V. Short Iron Man ficlette.
May. 30th, 2017 10:45 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feng_shui_houseI'm told today (May 30) is Tony Stark's birthday. So here's a ficlette about his first birthday at boarding school. Huh, got the day wrong- May 29. CLOSE ENOUGH.
The pilfered cupcake bisected by a candle stolen from the boarding school's emergency supplies cupboard was half squished. The candle tilted, dripping wax on the cupcake, spoiling the icing. "This is stupid," Tony told the other boy sitting across from him in the cupboard. It was stuffy and dark, with just the flickering light from the candle illuminating it. "Why don't we just eat the cake?"
The other boy blew out a sigh so hard his curly hair flopped in his eyes. "Because it's your birthday. Didn't you ever have a party?" he sounded like he felt sorry for Tony.
"Of course I did!" Tony snapped. "We had lots of parties! Everyone tried to get an invitation to Stark Mansion! We have the best food and the best drink, and real live musicians."
"That's a party for grown-ups," the boy said, speaking from his superior nine-year-old wisdom. "It's not a birthday party."
Tony scowled. "I'm not a baby. I'm seven. It's time I was learning to be a man."
The other boy shook his head. "Don't you want to have any friends?"
Tony blinked. "Yes? Will people like me if I have birthday parties?"
"They won't like you if you don't," the boy replied. "At parties everyone gets to act silly and have fun. If you don't have a party, people think you don't want any fun, and they go play with other people."
That made sense. "All right. What do I do?"
"You think of a wish. DON'T say it out loud! If you let anyone know it, it won't come true. And then you blow out the candle. If you can do it in one breath, you get your wish. It should really be seven candles, though."
Tony nodded, making a note of it for next year. He took a deep breath and thought of all the things he wished for, he wanted a birthday party every year, lots of parties with fun and games and happy people, and he wanted friends, real friends, and he wanted to be someone his dad was proud of and he wanted to find Captain America so dad could stop looking for him and he wanted...
"Blow already, before the candle goes out!"
Startled, Tony puffed his breath out hard. The candle flame went out. The room smelled like sulphur. Tony coughed.
"Now we eat the cake," the other boy said, cheerfully. There was only a little light coming in from the edges of the door, but Tony could tell he gave Tony the bigger half of the cupcake.
"Thanks, Rhodey," Tony said. Rhodey was really nice. Maybe Tony had got one of his wishes already. He smiled around the piece of cake.
The pilfered cupcake bisected by a candle stolen from the boarding school's emergency supplies cupboard was half squished. The candle tilted, dripping wax on the cupcake, spoiling the icing. "This is stupid," Tony told the other boy sitting across from him in the cupboard. It was stuffy and dark, with just the flickering light from the candle illuminating it. "Why don't we just eat the cake?"
The other boy blew out a sigh so hard his curly hair flopped in his eyes. "Because it's your birthday. Didn't you ever have a party?" he sounded like he felt sorry for Tony.
"Of course I did!" Tony snapped. "We had lots of parties! Everyone tried to get an invitation to Stark Mansion! We have the best food and the best drink, and real live musicians."
"That's a party for grown-ups," the boy said, speaking from his superior nine-year-old wisdom. "It's not a birthday party."
Tony scowled. "I'm not a baby. I'm seven. It's time I was learning to be a man."
The other boy shook his head. "Don't you want to have any friends?"
Tony blinked. "Yes? Will people like me if I have birthday parties?"
"They won't like you if you don't," the boy replied. "At parties everyone gets to act silly and have fun. If you don't have a party, people think you don't want any fun, and they go play with other people."
That made sense. "All right. What do I do?"
"You think of a wish. DON'T say it out loud! If you let anyone know it, it won't come true. And then you blow out the candle. If you can do it in one breath, you get your wish. It should really be seven candles, though."
Tony nodded, making a note of it for next year. He took a deep breath and thought of all the things he wished for, he wanted a birthday party every year, lots of parties with fun and games and happy people, and he wanted friends, real friends, and he wanted to be someone his dad was proud of and he wanted to find Captain America so dad could stop looking for him and he wanted...
"Blow already, before the candle goes out!"
Startled, Tony puffed his breath out hard. The candle flame went out. The room smelled like sulphur. Tony coughed.
"Now we eat the cake," the other boy said, cheerfully. There was only a little light coming in from the edges of the door, but Tony could tell he gave Tony the bigger half of the cupcake.
"Thanks, Rhodey," Tony said. Rhodey was really nice. Maybe Tony had got one of his wishes already. He smiled around the piece of cake.
