[Third Person's PoV]
Tony and lissa sat back-to-back on the floor of the ship, each with a bundle of tangled wires in their hands, thodically sorting and reorganizing them.
The silence between them felt heavier than any sound could've been.
They didn't speak as they worked. The only noises were their soft breathing and the occasional click or snap as connections were made.
Tony let out a loud, heavy sigh, ruffling his hair with a trace of frustration. After a mont, he leaned back, pressing his spine against lissa's and closing his eyes. lissa slowly lowered her wires, pushing back against him, the backs of their heads resting together.
"I told you, you don't have to say anything," lissa murmured softly.
"Who said this was about that? Maybe I'm just tired and wanted to lean back against my girlfriend," Tony replied, his voice tinged with awkwardness.
lissa let out a quiet chuckle. "You got tired from moving a few wires? Maybe we should get you checked out."
Tony chuckled in return. "Maybe. Or maybe… I'm just trying to build up the courage to say what I need to say. I'm a bit of a coward, after all."
"You really don't have to. I'm fine with not knowing…"
"So this is how you want to spend the rest of your life with ? With that nagging feeling that I'm keeping sothing from you? Letting this heavy silence sneak up on us, until it feels like we're suffocating in it?" Tony's voice grew quieter, more serious. Both of them spread their hands on the floor to steady themselves.
Tony sighed again, softer this ti, almost wistful. He shifted his hand until his fingers brushed against lissa's, intertwining them gently.
"You know… when I picture my future, you were always the one constant. There wasn't a single version of it where you weren't by my side…"
"Tony…" lissa whispered, her voice breaking slightly.
"Honestly, I can't think of anything scarier than the possibility of losing you," Tony continued, his eyes still closed, his expression tight with emotion.
"To—" lissa began, but Tony cut her off.
"No, lissa. Please, let finish. Let finish while I still have the montum—while I still have the courage to say this." His voice had a fierceness to it, not from anger, but from desperation.
lissa nodded against him, her heart pounding.
"As I was saying… I can't think of anything scarier than losing you. But what's worse is the thought of losing you because of . Because I was a coward who couldn't be honest with you. If that ever happened… I don't think I'd ever forgive myself."
Tony's breath hitched slightly. Then, in a quieter voice, he gave the command, "Friday, seal the ship. Make sure no sound escapes."
There was a soft hiss as the doors locked and the hatches sealed. The windows darkened until the room was pitch black, except for the dim glow of the interior lights.
"Friday, go into sleep mode," Tony added.
"Understood, boss," ca Friday's final response before the AI fell silent.
And then it was just the two of them—alone in the sealed ship, the weight of the mont pressing down on them.
lissa felt Tony's hand tremble slightly against hers. She intertwined her fingers with his, gripping tightly, trying to anchor him. But she could feel it—his hesitation. Like he was opening and closing his mouth, trying to force the words out, but they were stuck, clawing at his throat, refusing to co.
And in that heavy silence, lissa waited. But as no words ca out, lissa finally spoke.
"Tony, I love you… I don't think words could ever express just how much. I don't even think you realize how strong my love for you is." Her voice was soft but steady, cutting through the heavy silence.
She paused for a mont, gathering her thoughts, then continued, "Honestly, I'm kind of mad you're underestimating our relationship like this. Do you really believe I'd leave your side just because you're keeping so big secret?"
Tony remained silent, but lissa could feel the tension in his body.
"The more I think about it," she added with a small, bittersweet chuckle, "the more I realize just how unhealthy my feelings for you probably are. I an… if your secret was sothing insane, like—you killed my mother or sothing—I'd be furious, sure. Maybe I'd even hate you for a few days. But I don't think I could ever truly hate you. And I definitely couldn't call off our relationship."
lissa chuckled again, shaking her head. "God, Tony, I think I'm honestly crazy about you. So, trust when I say—no matter what you tell , I'll always be crazy about you." She paused, then smirked. "Except if that secret is you're cheating on . Then I'll cut your dick off, so don't even think about it."
Tony couldn't help but laugh at that, the sound breaking the tension in the air. lissa's smile widened as she felt his shoulders relax against hers, his body finally unwinding from the stress.
But then, Tony took a deep breath. "lissa… the secret I've been keeping from you is that I've managed to retain mories from my past lives."
He let the words hang in the air before finally saying, "I'm a reincarnator."
lissa stiffened slightly behind him. A look of confusion—and just the faintest flicker of fear—flashed across her face, though Tony couldn't see it. If he had seen it, it might've shattered him.
"These mories…" lissa's voice was quiet, uncertain. "How long have you had them?"
"Since I was born into this world," Tony replied, his tone turning awkward in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm pretty sure I saw the taphorical light at the end of the tunnel—which, turns out, was just the way out of my mom."
There was a beat of silence… and then the fear in lissa's eyes lted away, replaced by a smile.
"Alright," she said simply. "That's all I need to know."
"Eh?" Tony blinked, almost turning to look at her. "Seriously? That's it?"
"I an, don't get wrong, I'm curious about a few things here and there—but none of that's really important." She squeezed his hand tighter. "What is important is that you're still my Tony."
She shifted slightly, her voice growing softer as she continued. "You're still the Tony I t at that party when we were little. The sa Tony who instantly beca my friend. The sa Tony who punched that moose-horned kid. The Tony who started the Quirkless Club so I wouldn't feel left out… You're the very sa Tony I fell completely and hopelessly in love with."
Tony let out another sigh, but this one was different—lighter, freer. Like a weight had been lifted from his chest, a burden he hadn't even realized he'd been carrying.
The silence between them now was warm. Comfortable.
"Did I ever ntion how much I just absolutely love you?" Tony murmured, sounding like soone hopelessly in love.
"Pedo."
"UGHHH!" Tony clutched his chest dramatically and collapsed onto his side. "I knew that was coming!"
lissa burst into laughter, grinning down at him as he lay there, groaning. She poked at his side playfully. "Was that one of the reasons you were so afraid to tell ? Huh?" she teased.
Tony groaned louder, covering his face with his hands. "I regret this. I regret this from the very bottom of my heart. I shouldn't have told you anything!"
lissa just laughed harder, dropping down on top of him and wrapping her arms around his torso. "Don't worry, my little pedo, I still love you~" she sang teasingly.
Tony groaned again, though this ti there was laughter mixed in. "I hate you."
"And I still love you" lissa whispered with a smile, her forehead resting against his. She stayed there for a mont, her breath mingling with his, before she finally said, "Thank you, Tony. Thank you for trusting with sothing so important."
She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her expression soft and full of love. "You didn't have to tell . You could've kept this secret to your grave—I know I probably would've if I were in your shoes. But you did tell . You trusted with this. And that ans more to than you'll ever know."
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