Her heartbeat fluttered like a bird in a cage. She didn’t know what to say to that. Part of her urged, ‘Want to again! Don’t pass this up!’ The other part didn’t want to seem forward, feared he’d think she came to the Tower only for this, felt painfully manipulative. Wide open as she was, she couldn’t distrust him any longer, but ‘want to’ and ‘ought to’ clashed like warring lions in her head, holding her immobile.
‘Please, take this choice away from me, because I can’t decide,’ she thought, finally lifting a hand to cover his.
Summer’s silence was killing the genius. He could see the gears working through her mind, she was obviously thinking in depth about something. But the suspense of her just staring at him, those longing deep eyes burrowing into his soul, was too much.
“What are you thinking?” he finally asked, the uncontrollable words echoing through the room before hanging above the couple. He wanted badly for his lips to be against hers once more and his bare skin against hers for the first time, but he didn’t want to overstep her boundaries.
“That I don’t want you to think this is why I came here,” Summer breathed. “That I want to kiss you again and again … that I don’t want to be the latest in your long line of conquests.” Her hand tightened on his. “That I cannot choose.”
“Sometimes I don’t have a reason to,” Summer responded. She turned her face into his hand, lightly kissing his thumb, eyes sliding closed. “You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered.
“Then you need to find more reasons to,” he shrugged lightly, his hand remaining in its place against her lips. “That’s the thing though,” he began softly. “I didn’t have to..,” he allowed his voice to trail off adding suspense with the moment of silence. “But I wanted to,” he finished.
Her heartbeat fluttered like a bird in a cage. She didn’t know what to say to that. Part of her urged, ‘Want to again! Don’t pass this up!’ The other part didn’t want to seem forward, feared he’d think she came to the Tower only for this, felt painfully manipulative. Wide open as she was, she couldn’t distrust him any longer, but ‘want to’ and ‘ought to’ clashed like warring lions in her head, holding her immobile.
‘Please, take this choice away from me, because I can’t decide,’ she thought, finally lifting a hand to cover his.
The shields crumbled away, leaving her all but drowning in emotion; his, hers, like whispers in the back of her mind. Hers poured out into the room: pleased surprise, terrible longing, aching fear, trembling hope. ”Your mouth is very persuasive,” she dared to say, a smile quivering at the corners of her mouth.
Tony felt the emotion in the air, even if he didn’t know exactly what it was. “You think so?” he questioned with an expression full of warmth. His eyes spotted the slight smile that was forming on her lips. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, gently grazing the corner of her mouth. “You should smile more often,” he offered warmly, a soft smile forming on his own lips.
“Sometimes I don’t have a reason to,” Summer responded. She turned her face into his hand, lightly kissing his thumb, eyes sliding closed. “You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered.
Summer froze under Tony’s kiss. Something prickled in her veins, curiosity, desire, interest — did it matter? Tony Stark, who could have any woman (and half the men, probably) just for winking at her, and he’s standing in his penthouse kissing /her/, because she told him she wasn’t beautiful.
Wasn’t worth it.
She swallowed hard, involuntarily licking her lips (scotch, ozone), and managed, “I don’t know what you see. Is that better?”
Tony only pulled away briefly, smiling softly down on her. Perhaps it was still the transfer of energy or call it whatever you want, but Summer actually made Tony feel better. Sure, her negative energy was bringing him down a bit, but the electricity of the kiss only brought him back up.
He took in a deep breath and raised an eyebrow down upon her. “I see you, Summer,” he stated bluntly.
The shields crumbled away, leaving her all but drowning in emotion; his, hers, like whispers in the back of her mind. Hers poured out into the room: pleased surprise, terrible longing, aching fear, trembling hope. ”Your mouth is very persuasive,” she dared to say, a smile quivering at the corners of her mouth.
She fell silent, holding his eyes, that little frown still marking her forehead. The warmth of his hand was kind, but she resisted turning her face into it. If touching him while projecting happiness to him risked a bond, how much greater a risk was this? Closing her eyes, she built more shields, until she couldn’t feel anything but her own desperate tangle.
Summer let herself look back at Tony, eyes flicking over his face, imagining briefly what it might be like if he was interested in her. Softly, she repeated, “I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
Tony sighed and began to chew on the inside of his cheek. He admired her persistence but was beginning to feel hurt and slightly annoyed that she wouldn’t take his word. Although, he understood her way of thinking to a degree. His own securities eat him up inside and no one could tell him different either. But perhaps he could show her…He held back the urge no longer and gently leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m looking at you,” he spoke softly after pulling away just slightly.
Summer froze under Tony’s kiss. Something prickled in her veins, curiosity, desire, interest — did it matter? Tony Stark, who could have any woman (and half the men, probably) just for winking at her, and he’s standing in his penthouse kissing /her/, because she told him she wasn’t beautiful.
Wasn’t worth it.
She swallowed hard, involuntarily licking her lips (scotch, ozone), and managed, “I don’t know what you see. Is that better?”
It almost hurt, how hard Tony was trying and how little difference it was making right now. She just looked at him, brows drawn together and mouth flat, no trace of the smiling, gently flirting girl left. “I’ve looked in the mirror. I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
“Summer, stop,” his voice turned warm and his eyes held a glint of sincerity. His thumb brushed softly against her cheek and he let out a quiet sigh. The urge to kiss her was increasing with the tension but he held back, not wanting her to think it out of pity. “I’m serious.”
She fell silent, holding his eyes, that little frown still marking her forehead. The warmth of his hand was kind, but she resisted turning her face into it. If touching him while projecting happiness to him risked a bond, how much greater a risk was this? Closing her eyes, she built more shields, until she couldn’t feel anything but her own desperate tangle.
Summer let herself look back at Tony, eyes flicking over his face, imagining briefly what it might be like if he was interested in her. Softly, she repeated, “I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
“Why in the world do you even want to?” Summer fell back a step, raising her head. Her eyes glittered green in the lights. “Yeah, sure, you can persuade me to believe what you say, you’re supposed to be good at that. And that brings us right back to the start of this, doesn’t it? Because you won’t.”
“Because you helped me feel better. I’m being told I should be considerate towards others’ feelings,” he shrugged. He met her gaze, admiring the color of her eyes and she looked back up into his. “I was being serious, Summer. You shouldn’t beat yourself up so much, everyone is beautiful. You’re beautiful,” he stepped in close and lifted a hand to cup her cheek.
It almost hurt, how hard Tony was trying and how little difference it was making right now. She just looked at him, brows drawn together and mouth flat, no trace of the smiling, gently flirting girl left. “I’ve looked in the mirror. I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
“I should be hearing it, if you’re interested as you say. But I’m not,” she said simply. “Though you believe what you’re saying, that’s quite clear,” Summer admitted.
“Yeah, because I’m telling the truth,” he quipped immediately in response. In aggravation, he took another sip of his scotch. He had become upset and she helped him; now it was his turn. The only problem was Tony was terrible with anything even remotely related to feelings. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“Why in the world do you even want to?” Summer fell back a step, raising her head. Her eyes glittered green in the lights. “Yeah, sure, you can persuade me to believe what you say, you’re supposed to be good at that. And that brings us right back to the start of this, doesn’t it? Because you won’t.”
