Here you go! With all the pretty, shiny new edits. It's not that different, but still. XD

Pepper was supposed to be at the airport the moment Calico landed to pick her up.

She wasn't from New York City, and it was a bit more overwhelming than she had anticipated. Her situation was already bad enough.
She settled for sitting on a curb, placing her luggage on her lap, and resting her head in her hands, completely put out at the concept of having to wait for Pepper to come pick her up. And worse yet, Pepper knew that Calico didn't fare well against strangers. She could barely handle people she knew.

"Calico! Oh, I'm sorry Cal!" A familiar voice called, causing the small ginger woman to jump.

Pepper stood there looking like she always had, with her feet in tall, dark heels, and her suit pinstriped. Always the professional. Pepper stretched out her arms for a hug.

"It's about time, Potts! I was so lonely. What if I got kidnapped?" Calico smiled, stood up and threw her arms around her older cousin. She giggled excitedly.

Pepper pulled away and grimaced, causing Calico's eyebrows to raise.

"My boss had a horrible hangover. And speaking of my boss, there's something important I have to tell you." she said, avoiding the younger woman's gaze.

"Pepper?"

"You see, my apartment is very, very small. My boss offered to let you stay in one of the rooms of his place. He doesn't know which one and I convinced him that you were ugly, so you don't really have to worry. He doesn't like ugly people. I visit his place daily anyway. You'll be alright."

"But you said I'd stay with you." Calico said with a pout. Pepper sighed, rolled her eyes, and opened the door of a sleek black car.

"Don't make that face at me... Just get in the car. The driver's name is Happy, he's in on the whole 'you're a beast' thing. No, he's very nice!" Pepper said, tossing her cousin and luggage into the backseat. Calico huffed loudly and crossed her arms, looking down at her lap with burning cheeks.

"Don't look so sorry for yourself." Pepper scolded, reaching back to her and flicking her nose. Happy chuckled.

"Wake up Miss Potts, we're here!"

"Happy, don't yell, you're going to make her panic..."

"Oh, sorry Pepper..."

Calico giggled and slid out of the back seat of the car, looking up at the large New York building with sparkling eyes. So this was Stark Tower? Pepper stood beside her and placed her hand on her shoulder, grinning at how amazed she was at the house.

"It's even prettier inside. Aren't you glad my place is too small?" Pepper cooed, pinching each of Calico's round cheeks. Her plump lips pulled into a cute smile as she bounded into the house in front of Pepper, excited.

Pepper chuckled and showed her to her room, which was on the fourth floor, right above the kitchen and below the room Tony Stark kept his alcohol in (Calico wasn't allowed in there).

Calico dropped her bags and threw herself onto her large bed. She stretched herself out, making little pleased sounds at her new surroundings. Pepper chuckled, shook her head, and looked down at her watch. She pulled a face and looked at the happy young woman in front of her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I have a meeting to go to. Tony isn't home, but try not to make to much noise, 'kay? Any questions, just ask Jarvis. I'll see you." Pepper cooed, going over to Calico and tousling her long ginger curls.

Calico felt a chill when she left, however, at being in the big building all by herself. She bit down on her bottom lip and pulled out her laptop to begin searching for jobs, just to give her something to do. The voice she heard at her door nearly made her drop it.

"You aren't ugly."

Looking up, she saw an all too familiar face.
Though he looked a much less dressed up than he did on the television, he was still the ridiculously handsome genius that Pepper had the pleasure to work for. His hair looked as if he had just rolled out of bed (which, given his reputation with women, didn't seem all that unlikely), and his facial hair was groomed to perfection.

It was one thing to be told you were going to be living with Tony Stark, but something completely different to actually see him smirking down at you, leaning on your door with his arms crossed.

"W-what?" Calico asked, freckled face taking on a deep shade of red. Tony snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Pepper said you were ugly. You're the opposite of ugly. Very aesthetically pleasing." he said, smile growing as he looked over her. Calico looked back down at her computer and attempted not to burst into a fit of nervous laughter. Tony took a few steps closer to her until he was close enough to see what she was looking at. She could feel his body heat radiating off of him. Or maybe it was her's, bouncing from him to her again.

"You don't look like an engineer. They tend to be less tiny and adorable."

"I-I know. I mean, I don't know if I'm adorable, but..."

"You're cute, is the point I'm trying to make here."

"I mean..." Calico shrugged and shifted uncomfortably. Tony's eyes slowly moved downward, causing her to immediately cover her chest in embarrassment.

"I'm going to go ahead and put what I want in your closet. What you're wearing now is just rude."

"But it's just jeans and a shirt."

"You look more like you should be wearing a dress."

Calico flinched when he plopped down beside her, not even bothering to ask if it was okay with her. He rested his arm on her shoulder, as if they had known each other for years. Calico pondered whether it would be wise for her to kick him out of her room.

But it is his house.

"What's your name again, babe? I'm Tony Stark, if you weren't smart enough to guess. I mean, who doesn't know me?"

"I'm C-Calico." she said, silver eyes lowered as she shut her laptop and stood up to place it on the empty dresser.

"Calico. Like the cats? That explains a lot. You're going to be my little Calico Kitten." Tony said, staring at her back.

"Yes. Wait, what?" Calico asked, cocking her eyebrows. Tony smiled.

"Well, I have a place I need to be. If Pepper notices that I'm gone, she'll murder me slowly. So..." he waved and walked casually out of the bedroom, almost like he had never even been there.

Moments later, Pepper's shrill screams echoed through the building.

"Get your ass into that car, Stark!"

"I'm going, I'm going!"

Calico giggled at the exchange, and decided that maybe things wouldn't suck so much in New York.