a/n: Erm. Hi! Here's a little something…not really a sequel, not really a prequel to anything I've posted. It's just a little something. :)

Disclaimer: Ironman and it's characters belong to Marvel. No infringement is intended.

Caffeine Deficit

The angry staccato of heels on tile interrupted him as he lifted his morning espresso to his mouth. Uh-oh. Tony looked up to see Pepper coming into the kitchen, holding her Blackberry and several files, looking annoyed. Yes. She definitely looked annoyed. With him.

"Good morning, Miss Potts. Is … everything alright?" He asked warily, setting the cup down, turning to face her and leaning back against the counter.

Giving her boss a curt nod, Pepper responded, "Mr. Stark, you aren't supposed to be here. Your meeting started five minutes ago. It's across town. And now it's rush hour."

"I know, Miss Potts. And I was just thinking about leaving." He spread his arms, hands casually gesturing, and indicated his suit. "See, I'm all ready. I just need my morning dose of caffeine." Reaching down for the cup, he was a little startled to see she had beat him to it, and watched in horrified fascination as she poured the steaming brew into the sink. Hey. "My coffee," he protested, his eyebrows lifting in shocked surprise.

"Mr. Stark. Please. Happy has the car out front. Here is the brief for your first meeting," she handed him one of the folders, practically pushing him away from the counter with the urgency in her voice. "I have more to give you, but I need to finish some things up, so I'll have to meet up with you in a little bit. I'll give you the rest then. You have back-to-back meetings today. If this one doesn't end on time…"

"Well, we just need to reschedule some of them, then." Tony offered, as he found himself guided towards the front door. It was a simple solution, really. Since when did his assistant get so pushy?

"No. We can't. These are meetings we've been rescheduling for the past three months, and some for the past seven."

"Seven?"

"Yes," she said, sounding exasperated. "Some of these people have been trying to meet with you for that long. Since before….since before you were," Pepper's voice hesitated as she realized where the sentence was going. He heard it and stopped, one hand on the doorknob, turning back to look at her.

Clearing her throat, Pepper continued, "Before you were taken." She paused, looking away from his face and down at her feet. She recovered her composure and looking up again, finished, "many of the attendees have flown in from out of town and will be leaving tomorrow."

But Tony had caught the look in her eyes and frowned. That look bothered him. Not really knowing how to address it, he headed outside with a simple nod goodbye as Pepper turned away. He heard the front door click shut behind him. Happy was waiting, patiently as always. "Good morning, Mr. Stark." He smiled. "Early meeting today, huh?"

Tony sighed. "Morning, Happy. Yes, too early. Any chance we can stop for some coffee on the way?" He settled into the back seat and looked at the now-closed front door as Happy pulled the car away. Well, that was…odd. He put the file in his lap. He'd better review the information Pepper had given him; the meeting was only about 30 minutes away.

Traffic was bad and the drive-thru was packed. Even though he was only running a little late, after Pepper's unusually demanding behavior, Tony determined it would be better for his continued good health if they by-passed the coffee stop and went straight to the meeting.

Happy waved as he pulled out of the parking lot after dropping his boss off. Tony, holding his sheaf of papers with a sour expression on his face, watched his driver leave. He's probably going to get breakfast. And coffee.

Tony could see the group of suited business men in the windows of the boardroom. Sighing, he went to join them.

The meeting was boring and Tony was bored. And tired. He might have neglected to let his assistant know that he hadn't slept the night before. Maybe it was because he was working on the Ironman suit and he'd noticed recently that particular project hit a sore spot with the otherwise unflappable Miss Potts. Or maybe he just forgot to mention it. Yeah. That was it.

He frowned. He'd been kind of desperate actually, for that caffeine fix this morning.

Scouring the refreshment table got him tea. Fancy tea. He didn't have a problem with tea really, not even the frufru varieties with subtle accents of fruit, or herbs. His mom had had a fondness for a relaxing High Tea. So Tony had most definitely tasted more than his fair share of it growing up. It just didn't do anything for him. No kick. No pizazz. Tea just wasn't exciting…and Tony liked exciting. As a result, the lack of sleep and lack of caffeine had his mood rapidly turning, his mind wandering, and unfocused thoughts returning repeatedly to his exchange with Pepper that morning – leaving an uncomfortable feeling of something unfinished gnawing at his stomach.

The presenter was stumbling over some mechanical issue they were having with the medical robot they were prototyping. After spending a moment figuring out what the problem was and wondering if he should charge them for the solution, Tony once again found himself bored.

Where was Pepper with the rest of the briefs?

Maybe he should pour the contents of his tea-bag into the bottom of the cup….he could read his future in the leaves. He didn't know how to do that, but it couldn't be that hard, right? He hoped there were roasted Arabica beans in his future.

He was checking his watch, again, when the door opened. "Hello Ms. Potts," he stage-whispered as she settled down next to him. With a small smile she handed him a file folder. And another. A third. His brow furrowed; a hint of panic showing in his eyes.

"It's not so bad," she said soothingly. "Most of those are just for reference if you really need to. I've put a summary of the data in the top file." Tony opened it and looked it over. Five pages of numbers, stats and projections. Scanning it took moments, but it was while he was doing so he realized something. He glanced up, his dark eyes accusing. "You have coffee on your breath." His assistant looked up and cringed, grimacing.

She looked apologetic. "I'm sorry about this morning, sir. I don't know what came over me. It's just so much time has been invested setting these meetings up…." He watched her watch his reaction to that. It wasn't that he didn't understand, even sympathize, with Pepper for having to deal with him every day - it couldn't be easy. It was just….his coffee.

"I'd planned to stop on the way here to grab you another - but the drive-thru was packed and…" she ducked her head and Tony saw her cheeks were pink.

Dammit.

How was he supposed to be angry with her now? How often did he get to see her this flustered? It was adorable, but she obviously felt bad - and he couldn't help the sudden urge to make her feel better. It frustrated him a bit, to be honest.

He sighed. "Don't worry about it, Pep. I'm not all that great at resisting my impulses, either…" and he gave her a wicked grin that turned into a genuine smile when she rolled her eyes. "I'll just grab some at lunch." The sound of a throat clearing caught his attention. The presenter was looking at him, not quite irritated but obviously not happy with the lapse in discipline. Flashing the guy an oops-sorry look, Tony turned his attention back to the presentation. He resisted the urge to yawn as Ms. Potts picked up her files and took her leave, headed to yet another meeting. Idly watching her smooth and near silent exit, he felt the ache of his sleepless night pull at him again. Yeah. A triple shot espresso, maybe a quad – I'll need the boost for the afternoon.

First there was shock and then despair, as the echo of the words filtered into his caffeine deprived brain. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark. The espresso machine is down."

"What? What do you mean? Okay. It's okay. How about just some coffee?"

"Um. The coffee maker is built into the espresso machine."

Tony didn't say a word. He counted to ten, slowly, in his mind.

The afternoon was too long to relate. It was about 4:40 when he decided that he had indeed died and entered his own personal purgatory when the chairperson at the final meeting relayed his apologies, "but the meeting room has been rented from a drug rehabilitation group - so unfortunately caffeinated beverages are prohibited."

Because clearly, caffeine is a gateway drug.

This hellacious bit of news was followed by a beatific smile and gesture indicating that, "fruit juice and bottled water is available on the table along the front wall."

Perfect.

Tony dragged into the house at nearly nine p.m. He was exhausted, cranky and hungry. The last meeting had offered to have food brought in (still no coffee, though), but the thought of greasy spoon takeout didn't really appeal.

Making his way into the kitchen, he rummaged through the fridge. There wasn't much there – it had been a while since he'd ordered any groceries; but maybe he could cobble something together. He threw together a salad, and thin sliced some beef. He was reaching for the onion when Jarvis noted, "Sir, are you aware that Ms. Potts has not yet left for the evening?"

One eyebrow lifted. "Oh?" What could she possibly still be working on? "Has she had dinner yet?"

"She arrived back at the office at three fifty-seven and has not eaten anything while at the mansion." Well. No matter that she was the reason he still hadn't enjoyed the sweet smooth solace of a lovingly prepared espresso, the woman was his assistant - right hand and all that. She had to eat.

Pulling the pan off to the side and flicking off the burner, he went to her office. The rest of the house was dark, so he didn't feel guilty he hadn't realized she was still there. The slight glow of light under her door was the only indication the office was still occupied. "Potts," he gave a light rap on the door and let himself in. He was greeted by the top of her head, bent while she typed busily at her desk. He could just see the edge of the clip she wore, holding the weight of her hair back from her face. She didn't respond. The sound of the keys brought to mind again the rapid tap-tap of heels on tile.

"Potts," he said again. She looked up and he tried not to let it show that he noticed. Her eyes were pink around the edges and unnaturally bright. She blinked at him, and then smiled. A small smile, not with her typical rueful or patient or put-upon expression behind it, but a hesitant one that hurt - and made that protective feeling rise again, stronger than before.

Without realizing why, he took a step towards her before he got a grip on himself. Taking a breath, he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, saying quietly, "Come on, Pepper. Whatever you're working on can wait."

"It's almost done. Let me just..."

"No. It can wait." Giving a tug, he pulled her to her feet. "Jarvis. Save her work and shut everything down."

"But.." Her protest came over the soft chime of her computer as it shut down.

Turning back to her, one side of his mouth turned up. "Come Ms. Potts. I could use your assistance in the kitchen."

Cooking was a lot like inventing. For Tony it was a rare pleasure…add inspiration and ingenuity to any meal and you might transform it into something divine. Or an experiment in terror. Either one.

He had just finished a quick sauté of the onion and was reaching for the filleted beef when he heard the hitch of indrawn breath, soft and nearly hidden under the sound of the brisk sizzle coming from the stovetop. He looked over his shoulder, just catching the quick movement as Pepper turned her face away from him.

"Pepper?" She shook her head and said nothing. Setting the pan aside, he turned to face her and reached up, gentle fingers against the soft skin of her cheek, nudging to get her to look at him. "Hey." He frowned at the glint of tears he saw hovering at the edge of falling. "What is it? If it's the coffee thing, don't worry about it." Of course that wasn't it and he knew it.

"It's the onions. They're making my eyes burn."

"The onions." She nodded.

"Right." His tone said what he thought of that.

She sighed and it tugged something tight in his chest to hear it. He watched her twine a lock of hair nervously, fingers turning a circle in the air between them. "I was archiving some files this morning." She gave a small laugh, her mouth twisting. "Spring cleaning." Not knowing where this was going, he frowned, waiting for her to continue.

"I ran across the ransom video…it was still on there." She shook her head. "I forgot I'd stored it on the backup drive." It was almost a sigh.

"…Oh."

Pepper stepped around him, pulling the pan back onto the burner. She got the onion sizzling again and added the beef. "I understand why you're doing the Ironman thing. It's just…I was here, waiting for three months while you were in that hell. And when they told me you weren't coming back…" Then her hands were busy plating the food and serving out the salad he'd made. The glimmer of unshed tears in her downcast eyes remained as she continued quietly, "You're back now, but sometimes it feels like it did back then."

There it was. And Tony wasn't sure what to say, or if he should say anything at all.

He remembered the day after he'd returned from Afghanistan. Surrounded by his beloved tech, he'd asked Jarvis to update him on what had gone on. It started with multiple screens blinking to life with newsfeeds and Stark Industries press. When Jarvis told Tony that the board had insisted Pepper come stay at the mansion to ensure her safety, his curiosity had been piqued. At the barest request, a streaming video of the security feeds that had been taken during his absence (they automatically activated for movement) popped up, and it was the weirdest thing to see his assistant moving through the mansion…without him. For months. It was silly perhaps, but being so notably absent for such a long period, while she was living in his space - he wasn't sure how to react. It didn't feel wrong, exactly. But he soon found himself enlarging the picture and ignoring the rest of the "news" in favor of watching his assistant working, going to meetings and moving about the mansion. He felt like a voyeur for it, but he told himself it was innocent enough….she was working after all.

Until it was more than that. Jarvis started the vid from the moment she received the call from Rhodey. Tony watched her reaction to the news. The way she'd returned to and continued to work after a two-day break, though she seemed to avoid certain areas of the house. Throughout the three months, she never once went down to his workshop. And he didn't know what to think when he saw her walk up to the piano and run her hand slowly along the top of the keys. He saw that day when she'd wandered into his room and looked at the photos on his dresser. Smelled his cologne, and cried.

That was weeks ago now. He felt a little guilty about not telling her about the security feeds, though she must know he could access them.

With a start, he realized she was waiting for him to take the food. He took the two plates she held and set them on the counter … and without thinking too deeply about it; he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry," one hand smoothed under the soft weight of her hair and he pulled her in close, tucking her head into the hollow of his neck. He smiled, and it was a little sad. "You know I can't stop the 'Ironman thing'. I have to do this."

"I know," she breathed, exhaling. "I just need a little time to get used to the new you."

Tony huffed a laugh. "You say that like you preferred the old me." She glanced up and caught his eyes, a small smile pulling at the edge of her lips.

Lifting a hand to her face, he smoothed the dampness on her cheek away with his thumb. When her lips parted at the gentle touch, his heart sped up and without thinking he leaned in, closing the distance between them. He could feel her breath on his lips and caught a whiff of lavender before their mouths met. When Pepper made a sound, soft and low in the back of her throat, he felt it all the way down to his stomach ….and suddenly all he wanted was more of that.

His arms dropped to her waist as he stepped in closer, craving the feeling of her against him. When he moved to press soft kisses to the edge of her mouth and down her jawline, he could taste the salt of her earlier tears and hear the whisper of her quickened breath.

And then he realized this was Pepper, and felt the bright heat of a not-so-small flash of panic saying that this would change everything.

With all that had already changed, was he ready for that?

He blinked and took a slow shuddering breath, pulling away. When he caught a glimpse of flushed cheeks and hooded blue eyes, he nearly decided to hell with it, it was worth the risk. "I'm not all that great at resisting my impulses either…"

But it seemed Pepper had followed his thoughts or had some along the same lines. She'd stepped back and though she was smiling softly to herself, she studiously avoided his gaze, biting her lower lip and stood there being incredibly, unintentionally, tempting. Ayep. A cold shower would be pretty good right about now.

He sighed.

She looked up. "Um…oops?" Tony didn't miss the uncertainty behind the smile.

There was no uncertainty in the one he returned. "Maybe. Maybe not." He paused, reaching around her to the counter. "Maybe we'd better eat before this gets too cold." He handed her a plate and they moved to the dining table. The food was simple, but good, and Tony found it to be the second best part of the day. He even nearly forgot how completely exhausted he was. They ate and reviewed business that had happened that day and chuckled over little things they'd had to endure at their various meetings; Tony told her about his new aspiration to be a fortune teller. "Could you check online for a guide to tea leaf reading in the morning?" And when he said, "No, seriously." Her laughter made the room seem brighter. "Make sure it has good reviews."

She jumped up abruptly as they were finishing their plates, wiping her hands and tossing the napkin on her chair and he raised surprised eyebrows her way. She didn't see him do it; she was on her way into the kitchen. "I almost forgot," she said over her shoulder.

She came out with a cup in her hand, a familiar and incredibly welcome logo emblazoned across the front of it.

He looked at the clock, thinking about how little sleep (none, actually) he'd gotten the night before and how he probably shouldn't have anything at this hour that might keep him up. "Uhh," he said uncertainly. "I'm not sure I should…"

Her smile was knowing. "It's decaf."

Of course. He couldn't pull anything over on her.

"Thank you, Ms. Potts." She grinned, pleased, and when she unconsciously licked her lips it brought to mind the taste and smell and feel of her mouth on his and he nearly groaned. He took a deep breath, mentally shaking himself. Thinking wryly that thirty-six hours without sleep was affecting his already admittedly shaky self-control, he reached for the coffee. Their hands brushed as he took the cup, a glancing touch of skin that had Tony almost desperately resisting the urge to pick up where they'd left off…

As his assistant bid him a goodnight, picked up her purse and gracefully took her leave, he watched with thoughtful eyes. Was that a little more sway in those slim hips? She glanced over her shoulder as she pulled the door closed behind her, and he'd swear her smile held just a hint of come-hither. Guys could say come-hither, right? Especially when it fit.

And yeah, it fit. He chuckled, smiling at the now closed door.

Maybe…. changing everything wouldn't be so bad.

Oh, and the coffee was fantastic. Even without caffeine.