Saw Iron man some weeks ago! I love Tony Stark! (He's mine pepper pots! Mmmiiinnnnneeee!) Had to write a story bout him and his hotness, duh! Haha, luvs u's reader….

Lainie straitened her glasses and tried to pay attention to Dr. Carlson's lecture on the powers of radioactivity, though she did wonder if he could have chosen a more juvenile topic. Taking a quick glance around the room, she noticed that everyone looked almost as uninterested as she felt. And no wonder, Dr. Carlson had just got into the finer details of his subject's instability. After three hours, extra emphasis on the just.

"This is due to its nuclear structure…" Oh, god WE GET IT she thought, debating whether or not to just get up and leave the room. Just as she had decided to screw politeness the door to the room swung open. And in walked…

Anthony Stark. Lainie's eyes, along with everyone else's, traveled down to the glowing circle at Tony's chest, only slightly visible through his thick dress shirt. Unlike every other female in the room, however, that's where her eyes stopped. As always when she came in contact with a particularly interesting piece of machinery and science her brain began to think of ways to make it more effective.

I could make it smaller, she thought, all I would need to do is compact the generator system in a less ostentatious model. Her hands, on their own accord, began to sketch the new and improved arc reactor, one much more reliable than his current life support. Dr. Carlson's lecture and even Tony's entrance were all but forgotten as her mind speed quickly through the finer details of the original model. Head bent over her paper and finger moving furiously, she didn't notice Anthony's interest on her. But then again, neither did anyone else. Yet.

"Hello everyone, sorry I'm late I got side… uh, official business came up. Hey! What's up Carls? Doing radioactivity again this year…just like last year. Glad to see you're stickin' to tradition. Right… I guess I'll sit over there by…uh. Hmm, I don't know you. Wonderful lady with the dark red hair, what's your name?"

Usually when she was working on something, she gave her whole mind to it and this time was no exception. It was necessary with the speed she was computing at. She had no idea that Tony was referring to her… she didn't even know that he was talking. And she definitely didn't notice Tony Stark's footsteps coming to a rest behind her… though everyone else did. They were all watching as the World renowned super-hero's feet led him to the pretty red-head, so into immersed in her work. Only when she felt his breath on her shoulder did she turn to look at him, surprised and embarrassed. She reached out quickly to cover her work with a hand but one of his quickly swept it aside, allowing his eyes to stare at her drawing. Suddenly, he picked up a pencil and began to trace over the pencil markings on the paper, adding changes every once and a while. She didn't really mind...well until he changed the wire connecting the base plate to the arc reactor, making it thinner so that he could also connect a branch off of it to the sub sect tubes. She yanked the pencil out of his hand indignantly.

"What are you doing?!" she whispered harshly. He looked taken back for a second, but then a smooth calm expression replaced its former one.

"If you connect it to the sub sects you can increase its energy ten fold." Lainie frowned at him and set on erasing his changes.

"Whoa whoa whoa…now what are you doing?" he caught the hand with the pencil in his. She shook of his restraint and finished restoring the change back to its original standing.

"If you attach them to those tubes, you lose over thirty percent of the reliability and it will not increase the energy but maybe… two percent, if you have extremely steady hands during the attachment process." Tony looked at her appraisingly. They were both unaware of every eye in the room on them. Many reporters, sent here as a punishment by their bosses, began to record what was happening on their phones and gossiping into their tape recorders though none of them could here the actual conversation. Even the soundless videos would be enough to get them back into the big dog's good books with the gossip Tony's followers craved.

"My hands are very steady. Versatile too." Tony whispered into Lainie's ear. She blushed a little but her left cheek rose slightly, rewarding his humor. Then she turned to face him, curiosity in her eyes. Her blue ones looked strait into his. Surprised, his countenance became taken aback. Most times people had trouble getting up the courage to look at his face. Let alone into his gaze.

"Even if you could get your two percent, which I severely doubt… no matter how steady your hands are… what good is it? The forty percent reliability greatly outweighs it." She spoke in a soft whisper, watching the effect of her words. His brown eyes grew dark and his mouth set in a grim line.

"When your life is on the line, two percent, though I assure you I could get much much more out of it, could be the deciding factor on whether you get your ass fried, miss…" she bit her lip. Then she sighed.

"Lainie McCormic."

"Anthony Stark." He murmured back. She started to laugh.

"I think the whole world knows that. I shudder to think of the price on your head in china… though it's probably greater in Washington." He grinned.

"It's always reassuring to know I could hand myself in if I became strapped for cash." Before she could reply Dr. Carlson's crusty voice filled the air. Everyone in the room cringed.

"Though you may be an important man I society, Mr. Stark, so am I. I do believe that I am giving a seminar so if you do not mind…sit down." Tony sat immediately. "Now where was I…ah…I guess I will just have to start over. So… hello everyone, my name is Dr. Carlson and my…" everyone groaned and a couple of them snuck out. Lainie snickered and began to pack her stuff up, planning on doing the same. She became aware of Tony's eyes on her and felt another blush fill her cheeks. She looked around for her plan for the arc reactor and spotted it in his hands. Huffing, she crossed her arms and turned to glower at him. The fool was grinning as though he had just won the lottery… no wait, why would he care. He was beyond rich.

"Mr. Stark, If you would be so kind as to hand me back my property…" he looked into her eyes and she could see his mirth. She gritted her teeth and stared him down.

"But, Ms. McCormic, it I was to give it back, what would be my assurance that you would accompany me to dinner." Lainie's retort, hanging on the tip of her tongue, died in her throat.

"Huh?" she asked stupidly. Tony's grin enlarged.

"Have dinner with me." Her eyes grew wide. What the heck?! She thought. She struggled to bring herself back to the focus. Frowning, or attempting to, she glared at Anthony.

"The only reason I would go is because you had taken my property." She lied. The truth was, she knew she could draw another of her arc reactor plans. She was really just interested in Tony, his genius and his life. She would love the chance to talk to him. And she could tell by Tony's smirk that he knew that.

"Yes. That is wrong of me. And I would love to continue this discussion of right and wrong…over dinner." What a sweet talker she thought wirily. But her pride was overrun by curiosity. She reached over and snatched her paper out of his hands, surprising him.

"I'll meet you. But only because in my heart I'm still the little girl who wants to meet the superhero." And with that she turned and walked out of the room, leaving a smile on both of their lips.

Lainie sighed as she looked at herself one last time in the mirror. She hadn't done much, simply brushed her hair and changed into a nice fitting casual dress of blue satin and lace but she didn't really think that anything could be done for her; so she just replaced her glasses on her makeup less face. Finally she left the hotel room and traveled down the stairs to where Tony was waiting. She has grown up her whole life being told she was beautiful. That she had gorgeous eyes and stunning full lips, a wonderful figure. …except by the one person who really mattered. Her father had died when she was little leaving her with her mother. She always knew her mother hated her. She had only married Lainie's father for his money and had not expected to get saddled with a child. In fact, Lainie's mother had once told her that she wanted to get Lainie aborted but that Martin, Lainie's father, wouldn't let her. Once Lainie had read her father's will she finally understood why her mother kept her after her father died. Margret, Lainie's mom, would get no money if she harmed Lainie or got rid of her. And so the only way for Lainie's mom to keep getting botox was to keep Lainie.

Margret was forever trying to dye Lainie's hair and get extensions put into it. She said the red was too dark and ugly, that the hair was too short and strange in the way it curled to shape Lainie's face and ended right after her neck. That it brought too much attention to Lainie's ugly, wash out blue eyes, skin ruining freckles, and fat lips. Too much like her father. But that was why Lainie never let her. It was the one thing connecting her to the only person that ever truly loved her. But just because she kept it didn't mean that her mother's words didn't affect her. She could never look at herself without seeing her fat lips, washout eyes, skin ruining freckles, and too dark red hair.

So when Tony spoke the words

"God you're beautiful. Your hair is amazing." She couldn't help but laugh. He looked at her funnily. "Well, I was going for a 'really, cause you look so hot too Tony, your hair is more amazing' but laughing is good too, I guess."

She was laughing so hard now that she needed to hold onto something for support. Her arms grabbed something and she held on for dear life.

"Uh…is this some new kind of greeting or…" the object asked…wait, the ob… Lainie looked down to see that the 'object' happened to be Tony. Crap. She blushed through her freckles and steeped back, biting her lip in embarrassment. A strange look came over Tony's countenance and he reached out a hand towards Lainie's face but then caught himself, clearing his throat.

"Right so we should go." He raised an eyebrow at her. Grinning, she lifted one in return and ambled past him down the steps and further into the hallway.

"Are you coming hot Tony? I wouldn't want to be deprived from the presence of your amazing hair for too long." She smirked over her shoulder at him, feeling his booming laugh as she walked outside into the cold wind.

AWWWWWWW'S. What, no AWWWWWW'S. Well then... I'll take my AWWWWW

WW'S elsewhere, hurmph! Just kiding….unless your really not AWWWWW'ing… because in that case HURMPH!

Review!! Pretty pretty pretty PPPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSEEEEE!!

Kay, thank you!

Lurve ya,

Entice