After taking the time to care for her skin and hair for the first time in months, Scarlett slipped back into the black dress that fit in all the wrong ways. Now that she was once again comfortable in her own skin, the dress felt extra awkward. But, that was the only option unless she wanted to treat this place like the Playboy Mansion. She wouldn't give Stark the satisfaction.
The woman in the mirror finally looked like the one she remembered.
But something was still missing.
Enough of that. She had work to do. Towel hanging over her arm, she brought it with her from the restroom.
Good thing she'd gotten dressed because Tony Stark sat on the couch in with a stack of magazines in his lap. Tony glanced up at her and then back at the magazines.
"You're right Jarvis. I was wrong. Change the sizes." Tony pushed the digital order form out of his way. Mentally deflating, Scarlett rolled her eyes and tossed her wet towel at Tony. Tony looked down at the towel, then picked it up with two fingers and let it drop to the floor.
"Lucky I had the foresight not to trust any room outside of the bathroom in this place."
"Rather unlucky, if you ask me." Tony sighed dramatically.
"You're barking up the wrong tree." Scarlett walked past him so she could admire the view from the window. The ocean crashed wildly along the cliffs with high tide. It was beautiful. She took the moment to savor the daylight and the ocean. She hadn't seen anything outside of her prison in months. Gratitude washed through her.
"You continue to compare me to a dog. Doesn't seem quite fair."
"Really? Because I thought it was just accurate since you're going out of your way to behave like one." Scarlett brushed her fingers against the dress and over the fragile tissue on her thigh. It was itchy now and irritated after her shower. It was hard not to scratch.
"Look…" Tony attempted to set the magazines back on the nightstand in the neat pile Pepper had left them in only for them to slide into an untidy, crooked mess. He then stood next to Scarlett in front of the window. "I think we got off on the wrong…" Tony was interrupted by the sound of the magazines falling to the floor.
Scarlett stepped away from the window, knelt next to the bed and picked the magazines up one by one. Then she stacked them with care. Tony observed her, trying to see what Jarvis had pointed out. She was eerily calm for someone who just left captivity. No one saw it on him either. They still didn't.
"Don't bother. They won't stay." Tony tried to urge her away from the magazines but she ignored him and placed them neatly on the nightstand. They didn't budge.
"You were saying?"
"Must need a woman's touch." Tony glared at the pile and nudged the nightstand, waiting for them to slide. They stayed in place. "Really?"
"Is this really distracting you?" Not mocking so much as astonished. Tony cleared his throat. Her leg was visibly trembling.
"A little." Tony glared at the magazines as if they'd slighted him.
"For someone claiming not to be a dog you sure do have the attention span of a small animal." Scarlett couldn't hide her amusement.
"That was distracting. Not my fault."
"It wasn't. You stacked them poorly. Of course they were going to slide." Scarlett sat down on the edge of the bed. Tony watched her curiously then walked over to the couch to retrieve the first aid kit that Pepper brought up for him.
"You look uncomfortable." Tony pointed to the edge of the burn on her leg that peeked just beneath the hem of her skirt.
"I am. But I can handle it on my own. I don't need you to have any more excuses to ogle me." Scarlett took the first aid kit and opened it, pulling out some of its contents. Tony pulled a small vial from his pocket and held it up to her. It was a formula he'd put together to counteract the reaction happening on her leg.
"I'm only half ogling. I'm not going to pretend it's not fun to admire while I get things done." Tony tapped the bottle to remind her that she couldn't do this alone. Scarlett reached for the bottle and he pulled it away. She sighed.
"Give it." Scarlett held her hand out expectantly. She was sore and tired. She just wanted to wrap her wounds and try to sort her life out.
"You're trembling. And you don't know what you're doing. I've been taking care of those wounds for days. All without ogling, I might add." Tony grasped her wrist and gestured to how it trembled.
"It's not surgery. My hand doesn't need to be steady." Scarlett pulled her wrist away and then held her hand protectively closer. Everything hurt.
"Just… hear me out. Hold on."
"Holding." Scarlett muttered.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot." Tony silenced her objection by holding up both of his index fingers, bottle still in his right hand. "I understand that you're rattled. And that it has to be weird for you to wake up in my basement and feel trapped. And that some people might look at it as kidnapping."
"I hear the first step to acceptance is admitting you have a problem." Scarlett didn't miss a beat.
"Could you, just for a second, let me talk without adding color commentary? Who are you? Me?" Tony scolded her with a laugh but then sat next to her. They weren't so different. He'd put her on the defensive and it was an extreme defensive. They couldn't so much as get through a conversation!
"Fine. Talk."
"I know that something happened to you in Africa." Tony did his best to look sympathetic. Admittedly not his most practiced look but it didn't mean he was incapable of it. In fact, Tony struggled to share these same emotions with anyone. So he kind of understood. "I can't imagine what it must be like to wake up here after all that and then have a complete stranger ask you to relive something…"
"You think I'm traumatized?" Scarlett stared at him in disbelief. Oh, that was not the reaction he expected. "Don't make assumptions about people you don't know. Maybe I was there willingly, Stark. Or maybe I am just as bad as they are. Go back to what you're good at. Looking at me like I'm a piece of meat. Stick to your strengths."
"I'm not trying to make assumptions either way. And that's not all I was doing. Now whose assuming? You know what that makes you, right?" That was not what he'd expected. Scarlett suddenly reached for the serum in his hand and he quickly switched it into his other and held it out of reach.
"You're an ass, Stark." Scarlett pulled back in frustration. Her leg was on fire.
"First of all, it's Tony. Second of all, give me a chance."
"Just stop." Scarlett took a deep breath and scooted away, trying to recover from some of the tension. "You're right. We got off on the wrong foot." Tony made no attempt to hide his surprise. "And yes, I was there against my will. So maybe I am a little shaken. That and… you're kind of the enemy. I don't really feel like I got to safety." Why was she being honest with him? That wasn't part of the plan. "More like out of the frying pan and into the fire."
"I've been called a lot of things but the enemy isn't one of them. We're not enemies, Scarlett. And I know how you feel about my company. I sort of felt that way for awhile too. Despite what you think, I am actually listening." Tony smiled, a rare thing. It looked good on him too.
"I can't say I'm pleased to owe you gratitude." Scarlett pushed her curly hair from her face and turned away. Tony was hanging on her every word. That was what she wanted, right? She had never been so conflicted.
"I can tell. And so offering you a job must have been insulting." Tony hadn't expected her to be so level-headed. In fact, it was a nice shift. She felt more human like this. More like the woman in his head that he'd been taking care of for days. Why did he want to comfort her? And without groping. It wasn't even a ploy to cop a feel.
"Yeah. I have no interest in working for you. I appreciate that you rescued me in the desert, Stark. I appreciate that you didn't abandon me in a hospital where I'd be left to rot from this chemical burn. Probably lose my leg." She glanced at the wound and felt her stomach turn. "But it doesn't erase everything I know about you. And everything I don't know about you. You claim to be a changed man, but am I really supposed to take your word? A man who spent decades lying just to get women into his bed?" It was all pouring out of her. She meant to try and get into his good graces but she hadn't meant to be honest. Maybe it was because he'd struck a nerve. This was trauma. She didn't know what was real anymore.
"Would it be okay for me to…?" He gestured to her leg. Scarlett sighed. She didn't want him touching her. She didn't want to know what that was like. But she relented and nodded.
Tony let her pull the skirt just above the burn and hold it there. He would be on his best behavior. For now. Though everything in his body was telling him to just slide his hand a little higher, lay her back, and work all this tension out. Then maybe they could think clearly. Maybe. Doubtful. "Just hold it like that. There." Tony urged her hand up a little higher to hold her dress. "So you don't flash me. I guess."
"Not like you didn't already see it, right?"
"Have I?" Tony tried to hide his smile.
"Don't play dumb. I know you watched me change. Jarvis told me."
Tony began to carefully clean over the fragile skin of her thigh. Scarlett barely reacted. It had to be painful, he knew that very well.
"Snitch." Tony focused on his task. "I expected you to be upset." He had to remind himself that no matter how much he wanted it to be, this was not foreplay.
"I was." Scarlett was focused entirely on pain management. "But I'm not stupid either. At least I wasn't dumb enough to get naked."
"Well, you were being kind of a bitch about it so…" Tony shrugged. He applied the serum to the wound and watched in surprise as Scarlett laid back on the bed and covered her mouth with her other hand. There it was. She did feel pain. She squirmed and oh, it was killing him inside. He could make her squirm like that. Easily too.
"Yeah, you'd be a bitch too in my situation. Are you almost done?" Scarlett fanned her face with her hand.
"You alright?" Tony set the bottle of serum on the nightstand then leaned on his arm to look down at her. The color drained from her face. "Hell…" He touched her cheek with his other hand and then her neck. "You're all clammy. Is it that bad?" Scarlett shooed his hand away and forced herself to lean up on her elbow, like she was embarrassed that he was seeing her in pain.
"I'm fine. I haven't…" She didn't want to say it. He already thought she was traumatized! She didn't need big brave Tony Stark to save her from her trauma. She would not feed his hero complex.
"You haven't what?"
"They weren't exactly feeding me a proper diet." Scarlett said with a huff.
"How long were you there?"
"Two months." Scarlett averted her eyes. "Look, I'm just nauseous because I haven't eaten or had enough to drink and…" She drifted off and was frustrated with herself. She was frustrated that she was attracted to this asshole. What was wrong with her?
"Well, try not to pass out. The only passing out we do here is after sex. From satisfaction. And exhaustion." Tony sat back up and began to work on the wound. The chemical sat and so he cleaned it up again and then wrapped the wound. Then he pulled out a syringe. "You have any allergies? This is a pretty good painkiller."
"No, I'm… I'm okay." Scarlett drifted off as he stuck the needle in her skin and pushed the plunger. She stared in disbelief. Oh, he'd misinterpreted her.
"Seems only fair that you feel some relief." Tony was trying to understand that she'd been held captive for two months. That was a long time. The whole damn summer, even. Almost as long as he'd been held captive. Had she been alone? What happened to her? This connection was more than just the sexual tension.
"That's not what I meant. You really don't listen, do you?"
"Pepper said something like that. I tune out when people get into that." Tony smiled knowingly. Scarlett was secretly grateful for the painkillers.
"You're an ass."
"I thought that was a well established fact." Tony readjusted her skirt and swatted her other thigh with a smile. "All better." Scarlett leapt back upright and was snapped out of her exhaustion at once. "Too much?"
"Far too much." Scarlett shoved his hand away. Tony caught himself with a laugh.
"For someone who looked ready to vomit a second ago you sure have some strength."
"Instinct." Scarlett fixed her dress. "I'll get you back for that."
"Come on, I was well behaved." Tony argued with a playful smile. A charming smile too. "You have to admit, that was not the worst thing I could have done. It wasn't even the worst thing I thought of doing."
"Are you arguing that you should be rewarded for having impulse control? Like we all do?"
"Yes." Tony said without a second thought. "That was hardly your only wound though. Let me take a look at the others." Tony gingerly took her left hand.
"No. Those I can handle on my own." Scarlett grabbed the first aid kit and began to take care of her arm. She'd excuse herself to take care of her side. They were all healing rather nicely though with the exception of her leg.
"Well, that's no fun." Tony fidgeted next to her.
"So now what, Stark?"
"What?"
"Where do we go from here?" Scarlett finished with her arm.
"Right." Tony considered and then gently nudged her with his elbow. She looked away from him. "Well, it's Tony first and foremost. I'd like to check for a concussion just in case."
"I haven't broken your hand and escaped yet so… yeah, I'm worried about that too." Scarlett turned to face him. "I doubt you went through the proper measures to bring me into the country. But I don't belong here. I'm feeling a little lost." Scarlett wasn't ready to go and she wasn't sure why. She didn't have to be at Stark Manor to find out if he was responsible for this or not. She could get her credentials back, research independently, and go from there. But she wasn't lying either. She felt out of place. She felt lost. Torn between the urge to wrap her arms around him and the urge to punch him in the throat. It was very confusing.
"Maybe we don't need all the answers yet." Tony was just as lost. He should send her on her way. Help her sort the paperwork that would inevitably have to be handled with how he'd brought her into the country. Scarlett fascinated him. And he was drawn to her. It was different than the usual desire to bring a woman to bed. He wanted to know what made her tick. Scarlett looked surprised by his answer. Her lips were all pouty and cute. Even without proper makeup, she was lovely. This feeling in his gut was not one he was fond of at all. He didn't know what to do with it.
"What are we supposed to do if not that?"
"When I was held captive in Afghanistan I was there for three months." Tony wondered if she knew how special it was for him to even bring it up. "At first I went through the motions. Anger. Fear. Then I missed stupid things. Trivial things." Tony looked out the window. "And then I missed simple things. It turned out that those simple things were probably the most comforting after all of it."
Tony didn't tell her more. He was practically on the verge of telling her about Yinsen. About the man who saved his life. He still wrestled with that everyday. Tony Stark was the man with everything and nothing. He hadn't mentioned that to anyone, not even Pepper. The man who had saved his life by hooking a car battery to an electromagnet and sticking it in his chest to keep shrapnel from reaching his heart.
"So, tell me, Scarlett Damien. What is it you missed the most after going through the motions when you were being held against your will?"
Scarlett tried to craft a lie. Something she used to be able to do without a thought. But she didn't. She couldn't. The desire to tell him the truth was overwhelming, and that was something she absolutely could not do. But she missed herself, is what she wanted to say. Something in her died in that MedCo facility. The woman who considered herself a super spy had split into two and the warrior, the thief, the liar was left in the rubble.
What did that leave for her?
The truth.
"Food." Scarlett laughed in disbelief. "And daylight." She looked out at the ocean and her smile was bright. It was beautiful. "I missed the ocean." Scarlett furrowed her brow. Tony did too as he watched. "There was this guard. They weren't all bad." She confessed, surprised by her own emotion. "I get sarcastic when I'm uncomfortable and uh… I made a joke about scotch. He brought me vodka." Scarlett's smile faded. "But I still miss scotch."
"Food and liquor?" He was surprised but not all that much. He'd missed those exact things. And she looked good with a real smile. He'd learned more about who she really was in the last ten minutes than he had in the last three days.
Scarlett stood, walking toward the window to admire the sunlight. The pain medicine was kicking in. "Sometimes they'd give me food and step in it. I didn't always trust it either." She scoffed. "The vodka that he gave me was just about the only thing I knew wasn't tainted."
"I imagine it wasn't the good stuff either."
"Oh, no it tasted like rubbing alcohol." She laughed it off. "I was spoiled for choice before that, I'm afraid. Scotch. Good scotch. Sometimes with a little ice. Neat most of the time though." Tony laughed, joining her near the window. He liked a girl who knew her liquor.
"You happen to be in luck. I happen to own some of the finest scotch in the world. You're in the right place for both those things." Tony smirked confidently. She'd regained her color. Maybe he wanted to get to know her a bit better after all. Maybe they could even be friends. Tony didn't have a lot of friends. He had a feeling Scarlett didn't either.
"I'll be the judge of that." Scarlett knew hunger was the best seasoning. She also knew she should be careful. If she kept talking like this then she was going to show her whole hand. Then Tony would know what she really was. And that would be hard, given that Scarlett wasn't sure of what she was anymore.
"Is that a dare?" Tony took a step closer with a playful smile.
"I do believe it is, Stark." Scarlett pursed her lips, surprised to feel that electric tension when he was that close. Why did her body have to be such a horny little slut about it? He could be the enemy for all she knew! She had to be careful. But she also didn't want to be careful. Boy, she needed therapy more than ever. Her gaze lingered on his goatee, a thing that had become iconic. It sure did look good on him.
"I was going to suggest this bottle of Highland Park I've been saving for a special occasion but I think… you should get out and enjoy the sunshine a bit. Let's make a night of it."
"Oh? Nervous I won't like the taste of your scotch, Stark?" Why did she have to say it like that? She cursed herself. It couldn't have sounded more sexual.
"Trust me. I've never left any woman disappointed with my scotch." He assured her with a charming smile. His eyes were dangerous. "And it's Tony. Please. That's my name. I feel like you're scolding me and not in a hot way."
"I don't know. It's kind of fun to watch you squirm." Scarlett couldn't decide why she was resisting so hard. She was kind of nervous that whatever thing she was going through it was going to bond her to a man she'd hated vicariously for years. But he was far different than she'd thought. Her opinion of him was overall unfair.
"Unless you're naked and riding me like a wild stallion, I'd prefer for you not to make me squirm." Tony teased and she hated that she wanted to laugh. In fact, she almost did and had to stop herself. "But please, don't let me limit your imagination. Just make sure you're naked while doing it."
"That's disgusting."
"You laughed. I saw it. You think I'm charming." Tony was delighted, hands in his pockets. "Not sure why you feel the need to hide it."
"Oh, I don't. But you are disgusting nonetheless."
"Are you trying to ruin all my fun?" Tony stepped a little closer. It was like playing a dangerous game. How close could he physically get before she backed down.
"Could you focus?" Scarlett wouldn't back down either. She eliminated the idea of luring him into bed from the options. She was a little afraid that she'd actually want to do it. It was off the table. She'd get her answers and she'd leave.
"I usually do. You just have a way with me. Distracting me." Tony's eyes drifted from her face and to where the dress fit poorly at her breasts.
Scarlett snapped her fingers. "Up here. Focus." Tony had no choice but to focus with her snapping her fingers in his face. He had to lean back from how close they were. It was fun, the way she handled him without missing a beat. He liked it.
"Right. Let's ditch this place. Go out. Get out of this stuffy mansion. Get some drinks. Get you a nice dinner…"
"That sounds like a date and I am not going on a date with you, Stark." Scarlett objected immediately.
"I told you that you owed me dinner. I meant it. Just dinner and drinks. Nothing serious."
"I know what dates with you end like." Scarlett sighed as his gaze wandered again and she grabbed his chin and forced him away. "Up here, Stark."
"Why? I mean, beautiful, truly, but the dress fits all wrong and… it's very nice." Tony drifted off and then cleared his throat. "I feel like it's safer for you to fall into a bottle out in the world than it is in my house with nothing except me for comfort. This is me trying to save you from my bed. Which is very comfortable, by the way."
"Right. Sure." Scarlett considered it. She was starving. She needed to eat. But he was partially right. It would be harder to resist him when she was alone in his house with him. But would going out be any better?
She couldn't let herself get drunk around Tony Stark. She got flirty when she was drunk and she was already flirting way more than she meant to.
"If you want the real truth?"
"I do."
"Then I would prefer for you to want to get into my bed. I don't trick women into bed. They leap into bed with me." He reassured her.
"I'm not getting into bed with you."
"You know, I can't quite get a read on you. You flirt with me but then you deny me, I'm getting mixed signals." Tony rubbed his goatee curiously. "It's refreshing."
"Uh huh. God, you're like an excitable puppy. I cannot get you to focus for even a second."
"Puppy this time? That implies you think I'm quite cute, at least."
"It also implies you're not house trained. So what's your point?"
"You, me. Dinner and drinks. It'll be nice. Maybe even a dance or two." Tony enticed. "It'll be fun. I promise. A night out with me will help you forget that you ever had anything to stress over." He really was cute. God, he was cute. She shuffled her bare feet and looked back out at the ocean. She could do this. And maybe she needed some comforting after all of that. But if she found out he was responsible for all of this she'd never forgive herself.
"Fine." She sighed. Tony was delighted but she turned and poked his chest with her index finger. "But this is not a date. If you even think about touching me inappropriately I will break something very important to you."
"Sure, yeah, whatever." Tony dismissed her threats. He was getting used to them. "I'm a perfect gentleman. I have no idea why you're concerned."
"Jarvis is more of a gentleman than you are. And he's not real."
"I programmed him in my image so… that was truly a compliment meant for me. Thanks."
"Just goes to prove the damage free will really does, doesn't it?" Scarlett continued before he could get lost in the response. "So we have a deal then?"
"Yes. It's not a date. And I can't have your panties unless you throw them at me…"
"I'll never do that."
"I'm just saying that this is… very much like a date. The kind of date where I have to be well behaved. Sex is for third dates or casual nights out." Tony clarified.
"How about you keep your hands to yourself and I don't scream that I've been kidnapped by Tony Stark. Sound good?" Scarlett looked back in the closet to see if there were any spare shoes she could slip into.
"Listen, a guy can dream. And I think you're trying not to like me and failing. That heart of yours isn't as frigid as you pretend it is." Tony followed her, admiring her as she walked. The dress didn't fit her hips either.
"Don't test me, Stark."
"Oh, but it's so much fun."
"I can't… go out without shoes. Even for you it would be weird to not have shoes." Scarlett turned back to him and nearly fell. He was too close. She wanted something normal. Anything normal. It'd been months since she had normal. Actually it'd been over a year since she had normal. She leaned against the wall near the closet, still close to Tony. She was tired. Between Afghanistan, all the fighting with Scott, MedCo, losing Scott, and now this? No wonder she felt lost.
"You're right. And that dress doesn't fit you. Not in the right way at least. And while I am enjoying it, I'd prefer if you were comfortable on our definitely not a date."
"Really? Because with the way you're hounding me I'd think that the dress is doing me a few favors." Scarlett stepped into the bathroom and left the door open. She'd make sure to clean her side before they went out.
"With a body like that? You could work a paper bag. You should… leave the hair down. Real sex tussled like that." He admired her in the mirror as she tried to fix her hair.
"I'll do what I like with it." Scarlett held it up and Tony whimpered. She had to try not to laugh again but he definitely saw her smile.
"It's a crime to put it up. Your neck is gorgeous, don't get me wrong but it's… it's a crime. Leave the hair down. Please."
"Stark." Scarlett warned.
"Okay, okay. Do what you want. But you were warned. And it's Tony, come on." He nodded down the hall.
"I hate to tell you these things because of who you are and how you are but I also need new under things. I'll reimburse you once I navigate this nightmare and get to my accounts." Scarlett didn't want to be in these things anymore. They were so uncomfortable.
"We'll get that on the way too. Didn't think of that." Tony, to her surprise, didn't make fun of her. She was a little relieved. This was all kind of embarrassing. "I have to get changed. Can't very well be seen out like this." Tony backed up and she followed him which delighted him. "I'll have Hogan and Potts meet us later. Does that take the pressure off at all?"
"Because there's no way I'd resist jumping you otherwise, you mean?" She said sarcastically. Also she knew who Potts was but who the hell was Hogan? Like the wrestler?
"Don't tempt me." Tony smirked. "And leave your hair down." He urged.
"Just go do what you need to do." Scarlett rolled her eyes. Tony left the guest room, humming to himself. She heard him talking to Jarvis along the way. Then she went into the bathroom and took a seat at the little vanity. "Hey, Jarvis?"
"Yes, Miss Damien?"
"Thank you for making sure I'm okay." She knew he'd been the one to do it. That Tony hadn't sorted it out on his own. He was far different than she anticipated. In another life, she absolutely would have taken him for a ride. Maybe even had an actual fling with him. But that couldn't be in this lifetime. She searched the drawers and found makeup and began applying it. She would do her best to hide that she was lost beneath cosmetics.
"It is my pleasure, Miss Damien."