The Joy of Love/The Pain of Loss (May 1988)

Tony Stark and Isabella Corsetti were the most talked about couple at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, a university preparatory school for academic excellence. Both Tony and Isabella had been boarded there since 9th grade and had met during their first week there. During their first two years at the school they had remained close friends, but during their third year their relationship had become much more romantic when Tony had realized that another student by the name of John Wesson had asked her out on a date. Tony had begun sending bouquets of roses to her room and slipping romantic notes into her books for her to discover during her classes. From that moment on they only had eyes for each other.

Isabella Corsetti was from a prominent Italian family in New York. Both of her parents were highly skilled surgeons and when they realized how intelligent Isabella was they decided to send her to Phillips Academy to ensure she received the best education there was. Isabella was driven, stubborn, and an extremely hard worker and natural leader. She was also extremely beautiful and cared for those closest to her. When she met Tony she could tell he needed someone he could trust and someone that would be there for him. He was not close with his father, but when he met her father the two hit it off. Isabella's parents liked Tony and they could see how much the couple cared for each other.

Isabella was intelligent, but Tony was a genius. She had never met anyone as smart as he was. His mind worked in ways she simply could not understand. He was so smart in fact that he was already taking MIT classes while still at Phillips Academy. Isabella often worried that he was not getting enough sleep or taking care of himself, but he always assured her that he was fine.

The date of their graduation from Phillips Academy was rapidly approaching. With it was a sense of excitement at what was to come next...but in Isabella's heart she knew that she and Tony would be separated. She tried not to think about it, but when the letter came that day she knew that everything she knew was coming to an end.

She and Tony liked to go out to one of the sporting fields at night. They would bring a blanket and lie there together looking up at the stars. Normally, they were happy and relaxed...but tonight unspoken words hung in the warm air. Isabella reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter and handed it to Tony. It had always been Isabella's dream to work for the CIA and now that dream was starting to come true.

"This came today. I...I got accepted into the training program."

Boarding school for Tony was more or less a vacation for him. He had always had a strained relationship with his father. And here at school he was one of the most popular and gifted students Phillips Academy had ever had. Girls were always interested in Tony Stark. Practically as soon as he stepped foot in the Academy. Tony really didn’t begin to notice them until his Sophomore year and besides Isabella Corsetti, he had never had a girl as a regular friend.

It wasn’t until their junior year when the boys began to notice Isabella did Tony finally go after her romantically. He didn’t like the thought of her being with anyone else and so he showered her with flowers and gifts and romantic gestures. Anything and everything his genius mind could think up to keep her interested in him. He wasn’t certain if it was love that he felt for Isabella but they spent their first time together out in the middle of the soccer field.

After that neither of them could keep their hands off one another. Any excuse to be alone they took Tony could never seem to get enough of her. So came their Senior year. He had had plans for them. Tony had already patented over 2 dozen inventions and companies were clamoring to get their hands on them. Just one of them, if he sold them would have made him a millionaire.

Tony never liked to look too far ahead into the future. And he had made assumptions. Isabella would come with him to New York. He had known about her interest in working for the government but he knew he could sway her wide from that. He could only see her becoming annoyed and disenchanted with that path as he did not much like or trust the government in any capacity.

They had arranged for another evening, possibly their last, out on the field. It was dark save for a small battery powered lantern he set between them. They had made a small picnic and they sat together close to one another as he girded up his courage to ask her to come with him. But before he could ask her she set an official white envelope into his hands. He read the correspondence quickly. He nodded as he read it then folded it back up and handed it back. He could see by how thrilled she was that it was what she wanted.

Tony looked out over the field and smiled. “Well, you’re not going to go, I thought we talked about you coming to New York with me. I’ve got plans for us, big plans,” he said cryptically. He knew neither of them was ready for marriage, he wasn’t ready to take that step but he’d take it if he had to to keep her. He loved Isabella, he had told her that several times.

Isabella loved Tony and she had known him long enough to know how he could be. Even so, having him simply tell her that she wasn’t going to go upset her a little.

“Tony,” she began gently, “I need to do something for myself. My entire life has been planned for me up until now and I need to take this opportunity. I want us to be together, but I need to do this first. Can you understand that?”

Tony looked at her and felt the moment fracturing between them. He didn't want her to go. Didn't she know how the government operated? How could she not see it?

"Isabella, We've both joked about how incompetent our government is. How they operate. You'll never really fit in there. You have morals and you're a woman with a brain. They'll chew you up and spit you back out again," he said then shifted onto his hip and put his hand on her arm.

"Babe, we don't have to play by their rules. We can be together and create something different for this world," He said. He had that bright look in his eyes as if he could see it all laid out before him. "I can't do it without you. I need you Isabella, I need you with me," he said as he leaned up and kissed her gently on the lips.

Isabella knew that the government wasn't perfect, but she thought that perhaps she could be apart of a wave of change that she hoped was coming. Getting into the training program for the CIA as a woman was incredibly difficult, but she had done it. Tony's words about her not ever fitting in stung and only made her decision that much more difficult. She looked away from him, but he gently turned her head back to look into his eyes. His lips upon her own almost broke her resolve. She loved Tony...she could see herself marrying him one day, but she knew if that she went with him now that she would never be able to have a life and identity for herself. Everything would be tied to Tony Stark. She couldn't do that to herself...not after all of her years of wanting something more.

She slowly pulled back from the kiss and looked into his eyes. Unshed tears shimmered in her own. "I"m sorry Tony, but even if I fail...even if everything is as you say it will be...I need to do this. I need to be the one to make that mistake. I need to be my own woman, if only for a few years. I love you so much Tony. This is not an easy decision for me to make...please know that."

In that moment Tony knew. He had been so close! He knew he had. He knew how things like this ended. They’d likely never seen one another again. And he didn’t understand why sacrificing what they had was worth this to her? The thought made the ache in his heart turn to anger.

“So then there is no us in your future. How did I not see that?” He asked himself out loud. “The CIA is a career Isabella. There is no US in that,” he said sharply then looked away. “I can’t believe how selfish you are,” he said in a half chuckle. At least he would have included her in his future.

Tony's words were like a slap in the face for her. This was not how she had intended this conversation to go. She struggled to find words to say in response.

"I never said that there was no us in my future Tony. I want there to be an us. I just need to get through my training first. I was never intending for this to be a permanent goodbye. Just a temporary one. You say I'm being selfish, but you wanted my future to revolve around you and what you need and want. I've always been supportive of you Tony and everything that you have ever done. So why can't you be supportive of me?"

Tony felt his anger rising and there was little he could do to stop it. He did tend to consider the world as revolving around him but that was just who he was and how he operated. This was nothing new. Tony stood.

“Well then I’ll make it easy for you Isabella. “You go do what you need to do and there is no us. How’s that? You can do whatever you want. Your world won’t revolve around me!” He said then fumbled for his neck. He ripped free the necklace she had given him as a gift and tossed it down on the blanket before her.

“There, you can be whoever you want now. No me holding you back! You can be whomever you want, fuck whoever you want…” he said angrily.

Isabella's eyes widened in shock as Tony stood up and began to speak angrily towards her. His words cut deeper, but what cut even deeper was watching him rip off the necklace she had given him as a gift and toss it down in front of her. That was the equivalent of him reaching into her chest and ripping out her heart. This was not how she had intended this conversation to go. This was not how she wanted things to end between them. For four years they had been friends and had trusted one another. They had stayed up late telling each other their deepest secrets and fears and had built a love between them that Isabella had thought would last. She was losing not just the man she loved, but her best friend.

Isabella had no more words. There was nothing she could say. She didn't want to hurt Tony. She could no longer hold back the tears that had been threatening to fall. She simply hung her head and cried into her hands as her heart broke into a million pieces.

“I’m going places sweetheart, with or without you. And look at the bright side, at least your world won’t revolve around me. What are you crying for!? You’ll need those tears where your going,” he said. “Your upset over the necklace? Keep it as a trophy not that our love seemed to be worth much to you. Bye Isabella,” Tony said and then stalked off into the darkness.