If you asked how Tony Stark ended up in this situation —in an old warehouse, tied to a chair— you might think of not one, but three possible answers:

1. An attempt to do his job (that he hasn't done in a while)
2. A second midlife crisis
3. A need for an adrenaline rush

However, none of them –although true– quite fit the whole reason – the craziest, most stupid reason why someone like Iron Man would let himself be caught like that.

You.

If he has to admit it, it is kind of pathetic. But, hey, can you blame a man for wanting to get to the bottom of something that interests –obsesses– him so much? Can you?

It started two months ago when you fell under his radar with petty crimes that quickly escalated to public disturbances, breaches of government data, and threats of greater harm as you basically terrorized New York.

And he shouldn't have gotten involved, not after everything that happened with Rogers – not when he's been doubting himself and his role as a superhero since the fight at the airport...

Tony decided to stop once and for all after the Avengers split up – and rightly so. He had enough to deal with in the mess his own life had become and how it had affected even those he loved.

And he should have let the police, the FBI, or whoever was supposed to handle it, take care of it. He should have stayed in his lane, threw himself into work... perhaps traveled the world to forget how many pieces he had been broken into lately...

But Tony Stark simply couldn't.

There is something in the way you operate that attracted him from the moment he learned of your existance – very clean, sharp, perfectly curated... and yet, a piece of cake for him.

It didn't take him long to figure out your modus operandi and where you are hiding, as well as your identity and the potential threat you could pose due to your powers.

And, still, that didn't make his obsession go away.

Tony believed that, if he could understand you, then there would be no halo of mystery surrounding you, no element of surprise that kept him awake at night trying to figure out and connect the dots. Then, you would become mundane, predictable, easy in a way that would make him lose all interest and would make him come back to his sleepless nights of thinkering and drinking, like life has always been.

However, as you can see, it has the opposite effect.

It only led Tony into a downward spiral that seemed to have no other end than to face you, to see in the flesh the reason for his sleepless nights and adrenaline spikes.

So, that's what he did.

He made a plan, he let you believe that he –genius and inventor Tony Stark, fucking Iron Man– would be foolish enough to be caught by you.

And you, of course, took the opportunity as soon as it fell into your hands – who wouldn't, honestly?

Now, Tony is tied to a chair, completely at your mercy –or that's what he wants you to believe, it's not like he has FRIDAY ready to take him out if things go south–. And all he can do is grin like a bastard.

When he finally sees you stepping into the old warehouse, his complicated feelings resurface. He would be lying if he said that the way you look doesn't affect him – god, you even look cuter than in the few pictures he was able to find.

Again, he shouldn't be like this about you. He should be doing this because it's his job to protect the world, not because he's obsessed with you like a teenager with a crush.

And, meanwhile his feelings and his reasoning are waging war inside of him, he couldn't help but talk.

“Ah, finally, I thought you forgot about me here” Tony pouts. Pathetic “What's next? Your big villain speech? Are you gonna tell me your origin story? I'm excited to hear your reasons... and I'll be disappointed if I'm not one of them, y'know...” He tried to point at himself but the ties doesn't let his hand move “Serial life ruiner here.” Then, he pretends to think for a second “Actually, the first one I ruined was my dad's, I think... but don't mind it much.”