Heart • Iron Man 1+2

Chapter Eight -Edited

Arabella Laker scrunched up her nose as she pulled the door to the mansion open. She could feel a rock digging into her heel that she hadn't known was there. "Tony! I'm back!" She shouted, toeing her shoes off. The brunette ruffled a hand through her hair as it peeled out of her ponytail holder to tumble down her back.

"In here!" He shouted back. She smiled brightly and headed to the living room. Tony looked up from a blueprint just as she walked in, almost instantly holding a hand out to her. "Hi," He said quietly, squeezing her fingers.

Bella arched a brow at the blueprints laid out across the coffee table. "Hi, new project?" Her gaze flicked up to his before she carefully made her way around the table. Tony simply shrugged and let his arm drape over her shoulders affectionately.

"How was the hospital?" He asked leaning back into the couch. Bella tucked her feet under her and turned an inch to face him.

"Kind of a mess but when isn't the ER?" She breathed with a faint smile. Her brown eyes scanned over his face, noting the tiredness that seemed to be creeping into every nook and cranny of his being. "How'd the trial go? I didn't get to see it."

"Pretty well," Tony stated innocently. She arched a brow, pursing her lips together.

"What about your blood toxicity?"

"Still going up."

Bella sighed darkly and carded a hand through her hair. She shook his shoulder gently. "You need to get that thing removed," she tapped on the arc reactor. "Chlorophyll won't work forever."

The room went dead silent for a moment. Static fizzling between the two as they both tried to ignore what they both knew. He was running low on time and it hurt her to think about.

"I made Pepper CEO," Tony stated out of the blue. Bella blinked for a moment starring at him. He met her gaze only to flicker away as fast as he did. "Figured it'd be best to put someone in charge before—"

Bella threw a hand up, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her lips into a thin line. "Don't. Please."

"Move in with me." Tony grabbed her hand and moved closer, his fingers lacing between hers. When he met her eye this time he held it. Purposely getting lost in the warm chocolate brown irises.

She frowned and scoffed a laugh, glancing over the coffee table. "Tony, have you been drinking?"

Tony laughed shaking his head. "What? No, no, I'm being serious. Move in with me. You're already here all the time, it would just be bringing your clothes over," he said. Tony brushed a strand of hair out of her face bringing her gaze back to him.

"And all of my books, and the baggage that comes with living together. It would be a shit show," she panicked. Tony quickly caught her jaw in his palm, cupping her face between his hands. "It's not a good idea, Tones."

He scoffed, "I think it is. Look, I've made it quite obvious that I want you but despite that you're still the only one I'd trust to take care of Dummy and the others. So what do you think?"

Bella let out a deep breath flickering her brown eyes over his face. She watched for anything that would tell her she was kidding. Instead she got a simple quirk of his lips and flash of sadness. "Okay," she breathed.

"Now, how about that dinner?"

"Way to ruin a moment," Bella laughed. Tony grinned as she moved away from him.

"That wasn't a no," he teased. She rolled her eyes and grabbed her messenger bag, heading for the bathroom to change. Tony watched her retreating back for a moment before realizing she still hadn't said anything. His eyes brightened significantly and a small smile crossed his lips. "I'm still not hearing that no!"

Bella spun on her heel, walking backwards as she smirked back towards him. "I'll think about it."

He gave a sharp laugh, chewing on his lower lip as he scanned over her form. Tony leaned his head back against the back of the couch, starring at the ceiling.

"I don't think that's how that works..." Bella trailed off watching as Tony fiddled with a project. He glanced up to her with an arched brow.

"Are you the engineer?"

She felt a blush crash over her cheeks and flicked her gaze down to her fingertips in her lap. "Well, no, but I still grew up around a bunch of them. I did pick up a few things from you when we were in high school," she said.

Tony chuckled at the fuchsia color that burned across her cheekbones as he put away his tools. " 'A few things', huh?" He smiled over at her. Bella offered a lopsided smile back to him and tucked a strand of hair back into her braid.

"So," she said suddenly attempting to change the subject. "When's the notary supposed to be coming?"

"Tomorrow, I think," he sighed. Tony licked at the back of his teeth as he turned back around to find Bella with her upper canine sunk into the plush of her bottom lip. His eyes flickered between hers and her lips a few times before he scrubbed a hand over his face.

Bella looked up at him, catching his gaze on her lips. "Are you gonna keep starring at me or are you going to do something?" She asked playfully to snap him out of it. Tony's eyes went wide and a laugh broke out of his lips.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" He asked leaning across the metal table. Tony caught her hand in his before she could pull away too far.

She grinned and copied his stance; leaning across that table to get as close to him as possible. "You're the wild card, you tell me," she teased tilting her head to the side slightly. Tony leaned an inch closer, just a breaths away from pressing their lips together.

"Can I...?" He whispered his eyes on her lips. Bella quirked a smile and nodded, barely brushing their mouths together. "I gotta hear it."

Bella sucked in a harsh breath. "Yes please."

Tony surged forward to crash their lips against one another. His hand cupped her jaw gently while the other kept his balance on the metal table underneath them.