Echoes

The walk from the theater and onto the balcony outside the doors may have been one of the longest walks of Scarlett's life. Tony had stopped half a dozen times to talk to people he recognized and even tried to sit down with them to avoid his punishment. Then he'd made a spectacle of his being dragged out of the theater by Scarlett to anyone who would listen!

He claimed he was in trouble. He'd said it in such a way that it sounded dirty, even. She could only hope that the actors on the stage hadn't noticed. Even if they hadn't everyone else around them had. Someone somewhere was surely assuming something.

Well, he was certainly in trouble now if he hadn't been before. She hadn't been nearly as irritated when she'd begun to drag him out of his seat, but now her heart was pounding in her ears.

"Go." Scarlett released Tony's wrist and pointed toward the archway that led to the staircase of the main level and out onto the Boston streets. The theater really was designed for entertaining beyond the stage. Overlooking the large lobby below, the balcony was expansive and at the same height as a grand old chandelier. Any other time, Scarlett would have been impressed. Right now she was trying not to be worked up.

"Why would I do that?" Tony laughed, shoving his hands into his pockets. Was it weird his hand felt empty now without her grabbing at it? She'd been mad at him of course, but it had been nice to be pulled along like that. Twice he'd tried to grab her hand to hold it in the process and each time he'd been swatted and restrained. "You're really strong, how did you get that strong? I didn't expect you to pull me all rough like that. I mean I liked it but…"

"I said go."

"But I'm having fun." Tony couldn't hide his grin. Usually women melted when he gave them that smile, but Scarlett stood her ground. She didn't really want him to go, he could tell! "I'm not leaving. I paid to be here, you know. Charity or something, if I recall. It was more than you think considering what a late arrival I was. I only saw like three minutes of the play actually, so I've kinda paid just to be dragged around at this point."

"Yes, we all paid to be here. That's the point of charity!" Scarlett stepped a bit away from him, held her hand on her hip and then took a deep breath. She was mentally coaching herself to get it together. Shakespeare had bored her but as entertaining as Tony was he was getting her into trouble. She couldn't be this much trouble in the front row of any theater. Surely, Nathan was watching her when he had the opportunity. For most of the night she'd been denying that there was something going on with the actor but she was tired of pretending. He liked her and she had to accept it. Turning at last to look at Tony over her shoulder she considered having to deal with him and the second act of Hamlet. "Alright, alright."

"What?"

"If you're going to stay through the show," Scarlett turned toward him and took a step closer, "then you have got to be quiet. No arguments." It was a simple enough request but Scarlett wasn't confident it was something Tony could commit to.

"Why would I do that? I have so many questions!" Tony was puzzled but didn't back away. He wanted to see how far he could push her. Tony had spent the flight there agonizing over whether it was stupid to crash the party or not. Now he knew it had been the right thing to do. He'd been secretly worried about Scarlett all week long. Seeing her now, dressed to the nines and strong enough to drag him out of the theater alleviated any fears he had. They were unfounded fears since he barely knew her, but nothing about his mind felt rational anymore. Screw logic, Tony was tossing caution to the wind tonight.

"What do you mean why would you do that? So I can watch the show! So others can watch the show. This is a play. A play! Not the Tony Stark show! It is Hamlet. You're making a scene in the middle of Hamlet. Do you know how hard that is?"

"You made a scene dragging me out of there! I was just talking. Not scene making. Trust me, I know how to make a scene."

"People were looking at us because you couldn't shut up about how tall Nathan is."

"People are always looking at you, I hate to be the one to let you in on that." Tony couldn't help himself. "…and he's not that tall."

"You know what I meant, Tony. This is not how tonight was supposed to play out." Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose and then sighed heavily. "Just let me watch the second act, okay? I'm not asking for much."

"You hate it! I'm trying to do you a favor." Tony rolled his eyes. Taking a risk he leaned a little closer to her, hands still in his pockets. "You hate everything about this. You're tapping your fingers and letting out little sighs. Pretending to look interested but literally thinking of anything else. Admit it! You're glad that I distracted you. I think you may have even missed me."

"Yes, because you suddenly know the very deepest inner workings of my mind. You don't know me, Tony! We had drinks once for like ten minutes. That hardly qualifies you as an expert on anything."

"I know that look." Tony gestured to her face. She wasn't that far from him now, maybe a foot and a half. It didn't seem close enough. Or far enough for that matter.

"That look? What the hell does that mean? Tread lightly."

"The whole putting on a pretty face for the show thing. It's all an act. I know the act."

"If anyone would know it'd be you."

"Ouch, so many digs at my expense. Man, you are mad!" Tony winced but then smiled. "Tell me I'm wrong." Scarlett stared him down and expected him to back off when she clenched her jaw. Most people didn't like to keep eye contact with her but Tony was delighted. His grin widened and he shifted on his feet. "See, I knew it. You can't tell me I'm wrong because you hate it!" He chuckled and buttoned his suit jacket before shoving his hands in his pockets again.

"I'm here to support a friend." Scarlett sighed, finally taking a step back. When he hadn't walked away, she'd become uncomfortable. Her stomach was in knots. Maybe it was a side effect from the medicine. She hadn't felt anything yet, but it was entirely possible. It was a common side effect for medication, wasn't it? "Definitely not because I like Shakespeare. Or the theater. Or formal parties. Or charity events. I mean I like parts of those things but, yeah…"

"You're here in that dress to support a friend? You're a damn good friend."

"You keep making a really big deal out of my dress." Scarlett gestured toward herself and Tony very much followed her hand. When he didn't take his gaze away from her chest she narrowed her eyes and snapped her fingers. "Up here, Tony. Eyes up here."

"It's making a statement! That's all. How can I not notice?"

"And that statement is what exactly?"

"Well, it's…uh…" Tony stuttered at first. "Which thought should I go with first? The options are plentiful."

"Spit it out." Scarlett had thought she'd caught him at last. If she could make him apologetic for making an inappropriate comment maybe he'd be less inclined to pester her through the rest of the second act. Not that she wanted to go back into the theater again. Arguing with Tony on the balcony was far more fun. The lights were dim, sparkling through the crystals in the chandelier, rainbows of color shining on the dark wallpaper.

"It's saying that you're fine. You want people to know you're doing just fine." Tony didn't think he was right but he could see instantly that he hit a nerve. Scarlett's expression didn't change but her eyes did and she swallowed the lump in her throat. That was exactly why Scarlett had dressed up. She was breathless. Tony took a step closer to bridge the gap between them. Her blue eyes were bright and filled with something familiar. It was something he saw in the mirror all the time these days. Fear. Tony made a mental note to be worried. The relief he'd earlier felt was no longer and he wondered how close to the truth any of those stories had been. He almost asked what was really going on. Almost. The fear triggered something else inside him, something less familiar. She'd comforted him in his time of need. Scarlett had done so without treating him like he was crazy or infantile. Maybe he could return the favor. Maybe he could be strong for someone else, for her. "Look, if that's how you dress up to support a friend…"

"Don't start, okay?"

"Then you should come back with me to Malibu and support this friend in that dress." Tony could have sworn he saw relief when he backed down. He felt oddly fulfilled, even more so that she didn't take a step away. He liked being so close to her. She was close enough now to touch if he wanted to. He knew he shouldn’t think like that but how easy would it be to slip an arm around her and make her forget all about whatever threatened her? At least for the night. His thoughts muddled. There were a hundred reasons why he couldn't do that but one really convincing reason that he should. He wanted to. "I swear, there's no Shakespeare involved. If you'd believe it, there's less arrogance working with me than in this play." His voice was surprisingly husky. Oops.

"You are the neediest business associate that I'm not even associated with, I swear." Scarlett laughed at last but it didn't seem to relieve the tension. For a moment she made eye contact with him and resisted nervously moistening her lips. When neither of them spoke she started past him and back toward the theater. Her heart was racing a mile a minute and for all the wrong reasons. Tony had gotten too close to her and she hadn't stopped him. His brown eyes were killing her now that she'd noticed them. Then he'd gotten so close to the real reason she'd dressed up that she'd nearly lost her composure. What was it about him that made it so hard to lie? She was an excellent liar. When Nathan was around it was no problem. Why was it so hard around Tony Stark?

"You're right." Tony grabbed her wrist and when she pulled away, hurried in front of her. He held up his hands to stop her from walking back into the theater. She did, but just barely, nearly running right into him. "You're absolutely right. I am incredibly demanding… in so many ways." He'd told himself he wouldn't flirt with her tonight but that had lasted about as long as it had taken to open his mouth. There was no stopping him sometimes. It was so natural to flirt with her. This moment couldn't end. For a few moments his brain was focused on only one thing and that was her.

"And pushy." Scarlett stopped trying to get around him and instead decided to let him say his piece.

"Yes, and pushy."

"Sort of annoying sometimes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Annoying, selfish, you name it. I am everything that the papers have made me out to be over the years." He lowered his voice, glanced toward the doors that led back toward the theater and then back at the woman in front of him. She was only a little shorter than him in heels.

"I'm not sure what you're getting at, Tony. You're not really boosting yourself up here. I'm still missing the play."

"The point is that I know what I am. I'm not going to try to trick you into thinking I'm something else. I need your help, Scarlett. I wouldn't keep chasing you if I didn't think it was worth it." He knew it was a bad idea but he picked up her hands and stepped closer. There were only a few inches between them now. For a moment they stared and while her face was stern he could see something else in her eyes. She didn't want him to pull away. That was all the confirmation Tony needed to know it wasn't in his head. Whatever this was it was happening to the both of them. Averting her eyes, Scarlett seemed to regain herself just enough.

"I didn't come here to discuss business tonight. It's Friday." Scarlett made to pull her hands back but Tony only held them tighter. If she wanted to pull away she could have, but her struggle was half hearted.

"You didn't call me to discuss business either as you said you would."

"I told you I've been busy. It wasn't on purpose. I had every intention of getting in touch with you but time slipped away from me." Scarlett swore her hands were going numb in his. Was this the medicine? What was it he needed help with again anyway? Work? Or something? She thought he could use some help with that tie. Or maybe getting that shirt off. That couldn't have been in it. Scarlett was very much in trouble. Her tongue felt too big for her mouth and it took every bit of her willpower to stay on topic of conversation. There was a very small voice in her head telling her to run but it was muddled by Tony.

"You don't think I believe that, do you? That's what I say to people I want to blow off. There's always time for what's important."

"Maybe that's what you would say but I was actually busy. I went public last week. I had a hundred meetings. The press is on my ass all the time…" Scarlett rattled off excuses but she wasn't thinking about any of that anymore. She was wondering what the hell was happening to her. Part of her gut instinct wanted to punch Tony in the stomach and run for the hills. The other part of it wanted to get drunk and drag him out back to give into what she had been desperately avoiding. The part that wanted to do that was much more convincing. Both parts wanted alcohol, at least there was one thing she could agree to.

"You could've called when you were buying that dress. You had enough free time to do that."

"Again, with the dress." She couldn't help but laugh but was thankful to look away from his intoxicating gaze.

"I really like the dress. It's hard to stop thinking about it actually."

"You might be obsessed with it." Scarlett joked. What was happening to her? He's not single. She had to remind herself over and over of that. Even then neither was she technically. Or available. Or something. Her thoughts were clouded. The last thing she should do was drag Tony into her mess anyway. He seemed to want to make a mess with her, but did that really give her the right to get him involved? It was complicated. She'd sworn after getting S.H.I.E.L.D. involved she wouldn't get anyone else involved. But now she wanted to.

"I think I might be. This isn't Dior, is it?" He let go of her right hand so he could tug on the skirt of her dress. Scarlett grabbed his wrist and he laughed, trying to pull away. "God, you're strong. That's really hot, you know that right? Is this on purpose? Because you have no idea how much it's working."

"You do realize that there are other designers besides Dior. Lots of them actually." Scarlett let go of his wrist but couldn't help but be a little giddy. The air around him was toxic. He would've said the same about her. Why was he hesitating? This was a no brainer. She wasn't running away. If he just lifted her up, he could carry her off to somewhere quiet and he doubted she would stop him.

"Maybe I just really like Dior."

"You might really like something but it isn't Dior." Scarlett joked but her heart was beating so fast she swore she was going to pass out. She had to keep insisting it was a side effect of the medicine. The idea that it could possibly be Tony was terrifying. It couldn't be him. That was ridiculous. And he wasn't single. She couldn't quite remember why she was there anymore anyway. There was a theater right? It was hard to focus. It had been so long since Scarlett had something she really wanted. Why did it have to be this that she wanted? It didn't make sense. He wasn't even Scarlett's type.

He wasn't single. That seemed like the most important reason. It wouldn't be the worst thing Scarlett had done.

"Do I?" Tony could do it. He could. She was right there. Scarlett wasn't pulling away, wasn't backing down. He was still holding her hand. Just one step and she'd be practically pressed up against him. It wasn’t the dress he liked or Dior, oh no. He knew exactly what he liked, exactly what he wanted. Slowly he readjusted his feet, inching closer to her. He could feel her breath. She placed her hand on his chest, it was warm even through his suit. Why did she do that? Tony adjusted his hand in hers and made a motion to pull her closer.

Eyes transfixed he finally committed to it. He'd deal with the consequences later. For once his mind wasn't focusing on a thousand things at once. Just one, or two, those lips practically waiting for him. The scraping sound of metal rattled their thoughts.

"Is everything alright out here?" The door to the theater opened and an usher stuck his head out. Instantly Scarlett pulled from Tony's grip and cleared her throat. There was a cling in the back of it and she swore that she was going to be sick. Had she been holding her breath that whole time? She hadn't noticed but suddenly she couldn't catch it again. Tony was cursing mentally over and over but then nodded his head to the usher who seemed worried when neither of them answered. God damnit, the timing. The fog around him lifted, the moment was gone. He didn't want it to be, but the damage had been done. They'd both come to their senses. On top of that Scarlett was pale.

"Yeah, I was just creating a scene. No worries! Go back to your job." Tony laughed and turned toward Scarlett to get confirmation from her.

"I've got to use the powder room." She cleared her throat again and then took off without another word. Never had she ran so quickly to a bathroom before. Once inside she pushed open every stall to check for other occupants. Sure she was alone Scarlett leaned against the far wall and took deep breaths. Her heart was still racing so hard that her chest hurt. Resting her hand on her chest she counted. Still below one hundred beats per minute so it wasn't tachycardia. What the hell was she doing? What was she thinking? She hadn't been thinking, not even a little. There had been thoughts but all of them had been mistakes.

If that usher hadn't come out what would she have done? Maybe she was losing her mind. Maybe it was nothing. Her stomach churned and she ran into the closest stall. So much for not throwing up after Jemma's new treatment. Everything hurt, she was sore from head to toe. It was a brutal reminder of what she really felt. It took her several minutes but she steadied herself with either side of the stall, hands trembling. Thank god the theater was relatively clean.

Slowly she made her way to the sinks. She rinsed out her mouth and then looked at herself in the mirror. She was pale and sickly looking again. The cling in her throat was worse and the way her heart was beating wasn't doing her any favors. In her head she could hear Jinx's warning. The dark haired stranger was going to bring romance into her life. Could these stupid feelings all be caused by that? Maybe it wasn't the medicine after all making her sick tonight. Anxiety had that effect on her sometimes.

"Curse that voodoo witch and her stupid predictions." Scarlett muttered beneath her breath. Her fingers were numb now and curling against her will. Some of this was definitely panic. She recognized it now. What had triggered it? Was it Tony? It had to be. Nothing else made sense.

She was being stupid. He was just a man… a man she was incredibly attracted to even after she'd tried to convince herself it was nothing. To make matters worse it seemed he felt the same kind of attraction. Either that or he was just screwing with her to an incredible degree.

With a deep breath, Scarlett managed to regain the feeling in her fingers. Her stomach was still in knots but she was at last certain she wasn't going to be sick again. Carefully she reapplied her makeup and made sure she didn't look a complete mess in the mirror. How long had she been hiding? It was hard to embrace the concept of time when her thoughts were so conflicted.

Carefully she peeked out of the bathroom and found no one waiting for her. She smoothed out her dress again, straightened her posture and started slowly toward the theater. Maybe Tony hadn't waited for her. Maybe he'd felt as stupid as she had after their close call and had gone back to his seat. She couldn't be so lucky.

"You okay?" Tony walked from the other end of the hall. "I was going to go back in there but I decided to wait for you. Sounded like you got something caught in your throat… I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Yeah, usher scared the hell out of me. Choked on my own spit or something." Scarlett cleared her throat again. Hopefully he would think that was a real thing but the excuse sounded stupid even to her.

"Here, let me help." Tony held up his hand and then walked across the room. He disappeared around the corner and Scarlett waited. She shouldn't be out there with him anymore. She should at least try to watch the rest of the play. Nathan had to have noticed she was gone by now. Seconds later Tony came back with a bottle of water. "Here you go." He held it out for her and she took it gratefully. "You sure you're okay?" Maybe he'd overstepped a boundary, but Tony didn't care. He'd lived in the moment for the first time in ages. For once, he didn't feel the need to plan out every bit of his night. He couldn't have imagined what was happening with Scarlett, and he wasn't even sure what was going on really, but it was fun. He liked it. He wanted more. That was enough for him.

"We should ditch this place." Scarlett guzzled the water, grateful for it. Maybe she really had just had something caught in her throat. Still, her hands were shaking and going numb on and off. She couldn't imagine that was caused by choking. The tightness in her chest, sure, but not the numbness and racing thoughts. "You're right. I hate this."

"I knew it!" Tony smirked but then nodded toward the doors. "We'll suffer together. You're here to support your friend. I'm an ass for making it about me."

"You are." Scarlett finished off the water bottle and then tossed it in the trashcan.

"Shall we?" Tony held out his arm for her to take and she rolled her eyes.

"Keep dreaming, gropey." Scarlett walked past him into the theater. With a smile he watched her go and then followed behind her back to their seats.