Tony sighed as he plopped down on the sofa and dropped his shoes on the coffee table. He quickly untangled his blue and silver Prada tie and sighed. Tony leaned his head back on the white sofa and finally gave in to his overwhelming exhaustion.
He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the complete clusterfuck of a day. It lasted for only a moment as he heard the click-click of nails on his marble floor.
Tony hoped that Alke would ignore him and leave him to his valuable moment of peace.
Tony yelped as there was a heavy weight directly on his crotch.
Tony looked down to see Alke’s head lying on his lap, her mouth stretched into a wide doggy grin as her stubby tail wagged excitedly.
“Can I have a moment of peace?” Tony lamented to a god he didn’t believe in.
There was a snort, and Tony looked up to see Kendis walking into the living room.
“In this house?” Kendis shook her head as she came over and patted Alke on her head. Because, of course, she acknowledged the mutt before her husband. Then she bent down and finally pressed a kiss to his lips.
Tony sighed as her mouth moved against his in a slow, sweet kiss that never failed to comfort him, regardless of his mood. He could taste the bergamot from her inferior Earl Grey tea on her lips and that unique taste of something that he could only describe as “Kendis.”
Tony cupped her head and gave in to the heat that was building between them. It had been two weeks since they had officially decided to give this marriage a try, and Tony still couldn’t get enough of her.
He kept waiting for the love he felt for her to disappear. Yet, incredibly, the feelings he had for her only grew with time.
Suddenly, Tony heard a whine, and there was a tongue swiping across his face.
“Eww, control the mutt!” Tony grimaced as he took a handkerchief out of his suit pocket and wiped his face.
Kendis snorted, “Don’t try to front, Tony. You love Alke.”
“Hey!” Tony protested, “I mildly tolerate her.”
“I noticed a package of posh doggie treats in the cabinets, Tony.” Kendis wagged her finger. “You are only fooling yourself, step daddy.”
Tony wrinkled his nose. “Step-daddy.”
Kendis scratched Alke’s short-cropped ears. “Yep, this is my baby, and you’re my husband, so that makes you her step-daddy.”
Tony’s mouth dropped open, and then he looked at the dog that had taken over his house. He believed that Jarvis was enamored with the menace because he had discovered some toys that neither Tony nor Kendis had purchased.
It was like everyone was against him!
Tony really didn’t do biological organisms. The closest he got was the robots. But Alke mistakenly interpreted his mild tolerance for her as affection. No matter how hard he tried to put his foot down, Alke was all over him the moment she saw him.
Tony thought about the robot dog he built when he was four and shook his head. His father had scoffed at him, and he knew the old man would be beside himself if he saw Tony now.
Alke whined, her big black eyes glossy and pleading. Were these actual tears? Did dogs cry? And goddamn it, Tony was so weak.
“Fine,” Tony huffed as he scratched between her ears. He felt the corners of his lips curving into something he refused to acknowledge as a smile.
Kendis laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “You old softie.”
“If I’m a stepdad,” Tony lifted an eyebrow. “Then you are now stepmom to four bots.”
“Sir, if you’re suggesting that I need a parent. I wish to emphasize that it is my responsibility to ensure that you consume food and sleep in a sufficient quantity.”
Kendis chuckled, “Jarvis has you there!”
“Have I mentioned that I hate when you both gang up on me?” Tony whined.
Kendis nodded to the nearest camera. “We Brits got to stick together. Right, mate?”
“Right.”
Tony groaned and pinched his nose. “Introducing you to Jarvis was a mistake.”
And if Tony was still scratching Alke’s head while her head was in his lap, then that was nobody’s business but his own.
His exasperated mood soured when his thoughts turned back to today’s conference call with his publicist, Samantha Jones. Sam didn’t mince words about the current state of his public image. It didn’t take long after the Apogee Awards for people to find out Kendis’s identity. Especially when people in the U.K. saw the photos of Kendis and Princess Beatrice being far too comfortable with each other at the award ceremony.
In short, the internet was on fire, and the press didn’t know what to do with a British noble turned mechanic as his partner. Even though no one knew Kendis was transgender, the asshole comments and microaggressions being thrown around on social media and the tabloids about her being Black made Tony want to burn the city to the ground. He was dreading what he would do when Kendis finally came out as trans and he had to confront people deadnaming or misgendering her.
He had a feeling that he might end up catching a case, and he was thankful he was rich enough to have a kick-ass legal team on retainer and more than enough money for bail.
“What’s wrong, love?”
Tony didn’t want to spoil the happy mood, but it looked like he already had.
“You remember when I told you that shit was going to be tight with the press for a while.”
“Yeah,” Kendis said, “Hortense nearly hexed the bollocks off one of the reporters. They’ve been circling the shop for weeks.”
Tony rubbed his forehead. Yeah, well neither of us has put out a statement yet. The press and social media are going crazy.”
“Hortense said I trended on Flutter at least twice.” Kendis shook her head. “And I broke Quickpix when folks found out that I am a mechanic.”
Tony winced because Sam had called him a swear word in the book when that happened.
“Well, I’m famous.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Kendis lifted an eyebrow.
“If we are going to be a thing, then we’ve got to court the press.”
Kendis groaned but nodded, “I was afraid this was going to happen. I am honestly shocked that we didn’t have to do this sooner.”
Tony lifted an eyebrow.
Kendis glared at him. “I am an icon of the light. The defender of the greatest dark lord to ever live. What do the Yanks always say? This isn’t my first rodeo.”
Tony paused and then remembered that, yeah, Kendis was probably just as famous as he was. He sometimes forgets that they both have been famous since birth, but for various different reasons.
“Tony,” Kendis said as she cuddled up to him. “The moment you asked me to be your plus one for the Apogee Awards. I realized that this meant going back into the public eye. I don’t like dealing with the press, but I’ll do it if it means I get to be with you.”
Tony looked down at the dog and scratched between Alke’s ears.
“But Tony,” Kendis pulled up his chin to meet her dark green eyes. “I’m not running. We are in this, together, remember?”
Tony wasn’t an emotional type of man. But he could have cried then because no one other than Rhodey had been willing to brave the press for him. And although he loved Rhodey, he didn’t love him like he loved Kendis.
Also, Rhodey was hella aro ace, and Tony respected that.
“So, what do you need from me?” Kendis asked, giving him a fierce, determined look.
Tony took a deep breath. “We have to go out and be seen. People are speculating this is all just a stunt.”
“Okay,” Kendis said, “How about this? I know you have that big Jericho demonstration in a few weeks.”
4 weeks, 5 days, 22 minutes, and 37 seconds to be exact, and no, Tony wasn’t counting down because he was dreading parting from her. He was kind of disappointed in himself for getting so clingy.
“So how about this,” Kendis said, “We will troll the press a bit. Go out and rub our relationship in the public’s faces. But I occasionally still want dates that are just us.”
“You’re going to put some mojo on me, then, Glinda?” He wiggled his eyebrows, and it was worth it to see her throw her head back and laugh.
“Something like that,” Kendis said, “and I’d better talk to my people back home.”
“You have people?” Tony’s eyes went wide.
“Yes,” Kendis put on a sigh. “It all comes with being the icon of the light and being Lady Black of Blackmere. And since I became officially landed gentry after the war, I sometimes have to make appearances.” Kendis shook her head. “And it’s not just the muggle press camped on my doorstep.”
“Well,” Tony wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. “How about it, amore mio? You and me against the world?”
Kendis pressed her forehead against his. “Always, darling.” Always.”
