𝕃𝔼𝕋 𝕀𝕋 ℍ𝕌ℝ𝕋. 𝕃𝔼𝕋 𝕀𝕋 𝔹𝕃𝔼𝔼𝔻. 

❝  I NEED YOU. ❞

❝ WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? ❞

𝕃𝔼𝕋 𝕀𝕋 ℍ𝔼𝔸𝕃. 𝕃𝔼𝕋 𝕀𝕋 𝔾𝕆.

∞

EPILOGUE

𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐁𝐔, 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐀

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

'You're gonna get office tourettes if you stay here any longer.'

The strangest part of that dialogue was that I wasn't the one to say it. In fact, it was Tony who had said it to me. Oh, how the tables had turned. But of course, I wouldn't just hole up in the corner without reason. I did have one - a valid one - to prove myself to be deserving of my position at the publishing house I had to win back. If it were up for grabs, it had to be no one else but me. Hence, I was determined on my race to the post by locking myself up in the room with my laptop, the six-month everyday issues of articles and a coffeemaker hooked to the nearest socket. What I didn't expect to see on my final day of work, was a stormy Tony with his eyes glued on the mess I had created around the room.

The curtains were drawn close and the temperatures were lower than usual - freezing temperatures helped me think - with a blanket over my shoulders as I was settled at the foot of my bed. It had been a habit of mine to work on the floor rather than on a table, it had improved my brainstorming skills. I probably looked like a hobo on the loose, when I dragged my lethargic body up from my hunched-over position and sinking back into the soft footboard with a tired exhale.

'What?'

'I want my Elle back,' he stated without hesitation. 'Just because I am too occupied to notice, doesn't mean JARVIS is.'

JARVIS. Darn it. That dense, too-good AI that had tattled on me even after we had a deal about my week of isolation. At first, I thought I was insane to shake on it virtually with an AI but of course, he had protocols. Protocols which could be overridden by his very creator who probably heard the whole story by now. I grunted under my breath, looking away. I spotted the digital clock on the dresser which read out three one pm. So that's why I was hungry. 

'Get your dainty butt up, Blue,' was his short order as he paddled over to me, sidestepping the clutter of paper balls, articles and finished clipper pens. I should have swooned at his nickname using the colour of my eyes. He reached me with an annoying tap of his feet. I shook my head and he nudged my ankle. 'Elle, please?'

'No.'

'No,' he repeated. I tried to hold his stare for what felt like the longspun of times until I bailed, glancing back at my painted toes which popped out from the edge of the blanket. 'Okay.'

I watched him in shock, expecting a string on demands but the opposite exhibited, as he turned around nonchalantly and walked out the door. I let my mouth flop open, shaken to the core. I had to ask myself what just happened before slowly rising off the ground and heading out to the door with an angry stomp to my step. Was I not worth the commands or did I just see Tony Stark give up at something?

I stormed past the living room, shooting lasers into Tony's retreating back as he started to spiralling journey down to his basement. Fun fact, I had never been down there and how much ever he tried to get me to come, I never had the sanity to drop him a visit to his workshop. Plus, it was not anything I had not seen before. It would probably be just the same old wires, wrenches and outfit ornaments. Just as I caught up to him, I grabbed him by his meathook and turned him around to shoot my deadliest glare. It had no effect on him, other than strangely smug look on his face and shaky lips that were failing at concealing a laugh.

'You pompous sack of bollocks,' I seethed, my eyebrows dipping down deeper. 'You didn't even try!'

He burst laughing when I barked out, doubling over with fits of chortles. It died down when I deadpanned, his hands reaching out to clasp the sides of my face. I had the strange urge to slap him away. 'You're so predictable,' he laughed again. 'It's very, very...'

'Vexatious?'

'Adorable,' he amended grimly. 'Greatly.'

I rolled my eyes. 'Was there a reason behind why you formulated this terrible plan?'

'I missed you,' he said, simply.

His words melted my anger away instantly, my lips contorting into a swooning smile. I circled my arms around his neck, placing a soft kiss over his cheek. When I pulled back, I shot him an apologetic look.

'I'm sorry,' I said. 'I have this deadline and I really, truly need my job back so I've been snowed under.'

'Who's the madame boss?'

I sighed. 'Christine Everheart.'

Tony's eyebrows raised a beat later, a deer-in-the-headlights expression crossing his face with strange realization. His lips formed a perfect O and it didn't take a genius to know what he was thinking. I narrowed my eyes in cutting glare and attempted to pull my arms away to which he frowned. He placed his hands over mine to restrict my movements. 

'Of course, you slept with her.'

He cleared his throat, conveniently trying to change the subject matters instead of arguing back. 'Later. Destress?'

'Yes, I do,' I sighed out in repose, going slack in his arms and utterly giving up. I let my forehead rest over his shoulder to which he clucked his tongue in sympathy, rubbing a soothing hand over my back to get me to relax. 'Maybe, they need someone new. I'll have to go back home and work small-time—I don't want that, darling, I don't!'

'Elle,' he drawled out softly. 'You're second-guessing. That's never good. Besides, if you fail—'

I let out a noise of conflict. 

'—if you do,' he pressed, leaning back to showcase a proud grin and clap his hands. I could only stare blankly. 'You've got another gig. At Stark Industries.'

'Tony, that is mental—'

'Hubbub,' he pushed a finger against my lips, efficiently silencing me. 'Just in case. It's a backup. I still believe in you - not letting you down that easily, Preece. You're one of the most vivacious women I know and that's a short account. But trust me when I tell you this: you're going to charm their socks off with your admirably sexy radicality. All over again.'

Tony's empowering words had me blown without words. He could've told me that together, you and I, are going to do this and I would have been consoled. But what he had just said, there were no hints of humour and it was adding more load over my back. He had faith in me and in his terms, willing to let me try. He was approaching me as an equal, yet treating me like a child. 

I didn't realize I had been staring off into space until he waved a palm to my face in order to shake me out of my trace. It did the job, nictitating me awake. He was smirking like the cat that ate the canary when I blinked again. 'I did it. I actually shut up an Eleanor.'

'I'm uh,' I pushed my tresses behind my shoulders in an anxious gesture. 'I am overwhelmed.'

'Is this going to be a thing from now on?' He asked flatly, his hands mindlessly reaching to the back of my hair and smoothing it down in a weird notion. Just as he was tugging on the ends while fluffing it up, I knit my eyebrows in confusion. He caught on and explained. 'You being adorable. I presume it's the reactor extraction, it screwed with your natural instincts.'

'That's an interesting theory,' I mused. 'Maybe I got superpowers, too. I could be your sidekick.'

He laughed at the thought. 'Dream of an alias? I do like Iron Woman as a moniker.'

'Too superficial,' I denied instantly, tapping a thoughtful finger over my chin. 'More of the wow-factor. Like... Ferro Maiden.'

He popped his mouth closed. 'That's literally the same thing.'

'Iron Maiden!'

'Still alike.' 

'Yet, exactly different,' I clucked my tongue. I spun on my heels to trot out to the kitchen and leaving Tony hanging. 'I'm calling dibs, Stark. You better not have some other gal saving the world with that name or I'm trademarking it.'

'It's officially yours,' he called out to my receding back. 'Wanna come down and help me with the rest, Iron Maiden?' He clapped his hands to get my attention and it worked. I pursed my lips in surprise, lifting it to a startled smile. 

'I need you.'

It was like the world had stopped spinning on his axis when he said those words. The force of it came with that of a thousand hurricanes but ending up embracing it like it was the hit of a featherlight pillow. Something fluttered in my stomach when he stretched out a hand for me to take. I was at loss for words once again, a soft breath leaving my lips. The man had wound a spell around my heart and I did not ever want it to vanish. So I did what I always will and would do. Taking his trusting hand and believing that I had the world between my own. Who knew, metaphorically, maybe I did. 

That was the thing, I realized, falling in love could be the best of crimes. But in the end, it gave everyone no one knew they needed: to know who they are and that they are precise to their very essence. And no hero, saviour or world-rattling choices was going to change that.

'Then, what are we waiting for?'

∞

[ :) the sequel, "The Eleventh Hour" is out now! go check it out on my page and enjoy the new adventure and more thrills of Elle and Tony! ]

'EDITED'