Okay, so, I just saw The Avengers, and I fell even deeper in love with Tony Stark as I had been after seeing Iron Man 1&2. So, I wrote this Tony/OC story. Review, please? And if you don't, well, you suck! Kidding! I love everyone! Please review, though!

Birdy's POV

The wineglass fell onto the white tablecloth, spreading a dark red stain across it. Some of the contents splashed across a woman's lap. My jaw dropped open.

"Oh my gosh, I am so, so, so sorry!" I exclaimed, grabbing a napkin and thrusting it at her. She looked up at me, a smile on her lips.

"It's okay," she assured me, wiping the red spillage. "It was just an accident." She wiped more. "And this is an old dress anyway." I bit my lip.

"But it looks so expensive!" I said, fighting the temptation to run my hand through my elegantly styled hair. "I just feel terrible!"

"It's okay." She smiled. "But I know a way you could make it up to me." I smiled, relieved.

"Anything."

"Let me borrow your lipstick."

I laughed. "Sure thing." She stood up and we walked to the bathroom. "By the way," I added over my shoulder, "I'm Hope Kardynal, but everyone calls me Birdy."

"Natasha Romanoff," she replied. We got to the bathroom and I pulled a tube of lipstick from my purse, handing it to her. "Thank you."

"Welcome." I leaned on on of the sinks. She spread the dark pink over her lips and smacked them together before looking in the mirror.

"So, Birdy, what do you do?" she asked, touching some off the corner of her mouth. I grinned.

"I'm a prostitute."

Natasha's eyes grew wide and she instantly touched a hand to her lips, her face blazing with worry. I laughed.

"I'm joking! I'm joking! I have a little cafe across town." Hope's Cafe wasn't a big place. It was small and quiet. I doubted she would know what it was, so I didn't mention the name. She just gave me a smile and a roll of her eyes.

She shook her arm so her watch was down on her wrist, glancing at it. "I should go back. My boyfriend is probably looking for me."

"Right. I should get back, too. My empty chair is waiting." She laughed.

"What, pretty girl like you doesn't have a boyfriend?" she asked. I shrugged. Truth was, I used to. I was in a long relationship with a guy named Reynolds. He was the one that started calling me 'Birdy'. Five long years I had been with him, but then he broke my heart. I'd been hesitant to even talk to a guy after him, and that had been a year ago.

"No guy good enough," I finally said as we walked out of the bathroom. She nodded.

"Hmm. I'm sorry." She smiled politely at me. "It was nice talking to you." She was about to walk away, but then she turned and said, "What's the name of your cafe?"

"Hope's Cafe," I replied.

"Maybe Clint and I will come some time." She smiled again. "It was nice talking to you, Birdy."

"You too, Natasha," I said, smiling as she walked away.
Tony's POV
"Tony, I'm sorry," Pepper said, getting in her car, "but I can't take it any more."

"Pepper." I leaned on the car, looking through her window. "Please."

"No, Tony." She rolled her window down to talk to me. "I'm sick of you always coming in drunk, a girl with you half the time...I can't take it. I'm leaving." With that, she drove off, leaving me alone on the curb.I groaned, putting my hands up in my hair. She'll be back. She had to be back.

"Jarvis," I said, walking back inside, "call Bruce Banner."

"Calling Bruce Banner," Jarvis said back. Ring, ring, ring...ring ri-

"Hello?"

"Brucey." I sat down on the couch. "How ya doing?"

"Fine," he replied. Bruce Banner was I guess what you'd call my best friend. We got along very well, and he saved my life once. Well, the other guy did, at least.

"Great," I said back. "Wanna come over? I need some help with the design of a new suit."

"Can't Pepper help?" he asked.

"She left," I replied. There was a small silence before Bruce said, "I'll be over soon." He hung up. Jarvis said, "Shall I have snacks set out?"

"Yeah," I said. "You know which ones."

"Yes, sir."

I stood up and walked to the bar, stretching my arms out over my head. Grabbing a bottle, I poured whatever kind of alcohol it was into a glass and took a drink. Pepper would be back. She always came back.

Birdy's POV

"Thank you, have a nice day." I smiled the same old smile I gave to customers. The lady smiled back and walked out the door. I sighed and looked around the small, empty cafe. It was usually like this, no one around. I loved the silence. It gave me time to read.

I hopped up on the counter and opened a book in my lap, focusing my gaze on the page. I read to keep my mind off it. I read to force things out of my mind. I read to forget. But how could I ever...

"Reynolds," I begged, "please, don't do this..." I weakly stretched my hand out and grabbed his arm. He jerked it away.

"Stop it, Birdy," he snapped. "Grow up for a change!" Tears leaked from my eyes.

"P-please, Reynolds...d-d-don't..."

"Shut up!" he bellowed. "I'm sick of this!"

"Wh-what did I do?" I whimpered. "I-I didn't d-do anyth-thing."

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "You're twenty-nine, been in a relationship for five years, and you're a mother! You haven't grown up since you were twenty!" He lifted our little girl, Sara, into his arms. Her brown eyes were wide, and she was trembling with fear. I wanted to hold her so badly.

"Don't take my baby girl from me," I begged. "Not my Sara."

"Until you learn to grow up," he said, "she's mine." He turned around and grabbed the bag he had, slinging it over his shoulder and walking out of the door. I fell against the wall, tears streaming down my face and sobs ripping from my chest. The two most important people in my life were gone. My life would never be the same.

"Excuse me." Someone snapped in my face. I jumped.

"Wha-?" I looked up. "I'm so sorry!" I slid off the counter and stood behind the cash register. "I'm sorry, sir. May I help you?"

"Gimme a minute." He looked up at the menu. He was cute. He had messy brown hair, the perfect amount of facial hair, just a careless look about him. "Just a coffee for me."

"Black?" I asked, pulling out a coffee cup.

"Yeah."

I poured the coffee into the cup and put the lid on. "You from around here?"

"New York, actually," he replied. "I'm here visiting some friends."

"Oh, cool." I handed him the coffee. "That'll be two-fifty." He pulled his wallet out.

"So," he continued, "I'm staying in a hotel."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said as he handed me his card.

"I could use someone to keep me company later." He raised his eyebrows. I frowned.

"Sir, are you saying that you want me to come home with you?"

"You said that. I was implying it." He leaned on the counter. "How about it?" He took a sip of his coffee. Anger bubbled through my body. Who did this dude think he was?

"Get out," I said through a tight mouth. "Now." He held his hands up in surrender and took his card back.

"Suit yourself." He slipped his card in his pocket. "If you ever do change your mind though..." He slid a card across the counter. "There's my card." He turned and walked out the door. As soon as it closed I snatched the card up and threw it in the wastepaper basket.

"What an ass!" I said aloud. But why did he have to be so damn hot?