I had to get in on this one. As per the norm, I don't own anything. Not Tony Stark, not Iron Man, none of it.
1- First Encounter
The first time Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had ever seen each other wasn't anything to write home about. It wasn't when she found his accounting mistake and came barging into his office. It wasn't the infamous pepper spray moment where she earned her nickname; in fact to everyone she was still sweet, perfect Virginia Potts, a small town girl in a big city.
No the first time Virginia Potts ran into Tony Stark they had literally run in to each other. Tony had been out the night before, living his usual playboy lifestyle. Booze, gambling, and a set of blonde twins had been the focus of his life the night before. Now the booze had worn off into a killer hangover, the gambling left him $200k poorer, and for the life of him, he couldn't remember the girls' names. What he could remember, was Obidiah threatening him that night, that if he missed this research and development meeting today he would ensure that Tony would spend the next six months on military basis in the middle east without a drop of alcohol or a single woman willing to lay down for the great Tony Stark. Tony didn't want to point out to Obie that there were always ways around that, but somehow his mentor seemed to really mean it this time. The older gentleman, and his father's friend seemed a little borderline somedays, and Tony didn't want to press the wrong buttons.
Although just because Tony said he was going to be there, didn't mean he had to be on time, the first hour would be nothing but the R&D guys sucking up anyway. So at around 10 o'clock Tony Stark came sauntering into Stark Industries, shades on, head pounding, and for all intents and purposes, not paying attention to the world around him at all. It wasn't until he was heading up the stairs that the world came crashing down around him, in the form of a tall red head caring a stack of papers.
It took Tony a moment to figure out he was lying on the ground on his back, a position he was used to, just not in the middle of the lobby on a cold stone floor. He heard some shuffling and commotion as people gathered around. Tony looked to his left and saw a stunning figure getting off the ground herself gathering her papers. Tony pushed himself off the ground and picked up what looked like accounting sheets and handed them to her. He expected a thank you, an I'm so sorry, something. This one was a looker that was for sure. Maybe he could take her out for a fun night on the town followed by even more fun at the mansion.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Why don't you watch where you are going"
"Excuse me?" Tony stated in shock. He was too wrapped up in a day dream that involved the red head, her long legs, and those ridiculous high heels.
"Pay attention. You were going up the wrong side of the stairs" the red head shot back.
"I didn't know there were right and wrong sides to the stairs" Normally people just got out of his way, he didn't know there was stair etiquette.
"Well there are, people are busy around here, and everyone knows you are suppose to stay to the right on the stairs, so you don't do exactly what we just did." Tony couldn't believe it, here he was, in the middle of his lobby getting yelled at about how he should go up and down his stairs!
"Ummm" For the first time in his life, Tony Stark was speechless.
"Never mind!" The red head had gathered up the rest of her papers and stormed out of the lobby. Tony sat there for a few minutes, people staring at him, looking almost as shocked as he did, a few even had small smiles on their faces. Apparently, the young red head firecracker had done what a lot of people at Stark Industries had wanted to do for awhile, prove to Tony Stark that the world did not in fact revolve around him. It wasn't until Tony heard Obidiah yell "Get your ass up here" from the top of the stairs that Tony was motivated to get up and attempt the stairs again. This time he made sure he stayed on the right side of the stairs.
That night, Virginia Potts was home in her small apartment watching the news. Her right foot was propped up, with a bag of frozen peas sitting on her ankle. Some idiot at work had run into her on the stairs and she had to walk around the rest of the day in those heels of hers and now she was paying the price. It wasn't until she looked up at the television which was on one of those trashy gossip shows that her face dropped. The headline read "Tony Stark given a lesson in stair etiquette". Apparently someone had a camera phone out and had filmed the whole encounter. Leave it the people at Stark Industries to have the latest and greatest technology.
"Oh my god, I am going to be fired tomorrow" was all she could say allowed.
Thankfully the next day all her boss did the next day when she walked in was smile and nod, her co workers even clapped for her. Mark, the head of the accounting division assured her that when Mr. Stark asked if they anyone knew the feisty red head, her boss simply played it off that she was a visiting auditor and had left already. She would be on desk assignment for awhile, and soon enough Tony Stark forgot all about the red head with the temper and her rules about stairs. Until six months later when she came barging into his office going on about an accounting mistake and holding a bottle of pepper spray.