The Day Off

Sometimes, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts hated her boss. Now was definitely one of those moments. Although, to be perfectly honest, she hated herself almost as much.
Shame on you if you fool me once. Shame on me if you fool me twice.
With all her experience of Tony Stark she should have known better than to trust him with this. He was the biggest kid she had ever met with and she ought to have known that an idea of his couldn't be anything else but crazy.

The day had started out pretty normal. She had brought Tony his coffee and remonstrated with him for his behaviour the previous night at the reception Vanity Fair had given. Tony had only watched her with a tilted head and a cocked eyebrow, completely ignoring her rant and looking unimpressed.
"You look bad, Pepper. Didn't you get enough sleep?"
"I slept perfectly well, Mr Stark, thank you, I just think it a little unwise to—"
Tony had cut her short with a dismissive wave of his hand. Of course he hadn't wanted to hear Pepper's opinion about either his less than harmless 'flirting' with one of the waitresses or about the speech he had delivered while barely being able to stand anymore. He just never cared.
He had glanced a moment longer at her, pensively, until he suddenly declared: "I know, you got to have a day off. You're always working anyway. And I know just the thing to cheer you up."
Pepper had stiffened up. "No, really, Tony, I don't think that's necessary." She already had had the feeling that she wouldn't like whatever he had in mind. If only she had been more steadfast in her rejection of it.
But Tony had waved her protest away, grinned and jumped up. "No, no. It's no use to struggle. You will relax today and if I have to force you." He clearly had it already decided and wouldn't take 'No' for an answer. "You definitely work too much, Pepper."
Pepper had eyed him suspiciously. "Well, who would look after you if I didn't? Someone has to make sure you don't do even more stupid things."
Tony had mimed a bow. "Thank you so much, Pepper for your concern but I am very capable of taking care of myself."
Something Pepper very much doubted.
"And now I will show you that I can also take care of my employees." He had downed his coffee and taken her by the hand, literally dragging her after him.

And now here she was, clutching desperately the railing of the little cart, sitting stone-faced with lips tightly pressed together, trying not to feel sick while Tony yelled with excitement next to her as the little vehicle took the next loop.
Why had she ever agreed to do this? Pepper groaned inwardly and her hand turned white as she held even faster to the railing while she tried to ignore the spinning of the world around her.
When the cart finally stopped and Tony pulled her out of it she had to lean against the next wall, her legs feeling way too unstable under her to support her weight.
Tony didn't seem to notice, he was still excited and beaming like a kid. "That was great! We should do that again. Maybe I should just buy the park and we could go here every day without having to bother about little irritating kids."
Pepper shot him a very dark look while her head still spun, her stomach felt sick and her hands shook.
Tony finally glanced her over with a surprised expression. He spread out his hands in confusion and protested innocence. "What? What did I do this time?"
Pepper's eyes narrowed as she straightened up again, carefully smoothened her clothes and bringing some order back into her hair.
"Don't you ever try to cheer me up again, Tony!"