Echoes 20 - Green

            Scarlett didn't have to feel guilty for too long. Natasha heard the familiar voice of Tony Stark and did what she did best. The Black Widow disappeared into the crowd, blended in, and vanished behind someone so that even Scarlett couldn't find her. She laughed under her breath, watching her friend go. The past didn't seem so far away in moments like that. She then turned her attention to Tony who had Nathan right on his heels. Scarlett could tell their pissing match was nowhere near its end so she took a long sip of a second drink she'd ordered only seconds before. There wasn't enough scotch in the world to help her deal with this mess.

            "Hey, I was thinking we could go grab a slice. I've never been the type for this overly complicated crap they're serving at these things. Fish eggs, eel whatever, gross." Tony gestured vaguely toward the streets of Boston. "I know some places here that make a great pie. There's one not too far from here either, I think. Kinda like fate, you might say." He was smiling a mile wide while Nathan looked worse for wear. One of them was clearly enjoying their little tiff more than the other and it was made very clear which one of them was winning.

            Once again as Scarlett opened her mouth, Nathan spoke over her and she was none too happy about it. She was tired of being ignored.

            "Excuse me, Stark, but we already had plans to go out tonight. You can't just show up and expect everyone to drop everything for you."

            "I was asking Scarlett, not you Nelson."

            "It's Nathan, for the last bloody time!"

            "Don't lose your temper, I'm just giving you a hard time. Yeesh, no sense of humor this one." Tony shook his head but still smiled. "So… pizza?" Tony asked Scarlett again and even he twitched when Nathan responded.

            "You think you can come to my show, my event and just… take over? You're ruining the whole damned thing!"

            "I was asking Scarlett a question and while she has a pretty sultry voice you're a bit more baritone than what I'm looking for." Tony narrowed his eyes playfully.

            "Scarlett we have reservations at a very nice Italian place after the party! Don't tell me you're considering this ludicrous offer." Both men stayed silent and waited for her to finally address them but instead she simply stared at them. When time passed they even exchanged glances then looked to Scarlett expectantly once more.

            "Oh, so I get to talk now?" Scarlett acted surprised and even Tony gave an apologetic smile.

            "You know how much I love the sound of my own voice." Tony nodded but there was a note of sarcasm as he spoke. He pointed toward Nathan. "Don't know what his problem is."

            "So what will it be? We had plans, Scarlett…" Nathan regained a bit of his composure and managed a charming smile at last. Still, he seemed disheveled. Scarlett had, in a way, put them in their place by both ignoring their argument and drawing attention to the fact that the very person they were practically trying to mark with their scents had no say in the matter.

            "I'm actually pretty tired." Scarlett began gently. "I'd prefer to go home. I can make something quick there to eat. Less testosterone involved too." Nathan's face fell and he seemed immediately rejected. Scarlett felt guilty again. "It's not a contest guys. I'm just really tired. Shakespeare, which I know is one of your first loves, Nathan, is very taxing for me. After hours sitting through it I need to sleep." Nathan seemed slightly relieved but then tensed up again as Tony spoke.

            "By taxing she means boring. Very, very boring." Tony whispered and Scarlett threw him a look. Nathan glanced from Tony to Scarlett and while at first he seemed ready to argue with her he relented.

            "I get it." Nathan finally calmed and touched her arm gently. "I really do appreciate you coming tonight. It means the world to me. I know you're not the biggest fan of Shakespeare but the fact that you came at all and made such a generous contribution for me means the world." Nathan was his charming self, at least for a minute.

            "Thank you. Now if you don’t mind I should get going." Scarlett thought about hugging Nathan but then considered Tony might also expect a hug. For some reason hugging Tony seemed like a very bad idea. Instead she offered a smile, a wave, and started toward the door. Much to her irritation both men followed her out of the theater.

            "If you like I can give you a ride home. No need to wait for a car service." Tony suggested nonchalantly, hands in his pockets. The press were only a few feet away and were asking questions but they were easy enough to ignore for the time being. They were always waiting at these sorts of events, just to snap a few glamorous or unflattering pictures. Each hoped for a bit of gossip to type up but that was rare.

            "Seems like a shady offer to me." Scarlett narrowed her eyes but Tony immediately held up his hands.

            "No, no really. Nothing unsavory, just offering you a ride. I'm not a stranger with candy. Not today. I shouldn't stay too much longer either. It's a long flight home!" He laughed and so Scarlett considered taking him up on the offer. Every part of her logical mind knew it was a bad idea. Natasha told her to back off of Nathan and to push off the job in Malibu. But maybe she didn't quite want that. Since when did she actually have to listen to Natasha? The odds that S.H.I.E.L.D. actually considered giving her fieldwork were astronomical anyway. She liked talking to Tony, it was one of the very few things that she still enjoyed. When they talked, for a few minutes she felt like her old self. It could be that feeling like her old self was destructive, but Scarlett didn't much care. Befriending Tony Stark couldn't possibly be more dangerous than everything else she dealt with on a daily basis.

            "Alright. What's the harm?" Scarlett started with Tony down the sidewalk but they both stopped short when Nathan jumped in front of them.

            "Are you really leaving with him? After all that?" At first he was quiet, but Nathan had a fire in his eyes. Tony had pushed too many of his buttons and too hard at that.

            "Nathan, calm down he's just giving me a ride…"

            "Taking you for a ride you mean." Nathan spoke louder and Scarlett winced at once. "You're too good for him, too good to be a mistress! You know that! Why can't you see it? It's like you only fall for trouble! I'm standing right in front of you!"

            "Nathan you are crossing a line." Scarlett wanted to break his nose in all honestly. Hell, she wanted to drag them both around a corner and knock their heads together like the Three Stooges. Men were so stupid sometimes, particularly when they were thinking far too hard with something other than their brains.

            "Listen to the woman, this is strictly business." Tony spoke just as loud as Nathan and on purpose. The nearby press stopped trying to draw the attention of other pseudo-celebrities and turned their attention instead to the trio in the midst of their drama. "In case you weren't listening earlier, I'm only looking to work with her. This was a good will gesture. Not everything's an angle."

            "Yeah, sure you are. Men travel all the way across the country to hire women. I know what you're doing here and I'm not naïve! Scarlett may be fooled but I see the way you're looking at her!" Nathan shouted.

            "Nathan, calm yourself!" Scarlett hissed in a whisper but the press interjected, asking Tony if it was true, if he was having an affair, if his relationship with Pepper was even still existent. They hadn't seen the two of them together since he emerged from his unexplained absence. Tony ignored the press artfully and instead focused on Nathan who had officially blown his stack. Usually over thinking his relationship status with Pepper would send his heart racing but right now he had more to focus on. Problems to solve helped him keep his cool, funny how that worked.

            "Men travel all the way across country to work with this woman, alright? Smart people will travel across the ocean to work with this woman. That might not be the kind of businessman you are but that's the kind of business I run. Opportunities like this are once in a lifetime. Just because you can't keep your eyes on the prize, doesn't mean the rest of us are so distracted by that dress."

            "So you say! I'm sure you'd say that about every attractive employee you've screwed over the years. She's not stupid like those other women, Stark, and neither am I."

            "Nathan, enough!" Scarlett knew that eventually Nathan would lose his cool but couldn't he have done it ten minutes ago when they at least hadn't been in front of cameras? She knew what she'd see in the gossip rag tomorrow, that's for sure. At least no one would be questioning her health anymore. Besides, she was tired of this turning into a comparison between her and other women. She wasn't any different than anyone else, at least in that respect. Once again, it wasn't a contest.

            "Does that mean you two are breaking up?" A reporter shouted to Nathan and others asked similar questions.

            "Has she cheated on you?"

            "We saw her with a redheaded woman several times!"

            "There are reports she's seeing others in secret."

            "Enough!" Scarlett snapped at the press and much to her surprise, Tony pulled Nathan aside but closer to the press. She watched in frustration as everything seemed to drag on in front of her. Scarlett hated this kind of drama. It was so tedious. If she could shoot it, she would.

            "Look, Nathan, you're right." Tony made no attempts to speak quietly but the actor was still tense and looked ready to throw a punch. Scarlett was sure that Nathan could start a fight but was even more positive that Tony would be the one to finish it. He was Iron Man after all. Sometimes Scarlett forgot that.

            "I know! I've been trying to call you out on it all evening!"

            "You're right but not in the way you're thinking. Yeah, I flew across country to see her, not your show. I came to talk to her because she hasn't yet gotten back to me about the job offer I made her last week and I am an impatient son of a bitch. I like to get what I want when I want it." He spoke so sincerely and with such an urgent gaze that Nathan finally relaxed a little. He stopped and took in his surroundings suddenly realizing the scene he'd made in front of the press. He hadn't even realized they'd been there watching. Instead he'd been worried about Scarlett making a mistake and jealous that she might make it with someone who wasn't him.

            "Really?" Nathan didn't want to believe it. He wanted to make a villain out of Tony Stark but he didn't want to do it with Scarlett standing next to him and cameras flashing to catch his jealousy at every angle. Right now, Nathan was the jealous boyfriend in the eyes of the media and Tony was playing it cool.

            "You put on a fantastic show tonight even if I was a little bored. That's not your fault, I have a terrible attention span. Something about being spoiled, I never listen when people rattle on about me like that." Tony pointed down the street. "I'm going home now. It's late. But I thought I'd give Scarlett a ride before I did because I can tell she's tired too. My car is already here, she'd have to wait for one."

            "I can handle myself. I've had enough of this… for the night… and forever, really." Scarlett gestured between them and then turned without another word. The press started after her and she grunted in annoyance.

            "Hey, if anyone wants a real story, you should ask this guy about whether or not he's purchasing the theater." Tony watched Scarlett disappear through the crowd. People didn't want to hear about the theater purchase but they did want to hear about the fight that had apparently been going on all night long between the two men.

            Scarlett walked down the block and while a few photographers had followed her for awhile she made it perfectly clear that she wasn't offering any story of any kind. Stopping around the corner, Scarlett took out her cell phone and checked for any missed calls. There were none and she was partially grateful for that and partially saddened by it. For a second she was relieved to be alone and in the same second lonely. Her night had not played out the way she'd planned but it hadn't gone particularly poorly either. It was sort of a mess, but considering the other messes she'd gotten into in the past, it wasn't so bad. At least there wasn't any blood.

            "Hey, are you okay?" Tony had followed her. She was again partially annoyed and partially relieved to be followed. What a conflicting night. Scarlett threw him a look that clearly said how annoyed she was with him.

            "Was all that really necessary? This was his big night. Not everything has to be about you. Or me for that matter."

            "I know, I know. I'm an ass. Really, I know that. It's a big flaw I guess." Tony laughed and then cleared his throat. The words were sitting on his tongue but he was having a very difficult time getting them out. "About all that… the whole display, all the stuff with Nelson…"

            "Nathan. And you know that."

            "Yeah, him." Tony chuckled. "I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to be such a big mess. I thought he was taking it a bit better than he really was. When he exploded I kinda realized that I may have hit a nerve or two… or ten."

            "You can't help yourself." Scarlett nodded in understanding. "It's alright. It's just when you guys start to compare dick size it all becomes very boring for me." Scarlett smirked and Tony took a step closer.

            "Oh, we didn't do that but I could let you measure just in case. I promise it wouldn't be boring." Tony began. Scarlett couldn't believe he was still flirting with her, after everything. Well, she could believe it, but it still seemed like she should be surprised. They both sighed when Nathan interrupted and exchanged glances of annoyance that made them both laugh.

            "Scarlett, there you are! Don't run off like that. Not without a goodbye at least!" He tried to laugh. Nathan hadn't heard what they'd been joking about or Scarlett doubted he would have been in such a good mood. He went to continue, to presumably apologize for being just as stupid as Tony had been but Scarlett stopped him.

            "It's fine. You're both fine. Both incredibly stupid, but fine." Scarlett sighed with relief. Nathan did the same. "Look, I really am tired. It wasn't just a line to get away from whatever weird competition you two had going on. I'm going home. I was about to call my driver. I just had to get away from all the cameras before I said something stupid. I'm not as good at keeping it all wrapped up like you guys are."

            "I'm sorry. I know you didn't want me to say it but it needed to be said." Nathan spoke sincerely, picking up one of Scarlett's hands and she nodded. Tony envied how easily he could form the words. It had never been in Tony's nature to admit he was wrong even when he knew it was the truth. Sorry was not a word that was readily available in his vocabulary. Even when he'd said it earlier it had sounded fake.

            "It's really okay. Look, Tony, I'll talk to you tomorrow about the job in Malibu. Go home and get some sleep." Scarlett then turned to Nathan, partially aware that Tony wasn't actually going anywhere. He wasn't done with her yet. She could tell by the look in his eyes and by the persistence he'd shown thus far. He wanted something from her, Scarlett just wasn't sure what. Part of her knew what it was but another part of her kept denying it.

            "Are you going to lecture me now?" Nathan smiled, hoping to soften the blow.

            "No." Scarlett shook her head. "You should go calm down a bit. This was your night and you were amazing."

            "You're right. I got caught up with jealousy and it was very foolish of me."

            "There's the charming guy I know so well."

            "Thank you for coming here to support me tonight. I mean it." Nathan nodded sincerely.

            "It's no problem. You were saying earlier about buying a theater and I wanted to say it then but maybe I should say it now… You should buy one in Manhattan. It's a bit more expensive but it'll be better for your career. People travel to Broadway to see a show, not to Boston. Boston's a dead end. For many reasons." Partially Scarlett was hoping to hint for him to cool it on the relationship drama. Nathan was an actor, he could read the subtext like a book.

            "I don't know Scarlett. I think Boston has quite a bit going for it. You may not think much of it but I do." Nathan surprised her. Scarlett didn't think he'd fight for her very hard. They both knew they weren't talking about Boston anymore. For a minute they stared but Scarlett felt nothing even when she knew Nathan was melting on the inside. Why did he have to like her so damn much? People didn't usually like her. She was such a pain in the ass, she couldn't blame them. And yet, there was Nathan, this sweet candy of a man, so far into her that she wasn’t sure how to push him away.

            "Go enjoy your party." Scarlett reassured him and then turned away with a wave. She picked up her phone again and started back down the street to go meet her driver at a less crowded location. Despite her being a block away, there were still fans, photographers, partygoers, at every turn. People were huddled across the street, whispering about them and trying not to draw attention to themselves. At least they were being discreet.

            As predicted she heard footsteps behind her. The gait was familiar and she was pleased with herself for recognizing the way Tony walked. Some of her senses hadn't yet faded despite what S.H.I.E.L.D. seemed to think.  She slowed down purposely and waited for him to make a move, looking at her phone and pretending not to notice.

            "You know he's doing it for you, right?" Tony finally broke the silence, looking over his shoulder and then back to Scarlett. He wanted to make sure the actor wasn't following them again. That night had been a real blur thus far. It was the first major event he'd attended since the incident that had driven him into hiding in his Malibu home and it was a bit overwhelming. He'd expected some creeping fear, but he'd never expected to feel like his old self. When he'd first arrived he'd almost reconsidered and gotten a hotel instead.

            Then he'd thought of Scarlett, of the reports he'd read and how he needed to see her just to make sure she was okay. She was, at least he sort of thought she was. When she'd disappeared into the bathroom earlier he'd worried again. Whatever it was, if anything, she didn't want him or anyone else to know. Tony had decided he would respect that, at least for now. When he'd gotten inside the theater, still he'd been worried. The press had been easier to handle than he'd expected. He avoided questions that made him uncomfortable and had only answered ones that made him laugh. Maybe it wouldn't be such a nightmare getting back to his old life after all.

            Tony had always been good at controlling the press. For some reason he'd feared how they'd treat him when he returned. It would have been different if it hadn't been for his involvement with Scarlett. She may not have realized it but she had helped him in more ways than he'd ever thought possible. Momentarily he had been distracted by the argument with Nathan but now his thoughts lingered on their close call in the theater. He knew it would be devastating to his relationship with Pepper if he cheated on her. There would be no chance of friendship after that. And yet when he was close to Scarlett every part of him was screaming to take her, regardless. Tony couldn't do that.  No matter how despicable a man he could be at times, he couldn't do that to someone who had once been his best friend.

            "You have to be more specific." Scarlett didn't stop walking or turn to face him but she also didn’t tell him to go away. "I don't know why you're suddenly so ambiguous. Usually you don't shut up."

            "Nathan." Tony didn't forget his name this time. It had been a ploy to irritate the actor, they both knew it. "He's buying a theater here for you. It has nothing to do with his career."

            "So?" Scarlett turned to face him and stopped pretending to play on her phone. "What do you care? You've got a girlfriend in Malibu."

            "I know that." Tony felt suddenly defensive. For the first time he considered that maybe getting so close to Scarlett was, in fact, hurting her. He'd never considered how it would make her feel. To be so obviously drawn to him and unable to act on it. She probably felt strung along. Nathan's words suddenly didn't seem so far from the truth and Tony felt guilty. Yet he still didn't want to stop either. What kind of man did that make him? Tony didn't know anymore.

            "If Nathan wants to be close to me then what is it to you?" Scarlett was hoping he would back down. She needed a reason to think she'd assumed the wrong thing earlier in the theater. Maybe this thing with Tony was all in her head. God, she hoped it was in her head.

            "Well, I, uh…" Tony was always good with words. It was kind of his thing. He could charm the pants off of almost anyone. So why was he faltering now? When it mattered? What was he getting at anyway? He couldn't keep a woman who was notorious for having an appetite as big as his from having any relationship she wanted. "He's just too stuffy for you, that's all."

            "Oh, is that all? I'm sure you're so concerned with how bored he would make me."

            "And if you were really interested you would've bit the bullet with a guy like that already. I mean, handsome, talented, loaded, guy's probably a really good time in the sack. You have no idea how much I hate saying that, but it's probably true."

            "What makes you think I haven't already slept with him?" Scarlett responded without batting an eye and Tony scrunched up his face for a moment, hesitating to say what he was really thinking out loud. That he didn't want her to. He had no right to want that.

            "You shy away from him." Tony hesitated, but that wasn't the reason he knew. "He's got that… god I want you so bad it's killing me look every time he looks at you. I mean… if I were him," Tony knew that was a dangerous choice of words but went with it anyway, "the moment I saw that dress tonight, I would've spent the rest of the night worshipping you from head to toe." Scarlett didn't act as surprised as she felt.

            "You're right." She finally nodded and even laughed a little to try and break the tension that had suddenly bolted between them. There was no switch that was flipped. There was just something there, a spark. "I came here tonight just to support a friend."

            "Well he's got it bad for you, Scarlett." Tony was relieved she hadn't taken any of that the wrong way. It could have gone horribly wrong. Once again, Scarlett spared him from looking like a fool in front of her. Little did he know that she found it rather endearing, even if she was trying to repeatedly remind herself that there was no room for this in her life even if he had been single. It was hard not to linger on the idea of being worshipped from head to toe, that went for both of them.

            "It's just a school boy crush." She shrugged and glanced down the street, simply to avoid Tony's brown eyes. What truth could be hidden within them? She didn't think she wanted to see it. At least not tonight. Between Nathan, Tony, and Natasha, Scarlett's night felt like chaos. She'd had far more than enough action for now. "Once he realizes I'm not interested he'll have no choice but to back off. Even now it's getting there. He knew I wasn't talking about Boston either."

            "And yet he pushed you." Tony kept shoving his hands in his pockets. He was worried they were going to do something without his permission. They had earlier on several occasions.

            "It takes time. I don't see him as frequently as everyone seems to think I do. We rarely talk outside of business and events." Scarlett smoothed out her dress.

            "It's not going to stop if you keep showing up dressed like that." Tony laughed and gestured to her and then once again shoved his disobedient hand back in his pocket.

            "God, you're obsessed." Scarlett kept him from responding. "Why is it that you all have to assume I'm dressing up to please some guy? I get it all the time. Who am I trying to impress? No one." Her smile fell for a moment and then she averted her eyes and it returned. "You were right earlier. You should've stuck with that. I wanted to feel good. That's it. I wanted to feel sexy. I wanted for… people to look at me and stop guessing I was pregnant or sick." Tony didn't expect her to be so honest, especially since she had fought against his every opinion earlier. He could tell he frightened her a little when he'd touched on the subject. Still he wasn't sure why, but he knew that she didn't want to elaborate. When she finally did, he would be there. That was if she would let him be. Tony was over thinking Scarlett as a whole. What made him think she would want him to be there for her in any capacity?

            They barely knew each other.

            Yet Tony felt like he knew her better than people he'd known for years, at least right now. And he wanted to know more. The thought was scary, but also intriguing.

            "Well, mission accomplished." He could have said any number of things. Tony could have asked her why she needed to feel sexy when the paper reported on what they think she's up to constantly. He could have asked why she'd care about what anyone thought about her. Instead he let her simply be. No one had done that for her in a very long time. Scarlett was good at avoiding what was really troubling her but now wasn't one of those times.

            Yes, it was true she needed someone to be there to nag her, to force her to face her demons, to face her truths, but she also needed a friend. Sometimes friends could be best described as those willing to sit in denial for a few minutes simply to offer some comfort. Tony could have been sincere, but Scarlett knew better. He was too smart not to see through her and too curious not to pursue it. Hell, he'd been so curious that he'd hunted her down and followed her to the theater that night. It struck Scarlett that the same curiosity could really get him into danger when it came to her.

            Selfishly, she thought perhaps she was too smart to be discovered.

            "Hey, I'm going to grab that pizza. You still want a slice?"

            "I never said I did." Scarlett knew she should turn him down. She'd purposely avoided going to dinner with Nathan and had promised that she would go home and not out with Tony. Yet she wanted to go with Tony. She very much did. Why shouldn't she? So often she was denied what she wanted, so why couldn't she have this one small thing? Pizza wasn't asking for much in the grand scheme of things, was it?

            "Well fine, do you want to go grab a slice?"

            "I don't know, Tony." Scarlett hesitated but even that was enough to allow Tony to worm his way in.

            "No strings attached, I swear. Just pizza." He held up his hands defensively but smiled. "I really know some great places. That wasn't a line."

            "We're really overdressed for pizza. We're several months rent at a pizza place overdressed actually."

            "No better time to get pizza, right? Plus, they'll get a really good tip!" Tony nodded down the block. "Come on, it won't hurt anyone. Besides, you owe me dinner, right?"

            "I don't, but… okay." Scarlett had never promised Tony dinner. She'd promised him drinks and while one was cheaper than the other, she still had to argue. It was in her nature. Like that Scarlett forgot about the drama with Nathan, the chaos with Natasha. All that mattered was that she could spend the night talking with Tony over a crappy piece of pizza.