Flirting

Humming to herself she couldn't believe how happy she was that Stark found her coffee delicious. She was looking forward to tomorrow and already curious who would win the chase.

Not receiving a reply to his inquiry what sort of creature his invisible visitor was, he tried to find a clue where to find the coffee deliverer. There was no way to tell if he was alone.

"Jarvis, analyze the coffee again. Same as yesterday check for all toxins, radiation or something else that doesn't belong in a coffee!"

"Analyzing... The coffee seems to be the same as yesterday, Sir."

With deep regret, he threw the coffee in the garbage bin. Tony had two reasons for wasting good coffee: although he was relatively certain the visiting ghost didn't mean him harm, being cautious has never harmed anyone. On the other hand, he was hoping to get a rise out of his guest. Maybe it would talk to him if it gets frustrating. The next day with great regret the coffee landed in the garbage bin again. For a whole week, he dumped his heavenly goodness in the trash. No angry ghost, no yelling, nothing so bit by bit he was getting impatient.

Valerie had to watch Stark dumping her coffee in the trash can day after day and after a week she couldn't take it anymore. The next day pinning a post-it note on the cup, she invisible ported into the kitchen, deposited the coffee and waited.

Hearing the alarm bells, Tony was already on the way downstairs to the kitchen. Before entering, he was really disappointed that his little scheme didn't cause a reaction. From the kitchen entry, he could already see the post-it shining at him. Rushing through his kitchen, he couldn't wait to see what was written:

- Mr. Stark, I can assure you anything I deliver is not poisoned, on the contrary, drinking my beverages would be beneficial to your health. In any case, any coffee is healthier than the hideousness you brew with your monstrosity in the workshop. Sincerely your professional coffee deliverer. -

Laughing out loud Tony could tell how impatient the coffee deliverer was with him.

"Touchè. I'll stop wasting your great coffee. "

toasting to his visitor, he drank his freshly delivered coffee. It tasted as divine as he remembered.

Glancing around and grinning he hoped for an answer, when nothing came he struggled to not show how disappointed he was, but then his eyes landed on the post-it again.

- Thank you. -

Smirking Stark looked around while mentioning

"Invisibility and I would guess Illusion or did you really alter the ink? So again what are you?... A pixie? An imp? An angel? ... oh! I know. Are you a demon? Your nefarious masterplan is making me addicted to your cup of heavenly goodness and then Baaahm I have to pay with my soul to get another drink. Am I close? Hmm?"

This time he didn't expect an answer but brawled around the kitchen and waited for several minutes.

Vali leaned against a kitchen wall entertaining herself watching Tony Stark. For the last week, he kept challenging her, asking questions so smoothly that she sometimes caught herself trying to answer before better judgment stopped her. She had watched Tony so many times, seeing so many emotions like sadness, happiness, frustration, obsession, disappointment, and hundreds more, she nearly forgot that he was rumored to be the smartest man on earth and he had ruthlessly killed before. As he was stalking around his kitchen, he exuded a predatory, dangerous smell. Fearing he knew her position as he slowly paced near her spot on the wall, she lost her nerves and ported away.

Going downstairs to tinker with his gadgets. His next plan to expose the invisible intruder was well on his way. As a scientist, he couldn't tolerate loose ends so tightening his security and catching the ghost was inevitable.

The only drawback to drinking the coffee again was that the taste would remain with him the entire day, so he could hardly bring himself to drink the coffee he brewed in his laboratory.

Despite the danger, she couldn't help herself and dropped in on Stark in the evening. She noticed that he was busily storing up his security perimeter and installing what looked like pressure plates everywhere in the house. Observing him drinking his self-made coffee, she watched as he made a completely laughable grimace that showed his distaste. That was one thing she noticed very early: In his workshop, he was openly and freely displaying his emotions whereas everywhere else he didn't display a lot of emotion.

She hadn't spent a thought how long her coffee would last but thinking about it now it was crystal clear that the cup wouldn't last an entire day. So she resolved she would bring him four more cubs of coffee the next day. Enchanting the cubs with a stasis spell so they wouldn't get cold until lips touched the edges of the cup, she was psyched up to see Tony's reaction to her newest display of magic.

Starting the next day with a wonderfully brewed coffee Tony's whole day looked better already. He had worked out a plan to catch his ghost, it only needed some fine-tuning and then he could try to catch his intruder. Working downstairs, he was shocked to find four cups of coffee being placed near one of his Iron Man gauntlets on the workbench he was currently working at. He called out with a voice trying to annoy her:

"What's this? Are you showing me that you could infiltrate the lab?

... You know I learned one more thing about you: Invisibilty, illusions, and teleportation - that definitely rules out mutant - too many abilities."

Valerie jolted and was really surprised because she didn't realize that he already deduced these facts.

What she hadn't been aware of was that yesterday he just finished installing pressure plates and traps along the stairway that led to his workshop. So if someone invisibly had brought the coffee he would have been alerted.

"I'll never give up and I am certain you know this fact because it seems you have been following me for a while now. And when I catch you, you should be ready to answer a ton of questions. So we should exercise in advance and you could tell me what you are: A Jinn? A sorcerer? A radiation accident? A Vampire? A ghost? An Incubus?... oh please be a succubus?"

A ghost? Vampire? succubus?? Vali didn't know how he came to such conclusions, it was hilarious. Nearly laughing out loud, she was having the time of her life.

"I don't know about you, but I can't drink so much coffee in one go. Sooo the cups will get cold and then they would be WASTED, again but.. hey here is a thought: you turn visible and drink one with me. Come on out and have a coffee with me." smiling charmingly Tony hoped for a positive reply. After a few moments, he shrugged, drank one of the coffees and focused on his work, forgetting about the rest for hours.

Waiting in his laboratory she was thankful that her storage ring had books inside so she could pass time more easily. Hours later Stark was standing up and observing his coffee machine with great reluctance and distaste, then he glanced at the remaining cups. Obviously deciding against warm self brewed coffee, he went to drink one of the presumably already cold beverages left by her. Tony's eyes widened and he looked completely flabbergasted at the warm coffee in his hand. Drinking one big gulp, he opened and closed his mouth several times before voicing:

"Impossible...How? The cups were here for hours. They should be cold. Energy preservation? An energy shield? How?... Jarvis, record the temperature of those three cups and tell me when they lose heat."

"Sir, the beverage you are holding is losing temperature at a constant rate. The temperature of the other two remains static."

"Fascinating. Why? Because I touched it? or because I drank from it?"

mumbling, Tony was already trying to solve this new scientific riddle.

Laughing to herself, Vali was delighted to see the sparks of curiosity lighting up his eyes, even more so to be able to provide a challenge - a new mystery to chase.