Written for Marvelously Magical's Bingo, for my square: "Do you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?" - k.w.
"Do you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?*" Hermione asked.
She lifted her head and looked at Tony from where she lay in his arms.
"Not really," Tony said. "My whole life has been lived in the spotlight. I grew up with these expectations for me. And now, as Iron Man, that's all gone. I just feel like I need to be what the world expects."
Hermione nodded against him. "I know the feeling. In my world, being a war hero, and in the spotlight, there were all these expectations for me. One third of the Golden Trio. The brightest witch of our age. Fiancée to Ron Weasley."
"Thank God you let that last one go," Tony said, wrapping her tightly against him.
"Yes, I wouldn't have met you, otherwise," Hermione said, smiling.
"Yes, best thing to happen in my life in a long time," Tony agreed.
"Mine as well."
The two lay in silence, Tony's hand tracing Hermione's bare spine.
"You know, you don't have to put on a show with me, right?" Hermione said, quietly. "That you can be just…you?"
"Of course," Tony said. "That's why I love you. I can be myself. My defenses can be down."
Hermione turned in his arms, and planted a kiss on his lips. "I feel the same way about you."
Tony turned them so that he was looking down at her. "I'm going to stop being Iron Man."
"What?" Hermione asked, shocked. "I thought you could never give it up? That it was part of who you were? At least that's what you told me before we started dating. You made it very clear that you wouldn't give up that part of your life."
"Yeah, I did say all of that. But that was before. But now, now I want to settle down. I just want to be with you. I want what Clint has. With the wife and the kids and the normalcy. And I can't get that as Iron Man. But I can get that with you," Tony said. He turned toward the bedside table, and pulled out a box from the drawer before turning back to Hermione.
"But what about the Avengers? What about the world?" Hermione asked, staring at the beautiful ring was showing her in the box.
"Who cares about the world when I have you?" Tony said, slipping the ring on her finger.
Hermione pulled Tony into her arms, linking the two of them at their lips. They pulled apart, and Hermione rested her forehead against Tony's. "I love you."
"And I you."
*quote attributed to k.w.
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