Evelyn • Tony Stark

|CHAPTER 2: BETTER THAN WORDS|

I think it's beautiful the way you sparkle when you talk about the things you
love.

• • •

"Mmm. Smells great," he slid both his hands on her waist as she prepared their breakfast.

"Tony, why are you not dressed yet, you have a meeting in an hour." Pepper waltzed in, wearing her usual scowl.

"Go away, I'm hungry," Stark whined like a child, and the women just rolled their eyes.

"Baby, can you just go put on your suit, and come back?" Evelyn tried to persuade him, but he shrugged her off, grabbing a plate of pancakes, and dropping it on the kitchen table.

"I have to get to work too."

At the mention of work, he dropped his fork, and eyes the pancakes in distaste.

"What? Don't you like them?" Evelyn pressured him, and he shook his head.

"No, they're great."

Truly, the problem wasn't in the pancakes.

"Pep, could you..."

Before Evelyn even told her, Pepper was already on her way out of the kitchen, giving her a thumbs up, as a sign of good luck.

"What is it, babe?"

"I don't see why you have to go to work when I have all the money in the world-"

"I thought we've been through this. I'm not spending your money, Tony. I don't want your money. And what about my company? I can't just let Jace run-"

And then she saw it.

His eye twitched once she mentioned Jace's name, and then she finally realised what he was so pissed off about.

"Honey, I love you, but you can't keep convincing yourself that I'll leave you for someone else."

"Why won't you?" He scoffed, and her eyes widened.

"What?"

"I mean come on. He's worth more than I am to you, and he could give what I can't-"

"But I already have everything, Tony. I have you, don't I?" His shoulders slumped, and he pushed his plate away with her words, "Baby can you please stop this, I don't want anyone else. I love you, and I am incapable of loving someone other than you. My heart, mind, body and soul all belong to you, and only you. I don't want any other man, not Jace, not anyone else. Just you." He managed to give her a small nod, and she smiled, giving him a long kiss on the lips, before walking out of the kitchen, and outside, knowing well enough that her little speech had probably gotten her late.

But it was worth it, as long as Tony is assured that she doesn't want anyone else.

And she couldn't help but wonder if she had called him that day to say that she was grabbing a quick lunch with Jace, instead of him seeing them surprisingly, would he feel better instead of feeling doubtful of everything she does.

Her heels tapped against the floor, silencing the whole reception just by her mere presence.

She smiled at almost every employee before taking the elevator up to her office, where Jace had been impatiently waiting for her.

"Jesus, did you run someone over on your way here?" He flew out of his chair once she walked in, and she didn't spare him a second glance, busy remembering her early conversation with Tony.

"Trouble in paradise?" He pursed his lips, running his eyes all over the papers in his hand.

"How did the deal with Bradshaw Corp, go?" Ignoring his previous question, he asked.

"Just fine." He smiled mildly signing his name on the bottom of the paper.

"Well, that's good. We need to-"

"Why haven't someone already put a ring on your finger?" Jace asked, tilting his head to the side.

She knew he was just kidding around, but ever since she realised that Tony's been feeling off about her relationship with him, she decided to keep it less friendly, and more professional.

"I have a boyfriend, remember?" She took a seat in her chair, all giddy and excited to return home to him anyway.

"I don't see him anywhere," he shot her a wink, and just before she replied, there he was.

Standing by her door with a box in his hand, wearing his signature smirk.

"Tony.." she trailed off, uncertain as to why he was here, when Pepper clearly mentioned that his meeting was supposed to be five minutes ago.

"Hey, Vee," he pecked her on the lips, and dropped the box on her desk, shooting Jace a fake smile.

"Hey, Stark."

"Romero," Tony remembered his manners, and even though he tried so hard to ignore him, he found himself giving him a respectful smile, and nodding at him.

"Baby, didn't you have a meeting?" She gripped his bicep, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "yeah, but screw it. I'm just here to tell you that I have made reservations at your favourite restaurant tonight. Wear something fancy." He shot her a wink, and made his way towards the door.

"What's the occasion?" She called out, stopping him from moving any further.

"No occasion. Oh and by the way, open the box." Shooting her one last wink, he disappeared out the door, leaving her with a fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

"What are you waiting for Eva, open it!" Jace chuckled, seemingly more excited about it than she was.

"Oh my..." she gasped, her stomach erupting with butterflies.

She was staring at this very necklace last week at the mall, but she didn't want to make Tony wait too long outside while she bought it.

She just didn't think he noticed these things.

She slid the box shut, and shook her head slowly a ghost smile plastered on her flawless face.

"Hey, Eva?" Jace raised an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Hmm?" She snapped herself back to reality, and frowned.

"It'll look beautiful on you. He's a lucky man."

"Thanks a lot, Jace."

"I'll finish up these papers, we just need your signature on these, and-" he was back in business mode, and so was she.

But her mind kept wandering back to a certain someone, who always occupied her brain at all hours of the day.