Echoes

Never had Tony Stark been more grateful for Scarlett than in the moments where he'd soared out of the fiery explosion that lit up the California night sky. If she hadn't helped him with the complications he'd had with the Mark XLII he would have never made it out of there alive.

Scarlett.

Tony knew he very likely required medical attention, he knew he needed to talk to S.H.I.E.L.D., he needed… something. He knew all of that very well.

What he really needed was Scarlett.

Mikhail's cryptic words repeated through his thoughts over and over again. By the time he understood it would be too late. What did that mean? He hadn't had the time to really reflect on that information, not until he found himself piloting toward Scarlett's loft near the beach without truly thinking. He needed to see her face, to touch her, to get the truth out of her if it was the last thing he did.

This time he wouldn't leave even if she begged him to, not until she'd told him everything there was to tell. A mixture of anger and sorrow flooded through him and made his hands tremble. He urged the Mark XLII faster through the sky, rocketing like a bullet, spinning artfully as he did.

"Mr. Stark, I recommend charting a course to the hospital. You've take quite a bit more damage that I initially calculated."

"Nope." Tony muttered. He would go if Scarlett made him but right now he needed to be wherever she was, as selfish a notion as that was. He'd wasted enough time by himself. If she was out of time then he wanted to be with her through the time that was left. "Not doing a damn thing, not until I know she's okay, Jarvis."

"Mr. Stark you are bleeding rather freely."

Tony blinked as he felt the blood dripping down his forehead and then guided the Mark XLII through the sky, the beach finally looming on the horizon.

"Jarvis, you heard him didn't you? Russian guy said she's already dead and I can't let that be true, okay?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark. I understand. I will monitor your health and unless it's required I will not push it again."

"Thank you."

"Please make sure Miss Damien is all right." Jarvis spoke quietly and Tony couldn't help but smile a little bit. With a crash, Tony clattered to the ground, both fists on the ground in Scarlett's driveway, cracking the stone beneath him. Standing upright he retracted the suit which opened around him and stepped out of it gracefully but then stumbled. His legs felt like jelly for a brief moment. The impact of the explosion had done a number to his muscles.

Walking up the driveway Tony had about a thousand different questions running through his mind for Scarlett. What was wrong with her? Why would someone from MedCo tell him she was dying? They wouldn't even make a deal for her! What had she done to deserve this fate? It was time for her to be completely honest with him. He knew about MedCo, he knew about her involvement in S.H.I.E.L.D., he even knew about Scott. Granted, there was very little he knew about Scott but he sure knew about him thanks to Mrs. Hendricks.

Worse than all of these things, Tony knew that something was very wrong with Scarlett and it scared the hell out of him. He was scared for her. For himself. For them. As he walked up to the door it opened before he got to it. Scarlett held a peculiar weapon in her right hand, a half built mechanical glove and aimed it toward Tony. Upon seeing him there she lowered her hand and then dropped the weapon on the table nearby.

"Tony?" She turned pale at the sight of him. "Oh my god, what happened to you?" She stepped barefoot through the door, grabbed his arm and tilted his head from side to side before wiping the blood from his forehead. Her hands were shaking and she looked immediately guilt ridden.

Tony grabbed her hand to stop her and she shooed him away. He had all these questions, these complex thoughts, endlessly repeating in his mind but now that he saw her there with such worry on her face he couldn't bring himself to voice any of these questions. She was talking to him, worriedly, and dragging him inside the loft past the door. Very slowly he followed along but just barely.

"What happened? God, where do I even start?" Scarlett lifted his arm and grimaced as she watched blood drip from his bicep. "Tony?" She hoped he would respond but he just stared at her, his brown eyes dripping with emotion he wouldn't express. Still, she was struck by them. Tony was scared, scared because he was confused. He had no idea what was going on and she had gotten him involved in this chaos without warning him. How selfish of her it had been not to tell him! Worse, she'd thrown him right into the maw of the monster by getting so close to him. How could she be so awful? So selfish? Sometimes she was sure that she was the terrible woman Natasha had made her out to be.

"I'm so sorry, Tony." She whispered then picked up both his hands. Still he just stared at her, the thousands of questions very much on the tip of his tongue. But something else was suddenly very much more important.

She was just as scared as he was.

Scarlett let go of his hands and pushed her hair back as she hurried through the living room and into the kitchen. Reaching under the cabinet she found the first aid kit and placed it onto the counter with trembling hands. Opening it she dropped a few of the bottles within and cursed. Leaning over she hurriedly picked them up but then dropped them again.

"Fuck it." Getting up, Scarlett grabbed a few bandages and a bottle of antiseptic before hurrying to where Tony stood still in her doorway. "Just… just stay still, okay?" But still Tony didn't say anything to her, he just stared and watched her in amazement, in absolute awe of the panic that was ripe in her voice. "I should have never…" Shaking her head, Scarlett took his hand and checked his bloodied knuckles. Staring up at him for a moment she didn't know where to begin but the guilt hung off of her more visibly than it ever had.

Tony opened his mouth to speak but stopped as she reached to wipe at the wound on his forehead. She pulled away with nothing but blood and turned away from him. What had happened to him? Why wasn't he saying anything? Clearing her throat and turning back, Scarlett wiped again at his forehead and found the wound. It wasn't terribly deep thank goodness for that and it didn't require stitches but judging by the sight of him and his behavior she worried he may have a concussion. This was the longest, outside of sleeping, that she had heard Tony Stark silent.

"I'm sorry." With shaking hands she wiped again at the spot against his forehead, reaching up with her free hand to push his hair away so she could better examine the wound. Standing up on her bare tip toes she bit her lip and winced at the sight of it. "No stitches here, still let me…"

As she reached to push his hair aside to see the wound a bit better Tony grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Gently he urged her arm down but didn't let go of her. Now was his chance! He had to ask her. She was vulnerable, she was guilty, but there was something even more important to him just about her demeanor. Scarlett fluttered her eyelashes but it wasn't what struck Tony, it was that he could have sworn she was doing so to bat away tears. In that moment the frustration he had with her, with her dishonesty, with the secrets she hid melted away.

She worried because part of her cared so deeply for Tony that she was terrified that something would happen to him. It wasn't the same kind of worry that Pepper had for him when she was scared as he risked his life to be Iron Man. This was different. Something was different but Tony couldn't have possibly pinpointed what it was. After a moment spent watching him and seeing that his eyes were clear, that his pupils were reacting normally she took a deep breath.

"Please, Tony." Scarlett whispered softly, no longer trying to pull her wrist free of his grip. Tony shifted his hand into hers and pulled it close against his reactor before moistening his lips. "Please let me take care of you. It's the least I can do." For all Scarlett knew what had happened to Tony had nothing to do with her but the odds weren't in her favor.

It was like reality snapped back into place for Tony, something that once moved in slow motion, the woman he had only observed since he'd landed at her front door suddenly caught back up in the moment in a hazy blur. Letting go of her hand he watched her move to care for him but instead he grabbed her arm gruffly and pushed her against the wall next to the door. The table nearby shook and a set of keys clattered to the ground.

Scarlett went to say something, to ask if he was all right, but Tony's hand touched the side of her neck. For a moment he held her there, against the wall before taking a step closer, only inches left between them. His fingers, skin broken from battle, brushed down her neck. He tilted his head to watch his hands before his gaze trailed to her lips, then back to those deep blue eyes, grayed with worry and whatever else she hid from him.

Closing her eyes Scarlett felt the touch of his scarred hands, up across her neck, tilting her head back as his fingers traveled along the length of her jaw. His thumb traced over her lower lip, to the corner of her mouth. A soft breath escaped her lips instead of words. Opening her eyes she tilted her head back down but Tony didn't pull his hand away. For the first time in a very long time Scarlett didn't know what to do. Her gut, her instincts were telling her to take care of Tony, to tell him the truth but his big brown eyes were staring at her, a far different plan in mind.

As her lips parted to speak, Tony's thumb silenced any objections she might have had. It slipped past her lips, tasting of dirt and blood. Her eyes fluttered closed as her lips closed around his thumb and Tony sharply inhaled as he watched her, not daring to blink in case he missed a moment of what her rose red lips might do. Carefully, slowly, she bit down on his thumb and Tony's insides at once lurched.

He felt invincible. It didn't matter that he was bleeding, that he'd been threatened or shot at. With Scarlett, Tony was invincible. Laying the rest of his fingers against her jaw one by one, he leaned her head back against the wall and slipped his thumb further into her mouth. Her fingers gripped his shirt near his stomach and he stepped closer, so close that he was almost pressed against her, almost. So close, yet still so far away. Her fingers brushed over his sides, slowly up and then back down. A tear in his shirt tickled her fingertips and she searched silently for a wound beneath.

Hands beneath his shirt, she found it, a messy splatter of dried blood spread over his side, fresh blood still dripping downward. It had partially closed on its own but had nowhere near the care it required. Tony winced and pulls his thumb from between her lips at once. His eyes flickered to where her hand brushed over the wound, a wound he hadn't even noticed in the heat of the moment. Pain radiated through his side but Tony didn't recoil. No, instead he let out a low groan and felt that already tight knot in the pit of his stomach pull even tighter.

Gripping her jaw, Tony grabbed Scarlett and pulled her away from the wall, just far enough so that he could find her lips with ease. His lips pressed against hers roughly and parted at once. Scarlett swore something inside of her broke. Her grip on his flesh tightened and she tilted her head to return that kiss, her lips still sore from the memory of kisses he'd stolen days before. For a moment, they sat lips locked, kissing, holding each other as if time had stopped entirely for their stolen kiss. Her heart physically hurt, nearly stopping in his chest as her lips nervously met his time and again.

Scarlett wasn't pushing him away, though she hadn't the last time either, not until she couldn't breathe and had nearly collapsed into unconsciousness in front of him. Every moment he had with Scarlett, every second he had, was valuable and Tony wouldn't waste another second of it. Scarlett leaned up on her toes, her hand slipping away from his side to grab his shoulder so she could kiss him more deeply, more passionately. The part of Scarlett that had convinced herself she didn't deserve this was temporarily silenced. His scruff brushed against her lips with each missed kiss but the scratch of it sent chills down her spine, made her breath quicken.

Once she shivered, she couldn't stop, it was like each kiss, each touch sent lightning coursing through her every nerve. Her fingers numbed, she had to touch him, he was the only thing worth feeling. Arms slipping around his shoulders, Scarlett stepped away from the wall and parted her lips, biting roughly on Tony's lower one. With a groan Tony pushed Scarlett back, hard against the wall with a thud. A soft sound of approval came from Scarlett as she tried to push back and Tony shoved again to keep her at the wall. His tongue moved over her lower lip, before lips wrapped around it and he sucked for just a moment. Then his tongue snaked into her mouth and she opened wider to kiss him though she pushed just enough away from the wall to antagonize him and his ploy for dominance.

Greedily Tony moved his hands down her arms and then over her sides, the cloth of her soft shirt catching on his sore fingers. As she arched her back into his touch, Tony pressed her back against the wall once more and then ran his fingers over her chest, squeezing roughly even through the shirt. The moan that he felt pass through her gave him the shivers. He couldn't help but smirk, even as they kissed. Scarlett gripped at his hair, feeling the curve of his lips change and offered him a playful bite before kissing him once more, first peppering small kisses over his lower lip before engulfing his lips with hers.

Tony grabbed handfuls of her shirt and pulled it up, his fingers slipping beneath on her flat stomach and pushing until his fingertips felt the lace of her bra. Her fingers left their grip on his hair, traveled down his neck and then pulled at his shirt just as he had done for her. Tony pulled from her lips, far enough away from her body to reach down for the bottom of his shirt and pull it up and over his head, off of his arms then threw it to the floor.

Bloodied, sweaty, scraped up and dirty Scarlett tilted her head to the side and let her mouth hang open as she eyed the well defined body of a man she had desired for far too long. Her mouth suddenly went dry but she stopped and bit her lip when she saw the wound on his side with her own eyes and the sore reddish tint on his stomach where he'd taken some kind of blow. She was left with a confusing mixture of guilt and attraction. On one hand it was so damn sexy to see him scuffed up, war torn, and on the other hand she knew deep down the pain he had gone through had ultimately been her fault.

Tony saw the change in her eyes, from carnal to emotional and placed his hands on either side of her against the wall. Her eyes turned away from his stomach at once, but not before following their trail from his stomach, to his chest, his reactor, and then stopping to meet his brown eyes and they weren't filled with regret, anger, anything, just lust. Briefly he took her in, illuminated by the light of his reactor, the blue of her eyes only intensified by its similar hue. Leaning close, he let his forehead rest against hers and while his breath was tight in his chest and he was physically in need for her, he just watched the emotion pass through her eyes.

He bet that she fancied herself stone faced, that she was sure no one could read her but Tony saw through the veil she hung for others to hide her emotions, he saw what they were saying loud and clear. She wanted him, more than her fear, more than her guilt, Scarlett wanted this moment as badly as Tony did.

Tucking her messy, curly hair behind her ear, Tony rested his hand next to her on the wall and kissed her once again passionately, intensely. Scarlett returned the gesture, tilting her head but then pulled from his lips, barely.

"Tony…" She began, her lips gently brushing against his as she spoke, with every intention to mention the wound she'd found, to make sure that he was all right. But Tony had reached the point of no return. He would have no more of her apologies, no more asking how he was. That was the last thing on his mind. Allowing his hands to brush down her sides, he grabbed her hips and lifted her up against the wall then urged her legs around him and she tightened them in place. "Tony!" She reiterated, mostly to try and get his attention but he pressed her against the wall and tilted her chin up to him.

"Unless you're following that with a moan of pleasure it can wait, Scarlett." He spoke quietly and for the first time in a long time, Tony saw Scarlett smile. She parted her lips to speak once more and Tony spoke louder. "What did I just say?" This time she laughed and leaned her head back against the wall then gave him a silent nod. Tony bridged the gap between them, unable to hide his own smile, resting his hand against the wall as he kissed her, overwhelming her lips with his own, messy, and passionately.

His hand slowly crept down her side and around until he grabbed her backside, pulling her legs tighter around his middle. Scarlett pulled from his lips and kissed over his neck, purposely gripping his hair tight to make him tilt his head back. Her teeth playfully gnashed at the scruff there. His hands slipped over the lining of her pants, creeping beneath the soft comfortable fabric, resting firmly against her ass as he pulled her close, urging her hips to rock against his.

Slowly her lips traveled over his shoulder, leaving the occasional nip at his flesh and down over his chest until her lips brushed against the metallic reactor in his chest. She flitted her gaze up to meet his for a brief moment as she allowed her lips to press against the blue light. Tony's mouth hung open in a groan before he urged her shoulders back hard against the wall.

He pulled at her shirt and slid it over her sides and she raised her arms up to help him pull it away. Tossing it carelessly aside, Tony wasted no time touching the bare skin of her sides, her stomach, her chest before allowing his fingers to admire the lace of her bra. "Finally," he muttered, pushing her breasts together and leaning to kiss over her chest, his tongue dipping between the cleavage he'd created. One hand pushed the bra strap down her shoulder while the other moved down her side to the lining of her pants.

His fingers touched something surprisingly prickly and sharp. Stitches. Tony stopped dead in his tracks and averted his gaze back to hers. That was the wound he'd sewn up, he remembered it very vividly and it had haunted him on several occasions since that day. This was not the work he had done. It looked as though it had been torn open, made worse, and put back together. His stomach suddenly twisted into knots for a very different reason.

Scarlett touched his cheek and shook her head. If she wasn't going to stop then neither was he. They needed this. They deserved this. Even if it all went to hell afterward, they deserved this moment together. Her legs relaxed around him a little and she grabbed him gruffly by the shoulders and pulled his chest to press against hers, holding him close while she kissed him passionately, leaning her head away from the wall as she did.

Tony returned the kiss, but for a brief second he hesitated, he felt nervous to touch her. Where his hands had once been greedy, they now moved cautiously over her stomach, her chest. She wasn't going to have that, not at all. Tracing her nails down his back she felt him arch into her touch and press her harder against the wall, then placed both hands firmly against his ass and pulled his hips right up against hers. Through his jeans she could feel his arousal, thick, begging to be free of the uncomfortably tight denim.

With a low groan against her lips, Tony returned to his senses. There would be plenty of time to talk, now was the time for action. She hadn't even winced when he'd accidentally touched the stitches, she was fine.

"Scarlett, god…" Tony groaned, urging his hips to rock against hers, his hand pulling her thigh tighter against him, pressing his fingers hard as he moved. Kissing slowly down her neck and over to the strap of her bra, he bit at it and urged it aside, then kissed the skin that had once been beneath it. Playfully he brushed his tongue over her skin, pale, pristine, perfect. Then he sucked softly on her skin, brushing his tongue there and playing with it at first. He sucked harder, hard enough so that he would leave a mark there, a mark that he knew would make her think of him every time she felt the strap of her bra rub against it.

Scarlett leaned her head to the side, waiting for him to pull the strap of her bra down further and when she realized what he was doing, smacked his ass and hard to reprimand him. Moaning in surprise, Tony bucked his hips so hard against hers that a gasp escaped her lips and she grit her teeth as her hips twitched in retaliation. She squirmed against the wall, surprised at just how sensitive she'd become to his every touch.

Smirking against her shoulder, Tony cocked a curious eyebrow and then chuckled as his lips left a wet trail of kisses up her neck. Placing his hand against the wall to brace himself he purposely bucked his hips against hers, grinding against her, feeling how her stomach tensed and the way her body writhed. With a soft groan, Scarlett let her fingers trail down his stomach, over his happy trail, and tugged on the front of his jeans. Tony stiffened up and gripped tightly at her backside, urging her to rock against him still.

Nimble fingers unbuttoned his jeans but Tony's hand moved up her back and urged her to arch, leaning away from the wall. Leaning her head back Scarlett closed her eyes as Tony shifted against her. Gripping at the denim of his jeans, Scarlett gasped as Tony urged his hips to rock against hers, holding her back firmly to urge her to move with him though she needed no urging. Her hips twitched in response, she tightened her legs around him, a soft sound of pleasure slipping free of her lips. Tony groaned low as he kissed over her neck, sucking on her skin.

"Fuck…" Scarlett murmured, getting shivers down her spine as the scruff from his goatee scraped against her neck. She could feel his every movement, his every urging, deep in her core, her entire body warm with excitement. His fingers brushed down her back and pulled at the pants she wore, soft, black, no buttons. They pulled a little bit, it wasn't enough, he needed to set her down to get them off. Cursing under his breath, he looked back up at Scarlett who bit her bottom lip. "Need help?"

Tony nodded, he was worried conversation would ruin the moment, would end all that they'd built up and in that passionate moment he was desperate to get what he'd been dreaming of for so long. But instead the sound of her voice, in as dire straits as he was sure his own was, made his heart beat faster. She slipped from his arms, gingerly placing her feet to the ground where she pushed down the comfortable pants, stepping out of them with ease. Standing back upright, Tony placed his hand against the side of her neck, brushed it up to her jaw and pushed her curly hair away from her face and breathed out a heavy sigh.

"Goddamn." Tony looked her over from head to toe in admiration before leaning closer to her. Slowly his lips captured hers, just brushing against them for a brief moment. Scarlett caught a brief hint of the cologne he had almost always worn when they were together, beneath the sweat, the metallic scent the armor he'd likely worn had left. For a second they lingered there, holding each other in that temporary bliss of a kiss. If Scarlett had to pick a single moment to stay in for the rest of her days from her extraordinary life, it would have been that one. It was perfect. No one was worrying about who was going to stop them, who would be cheating, what secrets lay outside this singular, perfect moment.

A tender, soft, romantic kiss quickly became passionate, fiery, intense. Tony pulled her away from the wall, pressing her chest against hers, letting his hands greedily explore her back, aching to memorize the body he had dreamt about so many times. Reaching around her, he made to pick her up and Scarlett at once grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away with surprising force. Tony pulled from her lips and cocked an eyebrow in surprise, glancing from his hand back to her lips and then down at her near naked form.

"You have no idea how hot that is." Tony smirked and Scarlett couldn't help but roll her eyes at him but also laughed under her breath. "No laughing, I'm serious!"

Scarlett laughed anyway and pulled his hand to her lips and kissed over the back of it. She liked that he made her laugh, even in the most intimate of moments. Letting go of his wrist she guided it gently to her hip and then leaned close and kissed just next to his arc reactor, allowing her fingers to slowly brush over his defined, bruised stomach, through his happy trail to the jeans she had unbuttoned and tugged the zipper down.

Tony played with her hair, pushing it over her shoulder as he watched her. Her lips let a warm, wet trail of kisses over his abdomen. Crouching slowly she let her tongue brush over his muscular definition, over the dip in his hip just above his jeans. Tony shuddered as a groan passed his lips. At last she pulled his jeans down and he both kicked off his shoes and socks then stepped out of them. Settling down on her knees, Scarlett tugged at his boxer briefs roughly with a smirk and stared up at him confidently. The cloth elastic band caught against his length and he groaned in frustration and bit his lip.

"Tease…" He moaned in frustration but also couldn't help but laugh under his breath.

"I don't know. Seems stuck." Scarlett batted her eyelashes playfully. "Wonder why…" Tony tilted her chin up toward him and looked to her very seriously.

"You know why."

"Maybe don't wear such tight jeans or something."

"Are you actually complaining?"

"…no." Scarlett considered this. She did very much enjoy watching him walk away. She then pulled at the elastic of his boxer briefs before pulling them away and allowing them to drop around his ankles once he was free of them. Tony inhaled sharply as her fingers crept slowly over his sensitive inner thighs. Gripping her hair he closed his eyes as he felt her surprisingly delicate fingers wrap around his length. She watched his face as she stroked him, her thumb brushing over the very tip of his arousal. Then she closed her eyes and leaned close, letting her lips kiss over his inner thigh, feeling the heat radiating off of him.

Tony forced his eyes open, he had to watch because for a brief moment he couldn't believe this wasn't just a really vivid dream he'd imagined up in a moment of unconsciousness. Gripping tighter at her hair, Tony unconsciously pulled her up a bit, trying to urge her lips closer to his length. Leaning away from his thighs, she adjusted herself on her knees and fingers still wrapped around his shaft, thumb pressing against him she allowed her lips to come dangerously close. Pursing them she then blew playfully at the tip of him. Tony groaned and shivered, his grip relaxing and then tightening in her messy locks.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Tony's usually honey colored eyes were dark and filled with lust but he couldn't help but be pleased that after how long they waited for this moment neither one of them rushed it.

"Patience…" She whispered in retaliation and Tony grumbled something about how patient he's been but all words and cognitive thought disappeared from his mind as her lips wrapped around the tip of him. She sucked on just that very tip, tilting her head to the side, her tongue swirling there before she took him in entirely. Tony's eyes couldn't stay open, they instantly flutter closed. The feel of her lips wrapped around him was almost too much to bear. It took all of his strength not to move his hips with the way she moved. At first she took him in slowly, and then faster. He'd been dying for this moment since the first time he'd shared drinks with her. It'd be a lie to say any of his thoughts had been pure since their meeting.

In the same breath, with his eyes closed, he could hear nothing but the groans she made against him as she moved, the way that her nails traced over his thighs and gave him chills all the way down his spine. Eyes closed he could picture her face, head leaned back in ecstasy, back arched with pleasure, pleasure he'd dreamt of showing her for so long. Scarlett pulled away and let her tongue brush over the length of him before stroking him between her fingers for a brief moment before taking him in her mouth again. She could feel his body twitch, her own body aching as she brought him closer and closer to that moment of pleasure.

"God, that's so fucking good." Tony's voice melted into a low groan and he gripped her hair tighter, forcing his eyes open to watch her perfect red lips wrapped around him. Slowly he urged his hips to move, he couldn't help it, every part of him needed more. "Fuck…" Each move of his hips, of her lips wrapped around him he groaned.

He was so close, not much longer now.

"No, no, no." Tony muttered and then cursed himself mentally. "Stop, stop…" Tony gripped her hair and forced the lump in the back of his throat down and the grip of pleasure so tense in his core to lessen. Scarlett did as she was asked, pulling her lips away, licking away that bitterness from the very tip of him. Her fingers still brushed over his inner thigh and she watched him, waiting for what came next. Forcing slow, deep breaths, Tony wiped his hand over his mouth before shaking his head. "Want more than that." He muttered, stupidly. Scarlett smiled, surprised that he wasn't letting her give him the pleasure she thought he had more than earned. "But we're coming back to that later."

"Was that a fucking pun?" Scarlett bit her lip and stifled a laugh though her own breathing was still haggard and for once not from illness. Tony tilted his head to the side and smirked.

"Not on purpose. But I'll stand by it." Taking her hand away from his thigh, Tony pulled her to her feet and urged her hand to his chest, to rest over the arc reactor within. Then he slipped his arm around her and kissed her deeply, despite where her lips had just been. He loved that she had been willing to get on her knees for him, just to see his face in ecstasy but he'd waited too long to make it about that. It had always been give and take with Scarlett and Tony felt he was already guilty of taking more than he'd given. This was something he knew he could give.

Pulling away from her lips, grabbing her wrist again, Tony spun her around and pushed her chest first against the wall. Brushing her hair over her shoulders he kissed slowly over the back of her neck. His fingers brushed over her sides and down to her hips that he pulled away from the wall, urging them to rock against him. One hand against the wall, the other at her hips, he rocked against her slowly, already over stimulated. Gripping at the wall, Scarlett urged her hips back against his. They were so close to skin on skin, Tony could feel her warm and wet through her panties. Slipping his hand from around her waist, he urged his fingers to crawl over her stomach, over her panties, between her thighs, rubbing his fingers over her concealed opening.

"As much as I love, love the idea of you on your knees… I've been dreaming of you for way too long." Tony's lips brushed over the rim of her ear before giving it a playful bite. "The sounds you'll make… wrapped around my name…" His lips trailed down her neck and with a grunt he urged his hips again against hers from behind. Fingers slipped beneath her panties, his fingers brushing over her nimbly. Instantly Scarlett tensed up, the bundle of nerves sensitive and aching with need. Her back arched and she gripped at the wall and then reached behind her to pull at his hair, to keep his lips against her neck.

Her other hand crept over his arm and held gently over the forearm of his hand that stroked over her, one finger brushing against her clit. Gasping, she then grit her teeth and groaned softly as he slipped a finger inside of her. She was practically throbbing with need. Skillfully his fingers moved over her, against her, inside her, pushing her body to the veritable edge before slowing down to bring her back down with it.

Scarlett curled her toes against the floor and bowed her forehead against the wall, gripping at his wrist, his hair, her senses alight with fire and desperation. Tony's hot breath was filled with small grunts and groans as he continued to rock his hips against hers, to listen to the beautiful sounds she made when she was so at his mercy. Then he stopped as her nails dug at his wrist. He couldn't take it anymore, they'd had enough foreplay, Tony needed her now.

He pulled at the lining of her panties and dragged them down her thighs before allowing them to drop where she shimmied them off the remainder of the way. Just as she let go of his hair, Tony turned her to face him. At once he lifted her into his arms and urged her legs around him, pressing her back against the wall.

He wouldn't wait, he wouldn't condescendingly ask if this was what she wanted. They both knew exactly what they wanted. Reaching between them, he adjusted himself before pressing just against her opening for a brief moment. Glancing up at her face again, he watched her expression change as he pushed inside of her. Scarlett gripped at his back and her mouth hung open and a soft sound, almost like a coo of pleasure passed through her lips. It tickled Tony deep in his core to hear such an amazing, surprisingly sweet sound come from her.

Her fingers slowly moved up his neck and into his hair as Tony continued that push until she'd taken him in entirely, resting his hips against hers, pushing her hard against the wall, holding her there. Tilting her face up to his, Tony watched her as she breathed heavily and her body adjusted to him before he urged her close to his lips to kiss passionately, desperately. His heart was beating so hard in his chest he swore that his damn reactor was going to catch fire.

Scarlett pulled back from his lips, just barely, studying his face, seeing the way he twitched just enough as he made to pull back and then again inside of her, starting a slow, steady rhythm. She could feel every bit of him, every movement, every motion magnified within her already incredibly aroused form. Her fingers traced over his jaw, up over his cheekbones and to his forehead where the blood dripped from the wound at his hairline.

In her heart she knew why he came to her that night. He hadn't come to pick her up, to make love to her. Tony had come there for answers. Something terrible had happened to him and instead of interrogating her, assaulting her with angry and accusatory words he had picked her up, treated her with respect and passion. While she knew in her heart of hearts what she should have done, she didn't regret a thing. What would be different if she hadn't had that coughing fit in her kitchen the day before? In that moment as she watched his face in pleasure, as he bit his lip and watched in return, staring into her contemplative blue eyes, she wished she hadn't wasted a single moment with him.

Tony Stark was so much more than she had ever expected. He pushed into her in a slow rhythm and she rocked her hips with his, to build that pleasure between them. The air between them was so thick neither one of them could properly breathe. Tony urged his fingers over her arm and up her shoulder, pushing the strap of her bra away as he leaned to kiss over her chest. Scarlett tilted her head back as she felt his scruff purposely brush over her, close to the lining of her bra. Then she purposely tilted his chin up, urging his lips back to hers. Tony grabbed her hand away from his face as he kissed her, urging his fingers around her wrist and pressing it against the wall, above her head.

Holding it there he bucked his hips against hers, a groan escaping his lips with every thrust. Keeping his hips steady against hers for a moment Tony urged himself in quicker, deeper, shorter motions.

"Fuck, Tony…" Scarlett felt her voice break as she pulled from his lips to try and catch her breath but there was no such thing, not in this moment. Oxygen was in short supply. All she could breathe, smell, hear, taste, was Tony. He kissed over her chin and beneath it, over her neck. "Tony…" Purposely she spoke and he practically purred as he felt her voice reverberate through her voice box.

Urging his hand between her breasts, over her stomach, and between her thighs, he could feel the way her stomach tensed, the way her thighs were twitching, so close to that elusive end. She gripped at his wrist to pull his hand back but he wouldn't budge, his fingers brushing over her clit again. That was it, it was the very end for Scarlett. Her body resisted for all but a moment before she had to lean her head back against the wall and cry out in pleasure.

"Oh, god! Oh…" She gasped and cooed, arching her back, her face red from the heat of pleasure as Tony touched her in all the right ways, urging his hips to push inside of her all the while he could feel how her very insides twitched and ached with orgasm.

"That's it… fuck…" Tony watched her in awe, his own body aching so close to orgasm for so long that he swore to god he was going to explode then and there. But he didn't, he bit his tongue, held out, brushed his hand over her and just as he felt her slowing down pushed his hips harder against hers before he moved to kiss her again. His hand slipped away from her and he urged it to the wall as he felt that proverbial dam break. "Scarlett, god…." His lips missed hers and he bit her bottom lip instead as his hips bucked hard against hers when he felt that pleasure overwhelm him, hot and messy between them.

Scarlett brushed shaky fingers through his hair and pulled him close to keep his lips pressed to hers, to trap him there in that moment. Tony rocked against her, his motions quick, short. His arm snaked around her, holding her body close against his as he thrust through his climax. His lips meshed with hers, sneaking in labored breaths between kisses. She urged her hips shakily and slowly against his as he continued to move until he was sure that their pleasure had faded. They sat there motionless, kissing for a long moment afterward.

Scarlett had to pull away to breathe, she had to. The air was too thick, her lungs were aching and while she had been able to ignore it for her more carnal desires, she no longer could, not without the world becoming hazy around her. Tony pulled away carefully but then rested his hips flat against hers, leaning her against the wall still. His fingers brushed over her sweaty face, moving stray curly hairs aside. He had so much to say, more to say than he was sure he had ever had to say in his life and that was saying something since Tony was very rarely caught quiet.

Watching her strained breathing, he thought of how to begin, where to begin after what they'd done. Scarlett turned her attention back to him at last, having eased the pain in her chest just enough for the time being. Gently she placed her finger to his lips to stop him as he finally went to speak. He swallowed the lump that had once again grown in his throat. Scarlett leaned close and kissed him again to silence him. That same excitement bubbled inside of him as her lips tenderly engulfed his, guiding him in a kiss that they had both so clearly longed for. Even after all was said and done, that electricity still poured through him. For awhile they kissed, holding each other, savoring the moment as their sweat dried, their bodies calmed.

Tony brushed his hands over her sides, took in her half naked body eagerly, memorizing every scar, every curve. Resting his hand against her hip, Tony finally pulled away from her lips, not letting her go and he wouldn't, not for the rest of his life if he could help it.

Scarlett leaned heavily against the wall and brushed her fingers over the wound on his forehead. Moistening her lips she tilted her head curiously, trying to decide how bad it was, if he needed stitches or more attention than she was able to provide. Tony swatted her hand away from his forehead but she pushed his hand away and continued. He grabbed her wrist and stopped her again.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're bleeding."

Tony grabbed her jaw and forced her to look up at him, to make direct eye contact with him. For a moment they stayed silent as she stared into his eyes. "See? I'm fine." He spoke gently, sure that she was searching for proof of a concussion. "I'm really fine." He at least hoped he was fine. If she hadn't seen a blown pupil he was sure he was okay. For a second she nodded and then turned her gaze away. She was pale. Scarlett's skin was usually a lovely olive tone but today she was pale and he had noticed her growing paler with time. Her cheeks, however, were a lovely tint of pink and while the rosiness that had spread over them while they'd made love was fading it was still endearing. "You're beautiful." It wasn't what he had meant to say but it was what came out.

"Tony…" Scarlett smiled softly. "Flattery is very sweet but you should… let me take care of you. Please."

"No! No, I'm really fine." Tony chuckled and held up his hand in objection. "Trust me, I'm actually feeling better than I have in a really long time. No joke, I was so sexually repressed between everything with Pepper and then… all of you just existing out of reach. You have no idea how great I feel after finally getting to… you know." Tony nodded to her and Scarlett chuckled.

"Oh, really? I'm pretty sure I have a decent idea of how good it felt."

"I bet you do." Tony smirked with a throaty chuckle. "Seriously though, I'm fine." He touched over her side and then rested his hand flat against her chest, between her breasts and looked into now grayish blue eyes. "I'm far more concerned about you than I am about a few scrapes and bruises."

Scarlett turned away, her entire demeanor at once changing. She stiffened up and pressed her lips flat together. Gently he urged her to look back up at him by her chin. He wanted to finally ask her what was wrong with her, what had happened to her to get her to this point. Finally he would ask her to be completely honest with him for the first time since they met no matter how difficult it might be for her to say and for him to hear. Instead, Tony kissed her gently and held her close.

"That doesn't matter." He whispered against her lips. "Not now." Slipping his hands beneath her, Tony pulled Scarlett away from the wall and carried her through her living room and toward the bedroom at the back of the loft. It was dark but he didn't bother with lights as he gently set her down on the messy bed. Pushing her gently back he crawled over her and stared down as her sad eyes sparkled even in the darkness of her room. Her hair was wild all around her and her breathing was struggled, but she was perfect to him in that moment.

His lips found hers again. Tony had waited this long for the truth, waited this long to be with her as desperately as he had wanted to be for so long. Now that he had her, he wouldn't waste a single moment of it. If there wasn't much time left he wasn't going to waste a moment of what could be spent making love to her all night long.