[Third Person's PoV]
"Tony, it's time I gave you some fatherly advice," Howard said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder.
"For some odd reason, that doesn't sound reassuring," Tony replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Trust me, you're going to want to hear this," Howard said, his expression shifting into a serious mask.
Tony shifted in his seat, giving Howard a confused look. "What is it?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.
"If you go through with this... and you ever see David—run the other way. Don't look back, just run," Howard said grimly, a haunted look flickering in his eyes.
Tony's lips twitched with amusement, while Maria rolled her eyes. The three of them continued their breakfast in peace after that.
Wiping his mouth with a large white napkin, Tony stood. "Thanks for breakfast and the advice. I'll be sure to put both to good use."
"You're leaving already?" Maria asked with a hint of disappointment. "So soon?"
"Sorry, but I left Melissa at home with the guests. It wouldn't be right to keep leaving everything to her. I don't want to be a bad host," Tony said, his tone apologetic as he caught the reluctance in his mother's voice.
"I understand," Maria said softly, tapping the side of her cheek.
Tony's cheeks flushed slightly as he leaned in to give her a quick peck.
"Mama's boy," Howard muttered with a smirk.
Tony scoffed. "I'm not doing that for you if that's what you're hoping for, old man," he said, clapping his father on the shoulder before walking off.
"I wasn't asking for it, you brat!" Howard shouted after him, as Tony waved without turning around.
Once outside, Tony activated his connection with the liquid metal suit—an invention inspired by his studies on the Mind Stone. The silver armor crawled over his body like a symbiote, seamlessly encasing him. His face disappeared beneath the smooth metallic shell, and with a low hum, his thrusters ignited.
He shot into the sky, breaking through the clouds as he raced toward Japan, where night had already fallen.
Descending from the sky, he turned intangible, phasing through the house and into his lab. He landed softly in the training grounds beneath.
When he arrived, he found the group collapsed on the ground, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.
"What a bunch of lazy bums," Tony said, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Lying on the floor? Do you have any idea how unsanitary that is? How do you guys expect to improve at this rate?"
The group, too exhausted to even glare properly, could only look up at him with tired, half-dead expressions. Words failed them.
"Tony," Tooru muttered weakly, crawling toward him and grabbing his foot. "Please… politely… shut up."
Tony grinned. "Now that I see you all like this, I feel like using my latest creation for its intended purpose. Friday, call Baymax."
The eyes of everyone who knew Baymax lit up instantly, and when the inflatable robot waddled in, soft cries of joy escaped their lips.
"Hello," Baymax said in his usual calm tone, waving. "I'm Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."
Baymax moved around the training room, tending to each of them. Even Bakugo's injuries, sustained during his sparring, were patched up. He grumbled a quiet "Thanks," barely audible.
Soon enough, everyone had recovered, changed into their regular clothes, and prepared to head home. Tony and Melissa had arranged for vehicles to pick everyone up—courtesy of Tony, of course.
They all expressed their thanks and gratitude for being allowed to use the training facility.
Momo began walking to join the others, but a hand gently caught hers, halting her steps.
She turned to see Tony looking directly into her eyes. His voice, low and authoritative, carried a weight that immediately caught her attention.
"Stay over… don't go home just yet."
Momo and Melissa both froze, eyes widening in surprise at Tony's unexpected request. Momo's cheeks flushed from the firm grip and the commanding tone in his voice. Her legs felt slightly weak, but she gave a small nod, flustered and embarrassed. Tony then closed the door behind everyone else, effectively locking Momo and Melissa in with him.
The two girls exchanged glances, silently seeking reassurance from one another, clearly unprepared for what was about to unfold.
"Sit down," Tony said, gesturing toward the white couches and sofas. "We need to talk."
His tone was calm, but there was an intensity in it that made the air feel heavier. As Tony sat down, leaning forward with his arms resting on his thighs and fingers laced together, the sight was intimidating.
Momo and Melissa walked over from opposite sides and sat beside each other on the couch facing him.
"W-What did you want to talk about?" Momo asked nervously, feeling a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Tony's serious expression was hard to read and didn't offer much comfort.
Tony let out a breath and briefly closed his eyes as if collecting his thoughts. "I was… lost, in a way. I didn't know how to respond properly. So I sought some advice. And surprisingly, it helped. It gave me a new perspective on everything."
He rubbed the back of his head, a bit awkward and clearly uncomfortable with how vulnerable he was being.
Melissa's face lit up with hope. "Does that mean…"
Before she could finish, Tony raised a hand and shook his head, stopping her mid-thought. Both girls froze.
"I'm still undecided," Tony admitted. "So I can't give a definite answer yet. But… I'm not shutting the door on the idea either."
He turned his gaze to Momo, making her sit a little straighter.
"So here's what we're going to do," he continued. "One date. This weekend. Just you and me, Momo. Think of it as a trial run. I want to see if there's something real here—something worth pursuing. If it goes well, we'll all sit down and have a serious discussion about how this relationship could work… and what it would look like."
"And if it doesn't?" Momo asked quietly, unsure.
"Then we drop it. No more pushing, no more awkward tension. And I'd prefer not to talk about it again—at least not directly with me." He sighed. "This is the most I'm willing to compromise."
Momo looked down for a moment, then shook her head. "Tony… you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't want to force you into something you're uncomfortable with. Honestly, hearing you say no would hurt less than thinking you're only doing this out of obligation."
Tony chuckled softly and shook his head. "Momo, if I didn't want to do this, you and Melissa could try all you wanted—it wouldn't have made a difference. I would've shut this whole thing down a long time ago. There's a reason I'm even entertaining the idea."
"You mean…" Momo's voice was barely above a whisper. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched Tony flash her what she swore was a charming grin.
"I care about you, Momo," he said. "Honestly, any guy would be lucky to date you. This date… it's to see if I might be that lucky guy."
Her face turned crimson as a shy smile tugged at her lips. Melissa, watching the scene unfold, quietly giggled to herself.
"So… it's a date?" Tony asked, his tone gentler now.
"It's a… date," Momo replied, her voice soft but clear enough for him to hear.
"Cool. Would you be available this weekend like I said?"
"I'm fine with that," Momo said, quickly turning her face away to hide her blush.
Melissa continued giggling to herself, already imagining how this was going to play out.
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