Glass Heart

It was funny how time seemed to fly by in the Stark household on a regular day. Before Scarlett had finished eating her breakfast, Pepper had returned to her side with magazine upon magazine filled with expensive gowns and cocktail dresses as well as possible masks that she could wear to match her gown. Halfway through the dress ordering process Tony had returned from his excursions in his laboratory, filthier than he’d been when he’d left and had tried to throw his opinions and desires into the mix. Ultimately the women had given Tony the final choice of masks for the party since that had been the only way to keep him from driving them crazy with his whining and interjections. After having chosen a dress for the night, Pepper had left Scarlett on her own so the busy redhead could get the gowns ordered and picked up before the afternoon had ended.

Scarlett guessed that working for Tony Stark had a lot of pull in the retail business. The positive press designers would get for their work simply being in the same room as the man would be more than beneficial. The continued thought of the crowd she’d be a part of later that evening made Scarlett increasingly nervous. What if she panicked the way she had when Tony had taken her to the club for dinner that first night? Surely she’d be over that fear by now, considering all that had transpired in the interim. But what if she’d only been able to properly function without fear gripping her because of how she’d been so isolated for the days prior?

Before she’d had time to dwell much further over her fears a hairdresser had, much to her astonishment, come to help her with her hair for the night. She’d objected to the idea of it at first, but with some convincing from Pepper she’d relented and allowed the man to do his job and attempt to style her hair. Scarlett had never spent much time in a salon. She’d always considered herself lucky to have unruly curly hair because no matter what she did to it, it somehow managed to look effortless and glamorous.

Once that had been taken care of they’d barely had enough time to get changed before it was time for them to leave for the event. Naturally, they were running later than they’d hoped. Scarlett guessed that Tony wasn’t exactly considered punctual on most occasions when she realized that the only one actually panicking was Pepper. Even Happy seemed not to care that they wouldn’t be on time for the event. He was too busy fiddling with his bowtie over and over to care. The dress that Scarlett had decided on in the end for the night was pale turquoise in color, the top of it being a constricting bodice cut into an unconventional shape that hugged her securely.

She’d made sure it had straps, since it had become a habit of hers to make sure that whatever she’d wear out was something she could maneuver enough in to defend herself of the occasion arose. There was little worse than getting into a fistfight in a strapless dress. It usually became inevitable that she’d end up flashing someone and Scarlett wasn’t that kind of lady. She preferred to keep what was beneath her dress a mystery.

The bottom half of the dress draped loosely onto the floor, minus a slit in the side of her dress that went up to her thigh. She actually thought it had been a genius idea when Tony had suggested it to her, even if he had been purely chauvinistic with his intentions. Her wounded thigh wouldn’t become constricted or insulated by the fabric as it had when she’d been working with Tony in her jeans. On top of the bottom half of the dress was another layer of sheer chiffon in a faded dark brown shade that accented the blue in a way she’d never seen before in a dress. The corset was detailed with the same brown color along with some touches of blue and gold to highlight the detailing. If it had been done any other day then it might have looked tacky.

The group loaded into a classy Bentley which Scarlett took a few moments to drool over before they headed on their way. Happy Hogan, as usual, was in charge of driving them to the hall where the masquerade was being held.

The building was beautiful, large and Grecian in inspiration and design. It was at the far end of an extensive driveway with gorgeous gardens surrounding the sides and back of the building. Scarlett didn’t have much time to ponder what the building was usually used for on a daily basis, because Tony was shoving something in her face and blocking her view out the window.

“Here, you can’t go to a masquerade without a mask, now can you?” Tony smirked, though he had tried his best to find something that would give her the anonymity he couldn’t afford to give himself at such events. Short of shaving, he was pretty recognizable. If someone was after Scarlett though, then maybe her mask would help keep her in the shadows during that particular event. At least, that was what Tony was hoping it would do. He’d chosen Venetian masks after much pondering and searching for other types of masks with the help of Jarvis. He’d stuck to a basic black design since he wasn’t sure what the girls had picked out for Scarlett to wear.

Pepper on the other hand, was handed a blue mask which luckily would go well with white draped dress accented with blue she’d chosen for the occasion. Once Happy had driven up the lengthy driveway they could see just how extensively large the hall was. It hadn’t seemed nearly as large from the street.

“They really went all out for this, didn’t they?” Pepper spoke under her breath, peering through the front passenger side window. Scarlett nodded to silently agree. Tony peeked over Scarlett’s shoulder and then shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve seen bigger.” Leaning back again, he tugged on Scarlett’s arm and pulled her close to him and away from the window. She immediately tugged away out of instinct. “Wow, defensive tonight, aren’t we? Well, wait… I guess it’s more like all the time. You need to chill out. I offer my services, of course.” Giving Scarlett a skeptical look followed by a flirting glance, Tony snatched the mask from her hands. He then slipped it into place over her eyes, examining his work. “Perfect. It’s like I picked the dress out myself.”

“Except that you didn’t. Don’t take credit for things you didn’t do.” Scarlett made no move to push him away but instead stared him down. Tony was right about one thing, she definitely needed to chill out. If she could concentrate on what needed to be done with Tony instead of the surely large and wealthy crowd inside the hall, perhaps it wouldn’t seem overwhelming. There had been a time when she’d been capable of sneaking through any crowd, still able to be aware of all her exits and opportunities while keeping a target in sight and now she was afraid to go into something that would most likely be filled with stuffy rich socialites who would have less interest in danger than in the cut of her dress.

“I expected you to keep your hair down but you didn’t, so how are we going to do this…?” Tony held the mask in place over her eyes, his fingers against her cheek while choosing to ignore her snide remark. He peeked around her in order to try to find a way to tie it without knocking her hair out of place. Swatting his hand away from her face after he spent a good three minutes trying to figure it out, Scarlett pulled the strings of the mask around and beneath her hair at the base of her neck and tied it in place, making sure that the mask was properly in place and tight enough so that it wouldn’t fall off.

“Hold on.” Scarlett grabbed the edge of Tony’s mask that was resting in his lap, not wanting to give him a chance to make any snide remarks about where she was reaching and slipped it into place over his eyes. “That’ll do, I suppose.” Sighing heavily and dramatically, she urged him to turn with his back to her which he did after hesitating.

“What do you mean you suppose it’ll do? Do you have any idea how expensive that mask is? And what is it that you think it’s lacking, hmm?” When Tony turned his head to try to look at her over his shoulder, she grabbed his chin and forced him to look forward, much to his amusement. “You know, if you keep manhandling me like this, I’m going to return the favor.”

“I was simply hoping that the mask would cover your mouth so I could pretend I couldn’t understand you the whole night.” Scarlett heard Pepper chuckle in the front seat and thought she saw Happy smile once he’d put the car in park. A second later she heard the front door open and assumed he was communicating with the valet. Tying the mask behind Tony’s head once he’d stopped squirming, Scarlett made sure it was tight enough then placed both hands on his shoulders. “And I’d like to see you try to manhandle me, Stark.” Dusting off his shoulders and straightening the jacket of his slimming black tuxedo for him, Scarlett heard the door open behind her. Happy was holding it open politely for them.

Stepping out before Tony could retaliate to her comment, Scarlett was relieved that the tight clutches of fear didn’t grip her lungs when she saw reporters and paparazzi lined up near the entrance to take photos for the event. Thankfully, it looked like they weren’t allowed within the building so if nothing else, they couldn’t catch pictures of whatever ridiculous things Tony was surely planning on trying throughout the night. Tony scrambled out of the car after her and immediately looped his arm with hers once he had caught up with her.

Scarlett shrugged him off and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Happy and Pepper caught up with them only a few seconds afterward. When they walked past the paparazzi Tony stopped so they could take pictures of him. Not wanting to be in any photos with Tony at a public function in the provocative dress she wore, Scarlett continued walking but was stopped when Tony grabbed her by her wrist and tugged her back. She nearly scolded him for pulling her off balance considering how bad her leg had been only a few days prior but since she’d managed to hold her balance considerably well, she decided against it. Instead she pulled her wrist free of his grip and narrowed her eyes at him in a scolding way. He responded to her look with innocent, playful eyes.

Pepper and Happy stopped further ahead to speak with some of the photographers off to the side, looking excited to be part of the action since they were usually overshadows by Tony’s huge ego. Tony did his best to continue to look innocent but behind his eyes she saw mischief brewing.

“Didn’t we make a deal of some kind about how tonight would be handled?” Scarlett whispered to him but smiled for the pictures.

“Come on, taking pictures is part of the whole going to a public function thing. This is how they make their living! Are you going to deny these beautiful people a paycheck?” Tony pouted, trying to look sincere. “If you want to go out with a celebrity, honey, then you have to learn to deal with the repercussions.

“I’m not his date.” Scarlett turned to the paparazzi with a grin. “He wants me to be his date, but I’m not. I’m his colleague and we’re working on a project together. You can take a few pictures of us if you like, but they will likely mostly be of me swatting his hands away from my ass.” Looking back to Tony she batted her eyelashes and smiled playfully. “Go ahead, remind me one more time just how famous you are.”

Tony’s eyes were wide, but he only stayed surprised briefly. If nothing else, playing with her like this was even more fun in public than it had been alone. Though if he made attempts at her here the way he’d done at home, he’d likely get in huge trouble such as the kind Pepper was always reminding him about. Regardless, he’d always loved having an audience for his antics. There was some sick thrill he got off of other people seeing just how clever he could be. Slipping his arm around her waist he tugged her so that her hip was touching against his while a few pictures were snapped.

“You heard the lady, take your pictures while you get the chance.” Tony laughed as Scarlett tried to swat his hand off of her hip to no avail. “What do you think you’re doing?” He whispered, turning so he could do so in her ear. He tightened his grip on her hip, tangling his fingers in the chiffon of her dress. Not moving away but instead placing a hand over his on her hip she glanced up at him and narrowed her eyes dangerously. Her nails tapped over his fingers, threatening to dig into his hand to get him to let go if she found it necessary. Tony got shivers down his spine and resisted making a crack about what better use those nails would be put to against his back.

“You were so concerned with their paychecks that I figured I’d give them something to actually write about rather than some speculation over one of many brunettes you brought to a party.” Prying his fingers one by one off of her hip she picked up his hand and held it purposely away from her before letting it drop. Waving once more to the paparazzi and blowing Tony a kiss she hurried to catch up with Pepper and Happy who had started their way up the extensive staircase moments prior.

Glancing back at Tony one more time she grinned at him and then continued on her way. Tony stood in front of the paparazzi, staring at the sneaky woman as she walked away from him. It was like a game of cat and mouse but sometimes Tony couldn’t tell which one of those he was. Sometimes he felt like the cat in hot pursuit but other times, like at that moment, he felt like the mouse, being batted around by the sexy cat. Behind the black mask on her face, Scarlett’s blue eyes were beckoning him, luring him in with every move. Whether or not she was doing it on purpose or he was just making it up remained to be seen.

“Mr. Stark?” A vaguely familiar voice brought him back to reality. Turning around and dreading what he saw, he tried not to look disappointed when an older gentleman approached him, hand extended. Before he got to Tony, the man turned to greet the paparazzi and accidentally bumped one of them with the large plague doctor mask he wore. Tilting it up so it rested on the top of his head, he apologized profusely before walking over to Tony who waited for him politely. Though he was sitting and waiting for the man he recognized as a software developer he’d met at several other events in passing, he was contemplating his next move with Scarlett.

The masquerade, while for a charity of course that he would likely donate a large sum of money to depending on how things went, was an opportunity for him to make his next move with Scarlett. They’d been playing their game for far too long and he was ready to declare them both the winner if he couldn’t gain victory on his own. The more time they wasted building their continued tension, the less likely Tony would be able to keep his grace and poise that he was so proud of in such situations. She was bringing out the primal beast in Tony, which was intriguing in itself.

“Mr. Stark, so sorry about that.” The older man, his eyes playful and kind, approached Tony once again and patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m sure that the guy you whacked in the face just now is going to have a damn good story to tell later.” Tony shrugged and straightened his black bowtie. Shaking the man’s hand as he once again offered it, Tony nodded toward the stairs. Scarlett, Happy and Pepper had long since disappeared beyond the open front doors of the hall that were guarded by two large but kind looking men in suits. Tony pondered what sort of snotty threat they’d offer to anyone who clearly didn’t belong at the event.

“As long as he doesn’t sue me for that’s fine. You never know with those people. Some are always looking for effortless ways to make a buck.” Dusting his hand off on his jeans, and looking rather giddy with excitement the man bowed his head respectfully then started with Tony up the stairs. “I don’t know if you remember me, Mr. Stark, but we’ve met a few times here and there at charity functions and other events. I could never get your attention for more than a few moments before but it looks like I’ve gotten lucky this time! Your assistant doesn’t even seem to be here!”

“Right… Leo… something, right? I remember the first name but… You’re a software bigwig that much I know. You were telling me about the product that made you rich when I was called away by my assistant for an important impromptu meeting at Stark Industries.” Tony shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked into the hall. Taking a moment to admire his surroundings, he saw how elegantly the place was decorated. Once through the foyer and opening hall, decorated in a classic romantic era style, they were led into a large ballroom at the far end of the building.

There were large windows at the opposite end of the room, where a stage and ten piece orchestra were set up playing music. The windows overlooked the gardens behind the hall which were lit up to look like some sort of fairytale. Tony wondered how he could lure Scarlett away and into the gardens later that night. What hot-blooded girl didn’t like to be romanticized amongst the roses? She could pretend it didn’t get to her, but Tony knew that deep down every girl wanted to be romanced. The floors were marble and intricately decorated while the ceiling was vaulted and as intricate as the floor. At the center of the room was a dance floor and around the room were tables, covered in red cloths for those invited to sit in throughout the event.

“Oh so you do remember me! But I think this still calls for a proper introduction, my name is Leonard Mondy, Mr. Stark and it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Tony.” Without looking at the man at his side he continued inside the ballroom and glanced around to try and find where his companions had gone. Scarlett was easy to find, since it seemed she was the only one who had strayed very far from black and white on the color palette with her gown. She was in the corner of the room standing near a table with Pepper and Happy, chatting and looking content. Admiring her for a moment, Tony then turned back to his current companion and was about to make an excuse to leave when the man grabbed them each a glass of champagne from one of the waiters walking by.

“Tony yes, you have… no idea what an honor it is to be chatting you.” Leonard spoke and despite his age, there was a boyish delight about him that Tony was having trouble turning away. He had expected to get his ear talked off by some snobbish socialites, but this man looked practically giddy to be in his presence. If he was that excited, Tony couldn’t bring himself to deny the man. Who was he to deny his public?

“Well, what is it you want to talk to me about, Leo?” Tony finally turned his attention to Leonard and the champagne he held.

“It’s Leonard if you don’t mind.” Adjusting the plague doctor mask on his head, the older man smiled politely.

“Leo sounds better.” Tony tapped his fingers against the side of his glass of champagne.

“Ah yes, that is what my fiancé keeps telling me but I prefer, in a professional setting, to be called Leonard.” Tony snapped his fingers in recollection while he spoke.

“Oh, that’s right! I’ve seen you at some of those SHIELD functions. You’re dating the one who talks about her dog too much, right?” Tony smirked, taking a sip out of his glass of champagne. The party was nowhere near as boring as he’d expected it to be at least up to that point. Much to his surprise, the music was good, the crowd seemed lively and most of all, he was entertained.

“Yes, Mickey… She’s a sweet girl.” Leonard seemed like he was ready to jump out of his skin with excitement, since Tony had recognized him and had even bothered to recall so much about him. He was very much like a child who was meeting his favorite cartoon character.

“Well I’d hope so if you’re marrying her. So how is jailbait doing, hmm?” Tony couldn’t help but make a quip at how young the woman from SHIELD was in comparison to her aging fiancée.

“That’s a terrible thing to say!” Despite Leonard’s apparent shock at Tony’s words, he was still smiling with boyish glee. “I know there’s an age gap between us but we’re very much in love.”

“I’m sure you are. Look, Leonard, I was joking. I’m all for older men dating younger women. I’m not kid anymore either.” Starting to walk toward the table where Pepper, Happy and Scarlett were now sitting around joking, he decided to invite his new friend along. It occurred to Tony that he had no idea how old Scarlett was on top of everything else. She looked young, but mature so he was guessing late twenties or early thirties. He’d have to make it a point to either find out on his own or to ask her so that he could subdue his curiosity. “Come on, come sit with us. We’ve got plenty of room at the table and it’ll keep me from being surrounded by stiffs all night long.”

“Wow! Really? Mr. Stark… I mean Tony, it’s an honor. You have no idea… I’m a huge fan of yours. The research you’re doing in the energy field is simply mind blowing. Not to mention I’ve read several of your papers. I think you might be the greatest mind this world has seen since Albert Einstein.” The boyish excitement was more apparent than ever in this man as he spoke. “I know you have many fans, mostly because of your wealth and persona and while I think this does add to your overall appeal, it’s the science that really intrigues me.”

“You don’t have to kiss my ass so much, you know. I already invited you to sit with us.” Tony started slowly toward the table but stopped a waiter as he passed by to grab a glass of champagne for Scarlett. It would be his excuse to sit down next to her just in case his companion chose the wrong seat.

“Oh, you misunderstand me!” Leonard stopped walking entirely, that gleeful smile still on his face. “I really am a huge fan of your work! When you announced you would be abandoning weapons development to pursue energy research I was one of the very few who didn’t think the idea was so insane! Then when you reopened the Stark Expo I went once a month just to see the new developments Stark Industries had come up with. It’s amazing what you’ve accomplished in such a short time, Mr. Stark… I mean Tony.” Leonard continued to babble on but not walk toward the table. Sighing heavily as he eyed the table and then turning back to Leonard, Tony smiled.

“Well, then I’ll let you pick my brain at the table. Maybe even over lunch one day. You’re good people Leo. And don’t correct me, I’m calling you Leo. You said you prefer Leonard in a professional setting well this is not a professional setting now is it? This is a charity event and while the motives are financial, the gathering is purely social.” Tony reasoned then started once again toward the table but rolled his head back when Leonard continued talking and didn’t move forward.

“Really? If you mean that then I might have a few business opportunities for you, Tony.” Leonard was so excited that he nearly dropped his glass. As another waiter passed, the mask that had been slipped around the back of his head so he could properly see smacked the waiter. Apologizing again profusely, Leonard then turned back to Tony. “As you said, I’m a software developer and I’ve been working on a few new projects.”

“That’s something we can discuss over lunch. This is purely social.” Tony patted the man on the arm and started to guide him toward the table since he didn’t seem to be getting the hint on his own. If Tony wasn’t so amused and flattered by the man then he would’ve made an excuse to leave. It was refreshing to meet someone who was a fan of his actual work rather than his public persona. He’d been used to women fawning over him and asking for his autograph at every street corner but older men who owned software companies? Usually he received the same disdain from other scientists that he’d gotten from Scarlett when they’d first met.

“Alright, alright… I can see you’re far more interested in that lovely lady over there than you are in talking about my software company.” Chuckling under his breath, Leonard started to finally walk with him through the crowd toward the table that Pepper had claimed for them. Sighing with relief, Tony continued on. “So, who is she? Another model on your arm? What a lucky man you are to have such beautiful woman constantly by your side.”

“No, she’s an engineer actually and she definitely wouldn’t like to hear that about me.” Tony laughed and pretended to silence Leonard.

“I don’t often see many engineers who look quite like that.” Leonard was nothing short of amused.

“You never answered me when I asked where your fiancé was.” Tony drew the conversation away from Scarlett. He wanted strangers to know as little about her as possible, just in case anyone was watching them at the event. No one else could be put in harm’s way if they didn’t know anything that was happening between them. Sometimes ignorance was the best defense.

“Oh yes, right… Mickey can’t be joining us tonight. She’s been tied up at work for the past week and I can’t seem to get much of her time lately!” Chuckling as though that was humorous for whatever reason Tony didn’t understand, Leonard smiled politely as they approached the table. His hands were trembling with excitement. There was no mistaking how tickled he was to be spending time with the brilliant Tony Stark.

“Tony can I have a moment of your time?” A woman’s voice from behind him made Tony cringe. Rolling his shoulders to keep from snapping, he turned around and shook his head in a negative way.

“I’m afraid someone else got to me first, Katherine, look for me later if you can.” Tony turned immediately away from the brunette who had been pursuing him. She was an older woman who simply looked like she had a few curious questions to ask him.

“Who was that?” Leonard peered over his shoulder at the woman, none too gracefully and nearly knocking his mask into Tony. “Another scientist?”

“No, no… she’s a socialite. She’s constantly trying to talk my ear off at these functions simply so she can be seen with me in public. For some people that means more than what my company does.” Tony smiled politely. “I do like you Leo, you’ve kept me entertained which is no mean feat. If you want to talk to my assistant, Miss Pepper Potts, at the table you can have her schedule a lunch. I’d do it myself but I’ve been doing this for so long that if Pepper doesn’t do it and nag me about it, I tend to forget to do it entirely.”

“Of course, I understand that. Plus I’d love the opportunity to speak with the famous Pepper Potts! What a lovely woman you have working for you, Tony. She’s a gem and very sweet if I recall from the few times I met her. You truly are a blessed man.” Leo couldn’t stop smiling.

“Yeah, she’s nice to everyone else so I don’t have to be.” Tony chuckled and started toward the table, trying to catch Scarlett’s eye. It seemed as though she was avoiding his glance on purpose now but he could spy a smile on her lips that he was sure was meant for him.

Scarlett had seen Tony get practically attacked be people once he’d gotten inside the hall and was partially grateful not to be a part of that since she was sure that Tony would try to parade her around as his date in front of them. Instead she’d sat talking with Pepper and Happy about the party and how beautifully it was decorated.

“You know, if they spent less on this charity event then perhaps they’d have more money for the charity itself.” Scarlett shrugged her shoulders seriously, eliciting a chuckle from both Happy and Pepper. Before she could continue to tell them that she was being serious and thought that this sort of grandeur from a company that was trying to raise money for something that appeared to have more than enough to spend on what was practically a gala, someone cleared their throat behind her.

Turning in her seat and expecting to see Tony there to annoy her and tell her she was supposed to sit in his lap or something equally ridiculous, she was surprised to see a different man entirely. He had piercing blue eyes just like hers and he was young and rather handsome with shaggy blond hair. He wore a simple black mask and held out his hand politely.

“I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room and was hoping that I might steal a few moments of your time for a dance.” Bowing his head respectfully he acknowledged the hand he had offered for her. Pepper had her lips pursed and observed the man curiously. Happy looked like he was about to speak but Pepper covered his mouth to keep him from making any snide remarks. Tony stopped a few feet from the table with Leo and watched the exchange. He was wondering what was going on but knew soon enough. Scarlett caught Tony’s glance and saw how desperately he wanted her to turn this debonair stranger down.

“Well, I guess since you asked so nicely.” Scarlett took the hand that was offered to her and threw a spiteful glance toward Tony before letting the young man lead her onto the dance floor. The man seemed oblivious of the people staring at him and led her away onto the center of the floor. Scarlett placed her hands politely on his shoulders and let him lead her around the dance floor, deciding it was best for her to concentrate on her footing considering how bad her leg had been. So far it’d held up in the heels pretty decently so she wasn’t worried but wasn’t prepared to take any chances.

“Can I ask your name?” The young man smiled down at her, charming and sweet. She was sure he was a player in his own right with looks like that.

“Scarlett, sweetheart, can I ask yours?” Laughing under her breath, she continued on the dance floor with the other couples moving along gracefully. It was a relief to be in the thick of the crowd and not to feel any anxiety the way she had the first night she’d gone out with Tony.

“Victor.” He bowed his head again as he twirled her around the dance floor. They continued their small talk as they moved gracefully together throughout the crowds of people who were joining them in the festivities.

Tony, on the other hand, was stewing and glaring at the two in annoyance as they danced together. Of course she’d done it on purpose to make him jealous. What other reason could there be?

“Tony, what are you thinking?” Pepper whispered once she’d realized he wasn’t making a move to take his seat as she had hoped that he would. “Oh, let her have her dance, she’s been cooped up in the house for days…” Draining his entire glass of champagne in one swallow, Tony set down his glass and the second one that he’d grabbed for Scarlett and walked away from the table without a word, leaving Leo and the others staring in confusion.

Walking around the other couples on the floor dancing, Tony snaked his way through the crowd until he found Scarlett dancing with her companion. Grabbing onto the man’s shoulder, interrupting while he was talking and clearly trying to impress Scarlett, he stopped their dancing.

“Do you mind if I cut in?” Tony cleared his throat and was surprised when the young man glared at him. Usually when he interrupted a stranger, they were either afraid of him or wanted to please him.

“I do mind, actually.” He puffed out his chest, obviously not caring who Tony thought he was, and expecting a fight.

“Too bad.” Tony grabbed Scarlett’s arm and twirled her into his arms, much to their surprise. Without another word to Victor, he adjusted his arms around Scarlett and started to lead her across the floor. She immediately tried to make him stop and narrowed her eyes at him threateningly.

“I was busy with something, in case you didn’t notice.” Scarlett managed to keep Tony from twirling her around again.

“Dancing with the wrong guy, I did notice.” Tony was grinning from ear to ear, slipping his arms around her again once she’d escaped from them.

“Well, that was short lived.” Scarlett squeezed out of his arms and started off of the dance floor.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Tony chased after her and stood in front of her to keep her from walking away.

“That young gentleman asked me to dance politely and you so very rudely interrupted.” Scarlett rested a hand on her hip condescendingly.

“Are you implying that I’m not a gentleman? I am one hell of a gentleman if you ask me.” Tony continued to block her path as she attempted to get around him, clearly not wanting to dance with him again. After what had happened the last time the two had tried to dance together on their first night out she was worried about becoming that vulnerable again. It was true that she was going to try to get into his head, but if she was just as vulnerable as he was, how would she find the strength to not become further emotionally attached? She knew and admitted there was an emotional attachment at long last, but all she could do was try to figure out the truth before she found herself in too deep.

“And that’s why no one asks you what you think, Stark.” Scarlett laughed sardonically. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to go sit down. I think I need a drink after that.”

“I was trying to bring you a drink before you got up and started dancing with Jack Dawson over there.” Tony nodded to the young man who was still fuming over on the opposite side of the room.

“Well, now I’m going to go drink it.” Scarlett tried to walk around him again. Tony grabbed her arm and pulled her into his.

“Dance with me.” He grabbed her hand and pulled it close to his chest, whispering playfully.

“You’re making a scene, again.” She whispered as people stopped to look at them or tried to move around them since they were blocking other dancers.

“Just one little dance and I’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night.” Tony didn’t stop holding her tightly even though she tried to pull away once more.

“You’re such a liar.” Laughing, Scarlett tried to tug her arm away but found herself more entwined with him instead.

“I am, but still… I won’t bother you to dance again, how about that? That’s slightly more realistic.” Tony offered, letting go of her hands and holding his up innocently. “One dance, it’s all I ask. Scarlett, just one little dance.” With both hands he held up his index finger as if to demonstrate the number of dances he was requesting.

“It’s never all you ask.” Scarlett hesitated then considered doing what Tony asked just to get him to shut up and stop making a scene. “… just one dance? And you’ll really drop it for the rest of the night?”

“One short little dance and then, like a gentleman, I will lead you back to the table and get you a drink.” Tony pushed his hair back and then waited for her to respond again.

“Fine.” Grabbing his hand she slipped it onto her waist and then took his other hand in hers, resting her other ultimately on his shoulder. “But if you touch my ass at all, I’m going to kick your ass in front of all of these people and you will never live it down. It will be the day Iron Man got his ass kicked by a woman in heels.” Relieved she agreed, Tony exhaled after having realized he was holding his breath. When had he done that and why? It was just a dance, it wasn’t like it was doing him any favors. Leading her back onto the dance floor he smirked triumphantly.

“But that sounds like a great headline.” Tony chuckled. Scarlett rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t stop her heart from pounding in her chest. Why was he so damn persistent? Why couldn’t he take her insults and go pout like any other man would do? Or call her a bitch like she so deserved to be called. Instead, he continued to harass her and lure her in with his charm, which she wasn’t sure was charm at all. If it was just the way he was on a day to day basis then how could it be considered charm? “For the record, I’m a perfect gentleman. If you had let this be a date, I would be wooing the hell out of you.”

“Stark, your house is more of a gentleman than you are.” Scarlett laughed, surprised at how light on his feet Tony was. Then again, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Scarlett shouldn’t have been shocked that he’d likely learned to dance at a young age. He’d probably kept up with it just so he could sweep women off of their feet since that seemed to be his second job for a good ten years or so there.

“You do know that Jarvis is modeled after me, right?” Tony spoke knowingly, aware of how fond of the computerized home she’d become. If he hadn’t known better he would’ve thought the fondness was mutual.

“Bullshit.” Scarlett chuckled and Tony joined her.

“He is, no kidding. He’s just got way more restrictions than I do.” Smirking, Tony led her on the dance floor, inching her closer and closer to him as he did so. He slipped his arm onto her lower back rather than her hip forcing her to be nearly pressed up against him.

“I’ll believe it when I find similarities, outside of sarcasm, between the two of you.” Scarlett glanced around the room, determined to look anywhere else but at Tony. She spied the man she’d been dancing with staring at the two of them in annoyance. Biting her lip in a smile, she half expected him to interrupt but she didn’t want him to. Dancing with Tony, while it grated on her nerves, made her feel like she was flying and she didn’t want to stop.

“Every man in this room wants you.” Tony leaned to whisper in her ear, finally getting her attention. Scarlett looked up at him, seeing those multicolored brown and green eyes sparkling with mischief as they often did.

“No, Tony.” Scarlett smiled softly at him and didn’t bother making attempts to pull away from him as they danced. Instead she slipped her hand onto the back of his neck and leaned closer to him. “Only one does.” The music was starting to die down and people were applauding the band. Tony was at a loss for words. Not only had she used his first name for once, but she’d practically called him out.

Unaware that the music had stopped, Tony stood there with her in his arms and simply stared at her. Should he kiss her? Why did he always hesitate when it came to making his move? There was something about the way she was looking at him that told him she was waiting for it but instead he hesitated and kept her trapped in his arms.

“Stark, the song is over…” Whispering, Scarlett broke the tense gaze and stared around the room. Once again people were watching them because they were doing something awkward and out of the ordinary in a crowd filled with people who strived to fit in. Tony didn’t seem to care that the song was over. He tilted her chin up to look at him again.

For a brief moment, Scarlett thought she was going to be sick. If he kissed her in front of all of those people what would it mean? If he didn’t what else would it mean? If she let him then what the hell was wrong with her? And why on earth did she want him to do it? The thought was making her head spin but the urge to kiss him became overwhelming just as it had been once they’d cleaned up her wound at the facility in the desert.

Dizzy with confusion she pulled from his arms and cleared her throat.

“Excuse me, I have to powder my nose.” It was the stupidest excuse she’d ever heard and sounded even stupider as it came out of her mouth, but it was all she could think of with her brain muddled by thoughts of Tony. His eyes, his lips, his smiled, the way he cleared his throat it was all getting to her and making her dizzy. Before Tony could object and pull her back, Scarlett rushed off the dance floor and toward the doors on the eastern side of the room that led through a long hallway and to restrooms that had been opened for the event.

Tony watched Scarlett walk away and realized that, once again, he’d forgotten to breathe. Sighing heavily once the door had closed behind her, he rubbed his hand over the side of his face, feeling the mask still there. Why was he hesitating? He wanted her more than he could ever recall wanting anyone before in his life. But he didn’t want to mess up the one chance he had. Was that it? He was afraid of screwing things up the way he’d screwed them up in the past with anyone he’d gotten close to? Every relationship he’d had crashed and burned in a handful of weeks and the last thing he wanted to do was have Scarlett walk out the door.

Walking finally off the dance floor and back to his table, he grabbed the glass of champagne he’d gotten for Scarlett and drank the whole thing in one gulp as he’d done before he’d interrupted her dance. Rubbing his hand over the mask on his face once more he sat down next to Scarlett’s empty seat and next to Leonard.

“What was that all about?” Leonard stared at Tony in confusion. Clearly the group had been watching them on the dance floor, like they were some television drama that they were waiting for some romantic action from.

“He likes her.” Pepper answered when Tony made no attempt to. Snapping his head away from the door to the restroom and his mind away from having contemplated going to the restroom himself so he could bump into Scarlett in the privacy of the hallway, he turned his attention to his assistant.

“No, she’s a liability.” Tony cleared his throat but he still sounded out of it. “I got caught up in the thrill of wearing these masks. You know… playing strangers. It’s pretty sexy.” Tony glanced back at the door to the restroom. “Hey, can I get something stronger? This champagne is not doing it for me.” Tony waved his glass to one of the waiters who was on his way to refill the champagne glasses that he’d emptied.

“It sure doesn’t look like that was all it was.” Leonard was staring at him with wide eyes and hoping that the woman would come back from the restroom soon to provide them with some more entertainment.

“Pepper, she’s been in there a bit too long now don’t you think? Would you uh, go make sure she’s okay?” Tony changed the subject. He’d spent longer than he’d expected to staring forlornly at the door. Was it really as obvious to everyone else what was going on when he was so clearly confused by it? It felt like he’d broken his brain, for once. As much of a genius as he was he was struggling with the seemingly simple interactions with Scarlett.

“Tony, they’re about to start the presentation and I’ve got all your supplies for making a donation. Just let her have some privacy. She probably needs to freshen up a bit and for all we know her leg is bothering her or something. You can’t be on top of her all the time and don’t you dare make a dirty joke about that, I just saw where that could go as I said it.” Pepper scolded but there was amusement behind her eyes.

“That’s all the more reason that someone should go and check on her. What if her leg gave out again and she needs some help?” Then he whispered and looked at his assistant suspiciously. “…I see how much you’re enjoying this, cut it out.”

“I’ll go check on her for you.” Happy smiled pleasantly, standing up and pulling the Mark V armor he had handcuffed to his wrist with him. It had become standard practice for the driver to safeguard Tony’s armor when they went to public functions, ever since they’d been attacked in Monaco.

“Thank you Hogan.” Tony heaved a sigh and leaned back in his chair again. The waiter returned with a bottle of their finest Cabernet and poured Tony a glass of it. It wouldn’t take him long to finish the whole bottle on his own at that rate.