Standard disclaimer for all my stories: My stories are graphic, angsty, frustrating, filled with cliffhangers, drama and foul language. Read at your own risk – medical issues and subsequent bills are not covered by yours truly ;) If you don't like, please don't read. I appreciate reviews and constructive feedback but if you cannot stand the plot, save yourself and me some time and walk away. You don't have to love all IMAA stories :) I don't own IMAA. My stories are better viewed by using the "half screen" option of FFNET.
Summary: Random snippets of Tony and Pepper's relationship after the end of Season 2. Multi-chapter. Drabbles, maybe? No plotline. No continuity. NO ANGST (lol). No real goal, actually. Just fluff – with a twist: Pepperony from Rhodey's perspective!
Eye of the Beholder
Chapter 1: Hazel Meets Blue
The development of their relationship had been unhurried; its natural changes virtually indiscernible for the both of them, but they had been blatantly obvious for anyone seeing them from the outside. Although it was clear to the world that their feelings of friendship had turned into a deeper, more powerful connection – and that the couple was not shy about showing the other affection in any way that fancied them – it was not an uncomfortable scene to witness. In fact, as far as anyone that knew them was concerned, Tony Stark's and Pepper Potts' boyfriend-girlfriend relationship status was worthy of staring in awe.
Even the self-proclaimed queasiness that had once engulfed James Rhodes when first seeing his two closest friends behaving in a romantic manner was practically gone. After nearly two months of observing their dating history, the sick and uncomfortable feeling in Rhodey's stomach had been replaced with a feeling of authentic happiness for his best friends. It had even become an unspoken life goal for anyone who knew about them, actually, Rhodey included, to someday finding someone so special, so quirky, and so crazy and madly in love with you that absolutely nothing else mattered in the world as long as you were with them… exactly as it was currently being presented by Exhibit A.
From the corner of his eye, Rhodey noticed that Tony was splitting his attention between drawing Iron Man schematics on what should have been his class notes, pretending to pay attention to what Professor Klein was reciting about Physics, and stealing furtive glances to his redheaded girlfriend. Rhodey knew that Tony thought he was being slick about it all – that the genius honestly believed he was discreetly eyeing his girl while she paid attention to class, but James Rhodes knew better than that. He had known Tony for all of his life.
This was one of the reasons why Tony's and Pepper's relationship had become so fascinating for Rhodey: its progress was somewhat akin to history in the making. Tony had not once ever shown this much commitment or interest to anything other than to science or to Iron Man. Heck! Other than when dating Whitney, Rhodey had never seen Tony play the part of a romantic partner before. For this reason, it sometimes felt as if Rhodey was meeting Tony all over again – or, at the very least, seeing in him a side he was not even aware had existed within the once oblivious-to-feelings blue-eyed boy.
"So," Professor Klein turned to face his pupils, "Who can tell me what the velocity would be for this particle at this point in time?"
"Oh-oh!" Pepper impatiently raised and waved her hand.
"Yes, Miss Potts?"
"The velocity of the particle at t=6 is 25 meters per second!"
Her correct response made Tony Stark smirk, his eyes never leaving the paper before him.
"Absolutely, Miss Potts! Very good!"
Professor Klein turned around in place after praising the wide-eyed ginger and then continued on with his lecture.
The eye contact across two rows of seats between hazel and electric blue eyes was brief, but not too brief that Rhodey did not get a chance to catch Tony winking at Pepper, or the slight tint of red on Pepper's cheeks and nose.