Characters: reader, Tony, Steve, Clint, Sam, Natasha, FRIDAY.

Summary: Tony Stark is a talented verbal sparring partner and so are you, making life interesting as an Avenger. Things get heated one day, though, and perhaps your playful banter has gone too far. An unexpected source brings you two together and your passionate arguments might lead to something more...

Warnings: Smidge of angst perhaps, mostly fluff, a tiny bit of violence. Tons of snark. ;)

Word Count: 3.6k

Song Inspiration: "Friday, I'm in Love" by The Cure

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Maybe you had gone too far this time. Playful, snarky banter was all well and good, but it's possible you had crossed a line that perhaps you couldn't come back from. You currently sat in the common room, drumming your fingers on the side table as an unopened book sat on your lap. You'd tried reading for the past hour, but your mind kept replaying the scene from earlier that day.

_____

"Raise of hands if you think Y/N should've stayed at her post instead of jumping into the thick of it without thinking?" you heard the cocky billionaire's voice squawk in your ear piece.

"Oh, I thought about it plenty. For a whole two seconds, I though 'oh hey, that's where the action is so I'll go there' " you retorted sarcastically while throwing a punch, knocking out the dim-witted HYDRA agent. "It's a good thing no one listens to you, Stark, seeing as taking a vote in the middle of battle seems distracting."

"I just thought the men with guns might be overwhelmed by Y/N and her pointy sticks. Doesn't seem fair to them," Tony bantered, firing his blasters at the enemy from overhead.

You just shook your head and turned your focus to the battle with renewed energy fueled by Stark's little jab. "Careful, Stark. You know, my hand could slip and one of my 'pointy sticks' could pry that tin can of yours wide open," you replied, using one of your custom-made vibranium spears to deflect a few bullets, then throwing the second spear to impale an attacking agent.

"Can we focus on the task at hand, please?" Cap's voice echoed both in your earpiece and in person as he fought alongside you. "Tony, Y/N's assistance was actually helpful and we're just about done here anyway," he said as he tossed his shield and hit the last retreating agent with a CLANG before the patriotic frisbee returned to him.

"Is that how it is? Well, I can see when I'm not wanted," Tony spoke as he flew overhead.

"Can you, though?" you smirked, following his flight path with your eyes briefly.

"Cap, could you tell Y/N that I'm doing her the great service of not speaking to her? You three head to the jet. I'll do one more perimeter check and meet you back at the compound," Tony reported before blasting out of sight.

Steve let out a heavy sigh. "Must you two fight each other while we are fighting the enemy?" he asked, exasperated as he climbed onboard the Quinjet alongside you and Clint, the latter taking the pilot's seat.

"That wasn't fighting, my dear Captain. That was just fun," you grinned, stowing your spears securely and checking for injuries. "I'll let you referee when the real battle begins," you promised with a wink.

The blond just shook his head and sat down to look over the data recovered from the small HYDRA building nestled in rural Vermont. The flight was short, only about 15 minutes having passed before you saw the compound below and Clint set the jet down gently.

"Alright, kids," Clint began, gathering his bow and quiver. "I'm off to the farm for a few days. Cap, try not to let Y/N and Stark kill each other while I'm gone," he said, nudging you on his way down the ramp.

"No promises!" you called back with a smile as yet another sigh escaped from Steve before he walked away.

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After dropping off your gear and taking a quick shower, you headed to the common room, ravenous after expending so much energy from battle. Leftovers in the fridge from last night caught your eye, dishing some out for yourself and warming them in the microwave. Sitting down to eat, you glanced at the clock.

While preparing your food, a few of the other Avengers had filtered into the common area. Natasha had returned from a separate mission with Sam and was in the process of making a protein smoothie. Steve had piled a huge amount of pasta on a plate and was enjoying it in front of the tv while Sam checked sports scores on his phone as he heated something up in the microwave.

Having finished your meal, you rose from the table and proceeded to wash your dishes at the sink. Your eyes flickered to the clock once again, feeling a small twinge of worry. Even with the noise of your quick shower, you knew you hadn't missed the return of Tony. He always felt the need to make a grand entrance after a successful mission and you knew he should be back by now. No one else seemed alarmed by his tardiness, but considering the last words you spoke to Stark, a small amount of guilt burrowed inside you.

Despite your playful banter between Tony and yourself, you actually liked the man. The two of you complemented each other well, adding to the group of Avengers who were unrivaled every time you were called upon for a mission. You were part of a team with strengths and weakness, each member balancing one another. If anything happened to Tony....

You drew in a deep breath and lingered in the kitchen, seconds away from asking Steve if he had received any word when you heard the tell-tale sound of metal footsteps on the compound's roof above you followed by the whirring of robots removing the Iron Man suit. Minutes later, the elevator down the hall dinged and its doors opened, revealing the handsome billionaire as you breathed a sigh of relief.

Tony sauntered into the kitchen wearing his usual attire of expensive, well-fitting jeans and his favorite Black Sabbath t-shirt, not to mention his ever-present cocky smirk. He had his own background music playing overhead, having instructed FRIDAY to blast AC/DC upon his return, most likely. You rolled your eyes as he began to regale everyone with an exaggerated version of your most recent battle. As he reached the point of your "unnecessary intrusion", according to him, you just had to pipe in.

"Unnecessary? Really? So those seven agents I took out just fell unconscious on their own? Yeah, okay," you replied with a snort.

Stark glanced around then, avoiding your gaze intentionally. "Does—does anyone else hear that annoying buzzing? No? Hmm. Weird. Anyway, I'll be in my shop if anyone needs me. But I guess someone might have to tell me very clearly, since I can't tell when that might be..." he trailed off, his eyes lingering on you for a split second before he descended the stairs, disappearing out of sight.

You shook your head in disbelief, arms crossed over your chest. "You always have to have the last word," you muttered, mostly to yourself.

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That evening as you sat in the common room alone, you read the same paragraph for the fourth time and then gave up, tossing your book to the side. Your mind kept returning to the battle earlier that day and what you had said to Tony. It was no worse than what either of you had said in the past, but something about his reaction gave you pause. You knew that underneath his overly-confident, iron exterior, he was a sensitive man with troubles of his own. Maybe you had hit a soft spot....

Shaking your head, you cleared away the thought and grabbed your tablet from the coffee table. Might as well finish up your paperwork if you couldn't properly relax. Halfway through filling out your mission report, you paused.

"I can tell when I'm not wanted..."

"Can you though?"

Those words echoed in your head. You continued typing then, keeping your account emotionless and fact-based for a while until you realized you were rambling.

"...when I arrived at Captain Rogers' side, having observed that he was in need of assistance. We fought together with Mr. Stark analyzing and firing from overhead when....

...when he became a total asshat and claimed I wasn't needed. The gall...Like I'm supposed to stay at my post where nothing is happening rather than join the fight and do my part? I think not. The man is impossible. He never admits when he's wrong and when I actually call him out on it, he throws a tantrum like the man-child he is. He's not speaking to me? Wow. Real mature. I am a valuable part of this team and just because I'm female and newer to the Avengers doesn't mean I can't do my job.

Well...actually, most of the time, he acknowledges what I'm capable of. We've sparred a few times hand-to-hand and he was impressed. As much as he was willing to verbalize, anyway. I didn't mind seeing the man in a tank top showing off those muscles, not gonna lie. And how his hair gets all rumpled and damp from his helmet after a battle, I'm not mad about it. Kinda sexy, in fact. He does have some redeeming qualities, too, I guess. He foots the bill for the Avengers with rarely a complaint, always upgrading our uniforms and weapons every few months. Tony does have a heart, despite arguing reports. I've seen him take Sam out for drinks when he's having lady troubles or he'll stock up on my favorite foods when I'm feeling down.

Truth is, as much fun as the banter is, I feel like...I don't know. I'd rather have an honest conversation with him. I might actually even care about him more than I let on. It's just...ugh. How do you cross that line into friends or more when we've been 'enemies' for so long? If I started being nice he'd think it was weird and suspicious. How can I..."

You gave up then. There was no way you could send that report. Where did all of that come from? You leaned forward in your chair and set the tablet on the coffee table. Was that what you really thought? Was it possible you had feelings for Tony? Did your fingers tell truths that your heart refused to acknowledge?

Hitting 'save' on the mission report, you figured you could fix it and submit it tomorrow. Your head wasn't in the right place anyway. Standing up, you stretched a moment after sitting in one position for such a long time. You were tired enough to sleep, but knew your head wouldn't allow it in its current state. Hands on your hips, you thought for a moment and then finally gave in. You had to clear the air, if only for your own sanity.

Descending the stairs down to Tony's lab, you could hear his usual classic rock playing. You reached the bottom of the stairs, but then heard voices and didn't want to interrupt, so you turned to go. That is, until you heard your name mentioned.

"...right in the middle of a battle, she has to jump in and put herself in danger. I mean, I had it handled, the last thing we need is Y/N getting injured," you heard him say over the music with the whirring sounds of tools on occasion.

You crept forward quietly and tried to discern the voices only to discover it was just Tony talking to himself. Or so you thought.

"Actually, it's the last thing I need. I don't know if I could handle it if...." he trailed off as you heard the clang of metal on metal, as if he threw something down on a table. "She just drives me insane! I ask Cap to keep her out of the fray but of course she finds her way there anyway and 'strategically' he agrees...star-spangled boy scout..."

You raised a hand to cover your mouth in shock. He...he was trying to keep you safe? That infuriated you, but also warmed your heart in a way. Did that mean he actually...cared? You crept forward a little more and peered in through the glass doors. Tony sat at a table with his back to you, computer monitors flashing data and next to them was one of his hand blasters on the table. You watched him fiddle with it using a screwdriver, half-heartedly adjusting something inside the glove.

He huffed out a sigh then, rubbing a hand over his immaculately groomed goatee. "She's pretty good with those spears, though...that bullet deflect was impressive. She has a graceful way about her when she fights. Kind of like Natasha, but less...scary. Y/N's got a mouth on her, too," he said with a chuckle. "I like that she can keep up and calls me out on my shit. And the way her nose scrunches when she laughs...I don't know, FRIDAY. What do I do?" you heard him ask the AI program, your heart in your throat.

Was he actually serious? Could this handsome, cocky, brilliant, and sometimes impossible-to-deal with man be pouring his heart out about...you?

"She's obviously not interested in me. I'm just an needless annoyance and a pest and she's....she's beautiful and strong and funny and...." he paused then and you heard him stand up, the wheels of his chair rolling away from him. "Son of a bitch. FRIDAY....I'm in love," he said with a chuckle of disbelief.

You gasped then, eyes wide as you pressed your back against the wall with a hand over your mouth, praying he hadn't heard you. Frozen in place, you continued to listen as he spoke on.

Tony settled back into his chair with a sigh, his feet propelling him back toward his desk. "Too bad I can't ever tell her that. She wouldn't believe me, not after everything..." he trailed off with a tone of defeat.

"Actually, sir," you heard FRIDAY respond in her Irish lilt, "Ms. Y/N has been around the corner the past ten minutes overhearing this conversation."

You heard a crash. "WHAT? And you didn't warn me? How...why did you...I can't believe..." you heard Tony sputtering in panic.

Figuring you were already discovered, you turned the corner and entered the lab with a smile on your face.

"So," you began with a cocky swagger rivaling Tony's. "Did I hear you actually saying nice things about me? Even using the 'L word'?" you teased with a grin.

Tony whirled your way, his mouth gaping until he snapped it shut with finality. "Traitor," he muttered with his eyes toward the ceiling before addressing you. "Um. Well...I, uh...it's not what it sounded like. In fact, I knew you were there the whole time," he said, feigning confidence as he avoided your gaze. "That—that wasn't about you, I mean, it was but as a—a fellow Avenger and..."

Listening to him ramble with a dubious smile, you felt something nudge your arm and you turned toward it. Dum-E was beside you, holding out a pile of fabric that looked familiar.

"Is that my combat suit?" you asked quizzically, taking it from the robot.

"No! That's not..." Tony cried out, trying to take it from you in a panic.

"It is! This has my insignia except...does this have built-in kevlar? What is this fabric..." you muttered, rubbing the material between your fingers.

Tony dropped his head in defeat and let out a confession. "Yes, it's for you. I asked T'Challa if I could use a small amount of vibranium fabric, you know, just to cover the vital organs. That suit is experimental and NOT supposed to be out in the open but apparently the robots are starting a mutiny now. It's the beginning of SKYNET," he said in frustration, glaring at Dum-E who was cowering behind you.

"That's...really sweet of you, Tony," you replied, enjoying his flustered state as you slowly walked forward. "It's okay. I mean, I am pretty awesome. And...I guess you're not too bad yourself, either," you said, stepping in front of him.

"Oh, yeah?" he said with a smirk.

You shrugged. "Yeah. And maybe I could echo at least some of what you said to FRIDAY. Not in so many words, but..."

"Excuse me, Ms. Y/N but I have your mission report available to refute that," FRIDAY interrupted as she began to repeat the words you had written earlier, including what you said about Tony.

"What?!? I thought you were on my side!" you yelled at the ceiling, then covering your face with your hands as your written words reached Tony's ears. Embarrassment overwhelming you, it was a relief as the last few sentences of your rant echoed throughout the lab.

"...I might actually even care about him more than I let on. It's just...ugh. How do you cross that line into friends or more when we've been 'enemies' for so long? If I started being nice he'd think it was weird and suspicious. How can I..."

FRIDAY's voice cut out then, leaving a heavy silence in it's place. You finally raised your head and peeked out from between your fingers. You expected to see Tony gloating but all you were met with was a sweet, tender smile upon his face. He reached out toward you, gently grasping your wrists and pulling your hands from your face.

"How can you...what?" he asked, placing your hands on his chest over his chest arc reactor and holding them there with his own.

You just smiled guiltily with a shrug. "I'm not sure how I was going to finish that sentence, but...it seems we're both caught in a trap," you stated, quirking your eyebrow.

Tony grinned. "Apparently so. FRIDAY normally alerts me to approaching intruders. Must be a glitch in her programming. I'll have to check it out..."

"Pardon me, sir, but I am functioning just as I should be. I was programmed to recognize patterns amongst correlating data and it seems that you and Ms. Y/N are perfectly matched. You both resisted and were clearly in need of my intervention," the robotic voice declared.

Meeting Tony's eye, you let out a chuckle. "Well. She's better than eHarmony," you joked.

Tony caught on and bellowed out in laughter, that handsome smile causing flutters inside you. "Or Matched.com. Christian Mingles, though, they've got quite the hook. Might have her rivaled," he jested, having you nearly bent over in laughter until your stomach hurt.

You sobered eventually, feeling the electric fizzle of attraction between you. Tony met your gaze and closed the remaining distance.

"Guess we could give this a try then, huh?" he asked, brushing a thumb across your cheekbone before his lips met yours.

His touch ignited something inside you, feeling the embers spark in your veins. Your fingers combed through his short brown strands, pulling him closer while muscular arms circled around your waist. Whiskers tickled your chin with warmth building in your belly but before things could get even more heated, Tony broke away from you unexpectedly, leaving you dazed.

"Wait a minute....I'm still not talking to you," he declared with a straight face.

You squinted then, playing into his game with a smile. "Is that so?"

"Yep."

"This...this is you not speaking to me?"

"Uh huh."

Clearing your throat, you nodded. "I see. So...perhaps we could notspeak just like this over dinner tomorrow night?" you proposed.

Tony looked off into the distance a moment. "Hmm. I'll have to check my schedule."

You nudged Tony using your shoulder but he just held you close displaying a bright smile before recapturing your lips with his own.

"Shall I leave you two alone then?" FRIDAY's voice echoed throughout the lab.

You broke away only to shout out in unison.

"YES!"

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Hours later, you two stumbled out of Tony's apartment and into the kitchen in search of food. You ate like a normal person and after burning so many calories, it was necessary for you to replenish. On the other hand, you practically had to force Tony to admit that he never ate after yesterday's battle, which made you crazy and you demanded he immediately rectify the situation. Good thing you'd be around from now on to make sure he'd take care of himself.

You fixed a plate of food for you to share and then settled on your new beau's lap in a dark corner of the common room, occasionally feeding each other. Content in your bubble of new love, neither of you registered the sound of footsteps approaching. The intruder continued on, seemingly unaware of the two you. He reached his destination at the kitchen sink when you let out a short giggle, bringing attention to your coupling and you heard the loud clatter of dishes.

Turning your head, you saw Steve gaping at the two of you, utter shock upon his features. You froze a moment, but then Tony snatched a grape from between your fingers and you yelped in surprise, breaking the spell.

"Uh..." Steve cleared his throat, attempting to gather his senses. "Wha...how....what is happening right now? Am—am I hallucinating? I thought you two hated each other..."

You and Tony just looked at each other and laughed.

It was Tony who spoke up. "Yeah, that's probably it, Cap. You're definitely seeing things."

"Exactly. I mean, me and Tony? Together? Gross!" you faked disgust, fully aware of your intimate position upon the man's lap.

Tony's head turned toward you, narrowing his eyes. "Is that so? Hm. Well. Looks like I'm gonna have to do something about that smart mouth of yours," he said with a smirk, pressing his lips against yours. Quickly it became apparently that food was no longer his primary desire.

You and Tony were lost in each other, barely noticing Steve's frightened expression as he retreated. The poor Captain might be scarred for life. Tony brought you both up to standing suddenly, then tossing you over his shoulder as a squeal escaped you.

Heading back to his apartment, Tony made a request out loud. "FRIDAY, could you put on some music to set the mood?"

"Certainly, sir," she responded as The Cure began to play.

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So, that was fun. :) I love the song and this idea came to me months ago so when a prompt for a writing challenge on tumblr came up, I jumped on it and expanded the idea. I don't write often for Tony, but it's always a lot of fun. :D He's a challenge to write, but it's good to push myself. Any thoughts and comments are appreciated!