.
Tony picked her up and shrugged. "The suit's more convenient. Now hold on tight," he told her. Maya grabbed ahold of him and Tony quickly took off. They were home within a matter of minutes and Maya let out a small laugh at the sight of a giant stuffed rabbit sitting in front of the house. It was huge and there was no way that thing was going to make it through the door.
The two landed on the ground and Tony set her down. "What's that?" Maya asked in amusement as she pointed towards the rabbit. "Pepper's Christmas gift," Tony told her. His head turned to her and titled to the side slightly. "Want to see yours?" He asked.
Maya smiled and looked at him. "What is it? A giant stuffed frog?" Maya asked. Tony let out a chuckle as he ruffled her hair with the suit. "Sadly, no," Tony told her. "That sucks. I kind of like the idea of a giant stuffed frog," Maya muttered as she followed her father into the house.
He was still wearing his suit, but Maya didn't think much of it. "You'll like this better. Trust me," Tony told her as he walked down a hallway that Maya had never been down. She looked around as they made their way down to the last door at the end of the hall.
He turned to her before looking back at the door and throwing it open. Maya's eyes widened at the sight before her and she could practically hear the smirk on Tony's face. "Welcome to your very own music studio, kid," he said.
Maya walked inside with her mouth hanging open in shock. There was a recording studio towards the back of the room and practically any instrument she could even think about the playing. One of the walls was even decked out in different records while a record player sat on a table nearby.
"You're kidding me!" Maya exclaimed as she turned to her father. "Not at all," he said with a shake of his head. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Maya exclaimed as she raced over to him. She was expecting him to get out of the suit so she could hug him, but he only gave her a small pat on the head and remained inside the suit.
"Why don't you play a song for me?" Tony asked. Maya nodded, all thoughts of her father not leaving his suit out of her mind. "Okay, just let me go grab my guitar from the lab," Maya said. She let out a small laugh. "Don't ask me why it's down there."
She then raced out of the room and began running down the hall. Tony came running after her and exclaimed, "Wait, kid! It's fine. I'll go get it for you." Maya looked back at him with a confused yet amused look. "It's fine. I can get it. I've got two working legs you know," Maya told him as she made it to the top of the lab staircase.
"Kid, wait-" Tony began, but he was cut off by Pepper who was walking through the door. "I'm sorry I'm late," Pepper called out causing the two Starks to freeze in place.
"I was. . .What the. . .? What is that?!" Pepper asked as she fully walked into the room and caught sight of Tony in his Iron Man suit. "You're wearing this in the house now? What is that, like Mark 15?"
Maya glanced at her father and saw him glance down at his arm. She faintly caught sight of the 42 and her eyes widened. He was on Mark 42?
"Uh...yeah. Something like that. You know everybody needs a hobby," Tony told her as Pepper walked over to one of the couches and sat down. "Oh, and you have to wear your hobby in the living room?" Pepper asked as she took off her shoes.
Tony began to walk over to her while Maya turned around and leaned against the wall to watch the two. "Just breakin' it in. You know, it's always a little pinchy in the gooey bag at first, so," Tony said as he shook his butt. Pepper let out a laugh while Maya scrunched up her nose in disgust.
"My eyes," Maya muttered with a groan. The Iron Man head turned to her and she didn't need to see his face to know Tony was glaring at her. Pepper just laughed and looked over at Maya.
"How was school, Maya?" Pepper asked. "It was school," Maya responded with a shrug. "Oh hey, did you see your Christmas present?" Tony asked, changing the subject. "Yes, I did. I. . .I don't know how I could have missed that Christmas present. Is it gonna fit through the door?" Pepper asked.
"Well actually, uh. . .it's a good question. I got a team of guys comin' tomorrow, they're gonna blow out that wall," Tony told her. "Okay," Pepper muttered. "He built me a music studio!" Maya exclaimed. "Did he now?" Pepper asked as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. She was honestly shocked that he had remembered Maya enough to not only pick her up from school, but build her a really meaningful gift as well.
"I did actually. Only the best for my girls, right?" Tony asked. Maya smiled slightly at that while Tony walked over to Pepper bad began massaging her shoulders. "So, uh...tense? Good day?" Tony asked. "Ooh shoulders, a little naughty. Naughty girl. I don't wanna harp on this, but did you like the custom rabbit?"
Maya fake gagged in the corner. It was like watching her two parents flirt and it was disgusting. "Did I like it?" Pepper asked. "Nailed it, right?" Tony asked. "Wow. I appreciate the thought very much," Pepper told him.
She turned around to face him and Tony let go of her shoulders. Pepper then stood up and got close to him. "So why don't you lift up that face mask and give me a kiss?" Pepper asked. "Ew! I'm still here you know," Maya groaned earning a chuckle from Pepper.
Tony knocked on his helmet. "Huh. Yup, dammit. No can do. You wanna just kiss it on the. . ." Tony began. Pepper stared at him for a moment and he seemed to hesitate. "The facial slit?" He asked.
Maya frowned. Why was her father acting weird about the whole suit thing? "Well, why don't I run down to the garage and see if I can't find a crowbar to shimmy that thing open?" Pepper asked. "Crowbar. Yeah," Tony muttered.
Pepper walked by him and began to walk to the staircase which reminded Maya was she was over there in the first place. "Oh, and I need to get my guitar!" Maya exclaimed. The two began to walk down the stairs while Tony hurried after them.
"Oh, except there's been a...uh...a radiation leak," Tony said. Maya turned to her father with narrowed eyes while Pepper glanced at him. "I'll take my chances," Pepper told him. "That's risky," Tony said. "You're risky!" Maya exclaimed. "Kid, that doesn't even make sense," Tony called after her.
"At least let me get you like a Hazmat suit or a Geiger counter or something like that," Tony said, but the two had already reached the lab. Maya froze at the sight of her father sitting in the lab and not actually in the suit that had been with her.
He was in the middle of exercising and he turned to look at the two with some sort of digital mask on his face. Maya glanced behind him and caught sight of a screen that had video surveillance of her from behind which is where the Iron Man suit was at the moment.
Maya frowned and crossed her arms as she looked at her father in disappointment. Of course he didn't come and pick her up himself. Doing that would mean that he actually had to do something for her and that he had to care.
"Busted," Tony muttered. "You're lame," Pepper told him. "No, he's reached a new level of lame," Maya muttered. Tony turned to look at the girl and flinched at the sight of the pain that was evident on her face. "Sorry," he whispered, but Maya just shook her head and looked at the ground.
"You ate without me, already? On date night?" Pepper asked as she gestured towards a plate of half eaten food on one of the tables in the lab. Tony hesitated before pointing at the suit. "He was just. . ." Tony began.
"You mean you?" Maya asked bitterly. She couldn't believe him right now. "Well, yeah. I just mean we were just. . .just hosting Pepper and picking you up while I finished up a little work," Tony said. "You didn't have to pick me up, if you were busy. I'm used to you flaking out by now," Maya told him. Tony glanced at her and frowned slightly. "Kid-" he whispered, but Maya only shook her head.
"Tony," Pepper said and said man turned to look at her. "And yes, I had a quick bite. I didn't know if you were comin' home or if you were having drinks with Aldrich Killian," Tony told her.
Both the Iron Man suit and Maya turned to look at Pepper. "What?" Maya asked. "What?" Pepper questioned the Iron Man suit who was looking at her accusingly. "What?" Tony asked.
"Aldrich Killian? What are you checking up on me?" Pepper asked. "At least he checks in on you," Maya muttered, but no one seemed to hear her. "Happy was concerned," Tony said. "No, you're spying on me," Pepper told him. "I wasn't. . ." Tony began, but Pepper just shook her head and turned around.
"I'm going to bed," she said as she began to walk off. Tony glanced over at Maya who only shook her head as well before following after Pepper. "Hold on. Come on. Pep. Kid," Tony called after them, but they were already walking up the stairs. "Hey, I admit it! My fault. Sorry," Tony yelled.
Pepper stopped and because Maya was behind her, she was forced to stop as well despite not wanting to. Pepper looked down at Tony who had his hands up in the air. He dropped them and let out a small sigh. "I'm a piping hot mess. It's been going on for a while, I haven't said anything," Tony told them.
Maya had to resist the urge to scoff. Pepper glanced down at Maya before nodding her head in Tony's direction. The girl sighed and walked down the stairs with Pepper to see what other crap Tony was about to throw their way.
"Nothing's been the same since New York," Tony began. "Oh really? Well, I didn't notice that, at all," Pepper muttered sarcastically. "You experience things and then they're over and you still can't explain 'em," Tony said as he looked at the two like they couldn't understand what he was talking about. "Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I. . .I'm just a man in a can."
Maya had to use all that was left in her not to yell at her father. He was acting like she didn't understand, like she wasn't there that day, like she wasn't plagued by the same nightmares that he had to experience.
"The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you moved in and because I have the kid. Which is great. I love you both, I'm lucky. But, honey, I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know, I tinker," Tony explained. He paused for a moment before sighing and sitting down.
Maya felt tears filling her eyes. Not only was she upset because her father had to go through the same things as her, but she was upset because he was oblivious to the fact that she had it just as bad. She had to watch her last parent figure almost die in her lap after all.
"But threat is imminent, and I have to protect the two things that I can't live without. That's you two. My suits, they're uh. . ." Tony said. "Machines," Pepper told him. Tony shook his head slightly. "But they're part of me," he muttered. "A distraction," Pepper said. "Maybe," he admitted.
Pepper stared at Tony for a moment before smiling softly and walking over to him. She walked over and placed her hands on his cheeks before he leaned forward and rested his head on her chest. Pepper immediately wrapped her arms around him and Maya stared at the two with a few tears escaping down her face.
She let out a small sniffle and wiped at her nose, but Tony still heard it. He quickly pulled away from Pepper and looked at the girl with wide eyes at the sight of her crying.
"Do you seriously think you're the only one going through things right now?" Maya finally managed to get out. Tony ignored her question and instead quickly got up and walked over to her. He bent down in front of her and cupped her face with his hands as he stared at her worriedly.
"Kid, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Tony asked. "You didn't answer my question," Maya told him. Tony went quiet and Maya closed her eyes as a few more tears fell down her face and a quiet sob left her lips. She was shaking slightly as she thought back to all of the nights where she was up late, all the nightmares that had haunted her sleep, all the times she couldn't seem to walk alone without having to look back and make sure no one was going to attack her.
"Well you aren't," Maya finally said as she opened her eyes and took a step away from Tony. He didn't bother moving after her and instead watched her silently. "If you even care to know, I haven't been sleeping either. But you wouldn't notice, would you?" Maya asked coldly.
"After all, all you seem to care about anymore is your stupid suits and Pepper. When was the last time we sat down and talked, huh? How about the last time we ate dinner together? When was the last time we were both in the same room for longer than two minutes?" Maya said, her voice raising in the process as she now stared at her father with angry and hurt filled eyes.
Pepper watched the two in silence with a shocked look on her face. She wasn't so much shocked that Maya had finally yelled at Tony for his crap behavior, but more shocked that she hadn't noticed the fact that Maya was hurting from the battle as well.
Tony was silent and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Maya. It's just the whole alien thing and-" Tony began, but Maya cut him off. "But that's not an excuse!" She practically screeched causing him to look up at her in shock.
"I experienced that all too! I had to watch you almost die in my arms!" She exclaimed. "I was there that day too, Dad. And I haven't been able to sleep since. The longest I've slept is two hours. Other than that, I spend most of my nights up on the roof trying to calm myself down after waking up screaming and covered in my own sweat and tears!"
Tony's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't known. . .
"But you know, you're the only one that ever seems to have problems so I don't matter when it comes to things like that," Maya spat. "Maya, of course you matter," Tony told her, but Maya shook her head.
"Don't lie. If I mattered then we wouldn't be having this talk. If I mattered then I wouldn't only get to see my own father for a minute every week. If I mattered then I wouldn't be the one comforting myself every night while you tinker away down here. If I mattered then my own father would take the time to say hi to me!" Maya yelled.
"But you know what, none of that happens, so I'm obviously the least of your worries," Maya said. A silence fell upon the room as all of her words settled in.
Tony felt tears pricking his eyes as he stared at his little girl who was in so much pain. He wanted to reach for her, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. Hell, she probably wanted him to stay as far away from her as possible. That was his fault really. He was the one who had left her to be by herself after the battle. He was the one who had been acting more like a stranger than a father. He should've known. . .he should've been there for her.
"What do you want from me, kid?" Tony asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. Maya gave him a small hurt filled smile as more tears fell down her face.
"I just want my dad to be there for me."
And with that, the girl turned on her heels and went running up the stairs as she left her heartbroken father behind.