I know I really need to update Iron Romance and especially Love, Hate and Irony, but I decided, since I don't write man y one-shots I'd do an nice little fluffy Thanksgiving one. I plan to write a lot more one-shots in the future. So please enjoy and above all, REVIEW!
It was dark and chillingly cold morning when Tony Stark woke up. The house had the dank mustiness that rested over it on a icy Malibu day.
"Jarvis, outside temperature," Tony mumbled under his breath and attempted to pry his eyes open. He hated cold days, and his bones seemed to frozen and locked still.
"Approximately 38 degrees, sir, a new record for Malibu, sir, and humidity is 2%," Jarvis replied obediently. Even Jarvis seemed slightly shivery and bored. Rolling out of bed, Tony's sock feet hit the floor and immediately were drawn back up into the sheets.
"Damn it, I should never had tiled this floor," he grumbled under his breath. Leaning far out of bed, he stretched his arm out to grab and pull the rug next to the bed. He stretched, his arm screaming in pain. "God dang it." He stretched further and hooked his pinky onto one of the tassels. However, his triumph was short lived. Letting out a throaty yelp, and toppling out of bed, Tony's face slapped down hard on the cold tiles.
With both pride and body damaged, Tony drug his frigid, frosty frame from the bed and into the bathroom for a hot shower. It was one of the rare days Tony didn't feel like being productive. Maybe Pepper would have something to nag him about by which he could find a reason to annoy her. He needed to be difficult with someone, and Jarvis was a grossly unflappable target.
"Pepper!" Tony didn't like to call for her, but today was very much an exception. Yanking a soft, old blue cashmere sweater over his head, while simultaneously zipping up his pants, he did a lopsided trot into the kitchen. No Pepper, however, there was a note on the table.
Tony, Happy Thanksgiving. I know you are very difficult on cold days so I went ahead and attended the company meeting with the Department of Defense for you. Stay warm, I will be back at three. Pepper
Sighing heavily, Tony relocated to the workshop. Wait – had she said "Happy Thanksgiving"? Was it Thanksgiving? Already? Somehow Tony felt he needed to prepare for the day. Maybe Pep would bring how some cranberry sauce or something.
Wait! She had put a turkey in the freezer last week! Instead of meeting expectations – like Tony hated doing, he'd surprise Pepper and deep fry the bird before she came home. But he'd need proper gear. Padding outside in sock feet, he set up the deep fryer (which he had never used before)and filled it with fresh grease. The grease smelled like nastified butter and Tony grimaced at it. He hated to see how his food was cooked. He then turned the burner on. Surprisingly, his preparations went off without a hitch. He then proceeded to retreat inside and dig in his closet until he had found masculine snow boots, gloves, an extra pair of socks, a warm coat and hat, and his personal favorite – a soft cotton scarf.
Slightly rock hard and covered with ice crystals with the condition Tony found the bird in. Shrugging, he yanked it out, and was surprised by its weight. Heck, he was Iron Man, though, he could handle a turkey. He yanked it out, ignoring the freezing pricks and rushed it to the kitchen sink. Maybe he should run some water on it, just to clear off the ice. While the warm water rushed over the netted plastic of the turkey, he dug in the drawer for a knife and quickly located an oversize serrated one.
By then, the turkey was a bit soggy. Tony dried it with a handtowel best he could and cut off the net and plastic covering it. Inside, the turkey was still frozen solid. The hot grease would take care of that. Carrying the turkey out in a quite cumbersome pace and finally reached the deep fryer. The grease was already fizzing and popping in the cold air. Swearing, Tony swept a searing hot pop of grease off his arm and picked up the turkey again.
"Tony!" Pepper had just pulled into the driveway. Perfect timing. Tony slowly lowered the turkey in a dramatic fashion over the grease.
"TONY! NO!" Pepper screamed at the sight of a cocky Tony about to drop a frozen solid 15 pound turkey over boiling oil.
Tony had a moment of clarity.
Fire leapt hungrily into his face and he screamed. He could hear Pepper yelling frantically and the crunch of the frozen grass as she approached him rapidly. He leapt back instinctively, writhing at the pockets of popping grease flying onto his wrists.
"Tony!" Pepper wrapped her arms around his chest from behind and drug him far away from the infuriated pot of grease and its licking flames.
"Are you okay?" Pepper rolled him over onto the snow, his head in her lap. Tony's face was singed and blackened, and his eyes rolled back into his head. His lips were bright red, his eyebrows almost nonexistent. "Talk to me, Tony!"
"I'm…okay," he whispered hoarsely.
"You're lucky you didn't catch on fire!" She ripped off his smoking hat. "Can you walk?" Tony managed a nod. Half dragging him, Pepper supported him as he limped weakly into the living room. Pepper let him sink down onto the couch and hurried into the kitchen, her furry boots clomping on the floor. She returned with an icepack and damp towel. Tony seemed to have recovered and was blinking as if he was in shock.
"You going to be okay?" Pepper asked, dabbing his blackened face.
"Yes," Tony sighed. "Just my pride hurt. Somehow my face didn't burn. It might be a little raw, but…" he trailed off.
"Tony, what were you thinking?" Pepper roughly swiped the towel at his pink face. Fear had passed and she had moved onto anger.
"Ow!" Tony grabbed her wrist and held her hand still. "That hurts."
"I'm sorry," she dropped the towel into his lap. "It's just…you could have killed yourself." Tony released her wrist and tipped his head a bit, a smile curling lazily on his lips.
"It's nice to know someone cares," he stared thankfully into her eyes, and she dropped them, suddenly shy.
"I…I should call someone to have that cleaned up. You're lucky the turkey didn't set the house on fire," Pepper said, stammering a bit and pulling out her blackberry. Tony wiped his face off gingerly.
"Jarvis, mirror," Tony commanded, and looked into the mirror that popped up on the glass table. His eyebrows were severely singed, his lips were a bit red, but mostly unaffected. What flabbergasted him was how his face hadn't been burnt, merely blackened, and his eyelashes were perfectly untouched. He sighed in relief.
Pepper came back into the room, snapping her phone shut.
"Well, that's taken care of." She said, and proceeded to sit down and drag off her heavy boots.
"So much for our Thanksgiving turkey," Tony sighed. Pepper stood in sudden recollection and raised a finger.
"Ah, but I brought backup," she went to her car and was back in a flash. She put something into the microwave, then sprayed something, and was back with a large slice of pumpkin pie.
"Enjoy," she smiled, biting her lip.
"Pie?" Tony smiled broadly. "But I haven't had my dinner."
"I suppose I can let you off, but just because it's Thanksgiving," she smiled. Tony swiped his finger through the whipped cream.
"You know, there are lots of uses for whipped cream," he grinned coyly.
"You know what," Pepper shook her head in disbelief, "I take it back. We didn't lose our turkey. You are my Thanksgiving turkey, Tony." She leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek.
"Why thank you," he smiled, and leaned in to kiss her back. Just before their lips touched, his hand shot up and the fingerfull of whipped cream was deposited onto Pepper's nose in a long streak. She jumped and then chuckled.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Miss Potts," Tony said, not pulling away, his lips still mere inches from hers. Tony leaned in and kissed her gently, relishing her sultry breath on his lips. Just as their kiss intensified, Pepper leaned forward and plopped a dab of cream on his nose.
Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Stark," Pepper grinned and threw her arms around his neck.
Tony let the moment drag on as the twosome began their Thanksgiving with another kiss. Everything had worked out, thanks to a little ingenuity, luck, and pumpkin pie.
The End