They were now back in Malibu.

The news was on the TV and the reporters kept going on and on about Monaco. They said it proved that Iron Man couldn't protect the world. Pepper and Natalie were answering phone calls and doing damage control.

Eira was on the other couch beside them as she watched the news. She laid on her stomach and she had a potted plant in front of her; she kept making the leaves move like it was waving to a person. She smiled at the small act.

Then she heard the news talking about her. They questioned if Angel was a new superhero.

"I cannot believe they are calling you Angel," Pepper said as she got off the phone. "It sounds like the code name for a stripper."

Eira furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head back to Pepper, "What's a stripper?"

Pepper and Natalie both chuckled before explained, "It's...a profession for pretty girls."

"So it means I'm pretty?" Eira smiled.

"Yes. Of course," Natalie shared a coy look with Pepper.

"So is Tony still having the party tomorrow?" Pepper asked.

"Uh, I think so," Eira answered before smiling. "He says he wanted to make it special for me."

"Did he?" Pepper questioned knowingly. "Eira, you had a boyfriend in New York, didn't you?"

"Yes," Eira answered quietly. She didn't like to think about Jason.

"Did he ever do...sweet gestures to get your attention?" Pepper asked and Eira thought of how Jason bought her smoothies on the night they met.

Then a lightbulb went off in her head about what Pepper was trying to imply. She looked at Pepper and Natalie in alarm as they both gave her knowing looks. "But Tony doesn't...I mean it's not like...I mean I don't know."

She huffed and looked away from them before Nat spoke, "He swoons over you, Eira. Swoons."

"Definitely," Pepper agreed.

"No, he doesn't," she denied before she turned back onto her stomach and ignored them. She focused back on her plant. She denied that any such feelings existed because, well, she didn't know how she felt.

_____

The next day was officially the birthday. Tony had surprised her with a full breakfast being made by a top chef; she had amazing chocolate strawberry pancakes drizzled with syrup.

She wished Tony happy birthday in the morning then and it made her giggle when he did the same because hearing the phrase was still so odd to her; and because it wasn't technically her birthday.

But then she didn't see Tony for the rest of the day. There was going to be a birthday party later that evening. Natalie got her all dolled up and as soon as she did, she went to see Tony.

She was in a red dress and her hair was in a French braid. She walked into his room while he was buttoning his shirt in the mirror (he was actually looking at the poisoning that had spread on his chest with the little blue veins).

"Sorry," she said sheepishly as she looked down with a blush.

He quickly buttoned his shirt as he turned with a smirk, "It's nothing you haven't seen before, Snowflake."

She blushed deeper and ignored his comment before she walked forward and hugged him, "I wanted to see you before the party."

"What for?"

She pulled away slightly to look up at him nervously, "I tried to think of what you might want as a gift but since you're a billionaire and have everything...I figured I'd just ask what you wanted from me."

It was silent for a moment before Tony grabbed her hands with soft smile. His thumbs rubbed soothing circles into her skin as he looked at her intensely, "There's only one thing I want..."

"What?" she squeaked out as he leaned towards her slowly.

She could feel his breath fan across her face and her eyes were wide as she became frozen. He brought a hand up to cradle her cheek so gently before he brought his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered close as their lips collided.

Their lips molded together slowly and her knees felt weak that she had to fist his shirt in her hands. She felt like every nerve was set alight and she felt a bit dizzy like somehow the electricity of his kiss consumed her gravity.

As they kissed, Tony placed his hands on the side of her face. The tips of his fingers were in her hair and no doubt messing up her braid that Nat had worked so hard on. Then one of his hands traveled down to her shoulder before sliding down her back which was covered by her dress but still...his hands were electric which made her gasp and pull away slightly.

"No hands," she demanded quietly. She wasn't ready for that.

Tony held his hands up as he muttered, "No hands."

But then he collided his lips back with hers. She let herself be consumed by the kiss and looped her arms around his neck, holding the lapels of his shirt to keep herself steady. He walked her backwards until they ran into the dresser. He placed his hands on either side of her, caging her in.

She finally felt steady as she leaned back against the dresser. It made her pull away as she breathed deeply. Her lips tingled and the reality of what they did caved in on her; it made her want to smile.

"Wow," Tony uttered breathlessly.

She made him breathless. There was a certain giddiness she felt but she was still scared. She knew how Tony was with girls; it was one of the first things she learned about him. She knew she wasn't just one of his typical girls but still...she couldn't be sure he didn't want to kiss her just to say that he had.

"I feel like we should do it again. Do you want to do that again?" Tony rambled.

All of these questions popped up in her head but in their close proximity, she noticed little veins protruding past his shirt collar. Only one question came out.

"Tony, what is that?" her hand reached and her fingers brushed the little veins on his neck.

"Uh," Tony muttered. "Okay, this is totally not how I wanted you to find out..."

"Find out what?"

"I'm sort of actually dying," Tony tried to downplay.

"You're what?" she said in shock.

"It's from the arc reactor in my chest; the palladium core is poisoning me but I'm going to find a cure, Snow," Tony assured.

She knew she shouldn't think about the kiss instead of the fact that he was dying but he had kissed her. He had placed all these feelings inside of her because of one kiss.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke quietly, "So, you only kissed me because you're dying?"

Tony pursed his lips, "I'm sensing a bit of hostility so I'm going to say no."

But it was a yes. He had kissed her because he was dying. She was just his dying wish; something to check off a bucket list. Something he could say he did while he made her think of all these possibilities knowing there wasn't any.

She finally understood what Nat meant about everything. She was willing to give Tony everything but not if it was just going to turn into nothing. Maybe he would find a cure but maybe he wouldn't and now she not only would have to grieve him but also the kiss he gave her and any future that would've come from it. She didn't want to be just a hopeless future; he didn't get to give her that.

"That's not fair," Eira had tears gather in her eyes. "You don't get to put that on me."

He didn't get to ask for more while knowing there was nothing else he could give. He didn't get to kiss her while knowing she would have to deal with the fall out. He wouldn't be the one left behind but she would and she would have to deal with all the grief knowing they didn't have time to explore all the possibilities they had. It wasn't fair. He could've stayed her friend but he had to make himself more; he made sure that she would grieve more.

"Snow..." he said carefully.

"No!" she pushed him away as she started to cry. "You don't get to kiss me and then die! That's not fair."

"Snowflake..."

"Don't call me that," she snapped at him before she shook her head with a sob. "You're going to die and you're going to leave me. So...just leave me alone now."

And she ran out of the room.

AN: I know Tony is dying and maybe she seems insensitive but imagine building a life with someone and you have all these dreams about a life together but they don't tell you you're dying and then one day out of the blue, they die. In an instant dreams crushed and they could've spared you that pain.