unspooling into her hands, memory becoming no more than a bundle of black tape, loops and joins all fucked-up so there is no beginning and no end.
That's what was in my c/p and what I was planning on fangirling over before I got to the gut-punch that is the end.
Because. You know. Unannounced, because Tony doesn't want a chance to miss anything, to regret too, sure, but mostly miss. Like watching Sta- Obie. Watching Obie struggle with the straps on the 'roided up, poor imitation of her own suit. Watching him struggle and twist and wanting to see him fail and hoping that he wouldn't and when he looks up at her and extends a hand, she sees him reaching out to her at thirty five years ago to lift her up on his hip, resting it against her neck twenty years ago telling her he knows she can get through this, a half hour ago telling her to breathe, now asking for her help.
Forbes did a profile on Obadiah Stane, a few years back, when Tony was just settling into her role, and Stane was pulling back, slowly, from where he found himself after the death of Howard Stark. The question was: what happens when Tony Stark disagrees? She had a history of being difficult, even then, and though patronizing, the question was genuine. Whether Obadiah Stane had smiled at that, it never made it on the page, but the quote did, and it was, simple, "She probably wouldn't hear me if I tried. You don't just tell Tony Stark 'no.'" It was characterized as a joke, then, and it was, because he told her 'no' all the goddamn time and it was their thing, him telling her 'no' and her doing it anyway, and they had an understanding, she thought.
The smile he gets, when she can't stop herself from reaching out, should be reason enough to let go. She doesn't, and later, she will blame it on the exoskeleton malfunctioning, but it's a lie and Obadiah Stane, grinning and bloody and covered in ash, knew.
She doesn't think she can take something like that again, it's why she prefers it to be quick.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-09-22 07:00 pm (UTC)That's what was in my c/p and what I was planning on fangirling over before I got to the gut-punch that is the end.
Because. You know. Unannounced, because Tony doesn't want a chance to miss anything, to regret too, sure, but mostly miss. Like watching Sta- Obie. Watching Obie struggle with the straps on the 'roided up, poor imitation of her own suit. Watching him struggle and twist and wanting to see him fail and hoping that he wouldn't and when he looks up at her and extends a hand, she sees him reaching out to her at thirty five years ago to lift her up on his hip, resting it against her neck twenty years ago telling her he knows she can get through this, a half hour ago telling her to breathe, now asking for her help.
Forbes did a profile on Obadiah Stane, a few years back, when Tony was just settling into her role, and Stane was pulling back, slowly, from where he found himself after the death of Howard Stark. The question was: what happens when Tony Stark disagrees? She had a history of being difficult, even then, and though patronizing, the question was genuine. Whether Obadiah Stane had smiled at that, it never made it on the page, but the quote did, and it was, simple, "She probably wouldn't hear me if I tried. You don't just tell Tony Stark 'no.'" It was characterized as a joke, then, and it was, because he told her 'no' all the goddamn time and it was their thing, him telling her 'no' and her doing it anyway, and they had an understanding, she thought.
The smile he gets, when she can't stop herself from reaching out, should be reason enough to let go. She doesn't, and later, she will blame it on the exoskeleton malfunctioning, but it's a lie and Obadiah Stane, grinning and bloody and covered in ash, knew.
She doesn't think she can take something like that again, it's why she prefers it to be quick.