finding annabeth- tony stark

TWENTY-THREE

" a pain in my ass is what he is "

Chapter 23:

The Flirt

Four months after the whole 'I am Iron Man' thing and Annabeth's unfortunate run-in with the bullet, a lot of things had changed in their routine. 

Tony had destroyed his weapons— he had spent months searching for them and was able to destroy every single one that he found. At the same time, his importance in combat grew. Iron Man was always in combat zones, especially in the Middle East where he was having progress in appeasing the area.

After Tony came out public with the suit, critics and specialist started to question if Tony Stark was trustworthy enough to operate a suit with such great capacity of destruction and be responsible for their security giving his past and very complicated personality.

Annabeth, Pepper and Tony did the best they could to win their trust— they had done interviews, been in countless debates, and all of that... At first, Tony was at his best behavior but soon it just wasn't enough.

 To win the people's trust was easy. Most civilians now loved Tony, he was their hero, the man they looked up to; but winning the politicians and the critics, now that was the hard part and Tony was still trying to prove himself.

Also, during those months Annabeth's relationship with Tony changed in a way that she couldn't quite describe it. They became closer, more intimate, yes; their teasing became more personal and intense as they often began to invade one another's personal space and , they always seemed to be standing close to each other. Closer than usual. Sometimes when she had nightmares Annabeth would find herself in the lab taking comfort in watching Tony work.

But then there were the differences— Annabeth was not the same cautious woman she was before Obie shot her. She changed— became more reckless, as if that would help get rid of her PTSD. Tony wasn't really fond of the new Annabeth.

It wasn't something that they were conscious of —it was just naturally happening— after their little confessions. They were seeking for each other's company yet despising it. They wanted more but at the same time, none of them had the courage to cross that line that separated their friendly relationship towards a 'lover' one. They were both afraid that things will end the same way as before.

Usually after a mission, Tony was exhausted and spent part of the day in his bed sleeping. It was up to Pepper and Annabeth to keep the Company going but they were managing well. Even with Tony's busy schedule with missions, upgrading the suit, and creating new technology for the Company, they always found the time to go through the important documents.