Marvel Outtakes & One Shots

What are the chances? T.S.

March 13, 2014 Manhattan, NY

Celeste Blake was sitting alone in one of Manhattan's most known singles bar. It was nice, relatively safe and the drinks were perfectly made. It had been a while since she'd last come here looking to see if anyone was worth spending her time on. She just didn't have the time since she was so busy the last several months with work, but the need for human interaction outweighed binging season six of Mad Men and Chinese take out so she'd showered, shaved, dolled herself up and hailed a cab.

Sipping on a simple whiskey sour, Celeste's eyes scan the room for any potential men, sadly she was disappointed by tonight's offerings. That's not to say that there weren't any men here tonight that weren't attractive, just no one who caught her eye. Sighing she threw back what was left of her drink thinking to herself that she'd wasted this dress on nothing. It was a new splurge she'd indulged in one afternoon with her best friend after a brunch with way too many mimosas and more confidence than she normally had.

"Another?" Asks the decently handsome bartender when he eyes her empty glass. With a nod she pushed it over to him when her eyes caught on a familiar face that she'd have recognized anywhere.

What were the chances that Tony Stark would be here of all places?

It'd been two years since she'd talked to him in person outside of a benefit dinner with his girlfriend by his side, but what the hell? She'd had enough liquid courage to throw caution to the wind.

Tossing back her drink and without a moment's thought or hesitation Celeste plucked a peanut from the little glass dish set out on the bar. She personally never ate them, being too grossed out at the thought of strangers' dirty hands touching them. Taking careful aim that would have made Barton proud she quickly launches the peanut across the bar barely missing the second bartender, hitting Tony square between his dark brown eyes. Rubbing the salt off his forehead he looks around as he demands to know, "What the hell? Who threw that?!"

His dark chocolate colored eyes land on her smiling face when her wiggling fingers catch his attention. A grin immediately replaces his annoyance at the sight of her. Making his way around the crowded room Tony comes over to her side of the bar stepping in close because of the press of bodies around them. Forcing herself to act natural she flashes him a wide smile.

"Fancy seeing you here. It's been too long, Celeste." He says something else, but he's cut off by the volume of music in the bar and a couple of men barking their drink orders to the busy bartenders.

Smirking, she leaned in close to place her plump lips near his ear breathing in his expensive cologne as she said, "What was that? You're going to buy me a drink, how could I say no to you?"

He shook his head in the negative even though he raised his hand immediately catching her previous bartender's attention and pointed to her now empty glass. "If anyone owes anyone a drink it's you for hitting me with.. what did you hit me with?" Pushing over the small glass dish with a grin she picked up a single nut and held it out to him.

Taking the peanut from her he tossed it back to the bowl and laughed in disbelief as he looked from where she's sitting to where he was a moment ago. Leaning against the bar she jokingly tells him. "You're a billionaire, I'm broke in comparison. I can give you a hug. Those are free and I gladly give those away."

"Your hugs are too precious to just give them away." Briefly the rarely used frown line crinkled between his brows as Tony stepped in closer to her before his classic Stark grin spread across his face. Holding his arms out wide he lets out a fake put upon sigh. "Fine, but it better be one hell of a hug."

Twining her arms around his neck Celeste embraced the man she'd fallen in love with almost a decade ago. It almost for a second felt as if Pepper and the last two years hadn't separated them while she was in his arms. Deeply breathing in his familiar scent of bergamot, cedar and crisp apple with a splash of his ever present bourbon had tears prickling at the back of her eyes.