Declaration
DarylDixon'sLover: Enjoy some more sweetness in this chapter!
FanGirlForever19: Yes, the necklace! I thought of that after watching Civil War- in Tony's opening hologram scene, his mother is wearing a pearl necklace.
CannonRebel: Isn't it nice to find a new fanfiction? Welcome! And yes, I think Tony can always use more love than he gets.
Rohirrim Girl 2187: Yes! Look forward to more Tony in this chapter!
Love Fiction 2017: Thank you, and welcome aboard!
SummerMistedDragon: Haha just like how Infinity War is gonna be in two parts, I had to split the gala into two parts. You'll see why!
kuppcake: Thank you!
"Hey," Steve said quietly. I looked over at him and was greeted by an encouraging smile. "You'll be just fine."
I nodded shakily, not trusting my voice to give a strong answer. The door opened, and I saw almost all the Avengers gathered together, ready to go and face the crowd. Steve had just let go of my arm when I spotted him.
"Eliza."
He appeared before me, his blue eyes glittering and a rare wide smile on his face. I hardly noticed the fact that one side of his suit was littered in gleaming army medals. He out shined them all.
"You look beautiful," he whispered.
I blushed, tucking a curl behind my ear. "Better than usual?"
James' smile only grew. He took my hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "You always look lovely."
I could hear Sam shouting that it was time to get going to the hanger, and I looked around at the other people in the group. I instantly noticed that I was the only person of non-interest in the room, and I felt the pressure mounting. The spotlight was coming soon.
As though he read my thoughts, James squeezed my hand reassuringly. Our eyes met, and I found comfort in his gentle gaze. I'd be okay as long as he was there.
Within minutes, we had made our way downstairs to the hanger. We all boarded the jet, making casual conversation during the short ride. When we arrived, a series of limos were lined up to take us to Stark Tower. James and I made our way into a limo with Steve, Bruce, and Natasha. The ride was calm, but my foot kept a steady rhythm tapping on the car floor. The lights of New York City simply couldn't distract me from my anxiety.
The limos pulled around back to the giant tower, and we were escorted through a wide hallway to the side entrance of the ballroom. We were told to wait by the doors— that our names would be announced one by one, and we would enter when called. I should've known that Tony would make a spectacle, but the theatrics felt a bit much. After all, most Avengers (other than those whose relationships were already public) would be entering alone. And seeing as how he'd left us to wait until dead last, we were clearly the main attraction.
Steve had just disappeared behind the grand doors, and my heart was racing. I'd heard the chatter, seen the flashes of light. Would I even be able to see where I was going? What if I tripped? What if I forgot to smile?
"Breathe," James whispered. I blinked up at him, and he smoothed a gentle thumb over my cheek. My eyes closed, and I forced myself to take in a deep breath. "There you go."
I opened my eyes just before Tony called our names. The doors opened, and we walked through arm in arm. There were shouts, flashes of light, and plenty of questions. But I smiled and ignored it all. James' body next to mine made me feel invincible.
Not a moment too soon, he lead me over to our seats at the table. Steve gave me a thumbs up, and I tossed him one back. After I settled down in my chair, I passed the time by locating people I recognized. Only a select few news outlets were present, one of them being my previous workplace. I caught the eye of a stunned looking Phillip Davidson, and I waved at him. He waved back, and I laughed at his incredulous expression just before Tony got up on stage.
A microphone in hand, the billionaire began to speak, but nothing was heard. He rolled his eyes, and tapped the mic. Suddenly, it came to life, and he said, "I can build an Iron Man suit in a cave, but I still can't find a decent tech guy to get a working mic around here."
The audience laughed, and I saw Tony's ego boost slightly. I couldn't help but reach up and play with the pearls. Flawed he may be, I had to admit that my opinion of him had changed since the last time I was here.
Tony cleared his throat. "Well, I'd say that you guys clean up nice, but we all know that I'm required to say that." The audience chuckled again, and he flashed a smile. "Guilty as charged. But I must say, it is nice to be back, isn't it? Another battle fought, another battle won. And I'm sure all you little kids with your recorders and pens— if you guys still use those— are wondering the truth. Why all this happened, how we came across the fact that this nice little company was actually, well, crazy."
There was a sudden tension in the room, the same kind that had been at his press conference over ten years ago. It was as though everyone was holding their breath all at once. I found my shoulders tensing, but a gentle hand took mine. James' thumb smoothed over my hand, and I felt part of my worry go away.
Tony waited another dramatic second before he said, "Well, it's because we have good aim."
While everyone else laughed, my table groaned at the bad pun. I saw Tony glance over at us and wink. He must have been saving that joke for weeks.
"But in all honesty, not all things need to be known. I'm no poster child for keeping secrets, but I'm pretty sure you guys will figure it out soon enough. After all," he said, motioning in my general direction. "We have a new member in our ranks. Now I know what you're thinking— that girl? She can hardly reach the kitchen counter."
I heard James snort behind me, and I turned around to slap him lightly on the arm.
"But," Tony continued with emphasis. "Not all soldiers wear a uniform. Not all of them are out there fighting in the field. Not all of them are what we think of when someone says the world 'soldier'…but that doesn't make them any less of one. The media will get to know her eventually, but for now, I would like to say thank you to Lizzie. She's helped the Avengers— heck, the world— more than she could ever know."
A genuine smile came onto my lips, and I hardly heard the applause. This close to the stage, I could analyze his posture. I knew he was being honest, that he meant every word. His awkward expression told me so. And even as he suddenly changed the subject, I still smiled through the speech. I laughed at his zingers, his awful jokes, his blatant narcissism. Tony was growing on me every single day.
Finally, Tony cleared his throat one last time. "I know I hardly say this, but enough of me talking. We busted our backs getting this party together before Christmas, so I better see some merriment. Have a good evening, everyone."
We all applauded, and I watched as Tony made his way over to sit at his table. When he reached it, I saw the woman I recognized as Pepper Potts lean over and kiss him on the cheek. He whispered something, and they were suddenly looking at me. Tony pointed at the necklace, and Pepper smiled at me. I waved back shyly, hoping that she approved of the gift. By the look on her face, she did.
Moments later, a jazz band rolled up on stage and began their renditions of Christmas carols. I felt James taking my hand and pulling me up to follow him, and my mind was briefly cast back to when we danced at the castle. But I knew better.
He pulled me through the crowd, ignoring the constant flow of questions that followed us. When we neared the columns on the edge of the room, I starting laughing.
"Still asocial, hm?" I teased.
James' eyes sparkled with mischief. "Yup." He pulled me onward, down the hall and to the elevator. When we stepped on, he pressed the button for the third floor from the top. I was curious, but I chose to not say anything. Getting away from the crowd would be a nice escape no matter where we went.
A minute later, the elevator opened up to an unassuming hallway. I cast James a confused look, but he simply took my hand and led me down the hall. We reached a glass door at the end, and once he opened it, I realized why he'd taken me here.
It was a winter garden overhanging the city. The stone floors sparkled a glossy black, reflecting the stars above. All the walls were made of glass, and railing went around all sides. Plants took up every bit of space, all except for a bench and a small table with chairs in the middle.
"I discovered it a year ago," he told me softly. "It was a good place to go when I was stressed, when I didn't feel like being around people. Even Steve doesn't know about it. I…" he paused suddenly. "I thought you might like it too."
His words sunk in as I wandered over to look out at the view. I was entranced, staring down at the energetic city below me, but hearing none of the chaos. I'd been staring out the window in silence for a full minute before I spun around randomly.
"You used to terrify me," I admitted. James quirked an eyebrow, but I continued. "Like, you just stood there off to the side, and you had this do-not-approach-me thing about you, and it was really hard to go up to you and ask to interview you."
A small smile came onto his face as he stepped forward. "I'm not sure how to take that, but okay."
I shook my head. "No, no, I don't mean it in a bad way, more of an introspective look-at-the-past sort of way, you know?" James looked amused as I rambled, but the words just kept coming. "And I think once I got to know you more, you weren't so bad-"
"Oh thank goodness for that," he cut in.
"Shut up," I laughed. "I'm trying to be serious. You just seemed so intimidating, but now…" I trailed off, gazing up into his eyes. "Now you're not. And I'm not sure when that happened."
James simply shrugged. "Over time, I suppose. The past few months have put us through a lot."
"Yeah," I sighed in agreement. "I'm glad it's all over now."
"Well," he started, taking another step forward. "Not everything is over."
I felt a sudden boldness overcome me. "Oh really? Do correct me, then."
A bright smile bloomed on his face. "From my perspective, things are just starting, not ending." It was then I realized how near he was. My heels put me closer to his face than I'd ever been before.
Any witty response I'd had planned immediately left my brain. I couldn't think straight, but I knew what was about to happen. It suddenly made sense as to why he brought me here, to this secret place he'd discovered a year ago. No one could interrupt us here.
Oddly enough, this thought comforted me. We were out of the spotlight, away from all the noise and chaos and busyness of our usual lives. It was just us, free to be ourselves around each other without the boundaries of having to act natural in an office or be casual around the rest of the Avengers. We were finally alone, allowed to do as we wished.
His blue eyes were gazing into mine, but this time, he didn't ask for permission silently.
"May I?" he requested.
"Yes," I breathed.
His hand came up and cupped my face, and our eyes closed simultaneously. Then our lips met.
Finally.
I felt it all at once. One of his hands rested on my cheek, then traveled to my hair. The other wound around my back, holding me steady on my high heels. His warmth surrounded me, and his intoxicating scent filled my nose. His taste was addictive, and I immediately regretted not kissing him before now.
We broke apart, breathless and grinning like idiots. I was giggling, and he looked ready to pull me back in for another kiss. But before he could-
"IT'S ABOUT TIME," Tony's voice shouted over the intercom. "I HAD TEN MINUTES BEFORE I HAD TO PAY SAM AND CLINT ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH! DO YOU REALIZE HOW LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE WE HEARD THE END OF IT? AGES! AND IT TOOK YOU TWO THIS LONG-"
I burst out laughing, holding onto James for support. I opened my mouth to retort, but James just put a hand under my chin and pulled me forward.
And we stood there, our cares far far away as we kissed under the stars.
Oh if only we'd known what was to come…but it was only the beginning. How could we?
Why yes, that is foreshadowing! Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story- the support you guys have shown has been just incredible. A sequel is in the works, but I'm taking the next two weeks off just to make you guys wait a bit (and to give me a brief writing break). Make sure to hit the "follow author" button so that you get notified when chapter one of Resurrection gets uploaded! See you then!