#kepnerisms

𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 around to know the expression on her face—somewhere between fear and frustration, maybe even a little desperation. April has that effect on him, making him second-guess, making him want to be more than just the man in the suit. But old habits die hard, and Tony Stark has always been a man driven by the need to fix things, to stay one step ahead of disaster, even if it means stepping into danger. He exhales, dragging a hand over his face, eyes closing for a brief second. The irony isn’t lost on him. April was supposed to be his anchor, the one to pull him back from the brink, and yet here he is again—on the precipice of something reckless, something she won’t understand.

𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢, a game where the rules are ever-changing, and the stakes are perpetually high. So when April Kempner, with her piercing eyes and no-nonsense demeanor, throws that question his way, he can’t help but let a smirk play at the corners of his mouth. " ɪꜱ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴍʏ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛʀᴀᴛᴇɢʏ ? " she asks.

Tony leans back in his chair, fingers steepled as he regards her with that gaze—one part mischief, two parts brilliance. He can see the frustration flicker in her eyes. It's a familiar sight—she often gets flustered around him, whether by his intellect, his charm, or his sheer unpredictability. ❝ Strategy ? ❞ he says, his voice dripping with a playful nonchalance that belies the sharpness of his mind. ❝ I'd call it more of an… unintended side effect. ❞

⊹ · ⸻ @kepnerisms ; answered dream letter :

ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ . - ᴍᴀᴛᴛ ᴠ.

𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 his brow as April says he isn't interested in anyone. Her words sting, a sharp jab despite her damn adorable self. There's a flicker of truth to her accusation. Since his divorce, his love life's been a disaster zone. Hell, even before that, it wasn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. But true to form, Matthew downplays it all, all buttoned up and curtains closed. Not about to let anyone see the man behind the badge, especially not if there's a chance she might hit a nerve.

With a dry chuckle, he crosses his arms, crossing over his chest. ❝ You think you got me all figured out, huh, Kepner❞ He leans in a touch, a playful glint in his eyes, though it doesn't quite reach them fully. It's flirtatious, sure. ❝ But maybe…I am interested in someone.❞