STARK STRUCK (Tony Stark × Reader)

29. 'Sweetheart'

"I might have found something..." The corner of his eyes gets wrinkly, when he looks away with that sly smirk.

"Oh, reallyyyy? Soooo intriguing!" You roll your eyes and look away.

"Yea," he fishes for something in his pocket, "I found your love for antiques."

"Oh you found out that I don't like museums? Great." You say from between your teeth.

"Eh much better," he holds the card in his enclosed palm, "I'll give you two more tries,"

"I'm not in a mood to play,"

"Okay, then," he clears his throat and sits up. His head moves parabolically when he lifts his chin up to smirk down at your head, currently turned away. He doesn't want to miss your reaction.

"You like me," he says and watch you freeze, and your eyes pop a bit too, but only for a mili second. His brain might had declared it an imagination, but it wasn't.

"Sorry?" It's harder to control your heartbeat, and it would be visible in the ECG, but it isn't because you're currently unattached to it. What the fuck did he just say?

"You. Like me." He affirms that you didn't mishear anything, and your cheeks get colored. You gaze at him for a second then say,

"Absolutely. Not!"

"knew you'd deny it, but there's no point," he smiles, "accept it," and shrugs.

"You're so sure?" It's a tight spot you're in right now truely wishing to run away from this.

"Sweetheart, I would bet on it in a casino," he's enjoying, playing around like the sea lion with it's prey penguin.

"DON'T call me that..." even though your butterflies haven't stopped fluttering after hearing that word, especially when you know he knows and purposefully wants to give you that feeling all along.

You attempt to get up. So mid argument Tony helps you,

"What? 'Sweetheart'? But I thought you liked that," he puts a nearby pillow behind your spine, then looks at you, "sweetheart..." , his voice deeper. He offers you his palm for support.

He did it again!

You furrow your eyebrows at him slapping his hand away, and try sitting up on your own, "I see what you're doing. Don't you play nice with me after blaming me for a lie. You're being delusional."

"Yea?"

"Yea."

"You really think so?"

"Oh I'd bet on it in a casino,"

"Thank Lordy, we're not in Vegas right now," He finally opens his fist revealing the card that was supposed to be in your wallet,

"Cause you just lost your bet," he smiles wide, now that you're speechless.

All this time he knew about it and was just having a good time giving you chills and red cheeks, and you were denying it while he knew you're denying it. You feel so stupid right now.

"Is that... How did you...?" Your face softens, but just for the time you haven't assumed, "you went through my stuff?!"

"Technically I didn't," he starts explaining but you cut him off,

"You what? Don't tell me it fell from my wallet when you picked my fallen wallet from the ground."

"That's exactly what happened!" he couldn't stop smiling at the fact that he's finally having this conversation with you, this time not in his head. And it's nothing like he would have thought of.