|_ this chapter is about how tony and elle first met, the few years of dating, extra cute stuff and hiccups they've been through. just a sort of insight for you as you continue to read the trilogy :D _| 

[  𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑡. ]

Elle couldn't remember the last time she had gone to a house party. Probably her graduation night where she had taken one too many drinks with her girls around her, a petite and only pub in the village where she knew everyone around her. There were jukeboxes with old English jives, pinball machines, a pool table, and the songs! The music back home was comprised of strummy fiddles, soft accordions, and banjos - the chords which made her nerves shake like beans in a tin. In any other situation, she would have been on her feet and dancing the night away but then, she had felt like a stranger to the rug on the floor. 

The people were too wild and free, the music sounded like a drug that made her skin buzz and electricity evident in the air. The lights were dim, lights that swirled above barely sufficed and she had shuffled past the floor to the very edge where the room was brightest. She had quickly made a beeline to the open bar, thirsty amid the chaotic party she was invited to. The drinks were on free flow, the bartender doing tricks with dainty glasses which made her eyes widen. He had done one for even, with a special wink to top it all off. 

But Elle didn't feel like having company. She had not felt this out of place in so long, a lengthy sigh leaving her lips as she whirled her half-pint in tedium. A few strangers had come up to her before her boredom had set in, hoping to quench their desires but she could only politely brush them off. One had become her companion, a colonel of the United States Army and she had never been more flattered. And intimidated. But he was a gentleman, here to befriend and not offend as he had put it. She felt herself smile into the rim of the glass when she relived the moment. 

Just as she was about to call quits on the whole party situation, she felt a brief questioning voice call out to her. 

'Miss! Over here.'

Elle didn't know whether to turn or ignore as if it wasn't meant for her. She took her chances with a roll of her eyes, spinning around to meet the stranger. Except it wasn't just any stranger, it was what every murmur in the room was about. The man of the hour and he was easy to spot in the room, a brownish blur between a sea of leggy females. For a second she felt detached from her synapses, her mouth running dry with hesitation and her breaths dipping to a nothing. Good, she thought, it would be a felony to exhale in case this ends.

'Leaving so early?'

He was tall enough to look her in the eye, a quirky kind of mischief dancing in his when he catches the shock register in her face. He knew she knew who he was - quite a mouthful - and the pride bloomed as soon she cleared her throat, recollecting her dead senses and articulating a proper response.

'I uh,' she couldn't talk without stuttering and that was shaking her confidence. She willed her eyes to normalcy and smiled. 'I believe it is not my kind of gathering.'

Tony couldn't help but admire the lady in front of him. He had spotted her from across the living room, one of the few people who had retreated to the bar out of utter boredom. She was eye-candy, he couldn't deny but when Rhodey spoke of her, it piqued his interest higher. A press woman with a knack for independence - it could not get any worse.

Besides, she was better looking up close however not his type. Not that he didn't have a thing for British ladies - he was already on his knees with her single sentence - but she lacked the feist. She looked like she was ready to party with a long white jumpsuit, striking blue eyes which seemed judicious - how could he judge? - and russet hair cascading down in pin-straight perfection. He felt the need to hold a glass of water once he reached the dip of her waist, briefly flickering back to her eyes so as to not lose the conversation.

He let his usual moves take the floor, allowing a smirk to grace his lips and bare his teeth in interest. 'Or not your kind of people? Clearly, you're far from home.'

'Not too far,' she laughed, charming enough that made Tony blink out of a trance. He could have a coined that laugh just for her, it was simple yet engaging. 'I live around the corner. Moved in recently.'

'Really?' He mused. 'It would be impossible to miss a woman like you for a few months.'

'And yet you did,' she continued to smile, shaking her head and his advances. She glanced back at the gaping door, the guests still pouring in, and urgently looked back at him. Tony did not fall for her ruse. 'I've held you up long enough, Mr Stark. You better get back to your people—'

'Wait, what?' He chuckled in surprise, rubbing his hand under his elbow in a nervous gesture. She widened her eyes, worried that she had offended him. She would most definitely kill herself before midnight. 

'I would really—'

'Did you want—'

He waved at her formally making her clear her throat in awkwardness. 'You first.'

'Did you want anything else?' She asked upon his request, biting her lip as if she was scared to hear his answer. Tony shrugged in reply, pocketing his fists with a smile. 

'Maybe a drink,' he eyed her, 'or two.'

Elle's superiority complex kicked in and she could not bring herself to deny his offer. It was time for her to let loose and maybe give it a shot. This man, she barely knew and read about in magazines, made her want to give it a chance. And even if it didn't work, she would pride herself with the fact that she had gone out for drinks with Tony bloody Stark. So she nodded along.

'I have time to spare,' she accepted with a friendly grin. 'Although, I'm not looking for company.'

'Great, that should do it,' he commented, placing a hand over the middle of her bareback, feeling her cold flesh skim against his. Tony craned his head, swift to find Rhodey watching their interaction with wide eyes. He shot him a wink with a triumphant smile to which he rolled his eyes and waved him off. Greedy dick.

Tony guided the woman to the bar, shouting at the bartender for two drinks. Upon receiving his order, he passed a glass to the lady and let himself assess her more carefully as she sniffed the drink cautiously and took a sip. 

'My friend, Rhodey, came up to you earlier and—' he began, leaning over the table to grab a stirrer. At this moment, Elle caught a glinting blue underneath his thick white shirt, glowing in sporadic intervals in a perfect circle. She examined with awe, a gasp leaving her lips. 

'—said you—what? What's happening?' Tony traced her fascinated gaze to the middle of his chest with attention, snickering with relief when he saw what had her fixated. 'Oh yeah, not anything anyone's heard of already.'

'I've never seen the core up close,' she said, wonder in her tone. 'Marvelous.'

'Yeah? Know what it's made of?'

Elle pouted in confusion, intrigued about its composition. She had guessed so many elements, it must have been something organic to keep it powered for so long. The genius beckoned her close as if whispering a secret. 

'A rare element called sex-you-up.'

'Really now?' She laughed out loud, a hand shielding her eyes in sheer discomfort. Her cheeks tinted pink even though the one-liner set her off. 'I should've seen it coming.'

'I'm kidding. It's just a few odds and ends,' Tony brushed off with a short-lived grin. He had more important matters to discuss that just his dull, old self. There was an English babe in his sight, he wasn't going to kill the opportunity. 'Came all this way and I still don't know your name.'

'Elle,' she said curtly, her lips tugging with a small smile. When he cast her an awaiting glance, she scrunched her brows. 'What, want a back story?'

'Can't blame me,' he said, placing a hand over his chest. 'I could be taking home royalty tonight. That would be a first.'

Elle nearly choked on her drink, using her wrist to clamp over her mouth to stifle a cough. She didn't think a man as impassive as Tony Stark could be the one to judge a book by its cover. She forced herself to remain unoffended and not think about his former words, blatantly staring back him in shock. 

'Since when did we establish that?'

'We didn't,' he snickered. 'I said could.'

She shook her head. 'You have a knack for allusions, don't you?'

'I've gotta have something edgier than a few industries,' he retorted in defence. 'This, for exemplary purposes. I'm not flirting with you. I'm being extra friendly to someone extra attractive.'

'Mm,' she hummed, tipping her chin and emptying out the last of her drink. Tony was genuinely surprised to see that the line didn't have an effect on her, the same polite glint in her eyes looking back at him. 'It could be working.'

Tony downed the last of his drink, knowing the conversation could only go so far. Either this woman had standards higher than the stratosphere or she was playing hard to get. He couldn't decide which when he pushed the glass to the edge, hoping to get another round. Perhaps, without lady company. 

'Et tu, Mr Stark?'

'Oh,' he simpered, 'just here to drink the night away with a beautiful woman.'

A beat passed between them. Elle began drawing circles around the rim of her glass and boredom beginning to creep up on her once more. 

That was the thing, an empty mind was a devil's workshop. And when the dullness set in, it would mean pressure. Pressure meant impulse. An impulse meant well... desires. More spontaneity. Something she could never recover from once the alcohol wore off. Elle looked up with surety, knowing the worst was probably behind. She was convinced that the smart-mouthed billionaire wouldn't remember it which was for the better. Spur-of-the-moment was good and especially when an opportunity like this came knocking on her door, she would be a fool to let it go. The timeliness lined up so she was quick to arrive at a decision. Besides, she tried to reason with her beliefs, what harm was one, teeny-tiny one-night-stand going to do?

'Alright, I am dropping the modest act,' she sputtered out, slamming the drink down after the downed the last of her drink.

He snapped his gaze to hers like he had been electrocuted. Tony saw the mischief in her eyes, shaking him to the core. 'Scuse me?'

The next thing he knew, she had inclined in a little closer with a playful smile on her lips. She was obviously hammered but so was he. Her ruby lips hovered over his but, just when he had hoped for a kiss, she had muttered her next words. It was like he had found his female counterpart and it was making him feel weird of sorts. He let an awed smile spread across his face.

'I despise repeating myself,' she whispered. 'It's a yes or no—your call.'

∞

[ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 ]

This was a bad idea. Idiotic, impulsive, ignorant, inconsiderate—

Elle didn't know how she got here. Well, she knew how she arrived at this ridiculously, pricey-looking garage of a mansion but she didn't know how she ended up in some tech-savvy workspace with nothing but a thin blanket wrapped around her body. She swore she overheard the sharpening of a razor, her heartbeats stuttering with an oncoming hangover headache and the world swaying beneath her feet. She lurched forward to clutch a table to pull herself standing. Just when she thought the surprises ceased, the table ignited into conventional holograms of all sorts and making her stumble back.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

It was all she could think about as she tightened the blanket around her shoulders, was searching for a way out. Or more preferably, her clothes. She located her sheer camisole, dangling over a long, claw ended tool to which she let out a sigh, reaching for it. It was all dandy until the claw device snapped its prongs at her with a whir, eliciting a shriek out of her. The material of the blanket caught her footing, hurtling herself down to the floor with a soft oomph.

Just let the ground swallow me.

She placed a hand over her head with a grunt of pain, utterly giving up, pushing her bangs away from her face to let her massage the splitting headache that took over the mild headrush. And she tried to force the approaching recollection of episodes from last night, shaking her head and feeling the cement dig into her scalp. She felt like a sob build up in her chest as she looked sideways to the large expanse of an area she could barely recognize, feeling like she might actually ball up in a corner and stay forgotten forever.

'Hey-ey-ey, DUM-E, don't hassle the lady.'

A wave of chill washed over Elle's spine, her fight or flight instincts kicking in at the sound of the unnoticed voice. She acted on impulse, her body hefting off the ground with a hand securing the blanket to her chest and the other shooting out to grab the first object that she could use to defend herself. And to her utmost awkwardness, she had grabbed a wrench. A fucking wrench, for god's sake.

'Relax, femme fatale,' he raised his arms in surrender, his eyes widening a fraction. Tony raked his eyes through her body, gulping softly at her mildly exposed parts. Not that he was complaining, the situation didn't suit her state of undress. 'Wow. That is very naked.'

Her breaths faltered when she saw who it was, but her fists still gripping the wrench. They were shaking when she let it drop back to the floor with a bang. When she looked back at him, she couldn't help but wonder - how the fuck did he look like that after night she couldn't even remember? There was a delight in his eyes when he took in her struggling self, wounding his arms behind his back to glance down for a second as Elle managed to make a makeshift robe with the blanket. She jumped again when she felt the claw machine nudge her waist, leaping a foot away with a hand to a chest. The claw rotated on its axis, the hand coiling forward like a human arm.

'What is with that thing?!'

'First off, it's not a thing,' he said in air-quotes, making his way over to her while bending down to pick up her deserted piece of clothing. 'It's a robot and his name is DUM-E. Second, for god's sake, please put this on.'

Elle turned red, grabbing her jumpsuit from his hands. She looked at him for the longest of time, her mouth gaping open and close to form sentences. And when she did, it was like a toddler learning how to speak. 'I don't - how we got - '

'Clothes, I beg you. There's only so much I can hold back on.'

She straightened up, blushing deeply, when he turned his back to her, easing into the already zipped down piece of material and strapping herself in. Flipping her hair out, she walked ahead to grab the delicate camisole out of DUM-E's claws and gathering it into a ball in her palms. She knew the walk-of-shame was yet to be conducted so she might as well get it over with when he wasn't asking questions. Besides, she knew she stunk of stale alcohol and her hair was large enough to nurture a cuckoo so she wasn't ready for any sort of interaction with a man who the world prided on their highstand.

Her back went ramrod straight, squaring her shoulders despite the broiling nervousness in her stomach and marching her way to the glass doors that led up to a swirling staircase. Hopefully, the exit because she had no idea of coming back. Too much gaucherie and chagrin in one morning for her to handle.

'Don't you wanna know what happened?'

'No thank you,' she managed to croak out, continuing her path to the doors. His voice had an edge and she already knew where it would be commanding if she would have said yes. 'I'm going to take off.'

'How?'

'I'm thirty not five,' she tossed him a glare over her shoulder. She found her pair of pumps near the doors, seating herself on the nearest stool to fit them on. 'I can find my way back.'

'It's a two-mile walk to the nearest highway,' he mentioned with an amused smile. 'And you don't have a ride.'

'I can ring a hack,' she said, slipping her hands into the pocket to retrieve her phone. She groaned out loud, pulling her hair into a messy topknot with no hair ties and scouring the workshop for her clutch. She found it on a forgotten corner as if someone had flung it to the side, her fingers quickly unzipping the pouch to find her phone.

'Wait, ring a what - '

'Thank you, but I'm alright,' she forced out a nervous chuckle, trying to sway off his advances and pulling the door to start her ascent up the stairs. 

 'Do you even know who I am?' he called out to her, amused.

'Do you?' She fired back. 'I bet you don't remember my name.'

'It's uh... um,' He stammered, searching his mind with squinted eyes and his lips twisting up with concentration. She let out a scoff of disbelief. 

'I wanna say... Elaine?'

'Wow,' she said with a sad nod to her lost faith. She had expected no less, so it didn't sting as much. 'I mean, predictable.'

'Don't take it personally, but I don't waste my brain cells on absurd solutions.'

'Mmyes,' she hummed, 'so you're a sack of dicks on a daily basis.'

He shrugged indignantly as if her insult wasn't the worst he had heard. She felt bad for a moment but took it back when he continued to speak.

'As compared to royal suck-up, I guess it's a defensive effort.'

'Not only have you given me more reason to leave but to never return as well,' she said loud and clear, turning on her heels. 'Dickhead,' she muttered to herself. 

'You might want to take a breath mint while you're at it,' he countered, irritated. 

His footsteps seemed to close in her, hot and fast. She tried to increase her pace, hoping the anger in her could fuel her energy so she could get the hell out of the maze of a mansion.

'I'm astonished you can smell me through your fog of rancid BO.'

'That's infantile.'

'Vice versa.'

'Can we arrive at a relative conjecture here?' He sighed. 'Your fussy nature is not helping.'

'My deepest apologies,' she clucked her tongue in heavy sarcasm as she halted on the stairs to face him once more with a tight-lipped smile. 'Allow me to get going and we never have to see each other again.'

He tsked. 'Again. So testy.'

'You don't know me and I don't know you. So let's just leave it at that.'

'I think that's a stupid idea. And it's impossible to not know me.'

'The grandeur speaks for itself, Stark.'

'So you do know me,' he pressed with an impressed tug of his lips. 'Had me worried for a second there.'

Tony spared himself a split moment of guilt before returning back to normal. She seemed completely different from what he had seen the night before. She wasn't all reserved, after all, her words for every one of his were battling and he couldn't help but admire her tenacity. She was surely intriguing him in the worst ways possible but what the hell, right?

She hastily booked a cab back to her apartment, her breath catching in her throat when the sight of the mansion's living room came into sight.

It wasn't just the living room that caught her eye. The fact that a red-and-gold armour that was all over the news every week without fail was hanging about the side of the entrance. Iron freaking Man was guarding the front door and she didn't have the guts to take another step forward.

'He's not going to blast me to space or something, is he?'

He snickered. 'That's an overstatement. He's trustworthy, nevertheless.'

'Quite,' she mused under her breath as she gripped her phone tightly and found it hard not to tiptoe around the sentient armour. Tony rolled in his lips to hold in laughter when she tried to sneak around the suit to get to the automated doors, leaping afoot when Tony spoke again.

'So, wanna tell me who you are?'

She turned her back to him once more. 'No.'

'Oh, now you have something against acquainting yourself with a man you slept with?'

'...yes, actually. Yes.'

He shrugged. 'Can't let you leave.'

'Bite me,' she growled out, tugging on the glass door and willing it to move but in vain. That went on for another fifty-five seconds until she gave up, facing Tony with a scowl. 'Is this what you normally do? Lock up women in your maze of a mansion and demand their CV?'

'Negative but I prefer to know something about the woman I slept with before letting her leave,' he sassed back, cocking a perfect brow. 

Elle bit her lip, looking around the entrance for an alternative and finding no way out. Her thumb was between her teeth, glancing back at him with a pensive glare.

'Okay, fine. We did it... three times. Living room, kitchen, your gawky basement and I said I wanted to see if—what? What's so funny?'

He rubbed a hand down his face to hide the laugh. 'I meant your name. I remember all of that. I was sober unlike you. Well, sort of.'

'Elle Preece,' she introduced after a small pause. 'Is that all?'

'So is Elle short for - '

'Even for you, it's Elle.'

'Alright,' he nodded, knowing it was fair enough for her to set her boundaries. Besides, her last name was all he needed to locate her. 'I'll find you, Elle - '

'Please don't,' she said, her gaze turning to a plea. Her overthinking mind acted before her heart. 'It was a one-night affair. I'm not - '

' - for an NDA,' he finished with wide eyes. 

'Oh,' she choked out, lowering her gaze in shame and flushing leisurely. 'Of course. NDA. So, like, does everyone get one or...?'

'No, it's just me.'

'Right, yes. I knew that.' 

He made a sardonic moue. 'Sure, you did. Now, get off my property.'

The world couldn't give her a break, she thought and turned without another glance when the doors slid open behind her. She watched her cab swing by the estate's roundabout, crunching in the gravel as she got in and the driver hit the gas. Never would she, ever, follow her instincts again. Look at where it had to lead her - wallowing in humiliation and her esteem shooting below bars.

She never looked back.

∞

When the next week rolled in, Elle had once again found her falling back into her solitary routine in the shoebox-sized yet homey flat she had to all to herself. She had given herself a haircut, joined a friend for lunch and helped a close neighbour with her bags. She refused to let herself believe that she was truly alone in her mind, body, and soul, knowing that she had hit jackpot with having a career that came knocking on her door and not confined anymore. Every time the thoughts of her first and failure of a one-night stand came to her, she would force herself to invest in something else. And the impulse never left her, she had cycled around the city hours till the end - trying to forget. She was so obsessed with the idea of commitment for the past few years, it had started to sicken her.

Just as Elle was nose-deep into reviewing an article for her latest story, she heard the doorbell ring. She pushed her glasses up higher, looking up to the wall clock and reading out the time: eleven o'clock on a Saturday. She hefted herself off the couch with a grunt, seizing the door open. An urbane smile coloured her face and transforming into surprise when she saw a delivery man, struggling to balance a massive bushel of lavender roses, the heady scent perfuming the hall in a second.

'A delivery for Preece?'

She was eager to lift it off his hands, jolting the door closed with her pelvis and letting the basket sit over the coffee table for a while. With her hands on her waist, she assessed the overflowing lilac flowers with a laugh and shook her head at the gift. Just when she thought of soaking the long-stemmed roses in a vase, her fingers caught in thick cardstock and plucking it out.

The NDA was all bullshit. Hoping for a do-over... maybe with a CV this time?

- TS.

Another laugh left her lips as she looked to the back of the card and found a number scratched out. She was quick to dial it down on her landline, waiting for the other to pick up. It was only polite of her to drop him a call.

'Hey-lo?'

'Hi, this is Elle,' she started, nipping her lip as she speculated her next words. 'Er, the flowers, and the number - I rang because you are wonderful - they are - the flowers are and - '

'Uh-huh,' the voice drawled out briefly, cutting her short. She already knew it was him, a smile coming on her lips. 'I'm sorry, who's this?'

Her heart sank. She rearranged her crestfallen face with a short clearing of her throat, she mumbled her apologies quickly and ended the call with a sigh. So much for a do-over, she thought, plucking a petal from the lilac roses. She tugged the side of her lips, dutifully searching for a vase and soaking the flowers in.

The phone rang once again, making her roll her eyes with restlessness and letting the answering machine take this one. She was in no mood to talk, sulking in the fragrance of the flowers.

'My fault, I was just messing around. You can pick up, you know. I know you're listening - '

'What is it?' It ended up as a growl.

'Like I said,' he mused. 'A do-over.'

'You want to have sex again.'

'Sure,' he said simply and she almost set her phone down before he spoke quickly. 'Wa-wa-wait, Elle, I'm kidding!'

'Mr Stark, I am a woman with boundaries and you can't seem to acknowledge that.'

'Not the repetition of the events precisely,' he corrected himself, not even the slightest bit fazed by her comment. 'A more conventional encounter where neither of us is naked, angry or in a haste to leave. Naked can be not null.'

She flushed deeply at his statement. 'I apologize for that.'

'First walk of shame?'

'...was it that obvious?' She sighed, kneading her temple. 'I'm sorry I was so snippy with you, Mr Stark. I was only a little out of my depth.'

'Long forgotten.'

She bit down a smile. 'Thank you.'

'Drinks should help with that this time,' he replied cheekily, his voice morphing into a low chuckle. 'If you Brits do that sort of thing.'

She laughed. 'Of course, we do.'

'Great. So civil, conventional drinks at the tower. I will have someone - '

'No, I have a ride. Don't bother.'

'Great.'

'Grrreat.'

'I'm going to hang up and save you the awkwardness.'

'Yes, alright.'

'Okay.'

She hung up, first. 

∞

[ 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 ]

Elle had her eyes strained on the empty restaurant around the Avengers tower that was located on one of the top floors, taking slow steps down the stairs. She felt efficiently out of place as she took off her coat and handed it to one of the black-tailed waiters with a polite smile. She was a high-strung wreck on the inside and toes scrunching inside the stilettoes she wore.

'Why is there nobody else in here?'

Tony Stark in all his aura of charisma shrugged indifferently while walking towards her. He donned an expensive-looking suit, red button-down and black blazer and missing the very signature shades that would rest over his nose. His hand met hers for a shake.

'I called ahead.'

Her jaw dropped. 'You bought out the restaurant?'

'Not forever,' he said with an air of imposition, 'just for tonight.'

'I don't need impressing, Mr Stark,' she laughed under her breath as his hand slid past her arm and over to the small of her back to lead her in. 

Soon, they had expensive champagne strung between their fingers and admiring the New York skyline view that was rolled out for them ahead. The scintillating night was a picture in front of her, the height thrilling her senses. The silence was patient until he spoke again.

'Good,' he nodded, 'I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. I am very, very famous. I'm the Beatles kind of famous.'

She blinked.

'The Beatles?' He repeated with wide eyes at her confused expression. 'You don't know -'

'Of course, I know them,' she shook her head with a smile, 'I'm just surprised you associated yourself with them. The Beatles didn't fight otherworldly sentients in their fancy suits of armours.'

'See now, that's impressive,' he tipped the glass towards her, 'are you impressed?'

'I would be if you had Thor accidentally stop by,' she played.

Tony looked at her, highly amused and evidently stunned. He thought this date would be a complete bore and to his utmost surprise, he got her earlier than she did. She wore a black and lacy slip dress and honestly, he never thought black would look better on anyone else but him. She was put on this planet to distract him, made to be shown off. And Jesus fucking Christ.

She wore the sexiest pantyhose he had ever seen on a woman, subtly coloured and tucked into her nude pair of stilts. All he could think about was having them over his shoulders, dress pulled the seam of her legs as he traced the curve of her—

'Captain America would be great, too,' she teased lightly, pulling him out of his impromptu sex dream.  

'I could make it happen,' he said. 'If you - '

'No, I'd leave if that were to happen,' she said in all seriousness. Taking a sip of her drink in hand, she breathed out. 'Besides, you don't even have to try. You're Tony Stark. Just be you.'

'And you?'

She cocked a brow in question, her breath hitching.

'If I were to hypothetically ignore the last week,' he placed the theory on the table, 'who would you be?'

'The bastard child of the next King of England,' she said simply.

Tony choked on nothing, almost doing a spit-take into his glass. He looked at her indifferent face in obvious shock, wondering what sort of conspiracy he had been wound into. A playful smile curved on her lips the moment she spotted the hysteria, erupting into fits of laughter and shaking her head.

'Are you that naive or did you really believe me?' She asked, failing to conceal another laugh.

He struggled to compose himself. 'That was not - It's just - '

'To answer your question, I would be,' she hummed thoughtfully, her eyes lightening a shade. He caught onto that quick, knowing it would help further through the night. 'The woman who took her chances.'

'Chances at what?'

'At...' she paused, looking at him before shaking her head. She let the answer slide and asking him back. 'Why was this question important?'

'It commenced a conversation,' he said, matter-of-factly. 'Okay, from one friend to another, do you have one?'

'One what?'

'I bet you have a treasure chest full of it.'

'I could?'

'A secret you're keeping to yourself,' he guessed, shuffling closer and she breathed in sharply. 'Do you?'

'I may have one,' she murmured. Tony realized how expressive her mere eyes were. They were like an azure fire, burning with intensity and withholding confidence. She was an open book, every word she said matched her expressions. 'It's not of that much consequence.'

He had to blink himself out of her trance. 'I'll be the judge of that.'

'It might have something to do with you.'

'Me?' He laughed, intrigued even more. 'What are you, an undercover spy? CIA, Interpol - '

'Mr Stark,' she rolled her eyes, 'don't be daft. If I were one, I would have gone for it at the night of the party.'

'Fair enough,' he appreciated. 'Is this under-wraps state going to be the death of me?'

She let out a soundless laugh. 'Fortunately, no. Now, I really want to know what you're thinking.'

He shifted closer to her, leaning in with a smirk. 'If you knew, you'd smash my nose into my brain.'

He was really using the big guns. He didn't even know why he was trying so hard either since clearly, Elle was not impressed with any of his moves. Besides, it didn't take one to know she was beauty and brains with a past. Judging by the scars around her arms and the deeper-than-usual crease lines around her neck, he knew she had it rough. It couldn't be abuse seeing the faded efforts of it, maybe it was a slow realization. She was one of the sad ones. Still, who would hurt a woman so soft? 

There was no denying the contrasting similarities between them. Her nails bitten to the quick, her fluctuating gaze and legs quivering like a jackhammer: all manifestations of anxiety. Tony knew her happy strings had been cut and left to wave in the air without anybody to tie it back. She had something Tony had seen in himself and it was maddening to not approach her about it in their iota of exchange but he wanted to know who had the courage to hurt her. 

Moving on, was it possible this woman could be out of his league? Obviously, like every sane person who had a one-night-stand, he had done some background searching. Oxford literature graduate, a certified law student and had two of her thesis published. Sure she wasn't the woman of his sector, but she did reach the criteria for his 'would-be' suitors. He was still working on the specifics.

'What're you doing?'

He had his hand around her waist and lips inches apart. She had an inquisitive smile on her red lips, chewing her cheeks to contain another bout of chuckles. Since when did the king of smoothness become a laughing stock? At least she didn't embarrass him further by shifting away instead, she stood tall.

'I'm uh,' he swallowed, 'going for it?'

She leaned closer, 'No.'

'No?'

'Are you aware of your reputation?'

'Futurist. Genius? That album by Taylor Swift?'

She laughed. 'The other one.'

'Benefactor to a fault.'

'Other one.'

'I'm drawing a blank,' he shook his head, still not moving away. She didn't either.

'I believe someone told me,' she bit her lip to search for the word. Her warm breath brushed his jaw. 'Ah, horndog.'

'Okay, no,' he held up a finger, 'I'd say more along the lines of decent and playboy.'

'Which is still downbeat.'

'Really?'

Elle's finger reached to the side of her face to push the thick band of hair out of her eyes. She knew she had overstepped the line by calling him out, taking a step back with a soft gulp.

'I'm so sorry,' she sighed, 'I will see myself out.'

The reasonable way out. He could see the climbing tension in her steely gaze as if wanting to be left alone and saved from the embarrassment. She didn't say anything to intentionally hurt him and he had been immune to comments as such. Again, a too soft of a soul. 

Tony caught her wrist and Elle cast it a glance. Looking up at him, he tipped his chin back to his side to which she grinned. She was hesitant though, keeping her distance this time.

'Are you saying I have to wait to kiss you?' He smiled largely, loving the subtle brush off. He wasn't even hurt by it. 'Cause you know, we practically did the deed.'

'I don't do one-offs often,' she replied quietly. 'I'm not sure what comes after.'

'For starters, this never happens,' he pointed between them with a chuckle, 'first times to everything.'

She shut her eyes in humiliation which he thought was adorable. But of course, he had scared her off. In a haste, she downed the last of her drink and kept her cerulean gaze peeled on the unapologetically urban skyline. Her lips parted with wonder. So she was new to city life. 

'I've never heard of anyone say that before,' he confessed, drawing back attention to himself. 'About abiding a kiss. I've seen it movies and deemed it unrealistic.'

Her eyes went wide. 'Is that a joke?'

'Definitely not,' he denied with a complacent grin, 'I think I might be fascinated.'

Awe was written all over her face as she pointed to herself. 'By me?'

'I mean,' he smiled, 'who knew?'

'Can I say I knew? For the mystery.'

He laughed heartily. 'Yeah, right.'

'Maybe it's all the liquor.' She looked to the view with a smile of her own gracing her lips. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to touch her.

'It isn't,' he stated firmly. 'I'm practically unshakeable in terms of liquor.'

He continued to look at her, taking her in fully. How much ever he tried, his eyes refused to pick out a flaw which was a bonus. She didn't seem to have on despite the multitude of scars he placed before, her stance friendly to the max. It wasn't seductive at all, he'd know, and he suddenly had the strangest urge to kiss regardless of the established boundaries.

'When can I meet you again?' There was so much urgency in his voice. It was awful.

'So, it's not alcohol,' she teased again.

'Elle.'

'I don't know.'

'It's a yes or no. No in-betweens.'

'I'd love to,' she nodded, leaning into him. Just when he thought she might kiss him, she smoothed her lips to his cheek in a caress. He held her waist close before she pulled back, watching him grin like a loon.

'What's with that look?'

'It's just,' he shook his head, 'I never expected this. You, I mean.'

'For the good and for the greater,' she mused under her breath, the warmth brushing his jaw. He willed his eyes open before he caught himself in another reverie. 

'Are you really not used to anything in this city?'

'No,' she bit her lip, 'yet, I'm determined to find my way around. It's only been a few weeks.'

'That's great,' he said quickly, his mind igniting with an idea, 'because I'm determined to help you out.'

'Mr Stark, I'm quite - '

'Tony,' he corrected, his eyes thinned with a plea. 'Come on, Elle, you've gotta give me a nickname footing. At least.'

She laughed, that charming sound. He could've termed that sound hers, it was of such enamourment. That made him stare at the divots in her red lips, almost as if he could map out ancient seas and islands on them. He didn't realize the grin that stretched on his own.

'Tony,' she complied, a smile playing on her face, 'I believe I can make it out on my own.'

'You don't know that,' he compelled. 'I won't disappoint. I'm great company. There's a sweet steakhouse a few streets away. Smoothie bars. Soul-Cycle for two. Strip clubs.'

She dissolved into shy laughter. 'I get no pleasure in denuding myself to a crowd.'

'And in private?'

She looked away to hide a smile. 'I'll leave it to your imagination.'

'Ah, big mistake. Okay, here we go. See, I'm thinking... a foxy one-piece, with a lowered sign that says 'Gluten-Free'. Huh, how's it?'

'Omigosh, no!' She laughed uncontrollably, covering her face. 'Mr Stark, what on earth?'

'My active imagination has no ends!' He laughed along.

'What happened to good old-fashioned booze?' She joked back. 'I find this folkway more endearing than sports bras or flashy thongs. Quite direct.'

'Mhmm?' He bit down a grin. 'You know you're making it very hard for me to not kiss you.'

Her eyes widened with amusement, pursing her lips shut to swallow a laugh. She pulled away further and Tony didn't want her to. He fisted his hands on his sides as she turned to face the exit.

'I better leave then.'

Please don't, he wanted to say. 'If you'd want to.'

With one last glance, Elle's steel-blue eyes stopped burning beams into the side of his face and she clack-clack-clacked her way through the marble floor. Stop her, damn it.

'Hey,' he called out, his voice surprisingly steady. 'Can I uh, drive you home?'

'If you'd like to ride a Dodge Aspen,' she quipped back with a grin. She spun the keys on her index finger as if daring him to do so. 

'Wow. My favourite car.'

'Well, you and your active imagination are most welcome to come.'

Elle's remark was so out of character, so distant from what he associated with her, he just gawked at her open-mouthed. He really wanted this to work. For once, he wanted to give this a shot. Whatever there was between them and not fuck it up like he always did.

'I really don't know why...' he chuckled awkwardly, 'I didn't - I don't know if I want - '

'It's all right,' she cut in with a soft smile. 'I'll be fine on my own.'

'Hey, Elle, thanks. I just don't want to run into this too quick.'

She took a step backwards, her long hands clasped behind her back. Her smile remained light and playful. 'See you later, Mr Stark.'

'Tony,' he corrected.

'Tony,' she murmured. 

He sent a flying kiss her way. 'Sooner than later, Miss Preece. I hope you don't make a habit of starving me of you.'

She laughed that sweet, shy sound again. 'No promises, sir.'

∞

Tony waited for fifteen minutes before he burst out laughing.

First things first, he was late. Late to a very important date. About forty-five minutes or so but fashionably late was a part of his reputation. What really surprised him was the fact that at their determined destination, there was no Elle. It was delectably surprising, the twist of events, how his girlfriend herself had been running overdue.

'Eleanor Preece's office, this is Calico Quinn,' the woman spoke formally, 'can I take a message for you?'

'Do us both a favour and put me through, Cal,' he said into the phone, tending to the curb of the headquarters of where Elle worked at. 

It was an urban giant, The Pulse branch in New York, given the high-key status to anyone who worked in the leading magazine corporation. Con number one, it was a press building. Pepper was going to give him an earful if he strutted in like no one's business so he held onto his horses before letting his impulse take over.

'I don't understand,' the woman answered apprehensively. 'A favour?'

'As an established woman in the press corps, your gorgeous boss stood me up in all indignance,' he mused into the phone, unable to control the grin. 'So unless you want me to make a faux pas, you might want to send this line over.'

'Er,' her voice got distant and a quiet murmuring bleeding through. She reached to him once again. 'She wants to know who this is.'

'Tony,' he said simply, 'the hopeless admirer.'

A moment later, she returned back to him and this time, her voice shook unsteadily. As if she had gotten to know who the stranger on the other end was.

'Uh, she strictly stated no calls at the moment.'

The hard way, then.

'No worries, Cal. I'll see you soon.'

In mere minutes, after endless pointing and whispers, he had finally made it to her office. It was just as he had imagined every media building to be—cubicles of terse-faced reporters in a single floor and alignment of the LED screen television curing out news reports from different channels by the second. He almost felt neglected when he cruised through the floor, different from the recognized fame to him. Apparently a separate lift directed to the editorial section of the building and when he did, he was greeted with a single conventional corridor that surveyed part of the Fifth Avenue at the end. The hallway seemed to have only four cabins, three out of which were then occupied.

A curly-haired blonde sat in the smaller ones, furiously typing on her personal laptop with a tight frown. She didn't take notice of him so he shrugged, stepping away and observing the rest of the cabins. Spacious, clean and white. Searching and peeping, until he saw her.

Elle's door was ajar and her back facing him, as she spoke quietly into her phone. Her hair was in a sleek topknot, coffee-coloured strands slipping out to caress the nape of her neck. Her dark plaid, swing dress fit her snugly as she shifted her weights every now and then. A fingernail was between her teeth, gnawing at it with a worried grimace.

'Christ, mum, leave me alone,' she hissed out in irritation. 'Oh, come on. I'm not on the pull!'

Tony smoothed his lips against each other to smother a laugh. Simultaneously, even the sound of her had started to affect him, rectifying the stirring underneath by shiting his suit and pants.

'Yes, well, I'm eating fine,' she sighed. 'Yes, I'm sleeping better, too. No, I haven't met anybody. Look, I've got a lot of—no, the engine was like that when I left. Check the backdoor. Mum, please. Jesus Christ—'

Elle's buttery cerulean gaze lightened with surprise when it fell on him. Her jaw dropped in horror when she noticed the door open and Tony leaning onto the door with an amused smirk. She lifted a finger to her lips, hoping to silence him.

'Uh, um. Nothing,' Elle replied quickly. 'Listen, I've got to head back to work. Okay, bye-bye.'

Letting out a draconian sigh, she ended the call and tossed the phone onto her half-organized clutter of a black-topped desk. Nearby, a bookshelf burst with stacks of books and papers, leaning onto one another. Beside a leather notebook, there was a framed photograph of Elle and a light-haired, older woman who he took to be her mother. From the eyes to a few other features, they were exactly alike.

'Mom?'

'Mom,' she agreed, knowing how he had implied it to the situation and the photograph.

Pushing the hair out her eyes, she shot him a wry smile. The blue in her eyes had darkened when she let her gaze skim through his body and meeting his gaze once again. A perfect brow cocked up.

'Why are you here, Tony?'

'The question is,' he shook his head, 'why are you here?'

'I have delegations?' She stated in a question, waving to her cabin. 'I mean if it weren't apparent enough—'

'I'll get to the point,' he narrowed his eyes, 'you brushed me off.'

She was evidently confused.

'Normally, I wouldn't much mind for it but your glazed eyes are really off-putting,' he mused, strutting in without her permission and dragging the master seat towards her desk. She watched with an amused leer as he made himself content, crossing his legs over the desk with a sigh. 

Again with the fucking pantyhose. This time it wasn't sheer, it had little geometric patterns running up until her unending legs disappeared underneath the skirt. He found himself reliving a fantasy that had woven into his head from the last time, clearing his throat to look back at her. 

She had seen him see it, hence the distorted smirk on her elfin features.

'I must've forgotten,' Elle said with an unaffected glance, 'I apologize.'

'You don't appear regretful.'

'I don't, do I?' She was grinning, her voice mischievous. 'I was expecting another one of your wisecracks.'

'Me too,' he said, grinning back at her. 'With you, my witty repartee functions scramble themselves.'

She blinked. 'Was that a compliment?'

'Bet my three doctorate degrees it was,' he said, feeling obliged to show off. She only thinned her eyes in exhaustion, not feeling the way he did. 'No? I thought it was stately.'

'Quite,' she accepted, 'I'm impressed.'

'Wait, seriously?' His back went ramrod straight. He couldn't believe it. That's it? 'My credentials were all it took to awe you? I shut down a whole restaurant for you, I offered you a half-a-million-dollar bottle of champagne, almost made Steve Rogers drop by—'

'Mr Stark, settle down,' she laughed. 'I thought you were the Beatles kind of famous.'

'Oh, bullshit. You didn't buy that.'

'I did, but the earlier compliment was actually fairly,' she searched for a word. 'Razzle-dazzle-y.'

'Razzle-dazzle-y?'

'It's what it suggests,' she laughed lightly. 'You are very much so.'

'I would like to buy it as my adjective now,' he said, rising from the seat with a grunt. Rounding the table, he stopped inches away from her where she stood unabashed and entertained. 'State your charge.'

Rolling her lips into her teeth, she nipped the gloss off her lips and struggled to let out a well-stated answer. 'Well, how about - '

' - an identifier smooch to mark the occasion?' He inferred and started to ramble off by himself. 'You know as a native New Yorker, we're big on skinship. So, you're being really... lippy right now.'

She giggled. 'Witty repartee is back online.'

His smirk was as big as his conviction when she deadpanned, shaking her head in denial. He wrapped an arm around her waist, dragging her closer. God, that scent. That smile, the sound of her skin grazing against his—too good to be true.

He felt two fingers touch his mouth and focused on her French-tipped nails. 

'No touching the art,' she whispered.

'The most breathtaking sculpture, for sure.'

She hid a smile, looking at his feet. 'I was going to say harmless dinner but now, I'm having second thoughts.'

'Come on,' he leaned closer. He shook his head to push off her halting fingers. 'After all this, I'm surprised you don't want me to make even a little move.'

Her warm palm back pressed over Tony's chest to halt his advances. Careful not to touch the reactor portion, she looked up from the glowing matrix to his eyes. Her wide eyes were dancing between diversion and distress.

'What're you doing to me?' He asked, honest and genuinely confused. 

He stared at her, close enough and in the bright light of midday, and spotted the tiniest dust of freckles at the side of her temple. She had a timeless elegance to her regardless, it wasn't even the looks, just the way she carried herself was merit to him.

'Rhetoric?'

'It wasn't,' he said, 'I really hate idling, Elle.'

'Is it the challenge that annoys you or the anticipation?'

'The former is a no-no. To contrary belief, I love the challenge. I hate the wait,' just a few more inches and he could kiss her. 'So?'

She shuffled back with a glance towards the door, swaddling her arms around herself. An obvious sign of uneasiness. 'I think we should talk later.'

He wasn't buying it. 'Uh, negative. I'm tarrying till I get my agenda with you straightened.'

'There is no agenda,' she said quietly, 'I'm not ready for commitment just yet.'

He raised his brows in intrigue. 'Why, is there a secret wooer I'm unaware of? Or friends with⁠ benefits... expensive boyfriend...'

If that were the case, he didn't think he would find himself in a state of greed. He barely knew the first thing about her. So, was it wrong to want this woman, this brilliant, sexy, pantyhose-wearing goddess, all to himself?

'I'm not....' She shut her eyes in desolation, looking away. 'I'm not interested in anything but my work. I have slightly more urging matters to get on with.'

'You sound like me, you know that? It's weird,' he mused out loud. 

She let out a breath of desperation, a palm resting over her eye. She looked scared to progress with him and it was very concerning him to another extent.

'I don't know where you're coming from,' he started in a low voice, 'but maybe, taking gambles isn't all that bad. Look, I myself have never done whatever this is so, I think we both need to be cut some slack here.'

That made her smile. 'Indeed.'

'All I'm proposing is one more date,' he fixated, 'one more. Zero kibitzing. Do me a solid, and don't follow a jackass instead.'

'Which jackass?'

'Your... boyfriend.'

Her breath hitched. 'I don't have a boyfriend.'

'Fantastic. That's the best news I've heard all week.' He rubbed his eyes in relief. 'I was losing sleep over it, in fact.'

'Over me?' She clutched her imaginary pearls. 'I'm honoured, sir.'

'Be mine, Elle. Just for one day.'

She bit on the nail of her thumb, deciding. He found a part of stirring awake once again as he watched it bend and caress her teeth. 

'Come on.' he thinned his eyes desperately. 'I'm all in if you are.'

Elle stepped forward as if reaching out to caress his face. He followed her hand with an awaiting smile which slowly morphed into confusion when she stretched over his shoulder to retrieve her coat. Tossing it over her arm, she winked at him. Tony thought his heart stopped for a quick second. She never said another word, only giving him a cryptic smile as she walked out of the office and leaving him to ponder about a woman truly being out of his league.

'Alright. I'm all in,' she winked at him. 'Now, get out of my office before I call security.' 

'I can pay them off, y'know.'

'Naturally.'

He laughed quietly and pointed at her coat. 'Where you goin'?'

'Your day hasn't started yet, Stark. Hang in there.'

'Preece, let me drive—hey! Elle!'

That was all she said before smug little Elle vanished behind the door, clacking her heels down the corridor. Tony couldn't stop grinning as he fell back into a nearby chair, powering his own victory punch in the air. 

'Finally!' He exhaled out, tapping on the side of his ear to awaken JARVIS. 'You hear that, buddy? Chief's got a hot date.'

'Loud and clear, sir. She's quite savvy in sprucing you up.'

'Are you calling me old?'

'Well, I suppose you could throw me out of your ear for it, but you did synthesize me, sir.'

'You got a lot of nerve, dude.'

'Your encryptions.'

He sighed. 'Damn my competence. So, did we get it then?'

'Guerlain, Shalimar. You were right, sir.'

'I knew it. The girl smells like a freakin' quixotic sensation. See if we can get ten boxes of that stuff imported right away.'

'For you?'

'I'm not a sycophant, JARVIS. This address, please. Keep it anonymous. I don't want the press to hotfoot her either. Also, let Pep know I'm officially spoken for. Do her head in a bit.'

'Sir, yessir.'

∞

[ nothing to see here, just trying my hand at some cheeky monkey shtuff huehuehuehue if you hate any sort of sexual, intimate mumbo-jumbo LEAVE, get the f u c k out, bye-bye and I dunno just keep scrolling away jeEZUS get some HOLY WATER IN HERE ]

A casual dinner with her friends. That was all it was supposed to be.

Technically, Elle was supposed to be halfway around the neighbourhood to meet Tony after an entire month that she spent for a conference outside the States. She had been travelling more often than usual, not that it mattered to her the least, but sometimes, it put her relationship in jeopardy.

Ever since she arrived back on US soil, she hadn't found a single hour to drop by Tony's place to show that she was indeed alive. What irked her was the fact that neither Tony nor Rhodey had called her up to see if she had landed safely or if she needed help unpacking. A bunch of heartless retards. 

So in a clash of egos, she had left her phone's battery to flat-out die and join a couple of colleagues on their dinner plans. She had been invited but she had declined them for her currently ignorant boyfriend.

'So, Elle,' her understudy, Millie, drawled out with a smirk on her lips. Elle was going to regret hearing this or find a really witty answer to impress the nine people around the table.

Again, Elle, being the only person with a higher post at the table had to be the one with a target on her back.

'A special someone on your side?'

Elle smiled, facing some other eyes. Maybe she could let them know. No big deal. 'Well, I have started dating someone. It's only been a few months in. I'm having the best time with him.'

'Do tell. I bet he's more good-looking than Dax over here,' someone called out at the end of the table. She laughed out loud, shaking her head as banters erupted through. 

'Um, Tony Stark,' she told them casually despite the anger she held for him. 'He's absolutely incredible. Very honest and charming—?'

Silence. Heavy, chilling, flabbergasted silence. Eyes dropped and followed, jaw gritting and eyes disbelieving. She found herself clutching the sheets as she faced the people. Oops. Was she not supposed to say? Tony was going to kill her. Not before she did it first.

'You and Tony fuckin' Stark,' Millie spoke up with a hooked back jaw. 'That happened.'

'Woe is me,' someone said sadly. 

'You're seriously dating the Iron Man?'

Elle found it hard to remain far from headway because it was neither a question nor an answer. And she was testy on the subject of anything related to Tony. Lifting the stem of the champagne glass from the table, she gave the girls a tight look.

'When I do find out how,' Elle smiled sweetly, 'you will be the first to know.'

A round of low, challenging hoots went around the table. Elle continued to stand unabashed, sipping her drink after raising it for cheers. Millie looked dazzled, raising her own glass.

'Okay, okay, Elle,' another boy, this one was an intern whose name she had forgotten, raised a question. 'Have you guys done it in his suit?'

'I mean come on,' his girlfriend, Elle guessed, groaned out loud, 'that has got to be the biggest turn-on factor in Stark.'

'I object,' the same boy quipped, 'the man's pockets are so deep they hit the ground.'

'First off, the amount of alcohol I would need to get off with him while in the suit could quite literally kill me,' Elle remarked, a snort coming to her voice. 'Second, are you implying that I am with Tony just because of his salary range?'

Her voice had lowered a few octaves, sounding offended. The table itself had quietened due to her provoking statement and the intern hurried to justify himself.

'Woah, no offence, Elle. Chill.'

'None taken,' she muttered, downing the bubbly champagne with a gratified smile. That ought to put them in their places. For the next few minutes, the topic had shifted away from her relationship to someone else's. Obviously.

Her eyes left the plate of fettuccine in front of her to take in the face of the man who had been staring at her all night. Daniel, she recognised quickly, the literary agent from legal. He was all right, she thought. Smart aspect, brown eyes and blonde hair; he didn't strike her as a ballsy type. Judging by his excessively clean look and toothy smiles, he was the most unpretentious of the lot.

'Hey,' he leaned towards her with an inviting smile, 'Daniel.'

'You already know me,' she replied, laughing softly. 'Not like I wasn't the crux of the conversation minutes ago.'

'For the record, Stark is a lucky guy,' he commented, adding a subtle seductive smile. Elle remained collected, flashing her teeth in an uncomfortable gesture. 'Does he keep you happy?'

'Oh, um,' she tried to laugh, 'I mean, he's a darling when it comes to grand gestures. Very wise. I guess so, yes.'

'Way older,' he remarked.

'Only a few years. Besides, I like it older. More adept in the soft skills.'

'Hear, hear. And to be precise, you guys are like a one-time thing right?'

Elle blinked at him. She couldn't believe those words really left his mouth. 'I beg your pardon?'

'A one-off?'

'That is absolute—...'

Before Elle could come at him with a painful comeback about his lacking brain cells and stupid receding hairline, a loud hoarse throat hum went across the table. Everyone seemed to be looking over to the entranceway of the restaurant, their jaws clanged open and enough to catch flies.

'What's happening?' she whispered to no one, turning to toss a look over her shoulder.

There he was. In all his glory, sauntering past the waiter at the front with a daunting smile directed at her.

Like some fucking sun-kissed Grecian god with a quirk, his striking jaw curving easily and his neck showed in the firm ties of muscle that shaped his body. His iconic facial hair had been trimmed in the usual way, a pair of orange-hued shades that rested over his nose dipping to the edge to look at her solely. A man with features like those would have anyone, no matter the procreative inclinations, swooning at his feet. For even the straightest men in the room worshipped him, ergo Tony Stark was a force to be reckoned with.

'Honestly,' Tony said in a suave drawl, 'I wouldn't call it a one-night stand. It was an audition and she got the part.'

Elle shot up from her seat like her arse was on fire, a low gasp parting her. Anger washed over just as soon, a sneer curling on her lips and her nails leaving imprints over her palms as she pinched them into fists.

'Tony,' she said calmly, nearing him and leading him away from her colleagues. Just as she was a good ten feet away from them, she looked up at him with a fire behind her eyes that awoke with his intrusion.

'Elle, hi,' he whispered, his lips kicking up to a captivating smile. 'Calico told me I could find you here. So I came. I missed you.'

Like a heated knife, his words cut through her obstinate fury like smooth butter. Her curses and profanities died on her lips, a soft grin lifting on them instead.

As if uplifted by her pleasant spirit, Tony took this as a chance to make his move. He would have loved to make a scene; grab her and kiss her breathless. But, he knew her. He perceived that she favoured being left to herself rather than causing an uproar with her mere actions. So instead of smacking on the full of her lips, he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

'Hi,' she said breathily. 'How are you?'

He couldn't help but smile wider. She was the only person he knew who would ask him that question before anything else. And there was nothing more he loved than being asked about his well-being.

'I am exceptional,' he nodded, 'now that I have you.'

She chuckled at his flirty comment. 'Charming.'

'It's my middle name,' he winked, turning them around so that he faced her friends. He went over to the table of studious glances and twirling-hair-seductive females with a deep huff and looked back at Elle with an indulgent smile.

'Are you going to introduce me to your party?'

'Of course,' she blinked herself out of her trance. 'Tony, everyone who works with me at The Pulse. Everyone—'

'Please, the looks on their faces tell me better,' he said, proceeding to sit in Elle's seat as ignorantly as he could. Elle took a seat beside him at the end of the table, happy that she was put a good seat away from Daniel. Meanwhile, the poor chap tossed Tony a wavering glance before prodding back at the food on his plate.

'So, what is this celebration for?' He asked simply, tending across the table to grab her flute of champagne. 'Someone got sold. Someone got engaged.'

No one dared to answer.

'Someone got sacked?'

Millie bucked up the courage to chuckle out loud, prompting the others to laugh along. 'Actually Mr Stark, we were celebrating Elle's promotion.'

Elle flushed shades of red, letting out a shaky sigh. Tony's astonished glimpse made her look at him from underneath her brows and shrug. He reached behind her chair, easily slinging an arm at the edge of her chair. She felt a hand caress the back of her head in appreciation, letting her hang down for a quick second before releasing a massive grin blow on her face.

'That's wildly extolling,' he commented. 'Good going, babe.'

'You say that now,' the intern scoffed, 'she is a written beast when it comes to hand-ins.'

'Please continue,' Tony urged to Elle's utmost despair. She flared her nostrils at her colleagues, shaking her head. 'I know her and her heavy hand at their finest.'

Many cleared their throats at his innuendo, some looking at her with a cheeky smile. Elle reached over to smack his shoulder with a grimace.

'I'm just saying,' he smirked. 'Your heavy hand is appreciated with me, at least.'

Her colleagues didn't hesitate to fill him in. Another of her cabin-neighbours spoke up this time. 'She has literally never taken a day off and overtimes every day, Mr Stark. Do you know how insulting that is to me who comes in once a fortnight?'

A bout of laughter traversed across the table and Elle found herself grinning along with a hand over her eyes. In a mere second, she found herself going from grin to grimace.

A warm hand splayed over her knee; innocent and impeccable. Elle's heart picked up pace when she looked at Tony who was unabashed, chatting along with the others with a wide smile. She placed a palm over it, hoping he would take it off.

He only merely forced her hand away, placing his back over her knee. A finger skimmed the supple skin under her svelte thigh and slowly bringing her to an edge.

'Looking a little red there, Preece,' he leaned to whisper when the table indulged into a conversation of their own.

'Quit it please,' she tried weakly. Once again, she attempted at pushing his hand off but he continued to glue it shut to her skin.

'Why didn't you call me?' He asked, attacking her at her most delicate. There was a playful smirk playing on his lips as his hands inched north towards the zipper of her dress pants when her answer didn't follow.

'Because you didn't,' she blurted.

'Oh, so it was an ego-trip?' He sounded amazed.

'No,' she gulped when his hand disappeared under the table cloth and she jumped when his fingers dangerously inched towards the seam of her panties.

'Okay, all right—yes. It was.'

He simply shrugged. His strong hands were relentless in their pursuit, crawling higher until a finger slid down her zipper and hooked with the slinky material between her legs. She thrust her legs together with a soft gasp and casting a glance around the table who left them unnoticed.

'Tony,' she breathed, appalled. 

'Say my name, babe.' 

He was all tongue in cheek when she squirmed at the contact of his cold fingers at her sex. A small drop of sweat beaded at her temple when pushed the material aside and prodded a finger at her gentle centre. Just then, he undid her pants button, drawing out a short clearing of the throat from him to shroud the noise. She held his fingers.

Her eyes widened, a loud breath rolling out her. Back going ramrod straight and a hand fisting over his, she looked at him with a plea.

'Please,' she begged. 'Tony.'

If only he listened. His ravishing touch got her hot all over, a finger entering from below to make her wide-eyes more prominent and face him with a horrified look. In a single motion, he was inside her. Her catching exhalations timed to his motion, going despondent when they landed on his wry ones.

'Elle, jeez,' Millie called out from across the table, obviously concerned. Elle didn't know what to think, all her focus was driven on the broiling pleasure between her legs. His fingers continued their assault, making it hard for her to verbalize an explanation.

'Get the girl some water. Looks like she's about to pass out.'

'I think it's the champagne,' Tony input innocently, taking the glass of water from her. 'Right, babe?'

'I'm fine,' she breathed out, happy to articulate an answer. 'Just parched.'

Tony's seen fingers skimmed her knuckles as she took the water from his, his mischievous doubling the pleasure she felt. He leaned closer, breaths caressing her jaw softly.

'Tony,' she said, 'oh my god.'

Elle's breath hitched, catching with every thrust and her nose driving into his shoulder with a sigh. Her nerves unfolded, expanded and arrested with the pressure and her hormones shutting down her basic instincts and her animal self coming to play. 

'Please,' she whispered at him. 

'Please what?' He muttered back, his nose skimming the edge of her jaw before pulling back.

'Don't stop,' she told him, her light eyes darkened to a luscious colour he never thought existed. Her nails were leaving curved-moon imprints on his exposed arm and voice hoarse with the building pleasure. Just as she reached her summit and her eyes discretely rolling to the back of her head in the feasting pleasure, he moved away and snapping the thin set of complete satisfaction back into a knot.

She cried out, smothering out into her palm. Nine different gazes landed on her; questioning and confused. Her heart hammered, her head swimming in heady, unfinished pleasure and irritation rolling off her in waves.

'I—I—my leg,' she stammered to them, pointing to her leg. Just then, she silently fastened back her pants under the clothed table with a gulp. 'Got caught between the fabric.'

'Careful there,' Tony whispered to her and her only, 'don't want to get caught in something you can't finish.'

Elle stumbled to her feet at his reply, feeling herself writhe when the cool air hit her hot skin. Her stilettos struggled to bring herself unappeased balance as she faltered out of her chair.

'I'm going to use the loo.'

Without second glances, Elle shot away from the table after grabbing her purse. Swinging it over her shoulder, she raced to the female's loo in sight and walked in with a relieved sigh. Meanwhile, Tony cleared his throat at the table who watched him with unmistakably prankish faces. They looked between him and his girlfriend who had just departed to the washroom.

'Weird,' a girl whispered under her breath. 

'You tell me.'

'All right, folks, I have unfinished business,' he declared, throwing his towel over the table and rising up.  All the eyes followed him as he walked into the same restroom Elle had walked into, shooting them a wink.

A loud, 'holy shit!' echoed.

 Upon reaching the restroom, he found Elle hunched over the marble sink with a weary expression over her reddened face. Thank god the bathroom looked clean enough to be rated five-star, otherwise Tony would have had a hard time holding back. 

'Have you completely lost it?' She breathed at him, anger burning deep in her wild blue eyes. His hands fisted over his sides as he took in what she wore for the night; a crazy tight, two-piece black business suit and a top missing from beneath her blazer. Just enough to reveal the valley between her breasts and the sweep of her hips. 

'I'm talking to you,' she hissed at him, taking a clacking step forward, 'if you for even one second—'

Unable to stop, Tony had ceased her words by pressing his lips on hers. His hands found their abode in her dark, even hair and curling a hand at the back of her neck. When she let out a gasp, he pulled back with worry.

'Shit, sorry honey,' he cussed, pushing the hair behind her neck despite her soft protests at him. 

'I'm sorry,' she whispered, making him blink. 'It hurt and I⁠—'

'Why the hell are you apologizing?' He grimaced at her downcast face. 'Hey, look at me. Elle.'

She did, but it was careful and hesitant. He hated that she was feeling guilty at her actions and the fear that struck her pretty eyes. When he smiled, he was elated to see that she did too. Her thin lips lifting to mirror his.

'I'm sorry about what I did back there,' he found himself confessing. 'I thought of it as ridiculous but you⁠—you just keep driving me insane.'

'Never ever, ever do that to me again,' she said, a warning in her tone in spite of the smile. He let out a soft agreement, resting his forehead with hers and thrusting her waist closer to his. Her warmth was inviting, her slender body fitting into his as if they were puzzle-pieces clicking together.

'I think you should finish what you started, Mr Stark,' she whispered in a tease, brushing his lips with hers. 'Or shall I?'

And just like that, every pretence fell when he pushed themselves into a nearby stall in the restroom. Tony loved when her upset was replaced with carnal shenanigans, her kisses getting raw, intense and so fucking good. He found it hard to stifle his moan for more when her slim fingers unbuttoned his shirt in a rapid motion and wasting no time in undoing the two secure buttons that fastened her blazer together.

His imagination had reached heights he never knew existed when he spotted the black lace, a groan leaving him. She lifted her head from his neck, from the wonderful kisses she was treating him to over his jaw, and looked at him in confusion.

'Why would you do this to me?' He muttered, not able to pry his eyes away from the dark, intricate lace over her soft skin. 'You know I love seeing you in black.'

She laughed, her nose scrunching up. 'I like them, too.'

He wasted no time in joining his lips with her neck once again, to undo the obstructive button in her pants - was it too late to want her in a dress? - his hand forcing her thighs apart for him to fit himself between them. His mind was unable to process the pleasure when a finger slipped between the waistband of his pants to stretch it along with her playful digits. Her teeth had caught his lip with a breathy laugh, causing him to pause his motion.

'You made me wait for it,' she whispered, 'I'm deciding on walking out on you right now.'

'You wouldn't dare.'

'Oh,' she breathed, 'I do.'

He tried to push himself to catch her lips between his, her grin widening when she pulled back with ease every single time. Her hand inched southwards to grab his ass, force him into her exposed sex.

'Hmm,' she hummed, his bottom still being playfully tugged on by her. 'You are so sexy up close.'

'Not the first,' he tried to complain, his words muffled. 'Can I kiss you now?'

'I don't think so,' she whispered. 'Beg for it.'

'Are you⁠—'

Her teeth clamped down harder, eluting a hiss from him.

'Fine,' he grumbled. 'Can I please kiss you now, Preece?'

Another sly grin replaced the one she wore, releasing his lip. Like a man devoid of kisses for a hundred years, his mouth consumed everything she could ever give and soon, undoing her zipper with a sigh.

Their tongues danced in a clash for dominance, surprising him again when she put up just a fight. The wry smile never left either of their lips, only a swift change to pain when he was inside of her. She muffled a cry into his shoulder, her back arching with anticipation and knowing where his fingers were going to reach just as soon. 

'Tony,' she breathed out, catching with his easy thrust. Her body writhed for a swift second when he braced his hands on either side of her body and watching her softly moan out once again.

He was unable to articulate a humane response, a grunt slipping his lips when her nails dragged up his skull in a mere want for more. It was like electricity where she touched him, intoxicating and the wild passion drowning his senses. 

Sweat matted the sides of her face and the fringes of her hair, he was carefully gentle when dragging his fingers through her skin. She was a divinity on earth, setting his brain alight with zest when her eyes fluttered open to face him. The brown clashed with blue, the woodsy darkness with the wrath of the ocean. 

None of them backed down, a subtle glance up at the ceiling in the gradually unwinding pleasure. A finger of her traced down the delve of his chest and dragging past the reactor with a gasp.

Midst the swirling drunk they were immersed into, they arrived at their climaxes and Elle's face twisting up in rote pleasure. The space they were confined had gotten than ever, their bodies moving together intoxicating them as they reached their unfolded summits. 

Upon the end, Elle lifted herself off him with a sluggish smile and turned away to zip herself up. Tony's eyes never left her even as she fastened back his buttons and fixing a smirk on his face when she turned back around.

'Uh,' he murmured, 'the hair?'

Immediately, her fingers combed the disarray with a deep blush colouring her cheeks and looking at him from underneath her lashes. She downed her fingers into the thick fringe that flopped over her forehead, shaking on it to bring it back to volume.

'Yeah, like that's gonna keep people knowing we had sex,' he said, making Elle roll her eyes.

'Stop it,' she blushed harder.

'No regrets, honey,' his smirk widened as he leaned forward to press a warm kiss once again. When she tried to pull back, he seized her wrists with a cheeky smile and continued to peck her when she protested softly. 

She laughed, turning her face away. 'Christ, you're insatiable.'

'Part of the deal. And, you think I should get a tattoo?'

'God, no.'

'I was thinking, like, a huge E on my back—oh, ey.'

Letting her go, they walked out of the bathroom stall unaware of the women who were huddled at the corner of the restroom. They had their mouths clanged open to the ground, watching Tony as he grappled her waist from the behind.

'Hi,' he waved to them, 'funny, I thought this was the men's room. First off, I'm not Tony Stark. At all.'

They were still silent and Elle quietly cleared her throat.

'And, don't take any pictures.'

They immediately pocketed their phones which they had raised for a picture. 

'But, we did have sex. A lot.'

'Tony!' She hissed.

He cast her faux scowl. 'I'm sorry, who?'

∞

[ so, yeah. this was how tony and elle met and how they well - things started to pick up with them. I hope this helped bring insight and now, on with the story!  still EDITING! ]