Song: apocalypse - cigarettes after sex

"Hey pep, can I talk to you for a second." He faked a smile pulling pepper to the side, "Don't touch anything."

"Help yourself to anything!" Pepper yelled from the hallway

"Why is she here?" Anastasia could hear from the living room, they left right after.

"She is Anastasia. She will be staying with us for a couple of days until we can figure something out." Pepper defended Anastasia so proudly, she hasn't even known the girl for more than an hour.

"What if she steals something."

"She is fourteen!" Anastasia could hear pepper's teeth screeching against each other. "A child Tony, I am not going to leave her outside on one of the coldest nights when there is a spare room for her here."

So much for confidence, Anastasia never enjoyed Tony Stark's little scandals. The man was greedy, he had all this money, living on top of the world while people like her rot in the pit of the earth.

Anastasia sat by the island overlooking the city's beauty. Anastasia finally gets the courage to walk to the window, "wow." her breath was taken away. This is how it feels to have it all.

She sat on the floor hopeless of who she's become. The city lights pierced in her eyes almost leaving a mark in her vision.

She could feel a hot tear streaming down her cheek.

"Alright it's settled she'll stay until we find a home for her." The woman says as she walks to the kitchen.

"hey, anas-" her voice faded when she saw Anastasia sitting by the window.

"Oh I'm sorry, The lights were just really pretty..." She said as she quickly got up to wipe the tear off her face.

Pepper kept a distance from the teenage girl, "It's okay" She walked to her like if she were a dangerous animal. "It's my favorite thing about this place, it's beautiful."

Anastasia could feel another tear roaming around the rim of her eye. "It is."

Pepper sat on the floor where Anastasia was seated, Anastasia sat next to her. They sat in silence overlooking the city lights.

"So tell me a little bit more about yourself." Pepper filled the silence

Anastasia's head laid on her knees as she looked at the reflection of the window. She felt like she could trust Pepper, Pepper had been the only female figure that came close to caring, other than the flight attendant. Abraham only brought home one-night stands and prostitutes. But Tony, she felt like she didn't know him and what she did she didn't like.

But Anastasia didn't want them to let her on a pity take. Anastasia's anxiety on the matter slightly increased,

What if I told them too much? And my baggage gets me tossed out?

So she said as much as she could-

"Deadbeat dad, I mean there isn't much to say but sad depressing things. Your usual run-of-the-mill traumatic childhood. Too much for any child to bare, but we got to push through and survive-" Her throat burned, begging for an outpour of sobs but she held back.

"-Over the years it's gotten harder to find food and a family." Pepper looked at her with guilt,"- and I don't want pity, I don't want people to mope and feel bad for me. It sucks the life I had to endure" she smiled to hide the pain. Pepper somewhat understood to an extent why Anastasia didn't want pity. The truth was Anastasia didn't want the pity cause it made her weak and vulnerable. An easy target for an advantage she wasn't willing to take.

"what about you, what do you do for fun?" Anastasia cleared the dark tormented conversation.

"Well, my favorite thing is to boss Mr. bossman over there." Anastasia let out a little giggle, "I run his company, I love to read. Let's see, I love staying in and watching romcoms" the girls continue to giggle.

They sat in silence once again going back to looking at the view, "Does he always act like that?" Anastasia looked back at pepper.

"No, he's just looking out."

"From what, from a stray?" Anastasia felt a burning sensation in her bones. "I could leave if you want."

"What no, of course not. Trust me he gets better when you get to know him." She touched her arm making Anastasia flinch. "trust me."

"I'm sorry. I'm just used to people not wanting me. It just frustrates me." Anastasia sighed,

"I understand." She smiled, "what do you want to eat for dinner?" Pepper said getting up from the floor.

"What is there to eat?" She asked, still seated to the floor.

"Anything you want." She reached for my hand.

"I really don't want to intrude, it's really not my place." she said in her own little bubble of depression.

"Come on, let's go ask the bossman if he wants to eat. He gets a little cranky when he doesn't have his dinner." Pepper said, causing them to burst into laughter.

Anastasia took Pepper's hand and followed her down the stairs. Tony was working on his Ironman suits with music blasting in the background.

"Tony!" Pepper yelled through the glass windows, she then entered a code for the door. "Jarvis, turn the music off." As she wishes the music turns off.

"hey, what are you doing?" Tony whined.

"Anastasia has something to ask you." She said as all of the attention came down to her.

"uh- me. No pepper. I think you have something to ask him." Anastasia awkwardly grinned. Pepper gave her a reassuring smile, "Tony" Her eyes gazed at him.

"What?"

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" Anastasia said, looking at Pepper then back to Tony. Pepper nodded with a big smile beaming off her face.

"No." he turned around cold.

Anastasia felt a wave of chills run down her back, she got it. No one wanted or appreciated her existence, her efforts.

So Anastasia couldn't take it personally when Tony rejected her offer. Though somewhere deeply it reminded her of her worthlessness.

"Okay." She said softly, Anastasia looked at pepper then shrugged.

"Let's go, Anastasia." Pepper guided Anastasia to the glass doors, she looked back at Tony

Pepper felt disappointed towards Tony on another level. She knew his bitterness towards kids but this was low, "You're dead!" Pepper mouthed sternly to Tony, he just rolled his heartless eyes and continued to work.

"Do you have a bathroom?" Anastasia was afraid to speak. She felt small, her voice can out confident completely opposite to how she felt.

"Of course! Just walk down the hall and it should be on the right. I'll be up there a bit, I'm just going to..." She squinted her eyes as she pointed to tony.

Anastasia nodded, she made it to the restroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, she felt different, abandoned. "Ugh." Anastasia scoffed, her face had dirt covering the rims of her jaw and eyes. Her body felt too exhausted to move like she just died. She lifted her arm to smell her body, "esh."

Anastasia sighed, she placed her hand on the rim of the sink. She looked down at her clothes noticing she lost her bag, Where is my bag? Anastasia looked back at her face, she had a scar on the side of her temple, she doesn't remember having a scar on her temple. She moved her hair to show more of the scar but something caught her eye.

It was a number on her wrist:

003

"What is this?" she said to herself, over the year's Anastasia learned to be independent with her responsibilities. She had nobody to talk to except herself. It may seem strange but she rather talk to herself rather than people, she feels safer. Nobody could hurt her when she was in her own bubble, but some people would pop it.

There was a tear slipping past her cheek, her eyes were bloodshot red. She watched the tear fall, so simple, yet so painful. The tear felt hot and heavy, Anastasia felt broken like she was ripped into a million pieces and was glued back together.

"Anastasia?" The teenager heard a knock on the door.

"shit, yes?" She spoke trying not to make her voice crack. She wiped her tears as she exited the bathroom, she tried to sniff for air but it was too stuffy "I'm sorry Pepper, for being in there for so long I just needed a moment to myse-" She was shocked to see Tony standing in front of the door. "Oh, I- sorry"

"Pepper's calling you." He walked past her.

Anastasia walked alone to the living room, "Hello." she said softly.

Pepper could tell something was bothering her but she didn't want to push anything, she's nearly met the girl.

"It's getting pretty late, how about we get you settled in?" Pepper smiled kindly, she looked at her phone.

"Pepper if you don't mind me asking." She paused for a 'go-ahead', "Why doesn't he like me?" Anastasia stepped closer to pepper.

"He just doesn't really like kids, trust me you're probably more mature than him." She chuckled. Anastasia hung her head, "It's alright like I said he'll get there." She smiled at her, pepper walked to her as she had her hand behind Anastasia's back guiding her somewhere.

"Do you know whats today's date?" Anastasia wasn't nearly close to sleepy, but she could have a chance to walk around the city when everyone was sleeping.

Pepper showed her the date, Anastasia scanned the phone. "Today's the 29th?" She scratched her head, pepper nodded.

"It appears so," She chuckled, "I've been so occupied with the company, sometimes the days seem to just blend into one, it's hard to keep track."

Anastasia went along with the joke, faking a laugh. Anastasia could have sworn it was the end of January, but there was something telling her to drop the thought.

"I can't believe it's already 9:45, I just came back from a run, not too long ago." Pepper kept babbling, trying to start a conversation. She opens a door, showing a big room. The room was even bigger than her home in Los Angeles.

"Woah." her breath was taken away.

"I have to run to the office tomorrow so Tony will be taking care of you," Pepper said as she watched Anastasia look breathless.

"Come, I'll teach you how to work the shower, it may be a little hard. Trust me it took me a week to learn how to use it." Pepper insisted as she walked to the bathroom, Anastaisa followed behind her.

After Pepper Showed Anastasia how to use the Shower, Anastasia spoke, "I don't have any clothes." Her face was so innocent, so pure.

"Well, I can fix that. Wait here." Pepper quickly ran out, Anastasia sat down on the toilet seat and waited patiently for Pepper to come back.

Pepper came back with some sweats and a tee-shirt. "Here, this should do for tonight. We'll go shopping tomorrow after I get back from the office." The woman placed the clothes on the side of the sink.

"Alright" Pepper left out a breath of relief, as she walked out of the bathroom Anastasia followed. "Settle in, and if you're hungry go crazy in the kitchen. I'll give you a nicer tour tomorrow." She paused, "I'm always next door if you need anything." She smiled about to close the door.

"Pepper." Anastasia Blurted out before pepper could close the door.

"Yes?" Pepper opened the door back to see Anastasia's face.

"Thank you." She said as she gave pepper a sweet smile causing her to beam with a smile as well.

"Anytime." She gave a kind smile in return, "Good night Anastasia."

"Good night Pepper." Anastasia said as pepper closed the door.

Anastasia walked to the bathroom, She turned on the water.

Anastasia entered the steamy shower, the boiling hot water hit her delicate skin. She felt the heated water piercing through her veins, her head began to spin in circles.

"Don't PLEASE, PLEASEEEE"

The voices rang against her head, They began to strive to become louder.

Anastasia began to scream in pain, "DON'T TOUCH ME. PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!" She yelled out loud, Anastasia felt the piercing stream of boiling hot water hit her skin as she slowly slid down, she sat in the corner of the wall. Her body was curled into a ball, her knees were against her chest as her head was tucked in between them.

"don't touch me please." she whispered. "please."

"Anastasia, are you alright?" Tony asked in a still small voice, he grew up much similar to Anastasia. Poor and left to his own survival, deadbeat dad. He knew what she was going through, yet her being in his home caused him discomfort.

Her eyes were beaming with the color red. "Sorry did I wake you? Was I screaming again?" Anastasia groaned annoyed with herself.

"It's fine, do you want me to get Pepper or?" Tony sighed,

"No it's fine, she must be a busy woman and I don't want to bother her-" Anastasia replied but she didn't want to also be alone. Though it seemed obvious her being here caused Tony discomfort.

And as Tony was about to walk away, his back facing her.

"-Why don't you like me?" She could feel his body shift and stiffen. When she said it out loud, confront him about it.

 It made it hard to deny, Tony turned to face the girl who was flustered in tomato red. "-sorry. Don't answer that, I'll just tell Pepper it won't work out-"

Tony sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed, his hands covering his face as he cowered. He couldn't deal with a kid, he thought too low of himself to care for a kid.

"Look, Pepper wants you here. She'd kill me if you left, besides it's not that I dislike you its just-"

"You don't like kids, I get it." Anastasia cut him off.

"The reason why I don't like kids, it's because when I was a kid my own dad wasn't much of a dad than a stranger. He was a work addict, and my mother well- that's another story for another time."

These words seemed to cause Tony strain. "You don't have to explain to me anything. You don't owe me anything." Anastasia hummed as she felt like hugging him but held back.

"Look, get some rest." And with that being said Tony left Anastasia in the room. But Anastasia found her slumber to be much more sufferable.

Meanwhile, Pepper was on the couch drinking hot tea. She caught a glimpse of Tony and ordered him over.

"Get your butt over here, Stark!" She pointed at him, he knew he did something wrong.

"What's wrong with you? I knew your implications and what not but can't you be more sensitive. God, you don't have to be kind. Just don't act like a jerk!" Pepper wasn't angry with him, she was annoyed a bit. But far from rage,

"What do you plan to do with her, Pepper?" Tony asked,

"I can't force you to do anything Tony-" Pepper sighed as her voice calmed her thoughts collected, "- but could you at least try. I'll take her with me to the city tomorrow evening or something to get to know her, come up with a concrete plan." Tony nodded, he was always grateful for Pepper Potts and how she was in his life.

And the trials and tribulations they went through, the pain was always worth it. If it meant Tony Stark could always call Pepper Potts his.

Meanwhile, the intrusive thoughts, stirring in Anastasia's head she felt something in the back of her head screaming, something she had forgotten.

Afraid of closing her eyes. She opted to grab a hold of her music listening to her playlist on her iPod.

~

I started Class, somebody kill me before school does.

cds: ting 18 ♡