Chapter 4
The following month flew by in a blur. Tony had a sort of routine in place now. Every day began with a hearty breakfast prepared by Miss Florence. He learned a lot about the older woman while sharing those moments in the morning. They would sit together at the kitchen table and talk about their lives and experiences. He gained a lot of knowledge from the elderly woman, and in exchange, gave small pieces of himself that did not scream Tony Fucking Stark. As the days passed, Tony found himself looking forward to these quiet moments with Miss Florence. The genius enjoyed these conversations more than he thought possible and found himself opening up to Miss Florence in a way he had never done with anyone else ever before.
The genius had always been guarded and cautious but something about the elderly woman made him feel comfortable and safe. He told her about his childhood, a nice version of his upbringing. Ana and Edwin Jarvis had raised him more than his biological parents. Howard was frequently away from home, looking for something he had long since lost. No one could go back in time and live their youth once again, but Howard was certainly trying.
Howard had been a successful businessman who was known for his cunning and hard work. However, he was not skilled in other areas of life. His marriage was one of convenience. Maria Carbonell came from an aristocratic family and Howard hoped that the alliance would open doors that were previously closed to him. Old families were keeping things in their circles. Unfortunately, Maria fell in love with Howard and was hurt each time he was unfaithful and showed her disdain. In return, she drowned her sorrows by turning to alcohol and pills. People were wondering why Tony had turned out the way he did. They shouldn’t look any further.
It seemed that his parent’s troubled relationship had had a significant impact on the genius. Howard had been constantly disappointed by his son for a reason or another and was never shy to tell him so. The words were always harsh and sometimes stung more than the backhands that came with them. Maria was always too far gone to intervene or maybe, she didn’t care all that much. The house Tony grew up in wasn’t loving or stable. He had just been doing what he knew as normal. It had ultimately been a mistake and the genius had learned from it.
Tony could talk about Ana and Edwin and how much they had cared for him, as well as everything they had done for the Stark family over the years. Only a few people knew that Tony had stopped drinking after they passed away. Ana liked to have the nice cups out and Jarvis liked his scones done in a particular way. Tony didn’t want to share that with anyone else. When he told Miss Florence about this, he was surprised by how much he opened up to her.
After breakfast, Tony would walk to the cafe. There was no hurry, no stress. A few extra minutes wouldn’t change his world. Nobody could force him to attend a board meeting and despite the ever-present deadlines, he still felt like he had time in front of him. He had time really and it was liberating. Tony was bursting with ideas now, it felt incredible. He was rediscovering the joy of creating things all over again.
Naturally, Tony was having his lunch at the cafe and was taking his time while eating, savouring every bite. During that time, the computer was actually turned off. He liked looking at the people at their tables, seeing families and friends spending time together, laughing and chatting together. They were probably dealing with a lot of problems during the day, but, in that short amount of time, everything was forgotten. They were just enjoying each other’s company.
As the day went on, Tony was going back to work a bit more. His brief break helped to regain his energy and he was ready to tackle whatever tasks he had at hand. Despite the fact that he was more comfortable in a workshop, the genius was able to use his visualisation skills to create blueprints for new upgrades and inventions. In addition to this, Tony was even completing and signing all the boring paperwork. His personal assistant, Pepper, was thrilled to see him so focused and productive. If she hadn’t been the one to assist Tony by relaying his instructions and making sure that everything was carried out smoothly, she could have almost gone on holiday. The main part of her work had always been to reign him in after all.
Tony’s favourite moment of his day was when the kids came back from school. He wasn’t sure if they had always done this, going to the cafe directly, or if it was a new thing, but he was happy they were spending time with him almost every day now.
“First, we tackle your homework and then we have some fun.” The genius reminded them each and every time as they were running to his booth.
Tony pitched in as much as he could. Every day, they would sit in the same booth, and the genius would start explaining the problem to them in a way they would understand. Each of them had their strengths but also areas where they struggled. Tony was able to help with anything related to science, using illustrations and examples from their everyday lives to help them better understand the concepts. He also took the time to answer all of their questions and provide guidance as they worked on the problem on their own.
As the evening wore on, the children’s confidence would grow and they would begin to tackle their homework with a renewed sense of determination. With Tony’s help, they were able to complete all their assignments quickly and even learn far beyond their starting point.
The kids were bright and eager to learn. The four of them would frequently discuss ideas that were much more difficult than the subjects they were supposed to be studying. Tony simply wanted to help, but they occasionally had issues with their history paper. He was not particularly interested in this subject. Of course, the genius had an incredible memory and was still able to recall an event or two to help.
Logan would frequently show up during those times though, and be the one to help. The man was a walking encyclopaedia when it came to history. He was able to tell an event vividly and his little audience was suspended to his lips. Tony couldn't help but think that if his history teacher had been as skilled as Logan, he would have enjoyed the subject much more.
When the three kids finished all their homework, they looked so proud of themselves and always thanked Tony for being there for them. The boys would always bump their fists with him and Laura would give him a tight hug. They frequently mentioned that they wouldn't have been able to do it without the adults' assistance, to which both Tony and Logan would remind them of how smart the children were in the first place. Logan and Tony would always be there to help if they ever felt like they needed it. While the genius had no doubt that they would continue to do well in school with or without him, it was nice to feel appreciated.
“You would have made a wonderful teacher.” Tony the man once, after the children had scattered away to play before dinner.
“You too.”
“I wouldn’t have had the patience.” laughed the genius.
“You have it now.”
Logan was not a man of many words. He rarely engaged in conversation, even with his oldest clients, but no one seemed to hold that against him. Tony appreciated this mentality, finding it really refreshing. It meant that everyone would be allowed to be their authentic selves rather than trying to be what other people thought they should be. Tony had never experienced anything like it before. It was, to put it mildly, liberating.
“Those kids are something. They will do great things in their lives I’m sure and if I can help, even a little, that would make me happy and proud.”
“You would make a great father as well.” said Logan with a smile.
“Many people would beg to differ.”
“They are wrong.”
It was strange for someone to take his side like that, especially since he didn’t really know Tony, not really. Tony was essentially lying to the entire town by not revealing his true identity. He wasn’t playing a different part, not really, but a lie by omission was still a lie. If Logan knew the truth about him, his opinion of Tony’s parenting skills would certainly be different. No one in their right mind would trust the genius to take care of children for more than a few hours. Teaching them science was okay, but raising them was a completely different matter.
Tony was surprised by his desire to believe. He wanted to think that there was something he was doing right. The genius never denied making any mistakes. Nobody was perfect, least of all Tony. He had turned to alcohol to escape his sorrows and attempted to forget his life through drugs. He couldn’t put his trust in anyone. Relationships were difficult for him, so he didn’t even try. Was it a nice thing to do? Most likely not. Tony wasn’t promising more than the night away. His conquests were aware of this, but most of them believed they could change him and have something more. It never worked.
Until Steve came along. Tony had never believed in love at first sight, but it seemed fitting that he would fall hard and fast for the artist. Karma at its finest. Tony would never be able to have nice things in his life. He didn’t deserve it.
“What are you gonna have for dinner?” Logan simply asked, putting his hand on Tony’s shoulder and squeezing it slightly.
The gesture was simple but it weirdly calmed Tony’s nerves. His racing thoughts stopped to swirl downward. Tony was able to focus once more on something perhaps trivial but so anchoring. Logan smiled as the genius asked to be surprised by the cook. After giving Tony’s shoulder a final squeeze, the man returned to his work behind the counter with his other customers.
Tony found himself unable to look away from the man. Logan was tall and chiselled. Every move he made was full of power, but there was also an almost delicate quality to it. Knowing that everything around them was fragile, especially people, was a sign of true strength.
Tony couldn’t help but wonder what had been Logan’s life before. His imagination was running wild. Logan had most likely served in the military in the past. It would fit with the way the man was acting. He had most likely done more than one tour until he had the woman who had changed everything for the man. They had fallen in love and married quickly. Soon after, they had a child. What had happened to that woman? Tony had no idea. Whatever Logan’s history was, Laura had a mother somewhere. He didn’t want to consider the worst case scenario, but he had spent a lot of time at the cafe recently and had never seen her there.
Tony could always ask the father or daughter, but it wasn’t his place to get involved. He could tell that Laura was genuinely happy. She never had those fake smiles Tony used to give anyone who spoke to him at her age. Children were extremely resilient. The entire situation was put into perspective. Steve had broken his heart, but he was not going to ruin his life. Something was changing within Tony and he hoped that it would be for the better.