Ablaze {Marvel} ||2||

7. The Party

"Tony really thinks it's wise to throw a party when he just finished the renovations?" Todd asked me.

I was fixing myself up in the standup mirror in my room. I saw Todd's reflection. He was dressed semi-formal. For this party, you couldn't appear in baggy clothing. Besides, Stark had insisted that I come in something dressy, and not the "Asgardian drapes" that I was used to.

I had, reluctantly, gone out shopping. I didn't spend a lot of money, but it looked like it was expensive. It was a deep red number, which brought out the red in the lipstick that I had applied. My hair was curled and pulled over to one side, a waterfall of ringlets while the other side was pinned. The dress had one shoulder strap and stopped at my knees.

"He's a man of celebration," I told my roommate. "Besides, I'm curious to see the finished product."

"But you've been going there for a while now."

"I haven't done a tour of the tower, Todd. I've only been using one room to enhance my fire power." I spun around, and Todd's eyes filled with adoration.

"Guess I'll have to act as your bodyguard tonight, because I'm sure you'll attract all sorts of guys." He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "You keep thinking that. I can hold my own, even in these shoes." I picked up one foot. The heels were a few inches, but it had been a long time since I had worn any shoes like these. It felt like this was my first time again. "Come on, let's grab a taxi. We're going to be late."

Todd kept by me as I wobbled a few times. Gentlemanly, he helped me down the steps of our apartment. Todd whistled, gesturing for a taxi. One pulled over right away, and he got the door open, gesturing for me to get in first.

"Where to, folks?" asked the driver.

"Stark Tower," I said.

"Oh, nice accent you've got there. I've always appreciated the English accent."

I was about to comment that my accent wasn't "English," but Asgardian, but Todd shut my mouth with a look.

The taxi pulled out onto the streets, and my eyes wandered the lit up buildings in the night. I rapped my fingers on my thigh, wondering how far Stark's invitation got extended. Members of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Any Avengers? It would be nice for a reunion, since some I hadn't had contact with since our departure all those months ago.

When the taxi pulled up, Todd paid the driver, and the driver wished us a good night as we climbed out.

"Whoa," Todd murmured.

Our eyes took in the new Stark Tower. Well, now, I guess it could be considered the Avengers Tower, since there was a big "A" instead of "Stark". It had a sleek, metallic look to it. It didn't look like it grew taller than before.

"And this is just the outside..."

I led Todd by the arm to the bouncer, who let us in when I told him my name. The entrance alone was full of people, strangers to myself and Todd. I searched the crowd for any familiar faces, but I failed to see any.

We took the elevator up once we got through the throng of finely dressed people. I felt like I blended in more than stood out. Surely, there were famous reporters and newscasters here in the tower, I just didn't bother to focus on faces to know for sure. Todd and I were joined in the elevator by a few others. We kept to ourselves in one of the corners.

Once the ride up was over, the doors opened, and this, I could tell, was the hotspot of the evening.

Music was playing at a decent level. There was a billiards table where a group of people were. Most sat on the furniture or remained standing, drinks in hands, chatting the night away. To my left, there was a bar, bartender, few people on stools, and a plethora of bottles of drinks behind the bar. I almost felt like we weren't in Stark Tower, more like a high-end restaurant without the food and the fancy tables. There were a few caterers, I saw, though.