( DRUNKEN SHOWERS )

SO, CHERRY MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN IDIOT. Tony was pretty much out of her league, 'a really great friend' (quoted from Tony when asked about her one of the times she hadn't accompanied him to an event), and Cherry just had to come to terms with that. Darren, who was one of the scientists that worked at Stark Industries and was really nice all the times Cherry had talked to him, had asked her out and she had said yes. Maybe because Darren was cute, with glowing green eyes and dirty blond hair, maybe because some of the other girls were staring at her with clenched jaws and pursed lips. That had been the same reaction they had when they had seen Tony talking to her at first. 

It was her day off and she had gone for a nice lunch with Darren. However, both of their hearts weren't in it (Darren had awkwardly admitted that he had been going to ask Renee out but had chickened out last second), so they shook over the table, declared themselves friends, and had a pleasant lunch after that. Which had turned into a stroll down the street and into the park, Cherry's arm hooked with Darren's and the two of them laughing and talking. 

She hadn't expected the minute she got home at around four to have Pepper calling her. Cherry pulled her phone out of her pocket, which she had put on silent for her date-turned-friend-outing and felt her eyebrows raise in surprise at the many missed calls she had from Tony, Pepper, and Happy. She was quick to answer Pepper, bringing the phone up to her ear, not even able to greet the woman as Pepper interrupted her, "Were you on a date?"

"Yes?" Cherry replied, walking further into her apartment. She draped her jacket on the back of her couch and took off the heels she had worn, "Well, it started out as a date, but Darren admitted to wanting to ask Renee out instead, so it turned into more of a friendly lunch deal. Why, what's up?"

"You stupid, stupid girl," Pepper said into the phone, sounding exasperated and stressed. "I'm happy that you made a new friend, I am, but someone took a picture of you and this Darren, because even with Tony's quote of you two being just friends, nobody believes you," there was another sigh, and something mumbled under Pepper's breath that sounded oddly like and they shouldn't, you're both idiots. "So, now, while everyone thinks you and Tony are either on the outs or in an open relationship, I have to deal with a pouting toddler who's insecure because you became friends with an Adonis!"

"Why would that bother Tony?" Cherry asked, rubbing a hand down Scottie's spine as he jumped up on the couch's arm. He pushed into her palm, making Cherry smile as the loud purring cut through the silence that was the rest of the apartment. "He's with models all the time and I've never freaked out visibly about."

"You're not Tony Stark," Pepper snapped, making Cherry blink as Pepper started to curse them both under her breath for being idiots. Something must have happened in the month that had passed after the whole Scottie debacle that made Cherry and Tony idiots. Whatever it was had caused the ever professional and calm Pepper Potts to say words that Cherry didn't know she knew under her breath. "Sorry. Listen, can you just call him, explain the situation." 

Cherry nodded, realized that Pepper couldn't see her, before replying, "I'll try. If he's in this infamous workshop, I don't know if he'll pick up, but I'll try?"

"Thank you," Pepper sighed in relief, before she was telling Cherry that she needed to go and do her job and was hanging up. Cherry tried Tony twice to no avail, decided to try again a little later, making her way to her kitchen to get a cup of coffee. She started the coffee pot, then moved to go to the bathroom to take off the make-up she had worn on her date, and change her top. Once a comfier tank top was thrown on, her already wearing her comfy jeans even if she had been on a date, Cherry settled down on the couch to watch some reality TV, a blanket across her lap, mug of coffee in her hand. 

Scottie came to bug her about halfway through the first episode, Cherry smiling down at the cat. He pushed his face into her hand or at her face, purring loudly and being a distraction from the drama that had been playing out on screen. Cherry made sure to pet him, give him the love and attention that he deserved, before checking her phone to see if anyone had tried to contact her. And when the episode was done and there was a commercial break, Cherry made sure to call Tony again, to see if he'll pick up. 

He didn't, but Cherry wasn't too concerned if he was in his workshop. 

She called him periodically, dial his number and hear the ringing with no answer before she continue watching. Called him after she cooked dinner and fed Scottie, still to know answer. Cherry tapped her phone against her chin in thought, wondering if she should text Pepper and ask if Tony actually is in his workshop, when she gets an idea. Instead of bothering Pepper, who had seemed stressed, she grabbed her laptop, booted it up, and typed Tony Stark into the Google search bar. She scrolled through the news page, felt her heart sink at the headlines saying stuff like "Tony Stark and model seen going into club", "Tony Stark on another binge", "Tony Stark pictured with three models at VIP Club", so Cherry exited the browser, shut her laptop, and put on the Disney's Robin Hood. 

It was easy to ignore the slight hurt she felt when watching a foxy Robin Hood run around stealing things from the rich to give to the poor and falling in love with Maid Marion. She thought about putting on a rom-com when the movie was finished, shooed Scottie off her lap so that she could get up, but a loud knock on her apartment door stopped her. Cherry shared a look with Scottie before the cat laid his head back down, the blonde moving to answer her door.

At around ten p.m. at night, Cherry swung her front door open to see none other than Tony Stark leaning against the wall beside her door, his head poking around the door frame. He was clearly drunk, his eyes hooded, his body language loose, and he was swaying ever-so-slightly. The surprise of seeing him here when he was out enjoying whatever luxuries he was took a moment for Cherry to get over before she was shaking her head and asking, "Tony? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you," Tony slurred, which told Cherry just how inebriated the man was. Tony had a scarily high alcohol tolerance level. All the times he had drank way more than Cherry had seen anyone, he could still do complex math equations faster than anyone and his words had been clear, concise. But, right now, it was clear he was way too drunk. 

"Is Happy downstairs?" Cherry asked, catching Tony as he took a step forward and stumbled over nothing. The man shook his head and leaned himself into Cherry's space, taking a deep breath and sighing. She ignored him as he said something along the lines of her smelling good, "How did you get here then?" 

"I walked," Tony said, then burst into laughter at the sight of Cherry's wide-eyed expression. The Club that Tony had been at was not anywhere close to where Cherry lived and Tony could barely walk on his own. Did he stumble down the street with the models he had been with? Cherry got him to the couch, careful not to dump Tony on Scottie. As soon as the billionaire was seated on the couch, however, Scottie made his way over to him and plopped himself down on his lap. Tony's fingers immediately weaved into the cat's soft fur and pull a deep purr out of Scottie. "How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date," Cherry told him, not wanting to explain how it started out as one then changed into just a friend outing. "Darren's interested in Renee." At the words, Tony beamed at Cherry, reaching out for her. The blonde moved away from him, but he caught her wrist and pulled her to him. He shooed Scottie off his lap then pulled Cherry down, her thighs bracketing his own and he smiled up at her, his blue eyes shining. 

"Hi," he breathed out, and Cherry rolled her eyes, but greeted him back. She tried to get up, ignoring the fast-beating of her heart because Tony was drunk, but that didn't stop the man from pulling her back down into his lap and holding her thighs to stop her from moving again. His thumbs caressed the muscle there, setting a line of fire over her nerves as they gently moved over her jeans. 

Cherry jumped as she felt Tony's lips meet the skin on her neck, teasing the line of it with sloppy, wet kisses. The girl was quick to grab Tony's face and pull him gently away from her. His doe eyes were peering up at her, sparkling with something that Cherry couldn't determine. "Tony, you're drunk."

"So," he shrugged, but didn't make a move to kiss at her exposed skin again. "I used to be drunk all the time, just like the old man. I can still make sound decisions." 

Cherry raised her eyebrows at him, "You walked here from whatever club you were in. That's not a very sound decision." She pulled back, Tony letting go of her thighs but let his hands rest on her hips. He stood up after her, stayed in her personal space, but didn't push it farther than that. "Come on, let's get you in the shower," Cherry told him, leading him to her bathroom, texting Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey that Tony was at her apartment and was drunk and staying the night. 

Tony really couldn't stand by himself, Cherry found out, when she set him on the toilet and left to leave him to his own devices, only to check up on him twenty minutes later to find that he hadn't moved. Sighing, she get him undressed, starting with his shirt, unbuttoning it and draping it on her counter with his jacket. His pants came next, and she had a mental debate for about five seconds before stripping off his boxers too. He didn't have spares in her apartment like he had a couple pairs of sweat pants or well worn jeans and shirts. 

Tony didn't make any comment, only shook his hips a little in a comical parody of someone sexy. And it would have been sexy if it was under the right circumstances. He was half hard, and Cherry had to suppress all the dirty thoughts and the urge to get down on her knees and suck him off. The tabloids and magazines really didn't do him justice; Tony Stark was packing and it was probably the best that Cherry had ever seen. All the rumors of him overcompensating were false. Tony had nothing to worry about.

Cherry shook off her arousal, ignoring the heat that had settled in her stomach, and helped Tony into her stand up shower, moving inside after him. They stood there together for a minute, Cherry's clothes clinging to her as the water rushed over them. Tony stayed leaning his weight against her, waiting for her to start whatever she was planning. 

Cherry started with her body wash, squirting a small amount on her palm before lathering it over Tony's shoulders and front. His muscles tensed and relaxed under her kneading, her gently rubbing the soap into his skin to get rid of the smell of alcohol that was clinging to it. A shiver of possessiveness shot through Cherry at the fact that Tony was going to be bathed in her scent, turning him around gently and holding him until he got his footing and was holding himself up with his hands on the wall. Cherry repeated the lathering on his back, kneading a little more forceful when she felt knots. Tony moaned as she worked his muscles to relaxation, and he leaned further into her touch with each passing moment.

"You know," he slurred, Cherry not sure if it was from the alcohol or relaxation, "this would be so much better if you were naked too and I was fucking you." Cherry shivered at the words, hoping that Tony hadn't noticed.

"We're saving water, Tony, you'll have to settle for that," Cherry told him, then playfully moved her hands down and squeezed his butt, "And who said you'll be the one fucking me?"

Tony groaned, his head hanging forward, and he pushed back into Cherry's hands, surprising her. She shook her head, ignoring it, grabbing Tony's shoulder to lead him around again. Cherry tried to ignore Tony's erection, which was fully hard now, but she couldn't help the glance down and the subconscious lick of her lips. When she looked up into Tony's eyes again, they were dark, and he whispered between them, "No, I'm pretty sure I'd be fucking you. But, I'm not opposed to the other way." 

Cherry swallowed through her dry throat, reached for her shampoo, but couldn't help but whisper, "As long as I get to go for a ride, I don't care what happens." Then, like she hadn't just told Tony that she would like to ride him, Cherry squirted a small amount of shampoo into her palm and started to massage it through Tony's hair. She took her time with it, ran her hands through his dark curls until he was pliant and relaxed again, then had him rinse. Repeated the same thing with the conditioner, except without a sexual comment. 

Cherry left Tony after that, to change from her soaking clothes and for him to deal with his own arousal. When he called her back in, she had brought him his clothes, picked up his boxers from the floor, then reached into the shower to turn it off. She got a towel around his shoulders before she helped him out, before patting him dry and helping his get dressed. 

They were making their way to the guest room when Tony looked at her and asked with one of the smallest voice she had ever heard out of anyone, "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Cherry searched his face, looked at in his ocean eyes and then found herself nodding with a soft smile. 

She lead the way to her bed, letting Tony sit on the edge while she went and turned off the TV, made sure all the windows were closed, the front door locked, all the appliances shut off. It really didn't take her more than a minute or two, and she was back to see that Tony hadn't moved from his spot. Cherry moved, helped him into bed, tucking herself in beside him after she turned off the light and plugged in her phone, making sure her alarm was on. 

She hadn't expect Tony to move his way over so that he was laying on her, her thighs cradling his hips, his head on her chest, his arms clutching her close. It was oddly comfortable and not as sexual as it seemed. And when Cherry started to run her hands through Tony's drying hair, the man fell asleep in mere minutes.

Cherry has two thoughts before she goes to sleep. She would like to spend a lot of time underneath Tony Stark, and that she's stupidly fucking in love with him.

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tony stark is a damn bicon leave me alone. 

this was supposed to be a lot more innocent then it was, but i got caught up apparently explaining tony's erection and well. but i updated! please enjoy it, because my babies are cuddling.

also, they've been friends for months, i hope i implied that. 

i have one more chapter and then we're on to the movie and holy moly. i'm not ready because there is angst next chapter bhsjcfles but tony does take cherry home finally lmaooooo