Not Your Average Iron Lad

The name is Nathaniel Richards, uh, not really much else to say. I build stuff? Nooo now I just sound like I'm ripping off Tony Stark. Well anyway, I do build stuff and Mr. Stark's an inspiration to me. Iron Man's taken so I'll just have to be Iron Lad I guess.

[likeastinger]

New Year

[likeastinger]

You hog me, you know.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Well it's not my fault that people are too slow in jumping at the chance to hang out with you.

[likeastinger]

New Year

And yet the same unending schedule, even during break.

Someone give me something non-sciencey to do, please.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Come play video games with me?

[sonoftheconqueror]

Why am I so exhausted recently...

I feel like I've just run a hundred thousand laps around a football field.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Text - Cassie & Nate

Cassie: I'm coming! I just. You're actually the best.

Cassie: Nathaniel Richards are you hitting on me with that winky face?! MY GOOD GOLLY GOSH! :P

Nate: Oh shush.

Nate: I'll be here! Be careful out there!

[sonoftheconqueror]

Text - Cassie & Nate

Cassie: This is good crying.

Cassie: I'll come to you I have a bunch of gifts to leave at people's doors but

Cassie: HOW

Nate: Oh. Okay..... Still gonna set out the cookies and brownies.

Nate: How? Well hurry up and come find out ;)

Nate: ...ignore the creepy winky face timing. wtf phone.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Text - Cassie & Nate

Cassie: They're

Cassie: Nate it's just like

Cassie: I can't believe this I'm actually crying where are you oh my god.

Nate: On my way.

Nate: Bringing chocolate chip cookies and brownies.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Left at Cassie's door, there are two packages. One is long and has a red, black, and silver suit in the style of her father's Ant-Man suit. The note on it says "I made this for you because I know there are still times you have trouble regulating your powers. Also, I thought that since I had a suit you should have one too! Gave it a camo mode so you can wear clothes over it and no one will notice the suit underneath. Merry Christmas Cassie! Love, Nate".

The second package is large and square. It's the heaviest out of the two but only by a little, and the note on top says, "To top it off (you'll get the pun in a moment) wear this and your suit will be complete. This was that project I was working on for your christmas present. I hope you like it! Love, Nate" Inside the box is a silver and black helmet akin to the one her father uses. It's much more slender and less chunky, designed also to fit her head and not make her look like a walking bobblehead whilst wearing it.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Surprise Cuddler|| Cassie & Nate

[likeastinger]

"Had you been up here we would have!" she let out a giggle and turned to look up at him, "We’d have some kind of super hi-tech blanket fort or something, are you kidding?" she couldn’t help but grin up at Nate, feeling her problems slowly fade into the background. Very few people could manage do make her do that, but Nate was a natural at it. She gave him a grin as he brushed hair out of her face, a light chill going down her spine, "Your hands are perfectly dainty, don’t you worry," she teased, "But this is awfully comfy, you know," she gave his middle a light squeeze, "I guess I might be willing to get up long enough to put in a movie. Maybe."

[sonoftheconqueror]

"Hmmm, I'll have to look into making one now that you've inspired me." He chuckled, "Well hey. I could put in a movie, I'm not planning on leaving till your tired of me." Nate winked, a big smile on his face. "Buuuuut if you don't want me to move and YOU don't want to move, we'll just have to see if there are any movie streamings we could put on the tv. I forgot? Do you have Netflix? Or did you go with Amazon Prime?" He asked. The only fault in that plan is that the remote for the television was on the dvd stand.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Surprise Cuddler|| Cassie & Nate

[likeastinger]

Cassie let herself be pulled into the hug, burying her face into Nate’s chest to seek comfort. A huge part of her already let relief fall out in waves that he wasn’t upset. When he pulled her back she looked up at him, listening to him, and trying to convince herself that he was right. Still, images plagues her mind. She knew very well how hard revenge was to overcome„ though Nate’s reassurance did help to ease her mind. She leaned inter his hand a bit, a small smile making its way onto her face, growing a fraction when he leaned down to kiss her.

She once more wrapped her arms around his middle, now resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a sigh, “I know. I plan to. I just… it all scares me. Natasha isn’t exactly the nicest person. Hell, she showed that to me last summer. And revenge is really powerful…” she shook her head against his shoulder, “I just want my Kate back. The one that would come over and make cookies and build forts and… and now I sound like a middle schooler,” she chuckled to herself softly.

[sonoftheconqueror]

"You're right. Revenge is powerful, finding the strength to rise above it is not an easy thing to do. Kate won't be alone though, you and I will make sure of that." Nate said. When she leaned on his shoulder he couldn't help but get some butterflies in his stomach, she'd always have that affect on him. "You used to build forts and you didn't invite me?" He faked a pout which shortly turned into a grin. "Hey, we'll get her back, I know we will. In the meantime, if you want to make cookies and put in a movie or just do, stuff, I'm up for it. Though my hands aren't as dainty as Kate's I'm sure." Nate looked down at Cassie and brushed some hair out of her face.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Surprise Cuddler|| Cassie & Nate

[likeastinger]

Cassie gazed up at him and smiled weakly before gazing back down at her cup, not bothering to drink with her nerves fluttering as they were. She sat there silent for a few moments, debating on how to begin before just shooting into an explanation so she wouldn’t chicken out, “I… Okay. A while ago, like around summer ish time, Kate and I got close. Like… a lot closer than we were before. We… kissed. A couple times. And it was kinda obvious something was going on… but she just kinda left it there. I basically sat at her heels like some puppy waiting before a treat for a good few months before I really got the hint— and before you make any conclusions, that’s far from all that I’m upset about. Believe me. I’m over it by now, I really, really am,” she was basically talking to her hot chocolate now, too frightened to actually look at Nate.

"But then… she changed, Nate. She just stopped talking to me for a while, and when she did it would just be short. And then online I saw her talking about hurting people and… fuck Nate, it scared me. It wasn’t the Kate that I knew anymore and I still don’t know what happened, but it’s not the same Kate. And now she just forgets I exist and all she can do is go around threatening to hurt people with Natasha in the name of Clint and I can’t help her and one day she’s going to take it too far and I’m just— I’m not going to be able to bring her back…” she trailed off, now noticing that she’d begun to panic during her speech, tears had formed in her eyes. She angrily rubbed her wrist against them, pushing them away and swallowing hard before speaking shakily, “I distanced myself because she took advantage of me. A lot of people did, I made it easy. And now that I distanced myself, in some attempt to make me stand up for myself, I’ve now driven her into the care of some assassin who sets up camp in hospitals,” she let out an angry sigh, both as the situation and at herself, knowing she couldn’t exactly blame anyone but herself here. That was the most frustrating part about it, that and she was still scared to look Nate in the eye. 

[sonoftheconqueror]

Nate listened intently to every single word she said. He hadn't known just how bad it had been between her and Kate. Now he knew why Cassie was having such a hard time. Growing a backbone and saying enough is enough was one of the toughest things, and Nate knew that from experience. In a way he was proud of her, proud that she was standing up for herself. When she finished speaking he was silent for a few seconds before setting down his cup and pulling Cassie into a big bear hug.

"Kate is... well.. Kate.. She's too good a person in her heart to go and kill in cold blood. That doesn't mean you should blame yourself for what she's chosen to do. She's going to need something to show her that revenge is not worth it and when that time comes?" He leaned back, put a hand on Cassie's cheek and turned her head gently so he could look her in the eyes, "You and I will be there. She may be stuck in the dark but she's still our friend. We protect our friends, we always will." Nate brushed a tear on her face away and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

It didn't matter to him that she and Kate had been intimate, that was in the past. Cassie had moved on from it and he knew she was too good a person to just condemn anyone. When the time came, Cassie, Nate, and Kate would set it right. He truly believed that.

[sonoftheconqueror]

I could never kill someone...

Self defense or otherwise... I just don't have the stomach for it.

[sonoftheconqueror]

So what do you do exactly?

Half the time I blow myself up, the other half I nearly blow myself up yet succeed somehow.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Let's be real, you're the one who created Transformers.

You caught me! I'm actually Primus, the creator of the Transformers, I teleported back in time and hid in a human form to write the 80's cartoon.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Texts || Kate and Nate

Nate: Hey.

Nate: What're your arm measurements?

Nate: From shoulder to tip of the fingers, ect.

Nate: Need to know so I can get your Christmas Present in order.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Surprise Cuddler|| Cassie & Nate

[likeastinger]

Cassie looked up at him, her eyebrows with the slightest crease in between her eyebrows. She let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through her hair, letting the frustration come to the surface like she needed to. Her shoulders sagged down after a shrug and a head shake, “I want to forgive Kate. I really, really do. And a big part of me does forgive her already,” she grabbed a handful of marshmallows, completely covering the top of her drink with them as she spoke, “But so much happened…” her eyes trailed down, unsure if she should go on. She was over Kate in a romantic way, that much she was absolutely sure of, but did she really want to bring up what had happened between them to Nate, especially after her and him had gone down the same road? Did he already know? She knew that she didn’t want to keep anything from him, especially now, “Let’s go sit so you can fill me in on what you already know,” she  avoided his gaze as she led the way out to the couch, nerves fluttering.

[sonoftheconqueror]

When he had gotten to Sky High Nate knew Cassie and Kate's friendship was on shaky ground. So he wanted to know the full story and he'd probably ask Kate for her side so he could piece it all together. Right now Cassie needed him to listen to her and that's exactly what he'd do. He followed her out to the couch and sat down, "I know you two have been having problems, and I would guess that's putting it lightly." He said, "So I don't really know that much. Just tell me what you're comfortable with or whatever needs to come out right now. Don't worry about hurting my feelings or anything, I'm here to listen, not to add emotional input."

[sonoftheconqueror]

What have you built that you were most proud of?

The one that started it all. My Mark 1 armor way back in the basement of my parents house.

Ahhh the memories.

[sonoftheconqueror]

Surprise Cuddler|| Cassie & Nate

[likeastinger]

Cassie took his pack and once more marveled at how his armor came off, and just how it worked in general. It was a pretty amazing thing, like a robot show come to life, not to mention the slight bit of pride that made her want to blush, though she resisted. She took the thermos out of the bag and went to get mugs from her kitchen, pouring the cocoa in each of them. 

The blond couldn’t help zoning out a moment, mind still partly thinking about Kate. She stared down at the cups, hand clenched a bit tighter than reasonable around the thermos. Nate’s words completely passed her by until he walked over to her, at which she snapped out of it and smiled at him, releasing her death grip on the thermos and handing him his mug, “Sorry? I uh.. must have missed that.”

[sonoftheconqueror]

Nate frowned for a few seconds, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hey. I know I came over with hot chocolate and all, but if you need to talk then talk. You know I'll listen." He could see it on her face plain as day, no matter how much she might try to conceal it. If she kept herself bottled up then she'd blow up and he knew from experience the pain self implosion can cause. Nate took the mug she handed him and then opened his backpack again to pull out a bag of marshmallows. Opening the bag he popped about ten marshmallows into his hot chocolate and then held the bag out to Cassie.