"Promise me you'll stay here." Tony told me quickly after we landed far away from the expo.
"What the hell is wrong with you Tony?" I asked him, confused. I really wanted to go to the Stark Expo.
"Promise me!" He shouted and his eyes were pleading for me to do so.
"I promise."
He nodded quickly, pecking me on the lips and flying back with his suit to the expo.
Okay...long story short, I tried surprising Tony by showing up to his Expo although I told him that I would be in court, and the minute he spotted me, he flew me out of there, and forced me to stay in the compound alone since Natasha was already at the Expo and the rest of the team were somewhere else.
Just as I was about to grab some pancakes from the kitchen, ridiculously loud explosions echoed through the city, frightening the hell out of me.
Charging to the window, my lips parted once I saw Tony flying away with a bunch of drones on his ass.
Well shit.
****
•Tony•
"This drones are rigged to blow, we got to get out of here man." Rhodey informed me, and my eyes widened in horror.
Pepper.
Travelling to her direction in a inevitable speed, I picked her up in my arms before I heard the sounds of explosions behind me.
"Are you crazy?" She breathed out once we landed next to Rhodey on the roof.
Sighing in relief that she was okay, I decided to get back to the compound in order to check on Val, who was probably freaking the fuck out right now.
"I got to go...take her home." I ordered Rhodey, who nodded with a smile.
"What do you mean take her home? I'm scared Tony, and I don't want to be alone."
Deciding that I would take her with me to the compound, I wrapped an arm around her waist, ready to fly out.
"You kicked ass back there by the way." I pointed at Rhodey with a smirk, and he just humbly nodded his head.
"Thank you, you too."
"I'll see you later bud."
****
The minute I stepped through the door of the living room, I was attacked with a hug from Valentina.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." I tried to assure her, but despite that she cupped my face and looked for bruises.
She smiled, clearly happy to see me, but her smile dropped once her eyes landed on something behind me.
Frowning, I turned around slowly to see Pepper throwing Valentina a fake smile.
Slowly, she unwrapped her arms from around my neck, and I immediately missed her touch.
By the look on her face, I knew she wasn't happy, and that she was waiting for an explanation.
"Uhh..Pepper will stay here for the night. Is that okay?" I wasn't entirely sure if that was an explanation for her, but by the way her face fell, I didn't think she liked that at all.
"Sure...I'm gonna head to bed." She pointed up the stairs and I nodded with a smile.
"I'll be up there in a sec." I told her, but it was as if she didn't hear me. She just kept walking upstairs, slowly.
"Hey, do you want to watch a movie or something?" Pepper asked me and I shrugged, finding no reason not to.
We ended up staying up late, just chatting, and I realised how much I actually missed her around here.
Deciding to call it a night, we both headed up to our rooms, exhausted.
By the time I got up to bed, Valentina was fast asleep, and I tiptoed around the bed to avoid waking her.
Laying next to her, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her towards me, and I fell asleep almost instantly.
-2 hours later-
•Valentina•
I was almost sure it was the middle of the night when I heard groans right next to me.
Turning around slightly, I saw Tony shifting slightly with furrowed eyebrows and closed eyes.
He was having a panic attack.
"Tony...honey." I grabbed his arm gently, but my hand was immediately held back with a strong force, and I was thrown out of the bed and into the wall.
Barely anytime was given to recover from the shock, before I was held up by my throat against the wall, by Mark 42.
Tony wake up!
And as if he heard me, his eyes shot open and he screamed.
"POWER DOWN!"
Falling on my knees, I struggled with my breathing, and I could almost see Tony getting up quickly from the bed trying to help me.
Trying my best to stand up, I watched Tony's expression that showed panic and fear.
"Valentina...don't leave alright?" He paused a bit, contemplating whether if he should touch me, and when I gave him no response, he spoke up.
"Valentina?" He breathed in slowly, while I rested my head on the wall.
"I'm not leaving...I just need a breather." I nodded at him, and he sighed in relief before our bedroom door was literally slammed open.
"Tony? Are you alright? What did you do to him?" She ranted, while throwing herself in his arms, and I watched in pain as he held her in his arms whispering soothing words while running his fingers through her hair.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I turned my face in order to not look at them. Was I that worthless to him?
I was literally about to be chocked to death by his suit, and he was here hugging her, and trying to calm her down.
Finding the strength to stand up to my feet, I stared at him, and he wasn't even paying attention to me anymore. He was wiping away her tears slowly to not hurt her.
But what broke my heart was his face. It was so full of....love. I don't know if what I did in that moment was selfish, but I left. I ran out of that fucking room, and out of the bloody building, well aware that he called my name once.
"Valentina!" Turning around sharply, trying my best not to cry, I watched as Pepper stood by the door with her robe on, and Tony walking towards me.
"I gotta go." I blurted out, and I kept my voice cold.
"I'm sorry...I..."
"It's not you...it's me." I stole a glance at Pepper, who for once wasn't staring at me with her victorious smirk.
"It's always me." I continued and watched as his face crumbled into confusion.
"What are you...Valentina don't leave please..." he pleaded, and my guess is that he thought I was leaving because his suit almost killed me, but that was not it.
I was leaving because I couldn't bare to see him look at her the way I wanted him to look at me.
I was leaving because I didn't want to see that look in his eyes when he noticed she was crying.
I don't know if I was being pathetic, but I didn't regret texting Nat.
"It's 3 a.m. How are you going to..." his words were cut off by Clint driving through the gate, and stopping right next to me, with Natasha in the passengers seat.
"I'll see you in New York." I gave him a peck on the lips, and watched his face fall.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and, I was kind of hoping that he would try harder than that to get me to stay.
I forced a smile, stealing a glance at Pepper once more, before we drove the hell out of there.
I cried.
I cried the whole way to the Quinjet.
I cried because she was right.
I cried because I was a second choice.
I cried because he loved her.
And Nat didn't even try to tell me that he didn't because I know deep down that she knew that too.
And I guess I knew that too, but I didn't want to admit it before.
****
•Tony•
I didn't go back to sleep that night.
I couldn't go back to sleep that night.
Pepper tried convincing me to get some shut eye but I declined politely, not really wanting to get in a bed without Valentina.
It's funny we've only been together for a few months, but she easily crawled her way into my heart, and I find myself getting more and more attached to her each day.
The next morning I made it my mission to make it up to her, and so I sent a dozen of flowers to her office, and I was ready to take her to dinner if she allowed me to.
Pepper said that I shouldn't go anywhere without breakfast, and for once I agreed with her.
Val would kill me if she knew that I didn't eat breakfast.
"What's on the agenda today?" Pep asked while sipping her coffee.
"Well, I'm flying to New York." I reminded her, and she frowned.
"Can't you stay here for one more day?" She pouted.
"I can, but I want to go and see Val."
"You know..." she purred, and her hand trailed its way up my thigh.
"I regret ever leaving you Tony." She bit her lip, and I gulped.
"Why are you bringing this up now?" I asked her, confused and yet aroused in the same time.
"Because I still love you."
And as if something possessed my body, I found myself sliding my tongue down her throat with absolutely no self control.
Granted, I haven't had sex for months, but that was no excuse. Despite everything my heart and mind told me, my body just wouldn't stop.
And as if I snapped back to reality, I pulled away from her quickly.
"No.." I panted while shaking my head.
"Tony it's...."
"It's not fucking okay! Why the hell did I do that?"
"Because you and I both know that you love me." She said proudly while grabbing my arm.
"No." I shook my head. I don't love her, and I always knew that.
"I don't love you Pepper." I told her, and watched as tears fell from her eyes.
Valentina.
I fucked up.