Broken Lullaby ▷ Tony Stark | ✓

1 - SNAPSHOTS

New Year's Eve, 2004

BIRDIE DIDN'T BELONG AT THIS PARTY. She felt out of place in the large penthouse at the too loud party, wearing the pretty and expensive black dress that probably cost more than her own life.

"Elizabeth Catherine Walsh, why aren't you drinking?" a familiar voice demanded, slightly slurred and a bit too loud.

Birdie turned to find a familiar blonde making her way towards her, only somewhat staggering in her six inch heels, a champagne flute in her hands, her beautifully done nails tapping lightly against the glass. In her sleek red dress, she was the picture of beauty and Birdie felt both immense pride and a hint of jealousy.

"The hospital could need me," she pointed out, tapping her clutch which held her phone that was turned all the way up, prepared to signal her out of the party and back into safer territory.

Jayne, smart as she was no matter how drunk, was not to be fooled by the straw like quality of the blatant lie, crossing her arms and cocking out her hip, not spilling a drop of her drink.

"You're not on call and you specifically asked for this day off, because I had informed you weeks in advance about this party, and you had agreed to be my plus one," she huffed, clearly displeased by her friend's attempt at shirking the party.

Birdie sighed, brushing back a strand of hair that had fallen out of its bun. "What am I doing here, Jay? These people, they're yours, not mine."

Jayne looked hurt by that comment, more sober than Birdie must have given her credit for. "You're my people, Birdie. I just want you to have fun. Your boyfriend wasn't here for you on Christmas, I wanted you to enjoy yourself on New Year's."

Birdie couldn't help but sigh, agreeing and appreciating the sentiment. "You're right. You're right, you've been doing so much for me and I've just been making I difficult." She scoffed, shaking her head, "I can't believe it. What's even worse, he's still just my boyfriend. I'm thirty-four, Jay."

"Hey," the other woman said, kind, but firm, "We are not gonna let him ruin your holiday more than he already has."

She took Birdie's hands in her own. "Don't you two have some agreement about how you can cheat on each other if it's a one time opportunity?"

Birdie blanched. "That's just a joke, a way of showing the trust and communication we have, it's not—"

"That's never been specified," she interrupted, "Look. Just tonight. Just for tonight, he doesn't exist. Just for tonight, your life is not ruled by him. He didn't ruin your holiday and keep you from your family while he went to his, he didn't make you feel awful right before he left, nothing. Tonight, it's just you."

Birdie bit her lip, remembering the words he had said to her before he left. She nodded firmly. "Yeah. Yeah, he gets his one nights all the time, so should I."

"Good," Jayne said, hugging her friend briefly before ushering her over to the bar, "Now that we're settled, I have someone who's been asking about you since the party started."

"Why didn't he just approach me himself?" Birdie hummed, searching for the person whose company she would soon have to endure for however long she had to.

"I gave him some advice, I had to see what you would do first," Jayne hummed, smiling when they approached a man in a suit so nice that Birdie didn't feel worthy to look at it.