OUR BELOVED ASSASSIN // t.s daughter ((1))

25

Last chapter guys! :D

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She leaves Lukas alone, who is now probably packing his stuff to leave this place and to leave her. Back at the Villa, whenever they're going to leave for mission, they'll visit each other before anything bad happens that would mean they're not seeing each other again and would take, at least, a picture together to remember the moment. What else they do to entertain themselves as a Wit-Ass family? Even though they were born with different mothers and fathers but they were all they have to each other.

But it's zero now. Seeing how Lukas looked at her when she's backing S.H.I.E.L.D up, she knew she's lost Lukas. The look in his eyes was like a ghost who is determined to haunt people who caused chaos to him. But he's still Lukas. Hermione can't do anything with that.

In the hallway, she jogs to her lavish hospital that Tony wants her to be put in while she's sick and doesn't have a permanent place to stay. Her eyes are glassy. Some time when her tears want to fall down, she blinks away quickly, doesn't want anyone to see it. She's not afraid of crying, but not somewhere in public. It's her pride as an assassin to not cry but that's only the invalid rule people see from the outside. From the inside, you can say Hermione cries almost every night, thinking about her life.

Mucus inside her nose prevents her from breathing through nose. It's hard to breathe through mouth but it's pretty much the only alternative way to breathe when your nose is blocked. While wiping the end of her eyes, Hermione opens the door and enters her hospital room. Besides that it is bright, the room's not empty.

Hermione gasps. She almost fell as she stumbles back when she sees a figure of her father sitting at the his chair beside her bed with a book in his hand. His back is facing her, the calf of his one leg in on top of the other.

Upon hearing Hermione's voice, Tony looks up and turns to his back. A small smile greets the end of his lips.

"Helen," he pronounces. "Sorry to scare you." He stands up and faces his daughter with his book still in his hand. "I thought you were done taking a tour of the building so I came here and bring your lunch. But when you weren't here I thought I'll just wait for you and read a book."

Tony looks so excited. While Hermione keeps her mouth shut -- and still standing at the door because she doesn't know what to do -- Tony continues.

He lifts up the book and shows Hermione the cover. "Harry Potter. Your favourite book. Remember?" He beams.

Hermione looks at Tony in disbelief. Did he really remember?

After a while staring at her smiling father and her favourite book back and forth without saying anything, Hermione suddenly takes a sharp breath as if she's shot up from her dream.

She was embarrassed. While looking down, she quickly heads towards the washroom. She hears Tony repeatedly calling for her but she ignores him. She could admit that she needs Tony with her now but for a second, she needs her time to calm herself while considering if it's the time to show Tony that she finally accepts him.

A few quiet knocks can be heard while Hermione turns water faucet to wash her face. Tony's voice muffled behind the wooden door, still calling for her in concern and asking if she's okay. She knows that she was used to straight away run into her parents while crying to tell about her bad day at school or anywhere. But that was then. She's 18 now, she has her own privacy.

She's annoyed with Tony's effort to make her open up what happened. But she stays calm. A moment later, Hermione opens the door, only to meet Tony leaning against the door frame. She stops right there, looking down with new emotion and speaks.

"Fury offered me to be S.H.I.E.L.D agent," Hermione tells her father. Her voice doesn't trace any emotion.

Tony proudly smiles. "That's cool!" For a second, he thought he wants to open his arms and hug Hermione tightly to celebrate it. But seeing how Hermione barely reacts to it, he held back. "What did you say?"

Hermione shrugs before stepping towards her bed and climbs in. "What do you think?" she asks, again in a flat tone. She wants the discussion to be as normal yet she finds it tough to do it.

At least for now.

Tony smiles wider, seeing how Hermione still wants his opinion. "I think you should say yes. I mean, we have everything we wanted here. And we kill people, too."

Hermione huffs. "I said yes," she mutters, keeping her eyes down.

Tony finds himself grinning by now. He feels as if he's falling in love once again judging by how his heart flutters with the answer Hermione gave. He feels so happy and proud and... he doesn't know how to explain them. But he feels something. Something that's too precious to describe by words.

Hermione pushes herself deeper into her bed, pulling the sheets up close to her chin and cuddles. The fluffiness of the pillows makes her sighs in relief. She wished she could live like this for ever.

Seeing that Hermione looks like she wants her time alone, Tony decides to leave. Although he's reluctant to leave Hermione alone especially with her vulnerable state, but she wants a space for her time alone. He wants to be there but she's a grown-up -- Oh, how unbelievable his daughter is a grown-up. She can handle herself.

Sighing, Tony turns, knowing Hermione won't answer any of his questions if he wants to ask. The door slides open and he was one step to exit the room when he hears Hermione calling him.

"Dad?" Her voice was so soft and heart-melting.

A big smile plastered on his face as he turns back to Hermione. "Yes, honey."

Hermione's eyes by now aren't just watering but flowing down her cheeks like waterfall. "Can I hug you?"

In a blink of an eye, Tony approaches his daughter and brings her close to him.

--- THE END ---