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Ending: 10/08/25
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By the time Tony and Seph returned to the hotel, everyone was ready to leave.
Pepper, Happy, Natalia, and Hela had packed their luggage. They left the hotel for the airport, where their private jet was waiting.
As Tony boarded, he stretched his arms dramatically. "Alright, let's leave this godforsaken place behind. I need a shower, a drink, and possibly a life coach after today."
Seph smirked. "I could be your life coach. Step one—stop being an idiot."
"That's gonna be tough," Happy muttered under his breath.
Pepper sighed. "Can we please just get on the plane?"
Natalia, however, was still watching Seph with that same conflicted look that he noticed.
As they boarded, he leaned down slightly, his voice low and teasing. "Keep looking at me like that, Romanoff, and I might start thinking you have a crush."
Natalia didn't flinch, but he saw the faint twitch at the corner of her lips.
"You wish," She murmured, brushing past him.
Seph chuckled. "We'll see."
The private jet hummed softly as it cut through the night sky, leaving Monaco far behind. The air inside was thick with tension—not from exhaustion, but from the consequences of what had happened earlier at the Grand Prix.
Tony, sprawled out on one of the luxurious leather seats with a glass of whiskey in hand, let out an exaggerated sigh as the onboard television blared the latest news.
On the screen, a smug-looking senator was grilling him in an interview.
"This incident proves exactly what I've been warning everyone about. Stark claims that no one else has his technology, that the world is years away from replicating it. But clearly, someone has. If this criminal, this Ivan Vanko, could build a weapon capable of standing toe-to-toe with an Iron Man suit… what does that mean for global security? For America? For the world?"
Tony groaned loudly and rolled his eyes. "Oh my god, can we not with this nonsense?"
He waved a dismissive hand at the screen. "It's like these guys just wake up every morning and ask themselves, 'How can we make Tony Stark's life harder today?'"
Pepper, sitting across from him with a glass of wine, sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Tony, this is serious. That senator is already working against you at every turn. This is only going to fuel his agenda."
Tony scoffed. "Oh, please. If anything, they should be giving me a medal! I'm still the only guy keeping this world safe from psychos like Vanko."
"A medal?" Hela, who had been sitting quietly with a small smirk, suddenly spoke up.
Tony turned to her, one brow raised. "Yeah, you know, like a fancy little star pinned to my chest? Maybe a statue in my honor? I'm open to suggestions."
Hela chuckled darkly. "The only person who deserves a medal today is Seph, considering he actually saved your life while you were busy standing there, looking like a shocked damsel in distress."
Pepper and Natalia—who had been watching the exchange with silent amusement—both giggled.
Tony gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Et tu, Hela? Betrayed in my own home—err, I mean, plane?"
Seph, who had been silently observing the chaos, finally smirked. "You were just standing there, Tony."
"It was a tactical pause," Tony defended, pointing a finger at him. "I was calculating my next move."
"Right," Seph deadpanned. "And your next move was... getting cut in half?"
"Minor setback," Tony huffed. "And you—you didn't even let me have my big hero moment! I was about to blast him, and bam—headshot, courtesy of Mr. No-Fun-Allowed over here."
Seph chuckled. "You're welcome."
As the laughter died down, Seph's gaze flickered back to the television screen where the senator continued his speech. His amused expression gradually hardened.
"Tony," Seph's voice was suddenly calm but firm, "we have to move quickly and carefully now. Ivan wasn't wrong."
Tony glanced at him, tilting his head. "Wrong about what?"
"About the consequences of his actions." Seph leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Your little claim that no one could match your tech for another ten years? Well, today proved otherwise. And now, thanks to Vanko's stunt, every powerful group, every corrupt businessman, every war-hungry nation, and every shadow organization out there is going to be paying even more attention to you."
Pepper's expression darkened. She understood the severity of that statement more than Tony did.
Natalia, too, remained silent, her sharp eyes focused on Seph as if trying to figure something out about him once again.
Tony, however, merely took a sip of his whiskey before pouting.
"Okay, yeah, sure, world-ending consequences, spies in my closet, and supervillains at my doorstep—but you know what's even more important?"
Seph raised a brow. "Enlighten me."
Tony suddenly grinned and sat up. "My birthday!"
Seph blinked. "...What?"
Tony dramatically gestured at himself. "Yes, my birthday! Only a few days away! The great and mighty Tony Stark will be celebrating another year of life, and you know what that means?"
"That you'll throw a ridiculously extravagant party and wake up in a pile of wreckage and regret the next morning?" Seph offered dryly.
Tony snapped his fingers. "Exactly! See, you get me!"
Pepper sighed. "Oh god, I forgot about that."
Tony pouted at her. "You forgot my birthday? I'm hurt, Pep. Wounded even."
"I didn't forget," She corrected. "I just didn't remember until now."
"That's the same thing."
"No, it's not."
Hela smirked. "This is amusing. Continue."
Seph shook his head, exhaling softly. "Tony, you're impossible."
"And yet, you love me anyway," Tony smirked before slapping Seph's shoulder. "Now, back to business—"
Seph interrupted before he could continue. "You do realize that throwing a massive party right now is basically the worst idea ever, right?"
Tony shrugged. "That sounds like a problem for Future Tony. Right now, Present Tony wants to know—what's my gift?"
Seph snorted. "Greedy, aren't you?"
"Oh, absolutely."
Seph chuckled, leaning back.
"I do have something for you. And trust me—" His smirk widened, "—it'll blow your mind away. You won't be able to even imagine what it is."
Tony's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. "Ooooh, now that is the kind of talk I like to hear!"
He turned to Pepper. "See? Seph gets it! Presents should be life-changing."
Pepper rolled her eyes. "I doubt anything could actually blow your mind, Tony."
"That's where you're wrong," Seph said smoothly, his tone carrying a dangerous edge of amusement. "This will."
For a moment, Tony just stared at him, squinting slightly.
Then he grinned. "Alright, alright, I'll let you keep your little secret for now. But I expect greatness, Seph."
Seph smirked. "I never disappoint."
Natalia, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, finally spoke.
"You two have an interesting dynamic," She remarked.
Seph turned to her. "Is that your way of saying we act like an old married couple?"
Natalia's lips twitched slightly. "I wouldn't go that far. But there's a definite… chemistry."
Tony gasped, looking between Seph and Natalia. "Wait, wait, wait—are you jealous, Natalie? Are you secretly crushing on my dear Seph?"
Natalia raised a brow. "You wish."
Seph chuckled. "That's exactly what I told her earlier."
Tony turned to him in excitement. "Wait, you guys talked about this before? Are we in the middle of some slow-burn romance arc? Should I start writing fanfiction about you two?"
Seph shook his head. "Please, don't."
Natalia smirked but said nothing, keeping her air of mystery intact.
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Spoilers for the next three chapters!
Chapter 103: Back to Business
Chapter 104: A Game of Power
Chapter 105: Snake in the House
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