Ch51. Free food

Tony and Natasha finally arrived at the party, Natasha spending the last ten minutes of the drive giggling and fighting off Tony's attempts at kissing her, playfully keeping him at bay by evading his advances as she was reapplying her make-up and repairing the damage Tony has done to it.

Happy dropped them off at the start of the red carpet leading to the building with the party and by the time they left the car, both Natasha and Tony were in pristine condition.

Natasha because she was very skilled at straightening her appearance at moment's notice and Tony because he had Natasha.

His clothes were certainly messed up enough from their impromptu make-out session and in usual male fashion, he just smoothened out a few wrinkles and was done with it. It took an eye roll from Natasha before she pushed Tony into his seat and started working on making him appear presentable while hiding the obvious signs of their passionate activities.

Honestly! They were about to enter a party with rich bored people and Tony had no care in the world he was going to step inside while looking as if he just...

Natasha inwardly huffed, calming herself down while giving a small smile to the reporters surrounding the red carpet, pushing each other behind the chain barrier separating them from it as they threw one question after another at the incoming guests.

Tony relaxedly walked forward, completely ignoring all the flashes and questions, too used to these things. He no longer even registered all these annoying people.

They were asking many things about his company, private life, new projects... but nobody asked about Natasha.

Being a known playboy came with its own perks!

Everybody knew about his love life so him showing up with a completely new woman was by now expected. He never, not once, showed up on any event with one girl twice.

As such, the reporters were interested in other things than a new girl around his arm and that suited Tony just fine.

But he knew it would not last. The second the reporters find out Natasha was not exactly famous and that she was his private assistant, and they will find out for sure, the questions would start and the reporters will be extremely pesky.

Tony decided to enjoy his peace and calm while it lasted as he wasn't about to lie about Natasha just because it would cause less trouble. He guessed it was high time for Tony Stark to break his playboy record and show up with his very first serious relationship in public.

Yeah, it was making him tear up too...

After they entered, Tony used a small sleight of bewitchery, The Ancient One would have been certainly proud he didn't call it Hocus Pocus which he still thought was definitely a correct official term, and redirected the attention from himself and Natasha elsewhere every time someone looked at them.

He only deactivated it after they found a quiet table in the back of the hall near the table with food.

Neither of them was a great cook, and while Natasha was certainly trying hard to improve and was indeed advancing, they would not reject food prepared by professional chefs.

What dancing or socializing? Was it edible?

No? Then why should they care about it when there was free food all around!?

It was really surprising for both of them when they found out they shared their opinion about these things. Tony thought Natasha would want him to take her to the dance floor while Natasha was already mentally preparing herself to act polite and charmingly smile at all the assholes that would stare at her chest when Tony took her to socialize.

It wasn't the question of knowing each other.

Which woman did not want to dance at a party and which Pepper would not demand of Tony to socialize?

Surprisingly, the two met their match, and neither intended to do these bothersome things.

"So... how was the little get-together with Barton?" Tony asked as he was wiping his hands after relishing a roasted chicken leg. The chefs here were really top-notch.

"It was fine. I still have a hard time dealing with how young he is." Natasha awkwardly said with a half-eaten... she had no idea what was its name but it wasted well. Not marvelous or fabulous. Just... well. Her first pick was certainly not world-breaking. "By the way, would you mind hiring the chefs here to give me some cooking lessons?"

But she loved how Tony's eyes shone while eating the chicken leg and a small bud of jealously sprouted inside of her because it was not her who made them. It was a weird feeling for Natasha but she decided to wholeheartedly embrace it and stubbornly get better at cooking to reach her goal.

"So do I. Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy... they all are just so different. So younger." Tony sighed in understanding, pouring both of them a glass of wine. Red for Natasha and for him... Well, alcohol was alcohol. "And yes. If you want, I will get someone to hire them."

"Is that why you hide in your workshop all day with the excuse that they are too busy to have a meeting between friends?" Natasha took her glass of wine into her hand and asked Tony as she slightly swirled the wine in her glass, "And thank you. I will strive to improve my culinary skills for you."

"Oh, do shut up. You waited for months before meeting with Barton and even then it was him who initiated the meeting." Tony rolled his eyes at her, "And you are welcome. I do look forward to your cooking."

"I hate it when you have a point." Natasha pouted before reaching with the hand in which she held the glass of wine towards the nearby pot with flowers and discreetly emptied the glass into it.

"Mhm, sucks to be you. I am full of points." Tony whispered and leaned closer to Natasha.

She harrumphed but also leaned closer and intently looked into Tony's eyes as she whispered back, "You are also full of yourself and I still love you. I think I will somehow manage."

Tony's smile widened, and their lips were almost touching. "Stop it. You will make me blush." He quietly replied and Natasha squinted her eyes in glee while involuntarily purring as she waited for Tony to kiss her.

"But no changing topic. What did Fury do?" Tony suddenly pulled back, causing Natasha's mind to go blank as it tried to process what just happened.

When she finally realized Tony played her she scowled. "Tsk." And in a dissatisfied but unbothered tone continued, "He tried to make me into a double spy, secretly returning into my service for SHIELD."

"Haaah, he won't give up easily, will he?" Tony's lips twitched in annoyance.

"No, he won't." Natasha casually shook her head, "It will take something big to stop his efforts. He still has leverage over me... or at least he thinks he does."

Tony raised an eyebrow at that. Did Fury still have something like that? "A leverage?"

"Yeah, I am not well-known or influential enough. Despite the good pay, being Tony Stark's assistant is not really a position of renown." Natasha quipped, "Theoretically, I could disappear at any given moment and nobody important would bat an eyelash."

"I would. Am I not important?" Tony gasped in mock outrage, "That's heresy!"

"Yes, you are important, Tony. That fed your ego enough?" Natasha amusedly asked and to her hidden elation, Tony actually nodded! "But you would first need to have proof Fury was behind my disappearance." She shrugged, "And now that he knows you can hack SHIELD's systems..." She trailed off.

Despite that, Natasha was not really bothered by whatever Fury was planning. She would handle him. There was no need for Tony to be burdened with her problems.

Tony, however, had a different opinion on the matter.

"Ah, I see." He casually nodded, not showing much interest but inwardly he thought, 'Not well known enough, huh?'

A reckless plan started forming in his head. It was good that they were already in public with a shitton of reporters around.