"Is this a mistake? Should I be moving away like we did when Mom and Dad died? Should I be starting fresh like we did? I don't want to feel like I'm quitting, running away, but it seems like when it's fight or flight, I'm always choosing flight."

Sasha sighed. She was sat on the grass in front of her brother's grave, an orange sunset above her with the moon creeping over the horizon, a calmness in the air and whispering of leaves falling to the ground now autumn had well and truly arrived.

It had been three days since Sasha had kissed Tony and like all the days before then, she had been unable to think of anything else. He had consumed her entire being all over again, the thought of him making her short of breath or her heart skip a beat, nervous flutters in her stomach.

All of that, though, didn't mask the worry, the fear. Her natural instinct to preserve and protect herself kicked in the moment she noticed the way Tony started to look at her differently. She'd let herself fall in love with him once and although nobody in her life had ever been gifted a second chance, she had wrapped one up for Tony and placed a red and yellow bow on the top, sealing it with their kiss the other day.

She'd returned to The Plaza not longer after, checking back in to the suite she had left earlier that morning and putting the move to Maine on hold for the time being. She didn't want to completely call off the move, still cautious that things with Tony wouldn't work out the way they both wanted them to, and so kept the option open just in case.

Sasha hadn't seen Tony since that day, telling him that she needed time to think all of it through and sort her arrangements out. He had, of course, opened his home to her, though Sasha quickly declined, insisting that they should start over fresh.

And so that's what they'd done. Sasha had called by the cemetery that afternoon before heading back into the city to meet Tony for dinner. He had called her yesterday asking her out on a date, the term date making Sasha's heart flutter inside her rib cage.

"Funny thing is, I know exactly what you'd say to me right now if you could."

Sasha didn't visit her brother's graveside expecting a sign from the universe in the shape of Phil Coulson, or a whisper in the wind that sounded like his voice. She sat on the grass to talk, not in the hopes of an answer, but to know she was being heard, and that was all she wanted.

Sasha never really liked being handed solutions to her problems, in fact, she rarely shared her struggles with anybody, meaning that anything she'd overcome in the past had usually been done all by herself.

She had never been one for telling her brother about her boyfriend troubles or what one of her ex's had done that particular week to irritate her enough to question their relationship, but as she sat staring at Phil's headstone, she needed to get things off her chest to her big brother for once.

"I know you'd look at me and say something like, 'you have a great guy who cares about you, everyone deserves a second chance, we all mess up'," Sasha shrugged her shoulders, "And you'd be right. Tony is a great guy, he's the guy but..."

For the first time in a long time, Sasha had nothing else to say. She'd reached the but, the problem, the query, however it turned out that her hesitations and reservations were nothing more than Sasha wanting there to be one.

"I love him," she continued, "And I'm scared that one day he'll decide he doesn't love me anymore, I guess that's the only but."

Sasha's phone began to ring, forcing her to shake herself out of a few long moments of silence in an empty churchyard, grabbing the mobile from her purse and sliding her finger across the screen.

"Coulson," she said, clearing her throat.

"Hey, it's me. Just wanted to know whether I could swing by your place instead of meeting at the restaurant later, maybe have a drink in the hotel bar? I saw they do that brand of champagne that you like."

Sasha let her eyes fall closed and a smile trickle across her lips, a gentle breeze tickling her skin as she listened to Tony talk, his voice feeling like home and his words like a kiss.

"Sure, I'll meet you in the bar at seven then?"

"Perfect. I can't wait to see you, Sash, really."

She scoffed quietly, "Don't get too excited, it's only me."

"Yeah," Tony said, pausing as he let out a gentle chuckle, "Only you."

Sasha left the cemetery twenty minutes after her phone call ended. She tidied up the old flowers around Phil's headstone and propped up a bunch of new ones, always making sure the area was well-kept.

She soon made it back into New York and with only forty minutes until she was due to meet Tony in the Plaza's bar, Sasha made it through her shower, hair and makeup routine in record time.

Opting for a high-neck sleeveless dress, Sasha grabbed her black fur coat and pulled on a pair of knee-high boots, adding the only splash of colour to her look through a coating of red velour lipstick. Her hair was pin straight down her back and she had just enough minutes to spare to remember her jewellery before she received a text from Tony letting her know he was downstairs waiting for her.

The way Sasha felt as she stared at her reflection in the mirror on the elevator wall was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Nerves were eating away at her, tickling her skin and scratching at her insides, forcing her heart to beat faster, harder by the second.

It's just Tony, she reminded herself as the elevator reached the lobby, the doors opening to reveal the familiar sight she'd been calling home for too long by that time.

Just Tony, she repeated inside her head as she smiled politely at the bellhop and doorman, two faces she'd grown acquainted with throughout her stay.

Sasha took a left and headed towards the hotel bar, the soft sound of live jazz music heightened her senses as a low muffle of conversation began to tie in, her ears holding out for one voice and one voice only.

Tony was sat at the bar in a black suit jacket and dark wash jeans, sparkling dress shoes and a crisp white shirt, silver cuff links glistened in the glow of the candles that lined the brass countertops while his laugh shined brighter than the golden chandeliers that hung above his head, the bartender sliding two glasses of champagne towards him looking just as mesmerised as anybody in Tony Stark's presence ever would.

It was the echo of her heels on the historic marble floor that made Tony's head turn, along with everybody else sat in the bar that evening. As he watched Sasha walk towards him, the dim light casting a perfect shadow across her face as her eyes held an undeniably blue smile upon their souls connecting again, he felt his breath get snatched away.

Sasha was always beautiful, Tony thought, but there was something about seeing her walking towards him looking the way she did that made her even more stunning. She was all for him, every freckle and every line, every old scar and every imperfection she stared at for too long in the mirror, Tony loved all of her.

He stood up with a smile and held out his hand, feeling the breath fill his lungs again when Sasha placed her own hand inside his, not hesitating to pull her closer and place a soft kiss on both of her cheeks, her hand pressed against his chest as she fell into the temptation of feeling the softness of his shirt against her fingertips, a welcomed memory she'd only cherished once it became her past.

"You're beautiful," Tony shook his head once with a dreamy smile before pulling out the stool beside his own for Sasha, "You wanted champagne, right?"

Sasha shrugged off her coat and lay it over the back of the stool, pulling her hair in front of her shoulders before settling into the seat properly.

"I always want champagne, thank you."

Tony sat back down beside her, "You can leave the bottle, thanks man."

He slipped the bartender twenty dollars, smiling in thanks as the young man placed the bottle of champagne into an ice bucket before disappearing, leaving the couple alone at the bar.

"So," Tony said, pausing to clink his glass against Sasha's before continuing, "What did you get up to today?"

Swallowing a sip of champagne, Sasha placed her glass down gently as she crossed one leg over the other, pulling her dress down her thighs a little lower.

"Made some calls about the house, about work. I went to visit Phil, too, took some fresh flowers."

"What'd you talk about?"

Tony knew that Sasha only ever went to visit her brother's grave alone when she had a lot on her mind. Otherwise, she almost always asked him to accompany her.

She tilted her head slightly and looked up at Tony, "You, of course."

"Yeah? And what do you think Agent Coulson would've said about me, hm? Think he'd approve of me taking you on a date?"

There was a sly smirk that reflected hot in Tony's dark eyes, a look that never failed to pluck Sasha's heart from her chest and hold it still beating in the palm of his hands.

Sasha felt helpless as she looked at Tony, helpless in the best way possible. She knew now in herself that she was more than infatuated with the gentleman sat just two feet away from her, as little as a smile causing enough damage to make her fall to her knees.

She still hated the feeling of vulnerability, especially when there was always a painful ending that could so easily be written, but Sasha had learned by that time that the pain was greater without Tony than it would ever be with him, and that the risk of loving him was worth the odds every single time, even if she'd had to go through Hell and back to learn that lesson.

"He'd probably tell me I should've gone for Cap instead."

Tony's jaw dropped as his eyes glinted playfully, a quiet laugh escaping from his lips. Sasha was unable to maintain her poker face, biting her lip as she held back a grin, too.

"Probably should've, actually. Oh wait, you already did."

Sasha just rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a gentle laugh. Tony's sarcastic tone warmed her bones and settled her heart, his presence alone making her feel at ease, only realising then how uptight she'd been recently without him.

"I'm kidding," Sasha laughed, "He'd approve, I'm sure of it. If I'm happy, Phil would've been happy."

Tony narrowed his eyes slightly as he picked up his champagne glass, holding it by his lips as he spoke, "And are you? Are you happy?"

The question provoked a train of thought in Sasha's mind, though only one answer came to the front of her mind without any hesitation.

She held out her hand, keeping her lips sealed until Tony reached out and took it, placing his lips on the back of her palm while looking up at her with eyes filled with lust and admiration.

"With you," Sasha sighed quietly, a peaceful smile on her face as Tony pulled his lips away from her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze, "Always."