2014-02-22 - I Want To Make It Better

A text message was sent to Sawyer with a date, time, location (Hellfire Club Racquetball Court). It was from Tony's phone number. Tony is there too in the racquetball court, already warming up with the blue bouncing ball as he knocks it about. He wears a pair of workout pants and a workout t-shirt, along with a pair of sneakers.

When Sawyer received the text message, many things went through her mind.. including not going... but.. she decides to go. Perhaps she's a glutton for punishment. As the time arrives, she peers into her closet, pulling out a pair of slim, yoga pants, sport-bra top, with a zip up hoodie over top. She pulls her hair back in a ponytail, then slips on a jacket over top before heading out to hail a cab.

Arriving at the Hellfire club, she considers turning around and leaving.. but she should have thought about it before paying the cab driver because he's pulling away as she turns around.

With a little direction, she finds her way to the racquetball court you're warming up in, and takes a deep breath, steeling herself. She knocks on the door, not wanting to open it, and end up getting smacked by a racquetball.

Tony's hand snaps out and catches the bouncing blue ball. It...didn't seem a very 'human' reaction. But his head turns, and he smiles a little awkwardly. He looks...tired, but otherwise he seems fine. He isn't even sweating yet. He moves to open the see-through door, "Come on in," he says. "I thought when we spoke this time, I'd give you a chance to smach me with a fast moving ball."

When you see her, Sawyer looks pretty tired herself.. even to the point of dark circles under her eyes.. despite the make up attempt to cover them up. Which is odd, because Sawyer never wore make up before.. unless you were taking her out where she had to dress up. "As I recall.. you used to kick my arse whenever we played. I don't see me smacking you with anything, except a racquetball racket." Even so, she steps into the racquetball court, keeping her hoodie zipped to the halfway point.

"Point taken, try to spare the racquetball racket though." Tony move to pick up the one he got for Sawyer, holding it out. "You alright?" He actually does sound concerned. He knows why he is tired, not sleeping well after Steve's death. But he isn't sure on Sawyer's part.

Sawyer accepts the racket. For the most part, she's stayed out of 'trouble' since the incident at the highrise, and tangling with the mafia.. but she just hasn't seemed to get good sleep lately. She rolls her shoulders, stretching out a little to loosen her muscles before playing. "It's life as usual. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you look like someone socked you in both eyes." Stark shrugs at that, and waits till you get comfortable with the racket before he serves. He doesn't start talking immediately. No, he waits a bit to see if Sawyer will relax a little, or maybe he will get extra lucky and she will start it!

Her stretching only takes about five minutes, and she adopts the stance, waiting for your serve. If it's an easy serve, she returns it rather easily.. if not.. she's a bit slow and almost misses it... but she doesn't seem inclined to start the conversation.

It will be a few passes back and forth, and likely a second serve before Tony starts to speak, "Umm...I think I vaguely remember calling you drunk, and if so, I apologize. That isn't my normal behavior these days."

At one time during the volley, unless you're keeping it light, not competitive.. Sawyer nearly stumbles trying to get to the ball. She looks more embarrassed than anything else. When you speak up, she pauses, lowering her racket. She looks over at you briefly, not knowing what to say. "Don't worry about it. You going to serve?"

It is kept light rather than competitive, but the ball can go awry at times. Tony frowns slightly. But he goes to fetch the ball and says, "O.K. But let me know if you start feeling light-headed, we can take a break and get some water and something to eat," he suggests. Yes, he's apparently trying to take care of Sawyer, even now.

Tony serves again, keeping it light, but hard enough to be fun and require some concentration. It will be a few heads and two more serves before he finally really speaks again, "I really suck at this stuff," Tony states. "I do want to make things better, to really apologize, but...I don't know how."

Sawyer tries to focus on the game.. for once, not the one trying to talk about things.. but then you stop serving again, and start talking again. She lifts a hand to rub the back across her forehead. She doesn't want to be mean. She knows about Steve's death, and figures you were friends, and doesn't want to make it worse.. but what she'd love to say to you.. she doesn't think she can. "What do you want me to say Tony?"

"Don't know. Guess I don't really expect you to have the answers. If it was that easy, the hurt would have stopped some time ago," Tony states matter-of-factly. But he then catches the ball with his bare hand again. Doesn't that...sting? He looks really serious. "I wanted to make things right for a while, but I was depressed, hurt, and scared. Or whatever other emotions you want to add on top of that. I'm trying to get my head on straight for a variety of reasons. Cap also...he wanted me to make things right with you. He always was there to lecture me when I was doing things wrong with you, when I...was screwing up, not that I usually listened to him, too damn stubborn, too damn afraid," Tony smirks bitterly at himself over that.

"I screwed up royally, in more ways than one, in ways...that haven't even seen the end results," Tony says a bit mysteriously. "I know I can't...make things ever truly right, I lost that chance, I guess...crushed it would be a better term," he says quietly and sadly. "I'm not asking you to forgive me Sawyer, don't honestly think I deserve it by far. But I also want to start being there for you, for real, without dragging my baggage along with us." He then holds the ball out for Sawyer to serve this time.

Sawyer listens.. and listens.. and starts to open her mouth.. but shuts it and listens. When you wind down and hold the ball out to her, she takes it, turning to face forward. She doesn't say anything.. she's not quite sure what to say.. but her minds is turning the words over and over as she raises the ball to serve. It's a hard serve.

Stark does move to get it and returns it. He doesn't say anything further just yet, just letting Sawyer process the words he said. He said a lot and yet nothing at the same time. Like he said, he sucks at this stuff! But he is trying, and if his sincerity is felt or not, he isn't sure at all.

Sawyer is grateful for the game right now, and she tries to keep it a little more challenging, though as tired as she is.. she makes more mistakes and can't keep up the volley. Rather, she ends up getting smacked by the ball, and uttering a string of curses.

"Alright, break time," Tony finally says. He is only sweating a little bit. "Water and some food." He fetches the ball and drops it into his workout pants pocket before he goes to open the door. "Come on," he says. He doesn't really boss Sawyer around, but he isn't repeating something that isn't working. Ya...he does seem saner than usual today.

Sawyer rubs the spot on her thigh that got smacked. "A break sounds good." She continues to rub her thigh as she stows the racket, and follows you out of the court.

The racket is later stowed with the ball on a passing cart that help is pushing. Tony then leads the way to the cafe. He moves to have a seat, waiting for a waitress to arrive. He doesn't push for conversation immediately, just giving Sawyer a moment to sit and breathe.

Sawyer unzips the hoodie, slipping it off and draping it over the back of the chair she settles into. She looks around for the waitress, eager to have someone else present. When the waitress doesn't appear immediately, she looks across the table at you. "I really don't know what to say to you Tony."

A nod at that, "You don't have to say anything right now," Tony says. But he does look up when the waitress arrives and orders juice, glancing over to Sawyer to let her order what she wants.

"Water please." Sawyer looks even more tired than she did earlier. She toys with the zipper at the end of her hoodie, and turns her gaze to the table. "How are you doing.. after the funeral? I can only imagine how hard it was for you."

Stark frowns a bit, "You should likely eat something too," but he doesn't order it, just suggests it. But he then shrugs, "Other than when I got completely drunk off my ass, did some property damage, and later get found by Nat and punched three times? Alright. Carrying out some of his last wishes, putting his affairs in order, inherited a ward cause of him. This ward is a grown man though, so he's going to be a pain in the ass," Stark comments. "The usual craziness that surrounds the Avengers." He is quiet another moment.

When he speaks again, Tony's voice is pitched quietly, "I resigned as Headmaster of the Avengers Academy, I appointed Hawkeye in my steed. I'm resigning as Chairman of the Avengers as well. After about a week or so, new elections will be held for a new Chairman and Field Leader for the Avengers. I can't keep spreading myself so thin, and I got a lot of new responsibilities right now. I...don't want to break again," he confesses.

Tony then glances up at Sawyer from his clasped hands on the table, "How are you learning to cope?"

"I'm not really that peckish at the moment, but thanks." Finally, the waitress returns with her water. "Thank you." She reaches for the water, drinking about half of it before setting it on the table. She listens, her gaze focusing on the water for some fascinating reason. "Sounds like you still have your hands full." She traces her finger along the rim of the glass. "I'm keeping busy, with the bookstore, the soup kitchen.. things like that." And the gym.. not to mention the grace period finally passed so she was able to pick up her firearm.

Stark gets his juice and takes a sip of it. He nods, "Don't have much of a choice. Fixing Spider-Woman's armor, it...was the only thing that saved her life on the mission," his shoulders hunching forward a bit at that thought. He will have to fix Black Widow's too, just in case, as her armor saved her life too. He should have /made/ the time to make Cap's armor when he asked. The armor would have saved his life too.

"Anyway, glad you are keeping busy, but don't forget to take time to think. Even if your head goes in circles, making the time seems to slow things down so they don't race so much. Not that it is easy," Stark confesses. The two of them are alot alike in that way.

Sawyer didn't used to be that way.. at least, not until she 'got back' and had a lot of things she /didn't/ want to think about. She rolls her shoulders in a non-committal motion. "I slow down when it's time to go to bed. Too many things to do.." And to make up for, at least where the soup kitchen is concerned. It's her way of attrition, or pennance.. for her year with HYDRA, at least in her mind. Of course, sleep isn't what it used to be either.. not with those 'dreams' she's been having. As bad as the nightmares after her de-brainwashing.. just in a different way.

"Well, least you got Doc Samson to talk to. I just freeze up with him. Tried to have a normal conversation with him yesterday and practically ran out of the room," Tony says half jokingly. "If I can't bully my through a session, apparently I run with my tail between my legs." He shrugs and then takes another drink of his juice. "Actually...got a bit of a favor to ask you, it's a whopper too. It's not for me, it's for...someone else, that ward I mentioned. And...," he hrms. He doesn't sense any wireless bugs in the area, and no one is too close, you never know though. He will need to speak in some code here.

"Right.. you're good with words when it comes to charming.. but anything serious, you choke." She shakes her head, finishing the rest of her water and setting her glass aside. If the waitress comes by, she asks for a refill on her water. She looks up at you when you mention needing to ask a favor. She arches a brow, and her expression conveys pretty clearly 'you have the nerve to ask me a favor?'.

"Never said I didn't," about the choking on anything serious. Tony shrugs, "A few years ago, and I wouldn't have been able to do that speech for Cap at his memorial service. I...am better than I was, but still suck at the emotion thing." He states it matter-of-factly. He waits till after Sawyer gets her water refill before he speaks again.

"Like I said, it's not for me, it's for Cap," Tony states. "A guy from Cap's past, he...was really messed up, not exactly the type of stuff you want through, but pretty close. He is fixed up, but he has years and years of abuse he has to work through, of regrets where he didn't...well, it isn't his fault. He promised to see Doc Samson, but I don't know, maybe it help you both to just have someone to speak to that went through similar experiences even if they are different. He is taking Cap's death pretty hard too, but...I hoping here Cap's own voice and words in saying he was worth saving makes a difference. Happy Cap figured out how to use the holo-image communicator."

Sawyer takes a long drink of the water, shortly after it's brought to her, while she listens to what you have to say. "Hard to say no to Cap.." She says softly. "But.. I'll have to think about it. Not sure how I could help him, really." She pushes the glass away from her, nearly empty, but she's done with it. "I should probably be heading back anyway. I wanted to swing by the soup kitchen before heading home." She rises to her feet, reaching for her hoodie, slipping it on and sipping it up. "I'll have to let you know."

Tony moves to stand, "Alright. If you change your mind, his name is James. You can likely get in touch with him by calling the Avengers Mansion, Jarvis can help you in either case," he states. "Though I won't complain about hearing from you," he says honestly. "I would like that."

Sawyer nods. "I have your number." She tucks her hands in her pockets, waiting a few more minutes before heading toward the exit to gather her coat and hail a cab. It's going to be another long, dream filled night.