Martha closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as she hugged her arms tightly around herself. "God, I love this city."
Tony stood next to her on the terrace of his penthouse suite with a drink in hand. The view was breathtaking. The Thames. St Paul's Cathedral. The London Eye. Big Ben. All of it lay before their eyes. And yet, Martha was the only thing he cared about. "Are you cold?"
Martha opened her eyes to look at him. "A little," she answered. "In case you haven't noticed, this dress is backless."
"Oh, I've noticed," Tony assured her. He set his glass down for a moment while he removed his suit coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Martha flashed a smile in his direction. "Thanks." He gave a quick nod as he reached for his glass again. "Can I have a sip of that?" she asked.
"Here." Tony offered her the glass. "I'll make a fresh one." He headed back inside, passing through the bedroom on his way to the stairs and down to the first floor where the bar cabinet was located. Grabbing a fresh glass, he filled it with ice and topped it off with some scotch. He turned to see that Martha had followed him inside. She moved over to the piano, playing notes at random. "Expecting me to sing you another lullaby?"
Martha chuckled softly in her glass. "No. Some music would be nice though." Tony turned to the radio and switched it on. He sifted through the stations looking for one he liked. "Mmm!" Martha squealed through a mouthful of liquor. She quickly swallowed it down and rushed over to where he was standing. "Go back." He moved aside and allowed her to return to one of the previous stations. She settled on one playing How Deep is Your Love by The Bee Gees. "I love this song."
"Aren't you a little young for disco?" Tony quipped.
Martha shook her head as she swayed in place. "Good music is timeless."
Tony took a huge gulp of his scotch before setting the glass down. He slipped his suit coat off her shoulders, tossing it over the back of a chair and took her glass away from her. Once her hands were free, he took them both into his and pulled her over to an open space in the lounge area.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not letting you dance alone," Tony answered as he wrapped an arm around her back. His hand found its home at the small of her back and his fingertips brushed against the exposed skin there.
She inhaled quickly at the contact and her posture suddenly straightened. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
Tony scoffed. "Full of yourself, aren't you?" He laced the fingers of his other hand through hers.
Martha allowed him to guide their movement through a simple box step. "So you slow dance with all of your mates then?" she challenged.
"Absolutely," Tony insisted as he led them into a slow turn. "Every single one. Rhodey is a bit resistant most of the time, but put a couple of drinks in him and he'll purr like a kitty cat. Belly exposed and the whole nine yards." He pulled back and twirled her around with one hand.
Martha huffed in amusement. "You're ridiculous."
"So I've been told on several occasions," Tony retorted. "I'm gonna dip you now," he added as spun her away from him then pulled her back in, catching her and cradling her in his arms as he angled her towards the ground.
Martha laughed and Tony smiled in response. When he set her back upright, she joined her hands together behind his neck. Tony put both of his hands on her waist and brought her closer. His head tilted downward so that his forehead rested against hers. Martha stroked his nape tenderly and Tony closed his eyes with a content sigh.
When the song ended, it was replaced by I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Hall & Oates. Martha pulled back and looked him in the eyes. Tony leaned forward a bit, allowing his nose to brush against hers. He felt her breath catch as he held her against him and she turned her head away slightly.
Tony let go of her all at once and took a step back, loosening his tie. "Sorry, Doc. I draw the line at Hall & Oates," he announced before making a beeline for his glass and drained it of its contents.
Martha scoffed. "What could you possibly have against Hall & Oates? Are they not metal enough for you?"
"Nope. It's nothing like that." He refilled his glass and held the bottle out towards her.
She picked up her glass and offered it to him. "Bad breakup?"
"Yea, but not mine," Tony admitted as he topped her off. "Rhodey used to date this girl named Sara. After she dumped him, he went out and bought Sara Smile on a 45. He played that damn thing on constant loop. One day I got tired of hearing it. So I snapped it in two and replaced it with a copy of She's Gone." He chuckled at the memory. "He didn't talk to me for a whole day."
Martha slipped her shoes off and got comfortable on the couch. "It's sort of sweet if not…obsessive."
"Yep. Rhodey loves hard. He'd have to for him to deal with me," he joked as plopped down next to her and pulled her feet into his lap.
"What does that say about me then?"
Tony turned his head to look at her. "Masochist?"
"I'm not that submissive," she challenged into her glass.
Tony chuckled and turned his eyes towards the ceiling. "You're killing me here." He leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes with his glass resting on his knee. They fell into a comfortable silence as Tony basked in the delightful combination of scotch, oldies music and Martha Jones.
Sometime later, Tony opened his eyes again when he felt Martha stirring at his side. "You're not leaving, are you?"
"I should," she replied. "It's getting late."
"Stay here...with me."
"I don't even have anything to sleep in."
Tony sat up and set his glass aside. "What's wrong with what you're wearing now?"
"Are you serious?" Martha glanced down at herself. "It's a bloody cocktail dress!"
"Cocktail dress. Ball gown. Nightgown. Is there really that big of a difference?"
"I don't make a habit of sleeping in chiffon," she said, plucking at her sleeve.
"You should. It looks good on you."
"So you've said." Martha looked up. "Point is, short of stripping down to my knickers, I don't have many options."
"What's wrong with that option? I like that option."
Martha scoffed. "Still looking for a cheap thrill?"
"You may be thrilling, Martha, but you're certainly not cheap," Tony insisted. "And I'm not just talking about the price tag for tonight's festivities." Martha stared at him for a moment before reaching over and untying his tie. "What are you doing?"
"Removing your tie."
"Yea, I got that much. But why?"
"So you can take your shirt off," Martha answered simply.
The only movement Tony made was raising an eyebrow. "Did I miss something? Are you drunk?"
"I'm just as sober as you are. Probably more so." Martha huffed as she yanked the loose tie from around his collar. "Now hurry up and take your shirt off," she demanded.
"Is there going where I hope it's going?" Tony asked with a slight smirk as he started on the buttons.
"Don't make me regret this," Martha pleaded with an exasperated sigh while wrapping his tie around one of her hands.
Eying the tie, Tony continued to work open his buttons. "Are we about to get kinky? A little 50 Shades? Ambitious for the first go round, but I can roll with it. Do we need safe words? If we do, then mine is 'dial-up.' There is no bigger turnoff than a slow internet connection."
"I won't lie. The idea of gagging you is becoming increasingly appealing," Martha admitted. "But I just need your shirt to sleep in."
"You sure you aren't just using this as an excuse to get my clothes off. Because if you want me naked, all you've got to do is ask."
"Just shut up and take your bloody shirt off," Martha demanded as she unbuttoned the cuffs at her wrists.
"See?" Tony stood up and untucked his shirt. "Just like that."
Martha rolled her eyes and stood up from the sofa as well. "Can you undo me?" She turned her back to him.
Tony undid the buttons at the back of her neck, allowing his fingertips to brush against her skin as the fabric parted. 'Not if you undo me first,' he thought to himself. Martha exhaled audibly and he quickly pulled his hand away. "Sorry."
Tony took a step back as Martha slipped her arms out of her sleeves. He knew he shouldn't be watching her but he felt as though he was frozen in place. Martha spun back around to face him, holding her dress against herself. "You're staring."
"Am I?"
Martha nodded. "Yea."
"How about now?"
"Still staring."
"Now?"
"Tony," she said halfheartedly as she stepped around him. He shrugged his shirt off and passed it to her over his shoulder. When he felt her take it, Tony closed his eyes and wondered what the hell was going on with him.
It wasn't like they had never changed for bed before so why did this time feel so different? Granted, she was usually in another room and he had never literally given her the shirt off his back. Nor had he ever had a direct hand in helping her out of her clothes.
He exhaled through his nose, opened his eyes and reached for his drink, downing the rest of it in one gulp. Was he so depraved? How long had it been since he had sex? It was just after the New Year when he and Pepper broke up and here it was nearly Christmastime again. Had it really almost been a full year without Pepper?
Tony stared down into his empty glass. He never would have thought he'd have survived it. Then again, he never would have imagined that someone like Martha would have walked into his life either.
"You look deep in thought," Martha commented. Tony turned his head in time to see her walking over to him as she finished buttoning up his shirt.
"Trying to decide if I want more scotch or something else." It wasn't a complete lie.
"We could dance again," she suggested, extending her had to him.
Tony slipped his hand into hers and drew her nearer, taking hold of her waist. She rested her forearms on his shoulders and they held each other's gaze. Fleetwood Mac's Dreams was playing on the radio. Beneath his palms, her hips swayed to the beat. His grip on them instinctively tightened.
"What are we doing?" Martha asked softly.
"Nothing," Tony said in barely a whisper.
"It doesn't feel like nothing."
"So what does it feel like?"
Martha winced. "Like a bad idea."
"I'm notoriously good at having bad ideas."
Martha let out a slow breath as she met his eyes again. "We said no sex."
"You said no sex."
"And you agreed."
"Because there's a word for it when someone isn't a willing participant," Tony retorted. "I'm a lot of things. Not all of them good. But I'm sure as hell not a predator. So if you want me to stop…"
"I don't want you to stop," Martha confessed quietly.
"How about you tell me what you do want then," Tony asked in an equally soft voice.
"You."
"You can have me," Tony assured her. He pulled her body flush against his and moved to kiss her.
Martha turned her head at the last second. "I want you, Tony. I do, but I don't…" she began then hesitated. "I don't think we should have sex."
"So we won't have sex," Tony insisted. "There are a lot more interesting things we could do that don't involve sex." He leaned in for a kiss again.
Martha dodged him once more. "No kissing either."
"No kissing?" Tony pulled back with a frown. "Really? I mean I've been told that I'm a great kisser."
Martha looked him in the eyes. "I'm sure you are, but no kissing," she stated firmly. "If we started…" She shook her head slowly. "We might not be able to stop ourselves and I don't want to rush into things too fast."
"Okay, but what if I suggested a more inventive alternative?" Tony asked.
"Inventive in what way?" she questioned with a curious expression.
"Look we don't have to break the rules, but it doesn't mean we can't bend them a little. I'm good with my hands and didn't this whole thing start because you were trying to sell me on the importance of touch therapy?"
"What's your point?"
Tony lifted his hand and touched her cheek. "For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss," he quoted.
Martha tilted her head slightly to the left, leaning into his palm. "You're quoting Romeo and Juliet?"
Tony nodded slowly. "Only instead of letting lips do what hands do…how about we let our hands do what we'd like do with our lips?" he proposed, allowing his thumb to graze her bottom lip as he spoke.
Martha closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "It's definitely inventive."
"So are you in?" Tony pressed, looking for some form of confirmation before they went any further.
Martha opened her eyes. "I'm in," she answered, dropping one hand down to trace his lips with her fingertips. "All in."
Tony reflexively puckered his lips against her touch. "Should we stay put or…"
"Take me to bed."
'Yep, definitely not submissive,' Tony said in his head as he hoisted her up into his arms, guiding her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the elevator in the suite, figuring it was a safer bet than the stairs with their current entanglement. Once they were inside, he pressed her back against the wall and gripped her thigh with one hand as he pressed the button to take them to the second floor of the penthouse. While they wait for the doors to open, Martha's hand dropped away from his mouth and began stroking the scar on his chest gently.
Tony exhaled a breathy laugh. "You really are going to be my undoing, you know that?" he teased.
"How about we undo each other instead?" she suggested with a slight smirk.
"Good plan."
When the elevator doors opened, Tony shifted his hold to cup her bottom in his palms of his hands. Martha lifted a brow in askance. "I needed a better grip," he insisted. She pursed her lips. "Would you rather I drop you?" he challenged, sticking to his story like his life depended on it. He kneeled on the edge of the bed and lowered her gently onto the mattress. Martha gripped his shoulders with both hands and pulled him down with her. He caught himself before he could crash on top of her and landed just to her side.
Martha's eyes locked onto his. They were warm and inviting, much like the smile she offered him. "Hey," she said, tracing his lips with her fingers again.
Tony leaned against her with his hand on her thigh. "Hey," he echoed back to her.
The hand still on his shoulder moved to his neck once more and he responded by lowering his head to her shoulder. She dropped her hand away from his mouth and drew a long line down over his chest. Tony nuzzled against her neck as the hand he had on her thigh disappeared beneath the shirt she was wearing. Her fingers sunk into his hair and one of her legs curled around his back.
They shifted their positions so that she was flat on her back with Tony hovering over her. Martha's other leg wrapped around him and her ankles hooked together behind his back. Her hand on his chest snaked around to clutch his back as the hand he had under her shirt reaffirmed the fact that she hadn't worn a bra with that dress.
"Dial-up." Martha moaned next to his ear. "Dial-up."
Tony groaned softly against her collarbone and obediently retracted his hand. "Are you alright?"
"Tony…" Martha said breathlessly. "There's something I need to say. Something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" Tony resumed his previous machination over the shirt.
Martha used the hand in his hair to angle his head in the direction she wanted. He couldn't help noticing that her mouth was dangerously close to his and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her. "You've got to…"
"What?" Tony asked with a pant, willing himself to turn his face away from her and bury it in the crook of her neck. "Tell me what you want me to do."
"You need…"
"What do I need, honey?"
"You need to wake up. It's time to wake up."
Tony stopped what he was doing and lifted his head to meet her eyes. "What?"
Martha opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that came out wasn't hers. It belonged to J.A.R.V.I.S. "Time to wake up, sir."
Tony sat up bolt straight, panting heavily and half spilling the drink he still held against his knee. It took him a moment to process what was happening. He looked down at himself and felt his shirt and tie still in place. To his left, Martha was fast asleep on the couch and still wearing her dress. Everything he had just experience had felt so real, but now it was clear that it had all been a dream.
Rhodey's question about whether or not he was into Martha suddenly popped into Tony's head. He glanced at Martha's sleeping form once more while Elvin Bishop's Fooled Around and Fell in Love played in the background.
Tony fell back against the sofa again with a heavy sigh as he ran a frustrated hand though his hair. "Shit."
