▃▃▃▃ ༊*·˚ ⋆▃▃▃▃
MARVEL
──── ❝ my girl ❞

CHAPTER FOUR
.ೃ࿐, marvel
*ೃ༄ ﹌﹌﹌ღ ‗ ❍ . . . . .🧸🩰
•◦• ACT ONE
────────────────────

✧.*

IT WAS FIRST FLUSH OF THE MORNING, the suns rays were shining through the large windows of the billionaires home. there was a chill breeze that kissed ones skin, and Carmen practically jumped up and down at the thought of feeling of the golden light across her skin. the eight year olds dark hair was pulled away from her face, tied into a loose bun with small wisps falling over her forehead. she wore a pink tutu, little ballet slippers covering her toes.

on the couch, was Tony. the man sprawled out as snores fell from his lips. the upper half of his body was slipping off of the couch, and Carmen winced as she imagined the ache the man would feel. she slowly approached his body, leaning over his face with wide eyes.

"is there a ballet school near by?" Carmen questioned. Tony flinched at the sound of her voice, thick eyebrows drawing together as he pried his eyes open. at the sight of her face so close to his, he instantly shot up, their foreheads colliding and forcing a sharp pain through their skull. the both of them groaned, rubbing the ache with their palms. hearing light clicks on the tile, Tony turned his head, frowning at the sight of Brandon in a pink tutu and painted nails.

"why is he in a dress with painted nails?" Tony blinked.

"he's learning swan lake." Carmen grinned as the man struggled to sit up.

"Do you know how to fix a ballerina bun?" she clasped her small hands together and ignored the pain of the older man. she watched his face form a glare.

"do I look like I know how to fix a ballerina bun?" once he sat up, he was breathing heavily, stretching his back and feeling pops dance across his spine. Carmen cringed at the sound.

"my mom says that we're not supposed to pop our knuckles." the eight year old leaned into her hip and raised her eyebrows. Tony rolled his eyes and pursed his lips.

"yeah? well, your mom didn't sleep on a hard sofa, instead of her specially designed ten thousand dollar orthopedic bed, made by Dr. Johan Gustavo of Switzerland." he said in a hushed whisper before intertwining his fingers and popping his knuckles in front of her face.

his face formed a grimace as he waved his hands around at the sound of the music that boomed through the house, "what's. . . what's with the Beethoven?" he questioned.

"It's Tchaikovsky." Carmen corrected.

"do you listen to this junk every morning?" the billionaire groaned.

"no," carmen shook her head, "some times i listen to Bach, or Rachmaninoff—"

Tony waved his hand in her face, preventing her from continuing, "do you have an iPod?" she blinked, shaking her head with a frown.

"because i'm going to buy you one. immediately."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

CARMEN TUGGED AT THE fabric of her dress, a grimace on her face as she observed herself in the mirror. her head lolled to the side and she quietly groaned. Carmen Fontana hated dresses. she much preferred her baggy jeans with mismatched sneakers. but, today was a big day. well, a big day for her father. they were going to a gala, something that Cameron had never attended before, and she never planned to. This gala is for the Fire Brigade, and though Carmen had no clue what that was, she wasn't exactly interested in the break down of it. she was immediately on board once Tony muttered the word party.

pepper insisted she wore the dress, the light pink dress that held a light shimmer to the fabric. it had a blowy skirt, and Carmen couldn't deny that it was a pretty gown.

it just wasnt exactly. . . her style.

Carmen could hear a faint voice echo through the house, and not long after a flat voice sounded through the room she was in.

"Miss Fontana, Mr. stark is requesting that you make your way into the living quarters." JARVIS, the AI, informed. Carmon nodded, folding her bottom lip in-between her teeth and gnawing on the skin as she balled the pink fabric of the Dress into her small palms.

"Just a minute, Jarvis." she said lowly before turning toward her luggage, rummaging through her clothes and pulling out something she felt would make her more comfortable. she grinned as she tugged off her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor before stepping into her new clothes. once they were on, she quickly fixed her hair into two pigtails before glancing at herself in the mirror, she grabbed her backpack and headed towards the living quarters. she spotted Tony, and she lightly skipped towards him.

"I'm ready!" she smiled. Tony turned to face her, dark brown eyes scanning her clothes. he raised one of his eyebrow.

"what happened to the dress? go change."

Carmen wore a pair of baggy jeans, a yellow bandana tied around her knee. a yellow baggy shirt was pulled over her torso with a purple jean vest. two different colored sneakers were worn on her feet, and she folded her arms over her chest as she leaned into her hip.

"no."

"yes. you need to look presentable, there'll be cameras everywhere, come on." he waved her off.

"I don't care about the cameras." she tossed her head back with a groan and planted her foot.

"Alright, fine. but, you'll regret this in ten years when these photos of you are floating around. let's go." at those words, carmen rolled her eyes, but followed him anyways.

"bye, Brandon!" Carmen shouted. they made their way to the large garage, staring at his collection of cars before selecting the Audi R8. Carmen yanked the door open as Tony crawled into the drivers seat.

"aren't you a little to young to be in the passengers seat? maybe you should climb to the back and buckle into a car seat or somethin'." Tony waved his hand.

Carmen scoffed, "no. i stopped riding back there, like, a year ago." she lied. to be honest, this was her first time in the passengers seat, and she couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. it wasn't long before they were on the road.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

   "AREN'T YOU WORRIED that we're gonna be late to this party?" Carmen questioned curiously. vehicles honked loudly at one another. they had been sitting in traffic for quite some time now, and they had hardly moved an inch.

"uh, do you see me worried?" his tone was flat and he readjusted the sunglasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. Carmen rolled her eyes and huffed. No matter how many times he denied it, Carmen could tell Tony was growing impaatient, spotting his finger tapping along the steering wheel. Deciding to change the topic, she leaned toward him with a wide grin, pulling a small notepad out from her backpack.

"So, i've got eight weeks to make up for eight years. should we get started? i'm gonna ask you questions, and you're gonna give me some answers. okay? like an icebreaker."

she didn't wait for a reply before she began to flip through the notepad, reading off the thin sheet of paper. Tony spared her a glance, eyebrows pinched together as she spoke.

"for example, if you asked me what my favorite thing to do was, i'd say ballet. so what's you're favorite thing to do?"

Tony exhaled, "easy. make things."

Carmen didn't waste a moment before scribbling down his answer. she turned to face him once again, "if you could only save one thing in a fire, what would it be?"

"what kind of questions are these?" the man scoffed while shaking his head. she frowned, face falling as she shifted in her seat.

"would you just answer, please?" she breathed out. when Tony stubbornly shook his head, she pressed her lips together.

"fine. how about this. what is your favorite food?" she tried once again.

"Burgers. we're done."

"what? no!" she protested, raising her eyebrows in shock. unfortunately for her, traffic was beginning to clear up.

"yes. no more talking till we're there." Carmen sighed heavily, folding her notebook and shoving it into her bag.

"just one more question? please?" she said. Tony eventually gave in, beckoning for her to continue. Carmen allowed a small smile to take over her lips.

"what's the best thing that's ever happened to you?" she asked sweetly. Tony made a face at her words.

"listen, i got a question for you. why didn't your mom just bring you here herself?"

Carmen's eyes grew wide and she hummed to herself before reaching for her bag and rummaging through her belongings for a bit before pulling out a small container.

"want a cookie?" she offered, removing the lid and revealing some freshly baked cookies. the sweet smell of sugar filled their nostrils.

Tony shook his head, "no, i don't want one. stop trying to change the subject."

"what? but, Pepper helped me make them. they're special!" she pouted. the billionaire stared at her incredulously before relentless reaching out for a cookie.

once he bit into it, he continued through a mouthful of crumbs, "now, back to your mom."

"i already told you. it was last minute."

Tony seemed to be in deep thought, "yeah, well, forgive me for finding it a little hard to believe that the Maria i knew would just let her daughter show up at my doorstep alone."

he rambled before clearing his throat, frowning as he stared at his reflection in the rear view mirror. he smacked his lips, "i know what happened. she gained weight, didn't she?"

Carmen's jaw dropped in shock, "no!"

"yeah," he waved his hand, "what's she pushing now? about one-eighty? deuce?"

he returned to his reflection, sticking his tongue out and observing his mouth. he he began to breathe a little heavier.

"are you okay?" Carmen's upper lip curled as she stared at him.

"do i look okay? what'd you put in those cookies, kid?"

she toyed with a strand of her hair, "milk, flower, eggs, and cinnamon—" she listed.

Tony quickly interrupted her, eyes wide with shock, "cinnamon? great. that's perfect, actually. i'm allergic to cinnamon."

"oh, i'm sorry."

"sorry? is that it? my mouth is tingling and i'm sorry? ridiculous." he mumbled mostly to himself as he felt his throat slightly tighten. there was a beat of silence before Carmen spoke timidly.

"are you gonna die?"

"are you kidding?" upon receiving no answer from
her, he continued, "no. i'm not gonna die. but, if i did, it'll be your fault. you'll go to prison for murder."

Carmen grimaced at his words and grew a little scared. she did not want to go to prison for murder.

"i'm allergic to nuts." she offered.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

   TONY RECKLESSLY PAEKED the car along the curb, Carmens eyes wide as the vehicle skidded to a stop. she glanced out of the window, hearing the booming music and spotting the red carpet with numerous paparazzi. she glanced at Tony, seeing him already making his way out of the vehicle and hand the keys to the valet man. she was quick to push her door open, taking large steps to match his own. Carmen strode by his side, holding on to the fabric of his tux before slipping her hand into his.

   "hey, Tony. remember me?" a woman with platinum blonde hair hummed, her head held high as she leaned toward him seductively. Tony didn't even spare the woman a glance, walking past her with a flat expression painted on his features.

   "sure don't."

   Carmen's doe eyes widened, and she brought her free hand up to her mouth to suppress a chuckle. thankfully the effects of the cookie had worn off by now. they proceeded to push through the crowd, the billionaire patting an older man on the back and curtly nodding, "you look great, Hef."

   the older man turned around, slightly startled. he glanced down, confused expression on his face as he spotted the eight year old. Carmen said nothing, flashing a tight grin towards the older man with glasses before following her father.

   "what's the world coming to when a guys gotta crash his own party?" Tony pried his hand from Carmens as they approached Obadiah, who had been in the middle of an interview with the paparazzi. the bearded man turned to Tony chuckled, his eyes scanning over the stark man before staring at Carmen.

   "look at you two. hey, what a surprise," Tony pursed his lips and gave a curt nod, placing his large palm on top of Carmens head and beckoning for her to follow, before Obadiah leaned into his ear, "listen, take it slow. alright? I think I got the board right where we want 'em."

  Carmens face scrunched in discomfort as the billionaire kept his palm on her scalp, leading her away from the crowd as the bright flashes followed them towards the building. the eight year old girl huffed, staring up at Tony with a frown as he led her into the building. everyone was dressed rather nice, either in a long, tight fitted gown or a tux. Tony knelt down to Carmen's level.

   "listen, I'm gonna need you to be on your best behavior. alright? if you can do that for me, I'll buy you some new toys." he lightly flicked the tip of her nose. Carmen thought for a moment, squinting her eyes and lifting her thick eyebrows.

   "what about Brandon?"

   "Brandon deserves something too." Carmen crossed her arms over her chest. the eight year old could spot Tony's eye twitch, and she chuckled to herself as he brought his fingers up to scratch his head.

   "Brandon will get all the treats in the world." he lied straight through his teeth, thankful that Carmen didn't detect it. she thought for a moment before giving in.

   "Fine."

  "alright. lets go." he cocked his head to the side, before leading her towards the bar. she blindly followed him, remaining by his side as they approached the counter. beside them was an older man, dressed nicely in a tuxedo. his hair was combed to the side, and he didn't waste a moment before speaking.

  "Mr. stark?"

  Tony glanced at him, quirking his eyebrow at the unfamiliar man, "yeah?"

  in the presence of the stranger, Carmen slightly backed into Tony, her small hand curling around the fabric of his suit.

  "agent Coulson," he introduced himself.

  "oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. the guy from the uh. . .ag--" Tony trailed off as he lifted a glass of alcohol to his lips.

  "--strategic homeland intervention, enforcement and logistics division." Agent Coulson finished for him. Carmens eyes widened at the name of his job.

   "wow. you guys should change your name." Carmen craned her head to look up at the man. the Agent glanced down at her, a small grin on his lips at the sight of her.

   "yeah, I hear that a lot," he fixes his gaze towards the billionaire once again, "listen, I know this must be a trying time for you but we need to debrief you. there's still a lot of unanswered questions and time can be a factor with these things. lets just put something on the books. . ." the balding man began to ramble. Carmen glanced up at Tony, noticing that he didn't seem to be paying any attention. his gaze was fixated on a strawberry blonde woman in a blue silk dress.

  Carmen recognized her as Pepper, her fathers assistant.

  "I don't think he's listening to you." Carmen shrugged at the man. Tony placed his palm over his face and lightly shoved her away.

  "don't listen to her. you got it. you're absolutely right," he extended his palm towards the balding man, shaking his hand, "Im gonna go to my assistant, and we'll make a date." he said shortly before strolling away, leaving Carmen with the older man. she was silently screaming at him for leaving her.

  she rocked back and forth on her toes awkwardly, giving the man a tight lipped smile. "I'm carmen." she extended her small hand. he chuckled before shaking it.

  "nice to meet you, carmen. i'm Phil."

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

  It wasn't long before Carmen had found herself a place to sit. she had sunken into the cushion of the nearby couch, her eyelids fluttering shut as the chatter from the adults rang through the building. she had been waiting for Tony to return. Phil and Carmen had parted ways not long after they had introduced themselves. he had offered to stay by her side to keep her company, but she had dismissed him as exhaustion took over. she had been on her own for quite some time now.

   Carmen sat up, taking it upon herself to find Tony. she shuffled away from the couch, bringing her small fist up to rub her eyes, "Tony?" she called out. she pushed her way through the crowd.

   "excuse me, sorry." she repeatedly mumbled, "Tony? where are you?"

   meanwhile, Tony stark had been in his car, driving home from the party. after he had gotten into an argument with Obadiah, he didn't hesitate to disappear. he flicked on the radio, and My Girl began to boom through the speakers.

   "i've got sunshine, on a cloudy day. . ." Tony began to hum. he tapped his finger on the steering wheel.

   Carmen felt her chest tighten as she struggled to find the exit of the building. feeling a cool palm on her shoulder, she whipped her head around, spotting the familiar strawberry blonde, "Carmen? honey, what are you doing here? where is Tony?" she questioned.

   "I don't know. I can't find him." was all the eight year old said before forcing her way through the crowd once again, bringing her hand up to brush the strand of dark hair away from her frame. her chest began to heave. she could hear peppers voice calling out to her, but she didn't bother to listen.

  "I guess you'd say, what can make me feel this way, my girl. . ." Tony continued to mumble to him to himself. his face fell as he thought for a moment. something was off. glancing back at the road, his lips parted as he came to the realization.

   "my girl, Carmen!" he exclaimed before swiftly slamming on the breaks and whipping the vehicle around, tires skidding against the concrete.

   "Tony!" Carmen cried out, ignoring the curious stares of the strangers surrounding her. Carmen made her way outside and quickly spotted a dark-haired man in a black tuxedo talking to a brunette woman.

   "there you are. I thought you forgot about me." she tugged on the fabric of his jacket. the man turned around, revealing that he wasn't Tony. he held a large camera in his hand, and Carmen recognized him as the paparazzi. he didn't hesitate before crouching down, clicking a button on his camera and snapping a picture of the young girl. she flinched, stumbling away. at that, other photographers began to crowd, and Carmen's eyes grew wide.

   "Carmen? Carmen!" the familiar voice of Tony shouted. the man with the camera turned to face him, narrowing his eyes at the billionaire.

   "hey, Tony. you forget something?" he ridiculed, lifting the camera to take a photo. Tony Stark didn't hesitate before reeling his fist back, gritting his teeth and lunging forward, landing a punch right on the photographers nose.

AUTHORS NOTE — it's been a whileeee