Nora groaned in annoyance, keeping a pillow in her face, as sleep betrayed her once again. 

After eliminating the Velkan HYDRA base, the Avengers ascended the tower the next afternoon, and true to Tony's word, they did go to grab their favorite food, after all, there is nothing better for motivation than something that provides satisfaction to the body and soul, food.
And then everyone retired back to their room, exhausted. 

Stepping on the cold floor of her room, she turns off the Air conditioner before looking at herself in the mirror, a feeling of discomfort crawling in by seeing her reflection.

God, her eyebags were turning dark, she did not doubt in a few days their darkness may rival her past. 

Amazing.

She sighed, wondering how Tony managed to look as handsome as ever, every time, even after not sleeping for days. Yes, she thought that he is handsome, and no, the thought did not bother her now, facts are facts. 

"J, Is Tony in his lab?" she asked, her voice the only sound in the now, silent room.

"Yes, Ms. Reyes," the AI responded. 

"Alright,"

Her steps took her to the kitchen as she brewed some coffee, spending time with him would be better than having a staring contest with herself in the mirror, after all.

─── · 。ﾟ

In Tony's lab, the lights hummed softly. The room was a blend of cutting-edge technology and organized chaos. Stark Industries prototypes mingled with half-finished inventions, that were sprawled across desks.

Tony himself sat at the desk, his head resting on folded arms. His breathing was steady, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a rare sight for someone who rarely paused.

Nora entered; her hands occupied by a steaming cup of coffee. The mist rose from the surface, dancing in intricate patterns. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died on her lips. Tony was asleep, his face partially obscured by his arms.

A small smile blossomed on her lips, seeing ever-the-workaholic genius getting some rest, despite him maintaining his energetic demeanor most of the time, his tiredness was visible in his hazel eyes, and it would be a lie if Nora said, that she was not getting worried. 

Being a victim of Insomnia herself, she very well knew the struggle of sleepless nights and the tiredness that course through the veins each day. And spending those Insomniac nights with him, she knew he was not getting sleep at all, like her. 

"At least, one of us is resting for now," she whispered underneath her breath.

For a moment, she just stood there, her eyes briefly tracing his features, that were illuminated by the soft glow of his arc reactor, "Rest well, Tones," her soft words mingle in the air, as she turned around to leave, leaving him to take a well-deserved rest. 

Though, as her hand touched the doorknob she stopped, by the soft sound of clinking of metal. Nora noticed the twitch in his fingers, slightest furrow of his brows, sign she knew all too well. 

Taking concerned steps forward, she kneels beside him, her hand softly touching his cheek, "Tony, it's just a dream, wake up," she said, gently shaking him awake. 

The sudden warm touch pulled him out of the dark abyss, his shoulders were tensed, one hand resting on the metal table while the other support his forehead as he leaned on it, breathing heavy. 

He could feel Nora's presence, but made no move to acknowledge it, sitting silently on his chair, battling with the after comes of the nightmare. Nora rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her emerald eyes filled with concern, "It's all right, Tony, you are safe now," her voice soothed him, her gentle touch a stark contrast to the harshness he was used to receive. 

"You can go," he tried to keep his voice casual, but Nora didn't miss the slightest waver in it, "you don't have to be burdened by al-" 

Her slender finger pressed against his lips silencing him, his eyes travelled to her fingers before resting on her eyes, "Tony, your emotions are not a burden," she said, her voice a delicate mix of firmness and softness. 

She could feel her heart physically hurting by seeing his misty eyes, she like those sunset orbs when they are filled with playfulness and happiness not with overwhelming pain and sadness. The pain he held in his eyes, made her heart clenched, especially when she knew all well how it felt to have no outlet for it. 

 Her hand raised, as she hesitated for some moments before wrapping her arms around him, her embrace comforting, "You have become an important part of my life, Tony," she whispered, her arms tightening the slightest bit around him, "don't think, I will ever judge you, to show your emotions, they are as important to me as you are," 

For a moment which felt like an eternity, his body was still and rigid, before he eventually crumbled into her. His arms wrapping around her frame, he buried his face in her neck as he felt the hot tears trickling down.

Tony, was someone who was not used to gentleness, since childhood he had told that showing emotions was the biggest weakness, so as he grows, he mastered the art to put the façade up. Hiding his pain behind his arrogance, his sorrow behind his sarcasm, after all it was not like anyone cared. All they saw, was an arrogant billionaire who was too egoistic for his own good. 

And it was all right with him, it didn't concern him that he couldn't show his emotions to anyone, or so he told himself. 

'Your emotions are as important to me as you are,' these were some words that were engraved in his heart, said by the person he had loved the most in the world, whose presence was always a soothing lullaby for him, his mother. 

It was not just her comforting embrace that brought him to tears, sure the built-up emotions and nightmare served as major factors, but it was rather the words, that did. 

As Nora fingers softly run through his hairs, her hand gently patting his back, Tony felt comforted just like he did, once in his mother's embrace. 

And after years, he had found that home, again.