Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You questioned not just your existence in this one moment, but also your choice of being an atheist.

It’d be really good to have something to pray to.

You didn’t have a temper – it wasn’t really in you to get mad. After all, anger in your family had only ever brought a stupid amount of pain, so suppressing it had meant safety and safety had meant getting a somewhat decent sleep.

But you had seen red when you had glimpsed an email outlying the reasons your friend’s career was going to be flushed down the toilet and, as it was in typical corporate bullshit, it was because they saw no money making to be had through your team’s meager stretch into the AI world.

It was so easy to get up to the tallest level of the tower, even with the security protocols in place. You didn’t have a plan in mind, not really, but you knew you needed an audience with the people that spent so little time seeing the actual labs. You weren’t sure if you were going to yell at them or beg them, but something had to be done.

And, still running on adrenaline and a ridiculous amount of fury, you had barely felt yourself move forward towards the doors of Pepper Pott’s private office, where you could hear two voices talking lowly to each other.

“Miss Potts!” You yelled, and you realized that begging was the way this was going to go, “Miss Potts!”

And, without waiting for her to answer, you slammed open her door. Your eyes zeroed in on her petite frame, taking in her wide eyes and slack jaw with just a hint of misplaced pride on your part. She was way beyond you, her red hair absolutely gorgeous and her blue eyes stunning, but her physical attributes didn’t stop your small dive into insanity.

“Miss Potts,” you said again, your head fuzzy, “the AI division of this company has worked months on- I just saw the email – an email, of all things – and I just can’t let – It’s not even my work and I’m telling you right now that they’re doing things that will change the world and-”

“Who are you?” Miss Potts said, “How did you even get in here?”

“I’m nobody!” You said, hands up in a peaceful manner, surprised to find that she looked genuinely worried, “Seriously, I just… I’ve worked here for two years and I just can’t – please don’t shut down any division. I understand that it’s millions of dollars you’re putting into the medical side of Stark Industries and I know last quarter has been rough, but we can save-”

“I want her.”

You jumped so high that you were convinced your head hit the ten foot ceiling. You hadn’t realized, conceptually, that someone else was in the room with you. You heard the voices, but you simply had not cared.

And now, with Anthony Edward Stark looking at you, limbs lazily draped over a small couch, you wondered if this was where you were meant to be buried. He was handsome, even more so in person, and you felt your brain short circuit when you realized you had interrupted not just your boss, but the boss of your boss’s boss.

“No,” Miss Potts said, looking at thee Tony Stark with a glare of all things, and then turned that very same glare to you, “And I’ll ask again, before Happy finds us, how did you get in here?”

You felt frozen, “I… The security… It’s a AES 489 encryption with an asymmetric key-  Keys, actually, which is amazing. And-”

Tony Stark jumped up from the couch as if he had the energy of a ten-year-old boy – all bounce and dramatic movements. He clapped once and pointed at you, a finger wagging as if you were a dog.

“So you turned off MFT locally? Leaving a trail?”

You scoffed, almost offended even in the face of your last day on earth, “I wasn’t going after corporate secrets, I just wanted access to the top offices. So I leveraged a side-channel with my own network scanner, looking for open ports. Yes, I had to be on the inside to scan the LAN, but I’m not actually a hacker.”

“What ports?” He asked, genuinely interested, “I haven’t left any open. And-”

“An RDP port is open,” you interrupted, like an idiot, “it’s been open. Your chief network security officer likes to work from home. By the way, I can easily SSH into your APs and change the SSIDs… And other nefarious things. Mostly harmless, but even a hidden network is a security problem.”

He was pulling something up on his… Phone. More sophisticated than a phone, but certainly something resembling it only – this time your mouth fell open – it was actually a hologram that he was manipulating without the use of external peripherals and you were madly jealous.

“Shit,” he said and, with a wave of his hand that revealed a watch worth more than your salary, he gestured for you to come over, “port 3389 is wide open…”

You pointed at the screen, “and pinging. I’m guessing someone isn’t in today.”

“JARVIS, scan the internal LAN. I don’t like messes and this, this is messy. It’s ugly. I want it fixed.”

“Of course, sir.”

Who the hell was that? Was that someone on the phone with him?

“Security, JARVIS, paramount,” He continued, “speaking of, security breach person…”

Your head was going to implode. Explode? Something violent, you were sure.

“I’d also check the email servers, for fun,” you muttered dully, “and get every single person off the WiFi until you get their MAC addresses. Oh, and the security cameras not being segmented on a different coax circuit – the fact that we’re working off coax rather than satellite’s is crazy, by the way – any who, the cameras need to segmented away from the data. We’re creating a bottleneck somewhere.”

“You heard the lovely lady,” Mr. Stark said, “get it done. ASAP. Quicker than ASAP. I wanted it done yesterday, because I already knew everything she’s saying.”

“Of course you had, sir. I have the utmost faith in you and your genius at all times.”

JARVIS was a flippin’ AI and Stark Industries wanted to ditch the AI medical division? What the actual flying fuck was that about?

Miss Potts said your full name, something even you haven’t heard in a while, and you realized that her silence wasn’t out of respect for Tony Stark working but rather her doing her own work. You flushed a brilliant shade of red, feeling rather stupid in front of two giants.

“You have a certificate in marketing?” Miss Potts questioned, looking skeptical, “we hired you as a sales consultant for our retail side of things.”

“Look at that,” Mr. Stark said, looking at what you realized was both your resume and your quarterly review, “not a tech degree in sight. What are you, a sleeper agent?”

“Me?” You said, unable to stop the nervous giggle, “I’m not -the whole network thing – I’ve always liked – I’m just…” You huffed out a breath, “I’m good with technology but better with people. So I got a degree in marketing and figured I could sell my hobby.”

“And yet you’re selling our mobile phones?” Miss Potts said, now looking at you fully, “that’s-”

“A waste of genius,” Mr. Stark said, “promote her. Save whatever division she was babbling about. Hey, agent, how’d you feel about being a PA? My PA. I’m in the market for one.”

“Oh my god, Tony, don’t say it like that. You’re a walking HR disaster, I swear.”

Your eyes went left and right, looking a Miss Potts with more than a little hesitation, “I’m sorry, Miss Potts, but I thought you were Mr. Stark’s PA?”

“I’ve resigned,” Miss Potts said, and her hands went out to gesture around what you now realized was a very empty looking office, “for a while. Need to take care of my family.”

“She’s leaving me, agent,” Mr. Stark moaned, sitting down on Miss Pott’s desk, where she immediately tried to shoo him off, “and you’re the most interesting thing to walk through this door since ’97… I mean, look at those legs.”

“Look anymore and it’ll be more than an HR disaster on our hands,” you said drily, because no one was allowed to look at you like that, boss or not. You were tough as nails being the eldest daughter and you’d be damned to let any man treat you like a piece of meat.

Tony clapped, “you’re great. Come on, say yes. My lab is Candyland. You can do my boring paperwork while looking upon my genius in action. Pepper hates my lab, I’ll convert you quickly.”

You think your right eye was twitching. It had never done that before. Perhaps you were having a stroke, or a hallucination, or security had found you and had murdered you in the hallway and this was your new hell.

“I…” You shook your head, “don’t know how to be a PA.”

“Pepper will teach you,” He said quickly, “She’s here for a whole month before she leaves me.”

“I like my job,” you mumbled dumbly.

“So did I,” Miss Potts lamented, “So did I.”

“You don’t even know me,” you told him, as if you were trying to convince him not to hire you, “I could be late every day, or tell company secrets, or-”

“Relax, agent,” Mr. Stark said, “I’ve just read your file. You’re stupid perfect – do you even get sick? Two years here and not even one PTO day taken. And don’t get me started on that very passionate, poorly worded save the world speech you just gave. You have fire, I need that.”

Did Tony Stark just give you an actual compliment? What was today?

“Also,” Miss Potts added, “triple your salary.”

You’d finally pay off your medical bills.

“Okay,” you said, knowing it was insane, “I can try?”

“Jeez, said with the confidence of a middle schooler,” Stark joked, picking up his jacket from the couch as casually as someone like Tony Stark could, “Pep, train your Padawan well. Agent, see you tomorrow at seven… Ish.”

And then he was off, walking – no, sashaying out the door as if this was an everyday occurrence. As if your entire life just hadn’t changed. As if you hadn’t just changed careers drastically. As if-

“You’re stuck with agent for the rest of your life,” Miss Potts said, “I’m Pepper, by the way. And you would like to be called…?”

“Uh,” you said intelligently, “I think the right answer is agent, right?”

Pepper smirked, “rule number one, never let him push you around.”

But you hadn’t offered your usual nickname, despite her insistence. You had a very funny feeling you wouldn’t be hearing it for a while. Maybe, a new start was exactly what you needed.

“Oh, agent,” Pepper joked, “your AI division now has a hefty donation towards it. We’re not exactly big on the medical side of things, but Tony’s whims are a mystery even to me.”

You too.

You were really considering a new religion at this point.

You collected your crap quickly, your little sliver of a cubical cleaned out in under five minutes. You had friends here, sure, but by the time you had managed to sign all of the paperwork Pepper had, it had already been past working hours. The only ones left were the psychopaths on some sort of breakthrough.

You’d have to text them. That was the highlight of your life, after all, saying goodbye through half-baked text messages and little to nothing explanations.

When you got home with a stack of pages tucked carefully under your arm, your apartment greeted you with the usual plethora of problems – a broken lock, a blinking light in the kitchen, and a sink that was only kind of draining.

It was insane to think that you’d soon be able to afford what was likely a small mansion. You had never cared about money, not really, all you ever wanted was to not care about bills every second of every day. Your parents had enforced the importance of money on you young and, despite telling your friends that you never really cared, a part of you never wanted to have debt.

When you placed the stack of what you were calling your blood contract on your small kitchen table, you realized that something wasn’t quite right. You hadn’t gotten the mail, yet sitting neatly right in the middle of the table was a small package.

Maybe you were losing your mind, staring at the box as if it would suddenly grow legs. Had you gotten the mail and simply forgotten? You had a stressful day, that had to be it.

Then, it buzzed.

You screamed, throwing yourself backwards into the corner of your kitchen stove. You grunted at that, surprised by the pain, and watched in stunned silence as the box continued to buzz.

Was it.,. Was that a ringtone?

You hurriedly grabbed at the box, ripping it open with a few curse words and a lot of teeth, because scissors would take too long to find. When you had finally gotten your hand wrapped around the object, you realized exactly what had happened.

“Mr. Stark,” you asked, “how’d you-”

“Expect the unexpected, agent,” He answered, “besides, I wasn’t waiting until tomorrow for you to figure this out. We have things to do. Well, I have things to do, which means you have things to do. You’ll see.”

The man oozed confidence. It was unpredictable. You were good at reading people, you had to be ever since taking a sales job, but Tony Stark was an enigma that confused you the more you interacted with him.

“Mr. Stark, I…”

You had no idea what to say. You couldn’t exactly say thank you yet, you didn’t know if this job was going to work out. He had more money than god himself. He invented things that shaped the future. You were small.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, “I’m amazing. Only my special employees get the good phones. See you tomorrow, agent. Address is programmed in.”

And then he hung up, just like that.

You stared down at the phone – the more than phone, considering the extra buttons along the ridges of it… The same one you had seen him wearing in Pepper’s office. He had given you the latest prototype.

You were screwed.

And you stayed up all night testing it out.

It was big.

You had seen pictures of mansions, and driven past a few, and read about the amount of rooms a mansion had, but Tony Stark’s home was nothing like you expected. Or, maybe, it was everything that you expected and yet more unexpected that you were standing in it.

“Guests often come through here,” Pepper was explaining, “Especially… Unwanted ones, ones that I tend to kick of the premises. Don’t worry, you’ll have access through the garage, avoiding all that.”

“Right,” you said, getting Pepper’s hints just barely, “I have to kick people out?”

“You’ll see,” Pepper said then, pausing, “Tony’s reputation is almost exactly what every sleezy network claims.”

“Almost?” You asked dumbly.

She only smiled – a little quirk of her lips, “Let me show you his lab.”

You traversed down thin stairs, following her as if you were off to a super-secret world. For a moment, you wondered if these two very high rolling people were about to abduct you and keep you tied up in a literal basement. The thought, somehow, wasn’t enough to make you run away.

You arrived in the biggest space you had ever seen outside of a concert venue. It housed… It must have housed entire worlds, honestly, considering the cars you could see all the way in the back, the random bit of everything metal closer to you, and the… The holograms. Actual, real life holograms.

And in the middle of it all, conducting an orchestra, was Tony Stark, yelling at things and waving around a screwdriver.

“You’re late,” Pepper called to him, but you could hardly hear her, your eyes locked on everything but the two people in the room.

“If it’s a board of directors meeting, tell ‘em I’m coming up with the next Stark Phone, which sells on average of eight billion a month – as long as my darling sleeper agent approves of the design.”

Your eyes flickered towards Pepper, looking for something on how to continue this conversation properly, but she was lasered focused in on her own phone.

“I…” You swallowed.

You had played with it all night, not getting any sleep at all, and you knew what problems it had. From a sales standpoint, it was a dud for the older generation – fifty and up. Maybe even forty. It was too clumsy for them. From a tech standpoint, Stark Industries had yet to fix its SIM card problems.

You had opinions and they were negative. No one liked to hear negative opinions.

“All or nothing, dear,” Mr. Stark said cheerfully, “I can take a hit.”

“Marketability is low with your motion sensing for the hologram, it’s too unpredictable. Older people can’t handle universal remotes, forget this.”

Mr. Stark looked… Genuinely curious. It gave you a boost of confidence.

“And Stark Industries’ contract with Vodafone is… Unfortunate. Their wireless network is quickly going out of date. If we want to sell the best phone, we have to have the best network. I’m not saying create our own satellites, I’m saying look into new options.”

“We’re talking dead zones,” Mr. Stark said, “has anyone looked into that, Pep?”

Pepper looked up from her own phone, just for a second, “our new military contract just paid out, Tony. We’re not exactly prioritizing public inventions. Speaking of, you’re late… For the secretary of defense lunch.”

That disheartened you. You knew that Stark Industries was a weapons design company, but that didn’t mean that’s all it was. The company had never had only one hand in one basket, it was what made you pursue a job there.

“Oh god, anything but him,” Mr. Stark complained, “agent, put a pin in this conversation. I want more data. Having our own network is something worth looking into, considering cybersecurity now-a-days. Would fix our bottleneck at HQ too.”

You nodded, putting a little tick in your mind. First duty as Tony Stark’s PA, remembering design flaws and planning an entirely new internet infrastructure, no big deal at all.

What the fuck was your new life?

“Lunch, Tony,” Pepper reminded, “oh, agent, here’s Tony’s calendar. Live it and love it, you’ll be reminding him about every single thing since he can’t do it himself.”

“If only you’d let me forget the boring things, Pep. Alright, power down everyone. JARVIS, you get agent’s reaction to all of it?”

“Yes, sir,” You jumped again, entirely distracted by the seemingly very sophisticated AI rather than Mr. Stark recording you.

“Oh, and say hi.”

“Hello, agent. My name is JARVIS. I am sir’s personal AI.”

“Amazing,” you muttered, “so cool. Hi JARVIS, you’re awesome. What else can you do?”

Mr. Stark shushed you dramatically, “can’t tell you all the secrets day one, can I? Come on, new girl, come shepherd me into an utterly horrible lunch date.”

“I’m going to the office,” Pepper said, “I’ve transferred everything to your phone. It’ll take a few days to get used to Tony’s schedule and eccentric behavior. Don’t let him drink this afternoon, we need him ready for the award dinner tonight.”

“Oohh eccentric, huh?” Mr. Stark teased, “eh, I’ve been called worse. Let’s go people, time is my money!”

You looked toward Pepper one last time, feeling just a tad nervous. Terrified. You were terrified. Pepper, you realized quickly, was very easy to talk to. In fact, you had grown fond of her almost immediately.

“Best get a full dose of him now,” Pepper said, walking closer to you as to whisper, “he likes you – you’ve impressed him, something that’s very hard to do. But he’s a handful. Now’s your time to back out if you want to.”

You looked around at the room that was slowly powering down. The things here changed the world and, in the smallest of ways, you get to be a part of it. You didn’t think you’d trade it for the world.

“Thank you, Miss. Potts,” you said, meaning the words, “I’ll learn that calendar while I’m in the car.”

“Don’t bother,” she joked, just a tiny bit, “It’ll be different by the time you make it back to the lab.”

Seeing as Tony Stark was attempting to get into one of the very sleek sports car, another man arguing who you dimly recognized as Mr. Stark’s driver, you knew that plans changed constantly around here.

What’s life without a little chaos?

“So,” Mr. Stark said, “What’s your deal?”

“At this moment,” you said, out of your mind with worry as you dug your fingers into your thigh, holding tightly, “I’m thinking I’m gonna die via your driving.”

Mr. Stark laughed loudly at that, as if he was surprised that you’d comment on how unsafe you felt in this ridiculously fast car, “I’m asking for your life story, agent. Why’d you take the gig? What made you say yes?”

“Mr. Stark,” you said, trying to sound serious, “isn’t that a little personal?”

“Aren’t you my personal assistant?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle, “eccentric and funny, you really are the whole package.”

“So sassy,” he complained, “sassy, smart, beautiful… I’d say you’re the whole package, babe.”

“And that’s called sexual harassment in the workplace,” but you were kidding… Mostly.

You couldn’t get a single read on this strange person. He was roughly your age, you knew, but he seemed to be stuck in the mindset of a teenager. He was arrogant, cocky, unwilling to listen to rules… Pepper hold told you enough about his escapades… By all accounts, you shouldn’t like him.

But you did. You saw something in the way he actually listened to you. No one ever listened to you – you quite literally did your job, went home, and rinse and repeat. You were happy enough with your small apartment and you found comfort in your hobbies.

You trusted him far too quickly, something that was probably going to bite you in the ass sooner rather than later.

“I had shit parents, a shit fiancé, and a boring career,” you told him, “I have no idea what I’m doing here, but at least it’ll pay off stupid medical bills. And… And you really got me with your phone, alright? It’s cool.”

Mr. Stark laughed loudly – near hysterical, “my phone? My phone made you take the job?”

“It’s holograms!” You practically screeched, “You know, Star Trek. I’ve dreamed of stuff like that for ages!”

He was still laughing, “shit, I’ll just show every investor of ours my phone. That’ll get them to give over their money.”

“Probably would!” You teased back, “you should try it with the secretary of defense. Ten bucks if you show him one single hologram he’ll take whatever deal you’re making.”

“Who said anything about a deal?” Mr. Stark questioned, “this is a lunch.”

You looked his way, an eyebrow raising, “alright, if you walk away without a deal of some kind, I’ll give you twenty bucks.”

“I’m a billionaire, I’m allergic to cash with that low of a number.”

“I’m lower middle class,” you said back in the same tone, “I’m seriously debating if I have anything other than mothballs in my wallet.”

This time, Tony’s laughter lasted until you got to this apparent lunch place. He parked quickly, wherever he wanted, which was to say people got out of the way to give him a parking spot.

It was insanity.

You stayed in the car, much to Mr. Stark chagrine (“come on, babe, you could make this fun!”) but you didn’t want to disappoint Pepper. Besides, you would get up in a moment to go to the very modest Starbucks across the street to study up.

And that’s what you did… You followed Tony Stark around, kept him in line, and learned about every single part of Stark Industries until your eyes hurt.

And, if Tony came back with a crisp ten dollar bill, his phone mysteriously missing, you definitely didn’t have a smile on your face the entire way back to the office.

“You’re great at this!”

Pepper seemed genuinely happy with you, something that you had worried about since the moment you met her. She was intimidating in the opposite way Tony was – Pepper was someone you never wanted to disappoint.

“I nearly forgot about that meeting with the board,” you moaned, feeling terrible about it, “if it wasn’t for you-”

“It’s week one,” Pepper said dryly, “my first week, Tony told me I had beautiful boobs while drunk and I slapped him to sober him up. Trust me, you forgetting a board meeting is nothing… They would have called to remind you.”

Your head was still spinning, “I don’t like… Escorting the other girls out of this place.”

Pepper nodded sagely, “comes with the territory. If that’s a line in the sand-”

“It’s not,” you said strongly, “it’s not, I promise. I’m just trying to… Wrap my mind around it.”

Pepper looked unsure, “Tony may be a genius, but he’s also a playboy. Getting drunk, partying… It won’t stop. If you’re uncomfortable…”

Go now.

You weren’t uncomfortable with Tony being an adult. It bugged you, considering your own outlook on sexual things, but it wasn’t a tick mark against the job, it was just something to add. The real problem you were having with it was that it didn’t quite fit into the box you had named Tony Stark.

He was someone you’d never predict… And that was something that terrified you.

“It’s fine,” you swore to her, “and Pepper, if you need to go down to your dad to help out, I get it. I’m by no means ready, but if he needs you…”

“You’re too nice,” Pepper said easily, “don’t worry about me. You have me for a whole three weeks, I’m happy to help.”

“Thank you,” you said, relieved. You didn’t want to keep her from her family, but you had been worried. You would hate yourself if she missed valuable time with him. It was a shame she had to go though, Tony seemed to really trust her.

“Could you attempt to bring breakfast down to him?” Pepper asked, “we have to get him on a flight to-”

“New York! Yup, I got this. He’ll eat this toast if it kills him.”

Your mom had always said that if someone made you something, you ate it. You didn’t think that applied to one Tony Stark, but you’d damn well try.

“Hey, boy-genius,” you shouted as you reached the doors, “I have food.”

“Sweet mother of science, silence your pothole. Unless it’s a cure for a hangover, don’t even think about coming over here. JARVIS, keep agent a safe distance away.”

“JARVIS, tell Tony that a greasy breakfast may help with said hangover.”

“Greasy?” Tony questioned, his head peaking up over the only sofa in this place, “Bacon?”

The word was said in a begging tone and, feeling pity, you decided to play nice. You moved closer to, wowza, the wreck that was a human being named Tony Stark, and handed him the plate.

“Eat, shower, brush teeth,” you said, playing it up, know his pride may just kick in if you teased him enough, “Tony, you stink.”

“Can’t hear you over me salivating over this bacon. This beautiful, stunning piece of rejuvenating meat. JARVIS, I want an all access pass to whatever amount of bacon is acceptable on demand.”

“I’ll let the chef know, sir.”

“We have a chef?” You questioned, wondering if you lost your mind. You hadn’t seen another soul in this place.

“No,” JARVIS answered, “sir has installed a protocol called sarcasm into my programming. Was I incorrect?”

“Tony was wrong for trying to teach you that,” you told him seriously, “don’t try that again until you have a real teacher.”

“Hey, I’m the king of sarcasm! I was born on sarcasm.”

“That doesn’t make sense, which, according to Pepper, means you need a shower. Pepper is about the only one who makes any sense around here, by the way.”

“While I shower, could you take a look at my blueprint? Cross the Ts, dot the Is, that old song and dance?”

Was that something Pepper did? You were getting good at answering the phone calls – scheduling, making people happy, sending Tony to the right locations, that seemed like something a PA would do. Looking over the technology that Tony Stark designed seemed a bit extreme.

But who were you to tell him no?

“Sure,” you said, “I’ll do my best.”

Tony’s groan as he got up from the couch was the only answer, but you were just glad he was getting up. You’d be late for a speech made at a new lab they were opening up, but at least they were one step closer to getting there.

“Hey, JARVIS, would you mind showing me the blueprint Mr. Stark was talking about?”

“Of course, agent. Please find it on the main screen.”

You don’t think you’d ever get used to the holographic table in front of you. You could probably stare at it all week and poke at the images for another month. It was just so cool. But, you had a job to do, and thee Tony Stark asking you to look at something he designed seemed pretty important.

“The Jericho missile?” You asked yourself, head tilting as you looked at it, “that’s a bit on the nose.”

But perhaps that was the point.

You were a network expert slash programmer. Engineering wasn’t exactly in your wheelhouse. But, growing up poor, you’d do what you have to do fix something. A door, a window, a car… You learned how to fix anything through trial and error.

So, you pretended this was a very complicated car part and… Dumbed it down, pulling it apart piece by piece. There was a goal with this missile, something that bugged you, but if there was a goal you knew what the finish line looked like. The faster you got to the finish line, the more you won.

“JARVIS,” you asked after a while, “could you reduce this section by… I dunno… Like, five percent? Does that effect the trajectory?”

“Calculating,” your eyes never left the screen as you looked it over, but you paced back and forth, feeling something in your chest at the idea of fixing this exact problem. You wanted to do right by your boss, by yourself, and it was really driving you crazy that you could possibly do something.

“The simulation is complete, agent. Would you like to see a side-by-side difference?”

“Oh,” you said, oddly surprised that JARVIS could do that, “yes, please. Have I mentioned you’re great?”

“A few times. Thank you.”

With that, he ran the simulation. Your minuscular change had done something, that was for sure. The separate pieces managed to hit a wider scale than the original. Interesting, but the goal wasn’t clear, you realized. Maybe if-

“I’m keeping her.”

You screamed. Seriously, you screamed so loud that you slapped a hand to your mouth, stifling it. You hadn’t heard the… The two of them – both Tony and Pepper, staring at you – and you wondered wildly how long they had been standing there. God, what would they both think?

“She’s not a pet, Tony.”

“I’m so sorry,” you said, “I, uh… I get… Engineering isn’t really… I should probably stick to…”

“Oi, girl genius, keep your cool,” Mr. Stark said, stepping front of the hologram and humming, “JARVIS, next time tell me when I miss the small things. I don’t like looking dumb in front of new people. I’m the smartest in the room, don’t forget that.”

“I will endeavor to do so, sir,” JARVIS said, this time his sarcasm on point, “perhaps agent had simply dotted an I.”

“Perhaps, says he,” Tony said, winking at you, “come on, sleeper agent, you’re gonna explain to me why you thought that would work while Pepper gets me on a private jet.”

“You’ll be meeting James Rhodes, Stark Industries’ military consultant,” Pepper said, handing you… An outfit? “from my closet, since we don’t have time to get your measurements. But it was modified a little by my personal stylist to fit you. You’ll be minding Mr. Stark at the military banquet.”

“I’m going,” you stammered out, your head reeling, “I haven’t-”

“Oohh agent in a dress? Now I’m intrigued.”

That snapped you right out of it.

“One single mention of my legs and I’ll hit you.”

“So your very nice ass is free to discuss?”

Needless to say, it was two women that hit Tony on the arm. It was with a smirk that the man ran away after that, grumbling something about the workforce and the women he surrounded himself with. Honestly, he was a five-year-old.

“He’s got a point, you know,” Pepper muttered to you as you took a peek at the navy blue dress that cost more than your entire apartment complex, “you kind of are a sleeper agent.”

“I’m just…” You shrugged, “good at solving problems.”

Pepper hummed in agreement, “good, that’s what you’ll be doing.”

And then she was leaving with a click of her heels and you… Well, you were following after a Mister Tony Stark, once again wondering what your life had become.

James Rhodes was nice.

No, really! There weren’t many men that had you immediately relaxing, but James had a way of making you feel welcomed. He was obviously a military man but he was also best friends with Tony, which was reflected in them giggling like school girls.

He also greeted you with a firm handshake, kindly echoing your name as if to actually remember it, which you think he really was doing.

“Pepper’s protégé,” he said, “is someone worth knowing.”

“Eh-eh, don’t trust those doe eyes of hers, agent knows more than she lets on.”

James shot Tony a look, “you go around insulting women now, Tones? Really?”

“Ah, no,” you said, feeling a need to defend him, “don’t worry. I let him.”

“She’s a genius hidden in a drop-dead gorgeous body,” Tony said excitedly, as if you were a new toy he had found, “And she found me.”

You knew what you looked like. You weren’t a model, you weren’t a stick figure, and you certainly weren’t the prettiest woman Tony Stark had ever met. You’d taken up cross fit after the whole business with your ex, gained a lot of muscle, and looked like you belonged in some freak shop rather than next to someone as handsome as Tony Stark.

But the jokes, despite being a tad degrading, were almost welcomed in a very my boss is making jokes about me kind of way.

“Did you know that Tony was actually raised outside?” James said, making you smile, “I mean it. I mean, begging on the street, doing anything he had to do to survive… It’s why his manners are shit.”

“Manners, smanners, Rhodes,” Tony said, “come on, don’t we have hands to shake or something. Ugh, someone get me a drink.”

A drink appeared with a puff of smoke. Okay, a waiter had heard him and had immediately rushed to hand him some champagne, which was magic within itself, but you watched a little disbelievingly as the young waiter disappeared a moment later, as if he never existed.

“I’ll go shake hands, you sit the fuck down and not make a scene,” James said with some heat to Tony, then turning to you, “and it was nice to meet you. I hope he’s not too much.”

“Are you seeing General Myers?” You asked, feeling yourself slide back into your professional role, “he’s the last signature we need to get the Jericho Missile preapproved before an actual sit down.”

James’s eyebrow was nearly up to his forehead, “you’ve only been here a week?”

“Mine,” Tony said, and it did not sound like a joke, “she’s mine. Get your military hands off of her. Get! Shoo. Go make money, honey bear.”

“Don’t you make enough of it?”

Tony laughed and then immediately stopped, “no.”

James rolled his eyes, but he was looking at you, “I’ll get that signature, don’t worry.”

“Thank you,” you said, hoping it was the right words, “it really was nice meeting you.”

“You too,”

And then he was gone to mingle with a crowd of people you only really knew from photographs and newspapers. You had never liked going into any situation blind and you had known about this event after looking over Mr. Stark’s calendar. You were new to this world, but you had always adapted fast to things.

Tony turned to look at you, his mouth opening, but someone had cut him off.

“Ah, Tony’s new PA,” a deep voice said.

You turned just enough to get a glimpse of this new person. Obidiah Stane, your mind reminded you, recognizing him immediately. This was someone that Tony held a lot of respect for, which in turn made you read every single thing about him.

Some of it you didn’t like. Some of the interviews hadn’t sat right with you. He seemed very alpha male, very aggressive, and his boisterous sale pitch of Stark Industries’ weapons was almost too much. You just didn’t get a good vibe.

But that meant nothing. You’d trust Mr. Stark’s personal opinion more than your own.

“Hello, Mr. Stane,” you greeted with a polite smile, ignoring the chills you got as he gripped your hand tightly, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“Tony,” he said in a joking tone, “Potts was a spitfire, you’ve gone to the other end of it.”

Tony came next to you, shoulder to shoulder, something you really, really appreciated, “oh trust me, my arm begs to differ.”

You paled, but you pretended to hide it, “I told you, no HR disasters.”

Stane laughed, something obnoxiously loud, and you almost found yourself looking around to make sure others weren’t watching. The venue was stunning, of course, and while you were currently in the lobby, it was hard to miss the eyes on you.

“You’ll fit right in,” Stane said, wagging a finger at you, “keeping Tony inline is a hell of a task, hope you’re up for it.”

“I am,” you said as confidently as you could, “but Mr. Stark is plenty capable of doing his job.”

That felt wrong – as if you were defending your brand-new boss too strongly. Stane was looking at you though in a way that made very little sense, too, which only made the words even more justified. He gave you the creeps, that was the only way to describe it.

“Could I have everyone please find your seating. Once again, could I have everyone please find your seating. Thank you.”

“You sitting with us, old man?” Tony asked Stane and, despite yourself, you felt a rather large amount of relief at Stane denying it, saying he had places to be.

You watched as Stane walked away, needing to make sure he was actually leaving. You felt nervous, almost disgusted for some reason, and you didn’t like that one single man had that power over you.

“Oh yes, thank you, more champagne, how wonderful. Two? Don’t mind if I do, thanks.”

You rolled your eyes.

It was going to be a long night.

James assured you that everything went well – and that he got General Myers on board.

But dragging Tony in a death grip and trying to make it look like he was the leading you towards the car felt like an impossible thing. You wondered how Pepper had done it looking so stunning in the tabloids and felt a rather sharp jealousy. You had an expressive face and you knew your fear was clearly written on it.

“We gotta drive, agent,” Mr. Stark reminded you as you pawed at his jacket to get his keys, “Gotta get… Get Rhodey. He can drive.”

“Nope,” James answered, materializing behind you, “I’ve got a ride. This is your own fault.”

“I’m driving,” You grumbled, “It’s an hour to the jet, right? Off in Jersey?”

James looked uncertain very quickly, “Happy hadn’t come with you? He can’t come get you?”

“And leave the car, Rhodey,” Tony said with a very large trace of horror, “my baby.”

Again, you rolled your eyes. It was a new habit of yours. Mr. Stark seemed to have an entire college degree in Pissing You Off. You knew he meant well most of the time but you were quickly learning that his level of care about most things was very, very low.

“It’s a manual,” James reminded you, as if you didn’t know, “You can drive a manual?”

Your ire came out too quick to put a dampener on it, “I’m a lady and I can drive a manual. Call the news.”

Tony let out a giggle – he seemed to do that a lot when he was drunk, “she told you, honey bear. A feminist after my own heart.”

You opened the passenger door for him, because he missed three times, and practically body slammed him into the small sports car, currently unnamed until someone actually released the model. Money could buy you anything, apparently.

“My father was a mechanic,” you told Rhodey, trying to make up for your tone, “I got this, don’t worry. Sorry, didn’t mean to-”

“Pepper’s chewed my ear off too,” James said, opening the door for you, a slurring Tony rambling about something just hitting your ears. It’d be a long night back to the jet, and an even longer one on the jet. You were so thankful Pepper was still handling the business side of things.

You climbed in delicately, kicking off your heels as you did so. You really weren’t worried about driving this beautiful million-dollar car – if you thought about it, you were actually excited. It was very pretty… And fast.

“I’ll call you later,” James said, as if it was a forethought, “just to make sure you got there alright.”

“He cares!” Tony said, his head bobbing, “Rhodey-bear cares. So cute.”

“Not for you, that’s for sure,” James said, watching as you started the car and adjusted the seat, “seriously, shoot me a message.”

“Will do,” you said, making sure to add it into your schedule, “it was nice meeting you.”

“Mine!” Tony said, confusing you, “my PA. My agent.”

“HR territory, Mr. Stark,” You said, giving James one last smile, “continue that and I’ll have to be team Rhodes, won’t I?”

James shook his head, “you fit right in here. It was great to meet you.”

And then he closed the door for you, like a gentlemen, and you were alone with a drunk boss in a very expensive car in a dress that wasn’t even yours. A week ago you were selling the normal kind of cell phones, with coworkers that had their own little personal problems. You had considered getting a cat or a dog, that was gone.

Things happened so fast.

“It’s in neutral. Not gonna go anywhere in neutral.”

“Mr. Stark,” You said, revving the engine.

He hummed a happy note.

“This is revenge for all the times you’ve driven me this week.”

And you gunned it, speeding out of the parking lot as if something was chasing you.

He screamed and put his hands to the roof the car– and then yelled in pure joy as you rushed down New York State backroads. He even opened the windows, his head sticking out like a dog. How he didn’t puke, you didn’t know, but you laughed as you went down the winding roads.

Music came next, watching him fumble as he tuned the radio to, of course, classic rock… And the two of you sang your lungs out, having the time of your life.

“Agent,” Mr. Stark said in between a commercial, while you had slowed down to a reasonable legal speed, “that was fucking awesome.”

You shrugged your shoulders, going for casual, “you ever gonna call me by my real name?”

“Nah,” he said, “you’re too badass for that.”

Well, that was a great compliment by Tony Stark. Who the hell were you to argue with him?

“You have a five o’clock with the Spring Art Foundation-”

“Buy it, resell it, give the money away.”

“No, an event, Mr. Stark. Pepper said yes therefore you said yes. You’re going.”

“How are the designs for the life model decoy of me?”

“Oh yeah, that’ll be done in the good year of 2085, don’t worry. Your legacy will live on, etc. etc.”

“You’re very sassy, you know that?”

“Well say yes to events that you already said yes to and I might not be. Oh, and Pepper is due to leave on Saturday. She wanted to have dinner with us on Friday. A normal dinner.”

“I dunno, feelings? I don’t do feelings, agent. Can’t you go in my place? You can act like me, you got it down already!”

“You’re going. This is Pepper. She worked for you for six years. She’s put up with you for six years. And you’re buying her dinner.”

“Hold this, will you?”

He gave you a wrench and, with a sigh, you put down the work you were doing. Pepper had handed over the business side of things last week, with her careful eyes on everything. You think you forged Tony’s signature more than Tony had ever written it.

Not that you had any idea what Tony’s signature looked like, of course!

“Damn thing is cross threading.”

“Well when you pound it in with an air gun, it’s gonna do that.”

“Alright, smart aleck, you do it then.”

“Fine,” you said back, “you go over the business proposal on the table then.”

“Fine!”

Hook, line, and sinker. He was just like your brothers – if you tormented them enough or called them out, they’d leap to show you that they were capable of anything.

“My god. JARVIS. JARVIS? I’ve been emotionally manipulated! She got what she wanted!”

You laughed as you manually threaded the correct bolt for the engine mount, your hands already covered in grease in oil by doing this one thing. Which was fine – you had no plans until three to get to the event in time. You had thought there’d be more time for Tony to actually create things, but it seemed the name was constantly moving from one social event to another.

“Tones!”

“Rut-row,” Mr. Stark said with a Scooby-Doo acent, looking at you with pleading eyes as James let himself down in to the personal lab, “buzzkill is here.”

“Hey, agent! You’ve made the news!”

You did what now?

You marched over to James at top speed, taking the magazine and staring at… God, staring at you of all things, leading Tony down the very same stairs you had been worried about in New York. There was a hint of nervousness on your face, just as you feared, and you almost hated that Tony looked pristine next to you.

“The media thinks you two are thing,” James said, sighing, “They did the same with Pep, of course. You’d think they’d chose a different route.”

“Playboy days finally over?” You read out loud, scoffing, “they catch me at one event and suddenly you’re a married man, Mr. Stark.”

“You offering,” Tony asked, “I’m honored but-”

“You’re married to you work, right?” You answered for him, “and did you even sign the business proposal? I got your stupid bolt in.”

Tony looked genuinely shocked, “What? I thought-”

“Try using the right sized bolt next time,” you hinted to him, tempted to wink but holding back, “amateur hour over here, James.”

Tony looked utterly destroyed, mouth opening in closing, and that was enough for James to completely lose it. The laughter was loud in the lab as you grabbed at a rag, wanting to check over the rest of the calendar. How Pepper did this 24/7 without having a breakdown, you did not know.

“You’re coming with us to Afghanistan.”

You flinched, looking over at James, “I’m what?”

“For the Jericho Missile, he means,” Tony continued, looking over your work, “the demonstration. You helped, you should come. Can’t promise it’d be fun, but less time in the office if you can’t actually get there.”

“if you want me to, I’ll go,” you answered easily, “that’s kind of the job.”

“Fantastic,” James said, “I’m driving. I saw how you pulled out of that parking lot. The two of you are menaces.”

The phone rang, yet another company trying to get a sit down with Tony, and you sighed as you answered it, walking away from the two.

“Release a statement about you lovebirds not being lovebirds, will you?”

“Why?” You asked Pepper, trying very hard not to wolf down Tony’s shockingly good spaghetti, “won’t it be better to just let it ride? People are going to figure out I’m his PA.”

“It’s a win-lose situation, yes,” Pepper answered, “but it might be better to attempt to nip it in the bud now.”

This was a bit strange, you had to admit. Pepper had said dinner and you had assumed you’d be in some fancy restaurant in some expensive dress with very pointy heels. But no, Pepper had wanted to sit down at the kitchen table that you did not think was ever used… And she had wanted a homecooked meal.

Tony had moaned all morning about it but had begun cutting tomatoes almost immediately, a pot suddenly on the stove that you were also sure had only been used once. He worked as he always did, like a tornado, and your job as a sous chef was more of housecleaning than anything else. And he complained the whole time until you relented and let him play very loud music.

“Hey,” he said, distracting you, “no work talk at my kitchen table - over my slaved over pasta sauce. I have yet to hear thank you’s.”

“You can’t demand thank you’s, Tony. But yes, thank you. It was very thoughtful.”

Tony slowly turned his head to you, horror movie style, and you huffed, “thank you. It’s annoyingly good.”

“How’s your dad, Pepper?” You asked, genuinely wanting to know and also interrupting Tony’s rant, “is he still in the rehab center?”

“Back home now, thank god,” Pepper answered, “thank you for asking. He’ll need a lot of therapy after his stroke but hopefully he pulls through.”

“Father Pepper will surely recover,” Tony said, pouring Pepper yet another glass of wine, “you told me once that he was the one to give you all of your spunk.”

Pepper looked surprised, “I did. I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember a lot of things!” Tony said indignantly, “you two don’t give me enough credit.”

Maybe you didn’t. That was an alarming thought, that Tony had somehow managed to slip under your critical eye. He was still an enigma even after nearly a month of seeing him every day. By now, you’d normally know the ins and outs of a person’s personality.

“For example!”

Tony dramatically reached – or really just reached into his jacket, because he did everything with a dramatic flair – and you watched as he pulled out a single sheet of paper… And proceeded to try and hand it to you.

You squinted his eyes at him, “it’s Pepper’s night, not mine. I know you get confused easily.”

“Easy there, short stack,” he said, “This is by Pepper’s request.”

So, with a glance at Pepper’s small smile, you took the piece of paper.

“Notice of payment of bill,” you read out loud, “Payment in full to Saint Theresa’s Medical Center.”

Payment in full.

Payment.

In.

Full.

You felt as if your brain was going to explode. You re-read the words, looking at your name next to that small little zero. This must have been a dream. It was the only thing that made sense. Maybe you had died.

“What,” you managed to get out, looking first to Tony, then to Pepper, then back and forth until the two of them practically became one, “what?”

“We ran a credit check, which you signed when you first joined.”

You did? Why the hell would they hire you if you did? Your credit was tanked due to the very bill they had paid off. You hadn’t gotten a credit card ever in your life. Your car was bought with the cash you saved up through odd and ends jobs.

“Twenty-three thousand dollars,” you choked out, blinking through a daze, “it was so much money. Why? Why would you…?”

“Consider it a sign on bonus,” Tony said, as if this was easy, “and my desire to keep you. Can I make the joke now? You’re mine. Ha.”

You almost let him have the joke, just this once. You considered the ramifications of ‘money can buy happiness’ and then wondered if Tony Stark understood that more than you thought.

“HR, Mr. Stark,” You said, holding back tears of all things, “tomorrow morning. I’ll pencil it in.”

“You’re unbelievable,” he said, completely joking and looking delighted meanwhile, “gimme the paper. You’re holding it as if it’s going to blow.”

“Thank you,” you said to both of them, dully handing the paper to Tony, who squished it into a ball, “I would have stayed even without this. This… This feels like a bribe. Is it a bribe?”

“No,” Pepper answered, “purely business. A credit score isn’t as private as one thinks, especially in a business like this.”

That actually wasn’t disheartening at all. You didn’t want to be… You weren’t sure… To be so thankful to Tony Stark that it became awkward. You were thankful but you didn’t want to be because you had put him on a pedestal.

“Thank you,” you said to both of them, “business or not, it does mean a lot. I mean… Just… Thank you.”

“Feelings,” Tony moaned, “here, drink wine! Yay, wine!”

Yay wine.

“I’m staying,” you said as you sipped at the wine – gulped down the wine, “I was staying already. And, with that said, I know you two want some time alone.”

With that, you got up from your seat, giving Pepper a big smile, “thank you, Miss Potts. I hope you don’t mind if I call you every once in a while.”

“You don’t need help,” Pepper said kindly, “you’ve done better than any other person I interviewed.”

“Oh, thank you,” you said, surprised that she would give out a compliment like that so easily, “but mostly I meant to complain about him to someone who gets it.”

Pepper laughed immediately, shaking her head fondly and pointing at Tony, who was looking rather like a kicked puppy at you.

“Get out of my house!” Mr. Stark said, literally shooing you away, “What did Rhodey call you? A menace? You’re a menace!”

“You need to be on an airplane in nine hours, Mr. Stark,” you reminded him, “and you will be on that plane.”

“Get!”

And get you did, a smile so wide on your face you wondered if you really did look like you lost your mind.

It really did feel like a new start, didn’t it?

Chapter Text

“Dad, come on,” you said into the phone, “you really believe the news like that?”

You didn’t want to be having this conversation. In fact, you were going to ignore this conversation, but Tony had thought it be an excellent idea to steal your phone after realizing you were ignoring someone and, without even looking at the caller ID, decided that answering the phone for you was a great joke.

“I won’t have my daughter be labeled a slut.”

You bit your lip, feeling your anger strike but willing it to push it so far down that you literally bit your tongue.

Tony, meanwhile, had become fascinated with you. Instead of paying attention to the way too hot flight attendants, his gaze was only on you. Which you immediately tried to remediate, turning yourself until you were staring out the window of the jet rather than blankly at something inside.

“Nothing to say,” your dad said at your silence, “of course not, because that’s exactly what you are. Ever since you ran away from that man-”

“Tyler was an abusive piece of shit,” you whispered into the phone, “don’t start that with me, dad. Call me whatever names-”

“I’ve raised a slut and a liar,” your dad roared, stealing your resolve, “and now you’ve run off with a bastard like that? Lemme guess, he paying those bills of yours?”

You went cold. A sign on bonus Mr. Stark has said – Tony had said. You had justified it that way. In fact, you haven’t even been looking for a new apartment. You felt like that was a step too far, given that you’d only gotten three paychecks since you took this job.

And then the phone was gone – ripped out of your hand by Tony Stark, who had a look on his face that would stop a grown man. You felt frozen in your seat as he put your personal cell phone to his ear.

“I may not know what the hell you’ve said to her, but I do know that whatever it was must have been something that was complete and utter bullshit.”

“Tony-”

But Tony held up a hand to stop you.

“You call this number again, I dare you. And if she starts looking like she did when I grabbed this phone, I promise you I’ll make your life a living hell.”

You could hear your father shouting on the other line, but Tony looked resolute. In fact, he didn’t even look even the slightest bit worried by the hatred your father must be spewing at him. Instead, he simply snapped the phone shut and threw it on one of the couches.

He faked brushing his hands against his very expensive jacket, a disgusted look on his face, “ew, older tech. How dare you do that to me.”

You managed a small smile at that, taking the joke for what it was – an out. You never wanted to mix your measly personal life with your professional life and this was the reason. Your family was a wreck, always had been, and you were the only one to have a chance of getting out of it.

“I’m familiar with shit fathers,” Tony said very lowly, whispering the words, “fuck ‘em.”

Your eyes met his and, for a brief moment, you wondered why you didn’t realize exactly how warm those brown eyes were of his. He spent a lot of time moving, always creating something, usually chaos, and with him frozen like this, staring right at you… Well, you got the idea that he knew exactly what the phone call had been like.

“Fuck ‘em.”

He seemed pleased at that. He sighed, clapping his hands, putting on the persona that was Tony Stark. You were always amazed by it – how easily he slipped into the person that people expected.

“Let’s get this party started, eh? Ladies – come on, come on… Oh look at that!”

And with that lovely announcement, you went to hide in the back of the plane, where an office had been setup just as you had requested.

You had work to do… Best to focus on that.

Life went on.

Which was to say, you spent every waking hour working. There were phone calls and board meetings and events and chaos. There were press releases and statements and speech writing. And there was Tony.

Mr. Stark had become Tony rather quickly, despite your instance that your relationship with him was strictly professional. He was your boss of course, but it was impossible not to like him when you spent nearly every day with him. And, fixing a car together to de-stress meant curse words and things being thrown and beer, which was also a disaster.

But you both cleaned up well, if you were being honest with yourself. He could go back to being the semi-not-at-all professional Tony Stark within a blink of an eye, and you could manage a Mr. Stark when anyone else is around.

“You need to get dressed.”

Seeing Tony in only his pants had become so normal that you hardly even blinked. Granted, the first time you had glimpsed an inch of skin, you had held up the folder you were holding to your face and spun around to face the wall.

He had laughed for minutes at that, throwing out words like “prudish” and “nun”, but you had held fast in keeping that boundary. While you very willingly called Tony a friend, you strictly reminded him that friend you and PA you were very different.

“It’s Monday, cut me some slack.”

“It’s Wednesday,” you told him dryly, “and no slack for wonder boy genius. Come on, we’re talking to Pepper on the way to the gala. Somehow, she misses you.”

“I’d like to dislike the fact that two very beautiful woman are plotting against me, but I have yet to see any plots.”

“That you know of, Mister Stark,”

He froze in the middle of grabbing at his mug of coffee, “terrifying. Blugh. Come on, agent, go get prettied up for this event. What speech am I giving again?”

You produced a paper from your very organized file folder and rolled your eyes when he gagged at holding a sheet of paper. You left the lab without another word, heading up to your self-proclaimed guest room turned bedroom. You had some sort of designer dress you had to wear, not picked by yourself, and at this point fashion was something you actually despised.

You stayed in your bra and underwear as you put on your makeup, learning that life skill the hard way, and was nearly finished when you heard Tony’s voice from outside your bedroom door.

“Have you seen the new specs for Hammer’s surveillance system? You’d have a good laugh, it was-“

You screamed when he moved into the room, not realizing that was his intention and considering your near naked ass was in clear view from the bedroom door. You nearly had a heart attack.

“Oh my god, Tony!” You said, your back pressed into the glass shower as to avoid his gaze, the blush fierce against your face, “why would you-”

“I didn’t think-”

“I’m getting dressed you ass and has-”

“I thought you’d be done by now! How was I supposed to-”

“-Anyone taught you manners, you rich aristocrat! I mean, honestly-”

“I didn’t mean it! Come on, it was an accident!”

“Least you could do was wait, mister playboy!”

“Mister playboy? Really?”

You still felt like you were dying. You managed to extract yourself from the glass wall of the shower only to flinch at the look on your face in the mirror. You were horrified! He was your boss! He was your very close friend!

“Oh my god, Tony,” you repeated, “get out!”

“I’m going, I’m going! I swear!”

Wait, was he just as embarrassed? Thee Tony Stark was embarrassed about seeing some skin?

Curiosity the death of you, you managed to stick your head out. You watched in near awe as he rushed out of the room as fast as he could, a arm across his eyes and the other arm in front of him to stop him from running into something.

It was so… So strange. You knew his reputation, you knew he had been with many girls… You had a hard time putting the image of a dressed up Tony Stark trying so hard to respect your boundaries. Despite your embarrassment, you weren’t naked.

“Tony?”

He stopped just outside the doorway, thankfully with his back to you, “yeah?”

“Uh…” You weren’t entirely sure what you wanted.

But, considering Tony’s now less rigid back, he seemed to get it.

“Can’t compromise my agent’s image, right,” he joked, if not a big weakly, “But, credit where credit is due… Those are some very nice assets.”

The red on your face was now very much not from beginning embarrassed: “you - you asshole!”

He made a run for it this – this time less out of a need and very much like a teenaged boy. You shook your head fondly as he shut the door on his way out, not at all surprised that he would try to make a pass at you.

It was nice, sometimes, to be admired.

“So,” you said to Rhodey, pointing your fork overflowing with lo mein on it at him, “you’re telling me he was your college roommate… And you didn’t kill him?”

“Aw, come on, agent!” Tony complained, giving you the best puppy eyes you’d ever seen, “I’m charming! Am I not charming? Come on, even you like my charm!”

“Charm?” You scoffed, “you’re like a stray dog someone found on the street. Just too sad to say no to.”

“Burn!” Rhodey said, laughing loudly, “god, where were you when I needed you? Come on, tell me, what school stole you away from us?”

“Taking that secret to my grave,” you told them both, winking obnoxiously, “and no peaking at my background check or resume, that would be cheating!”

Both men groaned at the reminder. It had been a challenge the two of them came up with shortly after you met James. After Tony revealed to him that you had looked over a couple of his designs, James had lit up like a Christmas tree. He demanded to know where you learned what you did – mostly under the guise of seeing if you were actually smart – but you had teasingly refused to answer.

After all, the real answer was actually something you would take to you grave.

Your smile fell a little. Thinking about your past was always something that dwindled your mood. With the challenge you issued both of them, you had done extensive research on both of their pasts. Rhodey was a genius by his own rights, near as credited as Tony was, while you had never attended a university.

Your phone went off and, with a sigh, you picked it up as the boys continued to guess random schools. JARVIS was kind enough to filter the useless things from your phone so, as always, you were practically Pavlovian trained to pick up when it actually went off.

It was some sort of link to a news article, which wasn’t usually enough for JARVIS to ping it after hours. You skimmed the article title quickly, only for your mouth to fall open.

“Agent?”

Tony Stark’s PA Hiding a Dark Secret? Who is Tyler Hales?

“Shit,” you said, getting up from your seat, feeling pure panic, “shit-shit-shit.”

You needed your hands on that article now. You had to know what Tyler had said. You had to… God, had they gotten pictures? Had they interviewed him? How did they figure it out? Who tipped them off?

What were you going to do?

“JARVIS, since agent here is having a full mental breakdown, some clues would be nice as to what caused her descent into madness.”

“An article by the news organization called The Buzz has released a rather detailed article about agent’s last marriage.”

You felt as if your heart was going to beat out your chest. This couldn’t be happening. You had tried so hard to make sure that mistake hadn’t come back. It was why you had resigned yourself to working retail for the rest of your life. You were fine with being a nobody.

“Hey,” Rhodey said calmly, getting in front of you, making you look at him as you continued to not breath properly, “hey, relax. It’s alright. It’s just us.”

It’s just us.

Your boss and your boss’s best friend was in front of you, as friends, and they had access to the very article that could get you fired – that could ruin your life. You felt even more panic grip you and, without hesitation, you began picking up your things.

“I have to go,” you said, making sure not to look at Tony, “I’m sorry. This was a mistake. It was my fault. I’m sorry.”

This time, Tony was the one in front of you, looking actually worried. He looked at you as if you were a frighten animal, arm extended and everything. You felt as if you were a wild thing, ready to lash out and anyone who dared to touch you.

“I have to go,” you repeated, even though you spent more nights in Tony’s house – in your bedroom. Your apartment would probably have cobwebs with how little you actually went to your own place. The only reason you still had it was to, in theory, claim that you didn’t live at your boss’s house.

“Whatever that article says, we can get it removed. JARVIS just alerted you to it, right? Let’s get it out of circulation.”

“It’s out already!” You shouted, still panicked, “and I just… They know his name. What am I going to do?”

“Oh.”

Your head whipped towards Rhodey, who was by the main computer hub in the kitchen. You ran towards him, knowing that he had found it already.

You assumed Tyler had finally figured out he could get paid for doing an interview about you. Granted, he was so out of touch with the news that you weren’t convinced he’d even know you had become Tony’s PA. He’d have to actually give a damn about something to even recognize her name.

But, instead of just an interview, a picture of you in the hospital, face black and blue, stared at you. You knew Tyler had taken the picture like the sick psychopath he was but you didn’t think he’d stoop so low as to share it to the world.

The knuckle of your pointer finger went to your front teeth, digging in, and you relished in the minor pain as your eyes read over the article. God, the way Tyler had spun it, just as he had spun it to your father, was so far from right that it sickened you.

It sickened you.

Your turned just in time to make it to the kitchen garbage can, falling to your knees as you throw up the Chinese food you just consumed.

You clutched your stomach pathetically, dry heaving in your panic and, just before you thought you would actually pass out, someone’s hands were running through your hair, pulling it back as neatly as they could so you didn’t get sick in your hair.

“It’s alright,” the voice said soothingly, “it’s ok.”

You would have thought anyone’s hands on you right now would have pushed you over the edge. But no, Tony’s hands were gentle, ghosting over your ears rather than actually touching you. There was an edge to his voice, filled with some worry, and you felt your panic decrease just enough to gain some logical thoughts back.

So logical that you could hear Rhodey on the phone, telling someone in hushed voice what was happening. Probably the PR team, which was something you should be doing.

God, you couldn’t even do your job properly. You were just as pathetic as Tyler had told you you were.

You moved finally, planting your butt on the ground and leaning your body weakly against the kitchen sink doors. Tony stared down at you patiently, kindly even, and you felt stupid as he made to sit down across from you, mirroring your pose.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, eyes closing as you leaned your head on the doors, “I’m so sorry.”

“Wow, I’ve counted at least four apologies this night alone. I think that’s a record.”

His sarcasm managed to cheer you up, despite how poor the joke was. You knew Tony was bad at comforting from Pepper’s own stories but his usual cadence actually helped.

“Don’t count on it again,” you teased back, trying for normalcy, “Special occasion. My big secret is out.”

“Yeah,” Tony replied, his tone a bit darker, “I take it everything that fucknut said was a lie?”

You laughed.

You couldn’t help it. No one back home had believed you. In the middle of nowhere in the Midwest, with a town filled with maybe a hundred people, no one would take your word over the word of a Hales, especially one as precious as Tyler. Tyler, the quarterback, the salutatorian next to you, the valedictorian. The jewel of the town with the dotting wife.

No one had believed that he was the one to push you down those stairs. To break your leg with a bat. To threaten you. To make you feel like you were trash. To hurt you.

And yet here was your boss, a man who had known you for a year, who was probably the smartest man alive… Knowing by just one article that all of what Tyler had said about you was lie.

“Yeah,” you choked out, realizing just now that you had been crying.

Tony hummed, his eyes flickering towards Rhodey, who was still on the phone, his back towards both of you, giving you some privacy.

You wiped at your face like a child, feeling stupid. That’s how you always felt when Tyler was mentioned.

“How bad was it? I won’t ask again,” he said quickly, “but I need to know what I’m up against. He gonna come after you?”

“I don’t think so,” you told him honestly, “He uh… No one believed me so no jail time. And he didn’t come after me after my dad told him I moved here. Did… Did he say I cheated on him, in the article?”

Tony grimaced, “haven’t read it yet. Rhodey-bear is handling it too well. Besides, rather hear the real thing from you.”

You nodded, thankful for him. You knew Tony’s capacity for care was always hidden deep down, but he still had so much of it. You had seen it with Pepper, how he truly didn’t want her to leave – not to mention the weekly phone calls to her.

“I should go wash up,” you said, not because you were avoiding his questions, but because you literally didn’t think you had the energy. You had these attacks before, especially after escaping him, but you had forgotten how tiring they were.

Tony got up before you could, holding out his hand to you. You couldn’t help but feel something at that – at his kindness – and you smiled gratefully at him as you grabbed his hand. It felt like your body weighed five tons but you did manage to stand, stacking bone on top of bone.

Rhodey, apparently, had ended the phone call but, thankfully, was dialing yet another number.

“Thank you,” you told him, “and thank Rhodey for me, please. I, uh… I’m going sleep this one off, if that’s alright?”

“Yeah, ‘course,” Tony answered, “nothing fixes trauma like satin sheets. Actually, you know what would fix it even more? A nice long fu-”

“HR, mister Stark,” you told him immediately, “you’re no longer free on Tuesday.”

“You’re no fun.”

 “But I’m right!”

Were you? You didn’t really know, especially when you finally managed to walk away from him, heading towards your bedroom as if in a daze. You couldn’t actually believe that he would be kind enough to listen to you. You were so sure that he would fire you one the spot, considering you already knew how Tyler had changed this story, and you were amazed that he was even willing to listen to you.

“Go,” Tony said, “looks like you need the sleep, buttercup.”

You nodded at him almost mindlessly, exhausted. You began to walk as steadily as you could back to your bedroom.

You found yourself smiling as you recalled the way he had touched you when you were vulnerable, wanting to comfort you without causing you anymore pain.

Dangerously, you felt something blossom in your chest.

You weren’t sure what to call it, but, for now, you let it give you some warmth.

Nightmares were familiar to you.

They had stopped for a while, especially as you moved further and further away from your family. Most had assumed that you had simply disappeared – that after such a respectful young man like Tyler had revealed that you were a cheater, you were too ashamed to go home.

But no. You weren’t ashamed of a lie a narcissist told. If anything, his lies had only made freedom taste so much sweeter.

Tyler haunted you, however. Even when you had managed to get your shitty apartment, he appeared out of the corner of your eye every once and a while. You’d flinch at shadows – jump ridiculously high at an unexpected noise, curl in on yourself when a voice was raised…

It was no surprise to wake up panicked after that article, throwing yourself up from your bed as if to get away from a monster. And, considering that a monster had reared its ugly had last night, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be surprised.

“Fuck.” You grumbled to yourself, your hands rubbing at your eyes, angry at yourself.

You had a career you loved and financial freedom to do whatever you wanted. Life was specular in ways you could have never expected.

That was why you felt so damn scared of Tony reading that article. Even if… Even if he actually took your word for it, you knew that this would effect Stark Industries’ image. Anything effecting the companies image wasn’t a good thing.

You needed to know what Tyler had said about you… Especially before talking to Tony.

 “JARVIS,” you asked, “can you pull up that article on the main display.”

“Of course,” JARVIS said, “But allow me to remind you of the pretty agent protocol. Sir has made it clear that it is still in effect.”

The corners of your lip curl up, amused by the reminder. Tony had made the protocol mostly as a joke. You had wanted to see how exactly JARVIS worked and, if Tony was willing, some of his code. He had given you full access without a hint of hesitation, telling you to go nuts, and you had leaned over that display for hours, enthralled by how complex JARVIS was.

You spent hours in a complete daze, apparently, given that Tony had managed to get a picture of you leaning over his desk with your tongue hanging out.

He had teased forever that you hadn’t heard a word he said the entire time you were looking at JARVIS. Your nickname, your full name, nicknames, R-rated nicknames, none of it had gotten your attention. After many attempts, the only thing that had gotten you to take your eyes of the screen was “hey pretty agent, there’s food.”

To which you had said, “don’t call me pretty” without a single thought.

So, pretty agent had turned into a protocol that meant JARVIS was to alert Tony that you were mentally unavailable.

It was a nice thing for Tony to think of the goofy protocol now, considering what you were about to do. If JARVIS detected anything wrong with you, Tony apparently wanted to be there.

It gave you strength, knowing that there was someone who cared. Your relationship with Tony was confusing, boarding on something you should really start thinking about. But, for now, having him there as a friend meant so much to you.

You hadn’t realized JARVIS already pulled up the article. Mostly because your eyes were still focused on anything but the main display, trying to forget that all of this was happening.

You took a deep breath as you dared to move over to the article, already flinching at the picture you had seen from last night.

“Alright, asshole,” you said to Tyler, rolling your shoulders, “damage control, let’s do it.”

It was as bad as you were expecting.

While he had caused your injuries, he twisted the story to his own knight in shining armor tale. He nursed you back to health after you had tripped down the flight of stairs in your brand new home. After finally regaining your strength, you had made a run for it, where he had found you with another man just after your last doctor’s appointment.

None of that had happened, of course. He had kept you holed up in your own home for months as you recovered from multiple injuries, claiming only he knew how to take care of you. The moment you had enough strength, you had snuck his credit card from his wallet and jumped out the second story window, literally running away from the nightmare of his own making.

You had even sold your wedding ring, wanting just a little something out of the horrible exchange. It was what got you a flight to the other half of the country, providing you a way to elude him.

You changed your name with your third paycheck, knowing that it was a necessary evil. You did as much as you could in cash and you chased none of your dreams, content to just live on the outskirts and do anything away from Tyler’s eyes.

You had two options: one, you let Rhodey’s work hushing this up do its thing. Two, you send out a press release of what actually happened, spinning the story to show how strong of a woman you are to align with the current political statements about feminism. You didn’t ever consider yourself an icon, but it could work.

“JARVIS, do you know how many copies of this article have been distributed to mainstream media?”

“A few, I’m afraid,” JARVIS answered, “Mr. Rhodes is currently working on limiting that number.”

So, plan two it was.

“Tell him to stop,” you said, “wait, sorry, scratch that… Tell them I’ll be right down. I think I owe them a homecooked meal after what they’ve helped me with. I’ll start now.”

“Of course, agent. Shall I delay Mr. Stark while you start the pancakes.”

“You’re a man after my own heart, J.”

Cooking food made your brain take a break. The process was familiar, one you had very much enjoyed with your mother and later your siblings, and you hummed as you did it. You had cooked Tony breakfast just once, after a very long board of directors meeting that had both of you practically crawling through the house to get to your beds.

“Rhodes?”

Tony’s voice did not surprise you in the slightest.

“Tony?” Rhodey answered just as wearily, causing you to roll your eyes.

“Whatever you do,” Tony appeared from the lab stairs in a half crouch, looking left and right as if in a bad spy movie, “watch your step. Agent is making pancakes. Must be a trick.”

“I’ve poisoned only yours, asshole,” you told him, smiling on the inside, “and your coffee. Rhodey, on the other hand, can have all the pancakes he would like.”

“Agent likes me better,” Rhodey said in a sing-songy voice, “agent likes me better.”

Tony placed a hand against his chest, pretending to faint, “my reputation as a lady killer, spoiled! Ended by my own PA. JARVIS, send the boys downstairs up. I need them to be my royal taste testers.”

“Hardy-har,” you said to him, sliding him a plate of pancakes and sausage, “come on, James. Least I could do was cook you a meal.”

“Pancakes?” He asked, sounding pleasantly surprised as he sat down at the kitchen counter, “Hell yeah, haven’t had a good stack of these in a while.”

You smiled at him kindly, glad that they didn’t immediately leap into the problem at him. You were lucky – it was Sunday. While Mr. Stark didn’t have things to do in a public sense, you knew he had work to do in the lab. You had paperwork you were meant to be doing.

You sat down across from them, poking at your food like a savage. You hated that you had ended up in the situation, unsure of yourself, and for a brief moment you were worried that your reputation would be the stop of your career.

“So,” James said, leaning back in his chair, “I’ll start. I called Pepper up. She’s currently getting Stark Industries lawyers on the case. Last I heard they were going with the slander.”

“Nice.”

You nodded at Tony’s statement, “I’m a simple PA, you know. Not many are going to care.”

“Probably not,” Rhodey agreed, “but you don’t want something biting you in the ass later. If we can nip this in the bud now, it’ll be better.”

“Better for Stark Industries,” Tony said through a mouthful of food, “I’m ninety-nine percent of my company, but that one percent is insufferable dicks that would do anything to discredit me. Hate to say it, but I don’t want you under their watchful eye.”

It was a good point, but you knew exactly who he was talking about.

“Stane would care?” You asked Tony, “I’ve only met him a few times.”

“He likes to keep things clean,” Rhodey said with some bite, “It’s a good thing, normally, but it tends to make Tony’s life a living hell… Not that the government knows any of that.”

“He hated Pepper too,” Tony said, “he’s done everything for the company but I draw that line at him picking the people I work closely with.”

Alarm bells were going off in your head. Tony’s loyalty to the man was admirable but there was something about that steadfast loyalty that didn’t sit right. Stane hadn’t done much but complain about Tony’s commitment and, given the reports you read about Tony taking over the company, it wasn’t a peaceful handoff.

“Pass the sausage before Tony inhales it, would you? You’d think he doesn’t eat.”

You dodged Tony’s ridiculousness of attempting to stab at the food as fast as he could, moving the plate first towards yourself and then to Rhodey. The action had James laughing and, as a brother would do, shoving the entire thing of sausage into his mouth as fast as he could.

“You little shit!”

“Hey, hey,” you said, laughing at Tony’s icy glare, “There’s more, calm down there.”

You would have thought Tony had found gold the way he went on after revealing the second platter of sausage you had hidden in the oven. You rolled your eyes the entire time, reminding him about table manners as if he was one of your little brothers.

That thought gave you the courage you needed.

“My brother helped me get out,” you told them both, “no one else believed me. Tyler was… He was so perfect – smart, charming, handsome… People were jealous that I managed to snag Tyler Hales. Me, of all people.”

You took a deep breath, “It was perfect. And then I uh… I had a miscarriage. And – don’t say anything, it was a while ago – and he just lost it. Something snapped. It was like something broke in his brain. And then it turned violent.”

“I told my dad. Told my best friend. Told anyone who would believe me. But Tyler was so good at convincing them everything was fine, that he was caring for me after a traumatic event. And I just… He’s my younger brother, you know? I didn’t want to ever rely on him. But he’s the only one that took me seriously, especially when I was in the hospital after Tyler took it too far.”

“He managed to steal a credit card from Tyler and then he snuck it to me… And I never went back. I moved here, found any job I could, and then, well, you basically know the rest.”

You breathed in and out, waiting for their judgement like a teenaged girl. You hadn’t ever told the story, not in full, and you hated how the whole thing sounded… You weren’t that weak little wife anymore – you weren’t trapped there. But you had let it get that bad, you allowed him to do it.

“I want that man dead.”

“Jesus Christ, Tony,” James said, “same, of course, but you can’t just-”

“Prison, then. I’ll compromise and say a nice ass kicking every other day.”

You managed a weak smile, “he lost his house a little while ago. Couldn’t keep up with the payments.”

“Karma’s not a bitch enough,” Tony continued. “I’ll…

You studied him closely… The thing was, the man wasn’t kidding. Every single part of him looked tense, ready to fly into a manic rage. He was still going on to Rhodey about his revenge plan, gesturing with his hands and being as loud as ever, and it made you realize just how lucky you were to have a friend like him.

“Hey, Jason Borne,” you said to him, “thank you, really, but the last thing I want is for your image to suffer for my past.”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about my image,” he told you sternly, “you’re the last person in the world to deserve some sort of actually fucked up past.”

Your eyes flickered to James, who looked just as startled by the words as you felt. Tony was always carefree and joking, never taking anything seriously, and it shocked you how serious he looked now. You didn’t know he could be this…

What the hell did you even call this.

“Pepper is handling it,” James said for all them, “At this point, there’s nothing any of us can do. And-”

“Speak for yourself. I’ll-”

“And…” Rhodey continued, giving Tony a mild glare, “the more press that gets on us about this, the louder it gets. Letting this ride is probably better than anything else.”

James sighed, his shoulders slumping, “and… Before I don’t get a chance to say it… That’s some shit cards you’ve been dealt, agent. It takes a hell of a person to come out of that and be as amazing as you are now. You need anything from me, you tell me. No questions asked.”

You weren’t one for physical contact but you found your hand was in his without hesitation, “thank you. But come on, I got Tony Stark calling me agent, least I can do is live up to the name.”

Tony made a noise of disbelief just as you pulled away, “she gets the entire military on her side and I get long meetings and weapon designs to do?”

Rhodey smirked, “Did I say anything about the military? You don’t think I can kick a douchebag’s ass?”

“When was the last time you went to the gym, huh?”

Rhodey’s open mouth made you laugh out loud.

“And you think Happy’s little training sessions are worth anything?”

“Let’s take this outside then, huh? I’ll take you down in thirty seconds, no sweat.”

“I swear to God, Tony, I will actually kick your ass if you keep talking. You know what, I’m going to the lab. I gotta pack up anyway.”

Rhodey got up to Tony’s continued insults and dares, who had actually cupped his hands around his mouth to yell as Rhodey made it down to the lab with a vicious “shut the hell up!”.

You were still shaking your head fondly as you began to clear off the table. The two of them had managed to warm your way into your heart so fast that it was impossible not to enjoy their company. And, despite the conversation you just had, you didn’t feel any lingering anxiety.

“I’m serious, you know,” Tony said quietly when your back was turned, “You didn’t deserve that.”

You bit your lip, trying desperately not to disagree with that statement. You held a lot of guilt in your heart and if you let even a bit of it slip to Tony, you knew he would never let it go.

“Come on, Mr. Stark,” you said, turning around just to smile sickly sweet at him, “you got a lot of work to do.”

“All work and no play,” he replied just as fast, their little game firmly in place, “come on, I want your gorgeous eyes on this new design I’m working on. Get this, Hammer inspired me.”

You gasped, “never, ever say that again.”

“Just trying to rile you up, agent,” he winked at you, “let’s get to work.”

And you did, just like that.

“Happy,” you said, “I know Tony told you. Cut it out.”

“What?” The man said, very badly lying, “I’m just doing my job! Keeping you safe, you know the gig. Don’t be like Tony – I gotta do more than drive you people places.”

“You don’t even drive us,” you told him teasingly, “I think you’ve raced Tony more than you’ve actually taken us places.”

“I resent that, you know,” Happy said, “My job is important. I may be just a driver, but there’s more than that about this job.”

You marked off yet another task list, adding more as the day went on. It had been a busy couple of weeks since then news had gained access to your personal life. In fact, it’s been so busy you couldn’t really remember the last time you and Tony had a chance to work on a project together. Even the meetings have piled up!

“Listen,” Happy said, and you could instantly tell he was being a bit too serious, “Tony didn’t give me details, but I’ll be damned if I let anyone look at you wrong, let alone get their hands on you. You ever need me, I’m a call away.”

The men in your life were going to drive you to drink, “why do none of you think I can defend myself?”

Happy literally paled, “I was just – I didn’t – You’re obviously – I wasn’t calling you-”

“Uh-Uh-oh,” Tony said next to you, “someone’s in trouble!”

You lightly smacked Tony, “be nice. He’s driving. Now sign this.”

“Why are we working,” Tony grumbled as he grabbed at the tablet, “we’re going to pick up your brother from the airport, isn’t that torture enough?”

“You saying meeting my family is torture?”

“Now who’s in trouble,” Happy said giddily, “least I didn’t call her brother any names.”

“Excuse you, anyone would agree that the airport is hell. It’s why we got our own planes. Remind me again why you wouldn’t let me fly your brother on said plane?”

“Because he’s a humble mechanic,” you told him, “and having a private jet was enough of a shock to me, let alone my brother. He doesn’t like fancy things. The limo is pushing it.”

Tony, wisely, kept his opinions to himself at that point. You were nervous enough, after all. It wasn’t every day that your brother got engaged, let alone ask for you to meet her. Out of your two brothers, you never expected the youngest, Mark, to get married. He was probably the least romantic of all of you.

His fiancé, Jessica, must be a hell of a woman and you were dying to meet her.

You got out of the car the moment Happy parked, eager to see him. Luckily, it was Mark that was happy to make enough noise to find him. He looked just as you always remembered, all limbs and with a trimmed beard, and you could feel your nervousness leave you the moment he yelled your name through the crowd.

You smiled wide and squealed like a fool when he wrapped his arms around you in a bear hug, squeezing you tightly.

“Sis!” He said, “wow, look at you!”

“Look at you,” you said just as fast, meaning the words, “you look great! Sorry, sorry! Hi, Jessica! It’s so nice to meet you!”

Jessica looked nervous in a very innocent kind of way as she held out your hand to you. She was probably a good half a foot shorter than your brother but, given the way your brother was looking at her, he was madly in love with her.

You were so used to higher society that you forgot how normal people could be. You smiled just as kindly at her, remembering your southern manners in an instant.

“Tony’s waiting for us,” you said, “and given traffic, we should probably get going.”

“Oh my god,” Jessica half whispered, “I’m meeting Tony Stark.”

You laughed lightly, nervous yourself about it, “he’s as normal as you would expect.”

Mark opened the door to the limo for you and you let Jessica in first, greeting Tony with a large smile when you are all situated.

“Well I see the entire family got blessed with looks as good as me,” Tony said instantly, and you felt like smacking your forehead, “good to meet you, Mark. And you too, Jessica.”

“You too,” Mark said, if not a little guarded, “sis here has been telling me a lot about you.”

“All good things,” you said, trying to break the tension, “well, maybe just a little bit about his terrible mechanic skills.”

“Plausible deniability, isn’t that right, Happy,” Tony said, “haven’t made a mistake in my life.”

Tony was laying on his persona rather thick, meaning he was feeling nervous. You shuffled in your seat, not exactly liking that but knowing that it was because Tony cared about you. The only reason he was letting your brother over to his house was because you had outright said how important it was to you.

“Only because it’s agent’s watchful eyes on you, Tony,” Happy said with so much sarcasm you rolled your eyes, “she’s the only one capable of fixing things around you.”

You blushed as all eyes turned to you, “haven’t done a thing,” you managed to say, “just the PA.”

“Agent?” Mark asked, “what’s that about?”

This time, the smile on your face was genuine, “Oh, well, it’s kind of how Tony and I met. I was…”

Conversation flowed from there… Sort of. Jessica hardly said a word, something that was kind of scary to watch, but Mark was holding her hand the entire time. You had tried to pull her into the conversation but the poor woman nearly died every time Tony looked at her.

It was funny to watch, honestly. You were never star-struck by Tony. In fact, you had only ever seen him as a CEO and had never cared what the news said. The man ran a very successful business and you hadn’t looked beyond that.

“So are you two dating?” Jessica asked.

“Oh, no,” you said over Tony’s own denials, “just friends. Well, work friends. Bit of both?”

“Bit of both,” Mark repeated, glaring at Tony now, “interesting.”

You shot Mark a look, “cut it out. Seriously, it’s not your job-”

“Perfectly fine, agent,” Tony said, something that immediately put you on edge, “I-”

“We’re here.”

Oh thank every single deity ever.

You nearly sprinted out of the car, eager to get out of there and get Tony alone, just for a moment. You were about to beg for forgiveness, to let him know that you didn’t know Mark was going to do this, but Tony was the one to sidestep you, walking in front.

“Welcome to me casa,” he said to his guests, “Happy, you wanna stay? I owe you a pizza.”

“Nah,” Happy said, glancing at you, “need anything?”

“Thursday,” you said, “need a driver to HQ at two, please. And maybe check in with Pepper? I heard a rumor from James that’s she’s stopping by.”

“You got it, boss woman,” Happy said, “Mark, Jessica, nice meeting you.”

“Agent!” Tony yelled, “stop working. PTO day, whatever the hell that means. Come on, let it be known I’m not an evil tyrant of a boss, eh?”

You rolled your eyes, “when was the last time you stopped working?”

“I think I was a baby, probably. That’s actually where my trauma started.”

“Oh,” you said, glad that he was still joking with you, “okay, Freud, let me find you a couch to lament your woes. I think you’re next free day is… Never.”

“You see what I gotta put up with, Mark,” Tony said, walking them through to the living room, “she works me to the bone.”

Jessica laughed, “I don’t give Mark a day of rest either.”

“She was a real ball buster when I was a kid too,” Mark replied, “but she got me out of a lot of shit situations.”

“Drinks?” You called out, “food?”

You gathered the supplies and headed back to the living room, choosing to sit next to Tony on the couch to face the couple. You wanted to say it wasn’t awkward but, given where the hell you were, it couldn’t be helped.

Tony, however, handled the awkwardness like a champ. He steered conversations to peaceful waters with a well-placed joke and a wink, easily navigating questions in a way that had you jealous. You’ve seen him do it before, of course, but never for your own personal affairs.

“So you’re really not dating,” Jessica asked again, “I mean, you obviously like each other.”

Seeing as you haven’t met other people besides Tony’s circle, it was almost strange to talk to people that just talked. There was no hidden agenda, no grabbing for some secret… It was just innocent girl talk.

“I’m just a PA,” you assured Jessica, but mostly for Mark’s benefit, “we spend hours if not all of our time together. It’d be hell if we hate each other.”

Jessica looked anything other than convinced, “okay, then.” She answered in a sing-songy voice.

“Dad’s been asking about you.”

The mood dropped immediately. In fact, you grabbed at your drink and played with the rim, attempting to hide your nerves, “yeah?”

“He’s… Worried.”

“I’m sure he is.”

That obviously escaped Tony’s mouth rather than a planned sentence. Even Tony looked surprised by his own boldness.

“He’s been bugging me,” Mark continued, “about you, I mean. After the whole Tyler releasing that shit on the news, he just… Thought you’d go back to him.”

Your eyes flickered to Jessica, wondering how much she knew. You didn’t like that Tony and James had found out the way they did, let alone Mark’s new fiancé knowing your life story as well.

“I didn’t… Ask Mark for details,” Jessica said, “he just said I shouldn’t believe anything on the news, especially about, uh, Tyler.”

“Right,” you said, “well you can tell dad to kiss my ass, as I’ve told him over the phone many times. And for that matter-”

Tony’s phone rang.

Now Tony’s phone would ring for either two reasons. The first was if Pepper was calling. Pepper only ever calls Tony when there was something seriously wrong with SI that had somehow escaped your watchful eye. The other was someone you had learned to take everything with a grain of salt: Obadiah Stane.

Going by Tony’s emotionless expression, it was the latter.

“Two seconds,” Tony said, “evil never sleeps.”

You waved him off as he walked down to the lab, knowing how important this was.

“We should, uh,” Mark rubbed at his eyes, “we should probably nap or something. It was a long flight.”

“Of course!” You said, almost relieved, “Yeah, let me show you the guest room.”

You led them to their bedroom with hardly a word. Your mind felt in disarray at the fact that your father was asking his youngest to, basically, spy on you. It was amazing how much Tyler could spin his story, especially considering how close to your dad you used to be.

God, what a shit storm.

“Agent! You around?”

Tony was right, evil never sleeps.

“So tell me,” Jessica asked over the third mimosa, “why are you two really not dating?”

You shook your head, overlooking the waves and enjoying the light buzz the alcohol provided. It was a beautiful morning. The two men were still asleep, leaving you a great opportunity to ask your own questions about your brother. So far, you and Jessica had gotten along fairly well.

“It would be…” you thought about it, “I just don’t think… I’m not…”

Jessica giggled, “I just overheard you talk to an entire board of directors – of men – like you owned the entire world. It’s nice to hear you tongue tied, honestly.”

You laughed at that, “yeah I… I’m actually not that good at talking about my personal life. But Tony… Tony is amazing. I doubt he’s even looking at me like… Like that.”

Jessica shook her head, “it’s amazing how blind people can be. He’s head over heels in love with you.”

“No way,” you denied easily, “he acts like that with everyone. And besides, you should see him flirt with other women. Trust me, he doesn’t like me.”

“It’s like being in high school again, I swear,” Jessica sipped her drink, “he doesn’t like me. You’re with him 24/7. He’s making literal heart eyes at you! Mark didn’t even make those eyes at me!”

“Oh well, Mark has the emotional capacity of a teaspoon, sometimes. I love him to pieces, but his emotional awareness is nearly in the negatives.”

“I wonder if the two of you got it from your dad or from your mom.”

“Oh from my dad for sure but – hey! I’m emotional! I mean, I understand emotions! I consider myself pretty level-headed, honestly, but still! I’d see something like that!”

“Then you best start looking at that man properly,” Jessica said, “because he’s clearly in love with you.”

It couldn’t be. Jessica was just seeing their banter as something more. After all, they had always been sarcastic and witty with each other, that was just how they talked. Sure, Tony may act a little differently when you two were alone, but that was just because you knew each other so well.

But… You had felt something, on occasion. Possibly.

No.

Pepper would have told you. Right?

“Agent!” Tony yelled from the kitchen suddenly, thankfully interrupting your thoughts, “Uh, slight change of plans, maybe?”

You groaned loudly, “what did you do?”

“Why do I always get blamed? Rhodey-bear just called. We’re going to Afghanistan a little earlier than we thought.”

“How much earlier?”

Tony didn’t respond, meaning it was so much worse than you could ever think.

“When, Anthony Edward Stark?”

“Anything but the legal name.”

You turned around in your chair, giving him the infamous two eyebrows.

“Anything but those eyebrows!”

Jessica was laughing loudly, nearly smacking the table. Mark, who had mysteriously appeared in the living room, also let out a snort.

“If I feed you, do I still get blamed?”

You groaned loudly, really turning up the dramatics, “pasta?”

“Tomorrow. Pasta tonight, flight tomorrow morning,”

You whipped out your phone immediately, nearly panicking, “I have a thousand meetings to move! Not to mention that banquet! And James can’t even go in your place! I don’t have-”

“Think of the pasta! Homemade pasta sauce, coming your way!”

“Think of the god damn rescheduling nightmare, you idiotic, genius of a man!”

“Right,” Tony said, “Mark and Jessica, may I offer my lovely driver Happy to a place of your choosing? Agent here will likely be yelling for a good hour or two before calming down.”

“I swear to god, I will kill you.” You told him, already calling up one potential new investor, “I – hello, Patrick? I’m so sorry but-”

You watched as Tony gestured for the two to, basically, make a run for it. You couldn’t help but shake your head at him, glad that he was so easy going to helping your family, but still feeling exasperated. It wasn’t Tony’s fault at all and it had happened before, but you were just getting to know Jessica.

“It was nice meeting you,” You called to Jessica as you threw Mark into a hug, “I’m sorry it’s cut short.”

“It was nice meeting you!” Jessica said enthusiastically, “I hope we can do this again.”

“And congrats again,” you told them both, “I’m so glad Mark met you.”

Mark smirked, “and you thought it’d be Jack first.”

“I plead the fifth,” you joked, “and Mark? Thank you, again, for everything. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

“No,” Mark said, “you don’t have to thank me for that. Ever. I can see how much happier you are, even if you’re working yourself to the bone. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“This may be the first time I’m walking people out the door,” Tony said, “consider yourselves blessed.”

Some things will never change, Tony’s attitude included.

“It’s crazy to think that I first looked at this a year ago.”

“Going on two years now,” Tony replied, reviewing the test run of the Jericho missile on his phone, “Rhodey is practically salivating at this. Can’t wait to hear him rehearse his little speech thirty times while we’re on the plane.”

“Not everyone can wing something like this,” you reprehended, “I know I couldn’t.”

This was a bit different than anything you’ve been doing.

In theory, you knew SI was building weapons. You were part of a weapons design company, after all. You had never been to one of Tony’s military… Whatever the hell you called this. Sales pitch? You had only ever been making meetings with people, maybe helping with Tony’s initial designs, but you had never seen what SI’s weapons could do.

“Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!”

“Ugh,” you said, looking at Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair magazine with a little less than respect. You never enjoyed the magazine even if it did have some well-written articles. Not to mention, you know exactly why Vanity Fair selected Christine for the job of interviewing Tony Stark.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony answered, nearly making you groan out loud, “what is it?”

The woman oozed confidence, something that irked you. You would have tried to get in the car but Tony had, inconveniently, stopped right in front of the door.

“You've been called the da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?”

What kind of shit question was that?

“Absolutely ridiculous. I don't paint.”

You couldn’t hide your pleased smirk.

“And what about you, Mr. Stark’s infamous PA,” Christine turned her cheshire smile towards you, “What do you think of his other nickname, the “Merchant of Death?””

You tilted your head, not used to be asking such a politically charged question in defense of Tony. Tony had stepped in front of you, enraged now, but you were ready.

“Stark Industries is a weapons design company,” you told her flatly, “We have contracts with all branches of the American military. The day weapons won’t be needed would be fantastic but, for now, designing and building weapons is what is keeping the American people safe. Painting Stark Industries as the bad guy won’t gain you any publicity.”

Christine looked just as pissed as you imagined Tony was a moment ago. Still, you couldn’t help but feel proud of yourself for such a well rounded answer.

“My old man had a philosophy,” Tony added, "Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy."”

“That's a great line coming from the guy selling the sticks.”

This woman wasn’t going to quit, was she. You tried to open the door, urging poor Happy to help, but Tony was unrelenting.

“My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people would call that being a hero.”

Oh, well, okay… You had your own opinions about Howard Stark, something you would never tell Tony unless directly asked, but that was besides the point. Tony should be deescalating at this point, not adding on.

“And a lot of people would also call that war profiteering.”

“So we’re just going to ignore SI’s advancements in medical technology?” You added, feeling your own frustrations boiling over, “That funding comes from our government contracts. Stark Industries isn’t only weapons design. AI technology, intelli-crops, medical advances… All through military funding. It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.”

“That’s a lot of strong beliefs for someone who warms Tony Stark’s bed.”

Your glared at the woman, feeling yourself balk at having someone outright say something so risqué about yourself.

“This is over,” Tony said, pointing at the woman, “you come after her again and the only career you’ll have is flipping burgers.”

Tony finally opened the door and, always the gentlemen, allowed you in first.  

You looked out the window as Happy drove off almost immediately, your thoughts a little all over the place. You knew people thought it constantly – it had happened to Pepper, after all – but it was another thing for someone to say it right to your face.

“Bitch,” Tony said for you, “you alright?”

“Oh yeah,” you replied, meaning it, “bound to happen sooner or later, isn’t it?”

“Those were some great answers,” Happy said, “least she could do was publish your response.”

“Oh hey,” you said, wanting to end this whole thing, “it’s Pepper’s birthday tomorrow! And, I was saving this as a surprise, but we need a pickup after that… She stopping by in the morning!”

“No shit!” Tony said, “I’ll let Rhodey know. I’ll be good to see the spitfire in person.”

“You also bought her a new bag,” you told Tony, “It’s very nice. Latest style.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it,” Tony said, “It’s from me, after all.”

Classic Tony.

“PEPPER!”

You ran to her, grabbing her in for a hug. She looked great as always. She no longer wore her business casual clothes but a nice shirt with comfortable jeans. She looked happy as well, her eyes glowing, and you were almost jealous.

“It’s fantastic to see you!” Pepper said, sneaking Tony into a hug that he immediately complained about, “and you too, if I have to say something.”

“Pep, my feelings!” Tony grumbled, “You like agent more than me now!”

“That was always going to happen, Mr. Stark,” Pepper said, “You’re a common enemy.”

“Enemy?”

“Where is she?” Rhodey asked, peaking out from the lab stairs, “I heard agent screaming from all the way downstairs.”

“James Rhodes,” Pepper said, “what a great surprise! You didn’t tell me he was available!”

“I had to have some sort of surprise,” You said, “the original team, right? Seriously Pepper, it’s amazing how long you lasted. I lose more and more of my sanity every single day.”

Pepper raised an eyebrow, “you had very little sanity left to lose.”

Everyone laughed at that. It felt good to have Pepper around – Pepper, who made Tony the man he was. Who ran SI with a head held so high that no one dared to question her. She was your inspiration, honestly, and having her around felt like a breath of fresh air.

“We gotta catch that plane,” You told Pepper, “but maybe you could take a drive with us? I can have Happy pick us something to eat on the go?”

“Sounds perfect,” Pepper said, smiling kindly at you, “you look great, by the way. Never had any doubts.”

You blushed, “thanks.”

“How’s papa Pepper,” Tony asked, “last you told us he was recovering well.”

“He’s good!” Pepper said, “he’s getting the best treatment, thanks to you. I even got a job since he wanted some more freedom. And it’s a good way to pass my time too. I miss it here, though.”

“You could always come back,” you said, meaning the words, “I could always use the help.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t,” Pepper said, “I want to stay close to family.”

“It’s feeling far too domestic in here, isn’t it Rhodes?”

“Is the big baby Tony Stark scared of a little emotion?”

“I hate you.”

“Get,” you told them both, “car. In the car. Go.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

You rolled your eyes as they tried to push each other down the stairs. It was good to see them have some fun, you’d give them that, but it was still something else to watch them be children.

Pepper hooked her arm around yours very suddenly, “are you dating that man yet or what?”

Your head whipped towards her, feeling bamboozled, “Am I doing what now?”

“Dating him,” Pepper asked again, as if she was asking about the weather, “I could practically spell out true love the moment he caught you working in his lab. I’ve never seen him more star struck.”

That was the second time someone was actually asking you. You felt like you really were losing your sanity. How could two people point it out to you and yet not notice it yourself.

“Oh dear, you should see your face,” Pepper tutted, “you looked like you’re fighting a bear. I’d have thought Tony would try, at least.”

“No, nope,” you answered, “didn’t… Didn’t ask a thing. I mean, I haven’t noticed. Maybe I’m just dense? My brother’s fiancé said – I’m not that dense!”

Pepper hummed a sad note, “do you not like him?”

“I…”

You had no idea at this point. He drove you crazy. He had erratic behaviors, not to mention a drinking problem. He still had his playboy act firmly in place. He was a level of genius that sometimes scared you. He was eccentric. He was Tony Stark!

But he was kind. He knew everything about you. He made you dinner when you were having a really hard week. He made you laugh. He made you feel comfortable. He was a really great friend when you needed him to be. He met your brother.

“Come on,” Pepper said, “they’ll wonder where we went. Besides, we have a lot more to talk about.”

You gulped… For some reason, you had a feeling Pepper was going to be unrelenting about this. 

Chapter Text

“We’re not drinking.”

“Strip poker, then?”

“How is that a good compromise? And besides, what are you, a frat boy?”

“I was, once upon a time. Let Rhodey tell you.”

“You are the biggest bullshiter I know. You were what? Sixteen? Get the hell out of here. I was getting you out of fights, not off girls.”

“Come on, stick in the muds. One drink. What harm could it do?”

“Because I’m competitive,” you told them both, “and if you go shot for shot with me, I’m absolutely slamming them down to make a point. And, if we do that, that’s two hungover people demonstrating a very destructive weapon, which is a terrible idea.”

“Hot towel, sir?”

“Oh hi, sorry,” You said to the woman, obviously not just a stewardess, “none of that. You’re beautiful, just can’t have them distracted.”

“I can distract you, if you’d like?”

Your mouth fell open, honestly impressed. You weren’t technically shy, not really, but after Tyler’s shit attitude about purity, you felt yourself freezing in confusion.

Tony laughed loudly at your plight, “oh my god, you broke her! I can’t thank you enough.”

You glared at Tony, “sue me for swinging both ways!”

Rhodey choked on his water, “you do what now?”

Was your face on fire? It must have been considering you could have sworn you were seeing red. You glared at Tony as he pointed and laughed at Rhodey’s reaction. The poor man looked like he was having a seizure.

“Is that a no, then?”

Someone save you.

“It’s a how about another time?”

“Oh my god,” Rhodey said, looking at you as if you had grown ten heads, “where were you hiding this?”

“Not in the closet, that’s for sure,” you said, just to be witty as you winked at the girl, “thanks, love, but I really do need to focus on work.”

All three of you watched as she quite literally sashayed away, and, if you were honest with yourself, looking rather good. You had your own adventures with women long ago and you had just learned how much that desire apparently hadn’t died. Interesting.

“That was…” Tony swallowed, “That was the hottest thing I’ve seen. I’m blushing. Look at me, Rhodes, I’m blushing.”

“I’m dying,” Rhodey said, “mind blown. Holy shit.”

“I told Tony a million years ago that I wasn’t a prude,” you grabbed at the diagrams once again, wanting to look them over, “just because I got married young doesn’t mean I didn’t have any fun.”

“You know, Rhodey-bear,” Tony batted his eyelashes at the poor man, “You’re taking half the menu off the table if you’re stuck on one thing.”

“I know you don’t care, Tones,” Rhodey said, and you actually found yourself surprised that Rhodey knew already, “but come on, you gotta admit that agent batting for the other team is a shock and a half.”

“Alright, enough about me,” you complained, “working. We’re working. I want to get this done and then take a very long nap. Last thing I want is to be thrown into the deep end with hardly any sleep.”

They both grumbled as they picked up the various documents. Granted, James less so. You were a good team, you had to admit, with you being able to wrangle Tony when he became too much. You were especially good at getting the two man to work together without getting off topic.

“Will you two relax?” Tony complained, leaning back in his seat, “we’ve done this hundreds of times. You’re giving me hives, agent.”

You had admit that there wasn’t much more to do. After all, you weren’t technically speaking. You were simply his PA, taking notes and making phone calls when needed. Your presence also helped to calm his infamous short fuse, something that Rhodey abused far too many times.

In other words, you were just Tony’s babysitter.

“You’re right,” You agreed, relaxing in your seat, “we got what? Another two hours until we land? Might as well relax.”

You would have thought you had accomplished world peace with the way Tony was carrying on. He laid down on the couch almost immediately, phone in hand as he scrolled through whatever passion project he was working on. JARVIS was already at his fingertips as well, updating him about the progress of his latest design.

You, on the other hand, very eagerly left the so-called party section of the jet, heading to your office with a wave to James, who had found his own place to take a nap.

You laid down on the small mattress with a groan, rubbing at your eyes. The conversation you had with Pepper was still rolling around in your brain, near tormenting. Pepper had been so sure that Tony would have asked to date you by now – damn near shocked that he hadn’t said a word. In fact, she looked ready to slap him.

You loved your job. You loved James. You loved Pepper. You loved waking up every morning busy and with a purpose. You loved the work you get to do with Stark Industries’ many different divisions. You loved Tony.

You loved Tony.

You loved the way he would fall into a project. You loved the way he tried to make everything comfortable for you. You loved the way he laughed – really laughed – with his eyes lighting up with such mirth that it stole the breath from your lungs.

You loved the way he cared for you. He took you seriously, all of your silly ideas, and he made you feel as if you were actually important.

He was stubborn, and idiotic, and made mistakes.

But he had always done right by you.

Now what the hell do you do with a revelation like that?

Tony looked…

You had seen him after drinking too much. You had witnessed him after he had a girl over. You’d see him bitch about a certain ice cream flavor he wanted and seen him moan over having to go to yet another meeting. You had even seen him tear up when you had given him a birthday present.

But you had never seen him like this.

He wore a suit that not only screamed money, it screamed power. Tony was in his element, shaking hands so fast and with such confidence that people left his orbit at breakneck speed. He was intoxicating, the person with the winning deck, and it left you speechless.

The Jericho was to the left of him as he gave his speech. He sounded detached – serious yet unthinking – and yet people hung onto his every word. Even you leaned closer.

“For your consideration,” Tony said, looking at you, “the Jericho.”

There was a word that came to mind as you watched the Jericho fire for the first time.

Mistake.

You had seen your own designs through JARVIS’ program. You had watched trajectories be calculated, seen Tony design the casing, and had even ran a small scale test in a lab in upstate New York.

But as you watched the dust collect along the mountains – as you saw the sound wave roll over the desert towards you – you couldn’t help but gasp as Tony raised his arms just in time, showing every single one of them just how much power he had.

He looked like a vengeful god.

You watched numbly as he walked over to you, the spell broken, yelling something about discounts, and you felt nearly sick to your stomach as you considered the implications of a weapon like this.

“Look at that,” Tony said as if you world view didn’t just shatter, “SI stock just went sky high.”

But you couldn’t joke, not at a time like this.

“Good job, hot shot,” James said for you, “the general is gonna eat this up.”

“I’m starving,” Tony complained, “You starving, agent? What’s the American government got for us this time? Not fish again, I can’t bear it.”

His arms had been outstretched, relishing in the destruction their weapon bought. How many times had he tested the Jericho to know when that soundwave would hit his back? How did he know how powerful that weapon would be?

Who were you to design something like this?

“Hey, agent?” Tony called, and you just now realized you had missed the fact that they were walking away, “I said fun-vee, didn’t I? Come on, me and you. Honey-bear here is gonna have to drive the hum-drum-vee.”

You looked out at the mountain one last time, seeing the dust finally begin to settle. That could be people’s homes. That could have been the lives of thousands with just one of your designs. What had you done?

“I’m coming,” You said, knowing that you couldn’t have a conversation like that now, “Sorry. Just got… Distracted.”

“Happens to us all, no sweat,” Tony said, and for the first time you wished someone could understand your panic, “Requirement, though. Ladies first in the fun-vee.”

You let him help you in the vehicle, managing a small smile at the marines in front of you. It was a short ride, you knew that, but it would be hell in your own head.

Tony sat next to you, his thigh touching yours. For a moment, you let that comfort you. It wasn’t the first time Tony had to be close. Right now, with your head as heavy as it was, it felt okay.

They drove in silence for longer than you thought Tony capable. He was glancing at you now, obviously noticing something, but you couldn’t bring it to yourself to care. You couldn’t think. All you could see was the destruction, the lives you would no doubt ruin in the future… What could you do?

“I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial,” Tony said minutes later, “This is crazy. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me. What, you're not allowed to talk? Hey, Forrest!”

“I’m so sorry,” you said to them all, feeling yourself unfreeze at Tony’s familiar sass, “despite appearances, he’s actually had very little human contact. Left him socially inept, if you can believe it.”

The group of soldiers laughed, making you feel a bit better. You made yourself relax your shoulders, leaning back into the seat. You felt as if you were defrosting.

“Oh, I see,” Tony said with a teasing lift to his voice, “So it's personal?”

“No,” a woman said, and you felt yourself shake your head for not realizing there was another woman in the car, “you intimidate them.”

“One sexist word about this soldier and you’ll find out just how good my right hook is, Tony Stark.”

That had the entire place nearly screaming in laughter, especially when Tony made a show of wanting to switch seats with the man in the passenger seat. Even you smiled at that, lightly smacking him on the arm.

“You’d make a good soldier yourself, ma’am,” the driver said, “got a good head on your shoulders.”

Funny that you had just questioned that only moments ago, “wrangling Tony is the easier part of my job, believe me.”

“She’s my heart and soul,” Tony lamented, “the light of my life, the love in my beating heart… And yes, she kicks ass. Who wouldn’t love a woman like that?”

And he winked at you!

You felt the blush across your face once again, wondering what the hell made him say such a speech. You wanted to sink into the cushions.

“Is it cool if I take a picture with you?”

Good. A distraction from your very confusing thoughts.

“Yes. It's very cool,” Tony answered immediately, “but it must include agent here.”

“Tony!” You admonished, “I’m not the famous one.”

“Did you know she designed the Jericho with me,” Tony told them all, as if he was a proud parent, “second day on the job. First day she criticized my entire network infastructure right in front of me. Trust me, if you want a picture, it’s gotta be with her.”

She designed the Jericho with me.

That feeling of dread came again, bringing you down. Was that going to be your legacy – Tony’s legacy?

Tony swung an arm around your shoulders.

Your head snapped to him, confused by the action. He wasn’t one for physical contact. In fact, you could count on one hand how many times he had hugged you. You had liked that about him – a man that respected your boundaries – and yet… Yet the weight across your shoulders felt good. Felt better.

You were going insane, weren’t you?

“Come on,” someone complained as a camera was held up in front of your face, “Hurry up. Just click it. Don't change any settings. Just click it.”

The world exploded not with a bang, but with the click of a camera.

You screamed as something hit the side of your car, nearly toppling it. Tony’s arm tightened around your shoulders, pulling him closer to you, and you panicked more when you heard gunfire – actual gunfire – ring out around you.

“Tony!” You called out, grabbing at his hand like a child, “oh my god!”

“What’s going on?” Tony shouted to everyone, holding just as tightly, “What’s-”

“Contact left!” The woman said, “We have to-”

She was caught off in the middle of her sentence – a puppet with its strings cut – and you felt yourself lose it at the blank stare in her eyes. You hadn’t known her, not really, but to see someone lose their life just like that?

You were scared. You were fucking terrified.

Someone pushed your head down, right into the cushion of the car, and then a body was on top of your back, covering you.

“Stay down!” Tony said in your ear, “I need a gun! Someone give me a fucking gun!”

“Stay in the car! Stay in the fucking car!”

Tony’s body weight was nearly suffocating, but you didn’t care. Tony was here. Tony was close. Tony was breathing. Tony was okay. Sounds exploded in your head, things so loud that you felt broken and disjointed, lost in the nightmare going on around you.

“Agent, we have to go!”

Your eyes were closed. When had your closed your eyes? When had Tony gotten off of you? When had he opened the door to the Humvee? When had he grabbed your hand?

“Agent!”

You were crying, you realized. You were useless, you realized. You had to help Tony. You had to keep Tony safe. You had to be okay. Why couldn’t you fucking move?

Tony screamed your name – your real, god-given name – and you felt yourself jolt into awareness. You jumped out of the Humvee with his hand in yours, letting him pull you to where he wanted. You dodged around weapons and bodies as if you had done it all of your life.

“Cover, we need cover,” Tony said, pulling you towards a rock, “Get down! Come on, get down!”

“Rhodey!” You shouted just as you made it behind the rock with Tony, “Tony, I can’t see Rhodey!”

Tony had his phone out, was even typing something while he responded, “We’ll find him!” but it was then you saw it.

The funny thing was, you could feel Tony tense up. His shoulder was against yours, as strong as the rock that you were leaning against, and yet you stayed pliant.

You knew, looking at that damn bomb just feet away from you, that there was absolutely nothing you could do. No amount of running could stop your death.

You managed to turn your head just in time.

Tony’s eyes found yours, pleading and desperate, and you had just enough time to grab his hand and squeeze, offering comfort in any way you could.

It didn’t take long to lose consciousness.

Perhaps that was your mercy. You and pain had never been good friends. Despite Tyler’s beatings, you had never coped well with injuries. In the moment, you had always managed to dissociate. Nothing hurt inside your head, not really, but when Tyler would leave the room, leave you lying in your own blood, you would start to feel everything he did to you.

This time? This time the pain came in waves.

You’d catch images of things as if was a loose connection on a TV. A cave, of all things, just barely lit. A cot of some kind, straight out of a army base, and a firepit. A metal tray filled with silver tools. A man with glasses leaning over you.

Tony.

Just once you had seen Tony, mouth open in a silent scream, back arched. It had scared you, nearly brought you back to reality, but whatever was wrong with your own body forced you back to unconsciousness, even with your utter terror.

Then, randomly, you woke up.

Tony was hovering above you, his hand on what you realized was your very sweaty forehead. His hair, meanwhile, was in disarray, something that made you always want to run you hand against it and fix. It was his eyes though that kept you awake – so filled with pain you almost didn’t recognize him.

“Hey, hey, there’s my agent,” he said to you as his thumb rubbed softly at your cheek, “you with me?”

“With…” your throat. Your throat was on fire, so dry that it hurt to swallow.

“Don’t talk,” Tony said gently. Gently, as if you were broken.

You studied him closely. You were too weak to hold your head up – to move any part of your body, really – but he looked… It scared you, how tired he looked. Something had happened. What had happened?

“I don’t have a lot of time,” Tony said, “I uh… It’s shit. It’s real shit. Gotta be honest, not seeing a lot of good options.”

The bomb.

Where? When? How long?

“Ton-”

Tony grabbed your hand, the very hand you were trying to hold out to him, and squeezed it just as tightly as when you thought you would die.

You weren’t dead.

You weren’t dead?

“Credit where credit is due,” Tony said, “you’ve put up a hell of a fight. Yinsen tells me he managed to close up all of your shrapnel injuries but… But you got an infection.”

In an act you had no idea he could do, he brought your hand up to his lips, ghosting over your skin, “but you’re… You’re not gonna make it if I don’t do something.”

He thought that would scare you.

You had thought death would scare you, once upon a time. Before Tyler showed his true colors, you had feared death. You had a family to start, after all, and had a job at your brother’s mechanic shop as the front desk. You enjoyed every bit of joy that life gave you.

But after… Well, you learned that death wasn’t something to fear.

You dying? That was acceptable. That was something you could live with.

“O…K…” You managed to say, squeezing his hand, “Tony.”

“No,” Tony said, something darkening in his eyes, “Listen to me. I can save you. I can… The serum. My father’s serum for Captain America. I can replicate it. I can save you.”

What the hell was he talking about?

You had… You had to communicate. Properly. You needed more information.

“Wa…Ter.”

Tony nearly spasmed. He nodded his head, leaning over to grab at something to the left of him. He held up a cup of water, the sight of it near euphoric.

“Come on,” he said softly, “sit up, buttercup. You think you can do it?”

You shook your head, knowing just by how much you wanted to close your eyes that you didn’t have the energy. He nodded at that, looking resigned.

“You know,” he… Moved behind you? “This is not how I wanted to get into your bed, for the record. I’m gonna help you sit up, alright?”

You might have had something to sassy to say back but before you could even think of making a rude hand gesture, Tony was pushing at your shoulders.

Pain.

An unbelievable pain overtook you. You gritted your teeth as your stomach flared up, causing you to hunch into yourself. For a moment, you were scared you were going to pass out again. Instead, you were forced to ride it out, shaking as you attempted to overcome whatever the hell was wrong with you.

You realized, dimly, that Tony was against you, his front to your back, supporting you. He had his arm wrapped around your chest, holding you to him, and the other held out the cup of water.

“Easy, easy. Stay with me. Take it when you’re ready.”

You were panting, stupidly weak, but you were desperate to talk to him. You took the cup of water, shaking like a leaf, but managed to bring it to your lips.

It was heaven. Despite your heavy breathing, the water cleared your head incredibly well, leaving you with just enough awareness to understand just how dire this was.

“What… Happened,” You asked him and he took the now empty cup from you, “where… Are we?”

“I don’t have time,” Tony said your name in a whisper, “they’re listening, alright? But hear me out… They want the serum anyway. If I don’t give it to you, it’s going to some other asshole regardless.”

“You’re not making… Any sense,” you told him, trying to focus, “the serum… Was unstable.”

“I never really attempted it,” Tony told you quickly, “that was my father’s gimmick. I didn’t ever want to touch bio-engineering, let alone something as complicated and lucky as Steve Roger’s stick. But the serum healed every single thing about that man. It can heal you.”

What the fuck were you supposed to do with information like that?

God, hours or days or months before this, you biggest hardship was falling in love with your boss. Now? Now your life was hanging in the balance – your very morals were being questioned – and your boss was holding you as if you were some 1920s sick wife.

Where had that thought come from?

“Infection?” You asked him, needing to know what was wrong with you.

Tony’s arm, somehow, brought you even closer to his chest, “you took a nice little nap, let me tell you. You were out for twelve days, recovering. Hope you think scars are cool because you got some decent ones underneath all of those bandages. And, ha, since you can’t hit me… Love a woman with some scars.”

He always had a way to make you laugh.

“But… Yinsen, the doc here… None of the antibiotics are working. He was gonna… He was gonna let you go in your sleep.”

And kind doctor in a place like this? Sounded unreal.

“My point…” Tony let out of breath of air, sounding defeated, “please let me save you. Please.”

“Why?” You asked him, knowing that it was a hard question but absolutely needing to know.

Tony’s sucked in air and… And his head went to your shoulder, his arms wrapping around you and hugging him closely to his chest.

“Will you believe me if I say I fell madly in love with you?”

Your head hung at the confession, hating-hating-hating that it was now, with these choices hanging over your head. You hadn’t known what you wanted with him, not really, but you knew that this would be the only moment you had.

Tears gathered in your eyes.

“I was ready…” You said to him, just managing to lay your hand on top of his, “ready… To die… But… Can’t… leave you.”

 “I’m irresistible, after all.”

You managed a smile, “Love… You too. For awhile.”

Tony’s lips found the crook of your neck, just the press of his lips, and even with being as weak as a kitten, you allowed him this. Even in your own vulnerability you know what the kiss meant. You trusted him after all and, seeing as you couldn’t see his eyes, this would mean the most.

“Promise me…” you said, because it had to be, “no one else… Gets the… Serum.”

Tony nodded against you, obviously trying to be discreet, “Promise.”

Then you would do it. If Tony thought he could, if he could save you, you would do it. Maybe not for yourself, but for the man that was willing to risk it all for you and you alone.

Your head lolled, just for a moment, and you realized you didn’t have long.

Tony did too. He slowly began to extract himself from you, lowering you into the bed as softly as he could. You couldn’t help but slam your eyes closed as that god awful pain washed over you again, wanting to pull you under.

Tony’s hand again found the side of your face. You smiled underneath his hand, leaning into his touch. It felt good to do this and, blame how tired you were, but you couldn’t help but love the way his touch felt.

“Go to sleep,” Tony said, “one of us might as well take a load off, eh. It’s all that work-a-holic bullshit catching up with you, that’s why you’re sleeping on the job now.”

Your eyebrow furrowed at his tone, “you… Hurt?”

“Nah,” Tony said, and you knew he was lying, “got to talk to my favorite woman, least hurt I’ve been since we arrived in hotel hell.”

You couldn’t do it anymore – not with Tony petting your hair, “stay… Safe.”

And then, before you could hear his response, you were gone.

Here’s the thing… You didn’t question if Tony could even do it or not.

Tony had never once questioned himself. You would have called it arrogance the first time you had seen him in the lab but, when working with him, you saw that it wasn’t just arrogance that drove him, it was experienced.

When he told you he had an idea, it became reality. He shaped the very universe he was in by thoughts alone, as if it was the very ground beneath his feet was simply in his way.

It had terrified you, sometimes. Late in the morning, watching the man hardly say a word as he studied line after line on a diagram, going over equations you barely had a hope of understanding… His focus would be the death of him.

So the only thing that had terrified you upon waking up again was just how hurt he was considering he couldn’t even pull off a lie when you had asked.

“Your agent is awake, Stark.”

Your eyes flashed open at the unfamiliar voice, not liking it. You had no strength, nothing to protect yourself, and you hated that you went through violent possibilities first before considering that the person was harmless.

But there was Tony – rushing towards you, a smirk so reminiscence of their banquet days that it calmed you nearly instantly.

“Hey there, hot stuff,” Tony said kneeling down to you, “welcome to the land of the living.”

“Feels like hell,” you said, because it did, and Tony looked just as bad, “how long?”

“Another three very long days without my woman,” Tony said, “seems the antibiotics are finally working.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. What did that mean? How was it possible to go from nearly dying to recovered? Why would Tony tell you about the serum? Why –

Oh.

You were dense. Of course Tony didn’t want to say it out loud. If he had managed it – if he had actually done the impossible – why broadcast it now?

You nodded at him just slightly, letting him know what he meant. Still, it seemed unreasonable that you couldn’t recall even going through whatever miracle drug Tony had managed to create. From your very limited amount of historical knowledge, Captain America had gone through a hell of a treatment to become a superhuman.

“Scared the bejesus out of me, not going to lie,” Tony said, “you went through a rough patch going through the treatment. I mean, you confessed to your love of showtunes to poor Yinsen over there. No one deserves that.”

What? How was it possible that you forgot something like that?

“I… Don’t remember,” you told Tony, needing to know if that was normal.

“A good thing, yes?” A man’s voice said over Tony’s shoulder, “the treatment was… Unpleasant but a success.”

“Ah yes, the optimist,” Tony said, rolling his eyes and letting you know just how much he trusted the man with that very action, “agent, meet Yinsen. A very talented doctor.”

“Who had the patience of Jobe,” you teased Tony, “How many days has it been with just you and Tony? I imagine sanity is hard to come by.”

Yinsen moved into your line of sight, meaning you had just caught the tale end of a surprised smile, “he has told me that your teasing knowns no bounds. It is good to know that is true.”

“Oh good, now I got two of ‘em,” Tony complained, “one to tell me I got shit to do, the other one to tease that I got shit to do.”

“Oh, so things haven’t changed?” You asked, “that’s very surprising. I-”

Something felt like it kicked you in the stomach. You groaned as you moved your hand over the offending… Cramp?... Wincing as you tried to understand what the hell was happening. It was not your period, that was for sure, but it burned something fierce.

“A flare up,” Yinsen said, but it wasn’t to you, “it is expected. Now, agent, do you mind if I take some vitals?”

Your eyes flickered to Tony who, despite Yinsen’s assurances, looked worried. You realized suddenly that Tony had grabbed your hand after that “flare up”, something that didn’t surprise you in the least.

“Long as you promise you’re actually a nice doctor,” you teased, but it fell flat, “yeah, vitals work.”

“She doesn’t like to be touched,” Tony told Yinsen, sounding very much like a concerned husband from the medical dramas you so did not like, “and trust me, she’s got a mean right hook.”

“Seems the two of you have that in common,” Yinsen replied, putting the stethoscope in his ears, “Help lift her up, Stark. Best we get her on her feet as fast as we can.”

God, sitting up? Talking was on thing – hell, being awake was one thing – but moving around and standing? That felt like a pipe dream.

“Alright, sweet thing,” Tony said, “up and at ‘em. Consider this payback for all those times you blasted music while I was recovering from a hangover.”

“This is…” You said, just as Tony started to help you up, “very… Fuck… Different.”

You were up. Your stomach felt like it was to burst into literal flames and your vision was swimming, but you were sitting up with limited help from anyone, which must have been a win. Yinsen, meanwhile, had moved behind you, putting his stethoscope on your back.

You realized, suddenly, that you weren’t wearing the clothes you had on. Which, of course, but it was just another reminder that none of this was normal. Actually, as Yinsen moved the fabric to the side, your realized it was simply a bedsheet that had been wrapped around you.

“Tony,” you said in a whisper, “I’m naked.”

“I’m my humble defense,” Tony said, keeping his tone light, “your clothes were shot. Would have been a paparazzi nightmare if they caught you like that.”

Your brain was starting to work. You were naked, likely injected with a miracle serum, and been asleep for more than twelve days. So… That at least explained the catheter and the raging hunger you had.

“Lungs are clear,” Yinsen said, “Squeeze Stark’s hand as hard as you can, please. And follow my finger as well.”

It felt surreal being in a fucking cave with the man you fell in love with and a doctor that was obviously just as much a prisoner as you were. You hadn’t quite gotten around to getting it through your head. Dying was one thing, living was very much another.

“Neurologically sound, but Stark tells me that’s up for debate,” the joke at least made you give a half-hearted glare at Tony, “very sorry, but the awkward part. The catheter should be removed.”

“You got any credentials there, doc?” You asked the man, hoping that you didn’t sound fucking terrified, “I don’t let just anyone down there.”

Tony squeezed your hand. It was apparently their new ritual, something that surprised you. You could remember every single time Tony held your hand before this, which was exactly zero, and it only made the circumstances that more depressing.

“I will grab gloves,” Yinsen said, “lay down, please.”

You had a bit of your temper act out for just a moment, ready to ask why he couldn’t have done this before you very valiantly managed to throw your legs over the side of the bed. Still, it helped that Tony continued to hold you, kneeling down as you laid on your back.

Your head went sideways to look at him, trying very hard to be whatever the definition of brave was during something like this, when something caught your eye.

Tony’s shirt was… Glowing? It was hidden spec of blue light, just barely visible, and jutting out of his chest just a bit. You hand went to touch it, to maybe wiped whatever it was away, but Tony stopped you with a light grip around your wrist.

“Nuh, uh,” Tony teased, “no touching the merch, sweetheart. Besides, hurts like hell.”

You felt confusion rear its ugly head again, “the flashlight hurts?”

Tony’s lips formed a line, “bit more than that.”

“Tony-”

“Hello again,” Yinsen said, interrupting you two, “Would you like Stark here or will you give me the honor of sending him to a corner?”

You realized that you very much liked Yinsen. In fact, you finally took the time to study him. He obviously wasn’t American, given the accent, and he held himself both with confidence and yet just enough without it that you felt rather safe with. He wore glasses that hung low on his nose, honestly giving him away as a doctor. If you weren’t introduced, you would have guess doctor or lawyer, honestly.

You wondered what the hell had happened that he ended up here.

He seemed kind and, if Tony trusted him, that was enough.

“Corner, please,” you said, because there had to be some boundaries in this place.

Yinsen simply raised an eyebrow at Tony, who moved away with a little bit of grumbling. You missed his hand in yours immediately but, seeing as some other man was looking at your parts, you simply could not handle the embarrassment.

Luckily, Yinsen worked quickly. There was no pain but you could feel your entire body blush as you very much tried to forget that Tony was in the room. What the hell kind of situation did you get yourself into?

“You had eight shrapnel impacts,” Yinsen explained as you sat up again, “six of them tore through sections of your colon and two of them punctured your right lung. I managed to recover them and close all of them but did not have the medications to keep the infection away.”

Seeing as the doctor had already seen you, you lifted the sheet away from your body and peaked down.

It was… Well, you couldn’t help it. You gasped at the angry surgical scar that went from your sternum to your belly button. It was a perfect cut but it was large, something you had never expected.

You had scars. You had younger brothers who loved to get dirty, after all. You even had a scar just on your hairline from where you had cracked your head on a stair. But this… This was something you could have never expected.

“Despite the medication,” Yinsen said, just a tad bit of an emphasis on medication, “the scar was healed but not gone. I am sorry.”

“Don’t,” you said, meaning the words, “you saved my life. Sounds like it took a skilled surgeon to save me.”

Yinsen’s lips twitched, “I’ve been told I have steady hands.”

“Can I move now, mother?”

“I dunno,” you answered instantly, “will you play nice?”

Yinsen laughed at that, looking surprised. You shrugged your shoulders at him, letting him know that it was fairly normal for the two of you to tease each other relentlessly.

Yinsen left your side as Tony came back to you. Instantly, your eyes went to his chest, wondering what the hell was causing such a glow.

“Rip the band aid off time,” Tony muttered. He glanced behind you, his eyes trailing up, and you realized that there was cameras around you, nearly on the four walls of the room you were in. They were watching.

Who the hell was they?

Then, Tony lifted his shirt.

You blinked multiple times, trying to understand what the hell your eyes were seeing. It was… Fuck, there was a device in Tony’s chest. It wasn’t just glowing, it obviously held a function. You couldn’t hep but stand to reach him, your fingers just lingering on the device, feeling it hum.

“Is this…” You could almost see it, “is this an arc reactor?”

Which was impossible. That kind of energy couldn’t be compressed so small. And why the hell would Tony have something like that lodged inside his chest?

“You are brilliant, you know that?” Tony said, “and yes. Small but packs a punch. It’s… Keeping shrapnel from entering my heart.”

“Shit,” you said, feeling your own heart skip a beat, “oh my god, Tony. If that thing fails, you’ll…”

He’ll die. You knew he was hurt, you could tell, but this? Too many things were being thrown at you at once. You felt like you could crawl into a different cave and just die.

“Yeah,” he said, putting his shirt down, “talk about a lesson on morality or whatever. It’s been a humbling thing, this place.”

It took a lot for Tony to admit that, you knew that. Hell, you had remembered him screaming but you could never imagine… It was unheard of. It was… It was insane.

There were voices. Your eyes went left and right, finally seeing the large metal door to the left of you. You froze as Tony pushed you behind you, clearly acting on instinct rather than anything else. Your hand went to his shoulder, trying to push him away, but before you could really put some strength behind it, the door opened.

The man that stood in front of you was intimidating. His eyes were nearly completely black and he used that to stare down at Tony with an intensity that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up. This man was dangerous, even more so than the two soldiers that stood behind him with guns.

Tony was spring loaded. He didn’t move a muscle as the man moved closer to you two, his silence a testament to how dangerous a situation this was.

You thought you knew fear… This was different. This was worse.

“Relax,” the man said with hardly any accent.

But you only gripped Tony’s shoulder harder as the man’s eyes lingered on Tony’s chest, clearly interested in it. How much did this man know about an arc reactor?

“The bow and arrow once was the pinnacle of weapons technology. It allowed the great Genghis Khan to rule from the Pacific to the Ukraine. An empire twice the size of Alexander the Great and four times the size of the Roman Empire. But today, whoever holds the latest Stark weapons rules these lands. And soon, it will be my turn.”

Even with Tony’s miracles, you suddenly were very aware that it was still very possible for all of you to die here.

The man’s head whipped towards Yinsen, who was frozen just at what you realized was a small fire. Yinsen was clearly just as terrified as Tony was.

They exchanged words in a language you couldn’t even hope to guess. Your heart beat wildly in your chest as the two became more and more animated. Then, just as suddenly, the man snapped his fingers at the soldiers and…

And they were walking towards you.

“Don’t you fucking touch her!” Tony said immediately, pushing you further back, your legs just hitting the cot, “Don’t even-

One of them batted Tony down with the butt of his gun to the gut, causing you to scream in terror. You tried to go to him as he fell to his knees, needing to know that he was okay, but there were suddenly very strong hands on you. You struggled as hard as you could – your feet even lifted off the ground – but they had pushed you in front of the ringmaster regardless.

“On her knees,” the man commanded, and, despite your struggles, someone kicked the back of your knee, sending you tumbling to the ground. The bed sheet you had around you slipped, revealing a bare shoulder, and the man’s eyes went immediately to the new skin.

You flinched violently as the man reached for you, his callused thumb rubbing at your naked skin. It felt worse than a snake bite.

“I’ll bite your fucking thumb off,” you told him, meaning the words, “get your hands off of me.”

Tyler’s raised hand flashed in your eyes. His perfect smile was set in a snarl, his eyes manic as he beat you down. The pain was hollow as his made contact with your cheek, sending you to your side just as fast as it had done the first time.

Stars danced in your eyes and your hearing came and went. Tyler’s – no, the man leered down at you and, before you could even try to get away, his hand was tangled in your hair.

Your screamed in fury as he dragged you around like a rag down, Tony’s shouts dimly ringing in your mind as your face was squished onto something incredibly hard and, dimly, you realized he had put your head on the anvil you had seen. Without mercy, the man held your face down on its side.

“He’s working!” Yinsen said in English, adding to the chaos, “your Jericho will be built!”

The man said something in his own language, the words laced with fury, and you watched in numb shock as one of his soldiers went to grab a coal from the fire. You felt pure terror as the coal was placed in front of your face, the heat already uncomfortable on your lips.

“Open your mouth.”

You couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t fucking breathe.

“Leave her alone!” Tony was saying, over and over again, “I’m building it! I’m building it!”

The hand in your hair tightened, causing you to bite your tongue. You refused to say a word not only to try to save yourself but to not say anything too. You knew they had hurt Tony, you wouldn’t let them scare you.

“You hurt her and I won’t build a fucking thing for you,” Tony said, “fuck your threats, if you hurt her, you won’t get shit.”

A part of you hated him for it. You hated that he would risk his own safety for you. You didn’t want any of SI weapon designs to go to these terrorists, let alone something as dangerous as the Jericho. You would die on that hill.

But a bigger part of you felt relieved that Tony would do so much for you.

You hated yourself for it – for that tiny bit of weakness.

“You have three months to assemble my missile. Then… Then there will be no mercy for her.”

Your head was released. You fell instantly, your arms just catching yourself so that you didn’t slam your head into the ground. You watched in slow motion as all three of them left the room as if it was all some horrible nightmare.

Your name was being said over and over again, your full name, and you nearly burst into tears when you realized it was Tony. He was on his knees, hands out to touch you but hesitating in a way that nearly hurt your soul.

You threw yourself at him, pulling him into a hug that you craved desperately, silent tears rolling down your cheeks as you realized how close you came to becoming mute.

Tony was caressing your head gently, whispering sweet words in your ear as your heartrate steadily came down. You realized dimly that you had lost a little bit of dignity, the bedsheet had fallen nearly off, and you almost laughed at yourself.

“What?” Tony asked, “Why… Why are we laughing?”

“You gotta admit,” you said in between your insane giggles, “this is not the first time there’s a girl in a bedsheet trying to cover herself up in front of you.”

There was a beat of silence then, almost in disbelief, Tony managed a laugh, “sexiest one ever and a hell of a woman.”

“Come,” Yinsen said, “I will look at your face. Then… Then we build.”

Your giggles stopped, your eyes flickering to the very thing that had scared you. The piece of coal was still glowing dimly, threatening you, and you wondered just how lucky you were to escape that fate.

As Yinsen gathered his supplies, as Tony moved over the small workbench, as the earth continued to spin… You sat in the middle of it and hoped that Tony’s strength would be enough.

Your face healed.

No, really. Only a day had passed and it no longer felt like you would pass out every time you opened your mouth. You had woken up testing out the motion nearly instantly. Then, you realized what could possibly cause you to heal so fast.

Well… You had a lot of questions about Tony’s medicine that was for sure, but you’d be damned if you asked about it in front of these assholes.

Granted, said assholes had finally found you some clothes to wear. You weren’t good at history and was ashamed to not know what it was called, but Yinsen informed you that it was a garbasaar. It covered all of your body which was something you would never, ever take for granted in a place like this.

It did suck when you were working on your soldering, however.

Tony’s vision of a movable piece of armor was something to admire. He had come up with it right after designing the arc reactor, something that still amazed you, and you had helped turn designs into reality, mostly working on the circuit boards rather than the larger pieces.

At night it was Yinsen that insisted they all stop and eat. It had become your job to cook with just a few jabs from Tony about being a housewife, but the action had helped in keeping some normalcy.

“Where’s your family, Yinsen,” you asked one night, getting used to the man little by little, “are they safe?”

Yinsen’s pain was easy to see and, without needing to know details, you had steered the conversation away from the topic.

It was decided from then on that no one would speak of anything outside this cave. Instead, you focused on the card games Yinsen could teach you, on the food you cooked, and the designs Tony and you had dreamed up.

Yinsen was intelligent, there was no debating that, but it wasn’t in engineering. Still, he was great help when you had what you were calling your bad days.

They couldn’t tell you, not with the cameras, but you knew that your metabolism had grown exponentially. Tony would constantly attempt to give his portion to you while Yinsen would make sure to have water always on hand. Whatever Tony had done to save you, it had changed your body. If you didn’t get enough food, you would feel faint.

It frightened you.

But there was nothing you could do.

Then, when the first month went by, you had your first nightmare.

Both of you had insisted that Yinsen get the cot. He had done everything to keep the two of you alive and it was the least you could do. So, you and Tony cuddled on the floor. It would probably fuck up your back for the rest of your life but at least it provided some protection.

When it had turned out that it was Tony’s time to watch the door, you had fallen asleep fitfully. Images flashed in your mind – a fire blazing across your skin, a needle waved high in the air, and someone just on the outskirts of your version – and then pain would wash over you, suffocating, and you would wake with a strangled scream caught in your throat.

They wouldn’t say anything. The memories were obviously repressed or something and while you were dying for answers, you weren’t ready to face that yet.

So that’s how you lived. Working all day, sleep in shifts and night, and whispers of “I love you”s any chance you got.

“Yinsen’s down for the day,” Tony said as he placed a piece of the armor next to your work, “he’s fine, we just didn’t realize the time.”

You hummed, “he deserves the sleep.”

Tony leaned his weight against the work bench, looking frustrated, “I gotta admit,” he said, his go to for admitting something very important, “didn’t think my proposal to you would be like this.”

You managed to creek your lips into a smile, “proposal, huh? What, wanna marry me already?”

“Yes.”

Your eyes snapped to his, surprised and yet not at all. You knew Tony fell into anything with a passion, people included, and it boggled your mind to know that he loved you with just as much care as he did for everything else he did.

You didn’t know what he saw in you, especially now, but you could bask in it for now.

“Tony,” you asked suddenly, “I’d like a kiss, if that’s alright.”

“Agent,” Tony said, moving half a step closer, “I’ve been waiting for that question since you walked into my office.”

His lips were gentle against yours, a press of his lips rather than something filled with lust, and you found that it wasn’t enough. You deepened it, demanding more, and Tony was eager to follow you. You weren’t willing to do much, not here, but it gave you a renewed hope to know that he was just as eager as you were.

You pulled apart like you had never kissed someone before, huffing and puffing as if you were teenagers, and smiling all the while. It was almost cute.

“I wouldn’t be here without you,” Tony said.

“Same here, buckaroo,” you said right back, “together or nothing.”

Tony leaned closer to you but, instead of kissing your lips, he kissed your forehead. He lingered there for a moment, eyes closed and everything, and then you watched as that infamous smirk was on his face.

“Together or nothing, baby.”

“And what of you, agent,” Yinsen said, waving his fork at you, “what brought you into the Stark Industries world?”

“Tony, of course,” you answered easily, “well, Stark Industries, really. I was a nobody there when it was decided that the division I worked closely with would be closing. In a fit of insanity, I snuck into the CEOs office and demanded that he change his mind.”

Yinsen looked anything other than surprise, which honestly ticked you off a bit, “and what made the infamous playboy settle down, then?”

“Well said insane woman informed me that everything with my network was a pile of crap. Smartest woman alive. I needed her.”

“Don’t say it like that,” you told him, “hardly the smartest, after all. I never even had an education.”

Yinsen shook his head, “and yet you are very good with the circuits.”

Tony was nearly glowing with pride, “soaks up information like a sponge, better than I ever could. Besides, the only thing university taught me was how to sneak away.”

You laughed lightly at that, imaging Tony sneaking out of his dorm room, probably to go goof off somewhere. You wondered what poor James would do to stop him. Would he-

James.

You realized dimly that you hadn’t thought of him. You hadn’t thought of anything about your normal life since you got to this hell hole. Had James made it out of that war zone? Had he lived? Who had taken up the mantel of SI? Stane? Did Pepper think both of you were dead?

“Hey, beautiful,” Tony said, interrupting your thoughts, “what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” you told him, shaking your head, “nothing to linger on, at least. Now come, Yinsen, tell me more about your mother tongue. Think you can teach me?”

“You are not going fast enough.”

You had learned that his name was Raza. He was just as intimidating as the first time you saw him. Tony was a stonewall against him, confident and cocky, but you couldn’t help but tremble as the man looked over your work on the Jericho.

It was hardly useable after two months of work, that was sure. If they were in the lab back home, it would have been done in hours. Granted, it wasn’t as if you were actually building the weapon here either.

“You’re giving me subpar parts,” Tony said, “it takes time to modify them.”

“I ask again,” Raza said, glaring at Tony, “do you think I am a fool?”

Just like before, Raza snapped his fingers… And the soldiers were upon you in a second.

“Hey, hey,” Tony shouted, trying to reach for you, but failing when Raza raised a gun to his chest, “I’m doing everything you asked!”

They weren’t dragging you to the anvil.

You think you nearly cried in relief. You had thought if you’d seen Raza again, you would not longer have a tongue. But no, the soldiers only dragged you to… To the door. They dragged you out of the room with Tony screaming your name.

You walked in a trance, following dark pathways through a fucking cave like a horror movie. For a moment, just one brief moment, you actually managed to see sunlight. Then, just as fast, you had been pulled away, shoved into a room the size of a closet.

Raza stood in front of you, unmoving like stone as the door slammed shut, and you found yourself staying on your knees. You felt like prey – if you moved, he would attack.

“Stark is an arrogant man,” he said, “and yet it is clear to see that you love him.”

You had nothing to say to that. If anyone had any right to asking you about your love life, it was Pepper.

“And you? You are naïve to think he can protect you. You are weak, just as every woman is.”

Your heckles were raised. Your eyes found his and you felt yourself glare at him in defiance, unable to stop it. He held all the power here, you knew that, but you couldn’t help but want to rip the man limb for him.

It was funny. Two months ago, you had thought about your own morality and the creation of the Jericho missile. Tony’s power was immense after firing off the Jericho, all consuming, and you were ready to beg to have him remove it from production.

Now? Now that you knew that it was already in the wrong hands, you felt sick.

You would have felt sick any way, but something else lingered in your thoughts. You knew what a man like Raza could do with a weapon like that… And you’d be damn if you let the man live.

“It was told that a man could live in silence for a maximum of a week before showing signs of mental degradation. You? I believe only a day or two before you lose your mind.”

Tony’s plan needed another month to become a reality. He’d be off the bit insane as well without you there, riddled with anxiety and guilt, and you would hate it for him to think that this man had killed you.

So, what to do? How could you go back to Tony?

“I understand why the men call you a coward,” you said, trying very much to sound like someone who wasn’t afraid of pain, “you’d do anything not to get your hands dirty.”

Raza’s fury was instant.

A hand went around your throat, squeezing tightly, and you were thrown into the wall behind you with a literal growl. Your hands went to his arm, scratching at him, but it didn’t seem to come close to phasing him.

“I wished to show mercy to Tony Stark’s whore,” he said in your ear, “but perhaps my methods will shut you up longer.”

It was a blur from there.

Tony had told you in whispers about the water boarding they had done to him. He hardly talked about it, just a causal mention of the burns around his arc reactor from it and then he was talking about something else, but he had still mentioned it.

Raza thought of other ways to hurt you. It started with kicking and progressed to burning you, holding a simple lighter to your arm and creating burns slowly.

You had no idea when you got dragged back to Tony. In fact, you didn’t remember passing out. You couldn’t really remember you own name anyway, so all of it seemed rather pointless. Then, when you were awake, the burns on your arms made you whimper like a weakling, seeking any sort of escape from the pain.

 Someone was kind enough to give you water. Someone was kind enough to put you on a soft surface to sleep. Someone was kind enough to dab at your forehead with a rag.

But that someone was nameless, irrelevant, all you cared about was never, ever feeling this type of pain again.

Then, one day upon randomly waking, the pain was gone.

The familiar sight of your cave walls was almost a blessing in your eyes. Tony was to the right of you, his one arm underneath your neck and the other curled gently around your stomach. His breath was tickling the back of your neck, but it felt like a cool summer’s night breeze.

Your eyes went to your own arms, studying them, only to find perfect skin where you knew there was supposed to be ugly and raised scars.

Had it been some sort of hellish nightmare? Had you dreamed of Raza’s downright evil treatment of you?

Tony’s arm tightened around your stomach, bringing you even closer to him. He woke slowly – the first time ever in this place – and you could feel the moment that he recognized you were awake.

“Thank god,” he said, and you almost had a heart attack, “you’re awake.”

“Yeah,” you answered, still reeling over the fact that Tony had seriously thanked a religious deity of some kind, “Yeah, I think I’m fine.”

“Is that agent?” Yinsen called, “I think I heard her voice, Stark.”

“Yeah,” Tony answered, getting up from the bed, making you want to almost whine at losing his body heat, “princess is awake.”

“What gives,” you asked, “a girl gets dragged off to hell and now all of you are acting like it’s the end of the world.”

“A girl gets fucking tortured,” Tony said, “and all of us are acting like you didn’t scare us half to death.”

You flinched at the venom in Tony’s tone. You turned to him instantly, not wanting to be lying down while having a conversation like this, but he was out of the cot in a moment, heading over to the workbench in a silent rage.

You felt… God, you felt awful. You thought your temper was going to get the best of you, honestly, but the moment you were sitting up, you felt your energy leave you. Your hands went to your eyes, rubbing them, and for a moment you caught a glimpse of Raza with that damn lighter.

“My head,” you moaned, realizing that’s what was bothering you, “shit.”

“You need to eat,” Yinsen said, walking over to you, “here, we saved some.”

You managed to remove your hands from your eyes, trying to feel braver than you felt. You felt off kilter, shaking from nerves, and Tony’s sudden ire made it even worse. Still, you took the food from Yinsen with what you hoped was a thankful look.

You silently asked him what was wrong with Tony only for Yinsen to shrug. You knew how terrifying it was to think someone was dying – to think someone was hurting – but it was expected here. Why would Tony not realize that?

As if he was hearing your thoughts, his shoulders slumped. He walked back to you, pointing at the spot next to the cot.

“This seat taken?”

You rolled your eyes, “if I wasn’t so hungry, I’d put my legs there just to make a point. Barring that, man of my dreams, it’s all yours.”

“Oh, sassy,” Tony said, “you know what your sass does to me.”

He always cheered you up, one way or the other. You leaned your body against his, trying to give both of you some comfort.

“I’m alright,” you told them both, “how long?”

“You were gone for five hours,” Yinsen answered, surprising you, “And asleep for nearly twenty-four hours.”

Tony’s hand found yours, even with the plate of food balanced on your lap. You took it instantly, glad that out of everything, he was still willing to be there for you.

“Gotta hide your arms,” he whispered in your ear, “can’t let them know…”

About your suddenly very good healing. Yeah, second degree burns didn’t just go away in a day. At least this time they let you keep your outfit. God, what you would do for a real shower.

“I refuse to see you like that ever again,” Tony said, “and Yinsen agreed. Three days and then we’re blowing this popsicle stand.”

You raised your eyebrow, “we hardly figured out the flight mechanics,” you told him, “we can’t walk an entire desert.”

“Handled,” Tony said, “Yinsen made me work while you were gone. Hate to say it, he might be the real slave driver in this relationship.”

Yinsen went red – tomato red – and you laughed loudly at that. You imagined it wasn’t exactly in good taste to talk about a threesome in these circumstances, but it was still fantastic to see such a reaction from the usually stoic man.

“Three days, huh,” you muttered, mulling it over, “yeah. I think we can do that.”

Tony squeezed your hand again.

With him by your side, you could do anything.

Chapter Text

“Okay,” Yinsen asked, sounding just as nervous as you felt, “Can you move?”

You bit your lip as Tony tested out the leg mechanics, raising his left then right foot, noting its weight. You weren’t confident about your circuit board, not with you rushing like you had been, but it seemed to be functioning as expected.

Your eyes were planted firmly on the old computer monitor, typing away at the rest of the programming and triple checking the weapons function. Without the repulsors, all of this would be useless.

“Yes,” Yinsen said, “say it again, both of you.”

“Forty-one steps ahead,” you both said in sync, “Then sixteen steps from the door, fork right, thirty-three steps, turn right.”

You noted the time, realizing it had been a bit later than you wanted to be seen on camera. You cursed as you moved about the prison cell, pacing restlessly with a random piece of metal in your hand. You hadn’t wanted to give yourselves away so soon.

Just when you were heading back to them, you heard voices at the door.

“Yinsen! Yinsen! Stark!”

Your eyes found Yinsen, pleading, and you hated yourself for relying on the man for something so dangerous. You had learned Urdu, Yinsen’s native tongue, in dribs and drabs, and had even progressed to Arabic, but whatever language the man was speaking on the other side of the door was unrecognizable.

“Say something,” Tony said calmly, as if all of this wasn’t a nightmare, “Say something back to him.”

“He's speaking Hungarian,” Yinsen said back just as fast, “I don't...”

“Then speak Hungarian.”

You had an insane urge to hit Tony on the arm for such a tone. It wasn’t Yinsen’s fault that he didn’t know yet another language. Still, you felt frozen as the voices continued to yell and shout at you. Your eyes turned to Yinsen, wanting to let him know that it was okay, but it was to your surprise that Yinsen looked determined.

Yinsen began to shout through the door as you continued your work. You could feel sweat gather on your neck, beyond nervous, but determined to get through this.

“we can do this,” you repeated to yourself in a whisper, “we can do this.”

“Damn right,” Tony said, “you know, my father used to say Stark men are made of iron.”

You could almost feel your eyes pop out of your head at Tony’s random confession. You had yet another insane urge to ask him what the hell kind of time he thought this was.

“But he was wrong, my Dad,” Tony smiled gently at you, “it’s their women.”

You shook your head, knowing that that wasn’t true, knowing that it was Tony that had given you all of your strength throughout this nightmare, but that’s when you heard the door explode.

You would have thought you’d be used to explosions, given your recent history. Gun fire, explosions, screaming… It was an average day here. But no, you still jumped when the bomb you had helped setup went off at the door, giving them some more time.

“How'd that work?” Tony asked, already smirking.

You rolled his eyes at his confidence, “this is no time for a pat on the back.”

“Oh, my goodness,” Yinsen, sounding impressed, “It worked all right.”

“That’s what we do,” Tony said, “together or nothing.”

What a hell of a mantra. You knew there and then that it would continue to follow you throughout your life, whether you wanted it to or not. You could imagine how long Tony held in Stark men are made of iron. It seemed both of you were destined to have something hanging over you.

“Let me finish this,” Yinsen said, taking the power tool from Tony’s grasp, “we must be quick.”

“Initializing the power sequence,” you told Tony, reading over the screen as fast as you could, “progress bar is up, two percent. Shit, control “I”. Okay, both sequences executed. Five percent. Yinsen, need help?”

“No, no,” Yinsen said, “come, stand next to Tony. He is our shield.”

You realized bizarrely that you had never heard Yinsen say Tony’s first name. It had always been Stark whether they were around the campfire or working. Even as you did what he said, you felt yourself study Yinsen closely, scared that he had something else planned.

“Together,” you reminded Yinsen, “We’ll get out of this.”

“I have seen scientific marvels in this place,” Yinsen said, nearly finished bolting Tony up, “many could not claim the same in their lifetime, let alone in front of their own eyes. You have both shown me the strength in belief in each other.”

Tony seemed to be thinking the same thing you were, “I’m not accepting a half-assed goodbye, Yinsen. You saved us both, it’s our turn.”

“It is not goodbye,” Yinsen said, smiling at you as his eyes flickered to the screen – seventy-eight percent, “it is simply a statement. Now… Now I will buy you some time.”

What?

Yinsen bolted. You did not think anyone could run that fast, let alone the man that was with them for more than two months. But fuck it, you’d be damned if you let him do this. You made to go after him but it was Tony who stopped you, lifting up the ridiculously heavy machinery just to grab at your arm.

“No,” he said strongly, “he’s got a better chance with our plan. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.”

“Ninety-two percent,” you said to Tony lowly, “that’s minutes away. Tony, what if-”

“No what-ifs,” Tony said firmly, “we’ll get ‘em. Stick to the plan. We can get him, I know it.”

Who were you to deny the man that saved your life? You let out of nervous breath as you stared at the screen in front of you, begging it to hurry up. You couldn’t hear anything except gunshots, one after the other, and each one had you flinching.

You couldn’t lose Yinsen. You couldn’t.

Then… One hundred percent.

You turned just in time to see the arc reactor glow brighter than ever before. You felt yourself take a step back as Tony stood, moving the armor one step at time, testing out the joints as if he had done it before.

You were reminded of the Jericho demonstration, how powerful he looked in that suit, and wondered just how powerful he felt in something this unbelievable.

“Let’s go.”

You snagged one of the guns on the floor, recognizing it from one of the SI’s production lines. You had never held a gun before in your life but you knew how it worked. You held it against you shoulder as if you’d done it before, as if it was natural for you to pick up a weapon that could kill someone, but you simply didn’t care.

You wouldn’t lose Yinsen. You refused.

The steps through the cave rang in your head, following Yinsen’s directions to a tee. Yinsen’s efforts were seen throughout, soldiers dead upon the ground, and you ignored the twisting of your stomach at the sight.

A group of them appeared up ahead.

You heard a powerful whirling noise coming from Tony’s machine, then, to utter destruction. You watched as the ceiling collapsed on top of the enemy, silencing them. This was insanity. This was unreal.

You heard a groan, hardly audible.

You were on your knees in a moment, hovering over Yinsen in a heap of limbs, looking over the damage. Blood ran in rivers underneath him, staining your clothing, but all you could care about was the fact that Yinsen was hurt. Was shot.

“I wanted this,” Yinsen said, looking kindly at you, “I wanted this. It is okay. I will see them again. My family.”

“Oh, Yinsen,” you said, tears gathering your eyes, “I’m so sorry.”

Yinsen managed to smile, eyes on both you and Tony, “Together or nothing. You need her, Tony Stark. Do not waste your lives.”

With a smile on his face, Yinsen let out one more breath and went still, leaving them both in this cave of nightmares. He had saved them twice over. He had done the impossible. He was the scientific marvel, not you.

“Goodbye, Ho Yinsen,” you said in Urdu, closing his eyes, “Thank you.”

You barely managed to stand. Your eyes filled with tears as you stood over a man that was so much more than you. Yinsen had deserved freedom, not a death like this.

You couldn’t see Tony’s face through the mask, but you could feel his anger. You had thought you had seen his power already, but it was another to see him vengeful. The suit was already terrifying – already a powerful weapon – but Tony made it into a promise.

“Get behind me,” He said, “it’s my turn.”

And you did. You were detached as Tony and you fought your way out of the cave, out towards sunlight, and in a daze you realized you were holding a gun and firing it, making sure no one could sneak up on Tony.

Things were a blur from there.

Tony mentioned that they needed an explosion big enough for some government to see it. For some reason, you hadn’t really considered the real-world implications of that. You watched as he shot at multiple half-built missiles and gunpowder, waiting for it. You didn’t know what to do.

“Get on!”

The hard part.

You knew Tony’s suit would be hot. It was firing off powerful weaponry, after all. Still, you had told Tony you could hang on even if it did burn you.

But as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders for the most messed up piggyback ride, you couldn’t help your scream in pain as Tony took flight.

You both screamed as you flew high, high, high up into the air, getting both propelled by the repulsors and the explosion itself. Tony had calculated everything for the weight of two people, not just you, and that was proven by the fact that you were so high in the air you were questioning if the fall was going to kill you.

As if the universe heard your thoughts, gravity came to bite you in the ass.

“Holy shit,” you screamed, and other various explicits as the ground came rushing at you. Tony tried to steer but there was just hardly any power left in the suit. With that, you landed hard.

You actually bounced against the sand, getting thrown around like a rag dog as you skidded across the rough texture. It hurt, that was for damn sure, and you couldn’t help but let out a few more groans as you finally came to a halt on your stomach, spitting out sand.

“Agent?” Tony yelled, “Where-”

“I’m alright!” You yelled back, already attempting to get to your feet, “You?”

“I think I ate a pound of sand,” Tony said and, as the world finally stopped spinning, you saw him. He was throwing off the rest of the useless armor, no doubt eager to get the flaming metal off. You rushed to him on shaky legs, knowing that it hurt.

“Okay,” you said, undoing the straps as fast as you could, “we’re alive. Holy shit, we’re actually alive.”

Tony let out a chuckle, “un-fucking-believable. Now then-”

His lips were on yours.

They were horribly chapped, you were twenty percent sure you were tasting a mix of both your blood and his, and you both smelled god awful… But you kissed the man as if he was, ironically, an oasis in a desert. Your hands traveled to his face, caressing him, and he too did the same.

“Ha!” He said loudly, laughing right in your face, “still got it.”

You rolled your eyes, “still an asshole. Unbelievable.”

“But you love it.”

You did. He didn’t have to know that.

Your euphoria died as you realized where you were. Sand upon miles of sand, leagues of it if you had any hope of earning actual freedom. You had a lot of walking to do.

“So,” Tony said, “we fell from that way… Feel like a brisk jog due east?”

“Out in the sun,” you moaned, “with our nearly burnt off clothing. And no water.”

“Wowza,” Tony said, “someone woke up on the wrong side of the sand dune.”

And with that one last horrible joke, you began your journey through ridiculously hot sand and a desert that probably wanted to kill you. It started okay, both of you just slowly going in a single direction, banking on the fact that someone would show up… That civilization wasn’t too far. That something would happen.

It got hot. And hotter. And sunburn started on your face. And your tongue was as dry as sandpaper.

And Tony wasn’t making jokes anymore. And you weren’t torturing him with the worst showtunes you could think of. It was just silence, with your feet burning and your legs shaking, and soon you thought you couldn’t make it another step.

“Tony…” You said, hours later, finally – finally stopping, “I don’t… Don’t think…”

“Just a few more steps,” Tony said, sounding just as tired as you felt, even as he too stopped walking, “can’t stop.”

You huffed, your hands going to your black clothing. You realized in a dizzy haze that it was covered in a dark stain, over your knees all the way to the ground, and you felt yourself take a deep breath. That was Yinsen on your clothes – Yinsen’s very blood – and it haunted you to think he gave his life for nothing.

So, you took a step forward, hooking your arm with Tony’s as you did it. You just kept walking aimlessly, the sun at your back.

Just when you were about to beg someone to let it end, you heard it.

“Is that…?”

“Oh yeah,” Tony said, a brilliant smile on his face, “the US government’s funds at its finest!”

“We’re here!” You yelled, waving your hands and arms at the incoming helicopter, “We’re here! We’re here!”

You cried as the helicopter began its descent, Tony’s arms going around your middle as you hollered like madmen, celebrating your freedom so loudly you were convinced the entire world heard you.

Another miracle.

“Oh my god,” you said, sobbing, “Rhodey. Oh my god.”

He was running at you both in full military gear, looking just as euphoric as you felt. He tossed you into a hug so tight that your face was squished against his shoulder. You sobbed even harder, his name being repeated like a broken record.

He detangled himself only to clutch at Tony much in the same way. Unlike you, Tony could only smile as he hugged his brother, eyes closed as he fell into the hug, finally finding the peace that you so desperately wanted him to have.

“Next time,” Rhodey said to both of you, “you ride with me, alright?”

“Alright,” you agreed, getting your sobs under control, “I think I can do that.”

“Sir,” an American soldier said behind Rhodey, “the helicopter is ready to take off.”

“Let’s get these two idiots home, gentlemen,” Rhodey told his team, “come on, you two, hope you’re alright with heights.”

Tony and you shared a secret smile. After the hell dive you just went through, you were pretty sure heights were never, ever again going to be a problem.

You climbed into the helicopter with Tony’s hand in yours.

Right now, everything was perfect.

“I have never before been so thankful for pants in my entire life.”

Tony managed a chuckle at that, looking over at your new outfit with a raised eyebrow, “I’m getting a new kink as we speak. Something about that military jacket is really-”

“I will kick you so hard in the balls right now, don’t even start.”

Rhodey laughed – really laughed, actually slapping his hand against his knee, “Don’t ever, ever change, Agent.”

They had put you in one of the private offices of one of the officers. After finding water and some food, both you and Tony had just wanted some privacy away from the men in uniform. It was strange, being out in the world again, but that thought had to wait.

“God,” you said, without really thinking, “it’s so good to see you, James.”

The mood died. Rhodey managed a smirk, the mirth in his eyes transforming into something you never expected to see: pity. You had never considered how you looked, not really, but even you could tell you went down at least two dress sizes. You hadn’t considered how little you had eaten.

Tony, too, was skinner than before. He actually had clothes stashed at the army base seeing as he was a near frequent guest there. His white undershirt was slinking off of him while his pants needed the belt to stay up.

It was a sad image, something that you didn’t really recognize in the cave. Hunger was a given there, you knew that, but it hadn’t been a problem.

“Tit for tat time,” Tony said, sitting down on the couch next to you, “who’s running my company?”

“Nuh-uh,” Rhodey said, glancing at the two of you, “you first. What happened? What’s going on with the glowstick on your chest?”

You looked to Tony, wondering just how much he was willing to tell him. There wasn’t much to tell him, was there? You had been held captive by terrorists that wanted Tony’s weapons designs. It was clean and cut.

Tony raised an eyebrow, asking you just how much you wanted him to know.

“Is it safe to talk here,” you asked Rhodey lowly.

Rhodey lips went into a thin line. Without explanation, he brought out his cell phone – holy shit, you almost forgot those existed – and pressed a few numbers on it. He turned the phone screen towards you both, showing you JARVIS’ line of code. Looking over it quickly, you realized it was a localized packet jammer.

Well, that would certainly stop any technology from recording them.

“Look at that,” Tony said, “the baby has left the nest. JARVIS made that?”

“Oh yeah, give all the credit to that AI,” Rhodey said then, eyes on the ceiling, “yeah, alright, he did it.”

“I thought you died,” you said randomly, “seriously. Soon as that bomb hit us, I thought it killed you.”

Rhodey nodded, “yeah I was… I was inside one of the Humvees, alerting our checkpoint of the situation. The bomb blew the car on its side. I got knocked out. Woke up and… You were both gone. No bodies.”

You didn’t know about them, but you hadn’t thought about that day much since it happened. It had been a blur when it happened and continued to be a bit of enigma. It had happened. Worse shit had happened. The abducting part was hardly something worth mentioning.

But you had thought about it, haven’t you? On random days, when you dreamed of clear skies and soft beds, you dreamed about seeing them again. Thinking of your family was something unattainable, something you almost didn’t let yourself do, and being faced with it almost made it all the more real.

“Well,” Tony said, thankfully taking you out of your thoughts, “I’m glad that handsome face of yours made it. Wouldn’t be the same without James Rhodes.”

Rhodey looked startled, “you know, Agent, I don’t think he’s said my real name since he came up with Rhodey.”

You actually had no idea he was the one to come up with the infamous nickname. It made sense of course, but it was still something else to realize that the poor man had been stuck with that nickname for the rest of his life because of Tony.

Well, you were one to talk.

“We were both five feet from the bomb,” you told Rhodey, “I don’t remember much. Found out later I got hit with eight pieces of shrapnel.”

Fair was fair, considering Tony was going to have to show his off. You lifted your shirt up, revealing the long surgical line. It was still a gnarly thing, obvious and deep, and Rhodey winced when he looked at it.

“They patched you up in there?” He asked, “Why?”

That was… That was a great question. So great, in fact, that you turned your head towards Tony. He looked resolute, his eyes darkening, and you recognized the mood instantly.

“They wanted my weapons,” he said, “I wanted my Agent. I wasn’t taking no for an answer.”

Sweet Jesus.

You could almost see Raza’s face at Tony’s vehemence, refusing to do any work until you were treated. It was, in fact, a miracle that they had taken you in the first place. Did they assume that Tony would care about you and would use you for leverage? How did all of it work?

“And what about you then, Tones,” Rhodey asked, “what they do to you?”

Tony rolled his eyes, “if you wanted me to get naked, all you gotta do is ask. I’ve actually waited years for a confession from you like this. I mean, it’s nothing to be-”

“Tony.”

Tony huffed at your interrupted. “Fine.”

He revealed the arc reactor. You were used to it – the raised lines of scars around it, the ethereal glow it gave of, the strangeness of how deep it really was – and you wondered if you had the same look on your face the first time Tony had showed you. Rhodey looked near ill, his mind going a thousand miles per minute to understand what he was seeing.

“It’s a miniaturized arc reactor keeping shrapnel from entering my heart,” Tony said.

Rhodey slack jaw was picture perfect, “that’s… That’s incredible.”

“It is,” Tony said, verging on being full of himself, “tat time. Company?”

“Stane,” Rhodey answered, blinking away his brain fog dramatically, “Pepper came back to help. Calls me every night to see if I found you. I think a part of my speaker broke in my phone when I told her the news.”

Pepper.

Your heart swelled. A part of you had never believed you would make it out of that cave. Another part of you was damn near in shock that you were walking the earth. You sort of knew that you’d have a small breakdown the moment you finally got home, but that was for another time.

“Right then,” Tony said, “it’s back to work. Think you could find my plane, Rhodey-bear?”

“Twenty minutes away from takeoff,” Rhodey answered, “you two will be alright in here for a bit?”

“Yeah,” you answered, “just… Leave the phone? Please?”

Rhodey nodded, getting up from the chair behind the desk, shaking his head, “the two of you are either a really lucky penny or a shit one. I do not fucking know.”

And with that magical statement, he opened the door to the office and left, leaving you with the one person that was keeping you calm throughout this entire thing.

“I just wanted to-”

“We should talk about-”

You both snorted, not surprised to be talking over one another.

“Ladies first,” you offered.

“Very funny,” Tony said, then, growing serious, “I know you have questions… About the serum.”

“No,” you said, “not here. Not… Yet. I just want to get home first before we deal with that. I’m happy enough being alive and getting home.”

Which was true. Having a healing factor was one thing, knowing how the healing factor worked and its consequences was another. You knew you would have to face it, but you certainly couldn’t do it now. All you wanted to do now was go to sleep.

“Work talk then,” Tony said, “which, can’t believe I’m starting that conversation.”

“Me either,” you teased, “should I be looking out for signs of the apocalypse?”

“Probably,” Tony said, huffing as he got up from the couch to pace, “I’m shutting down the weapons development side of SI.”

The smile that made its way to your face almost split your cheeks.

“Ok.”

“I know,” Tony continued, “I know it’s seventy-five percent of our capital. We’ll have a lot of work to do in ramping up other divisions – whole new… Whole new… Did you say ok?”

“Yeah,” you said, smiling wide, “would you believe me if I say that I wanted to talk to you about it after the Jericho demonstration?”

“Yes,” Tony said instantly, “because you’re brilliant and have more common sense than I could ever hope to have.”

“Alright, alright,” you said, blushing a tad bit, “No need for all that flattery. Come on, hotshot, let’s go rebrand your company. I’m thinking a press conference. Maybe next week.”

“Soon as we land,” Tony argued, “don’t want anyone to think we need to recover. Which is to say, I can go in front of a camera and you can stay home and actually sleep.”

You raised your eyebrow at him, “you’re cute. Bad news, love, you’re stuck with me. Where you go, I’m going.”

Tony’s smile turned gentle, almost lovingly. You had seen it before, of course, but it was another thing to see him direct all of that love at you. You didn’t know how lucky you were to have him, but you knew you’d spend every day proving that he was enough for you.

“Hey,” Rhodey voice shouted through the door, “wheels up in five. Let’s get you home.”

Home.

You couldn’t wait.

You both slept on the plane.

You had dragged Tony by his hand to your office, where your mattress was still pristinely made and readily available, and very much better than a cot. Tony looked ready to devour the thing in some strange ceremony but you, on the other hand, fell into the bed with an undignified groan, wanting to sleep.

“Hey!” Rhodey yelled just outside the door, a teasing lilt to his voice, “no hanky-panky in there, kids! Don’t make me call mama Rhodes on you.”

You laughed so loud you were convinced you had scared the pilot. Tony, too, even chuckled, muttering something about “fair payback”. You were dying to know the story, but you were simply too tired.

Tony gathered you in his arms as he always did and, before you even felt your head on his shoulder, you had fallen asleep.

You woke to a scream.

You were out of your bed in mess of limbs, waiting for something to happen, only to realize it was Tony that was screaming.

He was in a fit, head going left and right, muttering in his sleep. It had happened twice in the cave – screams that echoed across the walls, scaring you nearly to death – and you had just barely managed to get him to wake up each time.

You laid next to him again without thought, you hand rubbing up and down his arm, whispering sweet nothings and begging him to wake up.

The door opened with a bang and, unsurprised, you caught a glimpse of Rhodey, damn near army ready. Meanwhile, you were already shushing Tony, your fingers now playing with his hair. He finally stilled at that, his breathes slowly evening out until his eyes flashed up, taking in their surroundings with a groan.

“Shit,” Tony said, and nothing else.

You hummed in agreement, gesturing with your head for Rhodey to get the hell out of the room, “you with me?”

Rhodey took the hint. He managed to silently move out of the room. If Tony knew Rhodey had seen him like that, he’d hate himself.

Tony nodded as he put his arm over his eyes. You knew he hated this – hated being vulnerable in front of you – but it only made you feel better. You were a wreck yourself, after all, it was nice to know you weren’t alone. You were convinced the only reason you hadn’t had a nightmare yourself was because you were too tired.

“Ten minutes until landing!” Rhodey called, doing a fairly good job of sounding like he hadn’t barged in, “you guys awake in there?”

“Yeah!” You answered back, “we’ll be out in a minute.”

Tony had finally removed his arm from his eyes. He shuffled to his side, looking at you. Actually, looking at you rather closely. You blushed as his eyes lingered over your face.

“What?”

“Just admiring the view,” Tony said, “you got a stunning man in your bed, after all. You should be soaking up the view too.”

You rolled you eyes, detangling yourself from him. You knew what this was and you’d give it to him this time. There was no point in talking about nightmares, you knew exactly what they were about.

You moved automatically to the closet. Tony may have already had an outfit, but you were still in the military jacket. Lucky for you, you had a simple blouse and dress pants always tucked away. Unluckily for you, they looked rather large on your now much lankier body. Honestly though, you were just thankfully everything stayed on.

You didn’t look in the mirror. You knew you did, normally, but you didn’t think you could bare to stare at your reflection right now. Something about Rhodey’s pitying eyes told you that you weren’t ready to see yourself just yet.

Tony, meanwhile, was still resting on the bed, his eyes lazily dancing over your body. He did it often enough in the cave – gazing at you with no thoughts in his head – and you let him take his time. Despite his instance to hold a press conference immediately, you knew that he was tired.

You moved out the room first, making a show of Tony taking his time by announcing loudly that he was the lazy one. You nodded at Rhodey, attempting to let him know that Tony was alright without alerting him. In thanks, Rhodey held up a cup of coffee and acting very much like he hadn’t gotten up in a while ago.

“Hey,” you said softly, “thanks.”

“Least I could do,” Rhodey replied easily as he handed you the warm mug, “I’d imagine you want some of this caffeine?”

“Did someone say caffeine?”

You felt nearly the same way. You eyed the white mug, your mouth salivating at the sight of the life saving liquid. You had only once played the “I wish” game back in that cave and coffee was near the top of it.

“Out of the way, peasants!”

Tony ran into the room, his arm not even all the way into his jacket. You laughed at the dramatics of it all, watching as Tony took the entire kraft rather than his mug. “My precious,” he said, hugging it to his chest, and even Rhodey lost it at that.

You savored the liquid, sipping at it delicately as you prepared for landing. It tasted better than you could ever remember. Tony, meanwhile, was throwing it back like the entire mug was a shot. He did it mostly to put a smile on your face, but you had a funny feeling he was enjoying it a little too much.

The plane door opened. Tony was the first one up, obviously eager, and you followed right behind, you hand just on his lower back, craving the contact.

Just as your feet made it to the tarmac, you saw them.

Pepper, Mark, Jack… And someone you weren’t sure what to think of.

Still, you didn’t hesitate any longer. You ran towards Mark first, throwing yourself at him, demanding a hug. You wrapped around him like a kola, legs and all, and Mark was just as happy to let you do it. You used to do this as kids, after all, and it was nice to be a bit of a kid now.

“Hey, share the love, squirt.”

You smile only widened at that. You hadn’t seen Jack in years but that didn’t matter, you did the same to him, easily giving him a hug.

“’Sup, little man,” you asked Jack, “haven’t seen you in a bit.”

“Well,” Jack said, pulling away, “heard my sister was going through hell.”

Your smile dimmed, “a bit. Home now. That’s what matters.”

“Agent!”

“Pepper!” You said, just as excited. Tony was shaking Jack’s hand, something you knew was hard for him, and yet you were too busy getting mauled by Pepper. If you thought your brothers were strong, it was nothing compared to a Pepper hug.

“I think you’re gonna squeeze my head off,” you joked, “Hi, Pepper.”

“It’s so good to see you,” Pepper said, and you realized she had been crying, “I was so… James and I never gave up hope.”

Your throat felt tight. You had such a good friends – Tony had such a good friends – and you were so glad to see them all. You hadn’t really thought you would, not really, and it was just all that more important that they were here now. There were a lot of things you left in that cave but one of them certainly wasn’t hope.

Your father said your name.

You tensed, eyes closing as you regained your bearings.

“Dad,” you said, your voice steady, “you’ve met him before, but let me introduce you to the man that saved my life.”

“No,” Tony said, steadfast in front of your father, “your daughter saved mine.”

It was the way that he said it, the outright truth in the statement, that had you grabbing at his hand. You squeezed, showing your support, and Tony reciprocated immediately.

Your Dad, the man who had given up after his wife died, looked Tony up and down. You knew what the both of you looked like – injured and skinny, circles under your eyes – and wondered what your father thought of his eldest daughter looking she’s been through a war zone.

Your father took a step closer to you. You tensed, fighting the urge to run, and yet before you could really do anything…

Your father’s arms were around you. Unlike everyone else, your arms stayed at your side, unwilling to move, and yet… When you heard your father start to cry…

Your arms were around him, your head to his chest, and despite vowing that you weren’t going to lose it, not anymore, you cried as your father cradled you.

“I’m sorry,” your father was saying in your ear, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright,” you said, “It’s alright, Dad.”

Cradled in your father’s arms, Tony hovering just behind you, you felt as if you could finally breathe.

“Back to work, Mr. Stark?”

Tony’s lips twitched at your tone, “yeah, vacation’s over.”

“What?” Pepper asked, looking at Tony as if he had grown another head, “I let medical go, but I am so not letting the both of you work. Tony, you’re covered in cuts!”

He was. Your head titled, studying the some-what cleaned up cut on his forehead. For a moment, you imagined what you would be thinking if this happened three months ago – if Tony had hit is head on one of his crazy projects – and you knew you’d be dragging him to a doctor.

Instead, other details revealed themselves. It was a superficial cut, barely something to worry about. He had likely got it from the drop back in the desert.  The worst that could happen was an infection and, now free, that simply wouldn’t happen.

Tony grabbed at the tablet, a tablet you hadn’t seen in what felt like years, and you forced yourself to let go of the past. Tony was alright, that was what mattered.

“It’s fine, Pep,” you told her kindly, “you mind filling me in? Rhodey told me you were helping out.”

“Sis, you gotta take a break here,” Mark giving you of a people a stern glare, “you just got back. You’re allowed to go home.”

The only one car situation was cumbersome. The only way your family could have made it on the tarmac was through Happy’s car. Of course you wanted them there, you had no doubt of that, but you were just as eager as Tony to rebuild SI.

“Welcome back, sir.”

“JARVIS!” You said in surprise, looking a Tony with an eyebrow raised, “you told me you didn’t put him on there!”

“You believed me,” Tony said, “shame on you.”

Really, some things will never change.

“Hello, Agent, I have missed you,” JARVIS said, “would you like to me to update you on the latest dealings in Stark Industries?”

Finally! Someone willing to help!

“Yes.”

“No!”

You looked at the people in the car, eyeing them with suspicion, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard my brothers agree on something. Pepper and Rhodey I can get. My family? Bullcrap.”

“Then you should know how much important it is that you rest,” your father said, “you look like hell.”

You rolled your eyes. Frustration was building within in, nearing overflowing, but it was Tony’s relaxed posture that had you breathing deeply through your nose. You didn’t know what you expected when you made it home, not really, but it certainly wasn’t this endless need to do something.

The moment you stopped was the moment it would all catch up with you.

You looked towards Tony – Tony, who was discreetly trying to pass you your own tablet, putting it between your thigh and his. You couldn’t imagine what he felt right now – could it possibly be the same as you? – and you hated that you couldn’t ask.

Yinsen would have –

No.

You couldn’t think about him, not right now.

“We’ve been in captivity for three months,” Tony said, causing yet another rift in the tense atmosphere, “There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger, and the other-”

“Fries,” you interrupted, “with fries.”

“Yes,” Tony said in the same tone – utter seriousness, “cheeseburger with fries… And a press conference.”

While everyone was giving him slack jawed or perhaps murderous looks, you got your hands on your tablet. Your mind flashed back to the ridiculous old tech you were working only a few days ago. A literal DOS machine that couldn’t even reach the internet all the way to the most groundbreaking technology you had ever seen.

While your family continued to argue around you, you finally attempted to do your job. The stock market was first, watching its dips and highs carefully. It wasn’t as bad as you expected which you realized was from Stane’s instant appearance as acting CEO.

Something jumped at you as your roamed over the interview done by CNN. Stane said all the right words, acting as the man that raised Tony, but the body language was… Rigid. The man had always soaked up attention but he apparently faltered during this interview.

You gathered your information in record time, mostly thanks to JARVIS’ impeccable note keeping, his algorithm for doing so taken right from Pepper.

Mostly up to date, you zeroed in on the media connections you made while being Tony’s PA. Tony wouldn’t want something big for this announcement, you knew that, so you picked a smaller venue with a small-time news journalist who you hoped was naïve enough to spread the word.

You realized in a haze that people were still talking around you. Oh, worse, they were arguing around you. Poor Happy looked ready to have an aneurysm as people continued to tell him where to go. You, on the other hand, finally had a plan.

“Stocks didn’t dip too badly,” you said to Tony and Tony only, “not as much as you predicted. That’ll be twenty bucks to me, which I expect to have in hand by the time we reach the lab. Which, Happy, fries first please before venue.”

“Yeah, reschedule the petty cash exchange,” Tony said, a familiar cocky smirk on his face, “Unless Rhodey-bear is willing to spot me.”

“Not in your lifetime.”

“Some friend you are,” Tony teased, “Jeez. Agent, how’s my CEO status looking?”

You hummed, looking over the paperwork, “reinstated, roughly…” you re-read a line, “Obadiah was only acting CEO. Which… Thank you, Pepper.”

Pepper looked exasperated, “you’re the head of a billion-dollar company, Tony. You needed a perfect will, not a good one.”

“Already sent it off to our lawyers,” you added.

Tony grabbed at your tablet. You capitulated easily enough, knowing that whatever he wanted was likely something about his will. It wasn’t a priority, but it was on your mind. You wanted Tony’s values crystal clear if…

If whatever happened to him. Again.

“JARVIS, how’s the boys at home?”

“In deep sleep, I’m afraid,” JARVIS answered just as Tony handed back your tablet, “shall I wake them up?”

“Yup,” Tony replied, “and activate protocol slow day, would you? Gonna need a clean workbench.”

Slow day? Workbench?

The car rolled to a stop. You eyed the surroundings outside, watching as people walked up and down the streets to various shops. The car, on the other hand, was parked right in front of a Buger King’s. If you had to describe it, you would have probably called it the gates of heaven.

“Is she drooling?”

“I mean, a little.”

“If one of you doesn’t get out of this car with Tony’s credit card in hand,” you said to your brothers, your voice low in its seriousness, “I will riot. I want that entire menu in this limo. Yes?”

“Holy shit,” Jack said, “get the door open, Mark. What the hell are you waiting for? World War III?”

Your father was pushing at your brothers, looking just as frightened as you wanted him to be. You don’t think you had ever been more serious in your life than this moment. If a single person dared to tease you and not get you a french fry, they would not be coming back alive.

Your family members piled out of the car in a way that could only make sense to small town people – hectic and organized with a hint of someone probably getting hurt – and you nearly smacked your forehead.

“They’re good people,” Pepper said randomly, “your brother Mark nearly killed your father when he first showed up.”

Your eyes traveled back to the windows, watching as Jack held up the door for a young couple, just as you taught him. Mark was next to your Dad, just in front of him, and it was clear to see that there was some tension there. Again, the reality of never thinking about home came back to you. You hadn’t thought of anything except the vague notion of freedom. The consequences of coming back, the idea that your father cared, never occurred to you.

“Didn’t think I’d see my Dad again,” you said mindlessly, “after my mom died, he just lost himself. I was fourteen when she died and he left me to raise my brothers. Never forgave him. Forgave him even less after Tyler. Told me to never come back home.”

Tony’s hand made it to yours.

Your eyes snapped to everyone in the car, surprised by the audience. You blinked, shocked by your own words and feeling a little bit more than embarrassed. Even surrounded by death and your own pain, you hadn’t confessed to something so personal.

“My Dad left when I was five,” Rhodey said, “deadbeat, you know? Just me and my mom. Taught me a lot about what kind of man I wanted to be.”

“Someone crack a window,” Tony said, “if one more feeling gets in this car, I’m going to barf.”

You rolled your eyes, recognizing Tony’s strange deflection as a way to move on. You promised yourself you weren’t going to break until you were alone, actually alone, and you planned to stick by that. You had a press conference to do.

“Did you schedule Peter Walkes for this sitdown?”

Pepper’s question did exactly what you needed for your brain, “Yeah, he’ll alert the other news newbies, making this spread like wildfire.”

“And what is this?” Rhodey asked, “you really want to do a press conference?”

Guilt clawed at your heart. Rhodey’s entire career banked on the connection from SI and the military. Technically speaking, you were firing him. He would be pissed – you would be too – but this was a necessary evil.

Tony looked to be having the same thought going by the emotionless express in his eyes. It was one of his defaults when dealing with something personal – always deflecting rather than accepting – but it was understandable. From the little you know about his own relationship with his parents, lying had to be the default.

“We-”

“Got it!” Jack yelled as he opened the door to the car, holding bags and bags of greasy food up as if it was the king’s gold, “whole menu! Can you believe it? I’ve dreamed of this since I was kid.”

“Get in, nerd,” you said to him, shaking your head, “I said the whole menu and I meant it. Tony, you’re gonna have to fight me for it.”

“It’s my credit card, honey,” he said, “if I gotta fight you for a cheeseburger, I’m suing you.”

You would have probably continued that conversation but, just as your brothers had hinted at, you caught yourself drooling as the smell of it invaded your nose. You grabbed at the bag like a gremlin, bringing it to your chest and muttering sweet nothingness as you inhaled the smell of greasy food.

“I dunno,” Tony said, his eyes wide as he looked at the bottom of the bag filled with what must have been twenty cheeseburgers, “I don’t think I’m gonna miss your cooking.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

You gave the last fry to him.

Obadiah Stane looked just as terrifying as he did the first time you met him.

The first time you met him, you were literally an unknown. You had shaped your personality into something you thought was professional. You were Tony Stark’s new PA, learning the ropes, and you had smothered any ill feelings towards someone as deep as it could go.

Now? Now you were weary. You were war-ridden. You knew Tony almost better than you knew yourself. You knew Stark Industries like the back of your hand. You weren’t confident, never that, but you were willing to fight for what was right.

So when Stane looked at Tony, a certain glint in his eyes that you didn’t like, you felt yourself step in line with Tony, facing off with him in a way you knew you wouldn’t have done before.

Stane noticed immediately. He focused on you with something you could perhaps call a smirk, but his demeanor was all wrong. From your meager understanding of Tony and his relationship, you knew that they didn’t do feelings. From knowing Tony for so long, you knew that he cared for Stane more than he was ever willing to say out loud.

“Look at this!” Stane exclaimed, his arms thrown up in the air as the press took photo after photo, “Tony! We were going to meet at the hospital.”

You had your doubts about that. Pepper and your family had made it the tarmac, you knew for a fact that Stane would have been welcomed.

“No,” Tony said, maybe a little stiffly, “I’m fine.”

“And so is the courageous PA, huh,” Stane said, and you just barely managed to not glare at him, “look at that.”

Mark took a step closer to you and you quickly shooed him away behind your back. You fought against a fucking terrorist, least you could do was stand tall in front of a corporate asshole. You decided right there and then you were going to give Tony your biased opinion about the man later, argument or no argument.

Stane held out his hand to Tony, who took it with a strained smile. The two of them moved in front of the cameras as if they were born to do so. You, on the other hand, had work to do.

“Come on,” you said to your family, “you’ll need badges. Oh, Happy, I’m so sorry to ask, could you coordinate with the head of security? Anyone with my last name sticks by me, right?”

“You got it, boss woman,” Happy said, “Pepper, coming?”

“Yes,” Pepper said, “I have a feeling this is something to see. James, mind standing by me?”

“Of course,” Rhodey answered, “Agent, you got this?”

“Oh yeah,” you answered with a confidence that you simply did not have, “but Pep, sorry, just two seconds with James? I’ll make sure he gets back to you.”

Pepper looked bamboozled, but she allowed it with a nod of her head, following along with the rest of the press.

James looked just as confused, but he carefully extended his arm for you to take. It wasn’t a formal event, not with it thrown together and in a lab of all places, but the man’s manners would be something to write in history books.

“So,” you said, your throat getting tight, “Tony – we learned a lot. We… What Tony’s going to talk about is… It’ll change the company’s mission. It’ll change your position as well.”

James guided you seamlessly through the doors and, reading between the lines, walked around the cameras until you reached a private corner.

“Listen,” Rhodey said, rubbing at his eyes, “my brain doesn’t work like the two of you. Tell me what you need.”

You let out a breath of air, “mostly? Forgiveness.”

James looked startled, “always. I once carried Tony two miles on my back after a night out. Forgiving you? Piece of cake.”

“No, James, I…” You huffed, “we’re shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of SI.”

Rhodey’s mouth fell open. He actually took a step back, his head shaking back and forth as he processed the words. You would have thought the arc reactor buried in Tony’s chest was a simple surprise party considering his reaction now.

“SI is a weapon’s design company,” he said, “What the hell is that going to accomplish. The very idea that – not to mention the jobs lost, the contracts, everything… You’re not trying to convince him not to do it? What if-”

“I designed the Jericho with Tony,” you said harshly, “I saw the damage it caused. I saw how many lives were lost with our past designs, forget something as evil as that weapon. The very idea of having any of those weapons out there is almost as bad as that damn cave they kept us in.”

“This isn’t about you,” Rhodey said, and you felt yourself flinch, “this is about the livelihood of hundreds-thousands of people! Jesus Christ, did you tell Tony to do this?”

You felt like crying. Were you? You had cried so much over the last three months that you almost forgot what it was like to hide the tears.

“Shit,” Rhodey said, his voice going lower, “no, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Really, I know – I know you’ve been through a lot. I know that when soldiers came back from their first taste of action, they sometimes are mentally shot. So maybe you’re just-”

“Fuck you.”

The words spilled out of you. You had thought of Rhodey as a brother ever since you had told him your biggest secret. It shattered you to think that during your greatest achievement, he thought you were unwell. Hysterical.

“Agent, come on-”

“No,” you said, taking your own step back, “I should have let you find out the hard way. I wanted to assure you that your contract with SI would be reinstated through our medical achievements but, hell, obviously all you care about is the weapons side.”

Rhodey huffed, “That’s not fair. You-”

“Rhodes,” you said, damn near tempted to turn your back on him, “go cool down, please. Tony’s nearly on stage. We’ll all talk about it later.”

You knew James wanted to say more but, credit where credit was due, he did walk away. He also beelined for Pepper but, shit, it was better than in front of you.

You felt betrayed. You knew he would react badly but nothing as hurtful as calling you crazy. That wasn’t fair.

“Ma’am?”

God, anything but a small-town reporter.

You turned around to look at who called for you. To your surprise, it wasn’t some babyface reporter but rather a normal looking guy in a some-what decent suit. He was a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit in with the crowd which was a bit strange, but these days you rolled with the punches.

“I'm Agent Phil Coulson,” the man said, holding out a business card which you took on an impulse, “with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.”

You racked your brain, trying to remember a news or federal organization tilted that. You came up blank rather quickly, something that had you tensing. You almost wished that you hadn’t pushed James away. Almost.

“Long name,” you mentioned, trying to sound like you hadn’t just had a huge fight with someone you trusted, “what can I do for you?”

“We’ve been working closely with Virginia Potts. We need to debrief Mr. Stark about the circumstances of your escape.”

You made a mental note in your head to check with Pepper. Unlike the past you, you held little trust in anyone you didn’t know. Still, with the way this man held himself, you had a funny feeling he wouldn’t give up anytime soon.

“I’ll schedule something,” you told him blandly, “but understand that it’s important to go through the right channels. Mr. Stark is not required to answer any questions nor am I. Excuse me, it seems that Mr. Stark is starting.”

You moved away without another word. The “right channels” may have been a bit extreme, but you figured it was better for the man to schedule something through an official invite rather than haphazardly.

You moved closer to the stage as you shoved the business card into your skirt pocket, opposite side of your family, and waited for Tony. You needed a clear head after his announcement and, if you were next to James or your father, that wouldn’t last long.

Of course, in a typical Stane way, he took to the stage first.

“Well, let's get this started, uh...”

You felt your heart skip a beat as Tony sat down on the floor right in front of the podium. Had you underestimated his injuries? Was he alright? You moved closer, intending to get right in front of him if necessary, but as if knowing you’d be worried, he looked at you and winked.

You nodded at him, letting him know you got the message. This was just his normal routine.

“Hey,” he began, and, snorting just a little at his antics, you watched as he took a bite of yet another cheeseburger, “would it be all right if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can... A little less formal and...”

You sat down as well, just on the edge of the stage. You watched carefully as Stane made his way off of it, going to the side of the stage you were on. Shit. Heading for you, it seemed. Without hesitation, the big man sat next to you, his foot nearly touching yours.

What the hell was with him?

You ignored him… For now. You knew, despite current appearances, that Tony was nervous.

“I never got to say goodbye to Dad.”

Something shattered in your heart.

“I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions that I would have asked him. I would have asked him how he felt about what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts.”

Your eyes flickered to your own father. You may not have inherited a multi-billion dollar company, but you did march to his tune for most of your young adult life. He was the one that pushed you into marrying Tyler so young – into being happy about being a housewife. About giving up on college.

Did he regret it now?

“Or maybe he was every inch the man we all remember from the newsreels.”

Oh, Tony.

You knew that Tony had his own problem with his father. That day on the plane after Tyler had released that news article haunted you for a long time. “Fuck ‘em” Tony had said about his own Dad. You hated that he had such a complicated relationship with the man.

“I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability.”

This time you looked at James. James’s eyes were firmly planted on Tony’s person, arms crossed. It was clear to see that he disagreed with the whole thing.

Tony would be devastated.

“Mr. Stark!”

“Hey, Ben.”

“What happened over there?”

“I had my eyes opened,” Tony said in a rush, standing as he did so, “I came to realize that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. With that, two things. First things first…”

Tony walked towards you. In blind shock, you watched as he held out his hand to you, offering for you to go up on the stage.

“Please welcome my esteemed PA, affectionally nicknamed Agent for various reasons that some would absolutely kill for.”

Oh sweet baby Jesus. If the serum gave you telepathy, you knew for a fact that Tony would hear your screams. Crowds? The center of attention? What the hell was he thinking? You followed him a daze, allowing him to walk you both back to the podium.

“And not just my PA,” Tony continued, “but the very person who opened my eyes. My fiancé for lack of a better term.”

The crowd went nuts.

And, above the noise, Tony continued with his hand in yours. You were pretty close to a heart attack.

“Her safety is paramount,” he said, giving you one of his gentle looks, only to turn his head to the crowd once more, “And if she is ever again used as a scapegoat for my mistakes, then know this is the consequence of threatening her…”

Tony, you thought, what are you doing?

“I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International until such a time as I can decide what the future of the company will be. My designs and weapons will be staying with me, for future reference of anyone who dares to come after me again.”

You felt something rise up within you as everyone began to stand, your own resolve making itself known, “What direction Stark Industries should take, one that Mr. Stark- Tony is comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for this country, as well, will be revealed soon. This isn’t a dive in advancement but a leap.”

Then, in a move so seamless you couldn’t say no, Tony grabbed you by the shoulders, leaned down just a little, and kissed you.

You froze against him, bewildered that he would do such a thing in front of the press – completely shocked that he had called you his fiancé without any hint of a warning… And mesmerized by the way his hand trailed against the back of your head.

Your arms went around him – as if you couldn’t hear the hundreds of cameras going off, as if you couldn’t imagine that this was real life – and released him just as you heard the hundreds of shouts from the room around you.

“No questions!”

As always, Tony dragged you away, straight towards the security team planned exit strategy.

You only had one question on your mind:

What the fuck was he thinking?

Chapter Text

Your blood was pounding in your ears.

Your mind felt sluggish and detached. Thoughts came slowly. Your surroundings were just as blurry. You didn’t feel, hardly breathed… You were in a thoughtless daze as you followed Tony through the lab.

You didn’t know he was going to do that.

Obviously.

Because he hadn’t actually proposed. He hadn’t actually given you a ring. You had known the man for two years, through thick and thin, and felt your love for him grow every single second. You’ve seen his nightmares, lived through them… Laughed until you cried and cried until you threw up.

But to kiss you? In front of the press? In front of everyone?

“Agent? Agent. Hold on. Where-”

“I am so angry at you,” you told Tony lowly, expressing your feelings in a way that wasn’t volatile but honest, “oh my god, Tony, how could you do that?”

Tony stopped. You didn’t quite know where you were – somewhere in the warehouse – but you knew that it was private, at least.

“Angry?” Tony asked, looking stunned, “you agreed with me that SI’s weapons-”

“Fiancé?” You hissed at him, “You just… I don’t even know! The image of the company is a stake and you added me to it! God, dragging me on stage like that? I wasn’t prepared! I wasn’t – shit, Tony, I… What will people think of a small town bimbo being with you, someone who's ten times out of my league?”

God, you wouldn’t fucking cry.

You were gonna cry when you were home, in bed, possibly in the shower, where no one could hear your screams or judge you for losing your mind. Now? With Tony’s idea of… of what? Putting his mark on you? Of claiming you? It felt wrong. It felt dirty.

“Hey, hey,” Tony said, looking at you pleadingly, “you are not a bimbo. You are the smartest person I have ever met. Listen to me, the only reason I told them was because they’re vultures out there. I promise to do a real proposal. I just want everyone to know that you’re not to be messed with.”

“All the news articles I read,” you said, “not a single one mentioned me by name! No one cared!”

“I care!” Tony roared, Roared, so loud that his voice echoed around the entire place. You froze. You had never heard him yell. Not really, not with such passion. It turned your blood to ice.

“I care about you,” he continued, just as animated, “I lov- I need you! If you’re hurt because of me again-”

Then he raised his arm, just to gesture at himself – but your brain saw something else in the action.

You flinched, your head going sideways as you anticipated the blow. You hated yourself for it – that a raised voice from a man caused such a horrible reaction – but it was unavoidable. Tyler had conditioned you too long for you not to expect pain when he was in a mood and, with the latest drama, you had no hope of smothering your reaction.

Tony… Tony stopped.

His hand hovered in the air, a good foot away from you.

“Shit,” you said, unable to laugh this off, “I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s the raised voice and I just… It’s a lot. I’m sorry.”

“Stop,” Tony said quietly, nearly a whisper, “I should have told you. That’s on me. All of this conversation is on me, alright? You apologizing? That will never be right.”

“I need you to communicate with me,” you told him honestly, your heart still pounding in your chest, “I need… I don’t need surprises. I can’t… God, Tony, I love you so much, but you have to tell me these things.”

“I swear,” Tony said, coming closer, “I swear I’ll tell you next time. It just… Slipped out.”

You closed the distance between you two, trying to prove just how much your reaction was associated not with him but rather just a demon of your past. You were still shaking, you could feel it, but you craved Tony’s presence more than you feared him.

Your head made its way to his shoulder and, still feeling very much off-kilter, you allowed your muscles to slowly relax.

“Did I say something stupid during the press conference,” you asked him, “I can’t remember.”

“First time jitters,” Tony mumbled, his hands gliding over the fabric of your shirt across your arms, “happens to the best of us. And no, it was actually rather well put. I was impressed.”

Tony wouldn’t sugarcoat it for you. So, already, you felt better. You sighed again as you continued to lean your head on his shoulder. Out of everything, you never expected to have an old panic attack. Tony would never be a threat, not to you… And it hurt to think that your body would ever confuse that.

“You know,” Tony said, finally making you separate from him, “I could still kill that asshole, if you would like?”

It made you chuckle if nothing else, “after I pencil in the wedding, yeah?”

“I thought you wanted a ring first?”

“Fine, I’m penciling both in. Same day.”

You knew you had to have this conversation again. It wasn’t Tony’s fault that you were kidnapped. It wasn’t his fault that you got hurt. Whatever guilt he was holding was stupid. The only people you ever blamed was Raza and the ones that kept you locked up. Tony was the one that saved you.

But right now, after coming back down from the adrenaline, was not a great time.

“Hey!”

Mark?

You watched as Mark came into view… Followed quickly by the rest of your family and friends. All of them had various levels of negative emotions on their faces. You realized very suddenly that wherever Tony had dragged wasn’t very private, and you found yourself spinning around to have your back against the railing of…

Oh.

The arc reactor.

You had seen pictures of it with JARVIS, mostly for Tony to have a vague rant about how powerful arc reactor technology could be if he was given the time to work on it, but you hadn’t really realized how big it was. Your eyes traveled to Tony’s chest, just for a moment, the glow his own arc reactor hidden under his dress shirt.

It was almost… Impossible. It was impossible to compare the two things.

“What the hell were you thinking, Stark?”

Oh, right. Protective brothers. How could you forget?

“Hey!” You said, stepping in front of Mark before he could do something all of you would regret, “relax! We-”

“Relax?” Mark said, looking so wildly angry that your eyebrows nearly went to your forehead, “I just spent two days convincing Dad that Stark isn’t like that shitstain you married and he does that? He treats you like some piece of fucking property and-”

“Back up!” Tony said just behind you, “I’m doing what I think is best-”

“Alright!” You yelled, now standing between the two with your arms outstretched, “both of you, cut it out! Yelling isn’t-”

Then, something clicked, and your head whipped towards you father. Your father, who had his arms crossed, his glare solely meant for you. You felt yourself clench your jaw, ready for an entirely different argument.

You father had always warned you that if you ever showed his face to him again, he’d drag you back home. To him, Tyler was his third son – his prize. He was more than happy to encourage you to marry the man- to go back to his waiting arms. Was your dad still talking to him?

Fury ignited your blood at the very thought. Your felt yourself take a deep breath, trying to calm your rage, but it only reminded you of feeling helpless yet again. You father had outright called you a slut the first time anything about you with Tony was released in the media. You couldn’t imagine what steps the man had taken after this whole thing.

“The next man to tell me what is good for me,” you said to everyone in the room, “is the next one to get my foot up their ass.”

“Don’t you dare cuss-”

“I swear to God, Dad,” you said, pointing a finger at him, “for someone who dictated most of my fucking life, you sure got a lot of opinions on how it turned out.”

“Maybe if you didn’t go sleeping around with whoever is in front of you, you would have-”

A fist collided with your father’s face.

You watched in dumb shock as Tony actually managed to make your tough-as-nails Dad collapse to the floor, stunned. You realized you had your hands around your mouth, trying to stifle and cry, and yet it wasn’t needed.

Even Tony looked shocked by his own reaction, staring at his hand as if it was a phantom limb. In another breath, Rhodey was pushing at Tony’s shoulders, getting him to move further away from the group. Jack was checking on your father, who was rubbing at his jaw and looking… Impressed? Mark and Pepper, meanwhile, seemed to have frozen to the floor.

You, too, were frozen, taking in everything with hardly any processing power. Your father was getting up, still rubbing at his jaw, and you found yourself almost ready to apologize, only to realize that was the old you talking.

You didn’t owe him anything.

“Tony!”

Oh for fuck’s sake.

The last thing you needed was Obadiah effing Stane. Not after this shit show.

“There you are… My boy, we have…”

You were lucky, you suppose. Your father had managed to make it to his feet, hardly any help from Jack needed. If anything, you all managed to pull your shit together rather well, considering that apparently the only one to trust Stane in the room was Tony.

“A pow-wow, eh?” Stane said to your group, “no one minds if I borrow Tony and Agent, do they?”

Why you? Still, you looked around at your group of misfits, taking in their we’re innocent with a dash of guilt expressions, and realized that they at least cared enough about you to not completely ruin your career. In the three hours you had made it back home, you had pissed off all of your family and Rhodey. Must be a world record.

“No,” you said to Stane, for the sake of saying something because no one else was, “how about everyone heads to the cafeteria? We’ll meet you all there. Pepper?”

“Of course,” Pepper said then, giving you the smallest of winks, “it’s the least I could do for you.”

At least you had someone on your side.

Tony’s eyes were still set into a fierce glare as he eyed your father. It was clear to see that his aggression wasn’t quite out of his system yet. You had to admit, after the brief terror you had at his raised voice, seeing him defend you even against your father was… Was something. You really didn’t know what you felt, but that was for later.

When did you get to have that scheduled breakdown?

You watched as everyone left almost in a single line, like children that disobeyed. Your father wasn’t looking at you, something that pissed you off, but you were upset to see poor Jack lost in deep thought. He had never seen this side of your father.

You slowly turned back around to Tony and Stane. You were tense, a fight or flight that was very nearly flight, but you took courage in the fact that Tony was there.

“Well, that..uh...” Stane stared at Tony with barely concealed rage, something that had your heckles raised, “That went well.”

“Did I just paint a target on the back of my head?” Tony asked him, and you were surprised that he even asked. There was trust there, apparently.

“Your head? What about my head?” The man complained, “And you, little miss PA… The target on your head? Forget it!”

Tony sighed as he leaned against the railing of the arc reactor, his back to everyone. You sometimes forget that he could be stressed – that he could be worried. Especially now, with all of your personal shit coming to light. Tony went through hell as well, probably more than you, and your own guilt at forgetting that was nearly suffocating.

It rendered you speechless.

“What do you think the over-under on the stock drop is gonna be tomorrow?”

“It’ll tank like never before,” you said, “but that’s to be expected, right?”

Stane ignored you, as he always did when you did any business talk. The man could talk his ear off about his own achievements but the moment you brought up work, his focus was gone.

“Tony,” Stane said, exasperated, “we're a weapons manufacturer.”

“Obie,” Tony replied, and you just now realized Tony had a nickname for the man, “I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy.”

“That's what we do. We're iron mongers. We make weapons.”

“It's my name on the side of the building.”

“And what we do keeps the world from falling into chaos.”

What a simple ideology. Is that truly how a man like him thought – that weapons were really keeping people safe? That guns and bombs and everything in between was for the betterment of society?

“SI made three point two billion on its medical advancements without government funding,” you reminded Stane, “one division is on the very cusps of affordable prosthetics. We can focus our attention on the divisions that are making a difference.”

“And you know what backs up most of those advancements?” Stane said harshly, “The weapons we sell!”

Did he not listen to a freakin’ word you just said? You stared him down evenly, hating how his tone somehow overpowered your own argument. Just because you were levelheaded didn’t mean you were less right.

“I think we should take another look into arc reactor technology.”

Stane and yourself turned towards him. You had almost forgotten he was there considering your stare down. There was a different kind of hate for him that you had than others. He was obviously sexist, that was a given, but something else about him that rubbed you completely wrong.

“The arc reactor, that's a publicity stunt! Tony, come on! We built that thing to shut the hippies up.”

“It works.”

“Yeah, as a science project. The arc was never cost effective. We knew that before we built it. Arc reactor technology, that's a dead end, right?”

Tony shuffled on his feet. Please, you thought, please Tony, don’t show him.

“Maybe.”

“Huh?” Stane continued to argue, “Am I right? We haven't had a breakthrough in that in what? Thirty years?”

God, who told him? Only Pepper and Rhodey knew about it, that was for sure. You knew Pepper knew because she had spent a whole minute staring at Tony’s chest. But Pepper had never liked Stane either. Just as you had quickly figured out, the man was the definition of an asshole and Pepper would never tell him anything.

James Rhodes, then. You were going to kill him. Twice over.

“That's what they say,” Tony said, glancing at you as if to say well I have to show him now, “Could you have a lousier poker face? Just tell me, who told you?”

“Never mind who told me. Show me.”

You bit your tongue. If Tony gave a single ounce of discomfort at showing him, you’d do something to stop it.

“It's Rhodey or Pepper.”

“I want to see it.”

“Okay, it was Rhodey.”

Tony opened his shirt. On purpose, you moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, not just wanting to protect Tony but to clearly see Stane’s reaction to it. The man looked downright ill at seeing such a thing.

It startled you. You expected an animation of money signs to be in his eyes. No, Stane looked… Worried, his eyes going left and right as if making sure no one saw. Was he… Was he ashamed of Tony’s damn near perfection engineering? Something more?

You saw him reach for Tony.

Something in you could not handle that. You turned your back towards Stane, moving to put your own hands on Tony’s shirt to button it up for him. In typical Tony fashion, he made a big show of it, winking at you seductively while also managing to let you know that he was alright by putting his hand on top of yours as you finished the last button.

“Okay.” Stane said, as if it wasn’t a life changing feat of engineering.

“Okay?” Tony asked with some heat to it as you turned back around, “It works.”

“Listen to me, Tony,” the man said, and again you felt the hair on the back of your neck stand up, “We're a team. Do you understand? There's nothing we can't do if we stick together, like your father and I.”

Tony softened immediately at the mention of his father. Of course he did. Both of you were slaves to father’s whims, even when you questioned your devotion to them. There was something about disappointing a parent figure that would always linger. You just hated that Tony was just as susceptible to it as you were.

“I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads-up, okay? But if I had...”

But if he had, Stane would have stopped it. Rhodey may have accused you of planting the seed, but you were by no means the one leading this charge.

“Tony. Tony, no more of this "ready, fire, aim" business. You understand me?”

“That was Dad's line.”

Ow.

“You gotta let me handle this. We're gonna have to play a whole different kind of ball now. We're going to have to take a lot of heat. I want you to promise me that you're gonna lay low. In fact, you’re going to lay so low that you’re marrying her.”

Stane pointed at yourself.

You nearly bit his finger.

“I will be marrying her, actually. I… Did you just tell me yes?”

“It’ll be good for the press to focus on that,” Stane said casually, as if Tony being married was a mere publicity stunt, “I need their eyes elsewhere while I clean up this… New direction.”

You felt like a cow to be sold but, with a glance at Tony, you knew that Stane’s approval of you was something that he wanted, even if he would never, ever say the words out loud. No one ever gave Tony enough credit in the emotion department.

“Get a ring on her, at the very least,” Stane continued, “I’ll stop by your place later, alright?”

Finally, finally the man left. You both watched as he marched out the doors as if he won an argument, his head held high and his shoulders straight. You couldn’t stand it.

“First off,” you said, looking at him closely, “I will never, ever blame you for me getting kidnapped.”

“Yeah, well,” Tony rubbed his neck, his hands once again going to the railings of the large arc reactor, “if I didn’t drag you there-”

“Part of the job description, Mr. Stark,” you teased very lightly, “where you go, I follow. I think that was in the actual job description.”

“Pepper always knew what I needed.”

You smirked, “she is rather amazing.”

“Technically brought us together, when you think about it.”

“A bit,” you agreed then, right back to business, “Second off, your hand. It’s alright?”

“Better than alright, I’ve been wanting to do that to your ex, but your father managed to fill the void, much to my delight. Hurts like a bitch, though.”

You took all of that with a grain of salt, including the incredible trust Tony displayed telling you that he was hurt. You made the smallest of mental notes to text Pepper and tell her to bring some ice back to the car.

“I’m not ready to digest what happened,” you said, “But… In summary… Thank you. I fear the speech we’re both gonna get, and maybe the punch you’ll have to dodge from Mark, but…”

“Seems we’re both dodging a lot of punches.”

You hummed, your own hands going to the railing just to let your shoulders touch, “Rhodey thinks I’m crazy.”

“You are. The jury was out on that one?”

“Ha, ha,” you said, almost appreciative of Tony brushing that aside, “He’s of the same opinion of Stan-Obidiah. I tried to tell him that he’ll still keep his contract, but he was… ”

An ass.

“Rhodey-bear is just stubborn,” Tony said, “he’ll come around. Always has.”

You let Tony have that hope. After all, even if you were still hurt by James’s words, you did know that he would come around. Rhodey was a creature of habit, after all, and you knew he loved Tony like a brother.

Speaking of trust…

“I know you’re close to Stane,” you said softly, “but I really don’t trust him to do what’s right here.”

Tony tensed. His eyes stayed locked on the arc reactor in front of him. You knew exactly how tired he was just by the way he held his shoulders and, considering their current position, you knew that he was just about to drop.

You hated that you knew he wouldn’t allow himself to rest. Not properly.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tony said after a moment, taking a deep breath in as he faced you, “hard part’s over. Internal work now. They can’t go back since we went public with it, makes our job easier.”

You were always amazed at Tony’s complicated optimism. You hadn’t considered telling the world that SI wasn’t making weapons anymore was the hard part, after all. No, that hard part would be the truth in your statements. You had to turn the company into something that believed in the future.

That was a pipe dream, but one that you so desperately wanted to succeed. If not for the world, then for the man named Tony Stark.

Your phone went off.

It was such a foreign noise. Even Tony looked left and right before realizing what it was. You both managed weak smiles at that, even as you pulled up your phone.

Pepper Potts: James is taking your family back to the hotel. Meet us out front. Be ready for pictures.

You’d kiss that woman.

After all, you weren’t exactly married… Yet.

Your bedroom felt like a different world.

You almost expected it to be dusty. No, you almost expected the bed not to be made. No, you almost expected it not to exist.

Honestly? You didn’t know what you expected and a part of you wanted to rip out your heart just to make sure it was still beating. You hadn’t considered coming back, not really, and that completely threw you off.

You actually thought you were going to die in a fucking cave.

Your feet took you to your bathroom, past your sink, past your toilet, and made a beeline right for the shower, the water going as hot as it could go for the first time ever. In a rage you didn’t quite understand, you tore at your clothes as if they had done something to offend you. Then, breathing harshly, you went under the spray.

Your hands splayed out against the still cold tiles, arms bent slightly to carry your weight. Something was coming – something that scared you – and you felt frozen as hot water pelted your shoulders and back, nearly burning.

You waited for the tears. You waited for a scream. You waited for something to happen… And yet you found yourself calmly reaching for your favorite shampoo, a scent you haven’t smelled in months, and lathering you hair for the first time in what felt like years.

Your routine went on as normal, something that completely baffled you. Even shaving your legs went on schedule, the right then left, and you watched as your longer hair was washed down the drain.

And still, through it all, you could feel the impending doom just there-just on the cusps of something, and it nearly destroyed you.

The shower was shut off. You grabbed at a towel on the rack. You wrapped up your hair. You unwrapped your hair. You brushed your teeth. You got into your favorite pair of sweat pants and a plain, loose tee-shirt.

You… Sat on your bed.

You looked around at your surroundings – the photo of your brothers on your nightstand that you had put after you first year here in this home, the Walmart sheets and comforter you insisted on after nearly slipping out of the bed in whatever designer brand Tony preferred, and your personal cell phone still plugged into the wall and on your wardrobe.

Your phone.

Of all the things in the entire world to break you, you didn’t think the simple object would it.

A tear fell from your eye. Your throat tightened. And then, in a wave that was unstoppable, you grabbed at your pillow and shoved it into your face as you cried for everything you had lost.

Yinsen. With crystal clear detail you could recalled how he looked as he laid on his death bed, peaceful while in so much pain, and you couldn’t stand that you didn’t save him. It was your responsibility to get him to safety – your responsibility to pay back everything he did for both you and Tony.

You remembered how helpless you felt – how scared you were in Raza’s hold, how vigilant you were at all times, worried that a man would do something to you, worried that Tony would be hurt once again.

You felt weak. You felt disgusting.

You put all of that into your tears, into the scream that made the fabric of your pillow vibrate against your face… And you fell into your own bed in the fetal position.

You weren’t sure how long you laid there, just letting tear after tear fall, until you heard Tony coming up the hallway towards you.

You knew only one thing: you could not let him see you like this.

You dried your eyes quickly and, with a haste you didn’t know you had in you, made your way under the covers. You plastered a smile onto your face just to make sure you could still do it.

A knock came on your door, a beat of three, and you called for him to open it without hesitation.

“Tony Stark,” you said in what you hoped was a teasing voice, “you are the last person in the world that needs to knock on my bedroom door.”

Tony looked almost gleeful, “that’s probably the hottest thing any girl has ever said to me. Or, at least, on par with those two Swedish models.”

What?

This man could turn literally anything into an innuendo, you were sure of it.

Tony’s eyes lingered on your face. You looked away quickly, your eyes going to the ceiling in what you hoped looked mindless. You had so much on your mind, it might as well mean the same thing.

“You got room for two in this thing?”

“Tony,” you said in what must have been a teasing tone, “this thing was built for five. I didn’t even know this size mattress existed until I met you.”

Tony threw himself over you and quickly flopped onto the other side. He wasn’t touching you but his very body brought you a sense of calm. You may have just had your freakout, but at least Tony was still here.

“Is it awful that I’m picturing Great Depression era living conditions when you were a kid?” he continued, “One bed, a leaky faucet, two younger brothers. You grow up on a farm?”

You smacked his arm, faking indignation, “listen here, rich boy, just because I didn’t grow up with caviar on eggs doesn’t mean I was out plowing the fields.”

“Well, historically speaking, dear, you’d be cooking the food. But, you know, with your subpar education I guess you’d still-”

“You finish that sentence and you’ll find that the floor is an acceptable place to sleep.”

“Got a carpet, at least. Better than dirt.”

Better than dirt.

Your mood dimmed. Your hand went to his, giving it a quick squeeze as reality washed over you again. It was funny, the bed almost felt like too much as you both laid on it. Like some sort of messed up cloud. The only thing keeping you on it was Tony’s weight on the other side.

“You ever doubt us,” You asked Tony in the dead of night, “did you even once think that we wouldn’t get out of there?”

Tony didn’t answer. You don’t think you expected him to. Instead, in a familiar move in an unfamiliar place, you moved closer to Tony and put your forehead against him. Tony relaxed almost immediately, his arm snaking underneath your neck as you threw your leg over him.

For a moment, everything was okay.

“Right,” you said, looking over the kitchen, “JARVIS, you got my favorites?”

“Of course, Agent,” JARVIS said, “I am well versed in your pancake protocol, after all. Shall I play your best of broadway playlist?”

“Nah,” you answered, grabbing at the large bowl to begin the rather daunting process of cooking for way too many people, “hit me with Tony’s morning playlist, please? Just give me a warning when Tony gets up.”

“Of course.”

With that, you got to work.

Both works.

While you stirred the batter, you went over the news you missed. You read up on company emails as you flipped pancakes. You stared at the stock market yet again as you peeled hardboiled eggs. You dropped some cut up fruit as you watched your own press conference.

And you nearly broke a plate when you saw just how much the media was focusing on you rather than Tony.

Actually, you had just about every name of yours mentioned. Your maiden name, your ex-husband’s name, your current name that you had chosen after leaving said ex-husband, and – to your greatest surprise – Mrs. Stark.

“Mr. Stark is awake, Agent.”

“Oh, Mrs. Stark, I’m home!”

You were going to murder him.

Tony came into the room in gray sweatpants, a loose hoodie, and by magic itself, an already filled hot cup of coffee.

“JARVIS, babes,” Tony continued, walking right up to the kitchen isle, “I’d like her name changed immediately. It’s only fair.”

“Not a single pancake for you,” you told him dryly, “in fact, give me that.”

You took his coffee away, placing it next to the stove and far away from his reach. He gasped as if he had heard the most tragic of news, a hand going to his chest like an old woman at church.

“You take a man’s coffee away,” Tony teased, coming up behind you just as you were about to flip pancake, “you must face the consequences.”

“Oh my god, Tony,” you said, even as he wrapped his arms around you from behind, “can’t you see I’m busy? I’m gonna burn them!”

“Aren’t I,” and the man dared to place a kiss on your neck, “more important?”

You couldn’t help the butterflies that appeared in your stomach, especially as Tony continued to pull you closer to him. He caressed you gently, clearly savoring the action, and you took comfort in the knowledge that no one could see you here, in your own home, enjoying the one you loved company.

“I thought this was about your coffee,” You said breathlessly as time ticked away in his arms, “seems to me like you’d like it iced at this rate.”

“Alas,” Tony said, finally releasing his octopus limbs from you and grabbing at the mug, “you’re right. Speaking of, cooking for a small army?”

“I have no doubt in my mind that my family, as well as James and Pepper, will be stopping by in a few minutes. JARVIS, how’d I do?”

“A well-educated guess, Agent-”

“-Mrs. Stark, JARVIS!”

“-they are approximately ten minutes away. Miss Potts has just messaged you with a small warning. Your father is not in the car.”

“Probably for the best,” you muttered, even while you considered what that meant, “I’d imagine there’s quite a nice bruise he’s got on his jaw.”

“Hell yeah he does.”

You raised your eyebrow at Tony.

“I mean, oh no, I hope he’s okay.”

The sarcasm dripping off the words was almost too much. Almost. Sadly for you, you felt the corners of your mouth twitch. Your father was a complicated man and fostered an even more complicated situation. The fact that Tony felt the need to defend you from him said a lot.

“Plates, please, on the counter?” You asked Tony, “and open the windows, JARVIS? I think a breeze will be nice.”

Tony grumbled something about housework, but he diligently went off to grab everything. You actually had to pause for a minute as Tony did the housework, knowing that it would be a sight you wouldn’t see very often.

The doorbell rang and, even knowing that your father wasn’t with them, you tensed. People being here meant presenting a certain strength. While Tony understood just how much you were going through, he knew you’d hate it if a single person thought you were in need of something.

“Hey, sis!”

“Wait, Mark. Hold on. I think… I think I smell-”

“Move!”

It wasn’t Mark’s voice but rather James’s, who pushed past your brother’s army style. He came into the kitchen at a run, his tongue out of his mouth as he eyed your spread of food. You were pretty sure you saw stars in his eyes.

You thought about your last conversation with the man. For a moment, you could imagine yourself demanding an apology. For a moment, you imagined eating every single thing in front of him without letting him take a single bite.

But no. You didn’t suffer so much just to hold grudges.

And you were capable of separating work and your personal life.

“Buffet style,” you called out to everyone, “sharing is caring. Especially you, Rhodey, I know how much you eat.”

“I gotta share with this asshole?” Jack asked, pointing at Mark with his thumb, “but-”

Seeing as you raised said assholes, plural, you were happy to put your hands on your hips and glare at the two. They straightened their back immediately, muttering apologies as they meekly grabbed at their plates and scattered to the dining room.

“Hiya, sweetie.”

You smiled as Pepper came behind the counter, arms open to give you a hug. You gladly accepted it, always happy to see her. You still owed her for bringing your family back to the hotel yesterday.

“It’s so good to see you,” you told Pepper, even if you said it already, “and you didn’t say… How’s your dad?”

“Good,” Pepper answered, “everything is good, don’t worry. Even SI couldn’t lower my mood, believe me. I do not envy you, might I add. There was a rush from being Tony’s PA, do not get me wrong, but I hadn’t realized how much stress it was until I picked it back up again.”

“I sincerely can not thank you enough,” you said, “everything you’ve done-”

“How big is this place? There’s a basement?”

“Hey,” you called out, already knowing where Jack was attempting to go – the lab, “I know you know the definition of private, yes? Eat your food, Jack.”

“Ha, ha, you got yelled at.”

“And mind your manners!” You yelled to Mark hotly, shaking your head at Pepper in exasperation, “and you thought Tony was bad. Please, try these two as kids.”

Pepper smiled wide, “it’s fun seeing this side of you. Your family is certainly energetic.”

“Insane,” You said, deadpanned, “you mean insane. And please, sit down – grab some food! I wish I could do more to thank you.”

“Agent,” Pepper said, “you being here, you and Tony being here, is more than enough. How about you go sit down, huh?”

You would burn the world down for Pepper.

You nodded at her as you grabbed at your own plate, not at all shocked to see that most of the food had already been picked clean. Still, you very kindly grabbed two mugs of coffee, one for you and one for Tony, and made your way back to the table, where the men were stuffing their faces.

“Oh my god,” Tony said with his mouth full of what you assumed was a pancake, “you gotta patent these things.”

You kissed Tony’s cheek as you sat down, pushing the coffee mug towards him. It was nice to do such a simple gesture without fear of anything else. Yinsen had handled the physical attention almost comically – spinning around as fast as he could to not look – while everyone here took it as something that just happened.

“Sorry,” Mark said just as you finally took a bite, “family recipe, right? And, as you mentioned in your meeting thing yesterday, you haven’t married my sister yet.”

Right then. Enough of this.

You placed yourself next to Tony and, without further ado, smiled sickly sweet at your would-be husband.

“Tony Stark,” you said, “would you marry me?”

“I’m just checking here,” Tony said, hands up in the air, “I get the pancake recipe in this deal, right? It’s not a fair deal if I don’t get ‘em.”

“That and much more, buddy-boy,” you teased, “isn’t that right, boys.”

Your eyes traveled to your two brothers. You knew Jack was just meeting Tony – you also knew that Mark had probably gossiped about the man. You had thought him and Jessica had left with a good impression of him. At the very least, you hoped they had liked each other.

Jack, being the middle child that was always in trouble, looked like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. However, with just a look from you, he nodded up and down viciously, agreeing with you.

Mark, on the other hand, looked mildly annoyed. The punch to your father probably didn’t help at all, that was for. Your dad had no right saying that, but it didn’t help that it happened in front of your brothers.

Still, a part of you knew you would never really forgive him – not properly.

“Excuse me,” JARVIS said, “there may be something of interest on the news.”

You and Tony both sighed… Loudly. As if you were told you both had to be in a waiting room for five decades. You couldn’t help it. JARVIS knew only to interrupt something like this if it was truly something to witness.

“Throw it up on the main display, J,” Tony said, rubbing at his eyes, “spare me the gory details, will you?”

“Where the hell did that voice come from?”

“JARVIS,” Rhodey answered your younger brother, “he’s the AI that runs this house.”

“What the hell is an AI?”

You shook your head, recalling how you felt about JARVIS all those years ago. Sometimes, you really took it for granted. You laughed to yourself as Mark leaned over to explain it and, in the middle of it, watched as poor Jack freaked out over there being no physical TV. You forgot how amazing Tony’s technology was.

You winced when you got a look at what news organization it was. God knows they haven’t done any favors for any company, let alone one as large as SI.

“Stark Industries! I've got one recommendation! Ready? Ready? Sell, sell, sell! Abandon ship! Does the Hindenburg ring any bells? Let me show you the new Stark Industries business plan! Look, that's a weapons company that doesn't make weapons!”

“Nice,” Tony said, “excuse me, folks. I’m off to, well, be me. Agent, mind tracking down the next board of directors meeting?”

“And composing a company mission statement to be sent to all staff?”

Tony nodded, looking mildly impressed, “emphasize that we’re not laying off-”

“And what about this new chick Tony Stark is flaunting? Stark Industries is gonna let a walking HR red flag control its business model? I don’t think so! And we did some research here, apparently this woman isn’t even qualified! Come on, folks, we’re gonna let a simple PA with an outrageous reputation sink Stark Industries? Someone get this woman in a mental institution!”

 “Why do people keep calling me crazy?” You muttered to yourself, “I’ll take underqualified, but crazy is pushing it.”

“Sis, I’m sorry to tell you this,” Mark said, getting up from the table with his dish, “But you are absolutely, full-fledged crazy.”

“What a lovely sister I am!” You told the two of them sweetly, “cooking breakfast for my family, huh? It’s a shame I’m so crazy, I simply forgot which pancakes I slipped the laxative into!”

Tony laughed loudly at that, looking almost startled by the sound, “you know, I taught her sarcasm. I take full credit for it, actually.”

“And it’s a lethal combination,” Rhodey said, “I’m washing up.”

“Actually,” Tony said, “I need you in the lab. Company secrets to discuss, corporate espionage to – oh, no, wait. We don’t even have that. Anyhow, lab.”

Rhodey sighed as he was practically dragged down to the basement. Seeing as work was now apparently a free topic, he continued to not look at you. You weren’t sure if it was because he was still pissed or if it was ashamed of how he talked to you, but you didn’t particularly care. Maybe Tony wanted to talk to him about it?

 You watched as your brothers began to clear the table, nearly physically pushing Pepper away when she tried to help. You shrugged at Pepper as she looked at you hopelessly and even added “you’re a guest, Pepper!” when she again tried to wash the dishes.

In fact, you would be washing the dishes, thank you very much.

Pepper eventually left to go borrow your shower, which you were a bit thankful for. Your brothers and yourself lingered in the kitchen, doing chores as you always did.

“So,” Mark said, and you nearly groaned, “you sure about him?”

The sponge you were using dropped into the sink and you leaned on your elbows on the counter in exasperation, “I don’t know what I have to do to convince you two idiots, but yes. I love him. He loves me, as you can probably tell.”

“It’s just that,” Jack rubbed the back of his neck, “Look, I wasn’t there for you when I needed to be… With Tyler. I want-need to be here for you now.”

“And if it means going against Dad,” Mark added, “we’re doing that. Without question. Who, by the way, is perfectly fine after that rather impressive punch.”

You would not cry. Nope. You loved your brothers something fierce and, even with being a big sister to them, it was important to you that they trusted you. You knew Mark had been convinced when he was here with Jessica, but it was nice to hear that they would go against your father to support you and your happiness.

“That means a lot,” you said, and you cleared your throat, “really. I can’t ask for better brothers.”

“I mean, I’m pretty sure I heard you say that a few times when we were kids,” Jack said, “Remember when I destroyed your calculus textbook after you told me I couldn’t date Jane Buler?”

“Jane was six years older than you!” You screeched, “I didn’t-”

“Woah, woah,” Mark said, “before this gets ugly once again, just one last thing…”

Mark took a deep breath and, without warning, walked closer to you. You felt your confusion grow tenfold when he placed his hands on your shoulders.

“I may be the youngest,” Mark said, “but I can safely say I am the more responsible one… Then Jack.”

“Hey!”

“And Dad…” He looked you in the eyes, “Dad doesn’t get to decide who gets Mom’s engagement ring.”

Your Mom’s engagement ring?

You didn’t know your father still had it. You had assumed he had lost it in his grief stricken rage. After all, your Mom’s sudden death had scarred you all. He had nearly destroyed everything in the house related to her, even the family pictures. You only had one picture left of your mother and was still ripped in half.

You had no idea that anyone still had it.

“So,” Mark said, finally taking your hands off your shoulders, “I already gave it to Stark. This morning, actually.”

“I told him if he loses it, I get to punch him!”

You rolled your eyes, the smile on your face nearly hurting your cheeks, “thank you.”

“If you cry,” Jack said, “I’m not to be held responsible.”

“It was your idea to get the ring, dumbass,” Mark shook his head, “speaking of, we should go take care of the other dumbass of the family. We’re gonna… We’re gonna go.”

“My job only gave me a week off,” Jack grumbled, “I’m a car salesman. They’ve got a thousand of me.”

You swung your arms around the both of them, leading them to the door, “they’ve only got one of you, Jack. No one else can take apart a carbonator like you.”

“Hey, Agent,” Mark said, then stopped.

You somehow all stopped at the opening of the front door. You took in your brothers, really took them in. You may have gone though hell, but it was clear the stress had gotten to them as well. You wondered who they called for updates – wondered how long it took for them to give up hope on finding you.

“Come here,” you said to them, holding out your arms, “Family hug.”

They barreled into you – quite literally, as if you were children again. You became a sandwich between them, squeezed nearly to death, and you felt something in you quiet down as you wrapped your arms around both of them.

“Don’t do that again,” Mark said, “for the love of god.”

“They don’t make thousands of you, sis,” Jack added, “love you.”

“I love you too.” You said, finally releasing them from what you knew was a death grip. “call me, will you? I’ve missed both of you.”

“Of course,” Mark said, “And, just as a fair warning, we’re still gonna pretend we hate Stark. It’s our right as brothers.”

You chuckled, “we’ll see how long you get away with that.”

You smiled at them as they lingered on the doorstep, also not wanting them to go. Real life involved them working and, though you were surely tempted to pay them to stay, you knew they wouldn’t take it the right way. God, you would miss them.

With one last wave, you watched as your brothers were picked up by Happy. You gave a polite wave to the man, thankful for him in an entirely different way, and made your peace with not seeing them again for a little bit. It was good to have them here, of course, but you had work to do.

“Agent?”

You turned.

Pepper was holding up… Well, she was holding up so many papers and folders, you suddenly felt the fear of God in your soul.

“Ready?”

“Yeah,” you said, thinking about the changes you could make, “let’s do it.”

“Agent?" Tony called over the intercom, "Got a moment for me, love of my life?”

You eyed your shadow on the wall. Somehow, your hair was sticking up in all directions. You didn’t think it had the capabilities to do such a thing but, given how many times you had run your fingers through it, it made sense.

Even Pepper looked a little frazzled, reading over paper after paper with keen eyes. She was great at keeping you organized – had even read over every single email you were sending out under the guise of Tony’s name. It was important to tell everyone that they were still very much guaranteed a job and, while SI considered its options, you would be giving anyone in the weapons manufacture plants PTO days.

The Board of Directors had called Tony’s phone roughly twenty-three times now, since the first emails had begun, and even Stane had joined in on the phone brigade. You were never so thankful for JARVIS, who stopped all of them.

Tony was officially the CEO now. The board may have power, but everything you had done so far was within the legal rights of a CEO. No one could say a word.

You were certainly not letting that power get to your head.

“Agent?”

Oh, right. Tony. “Yes?”

“Come down here?”

You looked over at Pepper, “Please, take a break,” you told her, “you’ve done plenty. You want coffee? Water?”

“No, no,” Pepper said, still looking over something, “I’m just gonna… Just gonna finish… I’m fine. Thank you. Go help… Whatever his name is.”

You’d laugh if you didn’t know exactly how she felt. Your brain felt like mush reading over every single thing that happened in the company. Planning the future of the company took even more work.

You left poor Pepper to whatever daze she was in. Like you, you knew she wouldn’t feel right until it was complete, which was fine by you. Silence might even help the poor woman.

You walked down the lab steps without much thought. It would be the first time you went down there since, and you knew you had missed it. You especially missed Tony’s first creations and, with a skip in your step, you said hello the boys with a couple of pats.

“So, wonder-boy,” you said, walking over to Tony’s, “what do you – what the fuck are you doing?”

Tony was… He was laying on a chair, maybe even a dentist chair or something, you didn’t even know, with his shirt off. He was pale, paler than usual, and his arc reactor… His arc reactor was in one hand, the connector going back to his chest, his literal chest, and you felt your heart begin to pound.

“Don’t freak out!” He said, as if you weren’t fucking freaked out, “I'm swapping it up for an upgraded unit, and I just ran into a little speed bump.”

You blinked at him as you rushed to take the arc reactor from him. God, it was heavier than you expected. And, despite the amount of times you had seen it, you hadn’t ever expected to hold the damn thing.

“Speed bump,” you screeched at him, “what does that mean?”

“It's nothing,” Tony said a little breathlessly, “it’s just-

“Are you in pain?” You asked, “how can I help? What can I do?”

Fuck you, you actually stared down into Tony’s chest. You don’t know what you expected but it certainly wasn't the complicated wires and connectors… And the metal. The amount of metal in the man’s body was obscene, nearly causing you to gag. You had no idea how Tony had managed to do this in that damn cave.

“Honey, I love you,” Tony said with the serenity of a teenaged boy, “stop freaking out. I am a genius, after all. I know this thing like the back of my hand.  Listen, there's an exposed wire under this device. And it's contacting the socket wall and causing a little bit of a short. It's fine!”

You swallowed. The very device that saved him was hurting him. How long had it been doing that? Was it all the way back in the cave? Was it in the desert? Why wouldn’t Tony tell you sooner?

“Okay,” you said to yourself, the arc reactor still clutched in your hands, “so I’m going to replace this unit with a new one? You got it ready?”

“Oh yeah, teamwork makes the dream work, or whatever those creepy high school coaches say. Here-”

Tony took your hands and, without warning, pushed your hands away from his chest, causing the old arc reactor to pop out of him like a fucking jump scare from a horror movie.

“Oh my god,” you said as you moved to put the old one on a table as fast as you could, “oh my god, oh my god.”

“Honey, you are the most capable person in the entire world. I need you to-”

“You're fucking dying as we speak, Tony Stark!” You yelled, “Just, what? What’s next?”

“I want you to reach in, and you're just gonna gently lift the wire out.”

Your left eye twitched.

“You want me to reach in there, with all that metal, with an electric short somewhere… Tony, if I touch it to the wall of this plate, you’ll get fried.”

“Fried is a big work,” Tony said calmly, “shocked, really. A little sting. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’m kind of a dying man over here.”

If he died because he was an idiot, you would feel no guilt. You were convinced.

You took a deep breath and… And reached your hand into his chest. Your nose flared when you felt something literally gooey in there – blood or muscle tissue or something, you weren’t even sure –

“It's an inorganic plasmic discharge from the device, not from my body.”

“Yeah, well,” you huffed as your pointer finger found the wire, “it smells.”

“Yeah, it does,” Tony agreed, and your heart almost gave out when you realized how much pain he was in, “You got it?”

“Just,” you wrapped your finger securely around it, “don’t move.”

You began a very slow pulling motion, your brain ironically bringing up the game Operation. Just when you thought you were in the clear, you felt something putting up too much of a resistance.

“There’s something it's stuck on.”

“Ah.”

Your eyes snapped to him, “ah?”

“Yinsen must have wrapped it around the magnet to secure it better. Probably didn’t think I’d get a chance at replacing this. More importantly… Yeah. Rip it out. Straight out.”

“Oh, what the actual fuck, Stark,” you growled at him, “I’m going to…”

Ya know what? Screw it.

You yanked out whatever hell magnet he was talking about.

Tony arched off the chair, a grunt leaving his lips. You threw the magnet to the ground without thought as you grabbed at the new arc reactor once again. You held it up to him, the connector towards his hands.

“Hurry up!” You told Tony, “I don’t know where-”

“Good lord, it’s like you’re the one in cardiac arrest!”

“Listen here, asshat,” you said, guiding Tony’s shaky hands to the end of the connector once again, “I love you. If you die in this god damn chair, you better haunt me. Or I’m hiring an a necromancer, whatever is faster.”

Tony smirked up at you – the cocky smirk that drove you wild, “someone’s a romantic at heart.”

“Put it in!”

Tony finally moved. He glided it into the left side of his body, something you took note of, and spasmed yet again when it was attached. Your other hand went to his face, soothing away whatever pain was left.

“I’m twisting this in?”

“Yup. Twist. Clockwise. Oh, yeah. Perfect, beautiful, molto bene!”

Tony’s deep breath of air told you just how much of a relief it was to have the arc reactor back in place. Feeling drained, you leaned your forehead against him, taking in the moment. Shit, you were going to kill him. You were going to toss him in the ocean.

“Will you marry me?”

Without lifting your head from his, you smacked him on the arm, “shut up and do it right.”

You leaned down just enough to place a quick kiss on his lips. He attempted to pull you in, but you weren’t falling for that. After all, you still loved the man, even when he was an idiot.

“Don’t do that to me again, please,” you couldn’t decide if you were begging or not, “you’re gonna give me a heart attack.”

“Speaking of heart attacks, and in terrible segways…”

Tony began to push himself up from the table. You let him go with ease, glad that this nightmare was over. You watched as he went over to the old reactor, tossing it between his hands.

“The serum.”

Ah.

How could you forget?

“Right,” you said, “so… The serum. That… You created.”

“Well,” Tony said, being his normally humble self, “a better copy of my father’s.”

“Right,” you answered, “so… What do I need to know?”

“Back then, there was hardly any scientific study on genetics. The ones who did know anything were only on the cusps of it.”

Were you getting a history lesson right now?

“My father manned the project to some extent. The technology aspect of it came from the need for different mechanical components working remotely. At least, remotely enough to not have everyone blasted with dangerous radiation of some kind.”

Tony threw on his shirt, leaving the arc reactor on the table.

“I had my power – the arc reactor. I only needed the formula. Which, being Howard’s son… I didn’t have.”

You blinked, “You… Didn’t have?”

“Nope,” Tony said, moving back over to Dum-e, “my father kept most of his more extensive projects to himself. Never believed I could handle it. Rotten bastard, honestly.”

You wouldn’t be touching that subject with a stick. After all, you knew all about rotten bastards.

“When I managed to figure out the formula, it was easy. But… Yinsen was right about you losing you memories being a blessing. What you went through was… I’ve never heard someone scream like that.”

“I don’t remember,” you muttered, thinking about it, “there’s… Flashes. I’m not sure.”

Tony hummed, “you probably haven’t noticed considering the calories we didn’t have to spare… But the things you can do? You lifted the entire suit by yourself, once or twice. Your reflexes are also, well, beyond what I could normally give you credit for, sorry.”

“What?” You asked him, “I don’t… What are you talking about? I mean, the suit was heavy, sure, but I still struggled… I…”

Did you? You remembered clinging to Tony’s back in the air… It was hundreds of feet and it was fast. Would you have been able to do that without the serum? And… And your hearing. You could hear the men talking through the close door all the way down the hallway. You had thought it was the echo of the place but now…

“I don’t have super strength. Wasn’t that Captain America’s whole thing?”

Tony raised his eyebrow, “you sure about that?”

Well… No. You’d give Tony that. You hadn’t found any real reason to go lifting a ten-ton truck. In fact, these days, you felt pretty weak. But… Calories. You hadn’t eaten much for months. The breakfast was actually one of your larger meals in a while. Were you eating more than usual because you were denied it or because you body genuinely needed it?

“You look like you swallowed a lemon.”

“It’s somehow still a lot,” You answered him honestly, “I mean, you figured out thee serum – for me. I don’t know… Do I do something with it?”

“Besides eat some more calories?” Tony shrugged, “and maybe avoid doctors until I can find one we can trust? Nah. You’re still the same sassy, beautiful woman that I fell in love with.”

Your shoulders fell, the tension leaving you. If Tony could love you, it didn’t matter.

“Thank you,” you said, “I know you don’t wanna hear it, but you saved my life.”

“We saved each other, remember?” Tony said, “Together or nothing.”

Your eyes went to the old arc reactor, sitting so innocently on the table. It had saved both of you, apparently. You had thought you’d seen Tony’s power back during his demonstration of the Jericho, but maybe this was where his real power lie. The things this man could create could shape the very world.

“You’ll keep that,” you said, gesturing lazily to the arc reactor, “right?”

“That old thing?” Tony replied with a teasingly lit, “maybe as wall art. Or than that, fair game.”

“I’d just like to keep it close,” you told him, then, shaking your head, “would that be all, Mr. Stark?”

 Tony’s eyes suddenly turned into those puppy dog ones you could never really say no to.

“What?”

“Help me fix this old speedster?” Tony said, “Come on, Agent. Let’s blast some music and have a few beers.”

This time, the smile on your face was undeniable.

“Playing hookie, Mr. Stark?”

“Only if my stunning PA lets me do it.”

That one was easy. You could never say no to Tony, no matter what it was.

Chapter Text

“My room or your room?”

Your brain short-circuited.

You hadn’t questioned Tony coming to your room last night. No, seriously. Not a single thought had gone into Tony inviting himself into your bedroom in the dead of night to be with you. After all, you had slept together since your first days of consciousness in that cave.

So why did you question it at this very moment?

You had just spent hours with him in the garage, happily modifying and fixing various different cars. It was the most normal you felt since you were captured and, despite the hard future in front of you in terms of SI, your stress melted away the more you allowed yourself to simply be.

You were both covered in engine oil and grease, but there was something freeing in being allowed to be dirty. You had thought you’d like to be outside for most of your freedom but no. You preferred what the dark had to offer.

Honestly, all you really needed was someone you trusted next to you - someone you loved - and it was enough.

“Earth to Agent?”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” you said honestly, “I reserve the right to make fun of your sheets if we go to yours.”

“Do you promise?”

You rolled your eyes, not at all surprised by Tony’s attitude. It was nice to know that some things would never change, one of them being Tony’s ability to make your mild panic disappear with a joke. He had always managed to do that.

With that, Tony opened the door to his room. You realized that, even with being his PA, you hadn’t really looked closely at it. After all, his wardrobe mostly came right from the dry cleaners or a stylist, so there was never a reason to step in.

But you were surprised by the… Normality of it. A part of you expected to see parts everywhere, maybe even a hidden robotic arm. But no. Tony’s room was just that - a room. No personal pictures adorned the walls or the nightstand, only abstract paintings that probably cost a pretty penny.

And finally, on the bigger than a king bed, were the infamous black more-expensive-than silk sheets that you despised. It took every fiber in you not to stick your tongue out at them.

“I call first dibs on the shower,” Tony said, “unless, of course, you’d like to join me?”

“Only in your dreams, lover boy!” You teased right back then, upon thinking about it, “does anyone actually like shower sex?”

Tony paused. If you had to describe the scene, it would have looked like a spotlight was on his back, waiting for the music to start. However, this wasn’t a full staged production. Instead of a spotlight, Tony merely turned his head to look at you from the corner of his eye.

“Have you had bad shower sex?”

You opened your mouth… Then found yourself considering lying… Considered giving gruesome details… Considered making a run for it… And then settled on something that surprised even you:

“You up for proving me wrong?”

You’d hand it to the man. He may be dramatic, but it was worth everything to see him place his hands against the door of the bathroom and start muttering both curses and blessings. The definition of weak in the knees came to mind, and it gave you the strength to walk over to him.

“So in order to have shower sex,” you said dryly, “I’d imagine you’d have to get in the shower? You’d think you’d know seeing-”

Tony’s lips were on yours.

Despite your nerves, you responded to him with as much passion as he had to give. Your hands traveled down the span of his chest as his lips left yours, feeling hard muscle against your palms. You felt something ignite in you as his own hands gripped at his shirt, attempting to pull it off of him.

Tony pushed your hands to the side to do just that. The arc reactor glowed as bright as ever as he threw his shirt to the ground without care. It illuminated the room, highlighting shadows, and you found that your eyes stayed there. It was hard to imagine what he went through and, feeling something ache in your chest, your hands glided gently over the rough lines of scar tissue around the device.

“Does it bother you?”

Your eyes snapped to Tony’s – Tony, who looked so pliable beneath your meager hold, who looked at you as if you held up the sky… It seemed impossible once upon a time to imagine that you could be even close to his atmosphere, let alone able to treasure the planet’s core.

In response to the dumbest question on earth, you could only do one thing.

Your hands went to your own shirt and, without prompting, threw it off. Your scar was something obvious and glaring – maybe not glowing, but certainly a worry on your mind if someone other than Tony was your partner.

“The only thing that bothers me is that it’s a reminder of what you went through,” you told him, finally throwing your shirt to the side, “Does my scar bother you?”

“I think it adds to the hotness level if I’m being honest.”

You rolled your eyes at him, not at all surprised at his answer. If anything, it made you relax, realizing that he must have found some comfort in your answer if he was making jokes.

“I hate to tell you this, buckaroo,” you said, wagging your hips, “but I’m afraid we’re still not in the shower.”

“Yeah, well,” Tony said, “lost some clothes. That’s, like, step number one.”

In response to that, you pushed at his naked shoulders, forcing him through the threshold of the bathroom backwards. You were, finally, unsurprised to see the size of it. If you had any idea of what a millionaire’s shower looked like, it would be this.

The actual shower was… You didn’t know, you were fighting for hot water more than half of your life… But it was basically just the continuation of the floor with a drain below it. The showerhead was also ridiculously large, honestly, and you had a sudden image of all millionaires and how stupid they looked trying to figure out how to turn the damn shower on.

You felt like you were going to explode as reality sunk in. Teasing Tony was one thing… Being with him was, somehow, still an unknown. You had kissed him plenty of times in that damn cave, but you never dared to do anything. After all, there were wondering eyes.

God, what if you were terrible? Would he still love you? Your experiences were few and far between after Tyler’s less than ideal treatment had turned you into a hermit. Tony would be your first partner in years.

“You look like shower’s gonna attack you.”

But for fuck’s sake, you wanted him, sass and all.

So, you played it as cool as you could.

“I’m thinking about thanking you for giving me a normal shower with a tub, actually,” you said, “but anyway… For shower sex, we seem to be missing a lot of components.”

“Well, good thing you came to an expert.”

You raised an eyebrow at him, “an expert, huh?”

“Yes. In fact, ground rules…”

What?

“We do what you’re comfortable with,” Tony said, in the firmness in his voice had you listening with crystal clear clarity, “I don’t care what happens in here. If it’s nothing or something, don’t care.”

Whatever fears you have disintegrated.

“If you want this,” you said, “then I want it to. I’m not… I’m not some Swedish model or some flexible pornstar… But I love you.”

“Exactly,” Tony said, crossing his arms, “do you like sex?”

“I dunno,” you said honestly, “but isn’t that the point? To find out?”

“I just don’t want you doing this for me,” Tony said, his tone a little softer than before, “Would I like to have sex with you? Hell yeah, the very thought is driving me crazy. But we don’t need to do anything.”

“Tony,” you said in exasperation, loving him for having this kind of conversation but also just… Fed up, really, “just… Yes. I’d love to. It’ll be fun. It’ll be more than fun. Take your pants off. Et cetera, et cetera.”

So, just to prove that you wanted to – as you said – try, you took off your own pants, revealing a very much not matching bra and underwear. In fact, you preferred comfort over anything else these days, so you were just glad your underwear was plain black.

You marched over to the strange as shit shower with a purpose, locating the button – yes, a button for a shower, who knew – and waited for the spray to start before unhooking your bra.

However, someone else’s hands stopped you.

You hummed as Tony unhooked your bra with – you didn’t really know, maybe a snap of his fingers – and discarded the item straight to the ground. Soon enough, without much thought about your nerves, you took off your underwear as well.

“God,” Tony said as he too began to strip, “I love a stubborn, fiery, downright sexy women.”

You smirked at that, “good thing you’re marrying me!”

“Which is penciled in on the same day I propose to you, right?”

“Why of course it is, Mr. Stark,” you teased, “now, get under this water so I can get that grease out of your hair.”

“Ugh, so demanding,”

It wasn’t without notice that you hadn’t turned around yet. You didn’t quite know why you were delaying the action. After all, you had seen Tony change once or twice in the cave, simply because there wasn’t anywhere to go and he had a habit of not announcing when he would strip off his clothes.

So, with shampoo finally acquired in your hands, you took a steadying breath and finally turned around.

Tony was fully immersed in standing under the spray, his eyes closed as the hot water created steam around him. Thankfully, it gave you an ungodly amount of time to stare. You had never actually cared what a man looked like. You had always fallen in love with the person themselves. Their appearance was never really a factor.

Tony was… Well, fuck it, you loved him.

He was hot.

The work in the cave that he did had given him a lean stomach, easily creating curves that interested you. You weren’t sex driven, but you could admire him in a way you had never before done to a guy. He was always handsome, you knew that by his face, but this was maybe the only time you admired someone’s body.

For the first time, you think you actually wanted to have sex with someone.

One step at a time, however.

“Move over, hotshot,” you teased, opening the bottle of shampoo, “save some water for me.”

“Honey, if we manage to run out of hot water, I’m demanding another hot water tank immediately. Under the company’s name. This counts as work.”

You laughed, “really? This exact thing counts as work?”

Tony was smirking at you. Smirking was perhaps the wrong word. You knew he was using his words to distract you from your nervous jittering that a part of you knew you were still doing but, still, that smirk drove you wild.

He was clearly trying very hard not to touch you. The idea of him allowing you to set the pace was relaxing within itself. He’d seen you naked, couldn’t be helped, but you were still very much tempted to cover yourself every time his eyes flickered down.

You poured the shampoo into your hand and, with a raised eyebrow, made a motion to where you wanted Tony to stand.

“See, demanding! It’s a very nice quality to have in a… In a… That’s magic, right there.”

You smirked as Tony went nearly boneless as you lathered his hair. Your short nails dug lightly into his skull the same way you liked it. Tony’s reaction was akin to that of a dog. If he had a tail, you had a funny feeling it would be wagging.

“You ever have someone do this for you?” You asked him, curious.

“Can’t think,” Tony muttered, “feels good. Amazing.”

You shook your head, surprised that something as simple as washing his hair effected him so much. Tyler had hated it, saying it wasn’t nearly as interesting as what they could be doing, but you had always liked taking care of people.

“I am, in fact, marrying you,” Tony said, as if this was the reason for doing so, “you say the word, I’ll get you whatever you want. Trip to Puru? Say no more. Name your price.”

You laughed even harder, “you don’t need to bribe your way into me washing your hair.”

“It’s actually a gift,” Tony said, “a present, really. You’re too good to me.”

You gently pushed him under the spray, silently telling him to wash out the soap. As his own hands went to his hair, you found your hands traveling over his shoulders. You leaned closer, your chest nearly on his bare back as you dared to place a delicate kiss on his neck.

He moaned into it, encouraging you. You found that you loved the action more than you thought. Your lips traveled down the expanse of his neck, your tongue now tasting his skin. This was unfamiliar territory and you held the power in your hands with weary caution, ready to pull away at a moment’s notice.

With your lips lingering on the base of his back, you found that your hands were not really in use, something that was a crime considering the man in front of you. Continuing your delicate journey with your lips, you felt your way around his side, letting dull finger nails drag against skin.

“Holy hell,” Tony muttered, his hands going to the shower wall to steady himself, “You sure you’re new to this?”

With those words, your hands glided over his stomach, feeling taunt muscle, “not too new. Can I…”

Your hand dared to move just there, waiting patiently, and it was almost worth it to see Tony’s hips jerk, anticipating the action.

“I feel like a teenage boy over here,” Tony said, “in case that wasn’t clear enough, the answer is a resounding yes.”

You had given hand jobs before.

Your gall now was maybe due to Tony’s support, but you weren’t new to sexual acts. You had had three partners throughout your life. The first had taught you most of what you knew, the second taught you how to love your sexuality, and the third ruined your entire fucking life.

But you were always good at caring for people, no matter the context.

Your hand wrapped around his cock with the amount of confidence that a terrible partner makes – a perfect rendition. There was no hesitation as you glided over his erection, your thumb positioned over his head.

Tony cursed lowly under his breath, his hips once again jerking in your hold. Getting the message, you gripped him harder and began to pump.

“Oh, fuck,” he said, “just like that. Just like… Shit.”

You hated that your thoughts kept going back to him, but Tyler had always demanded perfection in everything you had ever done. Sex wasn’t left out of the list.

Your lips again went to his neck. This time, however, it wasn’t to admire. Teeth gripped the soft skin, rolling it between your teeth, and Tony’s back arched at the action, pushing himself into your chest. You felt your own arousal spring to life at the simple contact, burning once again below your gut.

“An absolute goddess,” Tony continued to praise, “Ah… I’m going to go to…”

“Do it,” you whispered in his ear, “I got you.”

He came in your hand, his cum splattering the shower floor as he crumbled in front of you. It was an amazing thing to feel all of his muscles tense and release in rapid succession, clearly very effected by your actions, and you felt something a tad too wicked as he came down from his orgasm at a wonderful rate.

He spun around quickly after catching his breath, something wild in his eyes as he looked you over, “you like oral?”

Your mouth fell open, stunned stupid, “I… Never had it?”

Tony looked up at the heavens, seeming to praise god for such a thing, “I need to taste you. Immediately. With a passion.”

“I…?” you literally had no idea what to say. Giving was one thing, receiving was another.

“You just say the word and I’ll stop,” Tony said and he –

He sank to the floor.

You watched in dumb shock as he kneeled on both knees in front of you, just a little bit away from the shower spray. You almost backed out immediately, overwhelmed by his… Eagerness. You would never be used to being the center of attention, especially like this.

“Come here,” he beckoned, “I don’t bite… Unless you like it. Trust me, I don’t judge.”

You felt like you were having an out of body experience as you stepped closer to him, his head just at your thigh. You weren’t sure what you expected. It wasn’t the first time you would be eaten out, that was for sure, but it was the first time by a guy.

You thought he would just go for it… No, instead, his hands went around your right thigh. His lips ghosted over the skin, just pecks, but something responded in your immediately. This time, you jerked in his hold, moving closer to him as his hands danced expertly across your skin.

Moving slowly, his hand moved over your butt and your eyes closed involuntarily at the lewd action, your thoughts traveling to… Other things.

“Good?”

“Good,” you answered immediately, “I’m not…” you could hardly breathe, “not a talker.”

 Tony snorted, “so all I need to do to get you to shut up-”

“Finish that sentence and it’ll be the last shower sex we have.”

“Ah,” Tony said, as if he solved a complicated math problem, “that means that you’re at least enjoying our adventures so far then, right?”

“So cocky, pun intended.”

Tony snorted, “it’s starting to sound like you are a talker.”

“Tony,” you practically whined, “do you mind?”

“Well, if the lady insists.”

And then his mouth was on you.

You cried out immediately, not used to such a sensation. Tony was unrelenting, his tongue lapping at... Everything, and you almost slipped on the rough tiles trying to control yourself. Much like him, your hands found the wall, attempting to steady yourself.

You gasped when he found your clit, your hips jerking roughly. He honed in on your reactions, his tongue lapping at the bundle of nerves in a way you could have never imagined. To your shock, you were muttering things under your breath, praising something, and you didn’t even have time to feel bashful.

No, you felt alive. You questioned if the man needed oxygen as the minutes passed, both too long and too fast, and soon enough you could feel that familiar coil in your gut, nearly explosive.

“Tony.”

He made one last long drag against you and, to both your horror and delight, you finally rushed over the edge. The orgasm took you by so much surprise that you could have sworn you blacked out for a moment. His hand traveled to your stomach, feeling the tremors for himself, and the thought made it all the more stronger.

“I take it I’ve proven that shower sex can be good?”

Your hands were still splayed out on the wall. If you could, you would be clinging to it. You felt downright weightless, the sort of tired that your body appreciated, and you couldn’t even say anything as Tony got up from the ground.

“I think…” You said, just as Tony was starting to get a bit too arrogant, “we’d need a round two, just to make sure.”

If your shenanigans made it all the way to the bedroom that night, who were you to complain?

“How’d it go with James?” You asked Tony, “you know, after breakfast the other day?”

Tony shrugged as he grabbed at one of his holograms, looking it over. You had seen him study the papers on the suit with meticulous detail, but it wasn’t the same as him using his own technology to better something.

Right now, he was simply tinkering with old designs, relearning exactly how both the holograms and JARVIS worked together. Though he made it look easy, you knew just how many hand and voice commands it took for this whole operation to take.

“Rhodey-bear?” Tony questioned, “you want the whole story or cliff notes version?”

Well, even with all the work you had to do and Pepper coming back in a few minutes, you needed to know everything.

“Considering he ate my pancakes, I think I’m owed the whole story.”

“You and your family are way too serious about those things. I mean, listen, I’d sell my kidney for that recipe, but all this hoopla is a travesty.”

“I can not believe you just said the word hoopla.”

“JARVIS, throw this in the trash, would you? Moving on to bigger and better things, after all.”

“As always, sir,” JARVIS said right away, “shall I open the next item on your task list?”

You watched in silence as Tony continued his work. He was a good businessman, you knew that. The attitude he presented to people on the board was dull and lifeless – uncaring of anything. But you knew that he preferred to be underestimated.

Here was where he shined. You would always be amazed by it.

“Obie was right about one thing,” Tony said, “SI’s ties to the military are unparalleled. Like you said, we’d need to provide them with something, especially if we don’t want them to sue us for breach of contract. But, we had that in the works already. Our medical tech is perfect, as always.”

“Right,” you agreed, “which is why Rhodey’s contract can and will still be in place.”

“Not if he continues the way he has.”

You felt yourself bulk, surprised by the harsh attitude, “what do you mean?”

“He gave me a whole speech about you needing some therapy, citing shit like PTSD and generalized anxiety. Hardly gave me a chance to explain anything before he went off on a rant.”

You felt disappointment rear its ugly head in your chest. James had always been a good friend, even upon your first meeting with him. He had looked out for you since day one, you couldn’t see why now, after something as awful as Afghanistan had happened, he chose not to trust you.

“I-”

“Then he said something about us being codependent…” Tony nearly growled the word, “that I couldn’t trust… It doesn’t matter. Told him to get his loose screws fixed.”

“Tony,” you said in exasperation, “you can’t blame him. We weren’t together before we… Before everything. We probably do have some form of PTSD. It’s Rhodey. He just wants what’s best for both of us.”

Not that you weren’t hurt by his actions. You hated that he went behind your back to complain to Tony. You hated that he had the audacity to say that Tony wasn’t coping. You hated that they were fighting.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tony repeated, “for now, Rhodes’s contract is set in stone, even if he wants to back out. We’ll reveal our new tech to him from a business perspective and nothing else.”

You nodded, realizing that Tony’s ire was deeper than you'd thought at first. Clearly, Rhodey’s less than ideal understanding of you had hurt him. You hated that it was you that was driving that divide, but there wasn’t much you could do about it.

“He’ll come around,” you said, both for your sake and his, “he’s been through a lot too – looking for us.”

“Yeah, well…” Tony sighed, his hands going to lean against the workbench, “whatever. I gotta head to the air force base in Marysville to meet up with him later today.”

“Today?” You asked, trying to show just how much your heart skipped a beat, “by yourself?”

Tony did his classic smirk, “what? You’d miss me?”

“Only in theory, Mr. Stark,” you teased back immediately, “maybe I’ll get something done while you’re gone… For example, I get Pepper for three more days. I was going to head back to the office with her and check out morale.”

“Always a workaholic,” Tony said, shaking his head, “gonna be a short trip, be back in time for dinner. Wow, did not think I’d ever say those words.”

You smiled at him, “I’ve cooked already. You’re making your famous pasta.”

Tony groaned loudly, “JARVIS, can you believe the audacity?”

“Agent is well versed in being fair, sir.”

“Thank you very much, JARVIS,” you winked at one of his cameras, “now, leaving?”

“Shut her down, J,” Tony said, waving his hands, “and get out our little secret, would you?”

Tony turned to you with a clap of his hands. To your surprise, there was something long and thin in between his fingers. It looked like… A bracelet? No, a watch?

“Indulge me, a tad,” Tony said, “been working on something since we got back.”

Tony held out what was definitely a watch to you. It was a little thicker than you were used to, maybe a quarter of an inch, with… With diamonds around the band? You weren’t used to extravagant gifts and, even with a salary that now made you ridiculously comfortable, you could have never imagined something so intricate and beautiful on your own wrist.

“Now, before you say no,” Tony said, moving closer and holding out his other hand for you to place your hand in his, “it’s not just a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry.”

“Oh?” you asked, feeling your curiosity rise, “what is it?”

Tony shook his hand, obviously wanting you to place your wrist there, and you did so with a roll of your eyes. With a smoothness that you were jealous of, he placed the watch on your wrist, securing it before letting it go.

“I’m a bit of a stalker,” Tony said, “there’s GPS tracking in there, as well as full access to JARVIS. And… Here, tap the watch twice and hold out your hand towards the wall.”

Tony guided your arm to the proper position and, trusting him not to get you hurt, you tapped the watch twice. Something… Happened. You watched in dumb shock as something came out of side of the watch, pointed at the wall. It was… It was buzzing with power was the only way you could describe it.

“You get three charges,” Tony explained, “to fire it, close your hand into a fist and click the trigger. Whoever gets hit with that will have a hell of a nap.”

What?

“I was thinking of self-defense classes,” you said mindlessly, looking over the watch more closely, “or at least try to figure out how strong I really am… This is much better than carrying around pepper spray.”

“You got Pepper in a bottle?” Tony asked, “what, you get your three wishes from her yet?”

You smacked him on the arm for a reason you didn’t quite know. Still, you shook your head as he went back to the small couch he had down in the lab, grabbing at his much fancier clothing. He was serious about leaving then.

You disengaged the watch with two taps, still slightly mesmerized by it. Tony’s work was incredible. You weren’t even sure where he got the time to do it!

“Thank you,” you said, finally, not realizing you hadn’t said it yet, “seriously, Tony. This… This helps.”

“Me stalking you and all?”

You snorted, “you stalking me and all.”

You said your goodbyes quickly. You could tell Tony felt just as nervous about leaving, even if he played it off well. It would be the first time in months that you were separated, but it was only a few hours away by car. Not to mention, JARVIS would keep you updated about Tony without question.

With that, you went off on your own adventures.

“Vultures,” you huffed, “literal vultures. I don’t know how Tony deals with it.”

“He was born into this,” Pepper said, “And right now, having the press swarm SI is a good thing. The more people that see you and Tony, the better.”

“Just like what Stane said,” you said in disdain, “us getting married isn’t going to stop the media from reporting on SI’s earnings or reputation. We need to focus on-”

“You and Tony both need to rest,” Pepper said in exasperation, “let alone letting Stane dictate your lives. The man is a leech, the least he could do is give Tony a month before returning as acting CEO.”

“No,” you said fiercely, “giving any more of the company to Stane is the worst thing we can do right now. We… I need him out of power, just for my own sanity.”

Pepper looked troubled, “I know he’s sexist, but he’s also been a part of this company far longer than the two of us combined, not to mention Tony’s relationship with him. He’s not going anywhere.”

You sighed, nodding at her as you calmed down. After all, you had finally made it back to your office – Tony’s office. It was hardly used, of course, but it did house all of company’s paperwork and security cameras. It would be good to walk the floors once again.

Still, it was hard to get your nerves under control. The flash of people that Happy had to push you in front of – god, you really had to pay that man more – had put you on an edge you hadn’t experienced before.

“Are you alright?” Pepper said, “you look-”

“Fine,” you said, trying to give her a smile but knowing that it was more of a grimace, “sorry. All those people around us… It was just a lot.”

“I’m not going to ask you again,” Pepper said, “But I want to offer it. If you ever want to talk about what you went through, I’m here for you. I know you have Tony, I’m so glad you two have found each other, but there’s value in talking to a friend.”

God, you really would kill for this woman. It was in this very office that you truly met her – so confident and above you that she was intimidating, really – and it blew your mind to know the person behind that mask. She was so caring, beyond belief really, and it blew your mind how much compassion she held in her heart.

For a moment, you imagined telling her about everything – imagined blabbing about the pain, the serum running through your veins, the terror you felt not knowing if you were going to live. You imagined telling someone how scared you still were.

But you couldn’t. You just couldn’t.

“Thank you,” you said, meaning the words, “but really, I’m okay. It’s good to just… Get back into work, you know? Distracts me.”

Not a lie, at least.

Pepper hummed in disagreement, “maybe this is something you shouldn’t be distracted from.”

“No,” you said firmly, “I need this. I need a goal. If I stop I’ll just… I won’t know where to go.”

Pepper looked anything other than confident in your answer. Still, you were at least honest with her. She deserved to know why you were so steadfast in working – in both of you working. If you wanted anything for Tony, it was for his company to be what he actually wanted it to be.

Otherwise Yinsen’s death would have been for nothing.

You coughed, looking out over the windows of Tony’s office as you tried to get your thoughts under control.

“A bit more of a girly talk, then?” Pepper suggested, “where’s this infamous ring I keep hearing about? Your brother Jack told me they gave Tony your mother’s engagement ring. How exciting!”

“It was really sweet of them,” You agreed, “My father gave it to Jack since he’s the oldest boy… But they didn’t really know her. Anyway, no, nothing yet. I’m honestly not entirely sure if Tony is serious or not.”

Pepper’s exasperated look made you blush, of all things. “What?”

“That man has loved you since you demanded your way into this very office,” Pepper said dryly, “if he even muttered about a ring, they’ll be one… Probably when you least expect it.”

You hadn’t really thought about it. Okay, you maybe-sort of-possibly dreamed about it. You knew Tony was a mush pot of romantic gestures and you could only imagine the level his actual proposal was going to be.

But it wasn’t about you. You loved Tony and, whatever he wanted to do, you were behind him.

“We’ll see… Come on, let’s go do a walk around of the labs. I’d like to see what a couple of our engineers are working on.”

Pepper said something about geeks in their own natural habitat, but she was kind enough to join you. People greeted you with large smiles, some of it a bit of suck up for sure, while others seemed happy to see you.

It was clear that people assumed you weren’t kidnapped with Tony.

It didn’t surprise you, that was for sure, but it did make you realize something. Since you weren’t technically with Tony those three months, your relationship must either look like a dying man’s wish or something you were rushing into because of what happened.

That sucked.

Those thoughts consumed you as you waved to more and more people, asking them the basic question of their projects and being as specific as possible about the manufacturing departments stand by.

You weren’t Tony’s trophy wife. In fact, Tony had made that clear multiple times. Still, the very thought of you being yet another person’s mere object was… Was annoying. Awful. Not at all true.

“Hey, reporter at ten o’clock,” Pepper said into your ear, “avoid them?”

You eyed the man. He was on the older side of on the ground press, maybe early forties. He actually managed to stand out from the crowd, blending in with the other more internal workers of SI. That was probably how he made his way into the building without much trouble.

“Avoid,” you told Pepper, “we need someone who’s willing to see this change in a positive light, not something to justify.”

“Good call,” Pepper said, “it’s like you never left.”

You hummed, “you think Tony would agree you trained your padawan well?”

Pepper’s laugh was so genuine that people looked up and stared. Still, the social fupa was worth the stares.

You weren’t ready to let her go.

Your night was filled with nightmares.

You tossed and turned in your own bed, feeling wide awake in the dark room. Thoughts raged like never before, spiraling until you could feel cold terror grip your heart. Something nagged at you as you so desperately tried to not think, pulling you deeper into the abyss.

Your escape from that damn cave was chaotic. You would have called it a blur, honestly, but with no one to judge you but yourself, you could say with horrible confidence that every single second of that day would be with you until the day you died.

The weight of the gun as you grabbed it from the dead bodies that lingered around it. Tony’s cruel eyes as he witnessed Yinsen’s last breath. The recoil of the gun as you fired randomly, protecting Tony as much as you could.

The recoil of the gun.

You killed people.

Your stomach rebelled at the very thought and with hardly any warning, you were begging that you would make it to the toilet in time. Bile burned your throat as you lost your dinner on your knees, your stomach cramping painfully as you continued to gag.

“Shit,” you said to yourself, your hands shaking so much that it scared you, “it’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. You’re not there anymore. You’re not there.”

But you could feel Raza’s hand around your throat, choking you, and you nearly gagged again as you flinched at the memory. Even with super strength, you were weak. You were the last one to ever deserve a power like that, like Captain America, and you felt tears fill your eyes at how stupid you were to think you could be anything other than weak.

A weak murderer, the first of its pathetic kind.

You cried harder, unable to stop the flood of tears now that you started. Your mind felt sluggish, an out of body experience from hell, and you saw your own hands fumbled for the knob of the shower, needing something hot to fix the coldness in your bones.

Clothes and all, you crawled to the tub and threw yourself into it, begging for the warmth that your soul couldn’t provide.

The water nearly scolded you, but you didn’t care. No, you needed this more than you needed anything else in your life. You stayed under the spray for what must have been at least a half an hour, head lulling, and soon awareness came in the form of mindless confusion at your own state of dress.

A memory came to you as you pulled off your clothes, something Tony had said in the cave.

“My father used to say Stark men are made of iron… But he was wrong, my Dad. It’s their women.”

If that were true, Tony would be six feet under already. Your strength had always been defined by other people. How you were perceived by them was what held you up. Inner strength was hard to find, especially the more life brought you down.

God, you had to get yourself together.

No, you had to get yourself together before Tony came to find you.

You finally turned off the spray of water, sighing as your longer than normal hair continued the loud drips around you. Everything was different. Everything was the same.

You weren’t going to be normal enough for Tony, were you?

You wrapped the towel around yourself as quickly as you could, needing to get out into your bedroom to ask JARVIS a couple of questions.

“J,” you asked, hating that your voice cracked.

“Yes, Agent?”

“Could you define the Pretty Agent protocol, please?”

Tony may have started it as a joke, but you had used it a few times. At its core, the directive was to warn Tony that you were, as he said, mentally unavailable. You’ve told JARVIS to activate it now when you were consumed with work and needed everyone to leave you alone so you could get something done. How JARVIS defined the terms of the protocol mattered to you right now.

“Of course,” JARVIS said smoothly, “I am to alert sir that you are unavailable for an undetermined amount of time. Barring an emergency, all notifications to your mobile devices will be set to do not disturb.”

“JARVIS,” you said, “I think I’m going to marry you instead of Tony.”

“I was told am I packaged deal with sir.”

“Of course you are,” you muttered to yourself, finally managing a smile, “did Tony tell you to say that?”

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to say.”

You laughed again. Somehow, your tears stopped as you considered the life you had. You were used to surviving. Life wasn’t without its gratefulness, that was plentiful, but it was certainly littered with hardships.

You crawled your way through the wreckage of your last marriage by yourself. You learned that complaints fell on deaf ears – hell, you learned that even before your piece of shit ex. You were used to dealing with everything alone.

You’d do the same with this.

You gathered your clothes and JARVIS very kindly lowered the lights for you. It went without saying that JARVIS knew to activate the protocol and for that, you’re glad that you were marrying them both.

Your thoughts drifted to Tony. He was in his lab for the night, just like old times, apparently catching up on some designs the board had demanded of him before the Jericho demonstration. You took the time to do your own paperwork as well as sneak out with Pepper for a nice greasy dinner that Pepper complained about for too long.

You had good people around you.

You just had to tell your head that.

Waking up after what you could only define as mental breakdown felt like what you assumed would be something like the next coming.

Tony was still missing. You knew before everything that he would often pull all-nighters to get work done, but it was the first time he’d done it to you. Still, being alone to cry had helped immensely… Probably. Either way, you felt better after getting some sleep.

Your morning went as it normally did from there – work filled with some light food and a lot of coffee. Things in the SI direction were finally making some sense which was good and, thanks to Pepper’s help, you felt like you could keep your sanity.

You sighed. You missed Tony.

That was a new feeling.

But hell, you didn’t have to suffer through it, that was for sure.

“Is the lab safe, J,” you asked, pouring a mug of coffee for Tony, “did he sleep?”

“A power nap, as he called it, yes,” JARVIS answered, “shall I let him know you’re on your way?”

You nodded at one of the cameras as you delicately balanced a contract you wanted him to go over and two mugs of coffee. It must have been comical, honestly, how clumsy you were. You had thought the serum would help with that but, alas, it seemed you were going to be stuck with that for life.

You opened the door to the lab with your foot, eager to get to the table to put everything down. Tony, meanwhile, was completely immersed in whatever he was doing, as per usual.

“Stay put. Nice,” Tony’s mere voice made you smile, “You're of no benefit at all. Move down to the toe. I got this. Okay, I'm sorry, am I in your way? Up. Screw it. Don't even move. You. Are. A. Tragedy.”

You caught a glimpse of him yelling at poor Dum-e and immediately came to the defense of the utterly perfect robot.

“Tony Stark,” you said, “don’t insult the children. Soon enough they’ll be able to fight back.”

“He already got me with the fire extinguisher,” Tony said, patting the arm, “I swear I didn’t put a single thing in his coding to justify that.”

“See, he’s learning,” you cooed, meaning it, “soon enough, he’ll rule this messy… Messy…”

Your eyes went to the table – went to what was on the table, to the diagrams around you, to the bone-tired Tony Stark still at work. Pieces of complicated machinery and circuit boards were scattered everywhere, some of them with the earmarks of a fiery death, and something in you…

Something in you felt furious.

“What are you doing?”

“Currently?” Tony asked, eyes still focused on whatever the fuck was in front of him, “the joint on the ankle of the boot holds most of the conductive material for-”

“No,” you said lowly again, “Tony, what the fuck are you doing?”

Tony finally, finally looked up.

You didn’t know what you looked like, but something must have scared the living shit out of him. He backed away from his work so fast that Dum-E moved away as well, his arm going left and right in search of something. The scene would have made you laugh once upon a time, but now it only reminded you of what Tony was using him for.

“I was-”

“Rebuilding the suit,” you snarled at him, “rebuilding the very thing that gave us both nightmares. Creating a weapon that-”

“It’s not a weapon! It’s-”

“Creating the weapon…” You continued, stepping closer, “that killed people. That burned people. That we nearly died creating.”

“I was-”

“Oh my god, Tony,” you said, seeing red for the first time in your entire life, “all I want to do is move forward. How could… How could you do this? How could you do this without asking me?”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal! Agent, come on, you have to understand why-”

“Well, I don’t!” You said right back, breathing heavily, “I don’t understand how this could ever be a good idea. What are you going to do? Sell it? Did James convince you to do this? If he did I’ll-”

“I need to protect you!”

You felt yourself freeze. You blinked as Tony came into focus. He was right in front of you, breathing as heavily as you, eyes wide in what you realized was fear. He looked almost deranged, no, desperate. For a moment, you saw the man behind that confident mask he presented even to you and, despite how angry you were, you couldn’t let him feel like that.

You threw yourself at him, dragging him into a hug so tight that even in his fear, he was forced to focus only on you. You felt tears spring to your eyes as his own arms wrap around you, bringing you as close as humanly possible to him.

“I need to protect you,” he said again, softer this time, “I need…”

“Tony,” you managed to say, “this can’t be it. This can’t be the way to do it.”

Tony hugged you tighter and you let him curl into you, knowing that he needed this. You thought you were the weak one in the relationship. No, worse, you thought you were the only weak one in the relationship.

You hated that you put Tony on some sort of pedestal. You hated yourself for thinking that he wouldn’t need you emotionally just as much as you needed him. You hated how much you failed him.

“I spent all of last night crying,” you admitted to him, “thought I was going insane. I couldn’t stop. Everything… Everything hurt.”

“I can’t catch my breath,” Tony told you, “Every time I blink, all I can see is you getting dragged away. All I can think about is Yinsen.”

It felt so good to hear that. You knew Tony would never forget him, you knew that, but hearing it out loud relieved the guilt you felt for constantly thinking about him. You wanted to be better, stronger for Tony, for the sake of getting back, but you just felt like you were stepping on eggshells.

You pulled away from him, needing to see his face. You felt your heart break at the unshed tears in his eyes, that familiar guilt of not knowing just how much he was suffering getting to you once again.

“I love you,” you told him as gently as you could, “you have to communicate. We both need to. No more hiding, right?”

“Not particularly good at that,” Tony muttered, “communicating.”

“What?” You asked him, chuckling a little, “we finally figure out your mortal weakness?”

“Those things exist?” He sassed right back, “thought it was only in books?”

“You read?”

“Why you…”

“I am sorry to interrupt,” JARVIS said suddenly, “Mr. Stane is upstairs. He appears to be eating.”

If there was ever a time to test your apparent strength, it would be giving Obadiah Stane a wicked right hook. You think you’d even manage to do it, honestly. Just imagining his arrogant smirk had your blood pressure rising.

“Face the music time,” Tony sighed, winking at you, “you think he got pizza?”

“Let’s hope not for both of our sakes.”

The motherfucker had pizza.

Worse, however, it was pizza from New York. New York, which meant you missed something. Which meant both you and Pepper missed something. Why was this a-hole of a manipulator straight from New York city and here now?

“It went that bad, huh?”

“Just because I brought pizza back from New York doesn't mean it went bad.”

You tried very hard not to make a face at him playing the piano with greasy fingers. Your mother was an avid lover of the arts. The idea of her seeing anyone play the piano with utterly disgusting hands would have destroyed her.

Not only that… He sucked.

“Since when does New York pizza not equal bad?” Tony asked, glancing at you as you delicately sat yourself down on the living room couch, your back rim rod straight.

“It would have gone better if you were there.”

At those words, you brought up not only the company calendar, not only the board of directors’ calendar, not only Tony’s calendar, but also Stane’s personal calendar, looking for any sort of meeting scheduled.

“So strange,” you said, making sure to sound genuinely puzzled, “I didn’t have anything scheduled or communicated with me about any meeting this week.”

Stane’s eyes went right to you. A lifetime ago, you would have let it go and probably apologized. Now, with the way you’ve been treated by the damn universe, you decided that you wouldn’t back down from this one.

“You also told us to lay low,” Tony added, sitting down next to you, just as tense, “That's what we've been doing. I lay low, and you take care of all...”

“Hey, come on,” Stane said, oozing fake disappointment, “In public. The press, which should be wildly distracted with a love story, might I add. This, by the way, was a board of directors meeting.”

“A board of directors meeting that wasn’t communicated anywhere?” You asked, “with the CEO? With any of their PAs?”

Tony’s hand curled around yours. You held strong, unwilling to let Stane have this. You were meticulous in your job and you took pride in it. You would not let him put the blame on you.

Stane, sensing your game, looked only at Tony.

“The board is claiming you have post-traumatic stress,” he added, “They're filing an injunction.”

“Under what legal grounds,” you asked, squeezing Tony’s hand back, “new designs have already been submitted to QA. New employee contracts have been written to update their new job with no layoffs. Work, even with projects as big as this, is getting done faster than ever before.”

“You really think a few cute little passion projects will keep the board off his back?” Stane laughed, “A stock drop in fifty-six points isn’t what any board wants to see!”

“It doesn't matter,” Tony said, sounding frustrated, “We own the controlling interest in the company.”

“Tony, the board has rights, too. They're making the case that you and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest.”

“I'm being responsible! That's a new direction for me, for the company. I mean, me on the company's behalf being responsible for the way that... This is great!”

You ached for Tony. Compared to months ago, Tony had changed. You knew this side of him was always there but that didn’t mean others did. He had learned in the hardest way how much his company could change the world and it hurt so much that it came at such a high cost.

Tony got up suddenly, dragging you with him, and you smoothly took the pizza box from the top of the piano, smirking at Stane as you did it.

“Oh, hey, come on. Both of you, get back here!”

“We'll be in the shop,” Tony said sharply.

“Listen,” Stane said, “I'm trying to turn this thing around, but you gotta give me something. Something to pitch them. Let me have the engineers analyze that.”

Once again, a vision of you biting at the finger Stane pointed at Tony’s chest was almost turned into reality. The idea that Stane wanted something like the arc reactor out on the market was hell itself, let alone what it could be used for. The man’s greed knows no bounds.

“No.”

The fact that both of you said it in perfect harmony really sent the point home. Opening the pizza box and holding it out to Tony first also really helped with the finality in your decision. The arc reactor design would never, ever leave Tony. You would die on that hill.

“It'll give me a bone to throw the boys in New York!”

Maybe you’d kick him where the sun doesn’t shine instead. That would make you feel pretty good.

“This one stays with me,” Tony said, closing the box of pizza, “That's it, Obie. Forget it.”

“All right, well, this stays with me, then!”

You rolled your eyes as Stane took the box of pizza from you. While it was a rather childish thing to do, he could have done something much worse.

“If you’re not gonna let me down there, at least do what I said: get freakin’ married, would you?”

“Contrary to popular belief,” you said with some bite, just at the landing of the stairs with your back to him, “I am not a cow to be sold.”

“So you don’t want to marry my godson?”

Both you and Tony stopped.

Tony titled his head, shrugging his shoulders as you gave him the most bamboozled look in the entire world. Why Stane would bring this up now of all times was a mystery. Could this be another trick of his?

“Of course I want to marry him,” you answered honestly, turning back around to face the man, “but I’m not doing it just to distract the press.”

“I didn’t even know you two were romantically involved,” Stane said, and you could have sworn he sounded like a disappointed parent, “you father may not be here, Tony, but he would still want you to be with someone he approved of.”

You may not have met Howard Stark, but you certainly knew about shit fathers. From what Tony told you, Howard fit that category to a tee. Still, evoking such a thing now was a rather crap move on Stane’s part, considering the speech Tony just gave back at the press conference.

“And you don’t think she’s someone he would approve of?” Tony asked, standing next to you, “You think-”

“What exactly are your credentials, agent?” Stane asked you, “some cute little retail job and a bit of luck and suddenly you’re top of the god damn food chain. Come on, Tony, you really think a cute little piece of-”

“You finish that sentence,” Tony said lowly, “and you’ll find out exactly how much I love her.”

You honest to god didn’t know what you should do. On one hand, having Tony outright stand up for you was probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever done. On the other hand, you could fight your own battles. On another foot, you really didn’t like how loud this was getting.

“Do you? Do you even love her?” Stane said, “she’s ruined you! All of this keep the peace nonsense came right from her head, didn’t it?”

“She’s showed me what’s right,” Tony yelled right back, “it was time to get my head out of my ass. We can do this – we can make the company better. We don’t need god damn weapons to make money, we never did.”

“Yes we do!” Stane roared, “The government-”

“Enough!”

You yelled the word so loud you were convinced JARVIS’s code for your preferred volume level just changed. Still, it was worth it to see the two men finally realize you were still in the room.

“Tony and I will be heading down to the lab,” you commanded, “Thank you for your high opinions about me, Mr. Stane, but I assure you I’ve never needed your approval. Tony, I’ll start contacting the board directly for updates about meetings.”

“There’s no need-”

“There is,” you said firmly, “thank you for stopping by. Tony will let you know about the wedding date… If it doesn’t slip his mind, of course.”

With that, you began a very confident and not at all shaking escape down the stairs to the lab, nearly hyperventilating as you did so. You listened carefully as Tony hesitated for one moment longer, whispering something to Stane, and then you opened the door to allow him in first.

He went through without hesitation. You, on the other hand, once again listened for Stane’s footsteps, making sure that he left the way he came before heading inside.

“Dickhead,” you muttered as you walked to your corner of the lab, plopping yourself on the comfy sofa and putting an arm over your eyes.

You hated loud voices but you especially hated them from men. No matter what you would, your brain went into fight or flight mode no matter what you did.

God, couldn’t you have one normal night?

“You are such a badass. Aunt Peggy would love you.”

You moved your arm away from your face to look at Tony, “Aunt Peggy?”

“Not technically my aunt,” Tony said, “but yeah, she worked with my dad for a long time. Hell of a woman.”

“Where is she?”

“Very happily retired, I hope, in the Bronx,” Tony muttered, sitting down, looking just as tired as you felt, “but I’d bet half the company that she’s off in some country I never heard of still working.”

You didn’t know Tony had anyone left besides Stane, honestly. He had told you after a few too many beers that JARVIS wasn’t just an acronym but rather a tribute to his childhood butler who he loved very dearly.

All you had left were your brothers and your dad, all of which Tony had already had the joy of meeting. Maybe it was time for you to meet some of his family, especially if the man was serious about a wedding.

“I’d love to meet her,” you said, meaning the words, “did she reach out to you after…?”

“Yeah, I haven’t…” Tony sighed, “haven’t called her back yet.”

“Tomorrow,” you said, “we’ll call her tomorrow. For now… How about you show me how far along you got on the suit?”

Tony’s surprise wasn’t a shock, “you’re… Alright with that?”

“Well,” you said with some sarcasm, “I can’t let you build it yourself. Might run a chance of blowing yourself up if I don’t look it over.”

Tony huffed, “you see one explosion in this place and you lose all your faith in me. It was hardly a fire!”

“If the sprinklers go on, it’s a problem,” you said, not kidding, “come on, wonder-boy. If… If this helps, we’ll do it. But you’re not doing it alone. And we’re going to bed before one in the morning. We gotta say bye to Pepper.”

Needless to say, even with something as emotional and complex as the suit was, it was a slice of heaven to work with Tony side by side, both of you so laser focused that an entirely new protocol made itself known:

Operation Bedtime.

You couldn’t work if JARVIS shut off power only the in the lab, after all.

Chapter Text

“You’re coming with me to the airport.”

“I am?” You asked Pepper, then, upon seeing her glare, amended that previous statement with: “I would very much love to!”

You were lucky you were already wearing your shoes. Pepper dragged you out the door without a single bit of warning. No, literally! You even tried to tell her that you hadn’t told Tony, but she again sent you yet another infamous glare.

It was a miracle that Tony was still standing after all the years he worked with her. She was downright terrifying when she wanted to be.

You jumped into Happy’s car – Happy, who didn’t say a word and stared out of the windshield like it would tell him something – and you felt suspicion find its way to you.

“Oh… kay…” You said, looking at them both as Happy very nearly gunned it out of the driveway, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Pepper said, her voice slightly higher than you had ever heard it, “I can’t ask my best friend to keep me company?”

You narrowed your eyes at her, “I raised my brothers. No amount of emotional manipulation will get to me.”

“That explains so much,” Happy muttered, and both you and Pepper gave him a disbelieving look. It almost made you laugh. The poor man could never win.

“Come on,” you said with some teasing, “I can keep a secret! Besides, it’s something to do with getting me out of the house, right?”

“No!”

“Yes.”

“Happy!” Pepper admonished, “don’t make me put the divider up!”

“That would certainly put me out of my misery, wouldn’t it?”

This time, you outright laughed at Happy’s plight. You had always enjoyed his company and, seeing as he really did try to be Tony’s bodyguard, you had no problem trusting him. Still, you had to admit you didn’t know him too well.

So, that meant this was Pepper’s plan.

“Where are we really going?” You asked Pepper, “come on, Happy isn’t even going the right direction.”

“May I put the divider up?”

“Harold Hogan!”

“Harold?”

“I’m a simple guy, alright?” Happy said, and that only made you laugh harder, “the boss says take me here and I say I’ll be in the car. Simple. Job complete. Listen, I like the two of you, but you’re stressing me out.”

“I’m sorry,” you said through your giggles, “seriously. That’s not fair. Come on, Pepper, what’s going on?”

Pepper threw up her hands, looking downright frustrated at the both of you, “we’re going to have a ladies’ day. Haircut, facial, whatever you would like.”

You felt your heart swell up ten sizes bigger. You’ve said it before, but you didn’t deserve a friend like Pepper. You had never had another person care for you like that. You couldn’t even imagine someone planning something so nice for you, let alone wanting to be with you during it.

“I would burn the world down for you,” you told Pepper with as much serenity as you could muster, “I would conquer the world and then some. I would-”

“Calm down there,” Pepper said, smiling a little, “I almost heard Tony in that kind of speech. Come on, let’s go relax. No more work. Happy, take her phone.”

“ Harold, if you take my phone-”

“Give him the phone.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Pepper really was an ethereal goddess.

It was no wonder Tony kept her so long. It was no wonder he was so freakin’ depressed when she had to leave to go take care of her dad. Pepper knew exactly what you needed and she was happy to help. Not only that, she was easy to have a conversation with. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt this free.

Watching her leave was probably one of the worst things to happen to you. At least top three… Probably. Either way, it was hard to cheer up after realizing she wouldn’t be at your home anymore. It was a near devastating thing. She had helped you so much after everything that you honestly didn’t know who you would be with just Tony home.

“JARVIS, could you tell Tony I’m home?”

“Of course, Agent. Please be aware that sir is currently testing the flight capabilities of the suit.”

You groaned. Loudly. With feeling.

“Is Dum-E on fire patrol?”

“There is a fire extinguisher within the vicinity.”

With that, you quickly made your way down to the lab, your newly styled hair getting in your eyes as you tried not to freak out. After all, flight and Tony Stark did not sound like a good combination, did it?

You didn’t even know if it was possible! After all, you left off last night on testing the repulsors. The fact that Tony took a nosedive into actual flight was annoyingly on brand and you should have realized that he would take it further than you thought.

“Okay,” Tony said with a slightly raised voice, “please don't follow me around with it, either, 'cause I feel like I'm gonna catch on fire spontaneously. Just stand down! If something happens, then come in.”

The scene that you walked in on would be exactly how you would have defined flight training with brand new technology. Tony was in his messy clothes, meaning he planned this out, meaning that he officially was going to be labeled the crazy one in this relationship. Going by the fact he was wearing one separate repulsor on each limb, you think he had a death wish.

“For the love of all things good and holy,” you said, channeling your mother, “in what universe did you think it was a good idea to test this without another person here?”

“I think JARVIS counts,” Tony said, only half paying attention to you as he calculated something in his head, “oh, look at you! New hair, I like it. Pepper do that?”

“I honestly didn’t think you’d notice,” you said, coming closer to him, “thank you. Now, seriously, where can I stand that I can actually help you not fall flat on your face?”

“Be great to have someone on the monitors,” Tony told you, gesturing towards the main workbench where you had access to all of the suit’s functions and stats… As well as your not-so-hidden vitals on Tony.

“Right,” you said, “let’s do this, fly boy.”

How does one define disaster?

It might have started with the fact that you saw Tony slam into the ceiling at what you could only describe was mock 50. It could be categorized as a level five earthquake with the way the lab got destroyed as sort-of-kind-of actually flew around the place. But most importantly, it became a disaster when Tony got way too confident.

But, finally, after hours of watching the man faceplant over and over again, there was a real result.

You stared in awe as the suit came together around Tony’s body. You had envisioned it multiple times, had even seen some of Tony’s more… Extravagant designs. You circled the launchpad as JARVIS continued to delicately integrate each piece together. You had to admit, it was a bit more than magical.

Compared to the first suit in the cave, this was a thing of wonder.

“Fine,” you muttered as you continued to look over every inch of it, “it’s cool. It’s so cool.”

“Better than a smartphone?”

That snapped you right out of it, “holograms and metal suits. You sure know how to woo a girl.”

Tony chuckled as he continued his safety checks. You watched enraptured as the joints of the machine moved with him flawlessly, creating a sleek look as he walked around the lab. In a word, it was perfect.

“I’m going for a test flight. JARVIS, do a weather and ATC check. Start listening in on ground control.”

“Tony!” You admonished, “there’s still a thousand things to check! Not to mention that we only just uploaded JARVIS to the suit! He needs time to go over everything.”

“Agent!” Tony replied back, calm as a freakin’ cucumber, “Sometimes you got to run before you can walk.”

You pointed a finger at the man, “you’re gonna become a pancake! JARVIS, tell him there’s a thousand more things to test before he goes out there!”

“There’s a thousand more things to test before sir goes out there.”

“A little bit more emotion, J,” you said, still looking pleadingly at Tony, “it’s not safe!”

“Spoil sports,” Tony muttered, putting the faceplate down, “I’m going all in.”

“Tony, I swear-”

And the fucker took off.

You cursed multiple times as you raced back to the monitors, demanding things from poor JARVIS to keep up with Tony’s ridiculous idiot’s run. Four different views of Tony’s flight put itself on the screen, then a flightpath created by JARVIS, followed still by Tony’s vitals.

You had demanded the setup, actually. While Tony did have his main screen, you wanted an entire place to watch over as much as you could in the suit without actually being it in. It was a compromise you had come up with as you worked on it together.

After all, you still weren’t really happy that he was doing this.

“I’m going to kill you,” you told Tony, “I’m going to kill you and bury you in Florida. Because Florida is a stupid state and we both hate the humidity.”

“Can you see this?” Tony said, sounding overjoyed, “Come on, look at the screens!”

You weren’t looking at the screens. You were still shouting to the heavens up at him, more than a little pissed, more than a little scared, and you hated that the man was designed to be a wildcard of stupid decisions.

“Florida,” you said again, “no god damn coffin or urn, either! Just scattered ashes!”

You finally looked at the screens. The first thing to greet you was JARVIS zooming in on a child on a ferris wheel spotting Tony in the sky. Just in time, you watched as just the ice cream fell off, the cone now empty in the poor kid’s hand.

You snorted, “you think anyone’s gonna believe the kid?”

“Probably scarred him for life or something.”

You studied the screens more closely. Tony’s vitals were elevated, sure, but nothing life threatening. You, too, would have an increased heartrate if you were miles high in the sky with experimental technology. The suit itself was flawless – you expected an increase of heat by now but the temperature stayed within normal ranges.

“Come on, how we doing?”

“Perfect,” you said, nodding as you zoned in on the facts in front of you, “not a flaw in sight.”

“Course not, we designed it.”

You blushed at the words. All these years later and you still weren’t sure what to do when someone complimented you – even with Tony.

“What's SR-71's record?”

“What’s an SR-71?”

“A plane designed for high altitude and speed,” Tony said easily, “I feel like breaking a record.”

“I feel like high atmosphere won’t be fun in a suit without oxygen that we haven’t put in yet,” you said right back, “you’ve tested enough, come back home.”

You immediately saw from Tony’s point of view as he began to fly directly up into the night sky. You, in return, began to bang your head against the table, muttering cursing as you did so.

“It is within my parameters to tell sir that Agent has begun hitting herself.”

“I’m sorry, JARVIS, I can’t hear you over the recording breaking I’m doing.”

“You’re not going to hear anything after I knock you on your ass when you get back,” you yelled, a bit of your small-town aggression coming back, “I swear, Tony, you’re going to kill me one of these days.”

“Sir, there is a potentially fatal buildup of ice occurring.”

Oh shit.

You straightened yourself up to look at the suit’s monitoring system and immediately noticed the rapidly decreasing temperature. Tony, meanwhile, was still climbing higher, ignoring every single warning JARVIS was giving him.

“The damn cave,” you yelled, feeling real fear start to fester in your chest, “I’m scattering your ashes in that damn cave if you don’t stop this right now, Tony Stark.”

“I can do it!”

“ Tony, please!”

The last time you had begged to anyone wasn’t in Afghanistan. No, you held the very flimsy idea of strength there with Tony besides you. Instead, the only time you could remember sounding so desperate was when you had woken up at the bottom of the stairs of your own home, watching in a fuzzy haze as Tyler called 911.

“Please stop,” you had said, over and over again, like a broken record that wouldn’t stop.

“Agent? Hey, come on, talk to me. I’m coming home. JARVIS? JARVIS, what’s happening?”

“I’m fine,” you told Tony, just now realizing you had completely zoned out – dissociated, “I’m fine. You’re home?”

“One minute out,” Tony said, “be right there… Long as I figure out the landing.”

You pressed a few buttons on the console, opening the garage door for him. He had seemed pretty stable when he was out there but landing required a bit more grace than just shooting through the air. That being said…

“JARVIS, give Tony a landing procedure, please? Have you learned enough from his flight?”

“Yes. Decreasing power to all systems. Please follow the indicated flight path to the garage, sir.”

You felt ill. You hated that. You hated that.

You survived hell. What made this so much worse?

Tony’s entrance was easy to track not just through the monitors, but by the very strange noise the repulsors made. You watched in awed silence as the suit made a perfect descent. Not even the papers scattered around the lab moved. If anything, you’d give JARVIS an A+.

You stood still as Tony walked over to the platform, managing an amused smile when some of the suit got stuck. You huffed as you finally walked over to him, eyeing the pieces that were stuck mostly around his arm.

“Nice one, tiger,” you said, realizing what bolt was stuck, “I’ll get the air gun.”

“My god, I feel like a girl in a corset,” he said, then in an obnoxious English accent, “darling, help me undress.”

That made you actually laugh out loud, “in a moment, dear. I’m busy being a manly man and doing useless things.”

“I think the wage inequality is decreasing as we speak just by this conversation alone.”

You grabbed the air gun and a few sockets, not willing to ask what size Tony used. You may have worked on the design but you hadn’t done the hard part. In fact, you’d argue that JARVIS once again did the nitty-gritty, following Tony’s design to a perfect tee. Seriously, you were glad they were a packaged deal.

You raised the air gun to his arm, raising an eyebrow when Tony didn’t say a word about it.

“Not worried I’m gonna screw it the wrong way?”

“Nah,” Tony said, “Bolt’s all the way in, it’s not getting any tighter. Not that I don’t trust you… Mostly.”

You rolled your eyes, finally getting to work. Tony winced as the metal finally fell to the floor with a clang but you felt that was a fair bit of payback. If he wanted to be an idiot and get nearly killed by ice, you could put a scratch on his new baby.

“So,” Tony said, “what happened?”

You huffed, “nothing. You were being an idiot. ATC was going to spot you eventually. It wasn’t safe. There were plenty of reasons for you to stop your suicide run.”

Tony hummed, “you went quiet on me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you quiet.”

This time, your frustration was not as easily hidden, “and you tell me everything about what you’re feeling, right?”

You winced, hating how that sounded even to your own ears. You weren’t bitter at him for his own coping mechanisms. You, after all, liked your isolation just a bit too much. You tried not to run and hide when you were going through something, but it was a long-taught habit, you were working on it.

“Hey,” Tony said, and you realized rather bizarrely that he was free of everything metal, “I’m bad at this… This feeling stuff, alright? You know it, I know it… But I love you. I’m gonna try to do the best I can. I swear on my life that I’ll listen to you – better. Listen to you better.”

“I can not lose you,” you told him, looking him in the eyes, “it’s not an option. Not right now. I will not survive it. Do you understand me?”

“Easy there, Juliet,” Tony joked weakly, “I-”

“A year,” you said very clearly, “give me one year of being a psychotic, romantic mess and demanding that you stay alive. Is that fair enough?”

“Got it,” Tony said, “save the ending of the god-awful Shakespearean play until we’re well into our nineties. I can stand behind that.”

This time, the gasp that left you lips was very real, “Shakespeare is an artist.”

“What are you, an English teacher?”

You rolled your eyes, “just kiss me already.”

Tony didn’t just peck you on the lips. No, he pulled you in close and caressed you, his body against yours, and you felt yourself finally settle as his lips found yours. As always, it was a cherished moment, one that you would probably keep with you on bad days, and it felt good to just be a sloppy couple for a moment or two, just enjoying the moment.

“Agent, I am sorry to interrupt-”

“ Mrs. Stark, JARVIS!”

“But you wished to be alerted of any social events relating to Stark Industries?”

JARVIS turned on the TV and you and Tony turned to watch as a reporter said something about SI’s third annual benefit for the Firefighter's Family Fund. An entire benefit that you did not know about it. You wanted to rip your hair out.

“I double and triple checked with every single member of staff and our PR team,” you said lowly, “how could no one communicate with me about this?”

“Who hasn't been seen in public since his bizarre and highly controversial press conference. Some claim he's suffering from post traumatic stress and has been bedridden for weeks. Whatever the case may be, no one expects an appearance from him or his mysterious fiancé tonight.”

Tony hummed, “better late than never. You feel like playing dress up?”

You smirked, something almost animalistic in the action, “you gonna be my Romeo?”

“Forever and always, my darling Capulet.”

You gave Tony one last peck on the lips, “I’ll go find my gown, then?”

“Actually,” Tony said, pushing away just slightly from you, “just… Just one moment. I have it… I have it…”

Tony began to pat his pockets… A lot. You watched with a raised eyebrow as he began to mildly panic. Then, in a rush of limbs, he was moving about the lab and looking for something.

“I thought we just established that I’m the crazy one?”

Tony grunted at you, clearly focused as he searched madly around his own lab, “Uh, JARVIS? The… The thing. Have you…?”

“Top drawer of your desk, my lord.”

Your mouth dropped open. You snort left your mouth as you realized JARVIS’s sarcasm policy was very much in place… And very capable of understanding the ridiculous Shakespeare references you were just doing.

“JARVIS, you’re perfect,” you told the wonderful AI, “I will remember this moment for forever. That was too brilliant.”

“ Ah!”

Tony spun around dramatically, something clearly hidden behind his back. You squinted your eyes at him, immediately suspicious of whatever he was doing. After all, his surprises tended to be thrown far out of proportion.

“I love you,” Tony said, “Pretty sure I was doomed the moment you barged your way into that office. Granted, the damn car ride in Jersey might have pushed me over the edge.”

You blushed something fierce, very much confused about the random speech you were getting, “that was a great night.”

“I had ideas, I think. Pepper said no to a lot of them. For this. But uh… Here, in our home, I think it’s… Well…”

Tony began to kneel on one knee.

Your hands went to your mouth, your heart beating wildly in your chest as you realized what he was doing.

“I’m… A wreck. You’ve seen it. But I want to be a wreck with you. If you’d let me. So… Will you marry me?”

You didn’t realize it, but tears were in your eyes. You nodded, you think, up and down in rapid succession, and you quickly grabbed the man by his shirt and brought him up to his feet. You hugged him tightly, your sniffles hardly under control, and you couldn’t really contain your happiness.

“You didn’t even see the ring!”

You laughed, wiping at your face and you pulled away from the hug. Tony, of course, lifted the ring up for you to see.

It was stunning. You couldn’t remember what your mother’s ring looked like considering Mark had it for so long, but that didn’t matter. The memories came back instantly – how the golden band that looked like vines glinted in the light, the delicate stones along the band in the shape of tiny flowers. But, more importantly, Tony’s own addition…

The middle stone was brighter than a diamond, much more so. It literally glowed and, with awe, you realized it was in the shape of an even smaller arc reactor - Wait, it was a very small arc reactor. The man had given you a piece of his heart.

“It’s from the old arc reactor,” Tony said, confirming it, “the main diamond was given back to your brother Jack. Ah, shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that.”

“Oh, Tony,” You said softly, staring at it in the box, picture perfect, “it’s beautiful.”

Tony took it out of the box and presented it to you, holding out his other hand for you to place it in, “may I?”

You did so in a daze, watching as he snuck the ring onto your hand. God, you didn’t think anything could be more special than your mother’s ring but, knowing that Tony’s own creation – own blood – was in it meant even more.

“It’s perfect. It’s so perfect.”

Tony brought your hand to his lips. Your heart melted and, to your near horror, more tears filled your eyes.

“Okay,” you said, “you still can’t call me Mrs. Stark. I want that wedding.”

Tony’s laughter echoed around the lab, something honest and true, and you spent probably too long in each other’s arms, enjoying the company.

Talk about being late to the party.

The car ride was filled with your giddy smiles, your eyes locked on the ring on your finger. You praised Tony probably eighteen times which Happy made fun of you for. Granted, Happy was all too glad to admit that the reason Pepper took you on that little spa day was so Tony had time to modify the ring.

It was all sweet, way too sweet, and you think your face was already starting to hurt with how much smiling you were doing.

You couldn’t help it, really. You didn’t think you would ever find love again, let alone one as healthy as this. Tony was a wreck but he was really working on it, and that’s all that mattered. Meanwhile, your own weren’t picked at but gently reminded of.

Tony Stark loved you and you loved him.

You felt like you could shout it across the mountains.

“Boss, I think you broke the poor woman.”

“Happy,” Tony said, opening the door to the limo, “I think you just dodged a bullet. Give us an hour or two here, would you?”

And then Tony very smoothly held open the door for you.

Lights assaulted your vision immediately. You thought there were a lot of cameras at SI the first day you went back with Pepper, but the amount at this event was probably more than Hollywood ever had. You blinked as Tony took your hand and swiftly moved you through the crowd, nearly overwhelmed.

Then, your eyes spotted the man that probably prevented you from knowing about this very event.

“May I just say,” Tony said in your ear, as even more cameras went off, “you are absolutely stunning.”

You blushed as you looked at him. You had called Pepper almost immediately as you ran up to your bedroom, gushing about how Tony had done it and how stunning the ring was. Then, of course, you asked Pepper just what you should wear to this event.

You weren’t girly, that was a fact, but Pepper certainly tried her best with the amount of pictures you sent her. Granted, it had only been three pictures considering the rush, but it still helped to have another set of eyes on something that was apparently very important.

She went with a long gown that was worth more than your first salary.

It was all black with diamonds - literal diamonds, who knew - sown in to create constellations, form fitting, and with spaghetti straps. The V-neck was modest – in fact, the entire dress was rather modest. Pepper had even suggested not wearing stilettos. No, instead you went with a wedged heel with a thin strap around your ankle, closed toe. The only jewelry you went with was the delicate chain with a flower to match the band of your ring and the watch Tony gave you.

All of which complimented the one thing that mattered tonight: the beautiful ring adorning your finger.

You felt beautiful and, with a man like Tony on your arm, you felt like you could conquer the world… Again.

“Over here, Mrs. Stark! Look over here!”

“Tony! Tony Stark! Come on, just a picture!”

“Why do I get Mrs. Stark?” You asked Tony bitterly, “At least shout my name.”

“I got the marriage license in my pants pocket,” Tony said right back, “could make it your name?”

“I will give you one thing,” you said as you continued to smile out at the crowd, “you are persistent.”

“Ah, the lovely couple!”

Stane. Again.

“Look at this here! Here’s a story for the ages, eh? Tony Stark returns with the woman that stole his heart. Ain’t that something? Come on, love birds, come take a picture with me.”

You were dragged to stand yet again in front of the crowd of reporters, this time with Stane next to Tony, an arm slung around his shoulders. From the outside, you imagined it looked pretty friendly. However, you could feel Tony tense underneath Stane’s hold. This wasn’t a happy reunion.

“What's the world coming to when a guy's got to crash his own party?”

You kept your eyes forward, continuing to wave out at the crowd. Your ears, however, were laser focused on the conversation.

“Look at you,” Stane replied, ignoring Tony completely, “Hey, what a surprise.”

“I'll see you inside.”

You squeezed Tony’s hand at that tone. You may not like Stane but you hated that Tony’s relationship with him may be fracturing due to the business. You had always vowed to yourself to remember that work and relationships were two very separate things. Just like with James, you refused to let his work views affect your friendship with him.

“Hey. Listen,” Stane said to both of you, “take it slow, all right? I think I got the board right where we want them.”

And therein lies the problem, doesn’t it?

“You got it,” Tony agreed easily and, finally, he allowed you to walk away from the man, “just cabin fever. We'll just be a minute.”

The venue was just as you expected it to be for a benefit: obnoxious. You came from humble beginnings, you weren’t afraid to admit that, and it would always be a shock to see how the rich spend their money.

You… Huh… You were on that list now. You honestly didn’t know what to do with all of your money. Granted, you knew you wouldn’t change your ways.

“Mrs. Stark?”

The man that called your not name was oddly familiar. He was wearing a suit that wasn’t exactly blending into the crowd. His demeanor was also relatively strange, something both very confident and yet out of place, and for some reason he really reminded you of something.

Something…

“Really long name!” You said to him, “Um, I’m so sorry, Mr. Coulson, yes?”

“Yes,” Coulson said, sounding surprised, “from Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.”

“Have you considered a new name?”

You elbowed Tony jokingly, “my fiancé isn’t actually too far off with that one. Tony, Phil Coulson. We met at our press conference.”

“’Sup, Phil?”

This time, the elbow to his ribs went actually dug in, “ Anyway… I haven’t received any official word of your organization reaching out to SI…?”

Coulson eyebrows furrowed, “we’ve reached out multiple times. I was told to reach out directly but all of my calls go right to voicemail.”

That didn’t make any sense. Seriously. Even if JARVIS blocked all potentially useless calls, a phone call like Phil’s would go right to you. It had to. Not to mention none of your people had told you that someone was attempting to reach you about your escape.

More and more things weren’t making sense. It was starting to worry you.

“Listen, I know this must be a trying time for you,” Phil said, “but we need to debrief you. There's still a lot of unanswered questions, and time can be a factor with these things.”

“Of course,” you said, not really wanting to promise anything but needing Phil to leave, “I apologize for the miscommunication. I will look into it. For now, pick a date. I’ll schedule a sit down with both of us.”

“How about the 24th at 7:00 p.m. at Stark Industries?”

“Of course,” you said, “I’ll block it out. Excuse us, we should be greeting a few people.”

And with that, you pulled Tony away.

“That’s the second time, if not third time, I’ve missed something,” you whispered to Tony, “I don’t get it. At this point, I’m going to camp out in the office.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Tony replied, “right now, Obie’s right. Let’s make the press happy. Dance with me?”

“ Dance?” You practically screech out the question, “Tony, I can’t dance. Unless you mean awkward sashaying back and forth, because that’s about all I can do.”

“Oh, come on,” Tony said, finally giving you a real smile, “you got moves! I saw them myself!”

“Yeah, to rock and roll,” you said, “anyone can do an air guitar. It’s like, the staple!”

Tony wasn’t taking no for an answer, apparently. You continued to whine as he smoothly guided you to the dance floor. Your eyes flickered to your audience, watching as people literally pointed at you, whispering to each other. You may have been to a hundred functions with Tony but you were always in the background, not needing to perform.

“How do you do it?” You asked him, following Tony’s confident lead as he danced with you, “how do you deal with the stares?”

“They’re gonna look anyway,” he said, “and I have someone to be with, this time around. Makes it a lot easier.”

You smiled at him, “you are such a flirt.”

“Am I good at it?”

“How do you think you got me to dance,” you teased right back, “you’re lucky you’re good looking.”

“Be still my beating heart, the lady is beguiled!”

You just barely kept in your less than polite laugh, “still on the Shakespeare thing?”

“It’s a good one,” Tony said, “lots to pull from. Could keep it going for a couple of months.”

“Dear lord,” you said, “no. How about some air?”

“So you can shout down to your lover from the balcony, Juliet?”

“I’m going to kill you.”

“Peace offering: glass of water while you escape?”

The thought of Tony leaving you alone nearly gave you a heart attack. It wasn’t that you were scared for your physical safety, you were more scared that reporters or some other high rolling person you didn’t want to talk to would feel brave enough to seek you out if he left you.

“I’ll come with you,” you said delicately, “bar sounds good right about now.”

Tony, of course, got stopped as soon as you both walked off the dance floor. People wished both of you a happy engagement, some of them actually meaning it as well, while others looked ready to rip your eyes out of your head.

Just another day in paradise.

You arrived at the bar like Moses’ parted the seas: people literally rushed to get out of the way for you, giving you a seat before Tony even got one. Instantly, you were pulled into mindless chatter, telling people just how he proposed, how much you loved him, and how excited you were to plan a wedding.

That was until Christine Everhart, the woman that made you mad enough to remember her name, showed up.

“Wow, the infamous couple,” she said, voice like nails against chalkboard, “fancy seeing you two here.”

“Oh, hey, uh…”

Tony looked at you and you sighed as you answered, “Christine Everhart. She called you The Merchant of Death.”

“Oh yeah, fancy that,” Tony said, “still not a good name. Huh, that’s two bad names tonight.”

“I think it is considering what you’re doing,” she snarled, looking pissed, “Can I at least get a reaction from you?”

“Mostly hopelessly in love.”

There were times you hated Tony’s defense mechanism: when it was directed at you. There were times where you loved it: when it was directed at people who deserved it.

“'Cause I was referring to your company's involvement in this latest atrocity.”

“You’re calling a charity benefit an atrocity now?” You asked her, “how desperate are you for a story?”

“Yeah,” Tony added, “They just put my name on the invitation. I don't know what to tell you.”

“I actually almost bought it, hook, line and sinker.”

Sweet Jesus, what did she want? She was annoying the first time, now she was downright rude. For a reporter with no famous stories, she was quite something.

“We were out of town for a couple months,” Tony said, his tone going dark, “in case you didn't hear.”

Everhart slammed something onto the bar table. Your hands went to it first, eager to read what she came up with, but no… No, these pictures looked a little too familiar. hSI’s weapons in a third-world country, clearly being used. The sand was a dead give away to its location, honestly, and you felt your heart stop when you realized what was happening.

“Is this what you call accountability?” Everhart asked as Tony studied the pictures, “It's a town called Gulmira. Heard of it?”

Oh, God.

So close to Yinsen’s town. You couldn’t believe it. The very thought of Yinsen had you closing your eyes, unable to bear the thought that all of your work recalling every single one of Tony’s designs were for nothing.

And Tony? Tony’s eyes were like steel, emotionless.

“When were these taken?”

Your hand went to his, trying to calm him down, but he was unrelenting.

“Yesterday.”

“That’s impossible,” you nearly whispered the words, “nothing has been approved by Tony.”

“Well, your company did.”

Fuck. Fuck, you were so stupid. This was it – this was what Stane, the board, everyone was hiding from the two of you. This was why you weren’t getting calls, why nothing made sense, why every single dot wasn’t connecting in your head. Something horrible was happening under Tony’s company.

“I'm not my company.”

And then you were trying to keep up with Tony’s quick strides, your thoughts running wild as you remembered every single moment where something in the company just didn’t make sense. Your gut had told you a thousand times that something was wrong but you put it towards paranoia. Now? Now you had to reevaluate everything.

Wait, Tony was – was Tony taking you to Stane?

You grabbed his hand, trying to deter him, but Tony wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Have you seen these pictures?” Tony asked him lowly, “What's going on in Gulmira?”

“Tony,” the man said back smoothly, “Tony. You can't afford to be this naive.”

Oh shit.

“You know what? I was naive before, when they said, Here's the line. We don't cross it. This is how we do business. If we're double-dealing under the table... Are we?”

“Let’s not do this in front of the lady, eh,” Stane said, his tone obnoxiously light, “Let's take a picture. Come on. Picture time! Tony… Agent… Who do you think locked you both out? I was the one who filed the injunction against you. It was the only way I could protect you.”

What a goddamn liar.

The more you heard, the more you felt like running away. Stane was a mark upon the world and you swore to yourself that you would never let yourself ignore your gut feelings about someone ever again.

Stane pushed in between the two of you, shuffling himself in the middle as his arm glided over your back and to your hip. You barely held in your flinch as you, again, smiled at the cameras, pretending so hard that nothing was wrong.

You allowed this for another second and then pulled away, unwilling to stay any closer to the man. You looked at Tony as you attempted to walk calmly down the stairs to Happy, who was thankfully exactly where you left him.

As always, Tony opened the door for you. This time, however, you could feel the tension around him as you moved past him, tight as a coil, and you hardly breathed as he got into the car. There was an expression that looked so coldly familiar that you said nothing, waiting for him to make the first move.

“Everything alright back there?”

“Drive, Hogan,” Tony ordered, “fast as you can.”

“Hey,” you said, “don’t take it out on Happy. I get it, this is a lot, but he didn’t do anything.”

Tony’s clenched jaw said it all. You hadn’t seen him angry like this, not really, not without a clear goal in front of him. The last time you had seen this expression, Yinsen was dead on the ground. At least then you had something to do, something to run from.

Here, in this car? There was only the knowledge that you had failed… Again.

“Happy,” you said calmly, “would you mind closing the divider? I think we need a minute.”

“Anytime,” Happy said, “hour and a half from home.”

And then Happy closed it without a word, his music playing loud enough to drown out your voices. He was doing his damn best to respect your privacy. You didn’t give enough credit to the man, he truly was a fantastic employee and an even better friend.

Your thoughts went back to Tony. You were sitting across from him, legs crossed, and your hands on your knees. If you moved, you weren’t sure what was going to happen next. If you said anything, you didn’t know if it would come out right.

You thought you would be doing a bit of I told you so to Tony, but now that it was here, it was cold. You would have rather he kept this relationship than something like this to happen.

“I trusted him.”

Your lips went into a thin line, feeling so awful for Tony, “I know.”

“Even my father had a line. He was… It doesn’t matter. He wouldn’t sell his designs like this. He wouldn’t let this happen. How did I miss it?”

“You love him,” you told him simply, “sometimes, it’s hard to see it coming when it’s from someone you love.”

Tony huffed, a near self-deprecating laugh leaving his lips, “you told me you didn’t trust him.”

“That doesn’t matter,” you said, “you’ve known the man for years. He’s like a father to you.”

“You told me,” he said again, “you told me about Rhodey, you told me about Obie… And now I got Yinsen’s…”

You hurt for the man in front of you. No one had ever taken him seriously – not really. He played that act too well, claiming to have no feelings and living his days partying. No, the man in front of you felt everything. He felt so much that it became second nature for him to push it all down.

You, on the other hand, felt so much that you molded other people’s problems into your own. If you were busy, you weren’t thinking. If you had someone to worry about you, you couldn’t focus on yourself.

With Tony like this? With the man you loved like this? You felt as if you could burst.

“I’m here for you,” you said, meaning the words, “whatever we gotta do next, let’s do it. How do we get those weapons out of there?”

This time, Tony’s smile was near animalistic, “you feel like flying international?”

That night, you let Tony hold you close in the bed, his one arm supporting your head and his other wrapped tightly around your stomach. You didn’t say a word. Instead, you held his hand tightly, minute after minute, giving him as much comfort as you could.

You knew what betrayal felt like. You couldn’t imagine going through it after coming home from hell.

Tony woke up first. His side of the bed was cold when you reached an arm towards it. It was no surprise to hear that he was in the lab once again, working diligently on the suit. You, on the other hand, were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Finding Stane’s method of keeping information from you would take more than… Then whatever the hell Tony was planning.

It was a terrible, awful idea.

Tony had said the suit was meant to protect you. It wasn’t a weapon, it was simply a hobby – an obsessive, unhealthy hobby that you entertained, but a hobby. Now, seeing its final rendering with the accents of red, you knew that it was much more than a hobby.

With Tony inside of it, his company’s image and his own morals on the line, you knew that the suit was always going to happen, no matter what you did.

So it was no surprise that Tony wanted to fly out there and solve the problem himself.

“You stay on the comms,” you ordered, “no going silent on me. I’ll be monitoring all of ATC and any military channels as well as being your eyes and ears.”

“I love it when you talk sexy to me.”

“You’re hilarious.”

“You sure you don’t want to be next to me?”

You eyed the second suit that was nearly finished. It was identical to Tony’s, nearly, but form fitted for you considering your smaller frame. You had agreed to at least let JARVIS scan you to make sure you had a suit that would work perfectly for you, but you had outright told Tony there was a very slim chance of you wearing it.

And, even with Tony going into a literal battle zone, you knew you weren’t capable of what he was capable of in the suit.

“I’m better being your eyes and ears,” you said, meaning the words, “think of me as your life alert.”

Tony scoffed, “I’m mortally offended. I’m not that old.”

“Tell your cracking knees that!”

“So much sass.”

You breathed out, your eyes closing. This was incredibly, horribly insane, wasn’t it? You were breaking laws – international laws – and doing so in technology that shouldn’t exist. You were sending Tony off to a place where he would likely be shot at. You were nervous.

But you were angry, just like him. All those days wondering if someone would hurt you, if you would die in darkness, if you wouldn’t see your family again… Yinsen was gone, his family was gone, and you had a chance to save people. You had a chance to do right by him.

You had to take it.

“Right,” Tony said, rolling his shoulders, “let’s do this.”

Then, just as he did when he first tested out the suit’s flight capabilities, he was gone before you could say another word.

You sighed as you sat down on the stool and watched the monitors. Tony had a bit of a flight until he got there, so you settled into your own investigation. You had to figure out how Stane was stopping communications from getting to you.

You checked email logs, incoming and outbound phone calls from both Tony and your work number, and even reviewed some of the camera footage of you going to the office. It seemed impossible that Obie could have blocked so much from your persistent sight, but here you were in the dark.

“Not to add another crime to the list,” you said to Tony an hour later, “but you got any blackmail on any member of the board?”

“Obie sleeps in the nude.”

You blinked, a horrible image coming to mind, “never say those words to me again. Try someone else. And, in case this gets out of hand, I am kidding.”

“Obie handled most of the politics,” Tony replied in a more serious tone, “he’s always been good with people and even better with deals. Letting him talk to the board worked in more ways than one.”

“Right,” you muttered, “but you still had Rhodey’s help in terms of the military side. We can use that.”

“We can?” Tony asked, “what good is that?”

“It’s what makes Stane – Obie so nervous,” You explained, “you are in control of every single design and weapon that passes SI’s door. Think about it, all the weapons we saw in Gulmira was stuff that you already created and shipped out. You know what’s not out there? You’re newest designs. Your non-lethal weapons.”

“Alright, you’re starting to sound like an actual agent now. It’s freaking me out.”

“Tony,” you said, exasperated, “you’re in a metal suit going faster than a fighter jet on your way to commit what is technically a war crime. Me figuring out why Stane is trying to kick you out of your own company makes more sense.”

“It looks like I’m here.”

Your eyes moved away from your work and instead went back to looking over the monitors properly. Lo and behold, Tony had arrived. But you were already consumed by what you were seeing.

You didn’t really know what a warzone looked like.

You imagined guns and chaos, soldiers fighting soldiers, brutal deaths… You couldn’t imagine a mother shielding her children, or families attempting to flee from aggressive men. You didn’t think about animals that could possibly be in homes, or even a baby crying. It wasn’t a warzone, this was a town, with normal people, and these men were hurting them – killing them.

JARVIS spotted excessive movement and zoomed in on it, revealing a small child holding a dog in his arms. To your horror, the dog was barking up a storm and a man with a gun converged on the kid, looking anything other than understanding.

“Tony!-”

“Got ‘em.”

Tony landed like a bomb hitting the ground. The cameras became covered by dust for a moment or two, leaving you blind, and you bit your tongue as Tony straightened, facing the poor boy. In another second, Tony used his twin repulsors to blast the soldiers to the ground, giving him a chance to grab the boy.

You watched in a daze as Tony delivered the child to a terrified mother. Tony didn’t stay, of course he didn’t, but you put your hand to your mouth to cover up your relief. At the very least, one innocent soul had been saved in this chaos. That was worth it.

Then, it was a blur.

In a different kind of horror as you watched as Tony… You didn’t know… Battled an entire army. They were thrown through walls, blasted through homes, pushed back by Tony’s very own ire. You could not imagine what these people were thinking right now besides pure terror.

JARVIS highlighted something in one of the man’s hands and you realized what it was before Tony did.

“RPG!” You told Tony, “Get-”

“Geneva Convention!” The man shouted, as Tony pointed a repulsor right in front of his face to stop him from using the RPG, “Article Three! Geneva Convention!”

You had no idea what that was. You knew Tony didn’t care, not with his labored breathing. Whatever convention there was, these men had violated it. They must have, considering the fear and terror they brought onto these people.

You saw something else from the camera pointed behind Tony. Something glinted in the distance, like a star, and you realized-

“ Tony, duck!”

He did, and you watched with a weak stomach as the man was shot in the shoulder rather than at Tony. The RPG rolled away and as the man screamed in pain, crawling away from Tony in a desperate attempt to live.

“Thermals,” you muttered, meaning to say it to JARVIS, “find the sniper, J!”

Tony fired blindly at JARVIS’s suggestion but Tony wasn’t close enough. Instead, the words “out of range” were clearly on Tony’s heads-up display. Too slow, a bullet ricocheted off Tony’s chest and you carefully eyed Tony’s vitals, taking note of where exactly he got hit. JARVIS didn’t report a drop in vitals or an injury, so for now you would let it go.

“Damn,” Tony said, his main monitor looking at the rather large Jeep, “hope they got car insurance.”

And with that poorly timed joke, you watched in some sort of numb shock as Tony grabbed the wheel of the Jeep and ripped it off. In another move, he threw it directly at the sniper with perfect aim. The heat signature crumbled out of range and, still very much surprised by Tony’s skills, you watched as he threw himself into the fray again.

You were silent as Tony finished them off. You watched his back, eyes locked on every single moving thing. Tony’s grunts were cataloged as well, making sure to note where he got hit. The suit protected him from a lot, but impacts would cause bruising.

“It’s clear,” you told Tony, “people are safe and moving away from the area. US troops five minutes out.”

“Got it,” Tony said, “heading home.”

Then, something happened.

Your hands gripped the edge of the desk as you saw Tony fall forward a couple of feet, landing on his hands and knees. JARVIS highlighted his back, indicating a hit hard enough to be worrisome, and you breathed Tony’s name as he got up.

Apparently, terrorists had access to tanks. Who knew?

Tony turned just in time to see it aiming directly at him.

“Tony!”

“Check this out.”

Tony lifted his right arm, revealing a… A freakin’ missile, and you watched as he managed to shoot it straight through the barrel of the tank, where JARVIS identified the weak points. Two seconds passed and then an explosion louder than the speakers could pick up happened, blowing the tank sky high and rendering it useless.

Behind him, you spotted something else.

“Tony, the boy you saved is behind you. Don’t scare him.”

Tony turned around. To both of your surprise, he was holding out an apple. The sight was so heartwarming and unexpected that you gasped. Tony mussed the boy’s hair, thanking him without giving himself away.

“ Now I can go.”

And he did, just like that.

You could hardly breathe as Tony shot into the sky, getting away from any US or not US troops before he could be properly spotted. Clouds assaulted the cameras only to even out into a light blue. The chaos down below somehow mellowed out into crystal clear and peaceful skies.

“What the fuck,” you said, unbelieving, “did that just happen?”

“My back says it did,” Tony said, “do not hit that life alert button.”

You didn’t laugh. Your brain was still processing what happened in less than ten minutes. It seemed almost like a terrible movie, maybe a high-tech video game, and you sat back in your chair as you went over all the details.

Your eyes went slightly down, looking at the desk below you. To your surprise, there were indents there. You looked closer, realizing that it was your hands that caused damage to the metal table.

Super strength. Right. 

Never mind. You were going to process all that another day.

“I-”

“There appears to be an alert from the US air force. It states-”

Rhodey was calling.

You both cursed, realizing exactly what happened. Obviously, Rhodey suspected you both. How typical.

“Not it.”

“He’s your friend!”

“Yeah, well, he’s trouble right now. You’re good at getting me out of trouble!”

“That was not a compliment, that was-”

“Mr. Rhodes is calling Agent’s mobile number.”

“Fine,” you said, “get it.”

“ Agent.”

“James,” you said, just as even toned, “this a work or personal call?”

“Work,” he huffed, “What do you know about un-manned combat robotics, with air-ground capabilities?”

“I dunno,” you said, “you still our point man for the military?”

“Burn,” Tony whispered, and you quickly rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m looking at something right now,” James said, “and I’m about to give the OK to blow it to Kingdom Come.”

Oh come on.

Two fighter jets loomed behind Tony, side by side and looking damn near threatening. It was a bit like a cult classic, you were thinking about Top Gun, and you wondered wildly where your brain came up with shit like this.

“So,” you said to James, “hear me out…”

You didn’t know if you wanted to tell him or not.

You swallowed as you went over various options. On one hand, you trusted Rhodey. You knew he was a good person and that he cared for both of you. He proved that on the day he came to eat pancakes with your family. He really did want what’s best for the both of you.

On the other hand, he did not and refused to see Tony’s vision for the company. It would be a hard battle to win him over, you knew that, but you also knew that as long as the military gained something, Rhodey would be happy enough with his job.

You trusted Rhodey.

“It’s me.”

Oh, and so did Tony, apparently.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s me, Rhodey-bear. It’s me in the suit.”

“Tony,” you said urgently, “they’re locked on!”

“General, I think-”

Then, over the phone, you heard the general say “go, fire!”

“Smoke bomb!” You told JARVIS, “Tony, roll! Dodge, whatever! Just move!”

JARVIS released the smoke bomb. Holy shit, did it work. You had mentioned it to Tony after telling him how worried you were about him being spotted. Having a way to blend into the clouds at short notice would be helpful.

Now, being chased by your own military, it seemed like a fantastic idea.

“JARVIS, bring Tony home.”

“Calculating route.”

JARVIS cleared a path for Tony and, as soon as he found a way to disappear from sight and get out, he was gone. There was silence for a minute as you all recognized the danger you just avoided and you were very glad that it was smooth sailing from here.

“You two are the biggest goddamn security problems I have ever seen in my life.”

“We lose ‘em?” Tony asked.

“Yeah,” Rhodey said, still whispering, “you lost ‘em alright. They’re all freaking out in there. They think you’re a new weapon from Russia.”

“Russia, huh?” Tony added, “I’ll take it.”

“Jesus, Tony. What the hell were you thinking?”

“Come back to Malibu and find out,” you said, “we have a lot to go over.”

“I’ll be there. Don’t you worry.”

And then the man hung up like some teenage girl and you felt a tad bit frustrated that Tony was the only one to understand how important all of this was.

“Well,” Tony said, “I think that actually went pretty well.”

You rubbed at your eyes, “get home so I can kill you.”

“Uh…”

“I sense that Agent has activated her own sarcasm protocol, yes?”

This time, your twin laughter was what finally cheered you up. Frig it, everyone was alive and you did something right by Yinsen. For now, that was enough. While Tony flew, you continued your work, answering emails and scheduling various benefits. It seemed rather small to what just happened, but you were learning quickly that the small things kept you grounded.

“Hey, honey,” Tony said after an hour, “don’t panic. It’s small… Could you get an ice pack… Or two?”

“Let me guess,” you said, your eyes flickering to the cooler you already gathered, “your back hurts?”

You heard the garage door open and, with that, you stood and Tony came in. Your eyes flickered over the suit, looking over the marks on it with a critical eye. JARVIS had already highlighted what could be a problem, but it was another thing altogether to see the damage in person.

He really did look like he came back from the war.

You gathered your supplies again as JARVIS took the suit off of Tony. You winced when you saw the black under suit he was wearing, knowing that peeling it off would hurt. He was going to be sore tomorrow and covered in bruises.

“Ice pack,” you said, holding it up for him to see, “and me.”

“I’ll take you over an ice pack any day, babe,” Tony pouted at the ice pack, “but I’ll beg for that.”

You smirked at him, “no begging required. Come on, soldier, come sit down.”

Tony went without a fight, telling you just how tired he was. You pushed on his shoulders when he made it to the couch, forcing him on his stomach. Without remorse, you put the ice pack on his back, right where that bullet got him.

“Oh, god,” Tony said, “That’s good. That’s real good.”

“Where else,” you asked him as he got comfortable, “cuts? Anything bleeding?”

“All good,” Tony said, “suit took the brunt of it. You good?”

Your heart warmed at the question. You had been safe at home the entire time, you didn’t need his concern.

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” you reply, sitting on the one loveseat next to him, “sit there for a minute, then you’re drowning a water bottle. I need you in tip-top shape to deal with Rhodey. He’s going to kill us both.”

“He’d never get away with it,” Tony said, “he can’t lie for shit. You should see him playing poker.”

You snorted, “that’s good to know.”

“You think he’s gonna take it well?”

This time, you weren’t as confident, “why did he go into the military?”

“His dad was a vet,” Tony said, “not that he liked the man. Mostly, he needed a steady paycheck quick after MIT, taking care of his mom. He told me that after he dealt with me for three years, he needed some stability. Made sense.”

“And your contact with the military and him?”

“He thought of it,” Tony said, groaning as he got up, “Obie did, too. Thought our friendship was valuable after that.”

Your heart skipped a beat, “but Rhodey isn’t doing all this for Stane, right?”

“Oh hell no,” Tony said, grabbing at the water bottle. He looked like shit, “Rhodey always did his own thing. That contract works off of our mutual trust, not that he would ever admit that.”

That was so good to hear. You were tired of not trusting people. Besides that, you still liked Rhodey, a lot. Just because you didn’t agree with his career didn’t mean you couldn’t be friends with him.

“Mr. Rhodes is at the door.”

Time to face the music.

This was going to be a hell of a conversation.

Chapter Text

“You’re insane, delusional, out of your mind-”

“Those three things are the same.”

“ -Rude, untrained, unknowing, and entirely in over your effing head – the both of you.”

“James,” you said, rubbing at your eyes, “what did you think, that we walked right out of that damn cave skipping and holding hands? Tony found us a way out. It works.”

“Oh, it works alright,” Rhodey said right back, “works enough to get himself into some serious fucking trouble. You want us starting another fucking world war? If you went anyway other than some little town in the middle of nowhere, you could have done some serious damage.”

Guilt clawed at your chest. You had indulged Tony in this, after all. He said it was to protect you and you took that to mean he needed it to make him feel strong. You had planned, somewhat, to help him with that while you built the suit together.

You were doing that. You were there for him in all the ways that it mattered. You were doing everything you could to be the person that Tony needed.

But when you had seen those photos… You hated that the thought of stopping Tony didn’t once come to mind. No, you wanted him out there, fixing what you couldn’t do in that cave, and you hated that you hadn’t really thought of the consequences of that.

You were so good at seeing the bigger picture in terms of the company. You had to start doing it for Tony’s personal projects as well.

“It had to be done, simple as that,” Tony said, “Isn’t this military 101 or something? Civilians safe, threats eliminated, whatever?”

You shook your head, a sigh nearly leaving your lips. Tony’s… Sass was one day going to be his downfall. He’d piss off the wrong person and that would be the end of it.

Seeing Rhodey’s face at Tony’s reaction? You were a bit scared that Rhodey would be the one to do it.

“Rhodey,” you said, attempting to get your thoughts together, “no one suspects Stark Industries of this, you are by no means involved, and what’s done is done. I’m not saying we were smart about this-”

“Hey!”

“ But,” you said, interrupting Tony, “I by no means regret it. And, as of right now, there are no consequences.”

“Not you too,” Rhodey moaned, “what the hell made you two so invested in this? It was the middle of fucking nowhere.”

Tony turned away without a word, obviously intending to end this conversation, and you felt much the same. You explained yourself the best you could and even gave reasons for Rhodey not to worry. At this point, he was just complaining to complain.

“I’ll be in the lab, designing the next medical advancement for the military. Always nice to see you, Rhodes, but duty calls. Agent, feel free to join me.”

And then Tony was walking through the doors of the lab, leaving you just outside where Pepper used to do her own work without Tony’s pestering.  

You grabbed at Rhodey’s shoulder as he attempted to follow Tony. To his credit, Rhodey did stop as you moved in front of him. Both of you waited for the door to close to the lab and, feeling drained, you gestured for him to sit down.

Your eyes flickered to Tony’s back as you did so, watching as he brought up a few new prototypes for SI. His motions were rigid, aware of Rhodey’s presence. A part of you was sort of bitter that he left you alone to deal with this while the rest of you knew that Tony wouldn’t handle Rhodey’s rejections well. But, still, you trusted Rhodey – missed him.

“I’ve known him most of his life,” Rhodey said, groaning as he sat down, “this is the most reckless he’s been.”

You shrugged, “he survived literal hell,” you reminded him, “creating that suit makes him feel… Safe.”

“He could be selling that to the military,” he said, “could have had one of my men rescue that town with technology like that. I could have done it. If it was that important to him, I would have found a way.”

A bit of communication was always best, wasn’t it? You had assumed Rhodey was pissed for the obvious work-related reasons. No, it was really, really good that it sounded like he genuinely cared about Tony’s safety.

“I missed you,” you admitted, “Tony missed you. You know that, right? He isn’t doing all of this to spite you, he’s doing this to do the right thing.”

Rhodey looked away from you, a clear scowl on his face, “is it that, or does he just have a death wish?”

“Both?” You answered honestly, “But, honestly… Did he tell you that there was someone else in that cave with us?”

Rhodey shook his head, “another… Prisoner?”

“Yeah,” you said, hating yourself for the tightness of your throat, “his name was Yinsen. He was a doctor. A really talented doctor – saved us both.”

“ Was a doctor?”

This time, it was you that got up. You couldn’t help it, sitting still while thinking about Yinsen was too much. You skin crawled when you thought of him – thought of how much you failed him. That feeling was what drove you to let Tony go out there.

“They used me against Tony,” you said softly, your eyes firmly planted on what you realized was a glass that you were filling with water, “I mean, it’s classic, right? Hurt the girl to get to the guy.”

Your shoulders slumped when you said that, realizing just how true it was, “I got dragged away once by… Doesn’t matter. The point is, it scared Tony bad enough to move our escape plan up by a whole month. Yinsen bought us time and… And we lost him.”

You felt like destroying something, but, instead, your hands went to the cabinets above you, grabbing at half familiar alcohol bottles.

“He lived in that town,” you admitted finally, “his family was already dead but… But hell, the least Tony and I could do was save his home.”

You turned back around with your glass of water and what you again realized was Rhodey’s favorite alcoholic drink. He took it from you without a word, something forlorn in his eyes as you sat back down.

Tony, meanwhile, still had his back to you. You felt trapped in your thoughts after confessing like that to Rhodey. After all, it wasn’t often that you spoke about your emotions, let alone what happened.

You both stay silent for a while. So silent, in fact, that you even began to work again. Your tablet was in your hand as you responded to emails. You even dared to send a text or two to Tony, letting him know that everything was fine. His only answer was a thumbs up emoji. You took that with a grain of salt.

“I don’t know why I didn’t think you weren’t hurt,” Rhodey said after a while, his drink gone, “I saw Tony with his arm brace, the cuts on his face, and I assumed he took the brunt of it.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, not entirely sure what to say, “it sucked.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I’ve been an ass.”

You smirked at that but it dimmed rather quickly. “Your entire career is on the line with Tony’s decisions. Feeling slighted by this makes a hell of a lot of sense. But he’s trying Rhodey. He’s trying so hard to do something right. Losing his best friend will make all of his progress taste so bitter.”

Rhodey shuffled in his seat, “you ever train to be a therapist?”

“Nah, just little brothers. Trust me, that was enough.”

Rhodey nodded at that. He stood up, taking his cup to the sink with him. You thought he was going to pour another one but, no, instead he began washing it. You had trained Tony to clean up after himself but it was another thing to see someone else do it.

“I’m gonna go get some work done,” you told him, “maybe you want to check in with Tony?”

“Yeah,” He said, “if he doesn’t throw a wrench at me the moment I walk through the door.”

“Hope you’re good at ducking,” you said, the joke falling just a bit flat, “good luck!”

You gathered your things and made to go up the stairs, glad that Rhodey was going to try and talk to Tony. They were practically brothers, after all. They needed each other.

“Hey, Agent?”

You hummed, turning back around. Rhodey looked a tad too serious for your liking.

“Thanks. I put my work before our friendship, especially after what you went through. I hope I can make it up to you.”

You smiled at Rhodey, feeling true sentiment at the man in front of you. It took a lot to admit you were wrong and that’s why it meant all that much more to you. You’ve known James as long as you’ve known Tony. You were glad you hadn’t ruined anything.

“That means a lot,” you told him, smiling softly, “it’s alright. I’d be pretty pissed too. I’m hoping we can fix our work relationship too.”

Rhodey sighed deeply, “we’ll see how Tony takes my apology.”

And then the poor man marched off into war.

You didn’t stay to see the aftermath. After all, you really did have work to do. You did, however, turn your head to watch as Tony still did not turn back around to greet poor James. Rhodey, unfortunately, had a lot of apologies to make.

Now… You had some digging to do.

“What are you doing?”

You ignored him.

Not on purpose, of course, but your entire brain needed to focus on this.

“J, is the Pretty Agent protocol activated?”

“No, sir,” JARVIS answered, “but Agent is successfully creating a full network tunnel between SI’s servers and the home network.”

Tony’s reaction was priceless. If you had the brainpower, you would have laughed at him. After all, him with a slack jaw was always going to be funny, regardless of what it is.

“Uh,” Tony said, looking over your screens, “why?”

“Because you want access to the shipping manifest on our servers, and I don’t want to go there when I don’t know who’s messing with said documentation. J, is my WAN address right? Why am I not seeing any data moving on this side?”

Tony moved to stand next to you, eying your work, and you mindlessly pointed to the status screen. You weren’t used to this type of router considering how customized it was, but you were thanking your lucky stars that most network terms tended to stay the same throughout each system.

“You’re earning your nickname again, Mrs. Bond,” Tony joked, “J, shut down all VPN connections. Send out an email to staff that there'll be an outage for all at home employees.”

“We only have a few with SI equipment at home,” you commented, “most of them high rolling. You sure you wanna piss them off?”

“I’ll blame it on security updates,” Tony muttered, “J, give Agent full admin rights, equal to myself. I don’t wanna bother approving everything she’s doing.”

His trust wasn’t a shock, but it was all together a rather strange thing. You could have never imagined yourself having access to everything that was Stark Industries, let alone being able to make changes to such a large system.

With reinstated admin rights, you had access to change the settings that you needed with ease. Tony watched silently, even as you muttered random IP addresses underneath your breath, frustrated when something didn’t work.

Then, finally, you had access.

“I got a program from a friend,” you told Tony, “but if you got a better file sniffer in mind, say it now – especially if yours doesn’t leave a trail.”

“Have at, wonder woman.”

You cracked your neck – this was honest to god kind of exciting, after all. While Tony had done war crimes, at least all you were doing was committing corporate espionage. What was your world?

You opened up your virtual computer, mapped the necessary drives to it, and got to work.

In all honesty, while you were winging a lot of it, you did enjoy this kind of work. You spent some days putting together computers for friends and other days watching very blurry videos on YouTube of people installing new networks.

While your first dream died when you married Tyler, your second of being a woman in STEM never did. You enjoyed working with your hands but didn’t want to rely on your brother’s business to be employed. So, your joy of figuring out problems turned to figuring out networking problems.

You had even started to take a few classes at your local college before… Everything.

You should pursue it again… If you ever had the time.

“I’ll get you into whatever school you want.”

You blinked, “what?”

“If you wanna go to a university, I’ll buy the university.”

First you had to get over the fact that, apparently, you said your entire internal monologue out loud to Tony, who hadn’t said a word about it. Then, you had to remind yourself that Tony had enough money to buy an entire university and then some.

“I’d do it on my own terms,” you said, watching as your program began copying everything to your usb stick, “and we’re way too busy right now.”

“I could hire another PA… Maybe even bring Pepper back on.”

“Pepper is-”

Your computer dinged.

Your hands went to the mouse, wondering what could have possibly pinged your program already. But, seeing the file name, it was clear to see why.

“A video file,” you muttered, “in a folder called sector 16.”

You clicked play.

The scene before you made you take a step back. After all, seeing that damn cave again was something you had never expected. Worse, however, was seeing Tony like that: it was before he created the arc reactor, maybe right after they kidnapped him. Cuts littered his body, blood everywhere, and the worst… The gaping hole in his chest connected to a car battery.

You grabbed at Tony’s hand hard, squeezing when one of Raza’s henchman started talking to the camera.

“You did not tell us that the target you paid us to kill was the great Tony Stark. As you can see, Obadiah Stane... Your deception and lies will cost you dearly.”

Tony’s ripped his hand out of yours, a curse word so loud leaving his lips that all you could do was watch. He was like a rabid animal, pacing back and forth, wounded and bleeding. He loved Obadiah, you knew that, and he was already hurt by the fact that Obie filed the injunction against him.

To know that the person that helped raise him did this to him? It hurt something primal in your soul.

“Grab it, J,” you said to the AI softly, “put everything on my usb stick there and delete the evidence from every single server.”

JARVIS did it silently and, wildly, you wondered if an AI understood the scope of this betrayal. To put Tony through so much pain… And for what? Control of his company? Money? Power? All those years by Tony’s side and all he turned out to be was a classic villain.

“I want him in jail,” Tony said darkly, “I’d like his own heart to be ripped out of his chest.”

“Tony…”

There were no words to tell him how much you wanted him not to hurt. There was no action that could tell him how much you understood his pain – how much you hated everything he had gone through.

“I’m here for you,” you said, meaning the words, “tell me what you need.”

“That agent,” Tony said, still pacing restlessly, “Phil. You got his number?”

Confused, you nodded.

“Go, meet him. I’m gonna get Rhodey here again, get him ready for whatever is gonna go down. Obie… Stane was willing to have terrorists kidnap us both, I’m not risking another attack.”

“I’ll take Happy,” you said, thinking it over, “I’ll meet Agent Coulson at the office… Now?”

“Now,” Tony replied, “the longer Stane is walking around, the more you’re in danger.”

The tone of voice Tony was using was unfamiliar. Tony had always been somewhat relaxed no matter what you were dealing with. This Tony was serious, nearly battle ready, and it only reminded you harder of your escape attempt out of the cave. Tony had been deadly then, you didn’t know what to make of him lying in wait.

“I love you,” you said to him, “you know that, right?”

Tony finally stopped pacing. He turned towards you, his eyes deadly serious, “you’ve changed my life for the better. The last thing I need is a man that got you hurt in my own company. I just want… I shouldn't be alive, unless it was for a reason. I just finally know what I have to do. And I know in my heart that it's right.”

You couldn’t help it – you took too long strides to him just to throw yourself into his arms. You pulled him to you tightly, as if you were scared that he was going to disappear right in front of you. You loved this man so, so much, you couldn’t bear to think everything he believed in was for nothing.

“Together or nothing,” you reminded him, “I’m with you every step of the way.”

Tony pulled away just enough to place a delicate kiss upon your brow, something that always made your heart melt. You had never met a man that cared for things like Tony did. You really would follow him anywhere.

“Be safe,” Tony said, “I love you.”

“Love you too, hotshot,” you said, winking at him just to cheer him up, “one hour. Track me with JARVIS if you’re nervous.”

Then, not sure if you could, you turned your back to him and began heading out the door.

You had an agent to meet.

“Sector 16.”

“Sector 16?”

“Yes,” you answered, pulling at Tony’s desktop computer – a normal ass desktop computer, who knew – “I’m destroying this computer’s hard drive and then we’re going to go over there.”

“May I ask why?”

You unscrewed the chassis of the computer quickly, eyes flickering up at the monitor that showed all the cameras. Luckily, Stane wasn’t in sight. Granted, you were a bit scared at this point that someone had tampered with the cameras as well, but at least you had something to look at.

“Agent Coulson, I’m not sure who to trust,” you laughed a little, “but right now, someone outside of the company is my best bet.”

You’d give Phil some credit – he looked anything other than surprised. In fact, his arms stayed at his side, calm as a cucumber, if not a little weary of you. You couldn’t imagine what you looked like, probably more than a little insane, but you were still worried that Stane would retaliate somehow.

You finally got the hard drive out. You put the computer back together as fast as you could, not wanting anyone to know that you were here. Good lord, you were starting to sound like a bad spy novel.

“I’m also confused, if that helps.”

“Right!” You said, slapping the computer back into place, “Happy, Stane was the one who sold Tony to those terrorists.”

The silence that followed that sentence was expected, “I made a usb stick of my proof. Agent Coulson, why don’t you take this to whoever you would like – the cops, I’m guessing – and get Stane as far away as Tony as possible.”

“Obie sold him out?” Happy whispered as you deposited the stick in Coulson’s waiting hand, “you can’t be serious.”

“And whatever Obie is doing is in sector 16, I want to know,” you told them both, “which is where we’re all going after this.”

“And where is Mr. Stark in all of this?” Coulson asked, “why isn’t he here with us?”

“Every time Tony comes to the office, there’s a mob,” you replied, “I’m less known and more likely to be here. Not to mention, he’s with our military liaison, James Rhodes, while they make sure that Stane isn’t taking anything else from our private servers.”

“Obie wouldn’t do that,” Happy said, “I’ve known the guy for years. He’s a bit of an asshole, but he wouldn’t try to kill his own godson.”

You grimaced. You didn’t know that Happy liked the Stane.

“There’s video proof,” you told Happy, “right now, I think it’s important that-”

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

Three heads turned towards the new voice. You didn’t know her, that was for sure. She was blonde with perfectly straight hair, perfect blue eyes, and looked drop dead gorgeous in what was a very casual business outfit. You didn’t recognize her, but that didn’t mean much. The corporate section of SI was a revolving door.

“Hi,” you said right back, “can I-”

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, Mrs. Stark, but-”

“I’m really not married yet…” You muttered, kind of surprised that anyone would address you that way.

“Sorry, it’s just assumed. Um… There’s a bit of a problem downstairs in conference room five. Uh, a Mr. Jeaster? He’s… Pretty upset. Said that you scheduled a meeting with his new startup?”

For the love of all things good and holy, you did not have time for this. Work was inconsequential at this point, nearly nonexistent. It was hard to imagine that something as simple as an angry businessman even mattered at this point.

“Right,” you said, shaking your head, “I’ll be ten minutes. Mr. Hogan, could you please direct Mr. Coulson to the car? I’ll meet you there.”

“Got it, boss,” Happy said, “ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes.”

You watched carefully as Coulson put the usb stick in his pocket. He gave you a quick look, something that could have passed off as a warning, and then the two of them were walking out the door of the office.

“Sorry,” you said to the poor woman that walked in on… that , “I’m not normally this disorganized.”

“Ma’am, we’ve worked under you for two years,” the woman said dryly, “this is the most organized and welcoming my department has ever been.”

You blinked, surprised by the compliment, “thank you. Right, and you are…?”

“I’m just the front desk woman, Katty,” she said, “I was the only one who thought to come get you.”

“It was nice meeting you, Katty,” you said, meaning the words, “and thank you. I got it from here.”

Katty left with what was honestly a cute little wave, and you shook your head as you watched her turn the corner to her desk. It was endearing to find someone with a light heart, honestly, and you sort of forgot that normal people still existed.

Still, because of the small delay, you got out your phone and sent Tony a quick text, warning him that getting to sector 16 would take a little while longer.

The reply was instant: that agent still with you?

You rolled your eyes: yes. How are you two?

You grabbed your tablet, sighing as you looked over your notes for this meeting. You were going to reschedule it, of course, but you wanted to know this guy before you did so.

Another text came through: Re-writing Stane’s contracts to give sole ownership. Rhodey’s working with his people to get Stane out of their systems. JARVIS is looking for cracks in our system.

Good to hear that they were making actual progress. Your eyes lingered on the name Stane hating that Tony had already distanced himself. Let it be known that if Tony didn’t say a nickname for someone, they were on his shit list.

You shook your head. Any progress was good progress at this point.

Right, time to get rid of a minor annoyance.

You walked the halls with people, smiling politely when you walked past people but making it clear that you had a destination in mind. It was… Endearing and far too strange to have people you didn’t know say hello to you, but it was good to know that you were making some sort of difference here.

You barged into conference room five without a knock on the door, not bothering with necessities considering the man was here for you anyway.

“I apologize for my lateness,” you said tartly, “I-”

Your eyes couldn’t comprehend what was in front of you.

The man was Henry Jeaster, but he looked… God, was he dead? Black lines lingered across his face all the way down to his hands – like there was ink in his very veins. He was immobile on the couch, head hung over the head edge of it with his mouth open.

Worse, however, was the clear as day bullet hole oozing blood from his chest, staining his white dress shirt.

Then, pain.

All you could do was grunt as something infiltrated every single one of your senses, dialing them up to a horrid ten and leaving you paralyzed. It felt like someone had lit you on fire from the inside out all, but all you could do was move your lips.

“Ah, ah… Easy, easy now.”

Stane.

Stane’s arms went around you, pushing your head harshly to his shoulder as you fell, your knees crumbling. He let you go down to the floor, pushing you on your back, and you were forced to stare up at blank ceilings as he leaned over you, limbs everywhere.

Was this where you died?

“Oh, poor Agent,” Stane said, his foot digging into your side painfully, “you’ve done such good for Tony, truly. I’m almost impressed.”

You felt as if your heart was going to explode in your chest. You had been scared in that cave, terrified out of your goddamn mind, but it was nothing like this – nothing like having your limbs locked with a man you hated since you met.

He was crazy enough to kill in your very own place of work. What could you do against that?

“But you have to understand, I needed Tony out of the way,” Stane said, kneeling down to you, “and I need whatever you got on me to disappear.”

He knew.

You wanted to flinch when his hands went towards you, opening your jacket and digging into the pockets. You tried to wiggle away, to say something, to stop him from touching you, but you were helpless against whatever he used.

What the hell had he done to you? Was it permanent?

“Shit, where is it?” The man growled, hands inside your pants pockets, “I know you made a backup.”

Maybe it was a blessing that you couldn’t talk. You weren’t entirely convinced that you would be able to lie with you like this, scared out of your mind. Raza’s punishments were swift with a loose goal in mind. Stane had actual hatred for you too. He’d kill you, you were sure of it.

A hand struck you across the face.

The pain was nothing against the one that you were currently in, gasping for air, but it still left you reeling. The side of your face stayed stuck to the floor unable to move, only to be gripped by your chin and forced to look and Stane head on.

You think, if you had the strength, you could kill him with your bare hands. You were almost positive of it.

“Where is it?” he asked lowly – deadly, “if you think this hurts, you have no idea what I can do to you. It’ll make that little trip you spent in the middle of fuck-nowhere seem like a vacation.”

You swallowed, testing the action, only to realize that whatever he did to you was wearing off, enough to talk.

“Fuck… You.”

Stane laughed. He actually laughed, his white teeth so visible that you had a vision of you punching all of them out of his mouth. You weren’t aggressive, not really, but this man was a murderer – maybe even worse than that.

“You are one stubborn bitch, you know,” Stane said, “but I’m not losing everything to a stuck up little nobody like you.”

He revealed something in his hand, something the size of a pen with the trigger on the top of it, and waved it in your face.

“This is Tony’s little invention, not approved by the government. It causes short term paralysis but, hey, use it enough and rumor is it ruins motor functions. Very tragically, for you, all I need is your mouth to work.”

Fuck.

You needed those ten minutes to fly by. You needed Happy to realize something was wrong and to come and check on you. You needed some sort of divine intervention.

“So…” Stane said, thumb on the trigger, “where’s the damn data backup?”

“Too... Late,” you said, no lying, “With… Agency.”

“You mean Agent Phil Coulson,” Stane spat, “such a shame he’s stuck downstairs with that idiot driver. Seems to be a power problem with the gates.”

Oh, come freakin’ on. How much could Stane planned for? How many claws did he have in SI? You had thought you found every single one of his trails, but you were terrified now. God, you had to warn Tony. You had to… Wait a minute.

You could feel your hand.

Without hesitation, you swung your arm and slammed your fist into the side of Stane’s head.

He went down instantly, a cry leaving his lips, and you watched as the device was thrown underneath the couch that housed a dead body. You grunted at that, trying to get up, only to realize that you weren’t ready to stand up yet.

Your feet felt like lead, like the worst kind of pins and needles in the world, and you went down on your hands and knees, breathing heavily. Feeling was coming back slowly, so slowly that you turned your head to look at Stane.

You expected him to be getting up by now.

But… Stane was passed out on the floor.

You felt your confusion grow as he stayed down, knocked the fuck out, and you crawled over to him, ready to stun him with your watch that Tony had given you.

But no… He truly was passed out. An already purple bruise adorned his forehead, nasty as hell, and you realized your right hook had literally knocked him out. You were amazed by your own strength, shocked that you had managed to do that.

You really had to get used to your new strength. That serum was no joke.

You tapped your watch once as you staggered to your feet, the scene in front of you like some sort of good awful crime scene drama that was too much for your brain to handle.

“JARVIS,” you muttered, “call Tony.”

Tony, of course, picked up on the first ring.

“What’s wrong?”

“Cameras on conference room five,” you muttered, “three minutes ago. No, I dunno, like, fifteen minutes ago. There’s a dead guy in here.”

“ What?”

You winced at Rhodey’s tone, “oh my god, please don’t yell. Whatever the fuck that thing he used on me was gave me a hell of a headache. I’m thinking of calling it the hangover creator nine hundred.”

“Are you hurt? I’m coming. I’ll be there-”

“Tony,” you said, “I love you. I love you so much. But Stane is unconscious on the floor, no longer a problem, and I’m twenty minutes from, get this, the lab that houses the original arc reactor. That’s where sector 16 is. I’m going there.”

“Are you hurt?” Tony asked again, the words a little bit of threat this time, “if he hurt you-”

“Tones, look at this.”

You huffed as you smoothed down your outfit and hair, your eyes planted firmly on Stane’s body. If he moved a muscle, you’d kick him so hard in the nuts he’d wish you used that paralysis device on him.

Oh, a paralysis device. Of course.

You moved sideways as you leaned over the couch, swallowing as you got closer to the body. You couldn’t focus on that, not really, not without freaking out. You grabbed it as quick as you could and stuffed it inside your pocket.

You never wanted anyone else to feel pain like that. 

“I’m calling my friends from the FBI,” Rhodey said, “Get away from Stane, now. Walk out that door as calmly as you can, lock it, go downstairs to Happy, and get home.”

“I’m going to sector 16,” you said, “Tony, I didn’t just get my ass beat to let whatever Stane was doing there get sold.”

Tony was silent.

It was the longest silence of your life.

“I’m fine, Tony,” you said softly into the watch, “I’ll never forgive myself if the suit design lands in the wrong hands again.”

“I’m meeting you at the office,” Tony said steely, “and we’ll go together. Rhodes, handle Stane. I don’t want his ass off that floor unless it’s in handcuffs.”

“Take the suits,” you said, “yes, I said the plural. Let Rhodey take Mark I.”

“Be there in eight minutes. I texted Happy, apparently Phil got them through the doors. They’re gonna meet us there.”

“Right, eight minutes,” you repeated, glad, “right. Walk out this room, lock the door, act natural.”

Which is exactly what you did as you listened to Tony breath, your head down to not reveal what you knew was a wicked bruise on your cheek. You healed fast now, sure, but it wasn’t enough to make injuries disappear. And, god, your face throbbed in time with your heartbeat. It was a hell of a hit.

Tony and Rhodey did arrive in eight minutes, record time, and you opened the twin windows to let them through, a little bit amused at the picture of two metal suits trying to not be spotted going through a window.

Tony opened the faceplate of the suit, revealing a very caring and loving fiancé.

“Shit, your face,” he said, “you alright?”

“Not going to lie,” you said, the adrenaline wearing off, “it hurts. I can’t believe Stane…”

You couldn’t say it out loud. If you said it out loud, you had to deal with the emotional consequences of it. What the hell was your life?

“I’d hug you,” you told Tony, “but god knows what piece of the suit is gonna get stuck if you remove it.”

“ Stuck?”

You managed a weak laugh at Rhodey’s face, “don’t worry. It’ll come off one way or another.”

“FBI is a minute out,” Rhodey said, becoming more serious, “I’m gonna meet them at the door. You two should go, get to sector 16 and see what the hell he did.”

Tony nodded, giving you a quick side eye, “not gonna convince you to stay here, am I?”

“Nope!” You said, making the words come out more like a tease than an actual promise, “you’re stuck carrying me for the rest of my life, boy-genius.”

Tony’s lips finally quirked, “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. You’re like a jack-in-the-box – I never know what’s gonna happen next when you’re around.”

You snorted, “you really know how to woo a girl.”

“Come on, jack-oh-agent,” he said, turning around so that he could give you a piggyback ride from hell, “hop on.”

“Insane,” Rhodey muttered, “both of you are insane.”

Grabbing onto Tony’s shoulders and wrapping your legs around his middle, you think you might agree with the man.

Before you could, Tony blasted off, fixing the last mistake that was Obidiah Stane.

“Stay with Phil,” Tony said, putting the faceplate back down, “I’m serious. I’m gonna scout ahead and see what’s there.”

“Go,” you told Tony, “stay safe.”

He was gone before you could blink.

“I called a few of my people,” Phil said, walking through the facility with you and keeping up stride for stride, “Keep Mr. Stark in the air, we’re gonna get through the door.”

You watched in shock as people in all black scattered around the lab like ants. There were devices you didn’t recognize on the door, maybe a small bomb, and then a couple with guns pointed at the door, clearly waiting for something.

“Oh, hey,” you said, eyeing the keypad, “I revoked Stane’s access to the panels and gave myself full admin rights to all facilities. Uh, Phil, can I…?”

You tried going to the door, eyeing the guns, and Phil had them lowered with a wave of his hand. You hadn’t factored in that Phil was a high rolling agent. You didn’t think a billionaire getting kidnapped would make any government agency excited besides the ones that would lose their money.

You were working on some sort of strange autopilot, but whatever.

You swiped your card.

It opened without a problem, of course. You backed up as the agents filled in, clearly eager to protect you. It was another thing altogether to be thought of high rolling, and you let Phil link his arm with yours as you witnessed the arc reactor in all of its glory again.

It still amazed you how big it was compared to the one in Tony’s chest – compared to the spark that was on your finger. Tony’s genius was always undeniable, but it would continue to amaze you.

“Sir, we got something!”

Phil continued to link arms with you and you followed eagerly, glad that you weren’t getting a speech about safety. You would finish this out no matter what happened.

Oh yeah, they had found the motherload.

Stane’s sketches – or whatever tech it was that was working with Stane – were rough. Even to your mostly untrained eye, the armor would never be as mobile and versatile as Tony’s was. That thought, of course, followed with the horror that Stane was copying Tony this whole time.

“Let my engineers look at that.”

An echo of a memory, one that reminded you that Obie wanted access to the arc reactor. He had no idea how Tony powered this monster of a creature in front of your eyes.

And why was the suit Obie was building missing?

“Tony,” you said, talking into your watch, “he was building a suit.”

“Uh,” Tony said, “I can see that.”

What?

“Why are you out of breath?” You asked, gesturing for Phil to follow you to the monitors, “What-”

“Stane’s gone!” Rhodey said from your watch, “The fucker must have woken up while you were walking to your office!”

Rhodey’s confession had you quickly logging into the terminals, bringing up your usual monitors that you used when Tony was wearing the suit.

The image in front of you was enough to have you saying a prayer.

Stane creation of the suit was monstrous. The silver metal giant was at least three times the size of Tony’s, with the arc reactor glowing fiercely in the middle of his chest. Tony’s design was meant to be a deterrent against violence – a warning – but Stane’s was clearly the aggressor, meant to bring damage and death.

It stole your breath away.

Then, Stane’s angel of death was heading towards the building you were currently in.

The ceiling fell only a few feet in front you, raining debris and metal, and you found yourself ducking as sparks started falling on you. Someone pushed your body underneath the desk and you clumsily moved your arms to cover your head, scared that the entire building was going to go down.

Gunshots rang out around you, as well as the sound of them bouncing off metal. The sound was so familiar that you had to bite your hand, reminding yourself that you weren’t out in that damn cave.

“Where is she?” Stane yelled through the suit’s speakers, “Where’s that little bitch?”

Oh, fuck. You very quickly realized that you made a hell of an enemy.

“ JARVIS, divert power to chest unit. ”

You grabbed Phil’s arm and slammed him to the ground at Tony’s warning. The man went down hard but that didn’t matter. Tony’s blast went right where Phil’s head was. To your horror, however, you could still hear Stane’s suit moving.

“How adorable,” Stane said, “you’ve upgraded your suit! Well, I’ve got some upgrades of my own.”

Phil pulled you out from under the desk by your hand and both of you worked wildly to get the equipment up. Your eyes flickered back and forth between Tony and Stane, watching in a daze as the two of them threw more and more powerful weapons at each other. It was madness.

“We gotta shut down power to this place,” you told Phil, “if something hits that big arc reactor, the damage…”

“ Come on!” Tony yelled, “Let’s see what you can do with a stolen design, huh? Let’s go!”

And then Tony took off to the sky, continuing to rain fire down upon Stane’s suit.

Stane took the bait immediately. His powerful thrusters took him through the roof again, eagerly following Tony. A part of you was absolutely baffled by the sight, your mind shot as you realized just how insane this whole thing was.

“How do we shut it down?” Phil asked, yelling over the noise, “what can I do?”

You liked a man that would listen to you.

“There’s a lever over there!” You yelled, pointing at it, “I’ll tell you when to hit it.”

You continued your work, wondering how the hell you learned to read electrical designs so well. Once upon a time, you simply talked to people about a phone for a living. Once upon a time, you worked with your brother. Once upon a time, you were no one.

Now, you had been kidnapped with your boss, fell in love with him, got nearly killed by Tony’s secondary father, and now you were shutting off power in a facility that could blow up at least half the state.

“JARVIS, I got this?”

“Yes, Agent,” JARVIS answered, “all switches have been flipped. Main power can now safely be diverted.”

“Agent!” Tony called, distracting you, “I’m almost out of power, I gotta get out of this thing. I think I got him. Icing problem. And  – J, weapons status !”

You brought the main monitors back into full view, watching as Stane continued to go after Tony – one hit after the other – and you felt your heart stop. God, what was it going to take to get Stane to stop?

“All agents, fall back!” Phil shouted into what you realized was his own earpiece, “I repeat, fall back!”

Good, less people to worry about. Stane was crazy enough to kill them all.

“We're going to have to overload the reactor and blast the roof!”

You blinked.

You blinked again.

“No, we’re not,” you swore to Tony, meaning the words with all of your heart.

Because that came with consequences, didn’t it? It came with the knowledge that Tony was on the roof, getting his ass beat enough to worry about not being able to stop Stane. It came with the knowledge that Tony was willing to sacrifice himself for you, like an idiot, and you were not going to let that happen.

“Phil!” You called, waiting for the man to look at you, “hit the lever! Make sure to freakin’ run when you do it, got it?”

The man nodded. Then, in slow motion, you watched as Phil hit the switch.

The room burned brighter than your eyes could stand. You turned your back on the arc reactor, once again crouching on your knees, and you waited for the blinding light to die down before standing once again.

It was pitch black when you opened your eyes. Even the terminals with all of Tony’s vitals were gone, completely dead, and you rolled your shoulders as you figured out what you had to do.

You roughly remembered the way to the roof access and, when your eyes finally adjusted, you sprinted towards the stairs. Above you, you heard the bangs of two heavy metal suits slamming into one another, echoing in your ears, and you shoved open the door to finally see what was going on.

“This looks important!”

You watched as Tony ripped something out of Stane’s suit, jumping away as soon as he did so. You saw your opening almost immediately.

Without mercy, you activated the taser on your watch. The noise was enough to alert Stane, but you didn’t care. You fired right in the middle of the chest piece, watching as electricity danced across the metal.

Stane, however, only laughed.

“Come on, now, Agent,” the man said, stalking towards you, “you didn’t think I didn’t plan for a little electricity?”

You seriously could not win, could you? You backed away from the gigantic mass only for your back to hit the door you just came out of. You fumbled for the handle, intending to make a run for it, but you were too late.

“ Get the fuck away from her!”

Tony was like a lightning strike. He came at Stane in a flurry of movements, using the suit to not only fly to him but to ram into him, pushing them both to the ground. Seeing an opening, you rushed towards Stane’s head, grabbing at the helmet.

If you couldn’t incapacitate him, you would stop him.

You grabbed his helmet in two hands and pulled.

You expected resistance and, hell, there was some, but it came off easy enough with a scream, ripped out by the latches it was attached to and the electronics, spitting sparks on your bare hands. The helmet was thrown to the side in your shock, useless now, and you stared into the eyes of a man that brought you so much pain.

“Aw, hell,” Stane said, blood pouring from his nose, “If I’m gonna lose, I’m taking both of you with me.”

The arc reactor on his chest grew bright, just like the one below did, and…

You remember the way you squeezed Tony’s hand when you first saw the bomb land next to you two in that desert. You were convinced you were going to die right there and then, unable to tell the man next to you how much you loved him.

Time was a tricky thing, once in a while, and you were so thankful for what it had given you in the form of love.

You watched in slow motion as that arc reactor blinked one more time… And then you were being crushed into arms made of metal, thrown to the side like a rag down and then again into the air.

Tony’s screams filled your ears, his arms wrapped around you as he used the repulsor on his legs to lessen your fall from what you assumed was the top of the building.

You landed on your back, rolling away on rough concrete, thrown from Tony and gasping for air since you had apparently lost it all hitting the ground… Then, the actual explosion.

It shook the entire earth. You watched as the sky exploded into an orange and yellow abyss, taking up everything, and you could only stare as you imagined the monster up on the roof, burning with it. It was immense, more terrifying than you flying out of that cave, and you finally looked away as the last of the sparks flew to the ground.

Your whole body hurt – your face still throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the cuts and bruises you could feel on your arms, back, and chest. The fall had done you no favors, not with the way you fell, and the burns across your body were no joke either.

But…

You were alive. You were alive!

Where was Tony?

“Tony!” You yelled, your head swimming as you forced yourself into a sitting position, “Tony!”

Then, in what you could only call a miracle, you saw him staggering to you, the suit left behind in a mess of parts. You took a step towards him, needing to know that he was alright, and before you knew it -

His arms were around you, pulling you as close as he could to him.

You think you were crying as you felt his arms wrap around you, cradling you up to his chest as if you were a child. Granted, he gripped you just as tightly, saying words that didn’t necessarily make sense… Or maybe your ears were ringing.

“You better kiss me, Tony Stark,” you said, “and then we’re going to the courthouse.”

Tony chuckled, if that was what you could call it, “you gonna marry me after all that?”

“ You’re gonna marry me after all this, buster,” you said, “I’m owed that!”

Tony kissed you.

You felt your injuries fade into the background as his lips met yours, caring for you in a way no one else had. You were pretty sure you could taste blood on his lips, but you did not care. All that mattered was that you were both alive and the threat was finally, finally gone.

“Stark!”

Both of you pulled apart and turned your heads, watching as Phil Coulson came running at you both, his usually immaculate suit ripped and torn in places. Other agents moved around as well, going over the damage. For once, it looked like everything was handled rather well.

“’Sup, Phil?”

You rolled your eyes. Tony’s sass knowns no bounds.

“I…” Phil shook his head, “My boss will have questions for you.”

“Agent Coulson,” you said, “I can’t thank you enough for all of your help. I think you saved my life.”

“I’m pretty sure you just saved an entire city block by turning off that thing back there,” Phil said, “S.H.I.E.L.D will have questions… But maybe you two wanna find some medical attention first? I’ll pencil something in for next week.”

“S.H.I.E.L.D, huh?” Tony asked, “not bad.”

“A couple people said we had to shorten it.”

Another agent walked up to Phil and whispered in his ear. Phil nodded and you watched as other agents began to pack up their things, seeming to disappear from existence at a rapid rate.

“FBI may need a statement as well,” Phil mentioned, “but if you have any problems, you have my number.”

“Thank you,” you said again sincerely, “I look forward to actually receiving your call.”

Phil gave you kind of an awkward smile and then you both watched in silence as the mysterious S.H.I.E.L.D agents disappeared into the night – or their cars, if you were being honest – leaving you with a powerless, destroyed building and a budding headache.

“Boss!”

Happy was jogging towards you, his car just a tad beat up. He, meanwhile, looked wild as he saw the two of you, a little bit more than panicked. You had forgotten that he drove here with Phil after all. Where was he this whole time?

“Happy Hogan,” Tony said, sounding rather theatrical, “if you got a car to take home, I may kiss you… If the lady permits it.”

“Kiss me and I’m swinging,” Happy warned, “god, you both look like shit. What the hell happened with that explosion?”

You glanced towards Tony, wondering just how much he wanted to give away.

“Sleep first, story later. God, I think I aged at least ten years with this shit. My back is killing me.”

“Life alert button?” You joked.

“I hate you.”

No, he really, really didn’t.

Medical attention was a bit of a mess.

You hadn’t found a doctor you trusted. That being said, you were more than glad to push Tony towards the ambulance that Rhodey had apparently called in. You had refused it, sighting that you didn’t have anything serious and that you hated other people touching you.

Rhodey had argued with you pretty loudly, but you held firm. Anything you had would heal relatively fast and, when Tony was done, you were more than ready to go inside and get patched up by him… And a bit of JARVIS’s instructions.

“You sure you’re alright?” James asked for what was the fifth time, “from what I heard from Happy, you got pretty banged up.”

“I really don’t like strangers touching me,” you told him honestly, even if you knew it was a lie of omission, “Only Tony gets the honor of wrapping up these cuts.”

“You look like shit, Agent.”

You huffed, “my bed is gonna feel like heaven at this point.”

A moment or two passed as you watched Tony’s upper arm get wrapped in gauze. Considering his injuries, you were sort of surprised he didn’t look like a mummy at this point. The thing that concerned you the most was the cut on his head but, right from the horse’s mouth, it wasn’t actually a hit to the head, just something that cut him.

“Tony asked me to be his best man.”

Your head whipped towards him. A smile made its way to your face, glad to hear that out of all those times you joked about it, Tony was serious about marrying you. It was kind of a nice thing to know.

“If you don’t get videos of that bachelor party, I’m suing.”

Rhodey laughed, genuinely delighted at your teasing, “you are, seriously, one of the best people I have ever met. Can’t tell you how glad I am that Tony saw sense and you two started dating.”

“Tony’s the amazing one,” you reminded him, “he’s literally a genius. I’d be dead without what he did in that cave. He saved my life when he offered me this job.”

Rhodey chuckled, “you are one of the strongest people I know. Don’t forget that, alright? Also, I’m giving you five more hours until I call Pepper about all of this.”

“Tony!” You yelled, “Rhodey is threatening a Pepper visit!”

Tony was on his feet in a second, brushing aside the poor medic with a suave smile. Lucky for you, it seemed that he was done.

Rhodey left a friendly hand to your shoulder. That however, was by no means enough. You dragged him into a hug, glad that he was okay. You didn’t know what you would have done if he somehow got hurt back at the office. You hated the Stane had somehow escaped but you were so glad no one else got hurt.

“Thank you,” you said to Rhodey one last time, “I’ll see you back here in a few?”

“After I deal with the military,” he said, “I-”

“You’re going with a training exercise, right?” Tony asked, “Come on, we all know those are just cover stories.”

“Goodbye, Tony,” Rhodey said dryly, “get this one looked at, would you?”

Tony nodded and you watched as the two did a very manly hug that reminded you of your brothers. Your brothers, who you really should call before the whole thing made it to the news. Still, you were just so freakin’ tired.

“Come on, my darling rescuer,” Tony said just after the front door closed, “anything banged up?”

You shook your head as you dragged your feet to the living room, “scraped up my back pretty bad on that fall, but I don’t think there’s anything to do besides clean them out.”

“This is the part where I tell you to take off your shirt… Then your bra… And then maybe we end up in the bedroom…”

You snorted, “if you got that kind of energy, I might finally throw that life alert button in the trash.”

“Well,” he said, winking at you, “you don’t have to tell me twice.”

You managed a laugh. Your exhaustion was pretty clear at this point. You were, in fact, using blinking as a method of not falling asleep on your feet. Still, it was endearing to know that Tony could still make jokes at a time like this.

Which was probably why you decided that taking off your shirt and laying flat on the ground was the best way to get this done.

“Shit,” Tony said, “okay. I’ll go get a towel – towels. ”

Well, that didn’t sound good. Still, you really couldn’t care anymore. In fact, the floor was a great place to rest your eyes. Before you knew it, you were drifting in and out of awareness as you vaguely heard Tony moving around the kitchen, grabbing multiple things.

“Alright, sleeping beauty, gonna be a bit cold.”

It woke you up, that was for sure. You bit your lip as Tony cleaned out the cuts. Apparently, tweezers were even involved, taking out the small debris that was stuck. It didn’t hurt compared to everything else, but it seriously made it impossible to go to sleep.

“Sorry,” he said, rubbing at your back, “ Dammit, Jim, I’m an engineer, not a doctor.”

You snorted, “are you actually a fan if you mess up the quote on purpose?”

“I’m more surprised you’re not shocked I know it.”

“Tony,” you said, still fighting back sleep, “you were, what, fourteen when you went to college? Of course you’d watch Star Trek. It’s a staple. In fact, I’d argue it’s a need.”

“A need, huh?” Tony said, going to your lower back, “didn’t think you for a nerd.”

“Big time,” you said, “if we ever actually had time to ourselves, I’d demand a marathon.”

“Let’s do that,” he said, “let’s plan for some time off.”

You smiled at the very thought of it, “just us two?”

“Sounds like a pipe dream. They’d need five of you to keep the company going.”

You snorted, “probably only four, honestly. How about we start small… Go on a date with me? Maybe a weekend getaway?”

“I can’t imagine you without your tablet,” Tony teased, finally putting away his methods of torture- healing, “I got a protein bar here for you. Think you can muscle it down?”

“Yeah,” you said, but you didn’t get up from the floor, “take a shower, sport. I’m gonna go take the fastest one alive in my old bedroom.”

Tony hummed, “you saying I smell?”

“Like literal trash,” you teased back, “go, seriously. If I don’t see you in our bed in fifteen minutes, I’m rioting.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He shuffled away without another word, moving down the hall, and you forced your limbs into corporation. You realized very suddenly that over the months you had actually managed to put some meat on your bones, giving you a rather athletic build.

You hadn’t worked out, but your preferred method of therapy was going for a walk along the shoreline. The water had helped calm you multiple times – Tony had even joined you once or twice, the amount of teasing obscene as you joked about bad romance novels.

You wondered if those walks was what gave you that strength today. Ripping off Stane’s helmet… God, you couldn’t even think about it. The amount of strength you had was baffling, was scary. But that was a worry for another day.

You arrived at your shower without really realizing it. And, even worse, the shower itself was a blur. You categorized the injuries in your head as you washed up, your face still the worst of it as far as you could tell. You were very thankful it hadn’t been anything that did need medical attention.

Another thing to add to the list: find a really good, discreet doctor.

Your thoughts went a little hazy from there. You went over the checklist in your head as a calming mechanism and found that it was useless when you discovered a passed-out Tony on top of your sheets, mouth open.

Warmth spread through your chest. You loved this man.

“Hey,” you whispered to him as you crawled onto the bed, “come on, old man, let’s get under the covers.”

“I would literally fly to the damn sun for you,” he said, “but tomorrow. Only tomorrow.”

“Alright, Icarus,” you teased back, “at least cuddle me.”

In a move you didn’t expect, Tony rolled himself on you, putting his head on your shoulder and his arm thrown messily around your middle. You turned into a human teddy bear rather quickly, but that was perfectly fine if that person was Tony.

“Love you,” you told this ridiculous man, “JARVIS, mute all notifications, please.”

“Of course, Mrs. Stark.”

Considering Tony’s adorable giggles, you’d give the AI that one.

Chapter Text

“Oh my god, your face!”

“In my defense, I was paralyzed.”

“Paralyzed?”

“You’re not helping, dear.”

“It’s Pepper, Tony! She’s gonna lose her mind no matter what I say!”

“Damn right, I am! Rhodey, have you looked at her? And you, Tony! Oh my god, you’re covered in cuts!”

“Oh no, come on now, focus on Agent. Right? Right. Hey, let’s order food. I’d love some food.”

“Food sounds great,” you said, and you watched as Tony flagged down a waiter.

Rhodey, the bastard, was hiding a smile. He, after all, had escaped Pepper’s infamous ire. It was comical, really. Four grown adults sat in the corner of an absolutely stunning restaurant, with chefs that had won awards, and all of you were pointing fingers at each other like five-year-olds.

You laughed.

You couldn’t help it. A hand went to your mouth in an attempt to cover up the sound but, unfortunately, you just couldn’t stop it.

Only a few years ago you were just living life day after day, hoping for something to change.

Now, covered in bruises once again, you couldn’t find it in yourself to be mad. You had the person you loved next to you, holding your hand, and two of your closest friends ready to go to the ends of the earth for you.

Things were messy and complicated, but they were yours.

And you couldn’t be happier.

“Sorry,” you said, getting ahold of yourself, “I… I’m just thankful. Really, really thankful to have met you all.”

Tony’s hand squeezed yours and, despite the audience, you couldn’t hide your adoring smile. This was the man you loved, alive and whole after going through multiple hells, and you were just glad that you could sit down at a table and enjoy a meal.

“That is the nastiest thing I have ever seen,” Rhodey said with a grimace, “a look like that should only be in terrible Hallmark movies.”

“You’re just jealous,” Tony said easily, “Pepper, tell him he’s killing the mood.”

Pepper, you realized, had tears in her eyes, and a rather brilliant smile on her face, “you’re killing the mood, James. Besides, I already won the bet.”

“Bet?” You asked, then, upon realizing what she could possibly mean, “aw, come on! You didn’t!”

“Hundred bucks,” Rhodey said solemnly, “I didn’t think Tony here had the guts.”

“I had to give it back though,” Pepper admitted, “I thought you would ask me to be your maid of honor before Tony asked James.”

You blushed. You were, actually, going to make a rather big production of it. You wanted to surprise her in her home – shower her in gifts, beg for her help, take her out for a nice weekend – but your excitement and relief of surviving Obie’s horror had made you blurt the question out the moment poor Pepper had landed.

“I can’t believe our friends bet on us,” Tony tutted, “shame on you both. I’m disappointed, I really am.”

“Mrs. Stark?”

You sighed, “I’m actually not married yet.”

“I am sorry, it is assumed. What would you like to eat?”

Tony laughed.

A real laugh, one that pulled at his eyes. You realized very suddenly that you hadn’t heard it in a while. If you could take a photo of him like this – light and free, unafraid to be who he really was – you would. You’d treasure this singular moment forever, you were positive.

You gave the awe-struck waiter your order quickly, allowing the poor boy to run away at the sight of a billionaire slapping the table. You may have had your little insane giggle fest, but you had to admit that Tony’s was much more entertaining.

“Alright then, Mrs. Stark,” Tony said, after calming down, “how many times have people called you that?”

“Four,” you said with confidence, “I’m waiting on someone to make it official.”

“Sweet mother of god,” Rhodey said, faking a gag, “Pep, I beg of you, find these idiots a courthouse. Tomorrow, if we can.”

“I can do you one better,” Pepper leaned in, a devious look on her face, “how about a wedding in two weeks, only us and your brothers, with a week off from work?”

“What?”

“A wedding,” Pepper repeated to you, “in your hometown, Agent, with your brothers fully aware and ready. Happy can officiate.”

“What?”

This time, you and Tony’s voices combined to make the question all the more real. It seemed almost impossible. Was Pepper pulling your leg? You hadn’t told her to do any of that – in fact, you had kept your dreams of your own wedding on the down low, unwilling to admit that you didn’t want the entire public to be aware of it.

“Pepper,” Rhodey said in reverence, “you are amazing.”

“I don’t have a dress.”

“We can go shopping.”

“Uh, I didn’t get the rings…? I’m told those are a requirement.”

“I did,” Rhodey told Tony, “just as you said – engraved and everything. You really shouldn’t get tipsy anymore, all you do is brag about your bride to be. Sorry, Agent, I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

“We have so much to do for the company,” you told them all, “I mean, Tony has to step up as CEO, I have to figure out how to handle all of PR as well as HR, I need to schedule-”

“The company has stood on its own legs for years, even with the board in a bit of disarray,” Tony said with a wave of his hand, “Hate to say it, our sneaky friends are right. Honey, let’s get hitched.”

You shook your head, still amazed by the entire thing. You couldn’t just… Leave. You had been working so hard after getting out of the damn cave you weren’t entirely sure what you would do without the work. And, god, the amount of work there was so staggering that you were questioning how much sleep you needed in a day.

“Agent,” Pepper said, “you’ve been taking care of everything and everyone your whole life. How about you let this poor man spoil you?”

Your eyes flickered to Tony. He had come alive under the mere suggestion of a wedding. His foot was bouncing, his hands playing mindlessly with the pen in his hand. There was an energy to him that you haven’t seen since you got kidnapped.

You closed your eyes and said the easier thing that came to mind:

“Tony Stark, would you please marry me?”

The table cheered as if all of you had just won the lottery.

Maybe, just maybe, you had.

"Iron Man," Tony muttered, flicking the newspaper, “That's kind of catchy. It's got a nice ring to it. I mean, it's not technically accurate. The suit's a gold-titanium alloy, but it's kind of evocative, the imagery, anyway.”

You snorted, “nerd.”

Agent Coulson cleared his throat. The last time you had seen the man, he had his own superficial wounds to deal with. Now? Now he was back to his usual: a somewhat strange man in a suit that didn’t quite fit into the picture.

Still, you were thankful he was here. You weren’t entirely sure what the best route was for this entire thing and even PR was confused. Having a government agency that could back up a halfbaked story was very useful.

Creepy, but useful.

“Here's your alibi,” Coulson said, holding Tony the notecards.

“Okay,” Tony said, looking them over… Rather lazily, if you were being honest. You would have thought that even he would want to nail something as important as this.

“You were on your yacht,” Coulson repeated, looking at you both, “Mrs. Stark here is part of your alibi. Both of you were taking a bit of vacation after everything.”

“Yeah,” Tony muttered, eyes still flickering over the notecards.

Your stomach twisted into knots at the look on his face. You knew, there and then, that he was not going to be following those notecards.

“We have port papers that put you in Avalon all night and sworn statements from fifty of your guests.”

“I don’t think I have fifty friends,” you told the man honestly, “and I’m not really the partying type.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Phil said, “keep it simple. The longer the lie, the harder it is to make it a truth.”

Well, alright then. You’d take any advice you could at this point. Coulson, being an actual agent, knew far more than you after all.

And besides, after this little thing, you were off to a dress shop with Pepper in New York City. You were damn near bursting at the seams. After all, getting married to Tony was a dream that you still weren’t convinced was actually happening.

“Just read it,” Coulson said to Tony with some bite, “word for word.”

Tony glanced towards you, handing you the cards. Surprised, you found yourself reading it quickly, nodding at it as you did so. It seemed to be a pretty standard thing, a little bit more official than Tony’s usual press conferences, but it would certainly work.

“There's nothing about Stane here.”

Oh.

You bit your lip. You could understand how adding Stane into the mix of… Everything that happened… Would be a bad idea. The company’s image suffered with the knowledge that corporate espionage that deep happened. Not to mention any government agency didn’t want news that high tech weapons were possible.

Still… The fact that Stane would somehow remain a bright mark on SI’s walls was a tad… God awful. You felt your own hatred for the man grow as you thought about employees just like Happy thought that his demise was a tragedy.

You swallowed, looking at Tony as you did so. You shrugged your shoulders, trying to tell him everything with the action, and he gave you a discrete nod in agreement.

“That's being handled,” Phil said, “He's on vacation. Small aircraft have such a poor safety record.”

If only. That would have been a lot easier.

“But what about the whole cover story that it's a bodyguard,” Tony asked, “He's my... I mean, is that... That's kind of flimsy, don't you think?”

“We’ll be getting married,” you reminded Tony, also telling Coulson at the same time, “so out of the media dark and cold clutches. We can always make sure to spin that to make it look like grief and distract the press from this.”

Phil hummed, “good call. And, congratulations. Something out of the public’s eye, I’m assuming?”

“We’d invite you,” Tony said, “but it’s members only, I’m afraid. Only those that have known us longer than a few months get rite of passage.”

You huffed, “he really was raised in a barn, if you can believe it,” you fake whispered to Phil, “but you saved my life, you know. We’re holding a much bigger ceremony when we have a chance to plan it. I’d love for you to come to that.”

“Oh,” Phil said, looking shocked, “thank you, Mrs. Stark. I’ll… Wait for the invite.”

“Better show up, Phil,” Tony said, “the woman invited you in person.”

The half threat made you roll your eyes, “Thank you again, Agent Coulson.”

Coulson smiled at you, something genuine, you could tell, and then held out his hand to shake Tony’s hand. Tony took it with a show, asking him if he had any government created germs on him, but it said a lot that Tony actually shook his hand.

“Right,” Tony said, just as Phil closed the door, “I have a confession to make.”

You glanced towards Tony, the concealer in your hand nearly empty. You weren’t entirely sure you’d be able to cover the entirety of the now yellow bruise no matter what expensive brand of makeup it was.

“Should I be worried?” You asked him, glancing in the mirror once again, “considering your last press conference, I think this one will be a little easier.”

“About that… I’m attempting to learn from past mistakes.”

Oh dear.

“And… Just wanted to give you the heads up… I’m not gonna follow those notecards.”

You snorted, “Tony, I knew that the moment Phil handed them to you.”

“But I really think that claiming ownership of the suit will – sorry, what was that?”

“You can’t say anything about Stane,” you told him, giving up on the concealer entirely as you walked over to him, “I know that’s not fair, but it’s the truth. Revealing what he did will just… The company won’t come back from that one.”

Tony huffed, “I’m not the company.”

“You are,” you told him softly, “or will be, I think. I know you didn’t really care about all this business stuff before, but you have the chance to change the world.”

He looked utterly bamboozled, “I’m just the guy with the money.”

The slap to his upper arm was playful, but you couldn’t help it. The fact that Tony struggled with how much he did for his own company was baffling. You had seen him work tirelessly even before Afghanistan, it was so hard to imagine that he thought all of it was for nothing.

“I meant what I said all those years ago,” you said, trying to make him see sense, “the AI division that I complained about being laid off? They’ve developed a portable doctor, one that can diagnose injuries right in the field. Your creation of JARVIS sparked that connection, doofus. Your inventions inspire people!”

“So,” he said, a thoughtful expression on his face, “Being Iron Man is good then. A win for the people.”

You shrugged, “I have literally no idea. But… Thanks for telling me, at the very least.”

Tony chuckled, “for a minute there, it was like you had all the answers.”

“Never,” you said, being honest, “I have literally no idea what I’m doing. Not a one. I just follow your lead.”

“Together or nothing, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“Hey, Tones! Come on, you’re late! You got those cards?”

Tony winked at you, “yup, all done up like a showgirl.”

Then, arm in arm, you walked out to the press.

Pepper came up next to you as Tony took the stage, giving your hand a squeeze discreetly behind her back. You’d never admit it to Tony, but you still had serious stage fright. You think you would rather eat your own arm than be on that stage again.

“And now,” James said out to the crowd, “Mr. Stark has prepared a statement. He will not be taking any questions.”

“Thank you,” he said to the crowd, “been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time. There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the rooftop...”

Tony glanced towards you. The very action had a million cameras going off, but all you could do was nod at him, giving him the permission he was looking for.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Stark,”

 Oh my god, was that Christine Everhart again?  How many times was she going to show up in your life?

“But do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you-”

“I know that it's confusing,” he said, “It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero.”

Oh good lord. The man’s ego was something else. Out of every word to ever use about the suit, superhero was pushing it.

“I never said you were a superhero,” Everhart replied. You almost smacked yourself.

Pepper, meanwhile, was gripping your hand as hard as she could. Obviously, she was onto Tony’s ploy. You couldn’t tell Pepper now, but your death grip on her hand told you just how nervous you were for this.

“You didn't?” he asked sarcastically, “Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic. I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public.”

James leaned towards Tony, and you just barely caught his small warning: “Just stick to the cards, man.”

“Yeah, okay. Yeah,” Tony said and, with a smile that would dazzle any single person…

“The truth is... I am Iron Man.”

The crowd went wild. You wondered if Phil was still there, watching carefully, and for a moment you could swear you could feel his eyes on you. You, however, were busy getting pushed a bit by your own security team that Tony had insisted on.

Tony met with you in the middle, holding your other hand considering Pepper was still clutching as your right hand. She kept muttering various very-lowly spoken curse words, obviously a little bit more than pissed.

“Rhodey-bear,” Tony said, just as you made it back to the makeshift dressing room, “uh… Don’t kill me?”

“Kill you?” Rhodey laughed, then immediately stopped, “no one is gonna find your body.”

“So!” You said, clapping your hands, “while all that happens… Pepper… NYC?”

“Coward,” Tony coughed, and you again smacked him lightly on his arm.

“NYC,” Pepper muttered, “thank you, Tony Stark, for letting me go all those years ago. I have never been so stressed.”

“We’ll be here working… Won’t we, Tones,” Rhodey threatened, “dealing with the media, the military, and your own legal team...”

You were never so thankful to have an excuse to leave work in your entire life.

Dress shopping, after all, was so much more important.

“Please leave your message after the beep.”

“Hi, Dad,” you said, feeling your frustration build, “I uh… I had Mark call you too but… I guess you’re not talking to him either. Uh… I’m getting married. I’d… I’d like it if you were there.”

You sighed, rubbing your eyes when you felt a headache forming. You didn’t necessarily want the man there, not after what he did to you twice over, but he was still your father. A part of you would always want to make him proud.

“Please call me.”

And then you hung up, hating that you sounded so desperate. You weren’t desperate for his love, not after he clearly had intentions of sneaking Tyler back into your life, but you wanted him to love you the way he used to.

You just wanted him to be proud of you.

“Hey,” Pepper said, sliding into the booth across from you at the small Italian place you stopped at, “why the long face? We just found thee dress!”

You smiled at Pepper, so glad that she was here, “All thanks to you! All those racks and you found the perfect one. I owe you.”

“Please, after all those designer outfits I had to wear to those stupid galas, a wedding dress was nothing. Thank you for coming with me.”

“You never said,” you asked, trying to change the subject, “how’s your dad?”

“Good,” Pepper said, “I… I decided to put him in a nursing home. Don’t worry, it’s very, very nice. Nicer than my house, honestly. He’s happy, that’s what matters.”

“Aw, Pep,” you said, knowing how much she didn’t want to do that, “I’m sorry. I know you did everything you could to take care of him at home, but you deserve to have a social life too.”

Pepper nodded, her lips forming a thin line, “I’m just thankful for my job, honestly. They’ve been so accommodating. And, I mean, compared to what I used to do, this is a breeze. Bit boring, but…”

“You could always come back to SI, you know,” you said, “I think I need a PA at this point.”

“You do,” Pepper said dryly, “but I can’t. All these years and I still can’t leave my dad.”

“I get it, trust me,” you said, thinking about your own phone calls, “I… Never mind.”

“No,” Pepper said, “go ahead. Who were you calling?”

You sighed, “my dad. I uh… He walked me down the aisle last time. I’d… It doesn’t matter. I know any of my brothers would.”

Pepper’s pity was too much and, needing to distract yourself from it, you grabbed at your water, sipping delicately and focusing on the condensation from the cup. This was why you didn’t like to share things with people.

“You never told me,” She said softly, “what happened with your last marriage. Rhodey gave me a hint, once or twice…”

“It’s depressing,” you said, trying to deter her, “more than depressing.”

Pepper hummed, “I gathered that all by myself.”

You blushed, “no, I mean… Well, there’s a lot… Uh…”

And then you were telling her everything. And by everything, you meant about how you lost your mother young, how your dad went into a depressed coma, raising your brothers, marrying young to who you thought you loved deeply, losing your child, running away…

Getting kidnapped, how terrified you were, how thankful you were to get a chance at a wedding with someone you knew who loved you. How thankful you were that Pepper was amazing all by herself. How much you loved Tony, how much you trusted him.

How much you wanted this wedding.

“And the thing is,” you said, feeling a tad bit crazed, “after my father called me all those names, even with Tony punching him… I just want him to love me.”

Pepper said your name – your full name, the one you had come up with and made legal after running from Tyler – and you felt like you could cry.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, and you could hear the serenity in her voice, “you’ve been through so much. I can’t believe you’re still standing.”

You managed a very, very weak laugh, “that’s all Tony’s doing, trust me. He’s helped me so much… The nightmares, the – the fears… All of it. He’s incredible.”

Pepper laughed, “and yet you’re the one that changed him for the better. Imagine that.”

You couldn’t, some days.

“You’re going to get married to the man you love,” she said with conviction, “and look so beautiful that Tony is going to cry the moment he sees you. Your family, the people that matter, will be there, supporting you, and then you’re going to enjoy a well-deserved honey moon.”

“Sounds like a dream come true.”

Pepper, you decided, was the fulfiller of dreams.

Wait a whole minute…

“What?” Pepper asked, narrowing her eyes, “what’s that look for?”

“Tony has an aunt, aunt Peggy,” you told her, “I met her very briefly over the phone – literally only said hi. Do you think we could invite her too?”

“That,” Pepper said, smiling wide, “is an excellent idea.”

“This is the smallest town I have ever seen.”

“It’s got at least a thousand people!”

The three city-folk in the car groaned loudly, looking utterly shocked. It was pretty funny, you had to admit, watching as they looked out the window like children. Being home was pretty strange but seeing how much it hadn’t changed was even more so.

“There’s my high school,” you pointed out, “graduating class of a total of ninety-eight people.”

“Jesus Christ,” Rhodey said, “that’s an option?”

“It’s pretty,” Pepper said, “country roads, I mean. Peaceful.”

“Bonfires and drinking,” Happy said, driving the car, even when you offered to drive, “love the middle of nowhere.”

You got a text. Jack, thankfully, had made it safely to Mark’s house. Jessica had apparently cooked them all a feast and Jack was assuring you it was good food, even for the higher-class people. Granted, you almost couldn’t imagine Tony in Mark’s relatively modest home.

“I think… We’re here?”

You peered out the windshield. You hadn’t been here in years. The cabin was actually your mother’s once upon a time, left to her by her own mother. It was three bedrooms, in theory, with two bathrooms. Cabin, however, was an apt description.

Looking at Tony’s designer suit, you wondered what he would think of your less than extravagant means of living. It was ironic, really. You hadn’t really used the money you got from work. You had left your apartment with your stuff in it and quietly moved to Tony’s place.

Your money went to a bank account that Mark and Jack had access to if they ever needed it. So far, not a penny had moved.

They were far too proud for their own good.

You were out of the car first, taking your first breath of fresh air. It was absolute heaven smelling pine and the faint scent of a fire going somewhere. The weather was even perfect for a fall day, just enough to need a light jacket, and the trees altogether were as beautiful as you remembered it.

“Stunning property,” Pepper commented, looking around, “I can work with this.”

You didn’t have Pepper’s imagination, that was for sure, but you had to admire a woman that had a dream.

“Your mother’s?” Tony asked, looking around as well, “vacation home…?”

“Something like that,” you answered, “my grandmother was a bit of a rebel, apparently. She bought this place with cash and made my mom swear that no man would own it. Jessica is actually on the deed since Mark seems to be pretty serious.”

“The picture is coming together,” Rhodey said, “I’m starting to understand the genetic gene pool here.”

You snorted, “if you think I’m the insane one in the family because I’m a woman, you should really spend more time with Jack.”

“Finally!”

Speaking of…

Jack opened the door of the cabin with a literal bang, the door snapping against the other side of the house. He looked nearly wild as he jumped down the three steps off the porch and ran full speed at you.

“Holy hell!” You said to him, laughing as he gathered you in a very tight hug, “You saw me a few months ago, nerd!”

“I can’t help it,” Jack said, pulling away, “you’ve very huggable. Oh, hello Stark.”

Tony nodded at your brother – something that was a mix of a normal greeting with an acknowledgement of some sort of man code you didn’t understand – and you realized that you had to rectify that immediately.

You lightly smacked Jack on the arm, “be nice.”

“I’m nice!” He replied, “It’s my brotherly right to dislike the man!”

“As a man who has a sister,” Rhodey said, “I completely understand. And, yes, Tony deserves the cold shoulder.”

“See,” Jack said pointedly, “it’s a requirement.”

You rolled your eyes, “how about you invite us inside?”

You glanced towards Pepper as Jack did just that. You weren’t able to visit miss Carter mostly due to you and her needing to be on a plane in a few hours, but you had managed to get her on the phone. You offered Happy’s services, but apparently she could get her own ride.

The door to the cabin opened once again and, lo and behold, it was Jessica. Her hair had been cut much shorter since the last time you had seen her, just above her shoulders, and she was wearing scrubs as well. Behind her, holding the door, was Mark.

He looked better than you had ever seen him. You suddenly very much wanted Jessica to be around much longer.

“Ah, the bride to be!” Jessica gushed, “I told you he loved you!”

You were used to it at this point, “how much did you get from Mark?”

“Twenty bucks,” Mark grumbled, “hey, how’d you-”

“We all did it,” Rhodey interrupted, “even wait staff everywhere were betting. I think you sister has been called Mrs. Stark more than her actual name at this point.”

“That’s because it’s got a fantastic ring to it,” Tony said, “and, hey, nearly official!”

“Nearly,” you teased, “come on, Mr. Stark… Jessica, you didn’t have to feed us, really! That’s so much cooking!”

“It was nothing,” Jessica said, “trust me, I simply ordered out. It’s only pizza. And-”

“Where is she?”

All eyes – every single one of them – turned towards the voice you barely recognized.

Peggy Carter walked onto the porch as if it were the red carpet itself. She may have been an older woman, but that didn’t stop her. The outfit she wore was pristine, a business suit that fit her well, and her presence represented the intelligence she had.

And her eyes? They were so full of life. A smile graced her face as if it was always meant to be there – kind but stern all at once – and you think a part of you already fell in love with her.

“Aunt Peggy?”

“Anthony,” Miss Carter said, holding open her arms, “it has been far too long.”

Poor Tony seemed to be in some sort of frozen state of shock. Throughout it all, you didn’t think you’d ever seen him with literally no thoughts. You almost laughed at the poor man.

“Come on,” you whispered to him, hooking your arm with his as you dragged him up the stairs, “you okay?”

Tony squeezed your hand, your ritual, and you could only hope that you weren’t giving him your apparently infamous goofy and in love look in front of the wonderful woman in front of you.

Peggy, meanwhile, was smiling so wide that you felt your own giddiness about meeting her disappear. She seemed to be a genuine person and that was something you admired in anyone.

“I will hug my godson first,” Peggy said, winking at you, “but do not think you are immune from me.”

You managed a chuckle as Tony got thrown into a hug. You knew he didn’t normally like physical touch – especially after Stane this past couple of days – but he looked rather peaceful as he allowed Peggy to pull him closer to her. It was something really heartwarming, something he deserved on that tarmac when he got back, but nevertheless amazing.

“well!” Peggy said, looking at you, “if you are anything like those wonderful boys are behind you, you are perfect for my godson.”

You blushed. You could not stop it. For some reason, a comment like that from someone who seemed so worldly tore you to pieces. You held out your hand for you to shake but, no, Peggy was entirely serious about hugging you.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you,” you said as you pulled away, “and thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“Oh, please,” Peggy said, as if traveling miles upon miles without any warning really was not a problem, “hearing that Anthony was getting married was plenty enough to have me moving. Now, I believe Jessica has laid out quite a feast for us, yes?”

“Thank you, Miss Carter,” Jessica said, “yes, please! Go on in! It’s just pizza, nothing fancy.”

“Jessica,” you said with some seriousness, “you are my hero. Come on, everyone in! Don’t want to get eaten by mosquitoes. Oh, Miss Carter, do you know James Rhodes? And Virgina Potts? And Harold Hogan?”

There were, after all, plenty of introductions to be had. If a bunch of grown adults stayed up into the wee hours, it could, perhaps, be for a fantastic reason. And if a certain someone was clinging onto you the whole time, looking to be finally as relaxed as you hoped he could be.

If you were too, well, that was just part of the charm.

“Now then,” Peggy said, hours later, “I think I must retire, unfortunately. These old bones aren’t quite like they used to be. Anthony, perhaps you and your lady could accompany me for a moment?”

“Of course,” you said, getting up from the couch, “we should all go to sleep, anyway. We do have a wedding tomorrow.”

Everyone cheered, kind of half-heartedly given the time – but you were glad to break it up. You loved people, especially these people, but you were exhausted. And, well, perhaps a little nervous for tomorrow.

“Maybe we could go to the porch for a moment?” Peggy asked, “catch a breath of fresh air?”

You glanced at Tony, a tiny bit confused, and he returned the same confused stare. Still, you both followed her without much complaint. You were pretty sure you would go to war for this woman, honestly.

You made it to the porch and, just like when you first opened the car door, you breathed in the fresh air gratefully. It was a wraparound porch facing the forest behind the property and, even with an audience, you closed your eyes as you leaned against the railing.

There were so many good memories here with your mother. Jack may remember her, just barely, but it was good to know that this place still existed.

Tony met you on your right while Miss Carter moved to your left. It seemed all of you were willing to enjoy the sounds that nature provided you. You even dared to lean your head against Tony’s shoulder, enjoying the quiet after such a long night.

“Quite a gal you have there,” Peggy smiled, “what you have both gone through is a tragedy, but I’ve seen quite a few amazing things bloom from such a thing.”

“Did you hear about it,” Tony asked quietly, “you know…”

You didn’t, that was for sure. You actually weren’t familiar with Peggy’s connection to Tony’s family. She was Tony’s godmother, sure, but you weren’t sure how that happened. Was Peggy Howard’s friend or Maria’s?

Peggy hummed, “nothing escapes these old ears, not matter who dares calls themselves director.”

Now you were wildly confused, “sorry, what?”

“I believe Anthony wasn’t too… Open lipped as I hoped him to be with you,” Peggy said to you, “I’ve known Howard since the war – since the creation of Captain America. Howard and I weren’t exactly close, but he was a man that respected me. It was hard to find back then.”

Your brain was going to fry. Perhaps explode. Out of everything in the world, it never occurred to you that the woman in front of you was part of the war effort. It seemed… Impossible.

“Ah,” you said eloquently, “You knew… Steve Rogers?”

“Knew him?” Tony said sarcastically, “the man still owes this lovely woman a dance.”

Now your brain was officially going to fry.

“Oh,” you said, nodding, “I’m… I’m so sorry. For your loss. I will admit, I don’t… I’m not too familiar with his story – your story. Um… Wow. That’s incredible.”

Peggy was smiling, “It’s nice to meet someone with so much compassion. It is exactly what Anthony here needs.”

“Trust me,” you said without pause, “I needed him more. He saved my life in more ways than one.”

“Quite a bit of fire in you,” Peggy said, winking at Tony, “very interesting. Now then, what I called you two love birds over here for…”

Peggy sighed, something long and drawn out, and you watched as she gracefully made her way to the swing, easily making the beat-up cushion look like it was designed by the Buckingham Palace.

“Many years ago, Howard and I created an organization titled S.H.I.E.L.D. It was a group that was needed at the time for the more… Out there cases, ones the average US government agencies could not handle.”

You were nodding but you weren’t entirely sure you were comprehending what she was saying. S.H.I.E.L.D, after all, was a… Was a new entity, one that you thought was trustworthy enough considering Phil’s involvement with them.

To learn that the woman in front of you was so directly tied to your present was… Pure insanity.

“So the super-secret boy band isn’t too much of a secret then,” Tony asked, “why are they knocking on our front door now?”

“Well I’m no spring chicken, but I can without a doubt tell you that it may be due to that rather impressive metal suit you’ve designed… As well as the terrorist organization that captured you both.”

“One of S.H.I.E.L.D’s agents, Phil Coulson, warned us that someone from his – your organization will be in touch. Is that…” You hesitated to define what Phil’s meeting could mean. It would be a genuine shame to know that the man couldn’t be trusted.

“Ah, yes,” Peggy answered you, “I have a few… Friends in high places still. The organization has changed hands multiple times since its been started, but I do know that the current director, Nick Fury, is someone that has earned most of my trust.”

“And we should expect his call?” Tony asked, “I’ll be sure to book it for some time between never and kiss my a-”

The whack to his arm was instinctual, honestly. You could very clearly recall the times your brothers had tried various cuss words to see how much they could get away with. Their punishment was usually taking away their bikes for a day or two, and, for a brief second, you imagined telling Tony he wasn’t allowed to mess with the Iron Man suit for being rude.

“I’ve been telling people that he was raised in a barn,” you told Peggy, “I don’t think I’m too far off.”

Tony put an arm around your back, bringing you closer to him, and you looked up at him. The longstanding joke had always managed to bring out his teasing side and it was clear to see that he loved it.

Peggy chuckled, “Now, to answer Tony’s question, if one were to… Show their belly now, it may help to keep S.H.I.E.L.D’s involvement in your lives to a minimum. Howard was also happy to help design various things for S.H.I.E.L.D and I must imagine that they are after the same thing.”

It was far too early in the morning to consider such things. Every part of you was screaming that it would be a bad idea to form yet another contract with a government agency, but another was saying that this was something Tony’s father clearly cared about.

“I’m not saying you have to,” Peggy told them both, “or advising you against it. S.H.I.E.L.D’s resources are vast and could possibly help in the future.”

A rather large yawn escaped your mouth – so wide that you actually found yourself turning away from them both, a little embarrassed. You had been traveling just as much as Tony had, but you would never be used to it.

“Oh, listen to me,” Peggy said, “it’s your wedding night! This is the last thing you need to be thinking of, huh?”

“I’m so sorry,” you said, meaning it, “car rides make me tired.”

“Please, dear, I’m the one going on about nonsense. I best be off to bed then. I will see you two love birds in the morning.”

You both watched as Peggy made her way through the front door. You could only imagine what kind of life she had lived – knowing Steve Rogers, being a part of Howard Stark’s… Something. She had a level of intelligence that riveled some of the best and you were very nearly envious of her.

“Awesome,” you said mindlessly, “she’s awesome.”

“Reminds me of someone.”

You snorted, “I will now always aim to be half the woman she is.”

“I was actually thinking about Pepper,” Tony teased, and you laughed immediately, “but I can be convinced.”

You yawned again, something rather obnoxious, and held out your hand to Tony. He took it immediately and, without a word, you dragged him back into the house.

It became routine from there. It was late, even for the two of you, and you found that collapsing into Tony’s waiting arms was pure heaven. You hummed in content when he moved to lay on his side, his body fitting perfectly against yours, and you were pretty convinced you had found your favorite spot in the world.

“What do you say,” Tony whispered in your ear, “not too late to run off into the night on your wedding day.”

You knew Tony was teasing, but you also knew just how much he wanted the answer. Just like all those years ago when you had first met him, you were in a constant war to understand him. But, with those feelings of yours finally blooming, you knew exactly where Tony stood on everything.

“Tony Stark,” you said solemnly, meaning it with all of your heart, “it would take another bomb to keep me from marrying you. Now go to sleep. Weddings, no matter how small, are exhausting.”

“I love you too.”

You smiled at that and finally closed your eyes, content to be in Tony’s arms.

You woke to the smell of bacon.

You haven’t woken to the smell of bacon in… Years. It was so baffling that you were pretty sure your brain forgot to give you nightmares that night. Or, perhaps, it was because you were simply so excited to marry that man that was still passed out.

You stretched your limbs slowly, enjoying the sun that was coming in through the windows. You turned slowly, trying not to wake Tony, wanting to catch a glimpse of him sleeping.

With building Iron Man, you had gotten used to waking up without him. It wasn’t anything against him – it even helped with how you divided up work in general. You needed regular business hours to help with each team and he needed people not to bother him.

Having that slight separation helped.

It made having moments like this so special, after all.

“Why does it smell like a slaughter house in here?”

You smiled wide at the sound of his voice, nostalgic in a way you never had been before. You straddled him without warning, hardly any weight on him, and leaned to give his lips a quick peck.

“What was that for?” Tony asked.

“Because I could,” you answered easily, “and because we’re getting married today.”

“That’s today?” Tony said, a hand going to his chest, “could have sworn it was next week.”

“You are hours away from being tied to me forever,” you said, “scared yet?”

“Not even a little. In fact, I-”

“Hey, to-be-weds,” Rhodey yelled, “there’s food out here!”

“Who cooked it?” You yelled right back, “If it was Jack, we’re both good.”

“I can cook!” Jack said right back, “I’m really great at cereal – you really gotta nail the milk to cereal ratio.”

Tony managed a chuckle at that – a laugh that was actually a laugh lighting up his face. It was always funny to explain that Jack actually wasn’t the younger brother.

You groaned as you rolled away from him. It wasn’t early by any stretch of the means. In fact, grabbing at your phone, it was clear to see that everyone had let the both of you sleep in. It had been a long time since you’d seen a sunrise.

“Come on,” you called to Tony, who was still lying in bed, “big day.”

“The biggest,” Tony agreed, that dazzling smile still on his face, “let’s go, miss.”

Breakfast was something simple. It reminded you of your own family meals, years ago, with random kids from school joining you at the dinner table. Conversation flowed easily between everyone, sharing funny stories and enjoying each other’s company.

Then, it was time to get ready.

You were whisked away from Tony and put in the living room. Tony was then dragged away by the rest of the men while the woman stayed and, well, pampered you.

For your first wedding, you had done everything yourself. You didn’t have a lot of money so doing your makeup and hair yourself was a must. Your best friend at the time – who you realized you should really text again – had gladly helped, of course, but both of you weren’t girly girls.

Pepper and Peggy were, in fact, very good at what they were doing.

“If Tony doesn’t cry when he sees you, I’ll hit him.”

“Oh, please, Anthony is going to weep. He’s Maria’s son, after all.”

The saying shouldn’t have surprised you as much as it did. Tony had more than once mentioned his father, all times with a lot of disdain, and yet his mother was something whispered about. It was clear that her loss really affected Tony.

“Your brothers should be done with the decorations,” Pepper said, holding up the silver heels you were going to wear, “nothing big, I promise. I imagine your honeymoon is long over due.”

“No kidding,” you agreed, “it’s honestly nice to not be running the company right now. Here’s hoping the board doesn’t burn it to the ground by the time we get back.”

“Men will always find a way to ruin something,” Peggy said casually, “I once punched my boss. Turned out to be a spy.”

Both you and Pepper slowly turned towards her. You watched in some sort of disbelief as she continued cleaning up around you, humming an old tune as she did so. You looked at Pepper who looked just as disbelieving as yourself.

“Cool,” you said, nodding, “One day, I am going to properly ask about that. For now… I think I hear my brothers causing mayhem, as usual.”

There were, in fact, very loud and fast footsteps coming from the front porch. Worse, however, was the fact that you had heard commotion this whole time. You were very much hoping it was just a table or two so that everyone had a place to sit.

“We fucked up!”

“Hey, watch your mouth!” You shouted right back, “I taught you both – how?”

They were covered in... Blue dye? It stained both of their tee shirts, nearly covered in it. You had literally no idea what it was, couldn’t even begin to guess, and you felt yourself glaring at them both as they stood before you like guilty toddlers.

“You look beautiful.”

You blushed at Mark’s words, your hands going to the front of your dress to smooth out what you knew was nothing. Your dress was certainly not the most expensive thing on the rack. In fact, you had dragged Pepper to the discount rack by mere habit. No, it was a sweetheart top with sheer, crystal painted top that went down to your shoulders.

The lace material continued to your hips and then smoothed off to let the dress flow naturally against your legs. It was a mix of plain and traditional and you had fallen in love with it the moment it was on your body.

“Thanks, boys,” you said, “now… Go wash up. Get on the nice clothes. Whatever you did, I’ll go fix it.”

“We cleaned it up!” Jack said indignantly, “we’re idiots, not slobs.”

Pepper even snorted at that. You rolled your eyes as they shuffled themselves to the bathroom, not entirely sure what was happening and not willing to question it.

You eyed yourself in the mirror. You looked the part, that was for damn sure. But thoughts of your first wedding haunted you something deep. You looked the part then, too, and something about that made you nervous.

Tony was the one person you trusted with your heart. That had to mean something.

“You’re eating something, as per Tony’s instructions,” Pepper winked, “and then… Well, I guess you’ll officially be Mrs. Stark.”

You laughed, your head shaking as you did so. Yeah, Tony could handle your heart, that was for sure.

Walking down the aisle with Tony looking at you like that, you could feel your nerves finally disappear into the background.

Your brothers had done amazing, you’d give them that. Out here, in the fresh air, they had built a small stage and decorated the high arch way with stunning, clear lights. They matched the stars above you, glistening just as beautifully as they always did. Soft violin music also filled the night air as you walked towards the love of your life.

And Tony? Well, Peggy was right. He was wiping his face – dramatically, as always – and looking so genuinely happy that you couldn’t help but smile back at him, just as ecstatic.

You felt a tad note of bitterness that your father wasn’t next to you, but that was alright. You had done plenty of things by yourself, walking down the aisle with all the confidence in the world that you were making the right decision was a million times better.

The one change you weren’t expecting was Peggy standing up as the officiate, not Happy.

“What happened, Happy?” You teased as you finally made it up to Tony, “Got booted from the job?”

Your whole family chuckled, something that brought an even bigger smile plastered your face. The feeling of having people you trusted with your whole life around you was indescribable. Pepper even stood next to you, beaming, and you couldn’t help but wink at your brothers who stood on your side as well.

It was such a small ceremony but that’s what made it all the more special.

“I have a tad more experience,” Peggy said back teasingly, “but perhaps I’ll let Mr. Hogan officiate James’s wedding. I will admit, I expected to be at James’s first.”

Rhodey sputtered, his mouth falling open as Tony roared with laughter, his hand going to Rhodey’s shoulder to hold himself up.

You could only imagine the stories behind that. You had forgotten that Rhodey knew Peggy already, apparently since college, and Tony’s family tree was becoming more and more clear.

“Now then,” Peggy said, clapping her hands once, “we are here to celebrate my godson and his wonderful fiancé.”

You looked at Tony, winking at him rather obnoxiously, and he rolled his eyes as he always did when you did something unexpected of you.

“I would have a long-winded script back in the day, believe me,” Peggy said officially, “but these two have, clearly, always been about actions. So, with that, someone get the rings, please.”

You waited for Rhodey to step forward. He shrugged at you as you eyed him, a twinkle in his eyes, and you turned your head when you heard your brothers begin to walk towards you both. Jack stood one step below the altar while Mark did the same to Tony.

You felt tears in your eyes when they presented the rings.

“So,” Mark said, “in typical our family, we thought we’d do something a little differently.”

Jack opened the ring box and held it out to Tony, “Anthony Edward Stark-”

“That’s the last time you get to say my full name.”

You almost gave him your infamous glare. Almost.

“I gave someone else my trust last time when my sister was up here on the alter,”

You could feel yourself tense up, surprised by the seriousness of Jack’s voice. While you teased him mercilessly, Jack was mature – possibly more so than you and Mark. He had been through a lot since he remembered your mother and had tried so hard to be good for you.

He had seen how much your father suffered and understood it on some level. It was why he was so laidback now. He never wanted to be what your father turned out to be.

“And rich boy or not,” he continued, “I will find you if you hurt her. That being said… I’ve seen exactly what you’ve done for her and it’s something I will always be grateful for. So, I’m giving you my blessing, if that means anything.”

“A lot,” you managed to say around your tight throat, “a hell of lot, dumbass.”

“Jeez,” Mark said, “do I get called a dumbass if I have a speech?”

“Yes!” Jessica yelled – the only soul that was standing in the so-called crowd.

“Thanks, honey,” Mark said jokingly to everyone’s chuckles, “alright then… What Jack said, etc. etc.”

You laughed as you took the ring from him. It was… Simple, something that surprised you. Given your engagement ring – something so special – it was almost comical to see the plain golden band.

You loved it.

Tony was giving you that infamous smirk as he held up the ring. There was a sense of completion in the action – a sense that this was supposed to happen, that the horror of everything the two of you had been through was finally past.

“I’ll skip to the end, shall I?” Peggy asked, “such a shame, Miss. Potts did an amazing job.”

“She did,” you readily agreed, “very much so. Right, Tony?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tony said, “better than best, as always.”

You turned your head to look at Pepper. She looked stunning, as always. You hadn’t had a theme, of course, but she had chosen a dusty blue, plain dress that matched her eyes. Her smile was as bright as your own, obviously happy for Tony and yourself. You were so, so thankful she had seen something in you all those years ago.

“Thank you,” Pepper said, then, with a bit of her own dramatics, “Mr. Stark.”

“Ouch,” you said as you faked winced, “not the company name.”

“Says, missus Stark,” Happy said, surprisingly enough.

This was, by far, the best wedding you had ever been to.

“Let’s make that official, shall we?” Peggy asked.

It was sort of a blur from there. Peggy said some words, hopefully recorded by JARVIS, but all you could really remember was the way Tony looked at you. He held your hands lightly, with a gentleness you didn’t expect. He looked so normal in front of you, the Tony you loved, and it felt like a dream.

“Vows, anyone?”

You swallowed, still trying very hard not to cry.

Tony, the poor thing, seemed a little… Surprised by that. The man that had done over a hundred press conferences scared of a little public speaking? Kind of hilarious.

So, you did the simplest thing you could think of.

“Together or nothing?” You asked him.

He squeezed your hands, his eyes shining, “together or nothing.”

And then you kissed. And signed a piece of paper. And tried very hard to not to stare at the new ring adoring your finger.

And Pepper was hugging you tightly. And you feel a sense of peace that you just didn’t know you could achieve. Everything you had ever dreamed of had happened, and you just didn’t know what to do with yourself.

But Tony did. Alcohol came out quickly, music blasting through the once quiet cabin. Even while you couldn’t feel the effects of it anymore – the most unfair thing to ever happen – you enjoyed watching the rest of your family let loose.

Drunk enough for Pepper and Happy to get into a rather… Intimate slow dance, swaying in each other's arms. If looks between Tony and yourself were exchanged about that, you certainly wouldn’t tell anyone.

But, Rhodey, drunk off his ass, was happy to swing an arm around your shoulders and point, making kissy faces at them.

“I told you Rhodey-bear couldn’t hold his alcohol,” Tony said, dragging the stumbling man to the couch, “this may be payback for all the times he did this for me.”

You snorted, “dragging a sixteen-year-old light weight back to their dorm room means you owe that man the world.”

“Too bad,” Tony said back, “I’m already giving it to someone else.”

You gasped, really laying it on, “cheating on me already?”

“I was talking about aunt Peggy,” Tony said.

You laughed and couldn’t help but grab him by his shirt and kiss him, happy to do it as a married woman.

“Can I say it now?” Tony whispered.

You rolled your eyes, “go ahead.”

“I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Mrs. Stark.”

If you kissed again, perhaps too passionately in front of a crowd, who was sober enough to tell you no?

Chapter Text

Your honeymoon was the happiest you’ve been in a while.

Possibly in your entire life.

The first day, Happy had driven everyone back to the airport. From there, you said your goodbyes, thanked everyone probably a hundred times, and then quickly got escorted by a very eager Tony to their private jet.

Ha. Their.

Being his wife, you technically had more money than god. Being raised the way you had been, you had no idea what to think about not ever worrying about bills ever again.

The very thought of your money had you grabbing at your tablet the moment you sat down on the plane, eager to see what was going on, until someone stole it right from your hands.

“Tony!” You scolded. “I need-”

“Hey,” he said to the flight attendant as he walked briskly to her, “the door still open? Yes? Excellent, two seconds, you can time me.”

And you watched as the man marched out the god damn plane, waved at you through the window, and tossed the tablet as far he could on the tarmac like it was acheap plastic frisbee.

He came back wiping his hands, a smirk on his face as he sauntered back to his seat across from you as if he had just completed a bucket list item. You stared at him for a while, in anger or in amusement, you weren’t really sure, and then just sighed as you leaned back in your seat, accepting your fate.

“Damn shame,” you said, teasing him, “I got another one hidden in my bag.”

Tony groaned, seemingly ready to get up, “I was meant to be the stubborn one in this marriage.”

“In your dreams, boy-genius!” You said. “And Tony? You get this once in our marriage, so remember this carefully… You’re right.”

Because he was. You were getting a whole week with the assurance that the company would not blame you for the break, that Pepper was secretly looking through your emails and messages to make sure nothing truly important slipped through your fingers.

In other words, you should really take your break while you could.

So you did.

Tony took you around the world. He literally pulled out a map and told you to point. The rich would forever surprise you, you were sure of it. But you would accept the spoiling for this one week.

It was probably the best week of your life.

Returning back home, however, was its own type of heaven. You smiled as you entered the threshold, running – squealing – from Tony when he threatened to pick you up to properly welcome you home.

It was all in good jest and you were still giggling when you arrived in the living room and threw your bags down, admiring the familiar scenery with a smile.

“JARVIS?” Tony asked.

“Welcome home, sir and-”

JARVIS stopped.

Something spiked your instincts immediately – the hair on the back of your neck standing straight up. JARVIS never stuttered. He couldn’t. He was perfect in terms of an AI program, maybe still learning, but never dead silent.

Tony and yourself were in agreement. Your watch was activated without a word. In another second, Tony was sliding next to you, his hand inching towards something in his pocket.

“Now that’s some paranoid billionaires.”

You both spun around towards the male voice, feeling your heart pound at the stranger in your home, leaning over your balcony with a glass of something in his hand. He was a bigger man, a few inches taller than you, with… With an actual black eyepatch over his eye.

He was as calm as someone could be in a place they weren’t supposed to be – leaning against the railing of the balcony without a care in the world.

“Nick Fury, I assume,” Tony said.

Oh.

Your arm lowered a centimeter down, unwilling to let your seemingly only weapon out of range for a single second. Peggy’s warning was starting to make sense about S.H.I.E.L.D. After all, what kind of company – private or federal – broke into a citizen’s home?

“Congrats on the wedding,” Fury said, coming into your living room as if he owned the place. “Agent Coulson tells me he got an invite to the big one.”

“Yes,” you said steely. “He earned it.”

“Unlike you, my wife means to add,” Tony said right back. “You get a kick out of breaking and entering?”

Heh. It was rather thrilling to be called a wife by Tony. He’d been doing it the whole trip, of course, but you’d be damn if it didn’t hold some weight right now.

“Only when people start calling themselves superheroes.”

“Actually,” You said with some bite. “he denied that in the press conference. And nowhere does it say that we’re selling the Iron Man design, not even to S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Can you stop pointing that thing at me?” Fury asked, eyeing your wrist. “I’m unarmed. I’m just looking to talk.”

“Interesting way to do it,” you said. “You know, break into someone’s home, turn off their power, and, hey, knowing exactly when we would get home. Nothing out of the ordinary there!”

“What can we do for you, eyepatch?” Tony asked. “No promises.”

Nick Fury looked you both squarely in the eyes, something calculating in his gaze. He seemed to almost admire the two of you, nodding his head as you continued to follow his walk towards the kitchen counter, admiring something.

“I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative.”

TO BE CONTINUED IN: THE STARKS