Disclaimer: If I owned the Ironman franchise, Robert Downey Jr would've put out a restraining order on me by now.
It was the two month mark of Pepper's employment for Mr. Stark. Instead of giving her the day off for her cousin's wedding, (she was a bride's maid for goodness sake!) he cancelled her flight, (the entire airplane was unable to take off because of him,) ordered her to come home, and then forced her to help him find the stack of papers that he misplaced earlier in the day—the stack that she specifically left on the kitchen counter with a bright pink sticky note saying "SIGN" in her boldest script.
The pair found the papers (eventually,) and now it was eleven o'clock at night and Pepper was still at her boss's home, researching the progress of his newest investment. She wanted to scream.
Her mouse hovered over search bar on her web browser. Instead of typing in the currency converter like she meant to, she found herself looking up the symptoms of a sociopath.
Glibness and Superficial Charm.
Well, that indicator certainly applied- the man was able to charm a hoard of media members and teach a compelling lecture on sub-particle metallurgy all completely under the influence of alcohol.
Grandiose Sense of Self
It was only a matter of time before the good people at Webster decided to install Tony's picture beside the definition of "narcissism." Pepper had yet to meet another person who liked himself so much.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
Pepper reflected on their morning together. After receiving her boss's "urgent" page and the information that her plane could not leave until she got off of it, Pepper rushed back to Tony's side. Instead of an apology or any sense of gratitude, he only raised an eyebrow and asked "what took you so long?"
Need for Stimulation
Sky diving, drag racing, and every other dangerous thing her boss ever did for an adrenaline rush came immediately to mind.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability
She didn't even need to think about this one. Pepper only seethed and moved onto the next symptom.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Pepper snorted. Her boss was the poster child for promiscuity. She thought about the dozens of women she had escorted out of his house in the past eight weeks. One morning she kicked out half the playboy mansion. Oh yes, her boss certainly fit into that category.
Incapacity for Love
Pepper hesitated. Sure, Tony was wild and a little remorseless, but unable to love? That seemed a bit harsh. She thought about his regard for Obadiah and the parents he lost at young age. She wondered if his lack of family structure was part of the reason behind his terrible personality. And besides, all of the women Tony brought home used him just as much as he used them. Most of them were gold diggers, and the rest knew what they were getting into when they walked through his bedroom door…
She'd only known Tony a few weeks anyways. Surely there was more to the man than what she was seeing. The PA decided to check back later to determine if Tony Stark was, in fact, capable of love.
Pepper reviewed her checklist and nodded in realization. It all made sense—Tony was a certifiable sociopath. She scrolled down the page for more information.
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Tony had been in his workshop for over an hour, and Ms. Pots had yet to come down and bug him about something. Had she gone home already? Tony headed upstairs, only to find her curled up on couch staring intently at her laptop and muttering about "treatment options."
He decided he didn't want to know what that was about.
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A/N: In response to R.W.'s well-articulated critique, I just have a few points to make. First off, thank you for reviewing, (even though you obviously hate it.) I post fanfiction because it's a low-key way for me to improve my writing. Having people say how I suck helps me to progress much quicker than just ignoring my mistakes. Second off, you are right—I'm not a qualified to make a psychiatric diagnosis. I am an eighteen-year-old college freshman that's majoring in Economics. I obviously have no right to make any sort of claim to the contrary.
Personally, I do not actually think Tony is a sociopath. I have no idea how anyone who saves the world at the expense of their own well-being could be a sociopath. That why it's ironic and it was (supposed to be) funny.
This drabble is supposed to be from Pepper's perspective: she is tired, frazzled, and fed-up with her demanding boss. She doesn't know him that well, so she doesn't fully understand him yet. At some point she will, but this is early on in the relationship. It was my attempt at humor. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was saying Tony actually is a sociopath. (I know a diagnosed sociopath, and he bears no resemblance to Tony.)
Ultimately, it was supposed to be funny: obviously it wasn't. Sorry it bothered you so much, and in the future I'll be sure to steer clear of this sort of thing. Also, I'm not sure if this is the right format for this clarification, but you didn't log in, so I this is the only way I could think to respond.