One thing we can all agree on-
No one in this fandom likes what's happened in the MCU with our couple, especially since Pepper's voice hasn't had a chance to be heard in all of this.
HOWEVER- this is the hand that Marvel's dealt us. (On that note, Does Marvel even PAY ATTENTION their own movies?! SO many ignored details! SO much ridiculous inconsistency! I guess the answer to that question would be a resounding NO! THEY DO NOT! But I digress...)
So this is MY attempt to try to work with the mess we've currently got for cannon, however OOC it may be.
Plus, I guess I felt the need to write this because I can't ignore some of the details from Civil War that might give clues as to where Tony (and Pepper, for that matter) are headed in future films. So this is my interpretation of what should happen based on that. With a few embellishments, naturally. (Special thanks to nancyozz, LaurelKK, and Sundaychild71 for many spirited discussions, and for being wonderful sources of inspiration for this story!) And I plan to write at least one, possibly two more chapters, to complete the story.
I'd love to know what you think! Feedback is always welcome!
Pepperony forever. May true love conquer all.
Happy Reading...
"Ms. Potts is due to arrive in 3 minutes, Mr. Stark," FRIDAY reported.
Tony smiled to himself. "Right on time," he happily replied. He had been browsing some newly proposed amendments to be made to the Sokovia Accords sent from Secretary Ross in an email, as he sat in his office that overlooked the grounds of the Avengers Compound, one clear, sunny afternoon in Upstate New York.
He sat back in his desk chair, rubbing his weary eyes, now only noticing it had been hours since he'd lost himself in the legal vernacular of the document he would have otherwise found dry in years past. But, boring tasks or no, he was trying to learn to adapt to his new position- Director of the Avengers, for now, with a very possible appointment as the new Director of SHIELD in the near future. It was no secret that, before, the idea of relegating himself to a "desk job" would have sent him into a fit of dry heaves. But after the events that had taken place over the past several years, and after having had to sacrifice so much, it was undeniably appealing to him, now, to have a less hazardous occupation at this point in his life. It would just require a period of adjustment.
Make no mistake- this was not the beginning of the end for Tony Stark. He had his work cut out for him. And he was definitely up to the task. But his main focus, in accepting this new role, was that it would be just another step in proving to a certain CEO he was once again worthy of her time and attention. He had her love, he was fully convinced, as she'd assured him of that very thing when they'd broken off their relationship- that her love for him was never going to fade. However, their life together- their reality- couldn't move forward if she had to keep living in constant fear of catastrophe. Truth was, she had become exhausted. He had exhausted her. And who could blame her?, he thought. She'd given him everything she had. And, in turn, he had given everything he'd had. Not back to her, mind you, but to the never-ending cause of protecting the world, instead. So it wasn't hard to figure out- someone in that equation was destined to become completely depleted.
Sure, he'd tried to step out of the ring, so he could focus only on their relationship. God knows he did. But, in doing so, he'd always managed to make more of a mess to have to untangle in his attempt to exit his career as Iron Man. And, in the process, risk even more than he'd anticipated in trying to right things again. So, that's when the bleak conclusion was reached between them. Until he was in a position to equally share the responsibility of what it took to care for a stable and secure relationship- which is what Pepper desperately needed from him after all of the years of being the one to piece him back together, and to help clean up his messes- they needed to put their romance on hold. For the good of their collective sanity. Even if that meant it was on hold indefinitely.
Her visit today was going to be the first time they would be face to face since their break up. Admittedly, the thought of being able to see her again did send a thrill of excitement shooting through him. On the other hand, because not once had they occupied the same physical space since that time, there was also a tentative uneasiness in the pit of his stomach about it. He knew he could have dropped into her office at any point to see her. But, after much consideration on many occasions, he'd decided not to, opting instead to let her dictate, on her terms, when and how they'd meet up. And, so far, she hadn't. In fact, the only contact they'd made, if you could even call it that, had been between him and her assistant strictly regarding Stark business matters. And it had worked in her favor so far, but the time for that had run out. She simply couldn't avoid being in his presence forever, no matter how much she may have wanted to.
On that note, Pepper hadn't planned this visit voluntarily. It was required, as per company by-laws, that she make a physical visit once a year to any location in which Stark Industries had financial holdings. The Avengers Compound was no exception. And during her visit, Tony was to give her a grand tour of the facility, walking her through all departments of operation, after which she'd create a report to present at the next board meeting. The other Board members would subsequently vote to approve or reject continued funding based on the information she'd collected. Thank you, corporate standards of operation, he thought to himself, amused to no end that he was being afforded this little bit of kismet while the compound was still privately funded. Something that would soon be changing, if he was, in fact, appointed to be the Director of SHIELD as well. The merging of the Avengers Initiative and SHIELD would then fall under the U.N's sanctioning in the Sokovia Accords, become a part of the Department of Defense, and be subsequently funded by the federal government. The early drafts of the amendments that would need to be added to the Accords to make this happen is what he'd busied himself with reading that day. And if all of it went the way he assumed it would, this could very well be the last required visit Pepper would have to make to this location, as Stark Industries obviously would not be bankrolling it anymore. Granted, she'd remain his company's CEO (at least as far as he could tell, she'd planned to stay), so he'd still have a point of professional contact with her. Just the frequency of her being in his presence would be lessened. And, predictably, that didn't sit well with Tony.
But Pepper's visit wasn't important to him just for that reason alone. He had a bigger agenda. He'd been busy working to rebuild what was left of the Avengers, yes, but he'd also been actively training Peter Parker, as well. (His Aunt May had so far bought the "grant" alibi he and Peter had lead her to believe, which allowed Tony to mentor Peter for long stretches at a time, all in the name of "higher learning" this "grant" supposedly afforded him. And, if he had to admit it, he was actually proud of the kid. He'd come a long way, and was a quick learner. Tony figured he'd be fully trained in just a few more short months, at most, and ready to take on bigger missions.) In taking on these new roles, Tony soon realized he no longer saw the need to be anything else. This is what excited him most about today- the chance to show Pepper what he was on track to accomplish. For the future of the Avengers and SHIELD. For himself. But,most importantly, for them.
He ordered FRIDAY to close all files and put his computer to sleep, as he checked his watch once before he left his office to head for the helicopter landing pad, as Pepper was flying up from New York City this day in the company chopper. He couldn't help the growing feeling of giddy anticipation zipping up and down his spine as he jogged jauntily down the stairs to the lower level, opting for that rather than taking the elevator out of the need to expel some nervous energy. He continued his brisk pace, making his way outside to the asphalt square marked with yellow hazard paint in the clearing. He came to a stop right at the edge of the pad, and jammed his hands in his pockets, affixing his eyes on the distant sky to await her imminent arrival.
A tiny black dot started to appear high up in the distance, growing larger with every second of its approach. He bit his lips together, to keep from a grin appearing in response, but soon couldn't help it, as his mouth rebelliously formed into a wide smile. "Here she comes, here she comes!" he couldn't help but mutter excitedly to himself. He continued to watch, with rapt attention, but still smiling intently.
Soon, the sound of the rotors cutting the wind became audible, and the black dot slowly morphed into the familiar form of a helicopter. The AI-piloted aircraft neared the landing pad, and began to drop its elevation. Tony saw the gold lettering on the side panels reading Stark Industries become visible, as the chopper turned just before it touched down so that the exit could open out to the building.
He could make out Pepper's faint silhouette through the tinted window in the rear of the cockpit, the mere sight of that alone causing a flutter in his stomach, making his knees go momentarily weak. Jesus! Pull it together, man!, he thought. He forced himself to regain his composure as the engine died, and the rotors slowed to a stop. The door was then opened, and Tony inadvertently held his breath in anticipation as Pepper slowly emerged. She was clad in a dark grey, skirted business suit, complete with black stiletto heels, and her long red hair wrapped neatly in a twist on the back of her head- the picture of professional poise. Stunning. As always, Tony mused fondly, smiling to himself.
She kept her eyes downward, cautiously watching her footing as she disembarked. And then once she was clear of the aircraft, with both feet firmly on the ground, she shifted her eyes upwards to meet Tony's. They shared a momentary gaze, her expression faintly pained, until she appeared to remind herself of the purpose of her visit, and quickly replaced it with the polite smile he knew she gave to anyone whom she dealt with strictly on a professional basis. At the sight, he couldn't help but feel a slight pang of hurt, though he hadn't logically believed she'd give him any more than that when she saw him. But his heart, though. He suddenly realized his heart had stubbornly held out for more.
Pepper squared her shoulders, and began to stride in Tony's direction. He, too, pasted his best professional smile across his lips, though his version always consisted of a cocky smirk, and a cocked eyebrow. "Well, if it isn't the lovely Ms. Pepper Potts!" he bellowed jovially, as she approached, not being able to help laying on the flirty charm.
Pepper gave him a knowing smirk as she approached. "Tony," she said politely, greeting him. She quickly surveyed his appearance, and then brought her eyes back up to his. "You're looking well. Seems your worst nightmare, being 'held prisoner in an office, shackled to a desk chair', as you once put it, suits you better than you thought it would."
Tony chuckled at her attempt to snipe at him. "Yeah, well. They give me an hour a day for outside recreation. And I'm just lucky enough to be able to spend it with my CEO today. So, let's make this quick, huh? We don't have long. The warden's watching the clock," he jabbed back.
Pepper nodded. "Yes. Let's," she agreed, ignoring his joke. "Besides, I...can't stay long. I have to get back to the city. Soon," she said, with a hint of warning in her tone, though her face showed only a polite smile.
Tony furrowed his brow at her tone, and then went back to his cocky smile. "Well, then. Shall we?" he asked, gesturing toward the door.
Pepper smiled in return. "We shall," she replied.
He offered her his arm, but Pepper stepped briskly past him, ignoring the gesture and walking ahead toward the entrance. He spun around on his heels to follow, pursing his lips at her snubbing his attempt at chivalry. However, he decided to dismiss it for the moment, and worked quickly to catch up to her.
She was walking at a brisk pace, and it took him a minute to fall into step beside her. He began to speak, once they were side by side. "In the spirit of making this easier for the both of us, I thought we'd..."
"The...training facility. I understand that's been expanded?" she asked, interrupting him. She didn't make eye contact. She just fixed her gaze ahead of her, as they walked down the long corridor toward the center of the building.
Tony stammered, as her abruptness caught him off guard. "Uh, yeah...well, it's not so much been expanded, as it's..."
"But you've added a retractable roof, correct? For the purpose of training exercises, and to test newly developed weapons?"
"Not weapons, in the traditional sense,Pep...," he corrected. She turned her head to look at him, and cocked an eyebrow, and he suddenly wondered if she even wanted to be called that, anymore. "Pep, uh, Pep-Pep-per," he stammered, then awkwardly clearing his throat. "But we test different applications...for...better...and certainly more efficient..."
Pepper rolled her eyes, and let out a sharp, impatient exhale. "They're weapons, Tony. Anything that can be discharged with the intent to disable, maim, or destroy any-thing or any-one is, by definition, a weapon," she replied sternly. "Though why I need to explain this to you, is beyond me," she then muttered under her breath.
"You don't! I'm just trying to explain that what we're doing is..." Tony argued defensively.
"I know what you're doing," Pepper countered flatly.
Tony raised his eyebrows in objection. "No, you don't, actually. So let me explain, so you can fully appreciate what we're trying to accomplish. As I said, we're testing new applications for things that have never been used in a capacity like this one before. I mean, you've gotta..."
Suddenly, Pepper stopped in her tracks, and glowered at him. Tony halted, looking at her cautiously, as if she might spontaneously combust.
Pepper shook her head in defeat. "I swear. We can't even go five minutes without..." she muttered to herself through gritted teeth. Then she exhaled sharply. "Okay. I didn't want to have to do this this early in the day, but you're leaving me no choice," she spouted. "You want to know what I see here?"
Tony frowned, unsure if he should actually answer the question, or if she'd asked it rhetorically.
But Pepper continued without his acknowledgement of her question. "I see a massively expensive building to maintain that, most of the time, occupies two people."
"Me and The Vision," Tony said impishly.
Pepper huffed, and gave him a curt smile. "Yes, Tony. You and the Vision. Why? Because you're trying to piece back together members of a disbanded coalition that, until recently, was publicly labelled as a just a group of vigilante crime-fighters that the United Nations finally had the good sense enough to reign in. But strangely, none of them are really ever here, now."
"Well... that's because, and I don't know if you'd heard, but..." Tony began.
But Pepper huffed. "I'm not finished," she stated firmly.
Tony frowned, and immediately stopped talking, a little taken a back by her growing aggression.
She continued. "That isn't the extent of it, is it? You've also made a new friend! So, congratulations! He's a fifteen year old. From Brooklynn. And, from what I understand, you and he geek out in this place, messing with your latest gadgets, and playing with your toys, all while your company is paying for it. Never mind the fact that you've failed to obtain any sort of parental or legal guardian's permission for what Mr. Peter Parker is actually doing with you here during the time that his poor, widowed Aunt believes is purely being used to further his academic studies, leaving Stark Industries with immense liability should anything ever happen to him, God forbid. That's what I see happening here."
Tony just stared at her, speechlessly.
She continued, her chest heaving. She averted her eyes from his for a moment, in an attempt to regather her composure, and then turned her eyes back to him. "Look," she said, in a softer tone. "I don't like my being here any more than you do," she stated.
Tony spoke up, attempting to argue with her again. "No. See, that's not...I mean, I actually don't mind..."
But Pepper ignored him once more. "So, pardon me if I seem a little short with you? But, besides all of that, having to re-immerse myself in this environment, oddly enough, is not even remotely pleasant for me," she stated. "Much less the fact that you insist on carrying on with all of this when just about everyone else has seemingly abandoned ship."
Tony worked his jaw, carefully choosing his words before he spoke. "These things take time, Pep," he finally began, trying to keep a measured tone. "A lot has happened in the last few months, and we're in a rebuilding phase. So, it isn't fair for you to..." Then he shifted his gaze down to the floor, stopping himself as he started sounding too defensive. "No. You know what? I'm not gonna argue. I get it," he said, in defeat.
Pepper exhaled sharply, fully expecting him to carry on his rebuttal. So him cutting off his response only left her confused. "What?" she asked.
"I said 'I get it', Pep," Tony repeated. He smiled weakly, to show her they were of some semblance of agreement. "From the outside looking in, you're right. It looks like I'm just a middle-aged guy hanging out with a fifteen year old punk kid, and wasting time. And money."
Pepper frowned, relaxing her defensive posture in response to his agreement with her. "W-well, that sounds...more severe than I'd intended to..." she stammered.
"No, as I said. You're right," Tony reaffirmed. "But you know what? I can accept that."
Pepper scoffed, and rolled her eyes. "Which part- what it looks like, or the fact that you're new best friend is not even half your age?" she muttered.
Tony frowned, and huffed. "I think you know which part. And can I at least explain why I'm willing to accept it?" he asked.
Pepper turned her eyes back to him, as the only indication she'd allow him the chance to speak. So he took it.
"Because, I know what I'm working toward," he stated firmly, jamming his hands into his pockets.
Pepper exhaled. "And that is?" she asked apathetically.
Tony took a step toward her, and Pepper squared her shoulders in an attempt to hold her ground as he looked her squarely in the eyes. They firmly held each other's gaze for a moment, before Tony relented, and shrugged. "Passing the torch?" he said simply, shifting his eyes away from hers and taking a few steps past her.
Pepper frowned, not entirely sure of his meaning, and slowly turned around to watch him. Tony remained silent, keeping his back turned to her, his hands still in his pockets. He let several moments pass between them before he turned around to face her again, and to speak. "I've known for a while, now, that I can't keep charging into the fight," he said.
Pepper scoffed. "Oh really? Have you now," she replied coldly, folding her arms in front of her. "Funny. I'd like to know when, exactly, you reached this epiphany, Tony! Because I know it wasn't after you threatened a terrorist, who then blew up our house, with us inside it. Or when everyone thought you were dead after that, and I got kidnapped by the same terrorist, who then injected me with the Extremis serum. And we know it certainly wasn't when you created a potentially world-dominating, computer virus that managed to level an entire eastern European city before you could contain it! But what about your best friend being paralyzed by the hand of your own creation?! Tell me. Is that when you realized that maybe, just maybe, you should stop risking everything to try to save the world?! Is that when it happened?! That's the only logical explanation, isn't it? Because I know it sure as hell wasn't when you thought it would be a good idea to ask me to marry you, even though nothing about our situation had changed at the time, and we were still in the position of having to brace for catastrophe at a moment's notice! WHY? Because you just can't HELP yourself! That's where we end up. It's where we always end up!" she spat, her voice having grown steadily louder, and echoing shrilly off the concrete walls around them. Her breath suddenly caught in her chest as a bitter sob escaped her throat, causing her to clap a hand over her mouth in an effort to try to hide it. But Tony could see she was trembling. Tears welled in her eyes, and she hastily swiped at them.
After a moment, she took a breath and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That was...not appropriate," she murmured. She huffed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "God, this is so not what I wanted to do with you today!" she exclaimed skyward in frustration.
Tony held up his hands in surrender. "No argument, here, Pep. I know that was a long time coming," he murmured.
Pepper put her hands on her hips. She closed her eyes to steady herself, and then reopened them to look at him. "Please," she begged. "Let's just get this over with so I can leave, okay? And you can go back to doing...whatever it is you think you're doing here," she finished, her voice weary. "Don't worry. I won't stand in your way. I'll write you a glowing review so you keep getting your funding. In all honesty, I'm not sure I even care anymore. You're going to do what you're going to do. No matter what I, or anyone else, tries to tell you. And that's that. So the quicker I get this done, and can leave you to it, the better off we'll both be."
They stared at each other silently, for a moment, until the raw tension in the room filtered out into the atmosphere enough to unfreeze Tony from where he stood. He hesitated, at first, and then began to amble toward her, closing the gap between them. Pepper stayed where she was, and remained silent as he did this, but her eyes pleaded with him just to let her go without another word. He came to a stop silently in front of her, and slowly raised a hand to gently wipe a stray tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. And she let him, without any objection, her eyes staying trained on his face, watching indifferently, as if he hadn't done anything at all. Which both surprised him, and saddened him. Once upon a time, a small gesture like that would have rendered her helpless against him break down of her defenses. But apparently, that was no longer the case. Apparently, she meant what she'd said- she really didn't care any more. And it made him realize that all of his expectations for the day had been created in vain- that there really was no coming back from all of the damage he'd done. But, he also knew, if he didn't at least try to finish telling her everything he'd planned to tell her, that he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
It's now or never, he thought. So, here goes nothing.
"For what it's worth," he began softly. "It is really good to see you again."
Pepper gave him a weak smile, and chuckled sadly. "Hard to believe, after my little outburst just now. But thank you," she replied politely.
"You're welcome," he said, and smiled softly back. "But before you go, I...do have something to tell you," he murmured. He took a deep breath. "I'm done, Pep," he stated simply, his voice quiet.
Pepper looked at him with a frown, and he saw that the light in her eyes had been diminished. But it hadn't yet completely disappeared. He took that as a sign that she, just maybe, had a smidgen of interest in still listening to him.
She took a slow, very deliberate breath. "Done," she muttered wearily. "What do you mean done?"
"I mean I'm done. Fighting the fight. As Iron Man. That's what I meant by passing the torch," he explained.
Pepper drew back, looking at him suspiciously. "How is that possible?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I don't need to put myself in the battle anymore. Don't get me wrong. I can still help with the war effort, so to speak. I've got too much experience, and too many resources to lend to the cause. So I wouldn't feel right if I didn't contribute in some way. But I don't have to physically be in the battle, risking my life, anymore. I've earned my stripes. And I've lost..." he said, pausing briefly. "Too much," he finished. "So the hope is that I can focus now on training the others up. Like Peter, for example," he said. "That's why he and I spend so much time together. Because he wants to fight. He wants to help right some wrongs in the world, you know? And he'll do it. I know he will. I can see it in his eyes. He's got that...that..."
"Sense of purpose?" Pepper offered.
Tony smiled softly, and nodded. "Yeah," he said.
"You know, I seem to remember knowing a guy that once had that same look," she mused. But then her expression changed from reminiscent to sorrowful. "And then, before he even knew it had happened, that sense of purpose ended up costing him..."
"Everything," Tony finished glumly. He worked his jaw, and nodded in agreement. "I know."
"Does Peter?" Pepper asked. "Tony, he's just a kid! What does he know about what he's risking?"
Tony frowned. "Nothing," he answered. "Not really. But I guess that's what I'm trying to do- teach him what I had to learn the hard way. So he doesn't make the same mistakes I did. So at least he's not alone in this, and trying to figure it all out, like I was! He's got other people to help carry the load, you know? Team mates. Reinforcements..."
"Like you?" Pepper asked pointedly, the hurt from the past evident in her eyes. "Have we come to it, then? Is this the part where you try to rationalize why you can never stop building suits?"
Tony swallowed hard. "Funny you should ask," he said. He kept his eyes on Pepper's, but lifted his chin to speak up. "FRIDAY? Give Ms. Potts the current number of Mark suits in inventory on location, please?" he requested.
"There are currently no Mark suits online at this location, Madam," FRIDAY replied.
Tony cautiously studied Pepper's face to get her reaction, but she only narrowed her eyes with skepticism. "FRIDAY?" she called out, keeping her eyes trained on Tony's this time. "What is the current number of Mark suits in inventory at any location?" she asked.
"There are currently no Mark suits online at any location, Ms. Potts," FRIDAY again replied.
Pepper's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she searched Tony's face, as he watched her process the implications of what he was telling her. Her chest began to heave, and she shook her head in disbelief. "No. It can't be. I don't believe it," she gasped.
"Well, it is. And you can believe it," Tony assured, watching her intently.
"I shouldn't," Pepper argued weakly.
"You should," he retorted, smiling now, while watching her defenses crumble.
Pepper's chest still heaved, but slowly, despite trying to fight it, a hopeful smile broke out across her face. A sob escaped her lips, as new tears formed in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. She sheepishly swiped at them. But then she shook her head again, and frowned, making one last-ditch effort to deny her acceptance of what he was telling her. "No. Tony, please! Don't toy with me! I can't go through this again. I can't..." she begged, her voice giving out to a whisper.
Tony reached for her, but she weakly pounded a balled fist against his chest in resistance. "I can't! I mean it! I've heard this before! I don't want to get hurt again!" she warned.
"You won't, baby. I promise," he murmured, feeling her finally surrender as her pulled her fully into his embrace. He felt her shake as she started to cry against his shoulder, so he held her close and silently rubbed her back, trying to calm her down, while helplessly letting himself revel in the familiar feeling of her in his arms.
"I hate what's happened to us, and I know you do to," he explained softly, as he held her. "If I could go back and change things, I would. But I can't. So I figure this is the next best thing."
Pepper pulled back to look at him. Her chin quivered, and she bit her lips together to try to steady herself, shaking her head. "We shouldn't have to be apart," she said weakly. Then she swallowed hard. "I don't want us to be apart, anymore," she stated.
"I know. And neither do I," Tony agreed, looking at her with an intent smile, his eyes sparkling at her admission. "These last few months have been torture without you," he told her, with a dramatic eye roll.
Pepper giggled and nodded, through her tears.
He looked deeply into her eyes. "But I promise. It's different this time. Before, I...I couldn't not be involved in the way that I was," he went on to explain.
Pepper smirked. "Yeah. I noticed," she joked.
Tony chuckled, and then continued. "At the time, there was no other way for me to fight besides suiting up, and..." Tony tilted his head, and impishly quirked a corner of his mouth up. "Leaving you behind? To worry? Neither of us knowing if I'd made it back home alive again?I knew it was far too much to keep asking of you, Pep. So, I don't blame you for not being able to sustain it. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry I continued to put you through that."
Pepper smiled. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully.
Tony smiled. "But it doesn't have to be that way, anymore. Now? I finally have a way to help keep the world safe, without sacrificing everything. And I can finally build a life with you."
At the sound of his words, Pepper's breath caught in her throat again, and she clapped a hand to her chest to steady herself. She nodded, as new tears filled her eyes. "I'd like that," she whispered.
Tony grinned. "I thought you might," he murmured sweetly back. He took a deep breath. "So, in my mind, there's only one thing left for us to do to effectively end this torturous time apart," he stated resolutely. Then he gave her a playful smirk.
Pepper giggled. "Oh?," she murmured, smirking back at him, her eyes flicking hungrily from his eyes to his lips and back again. "Care to demonstrate?" she teased.
Tony gave her an eager smile. "My pleasure," he replied earnestly, before leaning in and crashing their lips together. Pepper squeaked as they both melted into the kiss. They let out a collective moan, built from the pure, ecstatic relief of being back in each other's loving embrace.
Pepper wrapped her arms around Tony's neck as their kiss deepened, and he replied by holding her tightly, protectively, his hands running up and down her body, insatiably trying to make up for the lost time between them.
They remained like this for several moments, hungrily devouring each other as their desire reignited. But eventually, they both realized there was only so far they could go with each other where they stood. So the kiss gradually slowed to a stop, and they rested their foreheads against one another, the both of them grinning at what had just transpired.
"God, I've missed you," Tony murmured breathlessly. "You don't know how much I've missed you."
Pepper's breath was equally as ragged. "Oh, I think I have an idea. So many nights spent just..."
"Lying there? Staring at the ceiling?" Tony finished. And Pepper smiled at the shared sentiment, nodding in agreement.
"Yes," she said. "Going over and over in my mind all of the ways we could have..."
"Not let this happen," he guessed again, and she chuckled, nodding in the affirmative once more.
"Right," she agreed, in a whisper.
Tony bent to capture her lips with his again, savoring the taste of her long lost kiss. Pepper raised a hand to lovingly cup his cheek as he kissed her. And when the kiss broke, he put his hand over hers and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the heel of her palm before bringing it protectively to his chest in his.
"Don't go," he pleaded, his voice a soft whisper. "Please? Stay on for a couple days. Or at least until tomorrow."
Pepper bit her lip in thought for a moment, and then slowly began to nod. "Okay," she agreed, and Tony grinned.
"Yeah?" he asked, hopefully.
Pepper chuckled. "Yes," she replied.
"Oh, perfect," he cooed, and gently tilted her chin up to softly peck her lips. Pepper smiled and kissed him tenderly back.
"You know," Tony purred mischievously, once the kiss broke. "There is one place I'm dying to show you while you're here," he teased, with a smirk. "Any guesses as to where I might be referring to?" he cooed.
Pepper giggled, playing along. "I do have my guesses, yes," she purred back. "And I'm sure it's vital to the completion of my report for me to see this mystery place, too, I'd imagine?" she teased.
Tony chuckled, and then feigned surprise. "Of course!" he cooed. "You are here for the 50 centtour, correct, Ms. Potts?" he joked, with a smirk. "I wouldn't dream of letting you leave without at least taking a peak at it."
Pepper chuckled, and gave him a knowing grin. "I wonder if that's what you say to all the girls you bring through here," she inquired, testing him.
Tony shook his head. "Nope. No other girls. Just you. And only you," he remarked. He fell silent, studying her eyes to make sure she knew the level of his sincerity.
Pepper fell silent as well, and studied his face. Then, she slowly smiled in understanding. "Glad to hear it," she murmured in reply.
Tony then grinned with deep satisfaction at her, and reached for her hand. He turned himself so that he stood beside her, and placed her hand in the crook of his arm. "Then it's settled!" he chirped playfully. "Off we go to the ever-so-exciting conference room!"
Pepper looked at him with a wry frown.
"What?" he asked innocently. "Am I the only one who finds long, mahogany tables surrounded by Corinthian leather chairs positively titillating?" he teased.
Pepper just rolled her eyes at his joke. "I see you haven't lost your sense of humor in all of this, Tony," she remarked drolly.
He just pumped his eyebrows and grinned mischievously at her in response, as they began to walk in the direction of his private quarters. "Yeah, yeah. Admit it, Potts. You missed it," he replied.