The morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold and crimson as Tony landed softly on the pristine shores of a secluded island. The adrenaline from the battle still coursed through his veins, but it was fading now, replaced by something far more powerful.
Relief. Love. Overwhelming love.
He clutched Amii tighter, unwilling to let go even after his boots sank into the warm sand. She was alive. Safe. Breathing against his chest. He could still feel the faint tremors in her body—shock, exhaustion, the aftermath of nearly being burned alive.
He almost lost her.
The realization hit him like a repulsor blast to the gut. His breath came fast and shallow, his pulse hammering in his ears. He had faced death a hundred times before, but this—this had been different. It wasn't just his life on the line this time.
It was her.
And losing her? That wasn't an option. It would have destroyed him.
Amii stirred against him, blinking up in dazed confusion. "Did we just—?"
"Yup." His voice was hoarse, rough. "We just survived another over-the-top, explosion-ridden, possibly traumatic near-death experience. Again."
Her lips parted, and something in her eyes—warmth, love, something so deep it made his knees weak—shattered whatever control he had left.
Tony didn't think. He acted.
His lips crashed onto hers in a desperate, searing kiss—one filled with all the emotions he had bottled up for years. Love, need, passion, fear, relief, and everything in between.
Amii gasped against his mouth, but the moment her hands tangled into his hair, her body arching into his, she kissed him back just as fiercely. His arms locked around her waist, pulling her as close as humanly possible.
Her taste, the feel of her warmth, the way she sighed his name against his lips—it made his heart thunder inside his chest. He deepened the kiss, pouring every ounce of love he had into it, until they were breathless, until the world around them ceased to exist.
When he finally pulled away, their foreheads rested together, both of them panting, their bodies trembling in the aftermath of battle and the sheer force of their emotions.
That was it. That was everything.
He had to do it.
Now.
"Marry me," he blurted, his voice still ragged.
Amii's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
Tony swallowed hard, still holding onto her as if letting go would make her disappear. "Marry me," he repeated, softer this time. "Right now. No waiting. No second-guessing. Just you and me, forever."
She sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers tightening on his suit. "Tony—"
"I mean it, Amii," he cut in, eyes burning into hers. "I almost lost you tonight. And I can't—I won't—go another day without knowing you're mine. Officially. Permanently. Unbreakably."
Amii's lips parted, emotion flickering across her face—shock, love, happiness, disbelief. "Tony, do you even have a ring?"
Tony blinked.
Shit.
"No, but—"
"I believe I can assist with that, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted smoothly.
Tony's gauntlet hummed as a section of the nanotech plating disengaged, shifting and reshaping before his eyes. The metal swirled, compressing into a small, flawless silver band with intricate, glowing gold circuitry lining the edges.
It was stunning. A perfect blend of science and sentiment.
Tony exhaled, almost laughing. "J.A.R.V.I.S., you are officially my favorite person."
"I shall update Miss Potts on my promotion, sir."
Tony turned back to Amii, his heart hammering harder than it had during the fight. He took her hand, pressing the makeshift ring into her palm. "It's not perfect. But I swear, the second we get back to civilization, I'll get you the biggest, flashiest rock money can buy."
Amii just stared at the ring in her hand, eyes welling up. Then she looked at him, shaking her head with a soft, tearful laugh.
"Tony, this ring is worth more than a million diamonds." She lifted it, admiring the delicate, futuristic craftsmanship. "You made this. You turned your own armor—your legacy—into something for me."
His throat tightened. "Yeah, well, that's what you do to me. You make me want to give you everything." He smirked, trying to lighten the moment. "But seriously, let me buy you some bling."
She looked up at him, something unreadable flashing in her eyes before she took his hand and slid the ring onto her finger.
"I want this one," she whispered. "This is my wedding band."
Tony felt something inside him crack open—something raw, something real. He couldn't remember the last time someone had chosen something because it came from him, not from his money or reputation.
His heart swelled. He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the lone tear that slipped down her cheek.
And then he kissed her again.
This time, it wasn't desperate or rushed. It was slow, deep, filled with the promise of forever. His hands traced her jaw, her neck, memorizing every inch of her. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck, holding him close as their lips moved in perfect sync.
When they finally broke apart, foreheads pressed together, Tony grinned. "I guess this means I'm off the market now."
Amii laughed, her arms wrapping around his waist. "You never stood a chance, Stark."
He kissed her temple, then murmured against her skin, "I love you."
She smiled, tightening her grip. "I love you too."
As the sun rose over their private paradise, Tony Stark—genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist—had finally found something he could never design in a lab.
Love.
THE END.