She colours, glancing at him. “It’s not stupid. I’m flattered.” Summer bites her lip, then smiles at him, a smile that starts out sweet and actually a little shy, but turns into something a little less innocent. “And flattery will get you everywhere.”
Toni gives her a leer in response, shooting a wink her way before pulling into the restaurant. Taking the keys out of the ignition, he leans over and gives her a quick kiss before slipping out to come around and open Summer’s door. Offering her his hand, he grins again. “After you, my dear.”
“Thank you.” She takes his hand and climbs out of the car, glancing around before looking up at Toni. “It’s a good surprise. What is this place?” She’s actually a little bit bemused by how … seriously Toni is taking this. She’d been holding her feelings at arm’s length for so long; she truly had expected this unexpected date to be a joke. Toni letting her down easily.
The kiss he’d just given her had by no means been their first, but it feels different. Summer can’t resist returning his grin, and twines her fingers with his.
“Hmmm?” He hums, turning to look over at her. “About where we’re going? I already told you it’s a surprise,” Toni chuckles, making another turn as they draw closer to the restaurant. It’s a relatively small place and off the grid unless you’re in the know and can actually afford the place. Toni used to come here with Ty when they were trying to stay out of the paparazzi’s eye. He figures that Summer will enjoy the privacy.
“Not that question. About when this started.” Resolutely, she doesn’t look at him, but she also doesn’t pull her hand away from his. It’s important to know, though she’s not sure why.
Toni takes a deep breath and purses his lips, wondering what to say. “I think I’ve always cared about you,” he finally decides. “Just not in the way you wanted me to, at first …but then …” The young man looks over at her, setting the car to autopilot again. “You remind me of my old life, Summer. You remind me that sometimes things fucking suck, but you have to remember to smile. You remind me of …home. Stupid isn’t it?”
She colours, glancing at him. “It’s not stupid. I’m flattered.” Summer bites her lip, then smiles at him, a smile that starts out sweet and actually a little shy, but turns into something a little less innocent. “And flattery will get you everywhere.”
She flushes again. “I’m not really doing anything special,” she mumbles, “but you’re welcome all the same.” His gratitude is so powerful, she puts up another shield just to keep her thoughts from drowning in it; it’s like seeing the world through a haze for a second. She keeps hold of his hand, uncaring of how her arm is awkwardly bent. “You never answered my question,” she says, quietly.
“Hmmm?” He hums, turning to look over at her. “About where we’re going? I already told you it’s a surprise,” Toni chuckles, making another turn as they draw closer to the restaurant. It’s a relatively small place and off the grid unless you’re in the know and can actually afford the place. Toni used to come here with Ty when they were trying to stay out of the paparazzi’s eye. He figures that Summer will enjoy the privacy.
“Not that question. About when this started.” Resolutely, she doesn’t look at him, but she also doesn’t pull her hand away from his. It’s important to know, though she’s not sure why.
“I don’t forget that. You aren’t him, no matter what you think; you just started the same place. You’ve had your jolt a lot earlier — I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he — if Tony had been jolted out of that self-absorption sooner, like you.” Summer twists a ring on her hand around her finger a couple of times, staring out the window at the traffic. “Anyway … of course I give a damn about you. It’s what I do, that’s all I’m good for. You’re someone who — how do I say this? — there are a lot of people around you that are only interested in what you can do for them. In making you feel good, controlling you, giving you what you want. Someone has to be the person who cares about the real you, and I guess that person is me.”
“Chaos, I’m sure,” he chuckles, trying to not show how much the words actually impacted him. It’s nice for someone actually to not see him as the kid that’s Tony Stark, but not, but the kid who was Tony Stark, but didn’t let his future self define him. Reaching over he grabs her hand gently, to place a small kiss on her knuckles. “Sometimes I wonder what would’ve happened if Tony succeeded in sending me back. If the world I was going back to was going to feel the same after everything I saw here. And, yeah, I’m not going to lie: sometimes I hate waking up here …but I’m glad I met you, Summer. Throughout everything, you’ve stuck by me. Thank you.”
She flushes again. “I’m not really doing anything special,” she mumbles, “but you’re welcome all the same.” His gratitude is so powerful, she puts up another shield just to keep her thoughts from drowning in it; it’s like seeing the world through a haze for a second. She keeps hold of his hand, uncaring of how her arm is awkwardly bent. “You never answered my question,” she says, quietly.
Very quietly, she says, “When did that happen? I’ve been trying … not to … I’ve liked you since we met, but I didn’t think. I mean.” Summer sighs a little, twisting her hands in her lap. “I don’t think of myself as being someone likable, or important, so I don’t understand. And I’ve been trying /not/ to come on to you, or anything like that. That’s what I meant about that one night — I know I was being horrible, I get flirty when I’m drunk, and you didn’t let me do anything stupid.”
Toni shrugs. “Consider it someone drawing from personal experience. You’re forgetting that Tony and I are pretty much the same guy. We’ve been known for our drunken escapades. I remember one time I tried to give Rhodey a blow job on our way to this gala—” Toni breaks off with a small smile before it falls a bit as he coughs from memory. “Yeah, well, either way …you’re important to me because you actually give a damn about me. I wasn’t about to let something happen to you, sweetheart. So you were a bit flirtatious,” he shrugs. “No harm, no foul.”
“I don’t forget that. You aren’t him, no matter what you think; you just started the same place. You’ve had your jolt a lot earlier — I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he — if Tony had been jolted out of that self-absorption sooner, like you.” Summer twists a ring on her hand around her finger a couple of times, staring out the window at the traffic. “Anyway … of course I give a damn about you. It’s what I do, that’s all I’m good for. You’re someone who — how do I say this? — there are a lot of people around you that are only interested in what you can do for them. In making you feel good, controlling you, giving you what you want. Someone has to be the person who cares about the real you, and I guess that person is me.”
Toni can feel the blood rise to his cheeks and he coughs into the hand she doesn’t have a hold on. “I …uh …” he swallows. “I just …I know how it feels to be drunk in a place that’s not …familiar … so, yeah, you know, it wasn’t a big …deal.” Open mouth, insert foot.
“I think I could have managed,” she laughed, squeezing again. “But it was a big deal to me; you said all the right things, and you didn’t let me do anything stupid.”
Toni blushes again, making a turn on 5th. “You’re important to me,” he mumbles, turning his wide blue eyes on her again. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Very quietly, she says, “When did that happen? I’ve been trying … not to … I’ve liked you since we met, but I didn’t think. I mean.” Summer sighs a little, twisting her hands in her lap. “I don’t think of myself as being someone likable, or important, so I don’t understand. And I’ve been trying /not/ to come on to you, or anything like that. That’s what I meant about that one night — I know I was being horrible, I get flirty when I’m drunk, and you didn’t let me do anything stupid.”
Summer flushes hard. “You were never that bad. I was an unholy pest.” She looks up at his profile, eyes soft, and bites at her lip. “I know. Don’t — just be yourself, okay, Toni? I lo-like, I like you the way you are.” Reaching out, she puts a hand over his wrist and squeezes a little. “Like that night I was so drunk. You were awfully good to me that night.”
Toni can feel the blood rise to his cheeks and he coughs into the hand she doesn’t have a hold on. “I …uh …” he swallows. “I just …I know how it feels to be drunk in a place that’s not …familiar … so, yeah, you know, it wasn’t a big …deal.” Open mouth, insert foot.
“I think I could have managed,” she laughed, squeezing again. “But it was a big deal to me; you said all the right things, and you didn’t let me do anything stupid.”
She grins. “That kind of danger I can handle. I’m just — it’s you. It’s always you, Toni; I don’t want people pestering you about, oh, older women or something, I don’t know. I don’t care if they call me a gold-digger or a cradle-robber or what-have-you; I’ve heard everything at one time or another and nobody can say anything to me I haven’t heard already.” She starts on another lock of hair. “I am happy, Toni. I never,” she laughs a little, “I never in the world believed this would happen.”
Toni frowns and his grip tightens a bit at his own idiocy. “I’m going to make it up to you; I shouldn’t have treated you how I did before. it was rude and mean and, God, you know I’m sorry for everything, right? You’re so amazing, Summer, and I was a fucking idiot and I know that doesn’t make up for anything, but I’m going to make things right.” The brunet looks over at and gives her what he hopes is a smile. “I’ll make things right,” he repeats more to himself as he turns to the roads once more.
Summer flushes hard. “You were never that bad. I was an unholy pest.” She looks up at his profile, eyes soft, and bites at her lip. “I know. Don’t — just be yourself, okay, Toni? I lo-like, I like you the way you are.” Reaching out, she puts a hand over his wrist and squeezes a little. “Like that night I was so drunk. You were awfully good to me that night.”
“Oooh, a waterfa—what? No, Toni, pay attention to the road.” Summer combs her nails harder through the inoffensive lock of hair. Her stomach feels odd, vague fear swirling around in it. “What do you mean, I’m not old? Not compared to the Captain, maybe, but I’m still almost twice your age.”
Toni shrugs and takes his hand off the wheel showing her it’s on autopilot for the moment. “You’re forgetting that if I’m going by my date of birth, I’m 35. I only look like this because dimensional rifts are a bitch and I’m not allowed to go home. So, technically, my dear, I’m about the same age as you.” Placing his hands on the wheel, he lets out a breath of air. “And if you’re so hung up on your age, still, you should know that I don’t care. Do you care that I’m younger than you?”
“Cars shouldn’t drive themselves,” she mutters. “No, not really. Didn’t we already have the argument about how birth date and years lived aren’t the same? It’s not actually relevant, especially not for you. I think you’ve been adult since you were about twelve.” She draws in a deep breath. “My … concern … is how other people will see you. Or me. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Toni gives a slight nod at the 12 comment, because, yeah, that sounds about right, before turning to glance at her, keeping his hands on the wheel. “If I cared about my reputation I wouldn’t go around saying that I’m related to Tony Stark, hon. However, if you think you may be in any sort of danger, either the press or where you work or your family or I guess really anything, then don’t hesitate to warn me, alright? My main concern is that you’re happy.”
She grins. “That kind of danger I can handle. I’m just — it’s you. It’s always you, Toni; I don’t want people pestering you about, oh, older women or something, I don’t know. I don’t care if they call me a gold-digger or a cradle-robber or what-have-you; I’ve heard everything at one time or another and nobody can say anything to me I haven’t heard already.” She starts on another lock of hair. “I am happy, Toni. I never,” she laughs a little, “I never in the world believed this would happen.”
