literature

Across the Universe 49 - Let it Be

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Literature Text

Pairing: TonyxScarlett (OC)
Universe:
Iron Man MCU Pre-Avengers
Theme:
Action, Drama, Romance
Atu by Khadrimx
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            Tony watched Scarlett sleep. She was curled up on a comfortable leather seat across from him, holding her leather jacket over her like a blanket. His personal jet reached cruising altitude over the Atlantic Ocean. The sunlight was finally peering through the clouds and sparkling off of the dark water below. He pulled the shades down over the window and waved one of the stewardesses away from them as she offered him a drink.

            For the first time in weeks he’d found Scarlett asleep and not the other way around. He hadn’t realized that she hadn’t been sleeping not until Pepper had made it perfectly clear. Then he’d wondered how he hadn’t noticed. He was so wrapped up in his own inability to rest that he hadn’t noticed that she was always awake. When he couldn’t sleep she was there. When he woke she was there to take care of him. He thought he was exhausted. On the way back from Central Park he’d decided they needed a break, not from each other but from everything else. Vaguely he’d run the idea by Scarlett and she’d had no opinion on it so he took it as an okay to make plans.

            Pepper and Happy had been given the next week off and had elected to stay in the states even though Tony had offered to fly them along with him. He always generously offered for his staff to join him in his vacationing but was partially relieved that they wouldn’t be joining them. Tony and Scarlett needed some time to be alone just to be them; not super heroes, not geniuses, just Tony and Scarlett.

            They’d talked and joked for a little when they’d first gotten on the plane. He’d refused to tell her where they were going because he wanted it to be a surprise. It was something he thought he should have done a long time ago. Sometimes he’d lie awake at night regretting that they’d gone straight home after the incident with MedCo in Russia.

            Since they’d met earlier that summer they’d both nearly died on multiple occasions. Never had Tony really gotten the chance to tell her how much that scared the hell out of him. Now he blamed that for his nightmares. Maybe she didn’t realize just how much they’d grown together since they met the way that Tony had. He was a different man now; a better man.

            It turned out he had more love to give than he knew what to do with. He’d just needed the right person to love him as blindly in return. Scarlett had been that person. She knew what he was, she’d know the very worst of him from the beginning. Even though she thought he’d done even more nefarious things than had been true, she had fallen for him anyway. Not once had Tony considered what a toll that might have taken on her.

            The debacle with the media he’d caused after they’d finally given into each other had hit her hard, harder than he’d expected. Scarlett was tough as nails and it wasn’t often that she let the opinion of someone else affect her. However the continued spotlight created by simply being with Tony all the time had made a significant impact. In spite of her discomfort she’d stuck by him. When he’d been ready to rush forward into the next step of their relationship she’d slowed him down and comforted him when he’d needed it.

            True, maybe he was moving a little quickly for a normal relationship. Tony was no young man anymore, not by any stretch of the word. He knew that his mid-forties wasn’t exactly the ideal time to begin a serious relationship and start thinking about the future. But Tony had never done anything normally, so why would this be any different?

            He didn’t need time to know what he wanted. Scarlett knew who he was and he knew who she was. Yes, they’d made it abundantly clear that he did not know everything about the woman who she had been. Their first date had upset him in that respect. Had she been purposely keeping secrets from him? Withholding information? Hiding the truth? Part of him, for a short while, had been scared that this was still some extravagant ruse Scarlett had been planning to ruin his career.

            When he’d been accused of not trusting her, it had sent him spiraling. On top of that, discovering that Scott was still around and that he was plotting his next move. Tony had been a mental mess. The chess board was being reset after a very long and tiring game. Tony was simultaneously afraid to trust Scarlett and afraid to lose her. If he told her about Scott then he knew she’d go after him. Selfishly, Tony didn’t want that.

            Maybe she wasn’t the most morally righteous person he’d ever known but who was he to judge? His bridges had all been burned behind him time and time again by his own set of matches. Did it make him a bad person? Not at all. Scarlett was the same way, perhaps. She’d done some bad things, hopefully someday she’d tell him all about every single one of them, but it didn’t define the woman she was.

            She was lost and he hadn’t noticed.

            Worse than that, she hadn’t expected him to notice. Maybe deep down she didn’t want him to notice. They’d both been so used to being alone for so long that they weren’t sure how to open up. Even the idea of opening up seemed stupid as he thought about it. Tony always had Pepper in his life, he’d never been completely alone. She was a great friend and while she had been more than that for a time, he’d never felt the need to open up to anyone, not even her.

            They made sacrifices for each other. Tony hadn’t really noticed them to begin with, but Scarlett’s sacrifices had been pretty big. Now he noticed. Scarlett had been trying to change so much of herself in the past months to fit into the life Tony was living that he hadn’t stopped to tell her that she didn’t need to do that. It was okay for Scarlett to be exactly who she was. He didn’t need her to change. She’d said those exact words to him in the past, so why hadn’t he reassured her of the same? Tony had ten thousand things he wanted to say.

            For now he’d let her sleep. He’d been looking forward to driving her crazy as she tried to guess where they were headed on their impromptu vacation. Instead she’d fallen asleep right after takeoff. There’d be time for that another day. He didn’t plan on this being his last spontaneous trip. Even if she didn’t want him to, he’d whisk her away.

            Tony wouldn’t be able to keep the destination a secret for very long anyway. Slowly and carefully he wiggled his way next to her in the large leather chair. He did his best to do so without disturbing her. Maybe he could get some rest too, on top of it all. They both needed it after the incident in Manhattan. It scared Tony to watch Scarlett so recklessly chase after that little girl but he’d understood why she’d done it. He’d gone after her without thinking before too. Sometimes there was no time to really put much thought into the consequences.

            For the last few months Tony had been over thinking the consequences of every little thing. He wasn’t going to do that anymore. Scarlett loved him just the way he was and he wouldn’t push himself to be something other than that. If he changed naturally, as he had thus far, then it wouldn’t be a big deal. But for now he was going to weasel his way into the seat next to her, slip his arm discreetly around her and then cover them both with a blanket.

            He wouldn’t sleep for very long, but not because of any nightmares.

            Tony was excited. Hours past silently on the plane and still Scarlett slept.

            When the plane landed at long last on the tarmac he gently shook her awake. After some arguing here and there about what would happen next, Tony put his plan into action.

            “I can’t believe you’re really making me wear a blindfold.” Scarlett stifled a yawn while she spoke and stretched her right arm. “You do realize that if I trip and fall down these stairs, it’s going to be your fault.” She’d argued at first that she was tired and wanted to remain asleep but Tony’s excitement had been infectious.

            “And I will laugh after I’m sure you’re alright.” Tony stepped out of the plane before her and offered her his hand to guide her carefully down the steps. “You’re far too coordinated to make a slip like that.”

            “I am groggy, half asleep, and wearing heels so you have no idea what I’m capable of.” Scarlett chuckled. Where on earth could he have taken her? They were going to have to have a talk about surprises. Scarlett had never been one for them and if Tony was going to continue doing these sorts of grandiose things then they were going to have to reach some kind of a compromise on the matter.

            “Oh, ye of little faith. You were fine, you panicked over nothing! You’re being very dramatic, you know.”

            “I didn’t panic over anything. I was just preparing you for the yelling that would follow. It’s chilly.” Scarlett followed where Tony led her, more confident with her feet on solid ground. “Mean’s we’re still north of the equator at least… Probably a European country since the flight wasn’t too terribly long.”

            “You don’t know that, you were asleep.”

            “I’m still exhausted so it wasn’t that long.”

            “Stop trying to guess where we are.” Tony opened the car door for her and helped her get seated.

            “You know the moment people speak around us I’m going to figure it out. Whether it’s another language or an accent, it’s pretty easy to decipher.”

            “You’re trying way too hard to ruin my surprise.”

            “I didn’t ask to be surprised.”

            “If you had asked it wouldn’t be a surprise. Keep up, Scarlett!” Tony climbed into the seat next to her and then tapped on the driver’s chair.

            “Aw, you’re not even going to talk to the driver? You thought this out surprisingly well.”

            “Give me some credit.”

            “No.” Scarlett shook her head defiantly and groped around the car. “Hmm… seems to be a German car.”

            “Stop it!” Tony laughed and picked up her hands to stop her from feeling around anymore. “Stop it right now.”

            “Aw, but I want to know.” Scarlett whined and pouted her bottom lip. Tony left a small kiss on her lips and then urged her hands onto his chest.

            “If you’re going to grope around, grope around here.”

            “But I know all that stuff already.” Scarlett tapped her fingers against his chest. “Is that a new coat?”

            “Yes, stop being observant!”

            “You told me to grope, didn’t you?” Scarlett tugged on the collar of his jacket.

            “Move your hands a little bit lower and you might hit some more familiar territory.” Tony tugged her wrist playfully. “I’ve got something for you.”

            “Don’t say it. I swear…”

            “…it’s a surprise.” Tony’s smile was wide with amusement.

            “I hate you.” Scarlett smacked his shoulder and pulled her arms back, folding them over her chest. “I don’t like not knowing where I am, I don’t like not knowing my options and exits, okay? This is all very sketchy. If you were anyone else you’d probably be dead.”

            “This is a vacation. A surprise vacation!” Tony laughed in disbelief and playfully swatted her arm in return. “Man, how many prior boyfriends have died because of surprise vacations?”

            “None, because most of them knew better.”

            “Well, get over it. I do surprises.”

            “I’m expressing how much I dislike it.”

            “You know, most women want to be whisked away to beautiful islands with a handsome, rich man. They’re pretty grateful. Probably all sorts of sexy rewards and such…”

            “Someone really likes the sound of his ego right now.” Scarlett clicked her tongue in disapproval. “You know what I do find sexy?”

            “Oh yeah?” Tony tucked her hair behind her ear and urged himself closer in the backseat. “Do tell, preferably with lips puckered and in a low sexy voice.”

            “I find it really hot,” Scarlett played along, feigning her best Marilyn Monroe-esque sexy voice, “when I know where I am.”

            “You’re impossible.” Tony laughed, placing his hand on her thigh and giving it a playful squeeze. He fiddled with his phone while he waited for the driver to take them to their destination. This was a special moment and as much as Scarlett was arguing she wasn’t pulling off the blindfold either. She was definitely humoring him. “Just a few more flights of stairs and then you can take it off. All of it, okay? I mean that. Sincerely. All of it.”

            “That’s it, I think we need to see other people.” Scarlett felt the car suddenly come to a stop. She’d tried to memorize the path they took from the airport. She wasn’t sure why she was memorizing it, she just felt the need to. It was what she always did. Since Tony wasn’t really being forthcoming with their location, it was keeping her from trying to spoil his cute little surprise. Blindfolds weren’t really much fun for her. They reminded her too much of black bags and in her experience what was revealed was never good.

            Despite their fun she wasn’t going to forget she was angry with him. Being angry didn’t mean they couldn’t still have fun together. After everything that happened in Manhattan and having to say so many goodbyes all at once, a distraction was very nice. Tony was as smart as he was charming sometimes in all the right ways.

            “That’s going to be hard seeing as you are blindfolded.”

            “That was bad and you should feel bad.”

            “God, I didn’t realize you were such a baby!” Tony joked then stepped out of the car when the driver parked and opened the door for them. He directed the man to bring their luggage up after them. “Come on, you’re almost there. Just a little more to go.”

            “If you push me off the roof of a building I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your days.” Scarlett reached for his hand in her blindness and found it, stepping at long last out of the car. People were passing on the street and she instantly knew where she was. Her stomach dropped and her heart beat suddenly harder.

            They were in Paris.

            She stopped joking and stood waiting for him to guide her into whatever building they were apparently visiting. Just when she thought he really didn’t listen to her half the time, he pulled something out of thin air like Paris. Hadn’t she told him about it in a feverish state while on the run? How much she idolized the place?

            In her youth Scarlett had grown disillusioned with the world. When she saw the terrible things that went on in even the most seemingly benevolent of places, it had lifted the blinders for her. Perhaps it was pessimism in a way, but often the most beautiful places held the darkest of secrets. Scarlett had often been a part of those darker secrets.

            She wasn’t sure when it happened or why but she’d decided Paris wouldn’t be one of those places. The opportunity to visit the idealistic French city had come up many times but she’d always declined. Something about Paris was still romantic, still beautiful and untouched by the evil life she’d lived. For years she’d refused to go there or even acknowledge it was an option out of fear she would lose that one last place that still seemed magical.

            Tony had promised he’d take her there someday but she never thought about it becoming a reality. It was something he’d promised while she’d been sick and scared. Paris was a romantic dream, it was cliché and almost a little childish but perhaps it was the last bit of childhood left within her.

            “Tony…

            “Shh… don’t say it yet.” Tony whispered. He was hoping that they could get inside the building fast enough to avoid hearing any casual conversation on the streets, but Scarlett had obviously figured it out. Everything about her changed. With a curt nod, Scarlett walked onto the elevator as he guided her. Tony reached behind her and pulled the blindfold away, careful not to get it tangled in her long hair.

            “You shouldn’t have taken us…” Scarlett was a big ball of nerves. She’d never felt like this, sick to her stomach; afraid. What if it wasn’t what she’d dreamt it would be?

            “I told you over the summer that we could run away to Paris… we could rent a loft over the Seine and drink wine on the balcony while watching tourists walk past the Eiffel Tower every night. Just the two of us. Nothing else.” Tony walked her off of the elevator at the top floor.

            “I don’t remember the wine part.”

            “You had a fever. We can’t trust your memory.”

            “Sure.” Scarlett knew that wasn’t the case. She had been sick but she very much remembered that night. Part of her wanted Paris to always be that romantic dream; that goal that she would never actually reach. Being here made it very, very real. The other part of her was completely taken aback that he’d brought her there. She was still surprised that he’d remembered it meant anything to her.

            “Let me finish.” Tony leaned against the only door near the elevator landing. “I lied a little about that promise.”

            “Well, I’m not too surprised by that.”

            “Wow, you are bitey.”

            “I’m still a little mad at you so I think that’s fair.” Scarlett smiled a little bit but really it was the nerves doing most of the talking.

            “I bought the loft.”

            “You did what?”

            “I bought a loft.”

            “Here?

            “Here.”

            “In Paris?”

            “In Paris.” Tony nodded.

            “What if I hate it?” Scarlett felt, for the first time in years, like a frightened child.

            “You won’t hate it.”

            “But what if I do.”

            “Then I’ll rent it out.” Tony shrugged it off. “It needs a lot of work. I’ve always been the type to design it myself and then boss people around to get it done sort of guy. You’re not like that.”

            “I’m not.” Scarlett nodded and stared at the door behind Tony.

            “So, I thought we could come here once a month for awhile to renovate together.”

            “What?” Scarlett almost ran back into the elevator. This wasn’t what she expected when she’d gotten onto the jet the night before. The day was halfway over already, the sun was setting in Paris. She’d either walk into that loft and fall in love or she’d see the only real dream she had left crash into pieces around her. What would happen to her then?

            “Hey, cut it out.” Tony stepped away from the door and took her hands. Those damn puppy dog brown eyes stared into her frightened blue ones. “Trust me.”

            “I already told you I do.” Scarlett nodded and took the few steps toward the door cautiously with him.

            “I wasn’t sure you still did.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and then placed his hand on her cheek. “After everything…” Her hair immediately rebelled and fell back in her face.

            “You’re the ones with trust issues, not me.” Scarlett smiled a little at long last.

            “That’s my girl.”

            “I don’t love that phrase.”Scarlett didn’t push the idea of going inside the loft. She was both anxious and terrified to do so.

            “No nicknames at all? You’re going to have to get over that.” Tony shook his head. “Are you ready?”

            “Just open the door.” Scarlett nodded at long last. Tony chuckled, reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn looking key. Wiggling it in the lock he turned it and gave the old door a good shove before pushing it open and leaving it there. Scarlett could see just inside the loft. There were stairs on the far wall, a hideous yellow color and the rest of the room was already furnished with classic looking pieces. It was neither of their tastes but it was divinely French. She stood in front of it, just looking in the door. There were windows on the right from ceiling to floor, overlooking the busy streets of Paris.

            “You hate it.” Tony whispered nervously. Scarlett was always hard to get a read on. Part of him had always seen through her on most occasions but right now she was just staring like she was terrified.

            “No, no…”

            “We don’t have to stay if you hate it.”

            “No, Tony,” Scarlett began, “I don’t hate it.”

            “You’re not saying anything. It seems like you hate it.”

            “I’m… it’s perfect.” She nodded and released a deep breath at last. With that the nerves shed off of her and she left them behind in the hallway. Picking up his hand she walked inside of the loft and closed the door behind them. It didn’t have to let her down. Paris would never be perfect, nothing like her dreams. That was okay, she didn’t need it to be. Tony had gone out of his way to find them a place in Paris, overlooking the river and close enough to see the Eiffel Tower. He’d done all that for her. Even if half the time he was a stubborn, thoughtless, pain in the ass, when it had really mattered he’d pulled out all the stops. This wasn’t some ego trip of his, it was a genuine gesture of kindness. That was what made it magic, not some fantasy.

            With that Tony got his spark back. For a few terrifying moments he’d thought she really had hated it. Maybe he should have left her dream alone. Now that she was finally embracing Paris for what it was, for what he was making it for her, he was able to enthusiastically show her around the two story loft. It wasn’t comparable to their homes in Manhattan, but it was just enough for the two of them. There was their master suite along with a guest bedroom in case they wanted to invite Pepper along. An open area overlooking the first floor where they could work if need be. The living room on the first floor was spacious. Everything needed work but that would be half the fun.

            They spent most of the night exploring, talking about changes they wanted to make and pretending like the last month had never happened. It was nice. For the first time in a very long time things felt like they should have. Something had changed when they’d returned from Russia at the end of the summer. Tony had spent months in fear of losing a woman who was practically living with him and Scarlett had been trying to change herself into a person she could never be.

            They were tucked into bed that night without a single care in the world. That euphoria wouldn’t last too long, no matter where they were. Too much wine had been had, they’d played music way too loud, and danced together on the balcony. But even after that haze of happiness and disbelief, Scarlett found herself jumping awake in the middle of the night.

            She stared at the ceiling, covered from head to toe in a thin layer of cold sweat. Fear gripped at her chest and her heart was beating so hard she could feel the pain inside of her ribcage. Her stomach was reeling. Suddenly she regretted the amount of wine she’d had before bed. Tilting her head to the side Scarlett saw Tony sound asleep. His mouth was even hanging open as he snored and his leg was hanging off the bed comically. For a second she smiled but then she faced the ceiling again. They’d had such fun and yet here she was.

            Even in Paris she couldn’t escape the nightmares.

            For awhile they’d gone. She hadn’t been sleeping enough to have nightmares. Her mind had been preoccupied by Tony’s lack of sleep so much that her own hadn’t been a concern and the nightmares had been the least of her worries. Now they were back. Scott was a monster of her own creation and her subconscious wouldn’t let her forget it, not even for a beautiful night in the most romantic city in the world. Leaning over to place a kiss on Tony’s bare shoulder, she heard him make a soft unrecognizable sound in return. He didn’t wake up and she was glad for it. Carefully she covered him up with the blankets, tucking him in carefully.

            Slowly she placed her feet on the ground. The room spun for a short moment, reminding her that the wine had very much been flowing the night before. Searching the floor with her foot she found Tony’s shirt and pulled it to her with her toes. Then she slipped it on over her head and sat with her elbows on her knees.

            She couldn’t let the past go. She found her way to the bench in front of the window on the first floor. This late at night the city still shimmered with lights. Very few people remained outside. For a long time she stared out the window into the darkness. It was cold in the loft, they hadn’t bothered to mess with the thermostat before bed. They’d had enough wine to keep them warm.

            Clouds had darkened the sky, blurring out the stars. Rain began to fall, dripping on the window. Even the rain was beautiful in Paris. Lights from the city sparkled like works of art as the water drizzled down the panes of glass. There were three thousand things on Scarlett’s mind despite the beauty.

            Caitlyn was probably first and foremost. She’d never stood a chance. The world had chewed her up and spit her back out. In spite of its cruelty she’d chosen to save it. It was heartbreaking. Somehow it still didn’t feel real. Scarlett had always been able to separate her job from the rest of her life; or at least she thought she had. The more she thought about it the more she knew she was fooling herself. Her job had been her life.

            What would it do to her now? Would these jobs eat away at her until there was nothing left? It was too much to think about.

            Then there was Tony. They’d had fun that night. He’d brought her to Paris but could they really forget about the fights they’d had the week prior? On top of that her shoulder was a complete disaster. It had only confirmed that Tony had every right to be worried. She’d wrapped the gauze all the way down to her elbow before allowing him to look at it. After having promised to keep an eye on it he’d dropped the subject. For once, Tony trusted that Scarlett knew what she was doing.

            Of course, then there was Medco, or what remained of it. Somewhere Scott was still out there and she knew he wasn’t going to leave her be. Marcia Edmonton was still alive too and she was more ruthless than her counterparts had ever been. What would Scarlett do about it? Was it just another thing she had to let go of? If she pursued it would it put a wrench between her and Tony? She didn’t want that. If she had to choose MedCo or Tony she definitely chose Tony. At one point that hadn’t been the case but now it was an easy choice. Yet, she still wanted to put a stop to anything Marcia and Scott had planned. If she pursued them she knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would be unforgiving.

            S.H.I.E.L.D. had proven to be a far more interesting career opportunity than she had expected but she didn’t think it was going to last much longer. Scarlett had her own way of working and she was very set in those ways. Perhaps she would stay for a little while longer, just for the action. Maybe until she could figure out what to do on her own and how to get out of her contract. Ultimately it was a short term thing. Scarlett wasn’t built to be someone’s lackey. She wanted to be the one calling the shots.

            Placing her hand on the cold glass she saw it fog up around her fingers. Footsteps caught her ear and she ignored them, knowing who they would be. Sitting behind her on the cushioned windowsill, Tony lazily slipped his arms around her middle. Without another word he rested his chin on her good shoulder and took a deep breath. For a long moment they sat together watching the city below them.

            “What’s on your mind?” Tony half expected some snarky response. He was groggy now but the moment he’d realized she’d gotten out of bed he had gone looking for her. Apparently he had abandonment issues. Scarlett had been a known flight risk from the moment they met.

            “Nothing.” She lied but even laughed a little under her breath as she heard how forced it sounded. “I used to be a good liar, you know.”

            “Your heart wasn’t in it this time.”

            “I guess not.”

            “So, what is it?” Tony closed his eyes and lazily pulled her closer to him.

            “You can’t buy my forgiveness.” Scarlett whispered before she’d even realized it. They had to talk about it at some point, but still. Of all the things on her mind, she’d barely thought about it. Maybe she was more concerned about it than she liked to admit. “No matter how much money you have it’s not for sale. Not even with Paris.”

            “That’s not what I’m doing.” Tony lifted his head and pushed her hair away. It was messy and all over the place; his favorite. “It wasn’t about that.” Scarlett looked at him skeptically and he placed his hand over hers. “You have to realize something though. Money is kind of a big part of how I operate. It’s what I do.”

            “You’re not helping your case very much.”

            “Hear me out before you get all judge-y.”

            “I’m listening.” Scarlett sighed. She wasn’t going to be one of those foolish women who accepted expensive apologies. Scarlett didn’t need a sugar daddy and she certainly didn’t want one either. Never had she been good at accepting gifts.

            “I’m sorry I was a dick.” Tony practically spoke over her. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I panicked. Sometimes I over think and it does me no favors. I’m sorry.” He finally apologized after everything. For some reason those words had been really difficult for him to find. “I’m good at fixing things, I always have been. But I’m terrible at this… relationship crap. So while it seems like I’m throwing money at the problem it’s kind of the only way I know how to make things better. When I can’t find the right words… I can sometimes find… an object or… a place, or a gesture that says it for me.”

            “Tony…” Scarlett went to continue but he shushed her.

            “I didn’t do this to get your forgiveness. I’m not bribing you. I don’t want you to forget I was an ass. I want you to be mad at me; it’s sexy when you’re mad at me. This… Paris thing it’s… a genuine gift for both of us. We needed it. Me apologizing is… part of it I guess, but it was a tool to help me get here.” Finally Scarlett didn’t object to his apology. She simply let him say his piece. “Besides, I promised I’d take you here. I tried to uh… get you to run away with me to Paris before, didn’t I?”

            “Yeah, it was your idea of conflict resolution then too if I recall.”

            “I always regretted not taking you after we got back from Moscow.” Tony placed his head on her shoulder again and smiled a little. “I wanted to show you a little bit of good in the world after all that bad that chased you for so long.” They sat in silence for a moment. Tony had partially expected her to accept his apology but part of him knew it wasn’t that easy. Time healed all wounds, or so that’s what people would say. He had to give her that time. Too much had transpired in the last week. They’d already proven over the last day that a fight wouldn’t stop them from having a good time; from finally getting to really enjoy each other the way they always should have.

            “Do you want to take a walk with me?” Scarlett tilted her head to the side, pulling back just enough to face him.

            “…it’s raining outside.” Tony nodded toward the window.

            “I know.”

            “It’s like three in the morning.” He added. Scarlett nodded her head. “Alright, what the hell? Let’s go.” He carefully got up and started back toward the bedroom but then turned back to her instead. As she stood up he grabbed her around her waist and practically tossed her over her shoulder.

            “Tony!” She laughed, trying to get away but then eventually gave in, until she realized she was face to face with his butt. “Oh god, you didn’t even put on boxers!”

            “Nope!” Tony spanked her backside and carried her back into the bedroom, both laughing the whole way. It took them a little longer than anticipated to get ready for their walk. Tony kept chasing her around instead of getting dressed. Eventually they managed and Tony grabbed an umbrella on the way out. They took the elevator to the first floor, greeted the man at the door and then walked down the block in the rain. The occasional car passed by, disrupting the light ridden puddles as they walked toward one of the many bridges that crossed over the Seine.

            The rain was light but still enough that the umbrella provided them an excuse to stay huddled close together. Despite the cold, the night, and the rain, it was a perfect walk up and down the river. Something about the rain in Paris didn’t seem depressing. It seemed oddly poetic.

            Scarlett leaned against the railing of the bridge and watched the water below. It wasn’t clean as she had imagined it would be but it didn’t make a difference. Tony leaned next to her and for awhile they sat talking. Then they sat watching the water pass beneath the bridge, not needing to say anything at all. Something small but heavy pulled at Scarlett’s neck, drawing her attention. Glittering even in the darkness and the rain was a diamond. It hung on a simple silver chain but still sparkled impressively.

            “Tony, no.

            “Don’t argue with me.”

            “I can’t take this, it’s way too much.” She scoffed and leaned away from the railing.

            “You can take it and it’s not too much.” He argued. He’d expected this reaction.

            “I told you, I’m not doing the apology gift thing. I’m going to be covered in jewels if that keeps up and I am just not that kind of girl.”

            “Ouch.

            “You know what I mean, Tony!” She reached behind her to try and find the clasp to take the necklace off. Tony grabbed one of her hands with his and spun her toward him to stop her. He leaned her against the railing of the bridge.

            “This isn’t an apology necklace! It’s… a gift, okay? I could never spend enough to tell you how much the fact that you stuck around means. Besides, it’s a small diamond.”

            “Are you kidding me, it’s a huge diamond! I know what a diamond this size costs, Tony!”

            “Most women would be thanking me.”

            “You keep pulling that most women thing and it’s never going to work.”

            “I know! I know. Okay, just listen to me for a second, will you?” Tony laughed and swatted at her hand as she went to try and remove the necklace again. “It’s a gift. It’s a small piece of me to carry around with you, that’s all it is.” Scarlett finally stopped fighting to pull her hands away and heaved a frustrated sigh. She didn’t want to be this woman, the one with all the jewelry from her rich boyfriend. Soon enough all the tabloids would be reporting on how he bought her forgiveness because of the big ass diamond hanging around her neck. Wasn’t it enough that he’d partially branded her with the arc on his chest? She was wearing giant signs all over that labeled her as Tony Stark’s girlfriend.

            But why did that have to make her feel bad? Maybe Tony was right. Money was just part of who he was and when he didn’t know how to express something on his mind he spent money. If that was the case the necklace really had to mean something.

            “I hate when I can’t argue with you. It’s infuriating.”

            “Finally you see reason! Besides, this is partially a birthday present since someone didn’t tell me that her birthday was months ago like a normal person.” He laughed and she pouted again.

            “Am I going to be apologizing for that forever? Birthdays were never important to me.”

            “Yes, probably.”

            “Well too bad, I’m not sorry.”

            “Wow.” Tony laughed and ran his fingers through his short hair. “Don’t feel guilty. I know that’s what you seem to do about everything these days but you don’t have to. I want to spend money on you and you’re going to have to adjust to getting fancy stuff from me. It’s part of my life that I’m going to share with you whether you like it or not.”

            “I’ll try.” Scarlett held her hand up and turned back toward the water. It was hard not to look at the diamond around her neck. It kept sparkling. Did that mean she liked it? Feelings were hard. “You have to know though that this thing between us doesn’t really have anything to do with money.”

            “Yeah, I know.” Tony shrugged. “You hated me for my money, if I recall. Though… I am a billionaire. Some people are just going to assume. It has nothing to do with you. It’s really about me.”

            “I’d love you if you were bankrupt.” Scarlett made a face and then stuck her tongue out. “Gross, I just made myself want to vomit.”

            “You mean that, huh?”

            “I’m pretty nauseated now.”

            “Not that!”

            “Yeah, can you picture that? Us living in some… studio apartment struggling to get by? It’d be kinda… fun, I guess.” Scarlett knew that would never happen. Even if he went bankrupt she had plenty of money stored away from the work she’d done over the years.

            “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one.” Tony slipped his arm around her shoulder and stood at her side. “One room is not enough.”

            “You snob.” Scarlett rolled her eyes and Tony nudged her gently.

            “You like me.”

            “We keep playing this game where we pretend the other doesn’t know that. It’s going to have to end someday.”

            “Today is not that day…” Tony leaned to kiss her cheek, resting his nose against it. She turned and met his lips in a soft kiss. It felt nice just to do that. Her heart still raced when they touched in even such a simple way. Something about it just felt right. Never had she felt so swept off her feet than when she got this close to Tony. He pulled her back for a second kiss as she tried to move away. He wasn’t willing to stop so quickly.

            “You know…” Scarlett pulled from his lips for a second but he returned to them before she could continue. Finally she placed her hand on his chin to stop him from kissing her again and he puckered his lips comically in object. “I’ve been thinking.”

            “Come on, things were just getting hot…” He leaned away from her hand and kissed over her jaw instead. The umbrella slipped away from over them as he stopped paying attention. Rain fell drop by drop on them, first lightly and then a bit harder.

            “Tony, come on…” Scarlett took the umbrella from him and held it up but couldn’t help but laugh as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, hips against his.

            “So, you were thinking…” Tony whispered as he kissed at her neck. “Because I was thinking we could go back to our loft and…” He began to whisper in her ear, just what he was hoping they could do but stopped as she spoke over him.

            “I was wondering if you still wanted me to move into your place in New York.” Scarlett interrupted. If she didn’t say it now, she never would. It was true she’d been thinking about it for a long time. They were together all the time anyway, he’d argued that a hundred times before. Giving up her own space had felt like giving up a part of herself but now she realized just how silly that really was. She wanted to live with Tony, so why didn’t she?

            Tony immediately pulled back from her neck and stared at her in awe. Did she really mean that? Was this some mean trick? One look into her eyes let him know the truth. She was nervous and unsure of herself. He had to jump on this opportunity while it was around. If he told her no she would never ask again.

            “Yeah, I definitely want that. I’ve wanted that for months.” Tony spoke a little too quickly. “You want that? I mean, you’ve turned me down for months I sorta feel like this is some ploy…”

            “Before I agree to this you need to understand what it really means.”

            “It means I can stop sleeping in your crappy bed.” Tony nodded resolutely.

            “Yes, but hey…” She drifted off. “My bed is not crappy.”

            “It’s hard as a rock!”

            “It’s not my fault you like to sleep on a marshmallow. I need lumbar support!” Scarlett laughed and then covered his mouth with her palm to stop him from arguing. “Living together means sharing all the bills, the decorating, the responsibilities. All of it. I’m not going to be some kept woman, okay? I’m a contributor. You don’t pay for everything. If we’re going to live together like a real couple then… we act like one.” Finally she pulled her hand away from his mouth so he could talk.

            “That might be the sexiest thing a woman has ever said to me.” Tony growled playfully and Scarlett tried to lean away from his kiss.

            “God you’re ridiculous.”

            “You love me.”

            “You’re right.” Scarlett nodded her head. “I do.”

            “Then we’ll live together?” Tony brushed his hand over the side of her neck.

            “We will.”

            “Alright.” Tony shrugged and then lifted her right off of the ground. “Come on, legs around me.”

            “I’m wearing a dress.” Scarlett objected.

            “Live a little. It’s four in the morning. Besides, if anyone saw they’d just be jealous of those legs.”

            “Shut up.” Scarlett laughed and wrapped her legs around his middle as he instructed. Tony kissed her again and then secured his arm around her.

            “Mmm… I think it’s time to go celebrate.”

            “We were going there anyway, if I recall.”

            “Now I have an excuse…” Tony started off of the bridge and across the street toward their loft. They argued the whole way there, playing and joking as they did. Rain fell on the Paris streets long after they’d gone inside. It would continue throughout the day.

            Paris was perfect, but not because it was Paris.

            Paris was perfect because Tony and Scarlett had made it that way. They had a long way to go but they’d finally taken steps in the right direction.  

Well, time for the wrap up, folks. This is the end, the very end of Across the Universe. It was sort of a tumultuous run for awhile there but we made it. I'm glad it's over but I'll miss it too. However, to get right into it I'm posting the first chapter of Echoes right away! Echoes takes place in an alternate universe but it is still Tony/Scarlett (Starklett) centric. So give it a read if you like! I'll be posting it in just a minute and will leave a link here in the description! Enjoy this fluffy fluff scene. I think if anyone deserved a happy moment, it was these two.

First: Chapter One: Tomorrow Never Knows
Previous: Chapter Forty Eight: Getting Better
Iron Clad Echoes

Disclaimer: Marvel, the Marvel Universe, The Avengers, SHIELD, Iron Man and any characters therein do not belong to me but to their respective creators! I simply enjoy writing tributes to them.

Other Stories:

Iron Clad: Glass Heart
Iron Clad: Hollow Scars
One Small Spark: A Killjoys Fan Fiction
Between the Edge and Forever: A Killjoys One Shot
The Aftermath: A Zelda Fan Fiction
The Staff of Dreams: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction
Cursed: An Original Story


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mcaputo123187's avatar
D'AWWWWWW!! What a sweet ending X3. I'll miss across the universe to (but I can always go back and read it again XD). Now I can FINALLY read ECHOS ^^*