But amidst the laughter and camaraderie, there were moments of quiet introspection. As they worked side by side in the dimly lit lab, Tony found himself opening up to Y/N in ways he never had with anyone else.
"I never asked for this life, you know," he confessed one night, his voice barely above a whisper. "Being Iron Man...it's a heavy burden to bear."
Y/N reached out and took Tony's hand in hers, her touch a soothing balm to his troubled soul. "You don't have to carry it alone," she whispered, her words echoing in the darkness.
And in that moment, Tony knew that he had found someone worth fighting for, someone who saw past the mask of Iron Man to the vulnerable man beneath.
