penistower | There will be better times for me and you, (Reply)

Following the aftermath of Ultron, Tony had had a lot to answer to. And a lot of people who wanted them. Natasha had been the only one, other than Rhodey and Pepper, to be completely judgment free and it had meant a lot to him. They had grown closer recently and he found himself overcoming any hesitation he'd had in trusting her previously. It's why one night when the Tower is quiet and Tony is starting and stopping down in the workshop, he realizes he wouldn't mind some company. It's been virtually impossible for him to get any projects rolling after what happened anyway, but he doesn't want to be alone in this place that he carved out for himself and his friends any more.

Steeling himself, Tony calls her up and invites Natasha over, promising takeout and bad movies and whatever dumb thing he can think of to say. It goes by in kind of a whirlwind and the second he hangs up he realizes he has no idea what to wear right now. Pajamas seem presumptuous in some way, but wearing a suit or something she's used to seeing him in is weird when it's just them and they're staying in. By the time she arrives, he's settled on some light linen pants, a plain t-shirt and a pinstriped button-up. And converse sneakers of course, in white.

Though usually J.A.R.V.I.S. would greet her, it's eerily quiet as Tony comes to greet her at the elevator, offering an awkward little wave before deciding better of it and drawing her in for a brief yet heartfelt hug. "Hey, stranger."