Multiverse of Love (Tony Stark x Reader)

Chapter 11: Iron Heart

The following weeks were blissful. (Y/N) spent a lot of her spare time in Tony's lab, either reading, writing, or helping him and he seemed to enjoy her company. He had now given her the code so she could come and go as she pleased, and they fucked regularly. Being with Tony really brought out her creative side and one day she had decided to do something she hadn't done in years; she did a sketch of him. It was of him working on his suits and she thought she had really captured his essence, his face frowned in concentration doing what he loved. She wasn't intending to show it to him at first but as she had finished sketching, he had walked over to her "What did you draw?" he asked curiously.

"Oh nothing." (Y/N) replied flushing in embarrassment trying to hide her work the way she often did. Before she could react, he had snatched it out her hand and looked down at it "Huh." He said just looking down it for a second. "No one has ever done anything like that for me before." For a moment she thought she detected just a hint of emotion in his eyes, but it was gone before she could be sure. "It's good." He continued "Almost as good looking as the real thing." He winked back to his usual manner.

(Y/N) flushed pleased "That's great! I'm glad you like it! I don't like showing my work normally because I don't always feel as good as other people." (Y/N) began.

Tony rolled his eyes at her "Well that's clearly not true anyway, I mean you wrote that book." Before (Y/N) could protest he continued "You will never get anywhere in life if you carry on that way, you sometimes just have to keep putting yourself out there. Even if you fail over and over again, you need to keep trying until you get what you want."

(Y/N) looked at him surprised "That's really good advice, I wasn't expecting- "she began.

"What?" He asked amused "thought I was just some arrogant, alcoholic playboy with no depth?" he joked.

"Nah I always thought there was more to you then you put across. I just wanted to find out what that was." She smiled at him "And." She continued "I am feeling a lot more confident here then I used to, but I still get times where it just takes over, I guess." She finished lamely.

"Why is that do you think?" He asked her. (Y/N) felt frozen she didn't really want to talk about her abuse right now. "Um maybe it would be easier if you just read the book I wrote, that would explain it better than I ever could." She finished. Tony looked at her with concern and gave her a hug, she lost herself in his warmth for a moment "We all have a past." He said, "it's nothing to be ashamed of." Turning away from her he went to hang her sketch up of him on the wall where he could always see it.

"There it looks perfect up there my little mushroom." He said proudly looking at it.

"Mushroom?" she asked confused.

"Yeah, I thought I'd give you another cool nickname. I mean one that's purely created by me which means it's the best." He said in that eccentric way he sometimes.

"Ok." (Y/N) laughed "please explain where you got this from?"

"Well, if you think about it, you're interesting and different just like a mushroom. Plus, mushrooms can be very pretty. Don't worry it's meant as the highest compliment" he grinned. (Y/N) shook her head smiling "How many nicknames do I need?" she asked him.

"You can never have enough, trust me." He laughed to her "Now I have to run to a meeting; you better be here when I get back." He winked at her "Jarvis put the fire on for (Y/N) will you?"

"At once Mr Stark." Jarvis responded. As Tony left (Y/N) headed to the lounge area of the lab by the roaring fire laughing silently to herself.

                                                                                           ***