Chapter 19
After the tour, Carol picked a room that has a nice and small balcony, overlooking the beach.
Tony picked the room right next to hers. That room has two walls of windows since it's on the corner of the house.
Carol also picked her room because of it’s large bathroom. The tub is large enough to swim in and the shower is in a corner of the bathroom but not walled-in. Instead, it's an open air shower, the water falling from the ceiling in a way that resembled rain.
After Carol finishes unpacking, she walks out of her room and finds Tony outside the kitchen, on the large balcony, looking at the night sky and admiring the stars.
When he realizes that she is standing behind him, he slightly turns his head and his lips twitch upwards.
“You hungry? The kitchen is fully stocked with everything you can imagine”
“I could eat” She tells him in all honesty and Tony takes one last quick glance at the stars, before he walks inside.
Who would have thought that Tony Stark can make homemade Cheeseburgers?
Not Carol, since Vision and her are normally the ones who cook in their house.
Hope also sometimes cooks, but only when she has a lot more time to stay with them.
When they are done, Tony leads Carol outside on the Balcony where is a small table and pair of chairs. He places the food down and turns to Carol
“You don’t mind eating here, do you?”
And she doesn’t. She doesn’t mind at all.
“No. No way.. Absolutely not.” Tony says stubbornly, crossing his arms around his chest.
It’s their second day in Bahamas. Currently they are both on a Beach and Carol has been trying to get Tony to the Sea for almost 10 minutes.
It was actually one of the requests Friday had asked from Carol.
Tony, apparently loved swimming before Afghanistan. It was one of his favorite things to do, but then he stoped.
She understands that he has severe PTSD of the water, but she is sure, that she can help him get over it. The water feels amazing and Carol isn’t planning on letting him drown or anything.
“Come on, at least for 5 minutes!” Carol says turning to him and playfully flashing her “puppy eyes” on him.
Every nerve in Tony’s body is screaming “No” at him, but seeing Carol in her… fancy black swimming suit and the look in her green eyes…
Dammit…
Tony eventually signs and throws his hands up in defeat, making Carol grin from ear to ear.
They walk closer to the Sea and Carol enters in first without any hesitation. Tony on the other hand… looks hesitant.
Eventually he forces himself to walk in and when the water reaches his neck, his body starts to shake.
He closes his eyes shut and starts to breath more heavily. He is about to turn and quickly rush out of the water, but then a hand gently grabs his.
He opens his eyes and sees Carol next to him, she gives him warm smile and he notices that he isn’t shaking anymore.
He looks around himself and notices that Carol pushed them both little further into the Sea, so they are both now hovering into the water.
Tony chuckles brokenly and looks to Carol, finally returning her smile.
She grounded him to reality…
His smile turns to mischievous smirk and suddenly he splashes Carol right into her face.
She stares at him with dropped jaw and he laughs hysterically. She playfully narrows her eyes and flashes up to him and pushes him, sending him crashing down into the water on his back.
She immediately regrets it because she momentarily forgot about his PTSD, but to her relief.. He just stands up and laughs, splashing her again.
They swim and play in the water for a little while longer before they return back to the Mansion.
“That movie was beautiful” Carol says while wiping little tears from her eyes.
Tony nods in agreement while blinking his own tears away.
They just watched Armageddon and Tony, secretly made at lest 10 or 20 contingency plans, inside his head for large asteroids coming towards Earth.
They continue to watch another movie and play board game and somehow the both end up falling asleep.
When Tony wakes up, It’s the middle of night.
Something is different, though, he feels a weight on his chest and he soon realizes why.
Carol is lying beside him, or more like on top of him.
His mind quickly wonders to the kids at home.
Little brats..
They probably knew what would happen here.
Of course they knew. They wanted this to happen.
Vision quickly accepted Carol into the family while Friday and Jo already consider her to be their “Mom” Bots, Karen and Veronica to.
His eyes focus on the blond beauty on top of him.
The moonlight streaming through the windows is making her skin glow. Tony, thanks to his enhanced hearing can hear her heartbeat.
It’s calming and relaxing.
Without thinking too hard about it, Tony slips his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. She sighs lightly, her hands moving little higher to rest upon on his chest, but she doesn't wake up.
He doesn't know if he'll ever get another chance like this, to admire her so closely again. She's beautiful.
And he loves her.