Chapter 2
Tony quickly placed a coffee order and asked for directions to the toilets. The man behind the counter just pointed to a door on the other side of the shop. Tony walked there quickly, with his head down. Instead of looking at himself in the mirror, he splashed water all over his face, trying to erase the traces of his crying. It did him some good. When he finally looked up, his eyes were still red and puffy. He had seen better days. This wasn’t what he had planned for that day. It was what it was and Tony couldn’t stay hidden in the restroom of that unknown place forever.
He made his way back to the main room. On the counter, a steaming mug of coffee was waiting for him. Tony sat down on a high stool and placed his hands around the cup to warm them. Then, he took a sip carefully. The liquid burnt his mouth a little. He loved it that way. Coffee was that one thing he was addicted to. He could be quite picky when it came to his cup of joe. Tony had the money to buy the best of the best and had also built his own machine to extract the best juice out of it. He had to admit though, here, in the middle of nowhere, he had just been served the tastiest cup of coffee the genius ever had.
“Can I interest you in a slice of pie to go with that?”
“What kind of pie?”
“Pecan.” answered the man behind the counter.
Tony took the slice that was offered to him. This was going to be a treat if the food lived up to the coffee. It gave the genius a chance to take a look around him. The coffee shop was largely deserted at that time of day. On a table near the bay window, two men were each drinking from their own cup. They weren't talking to each other. With an unlit cigar in his mouth, the owner had gone back to the end of the counter and was reading the newspaper. The man obviously wasn’t smoking it, just moving it in his mouth and chewing on it like an old habit he couldn’t really part of. Most restaurants would frown upon that but the man didn’t seem to care at all. He wasn’t trying to make small talk with Tony. The genius wasn’t sure if it was due to his current state or because the man was just like a bear in his cave. It didn’t really matter. For the first time in his life, silence was more than welcomed.
After his second refill of coffee, Tony finally asked about a hotel or anything vaguely approaching accommodation in the area. He was wealthy enough to pay cash for a house right there and then, but that wasn’t the impression he wanted to give. Anyway, Tony wasn’t yet fully decided if he was about to stick around for a long time even if the quality of the coffee was certainly a good point. He wasn’t about to go back to New York. Not right now.
Miss Florence was an elderly woman with all her marbles in order. She had a big house she wasn’t entirely using anymore. Her husband, bless his soul, had passed away a couple of years ago. Her children were all grown up and had moved to the big city for their jobs. Although she didn't really need the money, it was a waste of space. Tony quickly realised that the old lady was not only talking too much but also was very lonely.
Tony rented a room in that big house. The place looked comfortable, if a little bit too flowery. The room was spacious and also had its own bathroom. A large window looked out over a nice, manicured garden. It would do well for a time. If Tony liked the town enough to stick around, he could always find a better place to live.
Miss Florence required at the very least a name from him for the paperwork. She wasn’t opposed to cash payment as long as it was upfront. If they were to live together, she also would need a name to call him by. He hesitated for a second. He didn’t want to be Tony Stark anymore. The business man was too well known and not always in a good way. He didn’t particularly want to lie. He just wanted to be like anybody else. Tony wanted those people to learn who really was instead, not the persona he had to wear in public.
“Anthony… Carbonell.” he finally answered, spelling the name out for the old woman.
“Well Mr Carbonell, nice to meet you.”
“Please call me Tony. Nice to meet you too.”
His mother's maiden name was the only one that came to mind. For a genius, he was lacking imagination at times. People had no reason to doubt him or conduct a thorough background investigation on him. At the very least, he hoped so. Not many people actually remembered his mother and all the good she had done in that world. If someone ever made the link, it would be a bridge he would cross once there.
Tony left the house once more to buy supplies. He had left the city quite abruptly and now, he didn’t even have a change of clothes or a toothbrush. The town was small enough he could do everything by foot. The weather was nice at that time of the afternoon. He did need to hurry though. It wasn't New York anymore, with shops open until the wee hours of the morning. Tony found everything he needed at the general store, which had a little bit of everything. They didn’t have Armani suits he was used to wearing in public. The real Tony always preferred a rock band tee shirt and an old pair of jeans better. The first time Steve had come to visit him at the tower, he had been almost shocked to see him dressed that way.
Whether he liked it or not, memories were coming back to him. He would have to learn how to handle them. This was going to be his life now. Tony would have to put on yet another mask and pretend that everything was fine. He was already doing it about so many aspects of his life. A different one wouldn't make much of a difference.
Miss Florence only served breakfast for her residents, but Tony had already warned her not to bother. The mornings had never been his thing. She did not have to be concerned about him. The room was already more than enough, but he needed to find a place to eat for at least a meal a day. Miss Flow didn't have a curfew or anything, and Tony could go to his room whenever he wanted. Not that he would go out that often. Tony didn’t know anyone in the area and had no idea if there were any evening activities in that town.
Not having a better idea, Tony went back to the coffee shop that apparently also served as a restaurant. The place was much busier now. The entire city appeared to be eating there. The man was still behind the counter, but he now had a waitress and a cook to help him. Everyone was either happily chatting or eating enthusiastically, it seemed.
The exact same bar stool he had sat before was free at the counter, waiting for him to come back. Tony put his brand-new, fully-loaded backpack on the ground before sitting down, dragging it between his feet so it wouldn’t get in the way of anyone but him. He didn't mind if someone stole from him. Worst case scenario, someone would end up with new tee-shirts and underwear. Tony’s mama had taught him good, telling him not to be a bother for the people around him.
“Hi again Bub. What can I get you this time?” the man behind the counter asked him.
“Any special?”
“Today’s meatloaf but the cook makes a mean cheeseburger.”
“Cheeseburger it is!” answered Tony considering they were old time favourites of his.
“Good choice Bub.”
The food arrived quickly. Cheeseburger, fries and a small salad on the side, probably to make it look like a healthy meal. Tony took a bite, without paying a real attention to what he was doing. His thoughts kept returning to all the things he thought he had shared with Steve. He was caught in a vicious circle of never ending questions he probably would never get the answers unless he asked directly. Surprisingly, the flavours exploded in his mouth. Tony had eaten quite a few cheeseburgers in his life. This was the best one he ever had. By far.
He hadn’t realised how hungry he was. He hadn’t had a proper meal since leaving New York but for a slice of pecan pie or perhaps it was because the food was so good. The plate was cleared out in record time. He washed it all down with one of those delicious cups of coffee. The genius could really be used to that kind of food. Nobody was charging him more because he was Tony Fucking Stark. What was not to like?
He walked slowly back to the house. The sun was setting, giving everything an orange hue. Tony had never taken the time to look at those things before unlike Steve who found beauty in everything. Tony could have learned all that if he had been taught how. He was already listening to the other man when he was talking so passionately about his art. Even on their dates, Steve was always drawing something. Tony had saved every napkin with even the beginnings of a doodle on it. What was he going to do with them now? Somehow he was happy not to have to take those kinds of decisions now.
Pepper would notice his disappearance some time in the morning. As his PA, they were in contact almost everyday. Tony would probably have to call her and give the semblance of an explanation. He didn't want to tell anyone what was going on. Pepper could be on his side and go on a rampage, destroying Steve and his friends. Tony didn’t want that. The woman could also tell him to get his act together. Nobody has ever died as a result of a broken heart. He wasn't the first or last man to go through something like this and he wouldn’t be the last.
Pepper wouldn't be wrong, of course. Tony was not prepared to hear it though. No, not now, and possibly not ever. So he would not tell her. He had enough eccentricity to have simply gone somewhere on a whim. It would not be the first time. Technically, he wouldn't be lying. She wouldn't mind if he responded to his emails on a regular basis and provided her with product updates. The board members were only interested in making money. It didn't really matter how they obtained it.
The bed was really comfortable and he was really tired. He had managed to send Pepper an email informing her that he had gone on a trip. Tony always had a bunch of upgrades ready for when he didn't want to work or for all the vacations he imagined Steve and him taking. At least, it would be useful now. Tony would have a couple of months free. Even though it made things simpler, he didn't need a workshop to create. With a little bit of work and some good secure internet, his little off time could last forever.
Until Rhodey would come back from his town, somewhere Tony didn’t have the right to know. That was the downside of being a colonel in the Air Force. Rhodes would return soon enough, and when he did, he would want to see Tony. The genius never kept anything from his best friend. Never.