Unthinkable
A/N: Sorry there's not much dialogue in this fic. Hope that's not a problem. **Mild IM2 spoilers**
Also, I want to really thank my beta outtabreath for giving me the confidence to post my first Iron Man fic and for such wonderful tips! I used them ALL!
Pepper crossed and uncrossed her legs for the seventh time in ten minutes. Glancing up, she noticed Tony noticing her obvious discomfort which only served to make her shift again. She rolled her eyes at her own uneasiness. There was no reason for it, honestly. She and Tony had been alone together in the same room plenty of times. But why'd it feel so different now? Oh, that's right. Because you finally know what those soft lips feel like on your own.
After that mind-blowing kiss on the rooftop the night the Expo went up in ashes they both decided that it was best that, since she would be returning to the position of his Personal Assistant, they both try and forget it ever happened and go about business as usual. Yeah, and that's working out wonderfully, Pepper.
Pepper exhaled loudly again.
Damn you, Tony.
She glanced up at him again and was relieved to see he'd gone back to tinkering with whatever it was he was working on.
Pepper had been in the glass-surrounded living room reading and responding to emails, listening to messages, and typing and revising Stark Industries reports when Tony had come up from his shop. He'd brought a few tools and what looked like the forearm piece to the suit.
He was wearing a navy beater which allowed her to see every muscle in his arms contract. She was finding it difficult to continue with her task—or tasks—at hand; hence the crossing and uncrossing of legs and inhaling and exhaling of breaths. She glanced at her watch to see it was just past 8 pm. It was early compared to how long she was usually at the mansion, so she exhaled deeply one last time and had Jarvis turn her music back up to the volume it was before Tony had joined her. She'd picked up the habit from Tony, working with music playing. Her preference wasn't as 'Rock Out With Your Cock Out' as his, but it served to help time go by as she glided through her workload. Tonight she'd uploaded her Alicia Keys playlist and by the third song in, she managed to pretend Tony wasn't even in the room.
Tony watched Pepper with through furtive glances as he bent over pretending to screw a bolt.
She had been acting jumpy for the last few weeks and it was actually amusing to watch her squirm. It'd been five fun weeks since the Expo, and Whiplash, and The Kiss. He thought about it often and even had a few… moments to himself at least six nights out of the week. He smirked at his thoughts: Pepper writhing beneath him, crying Tony, Tony, Tony—letting loose and dropping any and all professionalism.
He'd actually come up here just to mess with her. He was still struck kind of stupid by the whole predicament. He and Pepper had had an actual relationship for all of two days. With one kiss, one date—brunch the next day before his meeting with Fury—and finally, a breakup that was 'for the best.'
Since then, everything was seemingly back to normal. Until they were all alone again, behind closed doors. Pepper tried as hard as she might to keep busy and stay out of the same room as him, but he was on to her. If she was going to run, well, he was going to chase. Would he really be Tony Stark if he didn't?
He'd seen her cross and uncross those long, luxurious legs seven times, if he counted correctly; and he liked to think he was pretty good with numbers. He could think of a million other things he could do to help her occupy them. It was all he could do not cross the room and wrap them around his waist and have his way with her. And with every inhalation she took, those beautiful breast rose and fell, rose and fell, rose and fell. He had to take few deep breaths himself. What had he come up here to do again? Oh yeah. Tempt Pepper. Right. Then why does it feel like you're tempting yourself?
Pepper felt pretty accomplished with herself as she cleared the last unread email from the inbox. She smiled, stretched, and placed her Mac on the coffee table, taking a short break. She looked over at Tony and almost started – she'd actually forgotten he was there. He was looking right at her and seemed to have been doing so for some time.
"What?" Pepper asked incredulously. She was beginning to think he only came up here to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh. Hmm? Nothing," he said, looking back to his arm piece with a grin, making a show of screwing in a bolt which looked perfectly tightened. Pepper narrowed her eyes. Having her suspicions confirmed, she wanted to smack herself for not realizing it sooner. Tony loved to fool around with her. Why wouldn't she think he'd take this situation and turn it into a game? Well, she could play too.
"Okay," was her response as she picked up her laptop. She kicked off her patent leather Jimmy Choo pumps and relaxed. Leaning back into the couch, she crossed her legs and exhaled more elegantly this time; she watched Tony out of the corner of her eye. He straightened and looked more alert though his eyes never left what he was working on.
Alicia Keys blared in the absence of the constant patter of her keyboard as she idly moved her finger over the mouse pad. Unthinkable came on and Pepper couldn't help but listen to the words with nothing better occupying her time.
Moment of honesty, someone's gotta take the lead tonight…
Whose it gonna be?
I'm gonna sit right here and tell you all that comes to me
If you have something to say, you should say it right now
With a raised brow Pepper listened more carefully to the lyrics of the bridge;
You give me a feeling that I never felt before
And I deserve it, I think I deserve it
It's becoming something that's impossible to ignore
And I can't take it…
Pepper blinked as Alicia continued. This song was hitting a little too close to home. When she looked up, her blue gaze met Tony's brown one. They held eye contact through the chorus and everything—arm pieces to the suit and phone messages, alike—was forgotten.
I was wondering maybe
Could I make you my baby
If we do the unthinkable would it make us look crazy
Or would it be so beautiful, either way I'm sayin'
If you ask me I'm ready
Tony felt ridiculous as he got up and made his way across the room to Pepper. It was like a magnetic pull forcing him against his will. He felt strangely cliché; like someone in a movie. He and Pepper were supposed to be anything but cliché. As the second verse came in, he was seated next to her and while not quite in her personal space, he was close enough to feel her body heat. In his opinion, it wasn't nearly close enough.
I know you once said to me
"This is exactly how it should feel when it's meant to be"
Time is only wasting so why wait for eventually?
If we gone do something 'bout it
We should do it right now…
Pepper was sure she was about to hyperventilate. And given how many tough situations she been in at the hands of Tony Stark, this once should shrivel in comparison. She wondered how she was keeping it all together. If he moved any closer to her, she'd probably implode.
The chorus and the bridge went through again and Pepper eventually inched closer to Tony. This dance felt oddly familiar. She'd only kissed Tony once before, but knew well enough when it was about to happen again. Something was still holding her back, though. She knew the consequences of something like this happening. It'd be awkward and it wouldn't work. Not that she knew, it was just common sense, right? What good could come of her and Tony taking this to the next level? It was almost as if Alicia was waiting for her to ask;
Why give up before we try I can't say I came prepared
Feel the lows before the highs
Clip our wings before we fly away
I'm suspended in the air
Won't you come be in the sky with me
I was wondering maybe…
Before Pepper could wonder anymore on the thought, Tony kissed her.
He could practically hear the gears grinding in her head; all the reasons why they shouldn't be this close and all the ways this could go wrong. But they wouldn't, Tony realized. He wasn't going to let them. She was the most capable, qualified, trustworthy person he'd ever met. And he would make them work. And he would make them last. And it wouldn't be a 'stable-ish' relationship, but a stable one.
Pepper gave up all resistance the minute her boss's lips touched hers. This felt so right and crazily 'meant to be'. She had seen this a million times in the movies and in the novels she'd read when work wasn't tiring her out. But to know this feeling really existed and that she was experiencing it with her boss, Tony Stark, Iron Man, was phenomenal. And she didn't feel an ounce of regret.
If you asked her, she was ready for the unthinkable.