The first time Sakura Haruno ended up in Tony's Stark's bed, they both dismissed it as an alcohol-induced accident. Sakura slipped out of his bed the next morning and never mentioned the incident, and neither did he. It didn't affect their teamwork, and no one knew it had occurred—except for JARVIS.

The second time Sakura ended up in Tony's bed, it resulted in a fight the next morning.

"I can't believe you did this again!"

"It takes two to tango, Pinkerella. You're just as much to blame as I am."

"You gave me alcohol!"

"You didn't have to take it!" Sakura gave him a flat look. Tony paused thinking of the battle they just fought and, chuckled before he conceded the point. After all, that was why he had gotten the drink in the first place. The things he'd seen since getting in the superhero business.

"Yeah, but you," Tony waved his hand, "Did that striptease thing! What was I supposed to do with that?" And where the hell had that poll come from? And where did it go? How much did he have to drink?

"Walk away Tony. You were supposed to walk away."

"I could barely stand!"

"And yet certain things were still able to rise to the occasion."

Both Tony and Sakura fell silent. Eventually, Tony snorted, and Sakura started laughing. They both laughed so hard they cried. Tony tossed his shirt Sakura's way, and she slipped it over her head. She looked down glad it covered the essentials.

"Bye, Tony," Sakura said when she finally calmed down. Tony waved her off, and while they still didn't speak of it, their teamwork was better. So much so that people noticed.

:::

The third time Sakura ended up in Tony's bed, she woke up curled around him. She raised her head only to see him awake and looking down at her intensely. He had something important on his mind.

"I think our subconscious is trying to tell us something." Tony blurted.

Sakura said, "That we're alcoholics?"

Tony's shoulders shook with mirth. "There is that."

Sakura placed a kiss on Tony's lips and cuddled a little closer. "Go back to sleep, Tony. I'll sneak out later."

:::

The fourth time Tony ended up in Sakura's bed. Well, technically it was Tony's since he bought it and provided her with free room and board but that wasn't the point. They point was there was a fourth time, and Sakura had a feeling that this was becoming a habit.

When Tony tried to slip out in the morning, she didn't let him. She entangled him with her legs and wrapped her arms around his chest. He was staying.

"This is why I find women's thighs terrifying. What a sad little world I live in."

Sakura giggled and then said thoughtfully, "You can stay, if you want."

"You have me trapped with your thighs! How is there free will involved in this?"

Sakura pondered his words and then said, "Ok then. You can leave if you can get away."

Tony leveled her with a flat look. "Sakura Haruno I don't think you know just how creepy that sounds."

"Oh, I know," Sakura assured him. "I just don't care."

Tony laughed.

:::

The fifth time Sakura asked, "Why don't we just start dating?" Tony honestly looked startled, and Sakura didn't know whether or not to be offended or amused.

"You sure that's something you want?"

It was Sakura's turn to be startled. "Why wouldn't I want it?"

"You actually don't know the answer to that question."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm not bringing this up again, Tony."

"Dating?"

"Yes, Tony," Sakura said with exaggerated patience. "Dating."

"But are you—"

"Tony. If this weren't something I wanted, I would have snuck out by now."

"You can't sneak if I'm awake."

A delicate pink brow arched. "Is that a challenge?"

Tony thought about who he was dealing with before slowly saying, "No."

:::

The sixth time Sakura ended up in Tony's bed was after their first date. And she didn't regret a single moment of it. Not that she regretted any of the other times either. Tony was a phenomenal lover.

She awakened with a smile on her lips and pleasantly sore limbs. Tony slipped an arm around her and pulled her so that she lay on top of his chest. She shifted, so she wasn't pressed against his arc reactor and buried her face in his throat. Her actions brought a thought to mind that she had meant to bring up for some time, but it hadn't felt appropriate.

"So, just curious. I know last night was our first date and all, but—"

"Having second thoughts already, My Little Pony?"

Sakura swatted his chest twice. The first time for implying she was having second thoughts and the second time for calling her a pony.

"Don't be an insecure asshole, Tony." Sakura fell silent realizing that now may not be the best of times for her inquiry. "I am in this," Sakura tapped his arc reactor lightly. "To win this. And if you don't know that already you aren't the genius you think you are. And what the heck is My Little Pony?"

Tony grinned.

:::

Sakura didn't know what time it was that she ended up in Tony's bed, but she did know it was there that he told her he loved her for the first time.

Sakura responded with a cautious, "You love me?" She felt Tony stiffen and she ran her hand soothingly over his chest. It was her silent way of saying he wasn't getting rid of her easily. "But do you trust me?"

She heard Tony take in a breath before looking at her incredulously. "I trust you with my life on a regular basis. Why would you ask me something like that?"

"You trust me with your life in battle. I'm asking, outside of battle do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

Sakura fell silent and then took a deep breath before reaching up and touching Tony's arc reactor. "Then let me get rid of this for you." Tony froze, and inwardly Sakura sighed wondering if she should have kept the issue to herself for a while longer. "I can take care of this, Tony. I…know about your blood toxicity levels."

His voice was hoarse when he asked, "How long have you known?"

Sakura found that she couldn't look him in the eye. "Since we started dating."

Tony doesn't respond. He slips out of bed and doesn't rejoin her that night.

:::

He becomes distant after that and Sakura realizes that maybe she should have kept her mouth shut. Or perhaps she should have knocked him out and performed surgery on him without his consent and have him hate her for the rest of his life.

But at least he'd live.

She tried talking to him but suddenly he was always busy, and he'd catch up to her later. Later never came.

It took Sakura…long enough to realize she had been dumped. Which was kind of terrible since she lived with Tony. He had taken her in when she was a stranger in a strange world. They fought together. They were partners.

Maybe that was something she should have thought about before she slept with him. When would she learn that falling for someone she had to work with on a regular basis was stupid?

The twelfth of Never. Her brain helpfully supplied.

Sakura packed her bags ignoring the tears that streamed her cheeks.

:::

She didn't even make it out of the Tower before Tony was stopping her. "Where are you going?"

Sakura chuckled darkly. "Does it even matter?"

"Of course it matters! What do you mean, does it matter? Where will you go? What will you do?"

"Why do you even care Tony?"

He took half a step back before he caught himself and closed the distance between them.

"I—"

"Don't want me. I get that. But I can't stay here Tony. I need to…get over it."

"Sakura—"

"I wish that I could untouch you, you know? You have know idea what I'd give to be able to unkiss you. Then I could forget—" Sakura mouth clamped shut realizing that she had said too much-and also that she was lying. She wouldn't take back a single touch because they all meant so much to her. She turned her back to Tony just as a tear splashed and hit her cheek. "I love you Tony, but it's time for me to go. I can't stay here and watch you die when I can fix it. I can't just pretend that we never happened. Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. I was trained to survive."

When Sakura tried to leave again, Tony said, "JARVIS lock the doors."

Puzzled Sakura turned back.

"Okay, I fucked up." Tony ran a hand over his face. "I'll never want to untouch you or unkiss you. Sakura, I didn't lie when I told you I love you. I don't want you to leave."

"You have a funny way of showing it."

Sakura folded her arms across her chest holding herself tightly.

Tony gave her a wry smile. "I know." Sakura's heart tripped.

"Why did you push me away Tony?"

"I don't deal very well with deception."

Sakura arched an incredulous brow. "Ok. That's hypocritical. I know it. But you'll forgive me, right?" Tony reached slowly for Sakura, and she didn't back away. He grabbed her hand and placed it over his arc reactor. "You've won it. You still want to fix it?"

"You had me at 'okay, I fucked up.'"

Tony snorted. "No more movie binges, Sakura."