It only took a moment for her to grasp the pattern, and her eyes filled with tears. “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart,” she murmured, blinking. She ignored the tears utterly, looking up at Tony. “Thank you,” Summer said. She got up and stepped to his side, kissing his temple. “Will you put it on?”
Tony offered her a lopsided grin and scratched the back of his head. “I figured it had to be something you wouldn’t find anywhere else.” He took the necklace from her, motioned for her to turn around, and clasped the chain around the back of her neck. “There we go. Now I think it’s time to get out of here.” He added the last as the server returned to hand him back his card.
Summer couldn’t suppress a smile; despite everything in the last six months, his awkwardness in expressing himself was still adorable. Twining her fingers with his and kissing the back of his hand, she asked, “There are /more/ plans?”
“Hmmm, no. I won’t do it. Tip for you, though: the next time I’m down, send out for some of this.” Neatly she laid the fork upside down on the plate and eyed Tony. “Now what?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He set his fork down and pulled out his wallet, so when the waitress came back all he had to do was hand over his card. He watched her walk away and turned his attention back to Summer. “Now, I s’pose I give you this,” he said, and reached into his jacket to pull out a small box, though too big to be a ring box.
There was a necklace in the box. A triangular blue diamond, with a series of smaller cut blue diamonds around it to fill out a circular platinum setting, hung from a platinum chain.
It only took a moment for her to grasp the pattern, and her eyes filled with tears. “Proof that Tony Stark has a heart,” she murmured, blinking. She ignored the tears utterly, looking up at Tony. “Thank you,” Summer said. She got up and stepped to his side, kissing his temple. “Will you put it on?”
“Don’t care. If they still let you in here, nothing I do is going to be shocking.” She ate another bite, picking up crumbs with her fingertip. “You’re just jealous.” In a short amount of time, only a few smears were left. Summer looked at the plate, then at Tony, then back at the plate. “I’m tempted to lick it.”
“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be the first to do that,” Tony replied, as he scraped up the last of his tiramisu with his fork. “And probably only the waitstaff would look at you funny. And me, but I figure that’s nothing out of the ordinary by now.”
“Hmmm, no. I won’t do it. Tip for you, though: the next time I’m down, send out for some of this.” Neatly she laid the fork upside down on the plate and eyed Tony. “Now what?”
“What is this food fight you are trying to start?” Summer picked up her knife and shook it at him. “Let me see the desserts … ” She flipped through, and her eyes lit. “Oh, they have carrot cake! I /love/ carrot cake. Please, Tony?”
Tony laughed. “Hey, go ahead. Not like we actually have somewhere to be after this.” He glanced over the dessert menu. “Besides, they have tiramisu, so I’ve got nothin’ to complain about.” It was only a few moments later that the server came back to take their dessert orders and bring a couple boxes.
She was half-tempted to hurry through the cake, but at the first bite she closed her eyes and moaned in pure bliss. “Oh my god, this is so very good.” Every single bite, she savored slowly, deliberately swiping a finger through the cream cheese frosting and smearing it on her lips before licking it off.
Tony arched one eyebrow slowly as he watched her, his attention only partially focused on his own dessert. “Is that really necessary?” he finally asked, his tone marginally accusatory. “You’re gonna get us thrown out for indecent behavior.” Whether he was referring to her treatment of her cake or something else entirely was still unclear.
“Don’t care. If they still let you in here, nothing I do is going to be shocking.” She ate another bite, picking up crumbs with her fingertip. “You’re just jealous.” In a short amount of time, only a few smears were left. Summer looked at the plate, then at Tony, then back at the plate. “I’m tempted to lick it.”
“What is this food fight you are trying to start?” Summer picked up her knife and shook it at him. “Let me see the desserts … ” She flipped through, and her eyes lit. “Oh, they have carrot cake! I /love/ carrot cake. Please, Tony?”
Tony laughed. “Hey, go ahead. Not like we actually have somewhere to be after this.” He glanced over the dessert menu. “Besides, they have tiramisu, so I’ve got nothin’ to complain about.” It was only a few moments later that the server came back to take their dessert orders and bring a couple boxes.
She was half-tempted to hurry through the cake, but at the first bite she closed her eyes and moaned in pure bliss. “Oh my god, this is so very good.” Every single bite, she savored slowly, deliberately swiping a finger through the cream cheese frosting and smearing it on her lips before licking it off.
She riposted immediately, “I could go for Hot Wheels; there’s all that glorious flat space in the workshop to run them on. Or, you know, a really nice RC car.” She grinned. “Of course you’re not going to tell me! And I’m not going to give my real guesses, either.” Deliberately childish, she stuck out her tongue, then put another piece of duck on it. “Tony, this is really good.”
He tipped his head to one side, contemplatively. “Pretty sure I’ve got a couple RC cars stashed somewhere in the penthouse,” he mused. “At least I don’t think I got rid of them. They’re probably hiding with the super soakers.” He stuck his tongue out in return and then flicked a pea at her. “Considering the price, I would be severely disappointed if it wasn’t really good.”
Summer dodged absently. “Oh, come on, you of all people should know that money is no guarantee of quality.” She considered her plate, two-thirds empty, and frowned a little. “Despite that, I think I’m done. I’m a little person, I can’t eat this much.”
Tony shrugged nonchalantly. “That doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed when it turns out something’s over priced.” He flicked another pea at her. “Is tonight a night for dessert, or would you rather I get the check so you can get your present?”
“What is this food fight you are trying to start?” Summer picked up her knife and shook it at him. “Let me see the desserts … ” She flipped through, and her eyes lit. “Oh, they have carrot cake! I /love/ carrot cake. Please, Tony?”
She riposted immediately, “I could go for Hot Wheels; there’s all that glorious flat space in the workshop to run them on. Or, you know, a really nice RC car.” She grinned. “Of course you’re not going to tell me! And I’m not going to give my real guesses, either.” Deliberately childish, she stuck out her tongue, then put another piece of duck on it. “Tony, this is really good.”
He tipped his head to one side, contemplatively. “Pretty sure I’ve got a couple RC cars stashed somewhere in the penthouse,” he mused. “At least I don’t think I got rid of them. They’re probably hiding with the super soakers.” He stuck his tongue out in return and then flicked a pea at her. “Considering the price, I would be severely disappointed if it wasn’t really good.”
Summer dodged absently. “Oh, come on, you of all people should know that money is no guarantee of quality.” She considered her plate, two-thirds empty, and frowned a little. “Despite that, I think I’m done. I’m a little person, I can’t eat this much.”
“My mom does,” Summer replied. “Always has. Mineral. That rules out a car. Might be computer parts, or a movie … ” She deliberately avoided what it clearly was, once he’d used the word ‘gaudy’, and pretended to ponder while she ate another bite. “Maybe it’s a Stark tablet with all my favourite books on it?”
“Could be a pack of Hot Wheels, you never know,” Tony replied, snickering slightly. He pointed his fork at her. “I’m not tellin’ you. Even if you manage to guess correctly.” Granted, there were a limited number of things it would be, at this point. But that was irrelevant; he just wanted to get on her nerves by now. That was always entertaining.
She riposted immediately, “I could go for Hot Wheels; there’s all that glorious flat space in the workshop to run them on. Or, you know, a really nice RC car.” She grinned. “Of course you’re not going to tell me! And I’m not going to give my real guesses, either.” Deliberately childish, she stuck out her tongue, then put another piece of duck on it. “Tony, this is really good.”
Over a forkful of veggies, she told him, “I don’t think you’ve /ever/ given me a present before. Not even Christmas. I’m not complaining, mind.” She contemplated him, unwilling to give up the topic this time. “So what might it be? Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Is it bigger than a breadbox?”
Tony thought for a moment, as if debating whether or not to actually answer, before he shrugged one shoulder and went along with it. “Mineral. Definitely smaller than a breadbox, or else it would just be gaudy.” He tilted his head to one side. “Do people even use breadboxes anymore?” he wondered, more to thin air than as any part of the conversation.
“My mom does,” Summer replied. “Always has. Mineral. That rules out a car. Might be computer parts, or a movie … ” She deliberately avoided what it clearly was, once he’d used the word ‘gaudy’, and pretended to ponder while she ate another bite. “Maybe it’s a Stark tablet with all my favourite books on it?”
“So I should hurry?” she laughed, putting a cranberry in her mouth. “It’s too good to hurry, though … ” She closed her eyes for a long moment, focusing all her attention on the taste. “Just a hint?” Summer peeked, opening one eye at Tony.
Tony clicked his tongue and wagged the end of his fork at her in mild admonishment. “Nope. Patience, Sunshine. You’ll get it soon enough.” He smirked. “It’s not like I’m telling you you’ve gotta wait ‘til Christmas or something. Besides, hurrying would be a disservice to good food.”
Over a forkful of veggies, she told him, “I don’t think you’ve /ever/ given me a present before. Not even Christmas. I’m not complaining, mind.” She contemplated him, unwilling to give up the topic this time. “So what might it be? Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Is it bigger than a breadbox?”