Sitting at the sleek kitchen island, a tumbler of amber whiskey before him, Tony Stark watched Pepper Potts as she prepared dinner. The rich aroma of marinara sauce wafted through the air; she had insisted on cooking a welcome meal for the young girl staying with them instead of ordering takeout.

"I still can't believe it," Tony sighed, taking a long sip of his drink.

Pepper turned from the stove, wooden spoon in hand. "What do you mean?"

His gaze flicked nervously toward the staircase. "You know—"

With an eye roll, she walked over, a reassuring smile on her face. "It will get better, I promise."

"But she—"

"Tony, she just lost her mother. Everything is new for her too," Pepper stated gently.

"But her attitude was just—"

A playful snort escaped her. "That's nothing. It's just Stark genes."

Tony frowned, crossing his arms. "I'm not that bad."

She shot him a disapproving look, prompting him to amend, "Okay, maybe just a tad."

Pepper smirked, returning to her tasks. Their easy banter filled the kitchen, a comforting familiarity amidst the changes unfolding in their lives.

"Which suits them! And they absolutely love it," Tony argued, crossing his arms defensively.

"I'm not here to argue with you, big baby," the strawberry-blonde-haired woman replied, her tone light yet firm as she waved off his assertion. "FRIDAY, please call Eve and let her know that dinner is ready."

"Of course, Miss Potts," the AI responded promptly, its voice calm and efficient.

A brief silence fell over the room, the kind that often precedes a change in atmosphere.

"Miss Dyne is on her way," FRIDAY informed them, its tone matter-of-fact.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the staircase, each step announcing Eve's arrival as she made her way to the kitchen.

Pepper turned to Tony with a serious expression. "I want you to be nice to her. No arguing and absolutely no attitude, okay?"

Tony raised an eyebrow, looking taken aback. "But she's the one who starts it every time!"

"She's a teenager, Tony. What do you expect? They can be a little difficult," Pepper said, trying to keep her tone steady as she explained.

"Believe me, my expectations have already been shattered," he muttered, clearly frustrated.

"Just please, Tony. She has been through a lot recently. For now, let's just let things be, okay?"

Before Tony could utter a response, Eve sauntered into the room. She looked around the kitchen with a detached air, not even bothering to offer a greeting to either of them, and dragged a chair towards the table, plopping down in a seat that was noticeably further away from Tony.

Pepper shot Tony a warning look, a silent reminder to tread carefully this time. She turned her attention back to Eve, trying to bridge the gap between them. "So, how's the room?" she asked gently, wanting to engage the girl.

"Not bad," Eve replied nonchalantly, shrugging as if the answer was of little importance.

"Why don't we go to the mall tomorrow? You can buy all the things you need," Tony suggested.

"No, thanks." Eve bluntly rejected the offer.

"Okay then, but if you need anything, just let me know, alright?" he replied.

"Sure," Eve dismissed him.

Pepper left to prepare dinner, leaving the father and daughter in an awkward silence.

Tony cleared his throat. "So, your mother has told you about me before?"

"Yeah? What about it?" Eve sighed, feeling a bit annoyed. She wasn't in the mood to talk about her deceased mother.

"Why didn't she ever tell me?" he asked.

Eve glanced over at the sea visible from the living room. "I don't know."

"You don't—"

"Please, just drop it."

Tony rubbed his face, growing more frustrated by the second. He tried to understand the girl, but her lack of cooperation only made things worse. He felt even worse for not remembering anything about Evaleen, not even after being shown her picture.

Tim had shown him a photo of Eva, but her features didn't spark any recognition, which triggered his frustration. How could he not remember or know the mother of his child?

Their conversation came to an end when Pepper arrived with dinner.

Pepper's spaghetti and meatballs, topped with a sprinkle of cheese, caught both of the Starks' attention, making them realize just how hungry they were.

Eve looked at Pepper. "Did you cook this?"

Tony scoffed, prompting Pepper to roll her eyes at his childish behavior as she took a seat in front of them.

She smiled at the girl. "Yes, I did, because Mr. Lazybutt needs some care since he claims he's too busy to even eat. So I have to cook for him sometimes and make sure he gets the proper nutrition instead of just feeding his ego."

The billionaire playfully glared at her, pointing his fork with a meatball at her. "I am busy."

"Oh? What makes you so busy?" she taunted him.

He smiled smugly. "I'm Iron Man."

Both Pepper and Eve snorted and continued to eat their dinner, not paying him any mind. A ghost of a smile appeared on Eve's face, but it went unnoticed by either of them.

Eve may not show it, but she did like Pepper. She was indifferent to Tony, treating him like any other person rather than sugarcoating things. Although they had only recently met, she observed how Pepper pointed out Tony's shortcomings. To her, Pepper seemed a little too good for him.

Tony looked offended, his brows furrowing dramatically. "Why all the snorting? I'm Iron Man—a vital part of the Avengers!" he declared, attempting to win back Pepper's attention.

Unfazed, Pepper waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Just eat your dinner; it's getting cold," she replied, her tone light but sharp underneath.

Pouting, Tony mumbled, "I am Iron Man," sounding more like a petulant child than a hero.

Curious, Pepper asked, "What were you two talking about earlier?"

"Nothing," Eve replied curtly, focused on her meatball.

Tony, sensing Eve's reticence, pointed his fork at her. "This Miss Mysterious doesn't want to share her past," he teased.

Eve rolled her eyes. "Keep rolling your eyes, and they'll get stuck like that," he joked.

"Better that than having to see your face," she shot back.

Tony smirked. "You mean, handsome?"

"Handsome, my foot," she countered, causing his grin to falter.

Pepper felt the tension rising. "Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it yet. Give her some time?"

"She spoke about it earlier; she keeps saying she doesn't know! It's obviously a lie," Tony insisted.

Eve snapped, slamming her fork down. "Maybe that's because she doesn't want to tell you! My mother is gone! She's dead! What's the point in looking for an explanation?" With that, she stood up and stormed to her room, leaving an uneasy silence behind.

Sighing, Pepper rubbed her face in frustration. "Why did you push her? I told you not to."

"You said not to argue with her," Tony pointed out.

Pepper groaned, standing up. "I can't deal with you right now," she said, headed upstairs.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her leave.

"To check on her," she replied. "And you need to clean up all of this," she gestured to the mess.

"Why me?" he whined, slumping in his chair.

"It's your punishment," she teased as she continued down the hallway, her heels echoing on the floor.

Tony groaned, eyeing the towering pile of dirty dishes in the sink. 

Suddenly, Pepper called back to him, her tone playful. "Oh, and Tony," she said, causing him to snap his head toward the stairs, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Flashing him a sweet smile, she added, "Sleep in the lab." With that, she vanished around the corner, her laughter lingering in the air.

Tony stood there, jaw dropped in disbelief, surrounded by the chaotic mess. Another long night of dish duty awaited him, alongside a future backache. Just another day in his busy life.