When It All Falls Down

They spent two hours sitting in the hot tub. He had an arm around her, resting on the side of the hot tub. She was snuggled into his side resting her head on his shoulder. It was silent except nature doing it's thing. It was nice just to relax.
She stifled a yawn. He turned his attention to her. "Tired sweetheart?" She didn't answer. Just hummed.

"Come on then. Let's get inside," he said. She sat up. He got up and out first. He helped her next. He handed her a towel.

They dried off then wrapped the towels around themselves. He took her hand then led her inside. Jarvis turned out the lights after they left each room in the house. He also locked the house. They stopped off at her room.

He left her there to get her pajamas. He went to his room. Two minutes later she slipped into his room. He was in the bathroom. She stole a t-shirt of his.

She slipped it on and it covered her shorts. She braided her hair then crawled into bed. Her head hadn't touched the pillow very long and she was out like a light. He returned to see her curled up under the covers. He chuckled.

He was about to give her the ring. Now he'd had to wait until morning. A yawn escaped from him. He crawled in beside her. He spooned her.

It didn't take him long to fall asleep either. Katie had a dreamless sleep. She woke up around nine fifteen in need to pee. She wanted to go back to sleep but she was wide awake. So she headed to the kitchen for coffee.

"Mornin' Jarvis," she said, her southern accent evident. "Good morning Miss Rhodes. Sleep well?" She thought a moment then replied. "It wasn't restful but I did sleep. It was better dreamless than it was full blown dreaming.

Coffee please, darlin'". She stifled a yawn. "Right away, Miss." She sat at the bar and waited. Soon the coffee machine whirred off.

She got up and grabbed it. She added Bailey's Irish Creamer. She unlocked the backdoor and went out to the little table. She crossed her right leg over her left. She looked out at the horizon as she drank her coffee.

She thought about the past sixty hours. How she was thrown into the world of Tony Stark. How she committed treason. How she, with the help of her uncle, realized she was falling for Tony. And how he was falling for her.

These sixty hours were more eventful than her life growing up. It was no where near comparison to her tours overseas, but almost. An hour had passed, by the time Tony found her. He leaned against the doorjamb. His arms were crossed.

He was taking in the view. It was quiet. Just seeing her there, looking out, was so peaceful to him. He thought she looked serene, sitting there in his Rolling Stones t-shirt. "Sir I have coffee ready for you and another for the Miss," Jarvis said.

Tony walked back to the kitchen. He picked up both mugs then headed back outside. He leaned down then leveled his head with hers. "It's a beautiful thing to wake up and find my beautiful woman sitting outside looking at a picturesque horizon." He kissed her cheek.

She smiled as she closed her eyes. Her long eye lashes kissed her cheeks. She opened them to see him sitting down. She grabbed the new mug off coffee. She sipped quietly.

He sat the blue velvet box in front of her. She almost choked on the coffee. He hopped up and lightly patted her back. "Careful Kate," he said thoughtfully. She looked up at him.

"Tony," she winced. He chuckled. "It's not what you think." She scoffed. "I think it is what I think!"

He sat across from her. He opened it. "It's not an engagement ring. I wouldn't throw that at you after sixty hours. But I would love it if you wore as a promise ring.

I do want to be yours someday. You can wear it on your right hand." She looked at him then to the ring. "I made it yesterday while you were napping. The diamond and the two sapphire gems were from my mother's wedding ring.

I made the band from tungsten." She sat back and stared at the ring. Then she started crying. "Kate, sweetheart, don't cry. You don't have to take it."

She shook her head no. "That's not it. This is the sweetest thing a guy has ever done for me. In fact you're the only guy that has ever done something like this for me. Thank you." He smiled with relief.

He honestly believed he had screwed up big time. He got up then knelt beside her. He took the ring and placed it on the ring finger of her right hand. He stood up so he could kiss. Louis Armstrong filled the air with What A Wonderful World.