She must have been drunk. It was the only explanation for it. Howard watched as his daughter sank down in the couch cushions, curling right into his lap with the softest noise and simply stayed there. He stared, befuddled really, newspaper in hand, his paranoia trying to convince him that something was wrong, that he had to get up, leave, flee! Except no. He had more control than that. With a slow exhale he resettled into reading the paper, desperate to ignore her or at least so she wouldn’t wake. He didn’t want to disturb her sleep. If she’d been drinking then rest would be the best solution for the moment.
For once, Toni’s dreams were pleasant. and when she finally awoke, she didn’t want to move. Before her spontaneous power nap she hadn’t slept for nearly forty-eight hours. Slightly drunk and running on fumes, her body all but shut down at the first sign of a safe place to rest. Yawning, Toni opened her eyes and froze. The younger Stark had to fight the urge to bolt and hide in her lab. She had to wonder how Howard had allowed any scrap of physical affection. And why he would have allowed her to remain on top of him. Nervously, she bit the bullet and pushed herself up. “Morning Dad. When did you get up?”
