( THE IDEAS OF CATS )
THERE WAS ALMOST A SCHEDULE THAT CHERRY'S DAYS ABIDED BY. She would wake up, put on the coffee pot, do her morning ritual. Scottie would be around her feet the whole time, meowing and getting the occasional pet whenever Cherry felt like leaning down to give the three legged animal love. But, as soon as the professional clothes came on, Scottie almost knew not to rub against her, just yowl until he got his goodbye kiss before she was rushing out the door to get to Stark Industries. Then, she'd spend her days answering phones, talking to people coming into headquarters. Pepper would end up eating lunch with her, whether they were going out to some of the restaurants close by or just eating at Cherry's or Pepper's desk. At some point, Tony would come down and bug her, bribing her with another cup of coffee that wasn't the sludge in the break room. Renee also would love to talk the whole time, the two of them laughing and ignoring the other girls who were giving Cherry jealous or envious looks.
As a rule, Scottie would be at the door, waiting for Cherry to come home. This was the time that he would follow Cherry into her bedroom, watch her strip out of her clothes and change into something more comfortable. Then he would pounce. Start rubbing against her legs, meowing, begging for attention. Cherry would move the love fest to her couch, letting him curl on her lap and purr as she gave him pets and scratches.
Scottie was not there when she got home this particular Thursday. He wasn't waiting in the archway that separated the living room and kitchen. He wasn't scurrying around her feet as her heels clacked against the hardwood floors of her apartment. Scottie wasn't even asleep on her bed when she walked into her room, dropping her purse on her dresser and shrugging out of her white blazer and draping it beside her purse. Her heels came off next as she moved to where she puts them on the shoe rack in her room.
"Scottie?" She called, peaking her head through the door of the ensuite and wondering if maybe he was laying in the sink. The Ragdoll cat wasn't in there at all. Not even balancing on the edge of the tub, staring at her with those too blue eyes that were wide and betrayed. The only time Cherry found Scottie in the bathroom was when she was late and he had tried to make a mess out of her soaps. The only way to placate him was if she told him Tony was coming back with her. Which, was happening more steadily with every Gala or event she went to as his date. They'd go together, and depending on if Tony got drunk, found a model, or both, she would bring him home and set him up in her guest bed. But generally, they would fall asleep watching some stupid late night movie, Scottie curled up on Tony's chest in the morning.
Continuing her search for her cat, Cherry made her way into each room, checking any place she knew he could get into or on. The fridge was one he always laid on when Cherry was busy doing something and he was pouting about it in his own way. She checked behind the couch, underneath her china cabinet that her mom had given her, and even in the pantry, just in case Scottie had been able to get into it. He wasn't in any of his usual hiding places, the anxiety and worry that had started when Cherry had gotten home now hitting a crescendo as she sunk to the couch, putting her head in her hands as she tried not to sob.
Scottie had been a constant in her life for so long that the fact that he's not in any of his usual hiding places makes Cherry want to curl up into a ball and not move for a solid week out of grief for whatever happened to her cat. That's when the draft of cool air hit her and Cherry turned her head to see that the window in the living room, behind the couch, was opened big enough for Scottie to squeeze himself out of it.
Cherry blinked away the tears blurring her vision, trying to remember when the window had been opened. It didn't come to mind, the woman scrambling to shove it open and peer down. Thank God it was the window with the fire escape, the chances of Scottie being alive greater for it. "Scottie!" Cherry called, hoping that the three-legged animal had stuck close by and that he would meow and Cherry would have to climb up or down a floor to retrieve him.
Apparently, she wasn't that lucky.
With shaky hands, Cherry managed to dial animal control and ask if they had brought in a three-legged Ragdoll, explaining that he should have had his info on him. When they answered with a negative, she asked them to be on the look out and to call her if anything came up, no matter what time it was. Then Cherry started calling her friends.
Pepper picked up on the second ring, her voice already sounding tense as she said hello. Cherry felt bad, but the panic that accompanied the fact that Scottie was gone made her push through it and ask Pepper if she could come and help look. The reply she got was: "I'm so sorry, Cherry. I can't right now, I have to do some stuff for S.I. and for Tony, but as soon as I can I will be right over!"
Cherry understood. She called Renee next, who came to the rescue and was at her apartment while she was calling another one of her co-workers that was bearable. Cherry knew she looked like a mess, having wrecked her hair by pulling at it and her clothes were rumpled and she was pacing as she could feel the panic clawing up her chest and trying to escape in a volatile way. Renee wrapped her up in her arms, Cherry basically collapsing into her warmth as she scrolled through her contact list. It was mostly work contacts that she couldn't call for this until she reached Tony's name.
Her and Renee looked at each other, before Cherry was tapping on the contact and putting it to her ear. It rang. And rang. And rang. Cherry could feel her stomach start to flip over. The last ring, she was about to take the phone away from her ear to hang up when Tony's voice came through the speakers sounding out of breath and irritated, "Hey, Cherry. JARVIS wasn't putting calls through to the workshop, so I didn't get this until I walked upstairs."
"Sir, you told me not to disturb--"
"Mute," Tony spoke, but Cherry was trying so hard not to throw up from the feeling of relief that Tony picked up the phone that made her lean back into Renee more. "Is there anything I can do for you, Cherry?"
"Um," Cherry tried to get her thoughts in order, exhaling shakily. Renee rubbed her shoulders soothingly, Cherry catching one of her hands and giving it a squeeze in thanks. The blonde took another shaky, on the verge of tears still breath, before she opened her mouth to speak, "Are you doing anything important right now, Tony?"
"Nothing I can't get out of," Tony spoke, his voice taking on a note of worry. Cherry closed her eyes, willed whatever feelings that his worry brought to the forefront of her mind, heart skipping a beat. Finding Scottie was more important than them. Scottie was out there, alone and afraid. As much as she loved Tony, Scottie was just more important right now. "Why, what's wrong?"
"Scottie got out of the apartment, through the window, and I have no idea where he is," Cherry told him, voice cracking towards the end as she felt a sob try to work its way out of her chest. She really didn't want to cry, especially not on the phone with Tony. Tony, who was saying something to JARVIS about holding any phone calls he might need to take and tell people he's indisposed at the moment.
"I'll be right over," Tony then said into the phone speaker. He hung up a second later, not bothering to wait for Cherry's reply.
What felt like an hour but was only minutes, Tony was inside Cherry's apartment and had replaced Renee. His arms were around Cherry, keeping her close and running a soothing hand up and down her spine. Cherry's head was in his neck, breathing in the scent of coffee, metal, grease, and something that was so Tony it made Cherry's chest ache. They stood like that for minutes, Tony just being soothing and Cherry enjoying the affection and comfort until Renee cleared her throat.
"Right," Tony mumbled. Cherry got a good look at him then, at the bags under his eyes and the tired look on his face and felt the urge to send him home or to her guest room to sleep. But, she really did need help looking for Scottie. So, she made her way to her kitchen and flicked on the coffee maker that was set up on her counter, ready to brew from when she changed everything after her morning cups.
Tony followed her, humming contentedly when the coffee maker was in his sight. He leaned against Cherry, obviously trying to give her comfort. Cherry ran a hand through the unruly curls he had from however long he had been in the workshop, smiled when Tony leaned into it slightly, before she rested a hand on his shoulder. "After we find Scottie, you're going to sleep."
"But, I came up with how I was going to make the R8 more--" Cherry gave him a look as she moved away from him to grab the mugs. Tony deflated, then pouted. Then sent a fond look as he watched Cherry stand on her tiptoes to reach a third mug for Renee. "You know, your hair is a mess. I've never seen it like that."
Cherry narrowed her eyes at him as she poured him coffee and handed him the mug, knowing he liked it black. Then she poured herself and Renee coffee, ignoring the way Tony had no consideration for his tongue's tastebuds and drank the coffee while it was still scorching. Cherry wrinkled her nose as she gave herself the smallest amount of cream, then passed Renee the cream for when she finished with the sugar. The caffeine was consumed almost as fast as Tony's own cup, before the three of them were pulling on coats and making their way outside.
They searched for awhile, Cherry asking anyone who looked friendly enough if she had seen her cat, showing them a picture. Pepper joined them twenty minutes into the search, taking initiative and splitting them up in a much more efficient way than Cherry could even think about right now. With each alleyway they searched, each person they asked, each update text sent, her heart seemed to sink lower and lower.
By the time it was late and they had covered quite a lot of ground around her apartment, they returned to it. Cherry tried not to cry as she let them all in, Renee and Pepper refusing any other hospitality other than to wash their hands and have a glass of water. Tony stayed for a little bit, tried to provide comfort, but Cherry knew he had to do stuff (like go to sleep) and she probably wasn't good company. The man left with a squeeze of her shoulder before he made his way out the door.
Cherry barely made it a step when she heard the door shut before she was collapsing, a sob ripping out of her chest. Scottie was gone. He was somewhere in the city, alone and probably cold, yowling for food and water, but nobody would pay him mind. God, Cherry hoped he was okay. That someone had picked him up and would call her or call a shelter and they would get a hold of her soon.
She didn't expect to hear a knock on the door a moment later. Cherry stood on shaking legs, made her way slowly to the door and threw it open. Standing on the other side of it was Tony, his cheek scratched, Scottie held in his arms. Cherry let out another sob as she saw him, reaching forward to take a very dirty cat out of Tony's arms and cuddle him to her chest, not caring that she was ruining her shirt.
"He had somehow gotten himself back here and under my car," Tony said, following Cherry back into her apartment, shutting the door behind him. Cherry didn't let Scottie out of her arms, checking to make sure she had shut all the windows, before finally letting Scottie down so he could eat and drink. "He had meowed when he saw my shoes or something."
Cherry flung herself into Tony's arms, clinging tightly to the taller man. She planted her mouth on he cheek, over the scratches, and then kept peppering him with her lips to show her gratitude. Over his facial hair and to the other cheek, she made sure he was well kissed, avoiding his lips because she wasn't a masochist. "Thank you so much, Tony," She told him when she came to a stop, her cheek against his, holding him as tightly as physically possible without choking either of them.
"Well, I think him trying to maul me to death is forgiven," Tony told her, Cherry laughing wetly. She pushed another wet kiss to the wound he had acquired, before she pulled back and wiped her cheeks off with delicate fingers.
Tony followed her, chatting with her about random things as she scooped Scottie up and bathed him, washing all the dirt and dust and other things he had managed to get in his fur. Cherry made sure to rinse the tub, let Tony have a shower as she made sure Scottie was tucked into a blanket so he wasn't cold. Then, she made sure to grab a change of clothes for her. And when Tony was finished, promised to make him food after her own shower.
Later, they would fall asleep curled together on the couch, the first time Cherry had spread out on the couch, Tony laying on top of her, head on her chest. Later, Cherry would wake up at one in the morning, the T.V. still playing softly, and run her hand through a sleeping Tony's curls, feel him pull her closer to him. Later, Cherry would realize how much she really did love Tony, with his snarky comments and volatile self-defense. With his sunglasses hiding eyes and smirks hiding hurt. Later, she would kiss the crown of his head and murmur the words into chestnut locks.
Right now, she was washing the stress of losing Scottie off of her body, knowing that Tony had used her body wash and would smell like her for at least a day. The shiver that went through her may have been from the possessive thought that came from the idea of Tony smelling like her.
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ahahaha i'm not sure how i feel about this chapter, but scottie is super important to cherry and also i see tony as a cat dad as well as a robot dad so yes, scottie will be tony's son later in the book.
i love these two and i'm so sorry i have been neglecting them for edith and steve. you guys are gonna love the next chapter when i get it written. it's more cherry and tony bonding lmao. plus, tony gets naked.
hope you enjoyed!