Time • [T.S x reader]

Chapter 6;

You and Tony had eaten that Chinese food together as you chatted away about the ordinary things. It was nice to get to know him, in a way. There wasn't any forced conversation as you spoke to one another, and everything flowed seamlessly.

He was a very nice man and one who had his heart set on so many things all at once. You honestly thought that, that evening broke the ice for good and that maybe, you would be forming a friendship.

Tony had let you out of the tower in the early morning, he insisted to drop you off at your hotel again that night, which you accepted. Who was going to say no to him? Certainly not you.

"You can come in a little later tomorrow," He said with a soft tone as you stepped out of the car, you cocked your head to the side, "No I'm joking – obviously, I'll see you at 8am but I'll bring coffee this time." He leaned over the chair and closed the door with his free hand, speeding off into the night.

"That man." You scoffed but couldn't help having a smile on your face.

---

Again, you were in his lab, together, just the two of you. You were both researching separately, and he often hummed to himself, as if he had found something of importance but never telling you.

It seemed his mind was somewhere else though; you didn't want to bring it up to him as it was none of your business.

"Did you like the coffee?" He piped up. Not looking away from his laptop, his sleeves rolled up past his elbows and his hair fluffy from the night before.

"Yeah, you got the exact one I liked. Bit strange if you ask me." He had brought you a caramel coffee with two sugars, your absolute favourite. Not that it was a secret what coffee you liked but you hadn't told anyone either.

"I am an excellent judge of character." He shrugged with a smirk on his face. That smirk you had come accustomed to. It almost made you giddy, you thought. Oh no. No don't start this.

You giggled at his comment and pushed your glasses up the bridge of your nose, "I scream a girl who likes caramel coffee with two sugars do I? I was hoping for more than that."

"Well, you are also talented."

"I know - anything else?"  You quipped, pushing away his compliment but inside your stomach was doing weird flips. Tony had just complimented you and you didn't react.

"Wow – and I thought I was the arrogant one." Tony smirked.

"Maybe you have some competition, Mr Stark." 

"Maybe I do." He huffed, looking up at you. He had never met someone like you before, and not in the sense of 'you weren't like other girls' but that, you interested him. Not many people did, if he was honest with himself.

You had the same interests, the same thought on life and that was strange to him, considering you were so much younger than he was.

Tony was afraid to admit that he had formed so sort of attachment to you, in this short space of time. He didn't know what that attachment was yet, but he was scared that it was what he thought it was.

You would never be interested in an old man, you probably saw him more like a father not a, whatever this was.

"I'm going out again tonight."

"Will your friends leave you again?"

"Well, I was rather hoping you would like to join?" You said timidly, he was a friend just like the rest of them. Surely, they would not mind Tony Stark being there with them.

"And be surrounded by kids, I'll pass."

You felt your heart sink. The feeling when you feel the world is going too fast around you and you can't keep up.

"Oh, right, yeah – of course." You picked up your belongings from the floor, not making eye contact with Tony. That's when he knew he shouldn't have said what he said, he believed he may have hurt your feelings.

"Y/N I – "

This was the first time; Tony had ever used your real name to you. In the couple of encounters you two had ever had, he had only ever called you Sweetheart. Tony had known that it would get some sort of reaction out of you, but the thing is, it didn't.

"Mr Stark, it's fine, really. I should never have asked. I'll be back tomorrow for 8am." You said walking towards the door to go to the elevator.

Tony felt dejected as you walked out, there was no point calling you back. You would get over it by tomorrow, have a good night with your friends and come in hungover once again. He didn't understand why hurting your feelings had hurt him.

"JARVIS, where is Y/N going tonight?" He asked his AI.

"I do not know, Sir." Jarvis replied, in his striking British accent.

Tony huffed in response, "Surely, you can look through the database? She has been using Stark WIFI. I'm sure there is a text in there somewhere that she sent."

"You do realise, that is a breach of privacy Sir." Jarvis was more thoughtful than any AI should be, but he was right it would be a breach of privacy, but she wouldn't mind, he thought. She had invited him.

"Override it, I want to know where she is going." And then Jarvis told him, exactly where she would be and at what time. He wasn't going to go with her, but he would watch her from afar, just to make sure she didn't get into any trouble.

And if he had to see her home safe, he would.