Tony Stark never celebrated Christmas in the traditional sense. Actually, he never celebrated any holiday in the traditional sense, but that's a whole 'nother story. Christmas for Tony Stark didn't involve decorations or trees or caroling or eggnog—well, actually, it did involve eggnog. Just eggnog with lots of rum. There were presents, too, but only from the ones he received from the company or the ones he gave out (sometimes without his knowledge). He did get a single, special present each year. It appeared every Christmas day, in his workshop, wrapped in spirited wrapping paper with a neat bow, and a small tag that said From Pepper. Besides that, the traditional Christmas for genius billionaire playboy philanthropist and CEO of Stark industries involved parties. Lots and lots of parties. Nothing else but parties, rumnog, and women.
Oh, and mistletoe.
One Christmas day many years ago, Tony Stark had thrown a party at his large mansion. In attendance was the usual partygoers—women, a few men, women, his best friend Rhodey, and even more women—and, this year, Pepper Potts. Tony had asked her to go (she would make the argument that he forced her to go) and so she went. Halfway through the night, Tony had been paying particular attention to a few of the supermodels that had come, when his wandering eyes had spotted his redheaded personal assistant leaning against a doorway, attention focused on the phone in her hand. The interesting part of this, however, was the mistletoe that was resting just above her head. How it got there Tony didn't know—one of the ladies probably brought it in hopes of catching him under it. However it got there didn't matter; he was more interested in the fact that Pepper was standing under it.
Not even stopping to consider the consequences of his next action, Tony excused himself from his clump of supermodels and started making his way through the crowd of people. He made sure to move slowly, like a predator stalking its prey, so as not to make his PA aware of his approach. As he approached he watched her on her phone, until she finally put it away. Tony hurried, hoping she wouldn't notice him. But she did. Her eyes immediately locked onto him and she watched him for a moment, eyebrows knitted together in confusion. It was then that Tony made the fatal mistake of glancing up at the mistletoe, for Pepper saw his subtle movement and glanced up above her. Ten feet away. He just needed her to stay there for five more seconds. He hurried even faster.
In one swift movement, Tony had stepped under the mistletoe just as Pepper stepped past him, leaving him alone in the archway. "Nice try, Mr. Stark," was all she said before she turned and disappeared into the crowd. It was that moment as Tony watched her go that he decided, one year, he was going to get her to kiss him.
That proved to be harder than he thought.
The next year, he tried to catch her unawares again. He even planted several mistletoe around the house, knowing Pepper would be under one of them eventually. He was close at first, but once she knew what he was doing, she kept a close eye on him the whole night. The next few years were a repeat of the last—Tony failing in his attempt at getting Pepper under the mistletoe each Christmas. Then, one year, he tried to get the advantage by trying to get her under the mistletoe the week before Christmas. It didn't work. One of his attempts consisted of him putting up holographic mistletoe in his workshop and calling her down to talk to her. It almost worked, but when the holo-toe was discovered, she merely shook her head, said "doesn't count," grabbed the holographic mistletoe, and threw it into the virtual trash.
Oddly enough, Pepper never seemed to get annoyed by his attempts. Tony would have guessed she was more amused than anything.
About the fifth year in, Tony was sitting at his annual Christmas party, with a rumnog in one hand and his face in the other. He was pouting due to his third failed attempt that evening, when a woman had approached him "Hi Mr. Stark," she said in the same tone every woman talked to him with, "looks like someone needs a kiss." The woman gestured to the candy-cane striped headband on her head. In the center of the headband a striped pole extended upwards, arching to form a candy-cane shape. On the very end of this shape, however, was a mistletoe. Upon seeing this, Tony's face immediately lit up.
"You're right. I absolutely need this." Tony said. The woman smiled, closed her eyes, and puckered her lips. But no kiss came. All she felt was the headband being removed from her head, and when she opened her eyes, Tony had disappeared.
"Evening, Miss Potts." The voice behind Pepper said. She had been so focused on her planner that she jumped in surprise, turning around to come face to face with her boss.
"Don't do that," she replied, composing herself. Tony just smiled at her. She frowned, unsettled by his unusually cheerful smile. Last time she saw him he was sulking after she rebuffed his last attempt. "What's that on your head?" Pepper questioned, but he didn't need to answer, for she saw it; the mistletoe, protruding right from the center of his forehead. And it hung right between them. "Oh no, that—"
"It counts." Tony said, his smile turning into a grin. "You can't get out of it this time, Potts."
Pepper pursed her lips in that usual, un-approving way, and placed her hand on her hip. She stared at him for a few moments, and he stared right back, grinning like a man who had just won the lottery. "Why? Why have you wanted to get me under that for so long?" she finally questioned after so many years.
"Because."
"Because what?"
"Because I want to."
"Give me a better reason than that or I'm walking away right now."
"Can't a boss want to kiss his personal assistant on Christmas?"
"That, Mr. Stark, is called sexual harassment." She said. Pepper knew she couldn't win this one, though. Tony had caught her under the mistletoe, so something had to happen. "If I let you have this one, will you stop in your insane attempt at getting me under the mistletoe?"
"Absolutely not." Tony grinned.
Pepper huffed. She tapped her foot for a few moments, glanced up at the mistletoe handing between them, then looked at her grinning boss. "All right, I'll compromise." She sighed. Putting her hand on his arm, she leaned forward, and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. Pulling away, she gave him a small smile. "Merry Christmas, Tony." Pepper said, then turned around, and left.
"Merry Christmas, Pep." Tony smiled in return, watching her go. It may not have been what he was after, but that kiss ended up being better than anything he could have asked for.