"Home sweet home."

Sasha sighed with a small smile as she and Tony stopped outside The Plaza. It was just shy of midnight by the time they'd finished up their evening at a nice restaurant a couple of blocks away, deciding to take a refreshing walk back to Sasha's home that night while the sky was clear instead of hailing a cab.

Poised opposite one another at the foot of iconic marble steps, the two lovers were seemingly unaware of the world around them as they stared at one another amidst a muted chaos of cab cars and valet parking, suitcases being dragged by bellhops and doormen greeting each guest with a charming 'good evening'.

Tony and Sasha had mastered the art of only ever seeing each other. In a world filled with noise, they thrived in finding a little piece of heaven by locking eyes with the one soul that was strong enough to drown out the other 8 billion that existed around them.

"Thank you for tonight, I love spending time with you."

With a shy laugh and roll of her eyes, Sasha squeezed Tony's hand, "You don't have to thank me."

He smirked and shook his head, "I do, that's what you do after a date, a first date. You say thank you, I had a great time, I'd love to see you again."

"And then?"

"And then," Tony inhaled a deep breath, tugging on Sasha's hand with a grin as she stumbled closer to him, his other hand catching her by the waist, "I do this."

Tony kissed Sasha softly, tenderly. It didn't last long, no more than a gentle first kiss should last, both of them pulling apart with the same stars mirrored in their eyes and a fire in their chests that rivalled even that of the sun.

"And then I say," Sasha whispered, brushing hair from her face, "Thank you for dinner, and for walking me home. Goodnight, Tony."

There was a red tint in Tony's cheeks when he listened to Sasha say his name. His hands felt cold as she let go of him, though his smile still remained as he watched her walk away from him, ascending the red carpeted stairs that might as well have been the stairway to his own personal heaven.

Sasha turned to look back at him just before heading inside the hotel, having to bite down on her lip to contain a ravenous smile that threatened when she saw the look in his eyes and the way he gazed up at her in admiration dancing with desire.

She knew in her mind that she should probably have just continued on her way and gotten a good nights sleep, though she felt paralysed by the man five steps down from her, unable to walk any further away from him.

"Would you like to come in for a coffee, maybe?"

A devilish flame burned hot in Tony's eyes as he didn't hesitate in climbing the steps, placing a hand on the small of Sasha's back while pressing his lips to her cheek.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Hand in hand, Sasha led Tony through the hotel with a confidence in her stride. Her hair flowed behind her shoulders and her long legs caught the eye of every man and woman they passed on their way to Sasha's suite, something that sparked a jealousy within Tony, though one that was soothed when Sasha glanced back at him over her shoulder with a hint of a smile.

"Coffee?" Sasha said as she threw her fur coat over the back of a chair, "Or something stronger?"

Tony had never stepped foot inside a suite at The Plaza, though was surprised to see how homely it felt thanks to Sasha's belongings being strewn throughout the rooms.

There was a living area with a small bar and kitchenette, a dining table and a desk by the window. Two large sofas surrounded an antique coffee table in front of a flat screen television that was mounted on the wall.

Sasha's shoes were lined up by the front door and a collection of coats were hung up beside them, a golf umbrella propped up in the corner. At a glance, Tony could just make out the corner of an extortionately large four-poster bed in the next room, though he didn't let his eyes wander for too long.

"Let me fix the drinks," Tony replied, walking over to the glass shelves stacked with liquor and crystal glasses, "I know you're dying to get out of that dress and put sweatpants on."

With a defeated yet heart-warmed smile, Sasha stopped what she was doing and wandered through into the bedroom, disappearing from Tony's view.

He grabbed two glasses and switched off the coffee machine Sasha had turned on, reaching for the bottle of whiskey from the top shelf and decanting three ice cubes into each glass before pouring two very generous measures of the golden liquor.

"Could you unzip me please?"

Sasha returned to the sitting room barefoot and now a handful of inches shorter than Tony. She didn't wait for a response, marching over to him and turning around, waiting for him to assist her.

Tony swallowed hard before gently brushing Sasha's hair around one shoulder, tugging on the zipper at the back of her neck and pulling it all the way down.

His breathing was hitched and erratic for a reason he couldn't recall, feeling nervous upon seeing the sensual curve of Sasha's bare spine for the first time in a while, scared to touch her skin.

"You can touch me you know," Sasha whispered, looking over her shoulder at Tony who's lips were parted enough to accompany the nervousness that had pooled in his dark eyes, "It's alright."

Her voice was so gentle, so soft, making Tony feel afraid of hurting her. He'd never been shy around women and yet somehow, the girl stood before him had made him weak in the knees, speechless as she looked at him with the eyes that he was sure all men would want to be looked at with.

He was the lucky one, Tony knew that, and he wanted to show her that he knew.

With scarce fingertips, Tony pulled the dress down over Sasha's shoulders, watching it fall to the floor with a soft gasp, silenced at seeing Sasha in just a pair of black satin panties.

He turned his worry into a smile, reaching for a hand to spin her around to face him, only for her to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground, not budging as she let her arms cradle her midsection.

Tony let his lips fall to Sasha's bare neck, kissing softly before nibbling lightly at her ear, his stubble tickling her skin as his voice whispered roughly, "What's wrong, can't I give my girl a kiss?"

Pressing himself against her, Tony continued to kiss at Sasha's neck, his hands caressing her waist and her hips, fingertips teasing at the seam of her underwear as she let out breathless moans, her head falling back against his shoulder with closed eyes.

"My scars," was all Sasha managed to whisper.

Her response made Tony stop what he was doing, taking a small step back though still keeping his hands on her waist.

"Are you crazy?" He said, his brows furrowed as he stared at her back, desperate for her to turn around, "You're worried about me seeing your scars?"

After a long silence, Sasha let out a heavy sigh. She slowly turned on her heels, though her arms stayed covering her stomach.

Tony was almost always breath taken by seeing Sasha's body in its purest form, though even with her bare chest before him, his eyes were drawn to nowhere but her hands.

"You haven't seen me since I got them, I-I don't look the same, Tony."

From being so confident just a handful of minutes before, there was a shake in Sasha's voice and a glaze over her blue eyes that broke Tony's heart. He wasn't sure she had ever been as vulnerable and open with him as she was in that moment, though it drove a knife into his heart to know she thought he'd love her any less because of a few marks on her body.

"Show me," he said, placing his hands on top of hers, "Come on."

Pushing her reservations aside, Sasha slowly let her hands fall away from her stomach, leaving her feeling suddenly incredibly exposed. Her heart was thumping as she watched Tony's hands squeeze her hips, his eyes grazing over her torso, a pain flashing through them as he turned his head to see each scar that covered her skin.

She was right, Sasha didn't look the same as the last time Tony had seen her like that. However the only person that should've had any discomfort about the scars was him, knowing he should've been there to prevent them from happening in the first place.

It severed every nerve in his body and burned their ends to know Sasha was so insecure about something like that, especially when he still blamed himself for everything that had happened.

To him, there was no scenario on earth where he could possibly love her any less, only more. Tony loved Sasha in her lowest moments as much as he loved her in her best, there was no compromising or part-time affection. He was in love with her whole heartedly as much as one person could love another, confident in knowing that the way he felt about the woman in his hands would never change, especially not over a few scars.

"You like supermodels, actresses, perfection," Sasha mumbled, shrugging her shoulders as her bottom lip trembled slightly, "And I'm-"

"You're twice the woman anybody else could ever dream of being. You are perfect, and when I say that I love you, I mean I love every part of you, and that includes these scars. Look at you," Tony laughed quietly, shaking his head as he pulled Sasha in by the waist, "You are beautiful, I'm the luckiest guy on the planet. But you know all of that, I know you do. You're confidence floored me from the moment we met and I love you for it. You know you're too good for the rest of the world so let's not let a couple scars tear down something so strong, hm?"

Sasha rolled her eyes, her fingertips fiddling with the buttons of Tony's shirt as she worked at undoing them slowly, "You have to say that."

"I don't have to say anything," Tony said, tilting her head up by placing a finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes and relishing in the way heat flooded into her cheeks upon doing so, "But if you won't take my word for it, I guess I'll just have to show you instead."

an;;
ahhh you have no idea how much I have missed them together omg also I felt like I had to stop it here bc I didn't know if anyone wanted to read any R-rated content but I'm more than OK with writing that if it's what you guys would prefer??? Just let me know!!

as always thank you SO much for your unconditional support, it means so so much <3