Inseparable: Ashley's Frozen Secret

Chapter 12 - What Are The Details?

As she walks into the lab, Ashley sees Tony working on his computer. Quickly hiding the small box behind her back, Tony looks up from his workstation to see who the new arrival might be. "Ashley? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She nods her head in his direction. "You look like you've been up for hours."

He sighs and fiddles with a pen from his desk whilst taking a seat in his chair. "I have. I didn't want Pepper knowing I'm working."

Ashley tilts her head and smirks. "Cause it's still vacation and she would kill you." She laughs before stepping completely into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Yeah, well...I don't like repeating myself, but it looks like I have too. What are you doing here?"

(Ashley) I don't want him to know until they know first.

She slowly gulps.

(Ashley) It looks like that won't happen.

"I...I may or may not be a workaholic too and need to do something."

"You've been here for a day. What could you possibly need to do?" Ashley's body weight shifts, revealing the box behind her back ever so slightly. "What's that?"

(Ashley) Play dumb. Try to keep it to yourself as much as possible.

"What's what?"

Tony rolls his eyes and sighs heavily before answering. "That thing behind your back. What is that?"

Slowly taking the box out from behind her back she looks away from him. Giving her full attention to the box as she speaks. "A project that Howard started, and I NEED to finish it."

"Why do you 'NEED' to finish it?" He says, putting infuses on, need, like he was mocking her.

"Cause it's important."

She looks up at him through her lashes. All she sees is him looking straight at her with an unreadable expression.

(Ashley) He's really not going to leave this alone. Is he?

Trying a different tactic, she tried speaking again. "If I don't get to use your lab, then Pepper will know that you were in here."

Tony has mixed emotions after hearing Ashley's response. He has a sense of pride towards Ashley for still having—what he was told based on the background she has informed him of—her personality intact, after so many things she's gone through. While fearing her, because he doesn't know if she made an empty threat or not. However, he fears his wife more than anyone.

"Fine, but I'm helping." He gets up and walks over to Ashley. "You don't know where stuff is, and I don't want you wrecking my lab."

"Fine, but I'm in charge." She says, whilst rolling her eyes.

"That's not going to happen. My lab, my rules."

"My project, my rules."

Tony smirks. "That's where you're wrong. It's my father's project and I'm his blood. So, my lab, my project, my rules."

Ashley huffs and walks past him to a different workstation than the one he was at. Hiding the smile that was threatening to show.

(Ashley) I really do have a sibling now.

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Meanwhile, in Ashley's room. The guys are slowly starting to wake up. Their hands no longer intertwined and them, none the wiser. Bucky feels the empty, cold center of the bed and groans into his pillow. "Why is she always gone when we wake up? Is this how every morning is going to be?" He finally moves his head to look at Steve. "Because if so, then I'm not going to like it. I want morning snuggles!"