Mornings were never Tony's strength. He liked to sleep until noon, or not sleep at all, and the rare occasions where he got out of bed before eleven o'clock was due to Pepper excessive nagging and promises of never ending cups of strong Black coffee to get him through his schedule of the day. Whenever he had one night stands, he would run off before they woke up, hide in the workshop and let Pepper or Happy or even JARVIS deal with them. He wasn't the 'breakfast in bed' type of guy. Never was.
Except when it comes to a woman that changed it all!
Virginia Potts – his beloved Pepper – should feel proud of herself (Happy said she deserved some kind of award) for turning Tony Stark into a domestic being with a normal schedule (ok, not that normal, he's still Tony Stark and she still needs to drag him, kicking and screaming, from the workshop to bed at 3 am for some decent sleep).
He found himself waking up earlier than usual, because he would always notice how Pepper slipped from his arms quietly, at seven am, to take her morning shower leaving the bathroom (and bedroom) with a floral scent that intoxicated Tony more than anything. She would come back in the bedroom (teeth brushed already) wrapped in a fluffy towel. Sitting down beside him, she would poke him several times until he let out a grunt and plead of "five more minutes, or hours, or just let me sleep indefinitely". Pepper would chuckle and get her body lotion. That would peak his interest. Popping one eye open, he would curiously watch his girlfriend spread the lotion through her perfect shaped legs and arms. "Awake now, Mr. Stark?" She would tease. "You're an evil woman, Miss Potts," he would reply with a smirk, face still buried in her pillow.
Laughing, Pepper would pick up his discard shirt and cover her body before going downstairs to prepare breakfast for both of them.
If having Pepper rubbing lotion on her, next to him, didn't wake him up, her delicious food would. His head jerked off the pillow and he would sniff the mouthwatering aroma of pancakes and coffee. Stumbling off the bed, only on his boxer briefs, he would enter the kitchen and wrap his arms around her, peaking over her shoulder. Almost always she did his favorite – Tony realized that it was on the days she needed him to attend meetings the most, but he let that slide because he would get a delicious pile of chocolate chips pancakes, with extra whipped cream.
After leisurely enjoying their breakfast, often feeding each other, they go back to their bedroom and change into their work clothes. Tony's whining all the time about the meetings that Pepper is going to drag him and Pepper tries to bribe him with the simplest things that can get Tony Stark to eat from the palm of her hand (sex – or the lack of it that he can suffer– is always a good card to play). After pouting like a five year old, he sighs and agrees to the "torture" just because the aftermath is so damn good.
These are the little differences that people can see in Tony Stark. How Pepper made him grow up a bit more. Not entirely – he still blows up his lab more times in a day, than Pepper has fingers and has the attention span of a hyperactive puppy. But Pepper, she turned Tony into the man he always feared to be and she always knew he could be.
A really short drabble that I couldn't pass the opportunity to write. Hope you like it.
