[Third Person's PoV]
Melissa sat cross-legged atop the couch, comfortably nestled on Tony's lap as they watched Iron Man 2. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as Tony, on screen, appeared miserably hungover after his battle and loss to the future War Machine. He was slouched on top of a giant donut outside the shop, clearly not in his best form.
"Classic," Melissa muttered with a grin.
Then came the familiar moment—Nick Fury's entrance.
As Tony and Fury sat down inside the café, Natasha appeared from behind, promptly jabbing a serum into Tony's neck with practiced ease.
"Yay! Black Widow officially makes her entrance!" Melissa cheered, clapping her hands excitedly before giggling when Tony instantly fired Natasha for being a spy.
After the meeting, Fury handed over a box full of Howard Stark's old belongings. The scene briefly shifted to Rhodey with Justin Hammer before returning to Tony in his lab, staring at old footage of his father.
Howard's voice echoed from the screen: "What is and always will be my greatest creation… is you."
"Aww!" Melissa cooed, her voice softening. She glanced up at Tony, lips puckered in a dramatic pout. "That was so sweet. You hear that, Tony? You're your father's greatest creation."
Tony sighed, already anticipating this moment. "I'm growing tired of telling you—that's not me."
Melissa only smiled wider, clearly enjoying teasing him.
Soon after, Tony appeared on screen again, this time attempting a heartfelt gesture—buying strawberries for Pepper.
Too bad it backfired since Pepper was allergic to strawberries.
Melissa facepalmed. "Seriously? That's just sad." She looked back at the real Tony. "Just know—if you ever pulled something like that on me, I'd wrangle your neck."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Lucky for me, you're not allergic to anything. You'd make the worst supersoldier otherwise—imagine trying to fight with a peanut allergy."
"Oh, shut up and let me watch the movie," Melissa scoffed in amusement.
Tony chuckled. "Now you know how it feels."
The movie continued, and they watched as Tony stopped in front of the old Stark Expo model. He observed it from different angles, his mind visibly racing. Without hesitation, he picked it up and placed it across his car before speeding off back to his lab.
Melissa leaned forward slightly, eyes locked on the screen. She was clearly absorbed now, watching as Tony discovered the new element.
"That's so cool," she murmured. Then she looked back at him. "Was it the same for you and Howard? When you discovered the new element?"
"In a way, yes," Tony replied, recalling that chapter of his life. He began explaining the behind-the-scenes of what really happened as his movie counterpart tore apart his lab and began building something entirely new. And finished constructing the triangle-shaped Arc Reactor.
Eventually, the scene shifted to Justin Hammer's tech showcase. Drones modeled after Iron Man took center stage alongside War Machine's new armor.
Melissa's eyes narrowed as the drones turned rogue, Justin Hammer losing control completely.
Cue Iron Man's heroic arrival.
He and Rhodey fought side by side in a gorgeously lit scene, each movement sharp, calculated, and synchronized. Then came the infamous Hammer Tech moment—Rhodey fired the kinetic missile. It landed in the water with a dull, pathetic fizzle.
Melissa scoffed. "Honestly, that one's on Rhodes. It's a kinetic missile, you're supposed to let it charge. He shot it out too early. Rookie move."
Tony smirked at her critique but said nothing, watching her enjoy the action.
The fight escalated as Tony activated his wrist-mounted laser blades and spun mid-air, slicing the surrounding enemies in half in a clean, fluid motion. Melissa didn't say a word this time—too caught up in the choreography to comment.
Whiplash made his final appearance, and the duo took him down together with a powerful, synchronized blast.
Then came the rooftop.
Tony and Pepper stood together, exchanging a tender kiss. While Rhodes was leaning off to the side watching in disgust.
Tony glanced down at Melissa, expecting a harsh reaction like she had with the journalist. Instead, she just smiled.
"What? Not going to comment on it?" he asked.
Melissa looked up at him, her expression soft but teasing. "Comment about what? I'm clearly your Pepper Potts." She winked, leaning up to give him a quick kiss before settling back into his lap, content.
The credits began to roll.
Melissa sat up, throwing her arms in the air. "Now come on! Bring on Thor!"
Tony laughed as he reached for the remote. "Alright, alright."
As Thor began, Melissa leaned into Tony, eyes fixed on the screen with quiet interest as Jane Foster chased storms across the desert. The story soon shifted to Asgard, unveiling its majestic history, the rise of Odin, and the tale of two young boys—Thor and Loki—growing up as brothers.
Melissa furrowed her brows. "Okay, wait. They're brothers?! I thought Loki and Thor were uncle and nephew or something," she asked, clearly baffled despite the extensive mythology reading she'd done after meeting the real Thor.
Tony smirked. "Nope. Brothers. Raised together. As you just saw Loki's actually adopted."
The movie continued, with Loki subtly manipulating Thor into a reckless assault on Jotunheim alongside his closest warriors. Melissa leaned forward with a gleam in her eyes as the Bifrost activated in a blaze of light and they teleported into the frost giant realm.
She turned toward Tony with a mischievous smile. "You know, this is only a suggestion, but…"
"Melissa," Tony said immediately, not even looking at her. "If the next words out of your mouth are 'we should build our own Bifrost,' I swear—I will literally kiss you."
Melissa broke into a wide grin and puckered her lips in response, clearly taking him up on the challenge.
Tony laughed and leaned in, giving her a quick kiss.
They both turned their attention back to the screen, watching as Thor unleashed pure devastation on the frost giants. Melissa was practically bouncing in place, loving every brutal moment. The thunderous hammer swings, the streaks of lightning, and Thor's ferocity were everything she lived for in action scenes.
Then Odin appeared in a flash of golden light, halting the battle before things spiraled further. Melissa fell quiet, watching with rapt attention as Odin scolded Thor, stripped him of his armor and power, and banished him to Earth.
The camera zoomed in as Odin whispered the iconic enchantment into the hammer: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Then the hammer followed, falling to Earth like a shooting star.
Melissa pointed at herself with both thumbs, grinning. "Me. I'm worthy. I lifted that hammer, remember?"
Tony rolled his eyes.
Moments later, the film showed a montage of people trying—and failing—to lift Mjolnir from where it lay buried in the sand. A group of men tied it to a pickup truck, attempting to pull it free.
Melissa pointed with mock-excitedly. "Stan Lee cameo!" she squealed.
On screen, Stan grinned from the driver's seat before hitting the gas—only for the back of the truck to rip off while the hammer stayed firmly in place.
Tony sighed, amused and slightly exasperated. "You don't have to shout his name every time he shows up, you know."
"Don't care," Melissa said, sticking her tongue out at him. "It's tradition. It's fun. I'm having a good time—don't be such a bore."
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