Lamborghini | Tony Stark

TWENTY FIVE - BAD NEWS

The fantasy lasted with Tony until the end of March. Days and weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, spending the daylight hours apart and evening hours together, the couple fell into a comfortable routine, happy with their relationship.

Peter had done a good job at keeping his lips sealed so far, even managing to get through an entire party at Tony's place without spilling his secret. Of course, Sasha held up her end of the bargain, too, acting like she was also clueless whenever Spider-Man flashed up on the news.

Everyone at work knew that she was friends with Tony Stark after bringing him to the Christmas party, and so naturally directed any superhero-related questions towards her. After a while, Sasha became used to reeling off the same spiel about how little she really knew about The Avengers, which was actually true the more she thought about it.

Sasha knew Tony worked on crazy technology and occasionally fought beings from their world and from others, but that was no more information than anyone with a television or internet access could find out.

She took what Tony told her at face value, soon realising that she wouldn't really understand what he was talking about anyway, and deciding that ignorance was bliss when it came to the gritty details of what Tony put himself through at work.

That was, until Sasha's worst nightmare slipped from her sleep-fuelled imagination and into the real world.

"What is it?"

Sasha sighed and placed down her wine glass on the kitchen counter. Tony was slicing vegetables on a chopping board, his glass empty beside the knife block.

It was eight-thirty on a Monday evening and Tony had called round to spend the night with Sasha, picking up the ingredients for them to cook lasagna together on his was across town. 

It took Sasha less than two minutes to notice that Tony wasn't his normal self. His smile wasn't genuine and his excitement was feigned, the tone of voice he spoke in wasn't as cheerful as it usually was and his eyes were dull, avoiding looking into her own whenever they spoke.

"What?" Tony replied, containing to prepare the vegetables.

"You," Sasha continued, leaning against the kitchen island with her arms folded at her chest, "Something's wrong, I can tell. What is it?"

Despite trying her best to let Tony get whatever was on his mind off it on his own terms, the silence as they cooked together only made her stomach sink deeper and her thoughts drive faster.

Tony glanced up at Sasha for a brief moment before looking back down, "Nothing."

Without hesitation, Sasha placed her hand on top of Tony's, pressing the knife down onto the chopping board and forcing him to stop what he was doing.

He froze, swallowing once as he stared down at the counter, his breaths long and deep, shoulders rising and falling as he wondered how he was going to tell Sasha what was bothering him.

He had been putting off breaking the news to Sasha ever since he'd found out, which had only been four days, but he'd not had chance to see her over the weekend because of work, meaning that it was easier to fake everything being fine over a phone call or a text message.

Tony felt guilt rise in his chest and throat, his hands sweating against the marble countertop and his mind struggling to think of the best way to tell Sasha the news, though soon realising that there wasn't any way he could sugarcoat what he needed to say.

"Hey," she said quietly, placing a hand on his cheek gently and turning his head to face her, a soft smile on her lips and her blue eyes pale and inviting, making Tony feel safe as she touched him, "Whatever it is, maybe I can help. Just talk to me, Tony."