Irondad and Penny Parker

The Lab

1st person- Penny

Still slightly trembling from the unexplainable cold and the fear from the nightmare, I followed Tony down the corridor, glancing at the walls, coated in awards for certain acts of bravery performed by the Avengers.

Tony led the way, however he barely strayed from by my side, shooting worried looks in my direction every five seconds and keeping slightly in front in a defensive stance.

He was protecting me-

It was the middle of the night or early hours of the morning, I couldn't tell so all the lights were off. It made me nervous, not being able to see what lied ahead and the only thing I could hear was the sound of our echoing footsteps in the empty corridor.

"Do you want to lights on?" Tony said breaking the deafening silence.

"Sorry what?" I asked having completely missed what he had said previously.

"Lights on?"

"Oh um no it's- it's fine." I didn't want to cause an inconvenience, I could cope in the darkness, however I wasn't a fan of the ghosts of my dream that were lurking in the shadows.

And I think Tony must've seen the doubt in my eyes, lit up by the dull glow of his arc reactor because next thing I know, he's asking JARVIS to turn on the lights.

I sent him a look of gratitude and we carried on walking as if nothing had happened.

I noticed how the lights were dimmer than before, it hit me that this was because Tony had made them less bright due to my sensory overload earlier. I couldn't help smile at the thought of the 'heartless playboy' who was in a stable healthy relationship, dimming down lights because a teenager had a bad dream.

It made me feel loved. It made me feel important.

But the question remained.

Why was I so damn cold?

We came to the end of a corridor and stopped at a steep flight of stares.

Tony looked at me, analysing my condition, bearing in mind I was still injured from the battle. He frowned and swore under his breath.

"Okay kiddie," he said as he walked towards me, "we're gonna have to do this the hard way."

And with no warning, he scooped me up bridal style, still wrapped in various different blankets and began slowly carrying me down the stairs.

I let out a whine of protest only for my face to redden after realising what was happening.

"No complaining kid, it was either this or I let you try go down the stairs yourself, you fall and end up just a pile of blankets at the bottom all broken and bruised."

"I think I'd rather that." I muttered, still mortified from the events of that night.

"Oh hush it's not that big of a deal."

We reached the bottom of the stairs and Tony slowly set me down.

"There you go, now that wasn't so bad as it."

I crossed my arms and turned away from him, pouting.

"God teenagers are so much work, who's idea was it to enhance one?" He said with an eye roll as he walked over to the glass door at the end of another corridor.

He waiting for a second and then turned to me,
"You coming or what?"

I spun around to see what all the excitement was about and my jaw hit the flaw.