I.
Soundtrack: Can’t Help Falling In Love by Hailey Reinhart
(Original by Elvis Priestley)
The thing was that Tony didn’t really date. Oh, he fucked tons. His reputation for being a fuckboi was well earned, but dating?
The last time he went on a real date was with Tiberius Stone, and the less said about his ex-boyfriend, the better.
But dating? Tony didn’t know anything about that, but Kendis wanted date nights. Well, they had said that they wanted an occasional date night.
But Tony knew that his spouse deserved better than that. Kendis deserved to be wined and dined. Hell, in Tony’s opinion, Kendis deserved the world served to her on a silver platter.
And Tony was man enough to put his doubts and his misgivings aside to do just that. So, dropping by Kendis’s place one night, he hesitantly broached the subject again.
“We agreed to having date nights, right?” Tony tapped nervously on the coffee table. “Setting aside some quality time and maintaining intimacy? You still into that?”
Kendis tilted her head as she thought, and in that moment, Tony wanted to run for the hills.
“I would love that,” Kendis said, grinning at him. “I really loved our date at the Observatory.”
Tony sagged back against the sofa. He closed his eyes and told his heart to get a grip. This wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it out to be. People went on dates every day, and besides, Kendis told him that they wanted date nights. This was not anything to freak out about.
Tony took a deep breath and met Kendis’s amused gaze.
“So how about I pick you up on Friday at 6?” Tony said as he wrapped his arms tighter around her.
“I think I can squeeze you into my timetable,” Kendis laughed, and Tony couldn’t help but lean down to press his lips to hers in a slow, sweet kiss.
II.
Soundtrack: Be My Baby by The Ronettes
Agreeing on where they should go was like pulling teeth. Tony wanted to take Kendis to Nobu, while Kendis wanted to go to a little hole in the wall down the street from her house.
They both agreed in the end to go back to Arnold’s. The fifties diner was packed on a Friday night, and Tony had been grateful that Kendis cast the notice-me-not spell.”
The only time they had gone out together after the Apogee Awards, which was to the park with Alke, had turned into a complete disaster. They had been mobbed, and Alke almost bit a reporter.
Everyone wanted to know everything about Kendis. And for someone who spent the last decade being a private citizen, Kendis was not taking the change well.
But Tony sighed a sigh of relief as he laced his fingers with hers and walked into Arnold’s diner.
The diner was like a time capsule on the Santa Monica pier. Red vinyl booths lined the walls in perfect rows, each one polished to a soft, candy shine that caught the light from chrome-trimmed table lamps.
A jukebox sat in the corner playing a vaguely familiar upbeat song that Tony didn’t know the name of.
They walked across the black and white checkerboard floor and sat down in one of the booths. Tony could hear the faint sizzle of grease and coffee. His eyes roamed the place, stopping at the glass case that displayed all types of delicious pies.
Overall, the diner was prime Americana that comforted him in a way that Tony didn’t know how to describe.
A waitress in a crisp uniform, pencil skirt, and white apron approached them.
“What can I get you, folks?” The waitress asked as she pulled a pencil from behind her ear and took out a notepad. Her eyes darted from Kendis and Tony, but there was no recognition there.
Tony picked up the menu and scanned it briefly.
“I’ll take the double bacon cheeseburger, extra cheese, extra bacon. Matter of fact?” Tony tapped his chin as he considered his options. “Just put extra everything, fries, onion rings—actually just bring the entire fryer basket if you’re not busy. And a strawberry milkshake to share.”
Tony turned to Kendis, and she rolled her eyes, but her lips curved into a small fond smile.
Kendis shook her head and looked at her own menu for a moment. “I’ll take a grilled cheese on sourdough with tomato soup, a slice of cherry pie, and a coffee.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’re getting?” Tony lifted an eyebrow.
“I tend to find grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup very comforting,” Kendis shrugged.
The waitress scribbled down the order and nodded. “Coming right up.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you ordered a milkshake to share, Mr. Stark.” Kendis poked him playfully. “You are never going to beat the allegations that you are a romantic, are you?”
Tony clutched his chest, pretending to be scandalized. “Mx. Black, you wound me. Don’t you know I am a heartless businessman?”
Kendis leaned forward and cupped his cheek. “You know damn well you have never been all that heartless, right?”
Tony felt his cheeks flush as he looked away because Kendis had the uncanny ability to see through all his bullshit. It was both a comfort and very disconcerting to be this seen by another person.
Lucky for him, Kendis showed him mercy and got out of the booth to walk over to the jukebox. After pushing some buttons, “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes started to play.
“Really?” Tony asked, dryly, when she returned to their booth.
“Gotta set the mood.” She winked at him with a smug smile on her lips. Tony’s chest felt too tight as she grinned at him.
“Be my little baby,” Kendis sang along to the song, ridiculously off-key.
Tony snorted and chuckled. The waitress showed up with a tray of food and set their order in front of them. A comfortable silence fell between the two of them as they ate. They left the milkshake for last.
It was a decent milkshake, but it was the experience of sharing it with Kendis that made it worthwhile. The way Kendis smiled around her straw and the way those dark green eyes of hers gazed at him with so much love and joy humbled him.
Afterwards, long after they finished eating, the two of them sat in the booth and talked about everything and nothing.
It never failed to surprise him how easy it was to talk to her.
“Hortense has been eying some puppies, and I swear to god she gets heart eyes every time she shows me a photo of puppies on her phone,” Kendis laughed. “Isiah better be lucky that she doesn’t have baby fever, because he will be the one carrying the baby when they decide to have kids.”
And they talked about Rhodey and their adventures at M.I.T. and his ideas about the new disability aids he was working on. He knew that Kendis probably didn’t understand most of what he was saying. But she still listened and never made him feel as if she were only tolerating his scientific babble.
Meanwhile, Kendis talked about her latest hobby.
“Woodworking? Seriously?” Tony asked skeptically. “There were too many variables working with wood. Working with metal is so much better.”
“I know, Tin Man.” Kendis rolled her eyes. “But Mrs. Weasley has been talking about getting a new rocking chair for Ron’s sister-in-law Fleur. She’s about to have her baby, and I wanted to make something for her.” Kendis shrugged. “It’s just something I think I could be eventually good at one day.”
“I don’t doubt it; you are stubborn as hell.” Tony teased, and Kendis kicked him playfully under the table.
“Oow, you hellion!”
“You bloody love it, and you know it,” Kendis smirked.
Time seemed to lose all meaning, and before Tony knew it, the sun was setting. Tony left a hefty tip and took Kendis’s hand and helped her out of the booth.
“How about we go dancing?”
Tony looped his arm around her waist as they walked out into the marginally cooler evening air.
“Aren’t you tired?” Tony asked.
“Are you, old man?” Kendis laughed, and she yelped as he slapped her on the ass.
“Old? I’m only 32!” Tony huffed, indignantly.
She slapped him back, and then she was off running to the car. Tony ran after Kendis, and she allowed him to catch her. He leaned down and took her mouth in a long kiss that made his toes curl.
Kendis laughed and pushed him away. “Let’s go dancing.”
“Dancing?” Tony opened the door for her, and she slipped inside. “As you wish.”
III.
Soundtrack: The Only Exception by Katelyn Tarver
(Original by Paramore)
A mile or two away from Arnold’s, right on the beach, was a two-story white beach house that was converted into a bar. The neon sign announced that this was the Sand Dollar bar and grill.
In the distance, Tony could see the dark blue water of the Pacific Ocean as indie music blasted through the doors. They could have driven back to Malibu, but some strange instinct made him stop. Besides, the reviews had said the drinks weren’t that bad, and he could tolerate the music for the night.
Tony and Kendis walked inside. It was a nice place and not as near a dump as the outside suggested it would be. There was an indie band playing something upbeat and fun on a small stage. Tony spotted the patio, and with a single look between them, Kendis and Tony agreed to head in that direction. They pressed through the crowd and past people who sat drinking and talking at small round tables and beach chairs. The back area was lit up with fairy lights as couples danced on the makeshift dancefloor.
“Dancing,” Tony gestured, and Kendis shook her head and laughed.
“How about I get us some drinks, and then we hit the dance floor?” Tony said, and she nodded, and then she told him what she wanted to drink. Kendis only wanted a simple whiskey, but Tony felt like being daring tonight and got a ‘Sex on the Beach’ just to make her laugh.
When he got back, he saw Kendis talking to a hot redhead whom, if he met before he got with Kendis, he would have definitely tried to chat up. The woman slid a flirty hand down Kendis’s arm, and Tony lifted an eyebrow.
He should be jealous, but the way Kendis’s eyes lit up when she saw him made him feel better right away.
The woman followed Kendis’s gaze and sighed. She shook her head and then quickly excused herself.
“Tony?” Kendis bit her lip as he handed her whisky. Tony set his drink down and kissed her engagement ring that was still under a notice me not spell. “I can’t blame her; you are the most beautiful one here.”
Kendis flushed red, and she looked away. “Oh, stop!”
“Just telling it how it is, Glinda.” Tony shrugged and threw her a wink. They sipped their drinks and talked a little while longer before the song switched to something he vaguely recognized.
“Come on, I want to dance,” Kendis stated as she finished her drink. And Tony took her hand, and they made their way to the dance floor.
“What’s this song?” Tony asked as he pulled her to him and whispered in her ear.
“A guitar cover of a Paramore song,” Kendis said. “It’s one of my favorites.”
“You and your emo kid taste in music,” Tony mocked, groaning, but he could feel the edges of his mouth twitching into a smile. They swayed together on the dance floor to the song, and Tony felt himself surrendering to the soft romantic feeling of the moment.
Kendis pulled him closer, and they started to sway to the strumming guitar and sang along, whispering the lyrics in his ears. “And I’ve always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance, and up until now, I had sworn to myself that I’m content with loneliness. Because none of it was ever worth the risk.”
Tony could tell that she meant every word she sung. And Tony felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. His love for her in the moment was overwhelming, and he closed his eyes as he lost himself to the sound of her voice, the feeling of his hands around her hips, and the heat of her body against his.
“You are the only exception,” Kendis finished.
And every time Tony thought he couldn’t fall harder for this amazing person, Kendis proved him wrong. She made him want to take on the world for her, to do the impossible, and Tony couldn’t resist, even if he wanted to.
Kendis leant forward and kissed him slowly, under the stars with the ocean swaying in the background and the fairy lights twinkling above them.
And Tony would give his entire fortune for this moment to last forever.
IV.
Soundtrack: We Are the Champions by Queen
“Duarte ducks under a Beater’s swing, and he’s gaining ground. Oh, Malhotra nearly clips his broom tail, but Duarte rolls out of it and dives! They’re heading straight for the turf (don’t do it, Duarte). Wait—he’s reaching…he’s got it! HE’S GOT IT!
DUARTE HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! The Los Angeles Chupacabras beat the Golden State Griffins 260 to 90!”
The rest of the stadium erupted into a roar as they sparked black, red, and silver with their wands in the air. Tony has never been into sports. Of course, he had season tickets to Los Angeles Royals games, but he went there to be seen and network.
But the energy in the stadium was electric, and Tony couldn’t help but stand on his feet and cheer alongside Kendis. She was a sight to see in her oversized black, red, and silver Chupacabra jersey with Duarte’s name and the number 23 on the back. She even put black and red paint on each cheek as she waved her wand with the rest of the crowd.
When Kendis invited Tony out to see a Quidditch game, Tony assumed it would be something like soccer, but Quidditch was way more violent and thrilling in a way that was both captivating and terrifying.
The game was utterly insane, and Tony couldn’t believe Wixens allowed children to actually play it.
He couldn’t imagine trying to dodge heavy wooden balls on a broomstick. He wished that tech didn’t explode around magic because he would love to rewatch the game.
Kendis turned and hugged him.
“That was aces!” Kendis said with a wide grin. Her eyes were practically glimmering with delight. “Did you see that dive from Durate? Masterful!”
“Yeah,” Tony said, a little breathless. Because he was seeing a new side of her, and Tony was enthralled. “Wait, did you say you used to be a seeker?”
“Hogwarts’ youngest seeker in a century,” Kendis winked. And Tony had no choice but to pull her closer and kiss her. She moaned as his mouth lovingly moved over hers. Kendis wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling him closer, and she met his kiss head-on, pouring every inch of her passion and excitement into it.
It made a rush of arousal zip through his spine, and Tony was tempted to work some of that energy off right there and now—the audience be damned.
Tony broke the kiss. “How good is that notice me not spell?”
Kendis giggled and pushed him away. “Don’t even think about it!”
V.
Soundtrack: So Easy (To Fall In Love) by Olivia Dean
It was a perfect Southern California day. The sun spilled like liquid gold over the white stone terraces of the Getty Museum. If you picked the right spot, you could sit on the manicured lawns and watch the entire city stretch out before you.
And it was the middle of the week and quiet as Kendis and Tony walked hand in hand across the lawn. In his other hand was a massive picnic basket that he spent longer than he tried to admit packing himself. The food was catered, of course, but today presentation meant everything.
His eyes roved around the empty lawn. Even at this time of day, tourists were usually crawling over the place.
Tony might have donated a small fortune to rent out the Getty on such short notice, but both Tony and Kendis were busy people, and when a meeting had been suddenly cancelled due to the head of R&D being out sick. Tony took it as a sign and managed to convince (read: beg and possibly bribe) Hortense into helping him convince Kendis to take the rest of the day off.
The look on Kendis’s face when he came over to the garage to pick her up had been priceless.
“I am certainly not dressed for a date.” Kendis gestured toward her oil-stained tank top and ripped jeans.
Tony kissed her softly. “You look great.”
Kendis had given his gray bespoke suit a doubtful look, but Tony shook his head. “Seriously, you are gorgeous.”
“At least let me take a shower,” Kendis huffed. “I’m all sweaty and dirty.”
After a quick shower, a kiss goodbye to Alke, who whined at him with big soulful eyes, and a wave to Hortense, Isiah, and Richie, Tony finally succeeded in whisking his beautiful spouse away.
“I think this is the perfect spot.” Kendis nodded to the large tree.
Tony agreed and set down the picnic basket, pulling out a red-and-white checkered blanket. He spread it on the grass and slapped her hands away as she started to sort through the basket.
“Nope, I get to serve you today.”
Kendis rolled her eyes, but she turned away in obvious embarrassment. He knew Kendis didn’t like someone else taking care of her, but she deserved to be pampered. Tony sat down next to her and pulled out containers.
“What is all this?” Kendis asked as her eyes went wide at the pile of food.
“Smoked salmon croissants, caprese skewers, mozzarella pearls, truffle deviled eggs, brie and fig jam tartlets, prosciutto-wrapped melon slices,” Tony announced, each one with a flourish. “And finally for dessert, champagne-infused strawberries.”
“Wow,” Kendis whistled. “And to drink?”
Tony took out two wine glasses and a bottle of Whispering Angel Rosé.
Kendis gave a slow clap. “You outdid yourself.”
Tony’s smile grew into a delighted grin. “I’m so happy you approve.”
“Thank you.” Kendis leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I truly have the best husband in the world.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Kendis reassured him and then pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold.” Kendis demanded an excited smile.
He picked up a melon slice and pressed it to her lips.
“Thank you.” She popped a melon slice in her mouth and groaned. “Definitely the best husband ever.”
Tony laughed as he took a glass and poured the wine. This was absolutely worth all the shit he was going to get from Pepper for this.
V.
Soundtrack: Somewhere Only We Know by Lily Allen
(Original by Keane)
“Tony, where are we going?” Kendis said as she allowed Tony to lead her up to the top floor of his Malibu mansion. “I thought we were going to a movie?”
“We are,” Tony said, grinning mischievously as he squeezed her hand and pulled her along. Kendis huffed but followed him down the dimly lit hallway into a room with a narrow door.
Tony opened it, and the lights flicked on as they stepped inside. Kendis froze, her eyes going wide as she took in the large projection screen and the row of overstuffed black theater chairs. The walls were lined with framed movie posters of classic movies.
A poster of The Godfather took pride of place right next to a signed poster of Star Wars: A New Hope. And in the corner was a vintage popcorn machine.
“Of course, you have your own home theater!”
“And I got an advance copy of The Dark Knight.” Tony wiggled his eyebrows.
“Really?” Kendis grinned, “I have been chomping at the bit to see that!”
Tony shrugged. “I pulled a few strings.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Kendis said, excitedly, and then kissed him. Tony laughed, ignoring the flush that rushed to his cheeks.
“No big deal,” Tony shrugged nonchalantly and walked over to the popcorn machine. She followed him and frowned. “Does it work?”
“This is my house.” Tony shot her an offended look. “Everything works.”
Kendis nudged him, and Tony chuckled as he tapped it once, and a piece of it slid back to show a small panel of buttons. He pushed a button, and the popcorn machine came to life, and a few moments later, they had popcorn buckets in hand, and drinks were served by one of his latest robotic creations.
Kendis grabbed a throw blanket from the basket in the corner and then sat down and snuggled up to Tony.
“Jarvis, kill the lights,” Tony ordered. Without a word, the room went dark as the projector turned on.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and for two hours the world fell away as the couple got lost in Batman’s latest melodrama.
VI.
Soundtrack: People I Don’t Like by Upsahl
“Sam has the worst ideas.” Kendis poked her food on her plate with a frown. “Why is she your publicist again?”
“Because she is the best in the business. C’mon, Kendis, we talked about this. We need to be seen out together,” Tony sighed as he took a sip of his wine. “People still think we are a publicity stunt.”
Kendis gave the food a disgusted look and then pushed it to the side of her plate. “Why can’t I make an appearance somewhere fun or at least at a place where I don’t have such tiny portions?”
Tony simply shook his head and took another sip of the quite excellent wine. His gaze trailed up and down Kendis’s body. She was a vision in a red lace jumper that made him want to tear it off her with his teeth.
Tony reluctantly pried his eyes away from his very distracting spouse. His gaze traveled across the dining room full of faces he had seen right beside his on the tabloids and magazines.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were sitting a table over from them. Adam Lambert was laughing loudly at some cute twink. And he lifted an eyebrow as he saw Robert Downey Jr in a deep discussion with a woman who he immediately recognized as his wife, Susan, from when he bumped into her at the premiere of Downey’s new movie.
Downey was pretty popular right now because his adaptation of the old Valiant comics had done extremely well at the box office.
He shook his head. Everyone always said that Robert and Tony looked alike, but he didn’t really see it.
“Can we go now?” Kendis pleaded, “Please?”
Tony checked his watch and then shook his head. “You know what? We’ve been here for half an hour; that is more than enough.”
“Thank merlin!” Kendis threw her napkin down.
“Check!”
