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The conversation happened after most of the furor had died down about them dating. The media had had its field day with Tony Stark dating a coed twenty five years younger than him. Peta hadn’t liked any of it but Tony assured her the worst of it was over.
Peta’s study group for O-Chem had claimed one of the rooms in the college library and were two hours into reviewing for the final. There was a lull and Alissa leaned over to ask Peta “So, your dating Tony Stark?”
Peta rolled her eyes. “Yes, I saw something in the paper about that.”
“Why?”
Peta dropped her head on to the table with a thunk.
Alissa continued. “I mean i know he’s Iron-Man and super smart. Just why date him?”
Peta groaned into the table. She had answered this question so many times.
There was a pause then Sarah asked “Is it because he’s rich? No judgment, who wouldn’t want to feel like Cinderella.”
Peta rolled her head so she could glare up at her. That meant Peta had her back to Rosa when she spoke up. “He’s so …”
Peta waited for her to finish the sentence to decide how angry she needed to be on Tony’s behalf.
“...old.” Rosa finished delicately.
Alissa shifted in her chair. “Passed his prime.”
Twenty different responses flashed through Peta’s mind. Tony was brilliant and seemed to get more so with every challenge he faced. Tony held the world in his hand. Tony had remade himself and become a hero along the way.
What actually came out when Peta raised her head to look at her classmates was “He made me cum three times in ten minutes.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh.”
“My.”
Peta stared them down, waiting.
Alissa flipped her textbook open to chapter twenty-three and no one mentioned Tony and Peta’s relationship again that night.
~~~~~~~
Finals came and went. Peta did well and didn’t think about the conversation again. She was happy to forget it ever happened, like so many awkward conversations about Tony. The news coverage died down even more as the new year started. Which meant Peta could go back to stalking all things Tony Stark and Iron-Man related on social media without wanting to throw her phone at the wall every five minutes. It was the first week of February when she started noticing the tag IronmanChallenge.
She expected to see something funny or dumb, like guys trying to grow there best Stark goatee, or copying Tony’s signature Iron-Man pose in weird places. The first video was a woman who glanced at her boyfriend in the background and then held up three fingers smiling at the camera. The next was a woman holding up two fingers. Several more satisfied looking women holding up two or three fingers in their videos. Then a pouting woman making a zero with one hand and a thumbs down with the other. Peta frowned to herself. She grabbed her phone and shot off a quick text to MJ.
PP: have you heard of the Iron-Man challenge
MJ: rolling my eyes
PP: what is it?
MJ: HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
MJ: don’t worry ur winning
Peta put her phone down. All her experience told her that she would be happier not knowing what was happening. She picked her phone back up and searched ‘what is the Iron-Man challenge’.
~~~~
Peta wondered if you could get a sunburn from blushing. Every time she so much as glanced at her phone her face would start burning again.
With not at all a death grip on her phone she texted Tony.
PP: where’s the switch to turn off the internet?
TS: that sounds like a super villain origin story
TS: Yours or someone else's?
TS: Because if you decide to give black leather a try…
Peta rolled her eyes.
TS: Seriously, what’s wrong?
PP: saw something on the internet
TS: Do I need to sue someone?
PP: …no…
PP: just foot in mouth + parker luck.
TS: wanna come over and tell me about it?
Peta knew it was a bad idea. But like so many bad ideas she had had today her fingers moved without her mind’s input.
PP: have you heard of the Iron-Man challenge
TS: …
TS: …
TS: …
TS: It doesn’t take me half an hour to make you cum three times. Last week you were screaming in under five.
PP: I told them ten minutes
PP: it must have changed along the way
TS: come over we can beat that record.
PP: ok
~~~~~~
Tony made good on his promise. Peta only turned sunburn red thinking of it a few times a day and she steered clear of social media for the next week. As long as she didn’t look at the IronManChallenge tag she could go on thinking that the world was a sane place.
~~~~~
Tony opened the car door and held out a hand to help her out. Tony knew there was no way that she would fall but he did it anyway. Going to a Valentine’s day charity gala wasn’t exactly what she had been expecting when Tony asked if she had plans but it was a nice change of pace from oversized sweatshirts and cafeteria food at college. Pepper had helped her pick a dress to wear that was a lighter shade of Tony’s midnight blue suit.
It wasn’t quite a red carpet entrance but there were several reporters inside the lobby getting quotes from New York’s elite about the charity and the donations that they had made.
A woman with a press badge came up to them.
“Hello, Mr. Stark, Ms. Parker. I’m Sally Grant. I write for Newer York Magazine”
Peter murmured a polite greeting and let Tony take the lead. “Ms. Grant, I’m sure you know about Stark Industries and the Maria Stark Foundations commitment to providing resources and safe spaces for the homeless.”
She smiled agreeably. “Of course. It’s been covered extensively.” She paused. “I actually had a question about something else. Ms. Parker?”
Peta nodded trying to remember the name of the designer of her dress.
“Have you ever heard of the Iron Man Challenge?”
There was that sunburn feeling again and Tony was grinning like a maniac.