[Third Person's PoV]
"…So that was Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tell me what you think," Tony said as the credits to The Avengers rolled across the screen. He stretched, clearly proud of the experience they'd just shared.
Melissa stood in front of the TV, practically buzzing. "That. Was. Awesome," she muttered, eyes wide with excitement. "And you're telling me there are multiple phases of this?!"
"Yup," Tony replied with a smug grin. "Like I said, that was only Phase One. Just the introduction."
"Well, I'm introduced alright—and I'm loving it!" Melissa said, throwing her arms up. "I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite character. Right now, it's a tie between Stark and Captain America. Honestly, they nailed your personality when Stark called himself a 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.' That's literally you."
"Babes," Tony said smugly, rubbing his nails against his shirt and blowing on them. "Billionaire is so last year. Try trillionaire—at least."
Melissa rolled her eyes. She didn't even bother to respond to the flex. "Now at least I know how the Avengers were formed. Poor Phil, though... I was really starting to like him."
"He's alive," Tony said flatly.
Melissa whipped her head around, glaring. "What?! Spoilers!!"
Tony just shrugged. "Relax. It's not in the movies. He comes back in a long-running show called Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Didn't really stick with me, though—I didn't watch it all the way through."
"Oh…" Melissa pouted, flopping onto the couch beside him. "Well, whatever. Just start Phase Two already!"
Tony chuckled. "Phase Two kicks off with Iron Man 3." He queued it up, and the movie began. Melissa settled in comfortably.
By the time the third movie ended, she slowly turned toward Tony with a deadpan expression. "You're a stupid idiot. Why the hell would you give a terrorist your home address?! You better not seriously do that"
"That. Isn't. Me," Tony said pointedly, growing more irritated with every accusation.
Melissa giggled, not even trying to hide her amusement as they started Thor: The Dark World. She found it decent enough but didn't have much to say during the film. As soon as it ended, though, she sat up slightly.
"You know… my favorite part was when it showed Loki in his cell, and everything around him was destroyed. That scene really showed he cared about his mom—despite all the crap he pulls."
"Loki's definitely one of the fan favorites," Tony agreed. "Now let's move on to what is one of my favorites—Captain America: The Winter Soldier."
This time, Tony rested his head on Melissa's lap as the movie started, while Melissa absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair. As the film ended, she was massaging his scalp gently, eyes still glued to the screen.
"The Winter Soldier is such a badass name… And Bucky being alive and brainwashed by Hydra? That was a twist I did not see coming," Melissa said, visibly impressed. "There are so many great characters now. I'm having trouble picking a favorite again. I can totally see why this one's your favorite." Melissa said as she started to give a summary of her thoughts after each movie as she was too into them to comment on them at the moment.
"The fight scenes were my absolute favorites…" Melissa said with a content sigh as she curled into the couch, still riding the high from The Winter Soldier. Then she shot Tony a teasing look, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Is it just me, or do Nat and Steve have a little something-something going on? You know what I mean~"
Tony gave a small nod, amused. "They definitely have chemistry. A lot of fans shipped them, wished they ended up together."
Melissa's eyes darted side to side like she was about to share a juicy secret. She leaned in and whispered, "Okay but… do you think if Nat asked, Steve would donate his sperm so she could have his baby?"
Tony turned to her, deadpan. "Melissa… that's gross."
"What?" she said with a giggle, completely unbothered. "I'm just asking. I mean, imagine it—a child from Black Widow and Captain freaking America. That kid would be a walking, talking weapon. Instant badass."
Tony ignored her, casually reaching for the remote. "Anyway… the next movie is Guardians of the Galaxy."
Melissa pouted, flopping against the cushions. "There's no need to be boring. I'm just saying…"
"Babe, I'm not gonna sit here and have a conversation about the potential offspring of people I've actually met. That's just… weird."
Melissa rolled her eyes. "We're literally watching their lives play out on screen like a drama series. I think we passed 'weird' like five movies ago. But fine—continue the marathon, buzzkill."
As Guardians of the Galaxy played, Melissa quickly grew captivated by the shift in tone and setting. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "To think… all this stuff was happening out in space while everything else was happening on earth. That's wild."
She clicked her tongue in frustration. "We left that universe way too soon. There's so much out there we didn't even get to see. Talk about a bummer."
Tony, lounging with a bowl of popcorn, raised an eyebrow. "Melissa, we haven't even fully explored our universe, and you're already talking about exploring the space of another one?"
Melissa crossed her arms and sulked. "Alright, fair point. But we really should make a to-do list. These movies are just giving me idea after idea."
Later into the movie, as Groot's emotional sacrifice played out on screen, Melissa's playful tone faded. Her lips started to tremble, and her eyes welled with tears. She sniffled quietly, clutching a tissue.
Tony glanced over and chuckled softly, seeing her holding back a full-on sob. "You okay over there?"
"Stupid movie with its stupid dance battle…" Melissa muttered, wiping at her eyes. "Why am I crying over a tree?"
Melissa fanned her eyes and took a deep breath, still trying to compose herself. "Okay, I need a minute before we start the next one. My heart's not ready."
"You sure?" Tony said, tilting his head playfully. "Because next up is Avengers: Age of Ultron. You know… the one we lived through."
Melissa's eyes widened instantly, all her sadness vanishing in a blink. "What?! Then what the hell are you waiting for? Start it! Start it now! I want to see what it looks like without us messing things up—or fixing them!"
Tony rolled his eyes at her sudden shift in energy and hit play.
As the opening scene began to unfold, Melissa was already leaning forward in anticipation, forgetting her tears and ready to dive back into the action.
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+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3
A/N: For those that are upset about not being a full Avengers reaction just look at the number of chapters this entire segments is, Sacrifices had to be made, Sacrifices others might have been too weak to make.