They were still in Venice.

Tony took her out to dinner one night. Of course, he had to get the best table in the place by paying the customers that were there to leave. She shook her head at his antics.

"I don't need the best view, Tony," she lectured.

"What? Of course you do," Tony argued as he pulled out her chair at the table that was now theirs. "You need the best everything."

She couldn't help but smile at the notion he had. It was sweet after all even if he did it in a totally flippant manner when it came at the expense of other people.

"See, look. You're smiling," Tony smirked as he took the seat across from her. "You agree with me."

She rolled her eyes as the waiter came. She looked out at the view from the deck they were on and it was spectacular. Venice was gorgeous with all the waterways.

She looked away as she went to order what she wanted. She played with the necklace Tony got her throughout the whole time. When they were waiting on dessert, her foot bumped into his in her sandal and she quickly moved hers away before she got an idea.

She bit her lip as she decided whether she should do it or not. The thought that she only lived once made up her mind.

She took her foot out of her sandal before she glided it over his shoe. Then she moved it to caress his ankle. Tony stared at her in disbelief at what she was attempting; he couldn't believe she actually did.

"Snowflake...what are you doing?"

Her eyes shined mischievously as she moved her foot higher before she replied, "Consider this your warning."

Her reply made his eyes cloud over with lust before her foot moved past his knee and he quickly called out, "Check, please. Check....check right now."

She giggled as Tony rushed them out of there. As soon as they were, his hands were all over her as they kissed while getting in the limo. Once the car started to move, she moved her lips away slightly to pout, "I wanted dessert."

"Are you kidding?" Tony said. "You are dessert."

She blushed, "That sounds dirty, Tony."

"Because it is dirty, Snowflake," he shook his head slightly; sometimes, she was so clueless. "Like you weren't being dirty back in there."

She smiled a bit proudly as she threaded her fingers through the ends of his hair, "Did you like it?"

"Well, I'm about to like it a whole lot more..." Tony said before he connected their lips again.

They kissed the whole car ride home and even then they didn't stop. They kissed in the elevator up to the place they were staying at. They even kissed through the doorway. Kissing seemed to be their favorite pastime.

But once they got inside the hotel room, Tony lifted her up with his hands going to her behind. He seemed to like placing them there but she wasn't going to complain.

She had her legs wrapped around his waist as he brought her to the bed. He laid her down before he climbed over her and brought his lips back to hers. Once he did so, she pulled at the tie he wore, loosening it, before pulling it off.

As she pulled off his tie, he hiked up her dress just past her stomach. Then he removed his lips from hers as he moved down to blaze a trail of kisses down her stomach which heightened all sorts of feelings and electricity.

For the first time, she felt like maybe she wanted to go all the way with Tony. Which is why she let him pull her dress off over her head. She still had a bra on and her underwear but as soon as the dress was gone, she started to feel self-conscious under his intense gaze.

She quickly grabbed the dress that was discarded on the side of the bed. She used it to cover herself as she hugged her arms over her chest. She looked up at him apologetically, "Sorry."

"Snow..." he breathed. "It's okay."

"I don't mean to tease you," she placed a hand on his cheek.

He placed his hand overs hers as he smiled softly, "Snowflake, I know."

It was silent for a moment before he asked gently, "Can I hold you?"

"Can you get me a shirt first?" she said shyly.

Tony got up at her command and got her a black AC/DC shirt. She grabbed it and threw it on over her head as she gave him a look, "Your shirt?"

Tony smirked, "Well, you may not want to tease me, angel, but I certainly want you to."

She shook her head as Tony got in bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. He was on his side as she laid flat on her back against his arms. Tony may have loved kissing her but he also loved to hold her; it was soothing to have her in his arms.

He kissed the top of her head as she started to trace the arc reactor in his chest. It was a comfortable silence between them and she was almost lulled to sleep until Tony spoke.

"We should stay like this."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Stay? Why would I want you to leave?"

"No. I mean we can stay on this...vacation. We don't have to go back home. I don't have to be Iron Man anymore," he clarified softly. "As far as I'm concerned, home is where you are, angel. We can stay."

Her lips parted in surprise at the revelation as she looked into his brown eyes. He looked so eager for her to say yes but she knew Tony. He was impulsive and didn't think things through. He also had an active mind; this little vacation was nice but Tony would always need something more. She was sure of it or, at least, she thought.

"You'll grow bored," she said sadly.

"How could I ever grow bored of this?" he asked teasingly as he kissed her neck and she giggled.
"Tony!"

He moved his head back up to stare down at her like an adorable puppy, "Come on, angel..."

She considered him before she pecked his lips softly and turned on her side to face away from him, "I'll think about it."

But there was nothing to think about. She knew what Tony was really asking even if he didn't think of it like she did; he wanted to settle down. She didn't think either of them were ready for that. In a couple of days, though, she would only wish she had said yes because it would've been better to make mistakes than regrets.

_____

The next day, they were walking through the city holding hands after getting ice cream. He already ate his but she still had this giant cone to bite through.

"You are so slow," he commented about her eating habits.

"It's ice cream. I want to enjoy it," she argued with a huff.

He hummed with a small, little smile before their smiles were wiped off. A loud boom echoed in the distance and shook the ground they were walking on.

She dropped her ice cream as she lost her balance. Tony wrapped his arm around her to keep her steady (and because it was instinct to keep her safe).

The rumbling of the ground stopped and they looked around to see what had happened. But in the little alley they were in, they couldn't see anything.

She pushed Tony slightly as she gave him an encouraging look, "Go."

He could fly in his suit that he had brought with him. He could go see what had happened and be the hero of the day. She gave him a small smile and Tony tapped on his sunglasses, "Jarvis, send Mark 6."

Tony had developed a suit that would come to him with a wrist band. As it was being sent over to him, he stepped over to her and kissed her quickly (a kiss that he would wish he made longer). He looked down at her softly, "While I'm gone, think about what I said."

She swallowed before she nodded. She already knew what she was going to say but she didn't want to tell him until he got back. That she was letting him down.

He smiled a bit, thinking hopefully, as the suit landed beside them with the back open. Tony stepped into it and it quickly closed up before it blasted into the air.

_____

When she got back into the apartment, she learned from the news that there had been a large explosion. She could even see it way off in the distance; Tony was flying people out of the fires and fume.

She smiled a bit as she looked away from the window. Tony was a hero; she didn't understand why he wanted to give that up for her. She didn't want him to.

She shook her head before she heard the glass break and felt a sharp piercing in her neck. She let out a small cry as she looked at the small, circular hole in the glass. She reached up to her neck to grab and pull out...a dart.

She dropped it as she clutched her neck. The world started to spin and her eyesight started to blur as she realized this wasn't a normal explosion; no, it was to get Tony away.

She started to move as quickly as she could to the phone that Tony gave her. But everything seemed to be moving and she had to clutch the walls for support.

When she reached it on the kitchen island, her legs gave out as her eyesight blurred even more. She reached out with her index finger and simply tapped the phone on before she called out, "Jarvis, call Tony..."

She felt a heaviness in her head that fell over her eyes. She tried to hold it off but it got heavier and heavier as she heard Tony answer the phone.

She wanted to cry out or do something but a boot crushed the phone. Her eyes wandered before she passed out. The last thing she remembered was a metal arm.

AN: I think we all know who is here and Tony is not going to be in the next couple of chapters by the way