Falling In Silver Waters
The days of the Wintery kisses had flown by and were suddenly replaced by a golden orb above with a friendly demeanor. A touch of warmth enlightened the entire city of New York and the sun's brilliant rays burst through the window of a small office which was neighboured by much larger structures. The sigh of Becca was an easy representation of her boredom as she tapped her pencil against the table. Completely bored out of her mind, Becca had nothing to do. She had finished her report that her boss had demanded and she was able to clean out all of her desk within the space of a few minutes- which surely should be classed as a world record. Becca was still stuck on why her boss, Darcy, had thought it would be a great idea to call her in- especially when it was her day off. Inwardly, Becca hoped that the reason she was forced to agree to working was because there was a dire situation, but when she walked into the office everybody seemed at ease and well...normal.
'This better be serious because I'm heading to London soon and I haven't even packed yet!' Becca bit her lip and ignored the stinging sensation as she tore some of the skin. She yawned loudly and spun on her chair, kicking her feet out in a childish manner. Becca sighed whilst her chair slowed down until it reached a stop.
"Ah, Becca! Just the girl I wanted to see," Darcy said cheerfully as she entered the small and compact office room. Becca was actually really happy to have her office- despite its size- as she was one of the lucky few who were given an office, whereas some other employees were forced to work in an office block. Although, at times it did make Becca feel slightly claustrophobic. Becca gasped and quickly stood up whilst hoping Darcy hadn't witnessed her childish behaviour. Politely she greeted her boss who smiled at her.
"Hello, Darcy..." Becca said awkwardly. Becca was still fairly new to her job and being a reporter didn't help when you were terribly shy and suffered from social anxiety. Ah, how life was just so splendid. Note the sarcasm.
Darcy smiled brightly, showing off her perfect white teeth which somehow complimented her purple lipstick. For a woman who was over 40 years old, she looked good. "You're wondering why I am you in today, right?" Becca nodded in response. Darcy ran her fingers through her afro-styled hair and rested her palm on her hip, leaning sideways as she smiled again. "Over the past couple of weeks I've seen your work and it has improved tremendously! With a couple phone calls and a bit of bribery, I was able to squeeze you in to have a little interview with Tony Stark."
Becca's eyes widened and she felt her heart stop for just a moment. Her jaw hung low and she felt her mouth twitch into a large grin and she jumped excitedly like a schoolgirl meeting a celebrity crush. "Tony Stark?! The Tony Stark?!" Her eyes widened even more and flashed as they mirrored her excitement. She was still recovering from her sudden wash of disbelief that was also a mix of shock. Maybe she hadn't heard Darcy right? Maybe she was just overreacting?
Darcy let out a joyous laugh, folding her arms before her chest and nodding with a smirk. "That's right hun. Tony Stark is expecting you to be with him by two O'clock." Becca glanced towards the clock; she still had about thirty minutes until she was expected to be there and she was positive she could make it in time if she hurried. Surely, she could make it in time if she ran? Probably not, but it was worth a try.
Shortly after being dismissed, Becca was panting heavily and drenched in sweat as she ran down the streets and occasionally turned the corner. She ignored the cursed from when she ran through the crowds and possibly knocked somebody over. She had thanked Darcy about a million times after hearing about her opportunity. Tony was really inspirational hero and after the Avenger's recent victory in Sokovia, Becca was sure Tony was close to becoming one of her favourite out of the heroes. Whilst running, Becca was able to call her friend Emily and share the news- of course, being the alcohol lover that Emily was, she insisted on going out for a couple drinks but Becca declined. She would much rather prefer watching some soppy rom-coms and drinking hot chocolate or wine.
Futuristic. That was the only word that came to mind when Becca made it to the legendary Stark Tower. She was completely awestruck and it caused her to freeze mid step and admire the building. To think that somebody could achieve something as great as this was truly inspirational. The building loomed over and Becca was able to contain herself as she remembered that she was already running behind schedule. Luckily, her legs obeyed her and lead her up the heavy steps until she was inside the building. Becca was quickly overwhelmed by the crowds of men and women who donned lab coats or formal clothing. Looking down at her own clothes disapprovingly and feeling a bit out of place as she wore a plain black skirt and blouse. Perhaps it could count as looking somewhat formal?
Becca walked towards the woman at the counter and smiled shyly, "hi, I'm here for the interview with and two?" Nervously, she glanced at the clock which stated in big bold lettering 1:56 PM.Technically, she is on a time but if the process of gaining actual access into the building took any longer than she would surely be a bad representative of her company or perhaps it could turn for the worst. She could anger Tony Stark. Her mind grew hazy with ridiculous ideas such as how Stark would ban her from all is good in the world.
The woman at the desk nodded in acknowledgement and continued to tap away on her computer's keyboard before glancing up at Becca and smiling professionally. "Miss...Becca Wilkins? The reporter from Future Is Now Magazine?" Becca nodded to the woman before quickly glancing at the clock once more and bit her lip so much that she tasted the faint hint of copper on her tongue. "Ok, so here's your pass" the woman quickly pulled out a white card with the Stark Industries logo printed boldly onto it before she glanced up at Becca. "Welcome to Stark Tower, Miss Wilkins."
Becca quietly thanked the woman before bringing her attention to the room. She was only beginning to notice that she had absolutely no idea where she was going or even how to get to Tony Stark himself. She smiled in relief as she noticed a lone man wearing a lab coat and he seemed approachable. She walked closer to him and cleared her throat, hoping he would notice her. He didn't.
"Uh...hi. Can you please help me?" She asked politely, holding her hands behind her back and smiling at him.
The man turned and looked a Becca. His eyes looked her up and down with a distasteful expression. He kissed his teeth and scowled at her, walking away from her and leaving Becca. The girl curled her fists and cursed under her breath. As much as she wouldn't want to admit it- some people in this world were absolute jerks, even when it came to the most simplest things. If she wasn't working and she actually had some physical strength, she would've most likely hit that guy around his face and show him not to belittle her. The nerve of that guy. With a sigh, Becca looked around once again in hope to find someone who would actually help and fast as it was already two O'clock. That was then Becca caught sight of a tall man with strange silvery hair standing beside a vending machine.
Quietly she walked towards him and hoped that he wouldn't be a jerk. "Uh... sorry, excuse me. I was wondering if it would be OK if you could help me?" She asked hesitantly, flinching as the man's eyes quickly locked onto hers. The man looked down at Becca and remained silent, reaching down and grabbing his can of Cola from the vending machine. "You're probably busy but I'm expected to be meeting with Mr. Stark but I have no idea how to get to him," She said quickly, rocking back on her feet as she felt awkward whilst underneath the man's gaze.
The man remained silent, instead choosing to open his canned drink and quickly swallow it within a few mouthfuls. He remained in his spot and threw the can into the trash can which was just a couple feet away before he went back to staring at Becca. 'Maybe he doesn't speak English?'
"I was hoping you could help me as most people here seem like jer-"
"There's an elevator over there," he finally spoke. Becca watched as he raised his hand and pointed towards the direction of the elevator. "I can take you to it?" He said, taking a step forward and glancing at Becca. The girl nodded and smiled faintly as the man lead her to the elevator. At least not everyone was stuck up. Becca stared at the man's feet as she continued to follow him, oblivious to the fact he was looking at her from over his shoulder. He wouldn't admit it yet, but he thought she was kind of cute.
Becca walked in the elevator and the man shortly followed. He pressed a button and the door shut, locking the two inside the elevator. "Thank you. You've been most helpful," Becca gathered the courage to finally say in order to break the silence. She looked down at her feet and began to pick at her already chipping nail polish. As much as she absolutely loved her job, she didn't like the fact she was so shy. When it came to interviews she always felt the urge to faint or suffer from a panic attack. Fortunately, she had only had to interview people like fireman or shop owners who survived a robbery. Never had she been able to meet a celebrity, especially Tony freaking Stark!
"Why are you here?" The man said, his Sokovian accent thick and noticeable. Becca felt her stomach flutter. She guessed it that she had a thing for accents.
"I have to interview Mr. Stark about being the legendary Iron Man," She said, ignoring the man's scoff. "And you? You don't look the sciencey type," Becca glanced at the man and feel something inside of her twitching. She felt as if she had seen this man's face before, but she couldn't remember it whatsoever.
"I live here," he said boredly.
Becca raised her brow. "That's cool, I guess. I bet it must be nice living here?" Becca smiled. With every time that she spoke, she felt her confidence grow whilst speaking to him. Admittedly that put her mind at ease when thinking about the upcoming interview.
"It's alright, I guess," He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "What's your name anyway? I didn't catch it."
Becca flinched and smiled at him, "oh how rude of me! I never did tell you my name! I'm so sorry," She said with a faint laugh, feeling a blush reaching her cheeks. She pulled her hand out and offered for him to take it, "I'm Becca. Becca Wilkins."
The man shook her hand and smirked. "Pietro Maximoff."
The doors to the elevator opened suddenly and Pietro quickly scowled before looking at Becca. "This is it," he said with a sigh. Becca nodded and left the elevator and looking around as she entered a white hallway. "Good luck."
"Thank you Pietro," Becca said softly before the elevator doors closed suddenly, leaving Becca all alone.
She sighed before walking down the hallway and heading towards a room which seemed like a laboratory. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door and Becca noticed Tony Stark himself standing up. He nodded at her before the door suddenly opened.
"You must be my reporter?" He said, rubbing his hands together. "Don't you think a cute girl like you should actually work beside me? You don't even need a degree. You can just stand here and look pretty."
Becca grimaced, rolling her eyes and feeling slightly disgusted. She had heard rumours about Tony but she didn't think they were true. Apparently Mr. Stark is the type of guy who flirts with anything that is female, has two legs and two boobs. Honestly, how did Peppa Potts deal with this 24/7? Becca knew she had to stay on high alert and ignore all types of comments that he made that were not associated with the interview.
"I'm afraid that wouldn't really be a good thing to put on my resume, Mr. Stark," Becca quickly commented.
"Mr. Stark was my father, call me Tony," He said before Becca walked into the lab and took in the scenery. She could see many gadgets that she couldn't even imagine the names for or even guess their purpose, The room was large and had a lot of wide open space, even though there was a few cluttered desks and a table in the center of the room. Becca was sure that once she left the elevator she had entered another dimension. It was too surreal for her mind to adjust.
"Before we begin, I'd like to apologise for my tardiness," She said quietly. She glanced towards another door as a man entered the lab with a laid back attitude as he entered. She felt her stomach twist as she knew that she had just laid eyes on the one and only Bruce Banner- somebody who her friend idolised. However, Becca couldn't feel the same way as she was more into sports and the occasional round at hand-to-hand combat. That was much preferred over small lab experiments, but that's what happens when you're brought up with a sports diehard father and no motherly figure.
Bruce continued walking towards his desk and sat comfortably on the chair whilst holding a cup of coffee. Becca grimaced as she noticed the large pile of used cups and glasses on the desk, along with a couple energy drinks cluttering the floor. "Don't apologise, Tony us mentally a two year old and he could be late to his own funeral," Bruce said before drinking the hot beverage in his hand.
"Right well, Mr. Banner, if you wouldn't mind it's be great if you could answer a few questions too! You don't have to consent of course," Becca said.
Tony rolled his eyes and suddenly clapped his hands loudly. Of course, he got what he wanted and everybody looked towards him. "I thought I was the important person here?" He whined.
Becca shook her head and clicked her tongue before pulling out her notepad and jotting down the occasional answer. Despite all his whining, Stark was only giving half hearted answers with a couple comments that weren't really necessary- most of them on Becca's below average height, when he wasn't one to talk either. Luckily, Tony started to answer the questions when it came to talking about the Iron Man. Within a few minutes Becca was able to finish her quiz with questions such as 'what's it like being the Iron man?' Or 'would you say you're an inspirational figure?', which did bring out Tony's vanity.
"Mr. Banner, what is it like to be working beside Tony?"
Bruce fell into a state of silence for a moment as he pondered on the question. He wanted to be truthful about Tony was a really great guy once you learnt how to ignore his comments and sarcasm, but he was more interested in being annoyed but he didn't want to leave a negative thought.
"He's great to be around and he's really helpful around the lab," He said. Becca nodded knowingly before jotting down a couple notes in her swirly handwriting.
"You make it sound like I'm not the one paying for literally everything around here," Tony quickly added.
Becca nodded once again and smiled when Tony glanced at her. Becca stood up from the chair she sat on and grabbed her satchel before wishing the two Avengers goodbye.
As she turned to leave, somehow Tony slammed himself in front of the door and smirked playfully. "Do you have a boyfriend?" He said smoothly, as if this was an everyday occurrence. Becca was taken aback at the childish and sudden question. She was starting to believe that Bruce was right when it came to Tony's mentality.
"No, not that it is important you," Becca answered coldly. She was beginning to grow a little tired of Starks childish behaviour.
Stark fell quiet for a short moment before sliding away from the door. "You know what, I think you're cool. I'd like to meet with you again," Tony commented.
Becca ignored what he said and left the lab, heading towards the elevator. However she had no idea how oblivious she was being. Little did she know that Tony was planning something which involved Becca and a certain silver haired speedster.
"Tony, I know what you're planning. Don't do it," Bruce shook his head and sighed. Bruce was getting tired of Tony's childish antics.
"What? Little Speedy Gonzales and little Becks could totally be a perfect match," Tony smirked. "Witchy can also get a new BFF who would watch romance movies with her and do each others hair and talk about boys."
24/1/16
This is a brand new rewrite as I had completely forgotten about this and hadn't updated since August (sorry). As my writing style has changed completely- well I think- I thought it would be nice to redo it and actually focus on this story for once!
I STILL PROMISE TO FINISH THIS FIC OR I SWEAR IT'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME!