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abundanceofsoph · 10 months

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SkyFire 3: Chapter 18

Relationships - Beginnings, Middles, and Ends?

:September - October 2018

Word count: 3.6k

SkyFire 3 MASTERLIST

As the end of September began to near, Niall returned to London and he caught up with Aurora for lunch. They sat outside a cafe nearby the studios, enjoying the sunshine. Niall had spent the last half an hour lamenting his dating woes to his happily married friend.

“It’s not fair,” he sighed. “You and Harry are perfect for each other and Lou and Elanor are back together and happy… I just want that, you know?”

“I do,” Rori agreed. “I’ve never known you to have a hard time meeting women though.”

“It’s not meeting them that’s the problem,” Niall replied. “It’s easy to start dating someone, it’s keeping it going that’s hard.”

“Maybe you just need help picking better options. What are you looking for?”

“Honestly? Someone that I can just be myself around.”

“You didn’t feel that way with the others?”

“It always ends up feeling like they’re dating Niall Horan,” he explained and Rori knew what he meant immediately. Being famous could be really fun and it came with a lot of benefits, but the downside was that it was often hard to know if people genuinely liked you or just liked your name and what it represented. “I just want to find a normal girl,” Niall continued, “with a normal job that wants to settle down. I want something serious.”

Aurora was quiet for a moment, her thoughts ticking over. Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones, or perhaps it was the stability of staying in one place for several months for the first time in years, but Aurora was feeling overwhelmingly content and wanted to ensure those around her were too. “I might know the perfect girl, actually.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I’ve actually always thought the two of you would be great together but whenever one of you is single, the other’s been in a relationship or on a dating break.”

“Who is she?”

“Ella,” Rori explained.

“Ella’s not interested in me,” Niall scoffed.

“Are you kidding me? She’s always had a bit of a crush but you either weren’t available or she was too intimidated. You should ask her out.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Aurora promised. “Call her and ask to take her to dinner. I promise you won't regret it.”

xXx

The following week, Louis and Rori were talking about the fact that Louis had been speaking with Zayn the previous day.

“So you’ve fully patched things up now?” Rori asked.

“I wouldn’t say we’ll ever be like we were in the band,” Louis admitted. “I think too much has happened for us to go back to being brothers like that, but I feel we’ve fixed things enough to be friends.”

“I’m glad,” Rori said. “I mean, I’m not glad you’ll never be like it was in the band, but I’m glad you can be friends again. I was hurt when he cut us all off, but I know it was way worse for you than it was for me.”

“Yeah, I guess it’s a combination of getting out of all of that toxic shit and also just growing up, but I can look at it now and I get that he needed to get out to save himself.”

“I tried to call him so many times afterwards,” Rori admitted. “He probably blocked me because I never heard from him.”

“I think he changed his number.”

“That makes sense,” Rori nodded. Louis watched as she fidgeted with the pen on the table in front of her, her eyes locked on the blue plastic.

“Do you want his new number?” he asked. “Maybe now’s a good time to heal old wounds.”

She finally looked up to meet his gaze. “Do you think he’d even want to talk to me after all these years?”

“He replied to me when I reached out, and you didn’t drag him online like I did.”

“Maybe you could give him my number and tell him it’s ok if he doesn’t want to talk to me, but I’m here if he does?”

“I can do that,” Louis agreed with a soft smile.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

xXx

Zayn texted her 3 days later, asking if she wanted to get a coffee and she quickly accepted.

“I just don’t understand why you’re doing this?” Harry asked for a third time that morning.

“Because I have questions,” Rori explained again as she buttoned her jeans up in their walk-in closet. She watched Harry in the reflection of the mirror as he stood in the bedroom behind her.

“Like what?” Harry scoffed. “Why was he a selfish prick that blew everything up instead of just talking to us?”

“Harry,” Rori sighed. She was exhausted from having this same argument on repeat for the last several days. “I’ve already explained this so many times. He was my friend, he was in pain and I missed it. I want to know how I missed it. I want to know what I could have done differently so that he could have felt safe talking to me.”

“What he did wasn’t on you,” Harry argued. “The only person responsible for what he did was him.”

“I have to go or I’m going to be late.”

“Yeah, sure. Just dismiss me again.”

“Harry I can’t have this fight with you right now and honestly I don’t want to have any fight with you. I’m going now and I really hope you get this attitude in check by the time I get home.”

xXx

Zayn was already waiting for her in a booth when she arrived at the Golden Stag. It was awkward at first, with neither of them knowing what to say or how to start.

“I read you and Harry bought the place,” Zayn said after several awkward pauses in conversation.

“We did, yeah,” Rori nodded. “Helen and Greg couldn’t afford to keep it and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye so we bought it and have been updating it a bit.”

“Fresh coat of paint?” Zayn asked.

“That and the stage,” Rori agreed, gesturing over to the small platform that had been recently built in the far corner of the room near where her piano was set up. “We want to start organising open mic nights. Music, Comedy, and maybe even some pub trivia nights. Just some different ways to get people in and spending their money, you know?”

“Sounds awesome. You guys have really got things sorted by the sounds of things.”

“We’re certainly trying… How about you Zayn? How’s your life been?”

They chatted for a while, updating each other on their lives before finally building up the courage to talk about what had ended their friendship all those years ago.

“I really am sorry I ghosted you,” Zayn finally admitted. “The guys were just so angry when I told them, I couldn’t imagine you feeling differently. Especially with how angry Harry was.”

“Harry’s temper has always been his downfall,” Rori admitted. “Especially when he uses it to mask when he’s been hurt. I won't lie, you hurt me but I understood you were protecting yourself.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t written a song about it to be honest,” Zayn admitted. “Most of the boys have.”

“I did,” Rori replied, “a few years ago.”

“D’you ever record it?”

“No, I sold it,” Rori replied. “Wanna hear it?”

“Yeah I would,” Zayn agreed, watching quietly as Rori pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened spotify. She queued up the track before handing a headphone to Zayn and placing the other in her own ear. She didn’t miss the slight flinch as his fingers brushed her prosthetic. The opening piano riff of Tell Me How filled their ears, and then Hayley Williams started to sing the words that Aurora had written years ago, only a few months after Zayn had vanished. He refused to meet her eye as the first verse played, and instead stared at his hands, clasped together on the table between them.

I can't call you a stranger

But I can't call you

I know you think that I erased you

You may hate me, but I can't hate you

And I won't replace you

Tell me how to feel about you now

He didn’t lift his gaze until the bridge, finally looking up at his former friend.

You keep me up with your silence

Take me down with your quiet

Of all the weapons you fight with

Your silence is the most violent

“I never really thought about the damage I caused when I left,” he finally said when the song ended. “I knew the guys would hate me but beyond that I didn’t stop to consider anyone else.”

“I meant what I said before, I don’t blame you,” Rori replied. “You were fighting for survival. It’s not selfish to save your own life.”

“You make what I did sound noble.”

“Maybe not noble, but definitely necessary,” she elaborated. “I’m just sorry we didn’t see it happening and step in to save you first. We failed you.”

“No,” he replied. “No, I was ashamed so I hid what I was feeling until I couldn't anymore.”

“Can we agree that we both could have done better?” Aurora offered as an olive branch. “I’m pretty sure we could go back and forth over whose fault it was forever and we’d never get anywhere.”

“I think that seems fair,” Zayn agreed with a soft smile.

Aurora smiled back, turning the conversation to lighter topics and within minutes it felt like they were back on a tour bus all those years ago, sharing quiet conversations on long drives in the middle of the night. Things were going great and flowing easily, but Aurora couldn’t ignore the way Zayn’s eyes would occasionally flick down to where her prosthetic was resting on the table. Everytime it happened it was just for a split second and for a while she tried to convince herself that she was imagining it. Eventually she couldn’t ignore it any longer and certainly couldn’t ignore the way his brows would pinch together slightly.

“Do you have a problem with my prosthetic?” she finally asked, a little more bluntly than she intended.

“What?” Zayn gasped. “No, god no.”

“You keep looking at it and frowning and it’s hard to think of another reason,” she explained. “I understand that it makes some people uncomfortable but honestly Zayn…”

“No,” he interrupted. “No, it’s not that, I promise.”

“Then what is it?”

“When I saw the news about the shooting,” Zayn started. “When I saw that footage of Steve carrying you to the ambulance, it was awful.”

“I hear that a lot,” Rori replied.

“And I felt so guilty,” he continued.

“Why would you feel guilty?”

“Because I was a terrible friend to you and I thought you were going to die hating me.”

“But I didn’t die,” she pointed out, “and I never hated you. Why didn’t you reach out then?”

“Because I’m a coward,” Zayn admitted, “and I thought you and the guys hated me for what I did. It would have been selfish of me to show back up then.”

“Zayn there’s nothing I would have loved more than for you to reach out after the shooting.”

“I’m so sorry, Rori. I’m sorry for everything.”

“I know you are,” she offered with a smile, “and I forgive you, just like Louis does. We were all just kids and we fucked up a lot of things back then.”

“Do you think Harry will ever forgive me too?” Zayn asked and in that moment he seemed so small and so young. “I’ve spoken to Niall and Liam since Louis and I patched things up but it’s been radio silence from Harry. It’s why I was so surprised when Lou gave me your number and said you wanted to reach out.”

“Harry’s stubborn,” Rori sighed. “He’s still holding on to a lot of anger and I don’t know whether he’ll ever let it go.”

“Yeah, I thought as much,” Zayn agreed. “Can’t imagine he was thrilled about today.”

“He’s not,” Rori agreed. “We’ve kind of been fighting about it for the last couple of days.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. He’s been a bit of a dick lately, but I guess that’s a part of being married. Sometimes the person you’re married to acts like a dick and you put up with it until they pull their head out of their arse and apologise.”

“Are you happy, Rori?” Zayn asked softly. “I mean apart from the current predicament of your husband being a dickhead?”

“I am,” she replied with a chuckle. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“I’m glad. We deserve that.”

It was late afternoon by the time they said their farewells with promises to stay in touch and Aurora made her way home, hoping that Harry would be in a better mood than when she’d left.

xXx

Harry hadn’t continued their argument when she’d returned to their flat, but over the next few weeks his bad mood continued and while Rori was pretty sure she’d caused it, she couldn't for the life of her figure out what she’d done wrong.

A week before the first live shows were set to begin, and a week after Aurora entered her second trimester, she was starting to feel exhausted and her feet ached constantly. By the end of each day all she wanted to do was get home as quickly as possible so that she could curl up and fall asleep. It was a Thursday in October and after a long day working with her contestants, Aurora headed straight home, barely making it to the couch before she collapsed in a hump and fell asleep. When she woke, it was dark and she could hear Harry coming into the apartment, he’d just slammed the door which is what had woken her up. She was groggy and it took her a moment to catch up to what was happening and the fact that he was yelling.

“Where the fuck were you Aurora?” he bellowed.

“What are you talking about Harry?'' she mumbled as she struggled to catch up with what was happening. .

“I said where were you?”he repeated, looming over her where she was still laying on the sofa.

“I was right here,” she replied. “Why are you yelling at me?”

“Because you were supposed to meet me in Soho for dinner with the movie execs and you never showed! I thought something happened to you and now I get home to find you asleep on the sofa. What the fuck Rori?”

“No, dinner isn’t till Thursday.”

“It is Thursday and you weren’t there!”

“Oh god!” Rori gasped, placing a hand over her mouth in dawning realization. “I’m so sorry, Harry.”

“I asked one thing,” Harry continued to shout, his anger not abating as he berated her. “I asked my wife to be supportive of me for one fucking meal and you couldn’t be bothered to show up for me!”

“Harry I’m sorry,” Rori sobbed, “I was exhausted and I genuinely didn’t realize it was tonight. Can we reschedule?” She stood up from the sofa, reaching out for him, but taking a quick step back when he lurched away from her.

“No, Aurora! Because not everyone on this planet is just going to change their plans to fit around you. My god, when did you become so selfish?”

“That’s not fair, Harry. Please stop yelling at me.”

“No. I'm mad and I have every right to be and if I want to yell in my own home then I’m damn well going to!”

“I'm sorry. How can I fix this? Please, just let me fix this,” she begged.

“You can start thinking about anyone but yourself for starters.”

“Do you really think that? That I’m selfish? That I don’t think of you?”

“You’ve made it pretty bloody obvious lately, haven’t you? There’s a reason we're here in London. There’s a reason you’re pregnant with a kid that’s not ours.”

“Both things that you agreed to,” she reminded him.

“I guess I just didn’t realize I was agreeing to everything being all about you.”

At that, something in her snapped and the anger rose in her to meet her husband's temper. “Is it all about me Harry? or is it that for the first time in our marriage, I don’t revolve around you like you're the sun? Is your little narcissistic ego bruised because I’m doing something for me for once?”

“This isn’t about my ego. This is about yours! This is supposed to be a partnership. We’re supposed to be doing things together. But you seem pretty happy off on your own.”

“We can’t be joined at the hip! That’s not healthy,” Rori yelled. “I’m more than just your wife or the girl who plays piano in your band.”

“You’ve made that painfully clear. Honestly I don’t even know why I’m here.”

Aurora felt like she’d been slapped. She’d known Harry had been angry for weeks. She’d known that something was wrong between them, but she hadn’t realised how much he had grown to resent her. She felt so betrayed by him in that moment that she lashed out, saying the worst thing she could in that moment. “Why are you then?” she screamed. “If you want to be in LA writing your next big hit then just go! Don’t let your selfish wife hold you back. You just go and live your rockstar dreams and surround yourself with people desperate to make it all about you.”

“You know what? I will.” Without another word, Harry turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him, the sound echoing in the dead silence left in his wake.

The silence that was finally broken by the smashing of the glass fruit bowl as Aurora lashed out at it, causing it to fly off the end of the kitchen counter and shatter against the tile floor. She looked at the broken shards for a moment before turning on her heel and heading to their bedroom, angrily throwing herself onto the bed that smelt of her and Harry.

xXx

She barely slept, unable to stop Harry’s angry words from swirling around her head. She felt so defeated and so incredibly guilty for not seeing how much her actions had been affecting him. Of course she knew that Harry’s feelings were his own responsibility and that he was being unfair to accuse her of being selfish for taking the X Factor job, or for being her parents' surrogate. He should have talked to her about how he felt about the changes they had made recently, but that didn’t stop her feeling guilty for hurting him, whether she’d meant to or not.

By the time she heard the front door open, she’d decided that the best thing for them would be for Harry to go to LA and write while she stayed and finished the show. She climbed out of bed, still wearing the clothes from the day before, and met him in the living room. He looked awful, his clothes disheveled and his hair a mess. Even from a few feet away, she could smell the bourbon wafting off him and she wondered if he was still drunk.

“I’m so sorry for last night,” she began, her voice soft in the awkward atmosphere.

“Rori…” Harry began with a gravely, pleading tone.

“No, please let me go first,” she interrupted. “I let you down last night and I feel terrible for it.” Harry’s head dropped lower as she spoke, unable to meet her eye and his guilt was painfully clear to see, but she pushed on regardless. “While I think a lot that you said last night was out of line, you were also right about some things too.”

“Rori, please just let me…” Harry tried again.

“Harry, I think you should go to LA to write,” Rori continued. “You can stay at Dad’s Malibu house and you can work on the next album and I actually think it could be really healthy for us to have some time apart for a few weeks or a couple of months. I mean most couples don’t work together every day and maybe we just need to reestablish ourselves as individuals.”

“Rori I slept with someone,” Harry confessed. She froze, shocked beyond words and unsure what to do. “I was so angry when I left here that I went straight to a club and I got so black out drunk and this girl was all over me and I hate myself.”

“You need to leave,” she finally said.

“Rori, baby. I’m so sorry. I was so stupid and I don’t…” Harry began.

“I said you need to leave,” she repeated quietly. “Go to LA, get a hotel, go stay with Anne. I don’t care where you go but I want you out of this house.”

“Baby, please.”

“Harry, I swear to god if you don’t start packing a bag, I will. I love you, but I don’t want to even look at you right now.”

“Let’s just talk about this.”

“GET OUT!” she screamed, finally unleashing the pain that was burning its way through her chest. “Get out and don’t come back until I’m ready. I mean it Harry, if there is any chance for us to save this, then you need to give me space.”

She didn’t give him a chance to respond as she headed for the door, grabbing her coat and bag on her way out the door. She didn’t pause to put on shoes, simply scooping them up as she walked out barefoot.

Author's Note: I am so sorry for this one but I had to put them through this to make Fine Line

NEXT CHAPTER - coming soon

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3

#skyfire fic #harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #dad!tony #step dad steve rogers #harry styles angst #aurora stark #aurora styles #nial horan fanfic #zayn fanfic #husband harry styles

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determinedwriter · 6 months

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Whumptober 2023: No. 21: Alt 15: Reluctant Whumper

Tony

“Dad, Please!” Ro wails, tied to a chair. An invisible barrier keeps me away from her. “Dad, make it stop!”

I scream in protest at a dark, faceless figure who keeps beating on her. “Hey! Hey, leave her alone! Let her go! Ro! Ro!”

The figure turns to me and I stumble back in surprise at its now visible face. He doesn’t speak. He just stares. He is…me.

“Dad, why are you doing this?!” She sobs. “I’m sorry…please, I’m sorry.”

“I-It’s not me!” I stammer in shock and fear. “It’s not me! I’m coming! Hang on!”

I slam myself against the invisible barrier to no avail. “No! No!”

Ro slumps forward lifelessly, one last word on her lips. “Why?”

“NO!”

I wake up with a yell, Pepper startling me out of my nightmare. “Tony!”

“Huh?!” I gasp, looking around and trying to ground myself in reality. “O-Oh…”

“Are you alright?” Pepper asks. “You were screaming in your sleep, honey.”

I gulp and nod. “Yeah. Yeah, just a nightmare. I-I’ll be right back.”

She rubs my arm comfortingly. “Okay, babe.”

Making my way to Ro’s room, I open the door quietly. It’s still the middle of the night. My heart drops as I realize she’s not in bed. “Ro? Aurora?”

I turn on the light. “Ro!”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, where is she?” I ask the compound’s AI. “Where’s Ro?”

My AI doesn’t respond. Something is seriously wrong. “F.R.I.D.A.Y?”

Nothing.

Checking my security system, I find that it has been hacked and disabled. Who could have done this? I’m good with my tech. Nobody can hack it. At least, that’s what I thought. Rebooting the whole thing, I find a video taken from the front door’s cameras just under an hour ago.

Ro opens the front door, still in her pajamas with a blanket around her. She takes a deep breath, taking in the night air. “Do you need anything, Miss Stark?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks her. She smiles a little at this. “No, just wanted air. I’ll come back inside in a minute.”

A figure with dark clothing approaches as she turns toward the front door, holding her in a headlock with a gun to her temple. “Don’t scream.”

Ro stays still, her blanket falling to the ground. “You don’t have to do anything rash.”

“Oh, but I do.” He tells me. “You’re Stark’s kid, yeah?”

She hesitates, telling the man all he needs to know. “That’s what I thought. Take down the security system. Don’t alert anyone or I swear to God I’ll blow your goddamn brains out.”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y?” Ro speaks shakily.

“Yes, Miss Aurora?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks.

“S-Shut down the security.” She stutters. “Please…”

“You will have to access the security through a computer with the passwords to everything,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. explains.

“Get it done.” The man growls.

“A.R.I.E.S?” Ro calls to her AI with an earpiece in her ear.

It’s like how F.R.I.D.A.Y. is connected to my glasses. She wears that earpiece everywhere. She made it herself like the smarty-pants Stark kid she is.

A.R.I.E.S speaks through the earpiece, not audible from the security footage. Ro uses her AI, its interface, and her own hacking skills to shut down the compound’s security, and the video goes dark after that.

I should have known. Ro’s my kid. I wouldn’t put it past her to be able to do this to the whole security system. She’s smart. She’s a Stark. And I’d be proud if I wasn’t so worried about her whereabouts.

With the security system now fixed, I quickly tell Pepper what’s going on. With everything that has happened since the Sokovia Accords, nobody else is ever really here other than Rhodey on occasion. And Vision whenever he’s not with Wanda.

God, I’d really like to have the Avengers here right now. I hate that we got broken up so badly and in such a huge way. But I can’t worry about that right now. I have to think about my daughter. About Ro.

I have Rhodes stay with Pepper for safety, putting on a suit of armor before leaving and surveying the area for clues. I’ve gotta find her…I’ve gotta find her.

I will find her.

I don’t immediately find anything, Ro being the reason I end up with any leads at all.

“Aurora is trying to call you through her earpiece, Mr. Stark,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informs me.

I pick up immediately. “Ro?”

“Dad.” She whispers. “Dad I…”

Ro is so quiet that I can’t hear the rest of the sentence. “Kid, I need you to speak up a little. I can’t hear you.”

She stays silent, a low tapping sound starting over the call.

Two taps. A pause. Three more. Pause. Another. Five more, three, then one. Three. Five.

I wrack my brain for what this code is. It’s not Morse. I don’t know what kind of codes she might know.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, do you hear a pattern?” I ask.

“Boss, it seems to be tap code. It was used in Vietnam as a-” She explains.

“Got it. God, you’re smart, kiddo. You really are a mini Stark. Do that again.” I request.

Two, three, one, five, three, one, three, five.

H E L P flashes across my helmet interface. “Okay. Alright. I understand you. Give me anything you’ve got to help me find you, okay? I’m gonna come and find you. I promise.”

O K

“Good job, mini. I’m gonna have to ask you when you learned this. Once this is all over, I mean.” I reply.

D A R K

C O L D

D O N T

K N O W

W H E R E

“It’s alright. Just tell me whatever you can. Is it just one guy that took you? I found the security footage.” I tell her.

O N E

M A N

T A T S

M A S K

G R N E Y E S

“Tattoos, a mask, erm, green eyes?” I ask.

Y E S

“Alright…I’m trying to track you but I’m having some trouble here. Anything else?” I reply anxiously.

N O

I M

S C A R E D

I M

S O R R Y

I clench my teeth and try not to let my own fear show. “Don’t be sorry. And you don’t have to be scared. I’m coming.”

L O V E

Y O U

T O N S

“Love you tons, Ro.” My voice breaks a little.

There’s a sudden yell. “Did I tell you you could fucking move?!”

“Where am I?!” Ro exclaims.

“Daddy’s not gonna find you here. Not for a while. What are you doing in the corner there, huh?” He taunts her.

I hear Ro whimper. “Please let me go. I don’t know what you want!”

“Once your father is here I’ll-” He stops. “Do you have your fucking earpiece? I took that away you little shi-”

There’s commotion, ending in Ro’s scream. “No! Dad, don’t! Don’t come, it’s a trap! It’s-“

“We lost connection, boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informs me.

“Try to get her back. Try to track the damn signal. I need to find her now. I don’t care if it’s a trap…I’m saving my kid.” I growl angrily, hating the man for taking her.

I don’t even know who this bastard is.

“Boss, I’ve tracked a message.” She replies.

“A message?” I ask.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. hesitates. “It says…come and get her.”

“So be it,” I reply. “I’m gonna kill this bastard.”

Going to where F.R.I.D.A.Y. has tracked the message, I find a small clearing in the middle of the woods. At first, it doesn’t look like anything unusual.

But then I scan the ground and find a secret metal hatch. “Bingo.”

I easily cut a hole in the large door with my tech, stepping through and descending a set of stairs. Lights turn on as I move. Motion sensors.

It doesn’t matter if this guy knows I’m here. I don’t care about the possible trap. I just need to find Ro and get her the hell out of this place.

Entering a room at the bottom of the stairs, I find Ro tied to a chair. “Dad!”

“Thank God. I’m getting you out of here, kid.” I reply, stepping forward.

“Stop!” She screams. “Don’t-“

Getting closer, I am suddenly zapped backward by an invisible barrier. It reminds me of my nightmare. The nightmare that alerted me to this whole mess in the first place.

Laying on my back like a turtle in its shell, I watch my interface go dark. “F.R.I.D.A.Y?”

Nothing. Suddenly, I’m jolted up, my suit forcing me to stand. I haven't even moved. And my armor is acting like Rhodey's did when Vanko hacked it years back. But my suit is upgraded. I changed it so that it can’t happen to any of the team or the suits again. How is this happening?

My armor forces me to turn back towards the door as someone enters, controlling the suit with a small device. “Hey, tin man.”

“The wisecracks are kind of my thing, though I shouldn’t worry about you stealing my thunder. That was terrible.” I quip. Honestly, sometimes I say these things without a second thought.

The man is as Ro briefly described. Partially masked and tattooed with some pretty striking green eyes. Almost like a snake’s.

His eyes wrinkle, making me assume he’s smiling. “Everything’s going as planned. Did you know the things your little girl is capable of? She’s the reason I was able to hack your suit.”

Though I am facing away from her, I can hear Ro cry out. “I’m sorry! He m-made me! I didn’t want-“

“It’s okay, Ro. I know. Everything’s gonna be fine. You’ve just gotta hang in there.” I reassure her quickly.

The man rolls his eyes. “How sweet. Alright, let’s move right along.”

“Why are you doing this?” I ask.

“I knew you’d step right into a trap if your daughter’s life hung in the balance. I’m sure you have a lot of enemies, Stark. You can’t be too surprised that Aurora has been thrown into the mix. It was only a matter of time until your mistakes hurt her. That…that is what this is.” He explains.

I grimace. “What’d I do to you, then?”

“You don’t care.” He accuses. “All you care about is yourself. At least…that was the case until you met her. It’s clear to me that you’d do anything to save your daughter. And because of what you and your company have done…the blood on your hands…that is the reason she’s about to die. And you’re going to be the one to kill her.”

The suit makes me turn around, walking towards Ro and past the invisible barrier that had previously subdued me. “Come on, F.R.I.D.A.Y. Come on, stop!”

My arm lifts, repulsor charging and pointing right at her head. “No, no, no, no!”

Firing against my will, I shout again. “Ro!”

She ducks her head down and out of the way, thankfully dodging the blast. “Ah!”

Ro tries to break out of her chair, having no luck. My faceplate lifts, allowing Ro to see my expression of terror. “Damn it, make it stop! Don’t make me hurt her! Goddamn it!”

Stuck in my own suit, I am unable to help it as my arm thrusts forward and punches Ro in the stomach. She doubles over in pain, seemingly trying to bite back a scream. “D-Dad…”

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “Ro, I’m so sorry.”

She winces. “L-Love you tons.”

“Love you tons,” I reply. “Always.”

“Alway-” Ro is interrupted by another hit, opening a gash on her face.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, come back.” I plead. “Make this stop. Come on, don’t do this!”

My armor forces my hand around her throat and I try to pull away, having no luck. “No!”

Ro struggles to breathe, starting to choke. I yell again. “Don’t! Don’t! Let her go!”

“This is all you, Stark.” The man taunts.

Using every bit of my strength, I try to regain control. My body betrays me no matter how hard I try to keep my fingers loose, they cling to her neck until her lips are blue. “No, no, no…no. Ro, I love you. I’m gonna make it stop. I-I…”

I’m unable to see it, but I hear a crash behind me. “Shit, Tony! Stop!”

“Oh yeah, sure I’ll just stop!” I reply sarcastically. “He has control of the damn suit!”

Suddenly, my hand releases her and she slumps back, unconscious. “Ro!”

Finally able to control my suit, I turn around and see Natasha. “Thanks…”

She looks different from when I last saw her. She has medium-length blonde hair. “Don’t mention it, Seriously, don’t. Secretary Ross will be on my ass.”

Nat’s a fugitive. She’ll be arrested. But she’s still my friend. And she just saved my daughter’s life.

The green-eyed man is unconscious on the floor, courtesy of Nat. I nod at her. “Won’t hear a peep from me.”

Ro comes to as Nat unties her, eyes widening. “N-Natasha?”

She grins. “Hey, kid.”

“You’re blonde.” Ro comments.

“You’re bigger,” Nat replies. “How old are you now?”

“Sixteen.” She tells her.

Nat helps her out of the chair and hugs her. “Look at you, all grown up.”

Ro buries her head into Nat’s shoulder for a moment. “I’ve missed you, Auntie Nat.”

“Missed you too, little firecracker.” Nat coos.

Ro moves to my embrace, crying. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I hacked the security and the suit and…”

“It’s alright. A-Are you in pain?” I ask, seeing the marks on her neck.

She hesitates but nods. “I’m fine.”

Her voice shakes, betraying her facade of strength. I hold her shoulders. “Hey, look at me. It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

Ro breaks down into tears, trying to stifle her sobs. “D-D-Dad…”

“Shhh, shhh, shhh…I’ve got you. It’s you and me. We’re safe. I’m gonna take you home now, okay?” I reassure her.

“Okay.” Ro mumbles.

Nat and I help her out of there, leaving the god-awful place behind.

Now that I have her back, I’ll never let her go.

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sansas-amythest-hairnet · 6 months

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One of the best things that happened to me was coming to terms with my femininity, i realized that i loved feminine things and that it was ok. Liking pink and dresses didnt make me lesser than other women, it wasn’t a weakness. I soon realized that by stopping this insane derision of traditionally feminine things in life i was in fact improving my character. I think that I saw improvement in the fact that i stopped just hating female characters who had these traditionally feminine traits like Cinderella, Aurora, Sansa, Katara, Fluer, Ty Lee, Susan Pevensie, and so many others, looking past this mental block i had as a pre-teen and early teen i realized that they are all strong characters who have many many admirable traits, I would even go as far as saying that they are what i would want to be as a person as opposed to the characters i idolized as a pre-teen. This internal hatred of my femininity wasn’t of my own creation though, i knew that I was very smart from a young age, and people around me and the online communities i saw all demonized these characters saying that they were weak, annoying, and deserving of misery. Some people say that our society is more accepting of woman than we ever have been but its still so hostile to young girls, people disguise this hatred of feminine things behind jokes on the internet calling girls “basic” for just doing things that girls tend to do, we see it in the pure hatred that grown men AND other women throw at artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter degrading them and depreciating their capabilities as artists, and the absolute hatred that any female led fan base receives. And while Hollywood may feature more female characters as leads in movies, they aren’t good characters, we see characters that aren’t well written, a strong female character is a well-written character, this is one place where i think Star Wars has done really well, we have Ahsoka, Fennec, Padme, Leia, Jyn, Mon Mothma, and both the Kryz sisters are all beautifully written and have distinguishable personalities, you have the kind Padme, the headstrong and confident Leia, the wise Mon Mothma, and Ahsoka who is perhaps one of the best written characters in Star Wars. We need more characters written like this. Also, We as a society need to STOP shaming the traditionally feminine qualities in young girls specifically, let little girls know that they aren’t lesser just because they are kind. We also need to stop teaching young boys that cruelty and meanness makes them more masculine.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk

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snake-berry · 7 months

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ok guys im doing a series where im going to draw some asoiaf ladies as disney princesses. starting w sansa bc she is a disney princess who was dropped into the wrong world

#pls vote on this i need yall #valyrianscrolls #valyrian scrolls #i only included options i thought were plausible bc like. shes not merida lol #next ill do a poll for either dany or arya... i have ideas for arya but im soooo torn on dany #aurora is a good fit for sansa but i kinda want to draw lyanna as aurora #sansa stark #rapunzel and belle r my top choices #asoiaf fanart #what if i ended up never drawing this thatd be funny #asoiaf polls #my polls #asoiaf sansa #personally im not rlly a big shipper for asoiaf but #i feel like jonsas will be team aurora/rapunzel and sansans will be team belle #no judgement but i see what u r...#im a daensa but i am first and foremost an advocate for the people so speak yalls truth #imagine this starts discourse. could not imagine why but the asoiaf fandom is wild sometimes

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witchthewriter · 1 year

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞

Women who are caught between worlds, or between who they are. Both light and darkness are within them. Do they stay within their safe confounds, or branch out and find adventure? These women are challenging traditional norms and societal standards. They’re strong, and fierce, while upholding their femininity.

𝐿𝑢𝑐𝑦 𝑃𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑒

𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑖

𝐴𝑟𝑤𝑒𝑛

𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑆𝑤𝑎𝑛

𝐴𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑜𝑣

𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑎 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑘

𝑆𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛

𝐹𝑒𝑦𝑟𝑒 𝐴𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛

𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎

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pissfaggit · 9 months

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And they were kind of girl best friends here

#lolll i just remember being really struck by this scene the first time i watched it #like...for all his faults n shit stark is someone really special to john #they do forever have this unspoken connection i feel made when they were imprisoned together #and the fact that theu have both been in the aurora chair and held captive by scorpius and tortured by scorpius #like other characters try but nobody else really quite understands what is what like and how that changes you #and its just so interesting because theyre not even necessarily FRIENDS per say #they both do a lot of fucked up shit to each other and make life realllyyy fuckin difficult for each other every time their paths cross #but the bond is there lollll #farscape #farscape the peacekeeper wars #john crichton #farscape stark

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entertainingsimmer · 4 months

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Some traumatic events then followed by an emergency c-section. Esther and Ben are now back home over a week later after Aurora made an early entrance to the world.

@elysiansimss

#benjen stark #esther haywood #aurora haywood-stark #rp #mine #sims 4 #the sims 4 #ts4 #benjenxrp #ts4 render #benjenxesther #blender render #cycles render #entertainingsimmer #elysiansimss

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asoiafreadthru · 1 month

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A Game of Thrones, Bran III

And he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead plains where nothing grew or lived.

North and north and north he looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then beyond that curtain.

He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks.

Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live.

“Why?” Bran said, not understanding, falling, falling.

Because winter is coming.

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genetierneysattorney · 1 year

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When someone says a character is prissy like it's a bad thing

#princess ayeka #tenchi muyo #alicent hightower #sansa stark #princess aurora #princess peach #amy march #meg march #rarity #girly girls #prissy girls

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abundanceofsoph · 11 months

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SkyFire 3: Chapter 17

The Judges House: August 2018

Word count: 2.2k

SkyFire 3 MASTERLIST

Before leaving London at the end of August, Aurora made an appointment with her obgyn and had a series of blood tests and ultrasounds completed to confirm whether or not she was pregnant after the first round of insemination. Once she received the results, she and Harry flew to New York ahead of the contestants and crew so that they could spend a few days with Rori’s parents and the rest of the Avengers.

As always, Aurora was overjoyed to be home and the moment she stepped out of the elevator and into the penthouse, she was swept up in a bone crushing hug by Steve, as had become their tradition. He barely set her back on her feet before Tony pulled her against him in a tight hug of his own.

“Careful, you two,” she warned. “There’s precious cargo on board.”

They both pulled back from the hug for a moment in confusion, staring at her for a moment as they processed her words, and she was glad she’d thought to ask Harry to film this on his phone when she saw the way both Steve and Tony’s eyes welled with tears as her words sank in.

“Really?” Steve croaked, his voice thick with emotion.

“Really,” Aurora replied with a grin that had her cheeks aching. “I’m pregnant.”

They pulled her back towards them in a hug, although she noticed the way they squeezed her a little less this time.

“I don’t understand,” Steve mumbled in confusion, his brows pinched tightly together. “All of the specialists told us that this was going to take several rounds…”

“I guess they never took into account that super soldier serum of yours babe,” Tony replied as they all headed for the living room sofas.

“I just can’t believe it’s really happening,” Steve admitted. “We’re having a baby.”

The rest of the day was spent with neither Steve nor Tony more than a few meters from Rori at any moment, and neither of them could stop thanking her continuously as the day passed. Eventually the sun set and the rest of the Avengers started appearing in the Penthouse as dinner neared. Aurora had set herself up on a barstool at the breakfast bar so that Steve could prepare dinner without feeling too far from her.

xXx

Originally Tony had planned for he and Steve to vacation in Miami for the week while Rori would be filming in the Tower so that they would be out of the way, but with the news of the baby they decided to stay in NYC. They had accepted that with Aurora in London for the show, they would miss a great deal of the pregnancy so they were eager to make the most of her being home in New York briefly and were already planning their visits to London over the next few months. For her part, Rori took their smothering in stride as she knew that they were just excited.

They had almost a full day to dote on her after the announcement the previous evening before the film crew arrived and started setting up in the living room of the penthouse, ensuring that the wide expansive view of Central Park would be perfectly captured in the back of the shot. While all of this preparation was done, the contestants flew in from London and were sent off on a sightseeing tour of the city before they got to work early the following day.

xXx

That next morning, the contestants were filmed walking through Central Park before they exited at the Maine Monument in the shadow of Avengers Tower. They all acted surprised when Aurora was standing on the street corner to greet them, rushing forward to hug their mentor.

“So what do you think of my city, Girls?” Rori asked. The answering squeals caused her to chuckle before gesturing for them to cross the road. “Come on, let’s go.”

There was no faking the shock and awe of the young girls as they entered the lobby of the tower and then took the private elevator up to the Penthouse floor. Rori remembered well her own feelings of awe when she stepped out of the lift and into the Penthouse for the first time. It had been before the remodel after the Battle of New York, but the impact was still much the same. The camera’s captured the excitement and awe on the contestants faces as they took in the opulent room and the glass wall which provided the sweeping view of Central Park laid out beneath them. Aurora took a moment to take in the familiar locations she could see bordering the park. The Aquavella gallery, her old high school LaGuardia High, the Belvedere Castle, and off in the distance she could just catch a glimpse of the Columbia campus.

“Welcome to Manhattan, Girls,” Aurora announced, “and welcome to Avengers Tower. So far in the competition it’s all been about being on stage and performing in front of big crowds, but today I want to strip all of that back and just really get a sense of who each of you are. What I’m looking for today is your passion, your range and your control. If you can deliver that, then I know you’ll be able to take on the live shows and take it all the way to the finals.”

The girls all looked amongst themselves anxiously before following Aurora over to the couches arranged for them in the living room. Rori didn’t join them on the couch, and instead walked over to where the chairs were set aside. “Of course, picking who will be joining me in the live shows is a really big decision and one I definitely can’t make alone, so I’ve got a special guest joining us to help me judge your performances today. He’s an award winning, multi-platinum selling artist, who has performed sold out shows on almost every continent, but most importantly of all he’s the opinion in trust more than my own, Girls please give a warm welcome to my husband, Harry Styles.”

“It’s lovely to meet you all,” Harry said once the excited squeals had died down. “I’ve been exactly where you are now and I know how terrifying this moment is. Just remember that you made it this far because you have something special and that you’ve earned your place. Just sing from the heart and you’ll be ok.”

“Molly, I’d love for you to kick things off for us love,” Rori announced once she and Harry had taken their seats. “Why don’t you introduce yourself, and tell Harry a bit about yourself?”

As each girl took their turn in front of Aurora and Harry, she grew more and more uncertain about who she wanted to pick to continue in the competition. Each of the contestants had incredible voices and moving stories and Rori hated the idea of being the person to take their dream away from them. She was relieved when they finished filming the girls segments and they were ushered out of the Tower to have dinner on the upper east side.

“Harry, what am I going to do?” Rori asked once the elevator lifts slid closed. “How on earth am I going to pick who to send home?”

“I think you have to trust your gut love,” Harry replied, conscious of the camera’s still capturing every moment of their conversation. “They each have something special, but they also have a lot to learn. Which of them do you think you can teach?”

“I feel like Bella has something special about her,” Rori mused. “She’s got such an energy and I want to see where we can take that together.”

“One down, 3 to go,” Harry nodded. “Shan has an incredible voice and she’s clearly got a lot of guts to come here today and sing an original song in front of you.”

“And it was good,” Rori agreed. “So Bella and Shan are in, which only leaves 2 more spots.”

“Any ideas?”

“None,” Aurora admitted, “They are all fantastic. I have no idea what to do.”

“Why don’t we go join them for dinner and then you can sleep on it and maybe you’ll feel more sure of your choice in the morning.”

Aurora agreed with her husband's plan and they both left the tower with the camera crew in tow to join the 6 girls for dinner.

xXx

The following day Aurora walked a few blocks from the tower with one of the camera crew to accompany her as she headed off to meet with her contestants. It was a sunny day and she silently hoped that she looked as confident as she was pretending to be as she walked down 7th avenue. The 6 Girls were waiting for her on the side walk when she arrived and she happily accepted the group hug. “Ladies, welcome to one of my favourite places in New York, the famous Carnegie Hall. Let’s head inside.”

They were guided through the building and out onto the main stage, looking out over the empty rows of red velvet chairs. The contestants looked around in awe, and Aurora herself found it all a bit breathtaking. “Some of the greatest musicians in history have stood on this stage and commanded their audience. Each of you, for your own personal reasons, dreams of your moment, and while 4 of you will have the opportunity to continue on this journey with me, unfortunately 2 of you will not be joining us in the live shows.”

The 6 contestants instinctively reached for each other, all holding hands and their breath for what Aurora would say next.

“Harry and I deliberated this decision for a very long time last night and even this morning on the walk over here, I still wasn’t 100% certain I’ve made the right choice, but one thing we did decided on is that Harry’s least favourite part of being a contestant back in the day was waiting in another room as one by one each person got told their fate. So I won’t put you through all that and instead I’m just going to tell you all together. Bella and Shan… You will be joining me in the live shows.”

Bella launched herself into Shan’s arms, both girls gripping each other tightly as they celebrated.

“But of course that only leaves 2 more places on my team,” Rori pointed out as the tension continued to build. “Maria and Georgia… I’m sorry ladies, but this isn’t your year. Congratulations Scarlett and Molly.”

There were a lot of tears following her announcement and Rori was quickly pulled into hugs.

“I’m so sorry,” she told the illuminated contestants. “I’m so sorry, please don’t give up after this.”

xXx

Aurora and Harry remained in New York for a few more days and while they were still in town, the first Audition episodes began airing. Aurora was nervous for the audience response, given how a lot of people had been very vocal on Twitter when she was announced as a judge.

◊Ella: Here as always with the latest episode of ‘what you missed on twitter’

◊Aurora: God do I even want to know?

◊Ella: People think you’re funny and the directioners are loving seeing you and Lou together.

◊Aurora: What… no hate?

◊Ella: eh, there’s always gonna be some loud arseholes but they're in the minority

◊Aurora: What are they saying?

◊Ella: Nope. We’re focusing on the good comments and we’re ignoring the dickheads.

◊Aurora: That means it’s pretty bad…

◊Ella: You’re your own worst enemy. Let’s have coffee when you’re home on Thursday and I’ll give you the full run down in person yeah?

◊Aurora: Fine. I’ll settle for Thursday. Meet you at the stag at 4?

◊Ella: Make it 4:30 and I’ll see you there.

◊Aurora: Love you E.

◊Ella: Love you too, A.

xXx

After returning to London, the beginning of September was spent in vocal lessons with the contestants and continuing to film extra video packages for upcoming episodes. More of the audition episodes aired and the public started picking out favourites among the contestants. They also seemed to love the dynamic between Louis and Aurora.

The pair were having lunch together one afternoon at the studios where the show was based when Simon approached them.

“Have either of you been on Twitter lately?” he asked after sitting down at their table.

“I left Twitter years ago,” Rori answered, sparing a quick glance at Louis while they both tried to figure out what Simon wanted. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing’s wrong,” Simon replied. “Quite the opposite actually. The audience is loving you two during the auditions. So I want you to lean into your friendship and really act it up when we start the live shows.”

“We’re not acting Simon,” Louis scoffed.

“If people liked the way we interact, shouldn't we just keep being ourselves?” Rori added.

“Of course,” he backtracked. “I’m not trying to say you should fake anything and obviously you're very close. I just want you to lean into that and really let those interactions shine when you’re on camera.”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Yeah sure thing mate, will do.”

“Excellent,” Simon nodded with a smug grin. “I knew I made a great decision getting both of you on to judge.”

“Uggh,” Aurora scoffed after watching Simon stand up and walk away. “God he’s gross.”

"What a dickhead," Louis agreed.

NEXT CHAPTER

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3

#skyfire #skyfire fic #husband harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #dad!tony #domestic fluff #iron dad #step dad steve rogers #aurora stark #harry styles #tony stark #x factor fic

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determinedwriter · 7 months

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Whumptober 2023 Day 18: Alt Prompt 11: Panic

It’s fine. You’re fine. Ro, you’re fine.

I keep trying to tell myself this, my heart beating way too fast. Why does it have to happen on the day I turn in the essay worth half my damn grade? I’m terrified. I know it’s a good essay, but my teacher can be really strict and harsh about the small things.

I gulp as my teacher slaps my essay on my desk with a frown and a big red F covering half of the first page. “You’re lucky I don’t expel you for this, Potts.”

“W-What?” I gasp. “Sir, I worked on this for an entire month. I put a lot of effort and a ton of hours into this. Why are you giving me an F? I’ll fail this class if-”

He holds his hand up to stop me from talking. “Please, don’t embarrass yourself further in front of the class. This was clearly written by someone else. You either plagiarized it or had someone else write it for you.”

The students around me giggle.

My jaw drops. “W-Why would you think that? I swear, I wrote it all myself. Please, I-”

“Get out of my classroom if you decide to continue disrespecting me.” My teacher. Mr. Carson snaps.

My cheeks go hot and I feel my anxiety reach its peak. “I…I s-swear I…”

He points to the door. “Out. Now. Please, everyone, take note of what NOT to do and what I will NOT tolerate in my class.”

Legs shaking, I stand up and grab my essay, looking at the big red F in shame, listening to the snickering of my classmates until I’m outside and running to the bathroom to cry. I worked so hard on this paper and I’m being called a cheater. It’s not fair.

Contemplating calling my dad, I let my finger shakily hover over his contact name. “Get it together, Aurora. You’re fine...don’t freak out…it’s okay…”

The bell rings, signaling the end of the class. I need to get to my next one, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to sit through it without bursting into tears. I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t skip, but I can’t stay.

I’ve been anxious about that essay all day. Of all the things I thought could happen, I didn’t imagine this. I’m heartbroken. Like the perfectionist I am, I have straight A’s. I’m Tony Stark’s daughter. I have to be impressive. Even if the general public doesn’t know of my parentage, I still hold myself to an impossible standard.

Looking down at my phone, I try to decide what to do. I can’t talk about my essay. I’m too scared to admit what happened. And I’m not even sure if Dad would believe my side of things. Sometimes he just…doesn’t understand.

I’m not an effortless genius like him.

Forcing myself to go to my next class, I try desperately to ignore the stares that follow me down the hall. Peter sits at the desk beside mine and smiles before noticing my demeanor. “Ro? Hey, what’s wrong?”

I struggle to keep my breathing even and normal. “Everyone thinks I’m a cheater.”

I put my essay on his desk. “I got a big fat F for cheating or not writing my paper. That’s what my teacher Mr. Carson said. I swore up and down that I didn’t cheat but he humiliated me in front of the whole class. I worked so hard, Peter.”

He frowns and looks at my essay, flipping through it. “This is really good, Ro. Maybe he thought it was so good that you couldn’t have written it yourself? I mean, that’s not a good reason to give you an F though. I’m really sorry.”

I nod. “My dad is gonna be so disappointed. I’m…I’m not like him.”

“You’re my best friend. I know how amazing you are. Your teacher is wrong. He’s just plain wrong.” Peter reassures me. “I’m sorry he doesn’t believe you.”

I exhale, deflating in my chair. “Yeah…thanks.”

The teacher from my English class walks in, making me go pale. I look at Peter. “That’s him…” Why is he even here? He doesn’t teach history.

He frowns sympathetically and grabs my hand from under the desk. “I’m sorry.”

“Hello, class.” Mr. Carson says. “I’ll be taking over for Mr. Dell today. He had a family emergency and had to leave. I’m Mr. Carson and I will be your substitute history teacher for the last class of the day.”

I gulp and he makes eye contact with me, recognition washing over his face. “Today we’ll be talking about Jacob Epstein and his famous case of plagiarism. My specialty is literature so I thought I’d bring something from history that involved what I know best. It’s a nice change of pace for you all.”

He looks at me again. “Plus, Miss Potts here knows a lot about plagiarism so it shouldn’t be a difficult assignment for her.”

My lip quivers as the students around me snicker. “Mr. Carson, I swear I-“

“In fact, why don’t we study Aurora Potts’ essay as an example?” He interrupts.

I hold back the urge to throw up, eyes darting to Peter. He squeezes my hand. “It’s okay. Ro, it’s okay. Look at me. Everything is going to be alright.”

“Mr. Parker, do you have anything you’d like to share with the class?” Mr. Carson asks him.

Peter looks surprised. “U-Uh…well, I just don’t…I don’t think you should jump to conclusions about Ro’s essay. In fact, I know how hard she worked on it. It’s not fair to give her a failing grade and tell the whole class that she plagiarized or cheated or whatever.”

God, I love Peter Parker. I’m so glad he’s by my side. I don’t have the mental strength to fight for myself right now. This day has caused too much anxiety already and I can’t take much more before I crack.

Mr. Carson slowly nods. “I see that you like to stick up for your friend here, and I’ll commend you for that. But a cheater is a cheater.”

Peter tries to rebuttal, but decides against it and holds my hand again. “I’m sorry.”

I am silent with a lump in my throat as Mr. Carson tells us to take out our notebooks, beginning to write on the board behind him.

Plagiarism Cases in Modern History: Aurora Potts

My stomach clenches and I’m almost certain I’m about to puke. Peter notices my quickened breath. “Hey. Hey, I’m here. I’m right here with you.”

I want to appreciate his words, but this is sending me over the edge. I can’t breathe. I can’t do this. I can’t take the sound of my classmates giggling and taking pictures of the whiteboard.

Unable to take it anymore, I stand up from my desk, gaining the attention of Mr. Carson. “Miss Potts, you’ll have to wait until the bell rings to be excused.”

My voice shakes as I answer. “I-I c-can’t.”

“These are the consequences of your actions and you have to get used to that before you’re out in the real world. Nobody’s gonna hold your hand, and your parents are only going to be disappointed. What would your mother and father say?”

“M-My mother…” I squeeze my eyes shut at the painful memory. “My mother is d-dead.”

His face changes slightly and I think he may tone it down a little. “Have any siblings?”

I shake my head. “N-No…”

Mr. Carson sighs. “That’s a real shame. I guess your father will just have to live with a daughter that cheats her way through life. If you were my daughter, I’d be very, very disappointed. Your dad should be too. I’m sure he will be.”

That’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I burst into tears and run out of the classroom, desperate for refuge.

I hear Peter calling after me and it only makes me more anxious. Slinging my backpack onto both shoulders, I run for the exit and don’t stop booking it until I’m home.

Peter has called me a few times now. School will be out soon enough. I feel badly for worrying him, but I just couldn’t take Mr. Carson’s cruel words.

Sobs with my face in a pillow, I find it hard to breathe and hug it instead. He’s right. My dad deserves a better kid. Someone much smarter and stronger than me.

With all of this on my mind, I sob and heave heavily, unable to catch my breath. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.”

“You seem to be in distress. Would you like me to notify Mr. Stark?” FRIDAY, the compound's AI assistant asks me.

I quickly shake my head. “N-N-No! No…don’t bother him.”

I sit on the floor next to my bed and find a shoebox under it. Oh yeah. I forget I had this. It’s been so long since I felt I needed it.

Opening the box, I see a razor blade and an old Polaroid of my mom. God, I miss her so much. I miss her more than anything.

Fidgeting with the razor in my hands, I contemplate using it. I’m such a disappointment. I can’t deal with all of this pain. Not anymore. Not without punishing myself for my own failures.

I slash horizontally across my wrist a few times, finding it almost comforting to see the blood trickle down. It’s what I deserve.

There’s suddenly a knock on my door and I begin to panic again. “Ro, are you okay? You’re home early.”

Dad. No, no, no. “I-I’m fine. I j-just…felt sick.”

“Can I come in?” He asks.

I shove the razor back in the box and put it back under my bed before rolling my sleeves down. “Y-Yeah.”

Dad enters my room, looking surprised at the state of me. “What’s wrong? Kid, what happened?”

Starting to cry all over again, I cover my face in embarrassment. “I’m sorry I’m such a f-failure.”

He sits on the floor beside me. “You’re not a failure.”

“B-But I…m-my e-e-essay, it…” I try to explain, anxiety getting the better of me. I hyperventilate and pull at the ends of my hair so harshly I might rip some out.

“Hey, hey, hey, stop. Ro, stop. You’re gonna hurt yourself. Take a deep breath.” Dad tries to persuade me.

I’ve already hurt myself, so there’s another disappointment to add to his list. I can’t stop myself from spiraling.

Small clumps of hair come out as I continue to pull, worrying Dad more. “Stop! Stop! Why are you doing this? Come on, look at me. You’ve gotta stop.”

His raised voice makes me crumble and he tries to grab my hands, causing me to cry out in surprise and panic. “No! No! No! Don’t touch me!”

He pries my fingers off of my hair, finally getting me to stop. He holds my hands gently as I shut my eyes tightly. “Ro, it’s alright. What’s going on, mini?”

Mini. Like Mini Stark. It’s one of my nicknames along with Tiny Stark, Micro Stark, Little Stark, etc. Anything to do with being the miniature version of my father.

But I’m not like him. I’m not strong, smart and confident. I’m just…me. “I can’t breathe.”

“Okay…alright. Look at me. Everything’s fine. You’re safe. Just look at me, okay?” He requests.

I slowly and fearfully open my eyes, looking into his. He’s kneeling in front of me now. “Good, Ro. Copy my breathing. Can you do that for me?”

I nod and he gives a small smile. “Okay. Breathe in…”

He does an exaggerated breath in. “Breathe out…”

This continues for a bit until I’m able to copy him long enough for me to calm down. I sniffle. “I’m sorry.”

Dad hugs me, tenderly cradling me in his lap as we sit on the floor. “Oh, mini…it’s alright. Can you tell me what happened today?”

I gulp nervously, clinging to him. “I got an F on my English essay. Because my teacher thinks I cheated…he thinks I plagiarized it or something. He berated me in front of my class and then he filled in for my history teacher and made an example of me there too. Everyone laughed and took pictures. Well…except for Peter. I ran out of class and he tried to chase me but I just kept running until I got home.”

He massages my hair. “I’m so, so sorry, Ro. I know you didn’t cheat. You worked really hard on it. I remember. And your teacher…I’m gonna have to have a word with him. I’m gonna fix this for you, alright?”

“It seemed like the whole school was making fun of me…laughing…gossiping.” I whimper.

“Kids are assholes.” Dad replies. “There’s always gonna be people like that and you can’t control it. You just have to believe me when I say it’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

“Thanks…” I mumble.

He situates himself beside me again, looking down as his hand bumps into something. “What do we have here?”

Dad pulls out the shoebox and I instantly panic. “Nothing. Nothing. It’s private. Please, it’s-“

He opens it and sees the Polaroid and razor, face darkening. “Ro…”

I’ve disappointed him for real this time, haven’t I?

Examining the blade, he lightly gasps. “There's blood on this. Fresh blood.”

Wrapping my arms around myself for comfort, I bow my head and cry. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I deserve to…I…I should be hurt.”

“Show me.” Dad mumbles softly.

I know what he means, but I hug myself tighter and hide my arms. “I don’t wanna…”

“Let me help you. Please, let me help you.” He replies.

I don’t protest as he carefully takes my arms and rolls up my sleeves, seeing the cuts on my left wrist. “Oh, baby…baby girl. It’s alright now, Ro.”

“It’ll never be alright.” I say mournfully. “I’m never gonna be as smart or as strong as you. I'm not like you…I’m hardly a Stark. I shouldn’t have this name.”

Dad helps me up and wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and we can talk.”

We go to the bathroom and he has me sit on the toilet seat while he gently cleans my cuts with a warm washcloth. He’s so tender and focused.

“I'm sorry.” I say quietly as he works.

He doesn’t look up at me. “Don’t ever be sorry. If you ever feel like doing this again, you call me. You tell me.

No matter what time it is or where I am, you’ve gotta tell me so I can help you. Can you do that for me?”

I nod. “Mmhm.”

“Good.” Dad replies. “And for the record, you’re not a disappointment. If anyone deserves the Stark name, it’s you. You’re empathetic and wise beyond your years. And incredibly smart and strong willed. You’re everything I could ever hope for, baby. I promise you that.”

Sighing, I shrug my shoulders. “Okay, Dad…”

“It’s true.” He reiterates. “You’re going to be a great woman all by yourself. You won’t even need me.”

“I’ll always need you.” I counter, almost urgently.

Dad smiles. “I’ll always need you too, kiddo.”

Applying medicine and wrapping my wrist with bandages, he kisses it softly. “There you go.”

I’ve never seen him so soft and caring. He grabs my hand and lifts me from the toilet seat, wrapping his arms around me as we stand there.

He sighs contently. “I love you endlessly, mini.”

“Love you tons.” I reply, burying my head in his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Don’t sweat it. What do you say we order some cheeseburgers and watch something? Anything you want.” Dad offers.

I grin, wiping my eyes after all of the crying. “Yeah, okay.”

He grins back. “Let’s get downstairs. I’m starving. You go pick the movie and I’ll order us some grub.”

Nodding, I go downstairs to find what I want to watch. And I’m actually smiling.

My dad loves me endlessly. He said as much.

That gives me more comfort than anything ever will.

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