billionaires | #inbox

[And cut to Kamala choking a little on her peanuts. HE'S ONTO HER. RUN. SAY STUFF, BRAIN!!!!!

Kamala coughs loudly to clear her throat and replies nervously,] What?? N-no! You're totally strict when you need to be..... Don't let Team Cap pressure you into being something you're not!!!

[#subtle]

I literally never do. [ he assures her, tone even despite his suspicions, or perhaps because of them. ] ...Which is why you're here.

[ he can't bring himself to be upset with her when it seems like oversight on his part. to him, anyway. tony eats a few more peanuts and just settles with his truth. ]

[This is the part where she realizes that she messed up. Kamala frowns deeply, ditching getting more peanuts in favor of latching onto his arm like a little kid. She should probably level with him so he doesn't get the wrong idea. He's right............. He's also wrong. It's complicated!!!] I'm here because I also want all your attention, okay? I hate sharing you with the Spider-kids. It's easy to look good compared to Aamir, but those guys are tough to beat.

[She shakes his arm lightly and pouts.] What's wrong with being the fun parent anyways? Everyone needs a fun parent to eat peanuts with!

[ he looks down at her hanging off him, as usual he doesn't have the heart to push her away. which only makes his guts tie themselves in knots as she goes on. tony has always been a busy guy, though he's split his attention different ways and for different reasons over the years. lately, it's on mentorship and he really does try not to show favoritism, but he's always had a notoriously crap poker face. surely, kamala most know she's the golden child? except: she doesn't seem to. which is actually reassuring in a way, maybe he'd done a better job splitting his attention than he thought. or maybe, more likely, he'd pulled a howard and neglected the one person he cared about the most. ]

Kamala... [ a rare use of her actual given name betrays how serious he is in the moment and he downs the last of his snack just to get them out of his hands. now empty, he cups her shoulder and just hangs on a minute, still needing time to gather his thoughts and feelings. ] I just need you to know I'm trying, okay? It's probably not good enough, but that's what I've got right now.

[ especially with his tank on empty most of the time. ]

[She broke him, didn't she? The first name is never the best sign. Kamala waits for the rest of it and honestly it worries her a ton. Sometimes she forgets there's a guy under the shiny suit. She needs to fix this before her mom finds out she's been a huge jerk. Also because she loves Tony or something!] I know! I swear this isn't some passive aggressive guilt trip we're on.

[Kamala takes a breath and tries to put all these complicated feels into words. His weight on her shoulder is a strong reminder not to screw it up.] It's just different for us. We ran around our houses pretending to be you since we were like six and then one day you're teaching us stuff! It's crazy! And probably a ton of pressure on you. I'm sorry if you're feeling it. I want us to have fun when we're together and not feel like you're not meeting some impossible standard baby Kamala made up when you were the shiny guy on TV!

[She quickly tacks on:] Because seriously they were so impossible. You are so lucky you didn't meet me when you first started out. Your hair would have been white by now.

[ that gets a quizzical look - it wasn't really where he was going with his apology, but he lets her go on... and on. and on. until finally he has to interrupt. ]

You wouldn't've liked me then either. [ he certainly doesn't like that guy now, or even the guy he was last week. he's always striving to be better than himself, for lack of another rival to measure himself against. he squeezes her arm a last time before reluctantly pulling back. ] But thanks for pretending not to notice how gray I've gotten.

[ he would dye it except pepper likes it, and it brings a slight smile to curve his lips. tony hates this feeling, like the kids have to tiptoe around this fragile old man. but sometimes, he knows it's just how it is. ]

What do you think? Protein levels at 'go' yet? [ there's a bit of sadness still clinging to his tone, but he's trying to power through. ]

[Kamala stares at him with those big, worried brown eyes. She has to concede she can't harp on this forever. Tony feels how he feels. She just has to make sure the rest of this is fun... and idk something something training. Easy parent or not, he does have a lot to teach her.

She forces a smile and offers a thumbs up.] All good! Until catering arrives because catering.

Oh, were you counting on that? [ because catering was maybe hyperbole, not like it would be a problem to actually order it... wait, is he doing it again? tony rubs at his eyes, feeling tired and conflicted over every dumb little thing right now. ] Can you help me out here? Am I supposed to be doing the tough love training thing or did you really come over here just to hang?

[Kamala hums loudly as she considers that. He's definitely having a rough go of it. She doesn't want to push him that hard. On the other hand, this is a mentorship she has to justify to her mother! Better split it down the middle.] Can I get some tough love and hang out time? Is that a thing? Because I can definitely live with you kicking my butt into shape if we get something yummy to eat at the end and gossip about Black Widow's new hairstyle.

[ tony considers her speech before picking up his phone and nodding to indicate he agrees to her terms. he orders them a halal buffet for once they get through, which it should be arriving at just the right time for their workout to be winding down. he hangs up and throws his phone onto the counter carelessly. ]

It can now totally be a thing. [ he gestures for her to lead the way into the training room while he turns his attention to FRIDAY. ] Drop us a beat, dear, won't you?

[ a classic starts playing just as they enter and it almost makes him wish thor were here. ]

Yay! [Kamala loudly announces. She runs ahead eagerly. She gets even more hyped by the music choice.] Niiiice. Every time I hear this I swear Thor is gonna magically appear with his amazing hair and dreamy smile....

[And she's fantasizing about Thor..... Whoops?]

Thor is pretty dreamy, isn't he?

[ tony sighs before blasting up towards the ceiling to get some higher ground. he's trying to come up with ways to make this apocalypse training instead of regular type while lapping around the expansive room. he thinks about sneak attacking her, but it's obvious his heart isn't really in this and he stops in midair after so long. ]

Okay, I'm stumped. What do you think is gonna happen again? More aliens? [ that does seem inevitable, but what's the point of worrying about it now really? ]

[This is the moment where Kamala realizes she didn't think this through. They were just chatting away about what-ifs. What would a serious situation look like? Oh... right. Kamala goes along with it sounding so uncertain.] Uh... yeah. I mean we got invaded like once in a super big way. Obviously lowkey invaded some other times which is why we have me and Captain Marvel.

We should be ready for whoever invaded us the first time. And the Kree. Definitely the Kree.

[ tony doesn't like getting serious, pretty much anyone who's met the guy knows that. but kamala never pleads with him like this- it makes him want to show her he's taking her concerns to heart. his faceplate pops up and he drifts back down to the floor, landing with the soft clack of hydraulic boots. ]

What makes you think I haven't prepared for... multiple contingencies? [ he raps on his metal head with his metal gloves. ] Super-genius, 'member?

[Kamala blinks a few times. She knows logically that is true. Tony is a genius! He thinks of everything! So why is she scared?] Nothing...

[Kamala starts uncertainly. It takes a minute of silence, of digging deep to realize what is really weighing on her mind.] Sorry, it's hard not hear stories and not freak out. I know this sounds super bad so please don't tell Cap I said this... I don't want to end up like his friend, okay? It's hard to read all this stuff and not start to think about what it means the longer I'm superheroing.

[It's more than Bucky Barnes' sad story being widely available to anyone with a wifi connection and some time on their hands to read through files. Carol disappeared mysteriously for years. She has to wonder what that means as she gets older and be wary of it.]

[ his pensive little frown slowly builds into an outright scowl at how dark she's taking things. it isn't like her to worry about this stuff, but he can't say she's off base to. ]

Oh, Kamala... [ he sighs, realizing he sounds like pepper in that moment, or maybe even like kam's ammi. he holds out metal arms to offer the only comfort he knows how to give. ] I'd die before I let anything happen to you.

[ he squeezes her as tight as he dares with the suit on, breathing deeply of her as though his body knows she's family, despite the biological mismatch. ]

[Kamala rushes into his arms without even a second thought and returns the hug. She does love and trust him. She knows deep in her heart what he's saying is the absolute truth. He will die before true harm ever comes to her. Maybe that's why Ammi brought up her concerns. Maybe that's why Kamala started taking it so seriously. She loves him. She never wants him to leave.] I know.

[Those two words sounds like they come from someone far older. Kamala glances up at him with big, watery eyes and goes firmly back to being a child.] I'm sorry for freaking out on you. I promise no more looking into scary things on the Internet, okay? Just fanfic and cute kitten videos.

[ tony skips over the emotion he hears in her tone, because he can't help who he is anymore than she can. he can't apologize for putting her first and he won't. ]

Takes a lot more than that to freak me out, Kam. [ reluctantly, he releases her, but keeps a hand on her shoulder. ] Sure you're OK?

[Kamala nods reluctantly, eyes darting down to her feet. She's still worried about him, but even she has to concede it's unnecessary. They can't predict the future. Why get so worked up over it now?] I'm sure. I'll just train harder so neither of us have to worry, okay?

[ that gets a bright smile out of him finally and he nods. ] That a girl. [ with a wink he shoots off towards the ceiling again to get back in their groove. as usual, once they both get tired it's lunchtime, or dinnertime. whichever came first, as usual tony doesn't really pay attention, sitting at their little round table with a heavy thud before letting his helmet drop to the floor with an even louder one and disengaging his gauntlets one by one so they can join their buddy on the tile. he pulls out his phone from some undisclosed location and nods towards the door. ]

Pizza's here. Use every security protocol like I taught you - and don't let him in. [ which you wouldn't think he'd have to spell out but his teammates are a bunch of naively trusting fools. ]

[It's fun like it always is. She loves their back and forth in training. It makes her feel more capable every time. Kamala would reluctant to let it end if not for her stomach. She's so freaking hungry that his armor is starting to look edible.

She huffs at his advice as she sprints towards the door like her life depends on it.] Hey! Ammi totally taught me about stranger-danger!

[She says like she isn't the most trusting one of the bunch.] I've got it! [She'll go get that pizza now.]

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