It's Wednesday morning, and, per usual, Pepper is busy. She is making phone calls, setting up meetings. Jabbing her thin fingers into her burning, bloodshot eyes, Pepper regards Tony with tired indifference as the room gradually slides back into focus.
"Yes, Mr. Stark?" she says in a sigh, burying her weary head in her hands.
Anthony Stark pauses for a heartbeat before turning around to gently snap the door shut.
"Pep…Pepper….Virginia…" Tony stutters, crossing the room in hasty steps.
Pepper lifts her head, slides her hands across the desk to grab her coffee. Cradling the mug in her hands, she waits.
"This probably isn't the best time…well it never is. Because you're always busy, I mean. Not saying that's my fault. Or maybe it is. Yes, definitely mine. But, Pepper, had the Ten Rings not received my weapons, gift wrapped and lovingly sent from Stark Industries…" he raves.
Pepper realizes that he feels guilty for the mess she has to put up with ever since Tony put a stop to the betrayal of Obidiah, who continued to send Stark I. weapons to the terrorist organization known as the Ten Rings. And, of course, the business and political repercussions that followed. That was Tony's fault. It was his fault…for having a conscience.
Tony lets out a small cough. Pepper takes a sip. He clears his throat, and looks around awkwardly.
"What are you trying to tell me, Tony? We are all working very hard here. I don't feel bad about it, because it is my job. Therefore, there is nothing more to discuss." She presses the rim of her coffee mug to her lips. She doesn't tell him that she is proud of him.
"I am trying to tell you that I want you to have dinner with me," he blurts.
Pepper chokes on her coffee, presses a hand to her scorched throat. "Tony…" she croaks hoarsely. "What. Why? No."
"Well, you know," Tony continues as if he hadn't just heard her flat out refusal. "I might have figured that, by having dinner with moi, we could learn to balance our work and private lives together." On the word 'private', Tony leans close to Pepper over her desk, allowing his dark hair to flop carelessly over his eyes.
"Tony…" Pepper sounds wistful.
"Yes, dear," Tony breathes, tilting his head slightly.
Then: "Mr. Stark." This time her voice has a hard edge to it.
Tony leans back hurriedly, taken aback.
"I barely have time to finish all this shit, let alone a relationship. That would be a mistake."
"Ah. The fact that you gave an excuse to forbid our hypothetical relationship means you have, in fact, given it thought," Tony smirks. "You could have simply said you were uninterested."
Pepper opens her mouth in horror.
"Also, slightly more intriguing, you mention that it would be a 'mistake'. Now what would you mean by that," he asks, invading her personal space once more.
Though Pepper starts to feel her ears burn and her hands shake, she manages to feign cool indifference. "What I mean, Mr. Stark, is that you and I run separate, private, lives. If we were to spend more time together, not necessarily romantically, then the distinction between what's professionally acceptable," at this she raises her eyebrows and looks pointedly at Tony, who is still hovering inches away," and inappropriate would blur, costing both of us embarrassment and hurt in the end. Not to mention, potentially lose business opportunities amongst our new clients."
"So this is about image?" Tony looks bewildered and decidedly non-embarrassed. "But Pepper, I've been working hard. We deserve this." He looks hurt.
"No, what you…" Pepper begins earnestly.
"I've been strenuously researching the female psyche in order to try to understand you, Pepper," he says brightly. "Like I said, I, ahem, we, deserve this."
"Well, what are your findings, Mr. Stark?" She asks, resigned. She is amused, despite herself.
"Well, Pep, it seems you have a thing for me," he says gravely, as if he were a doctor and she, Pepper, was being informed about the cause of her affliction.
"Huh. Well that explains a lot." She manages to sound nonchalant as she gets up and starts making her way around her desk.
"What?" He sounds curiously defensive.
"Why I can't seem to take my eyes off you," she explains, as though to a child. She continues her advances towards Tony.
"Mmmhmm, first chapter, paragraph five," he murmurs as she finally stops inches away from him.
"And why I can't seem to think straight when you are around," she whispers as he lowers his head.
"I believe that is the second paragraph," he distractedly mutters.
"And why I can't seem to keep my hands off you!"
She lunges for his left ear and twists it hard. She then proceeds to march an unhappy, painfully hunched over Tony out the door.
"Owowowowow…" he howls as Pepper throws him out.
Pepper locks the door behind him and leans on it as she catches her breath.
Tony knocks on the door foolishly, resting his head on the door. "Pepper. Pepper? Open the door, Pepper."
She ignores him. She slowly walks back to her desk. Noticing she is flushed, she reaches for a cold bottle of water.
The phone rings.
"Well that wasn't very nice," the voice says conversationally as she picks up.
"Life isn't nice, Mr. Stark," Pepper quips.
"So, we never did get around to discussing the time, nor place."
"For what?" She is genuinely confused.
"Dinner." The statement ends with an unspoken 'duh'.
"What?" Pepper replies, astonished.
"What does your schedule read for this Friday night at seven?"
"Unfortunately, I'm booked solid all week. Especially on Friday night at seven," she smirks, hoping he will get the hint.
"Right. Is that Tony guy giving you trouble?"
"Too much," she murmurs. She feels herself starting to give in.
"Well tell him to go fuck himself, because I'm taking you out."
"Tony." She feels that this conversation had gone on long enough.
"Yeah, Potts?"
"I need you to free up the line. I mean…get off. Hang up," she says flatly.
"Got you flustered, have I?" She can feel him grinning through the phone.
"Really? Because I am starting to get angry…"
"Say yes."
"What?" she growls.
"Yes, Potts. Say it."
"Tony. Really? I gotta go." She can hear the whine in her voice.
"Not until you comply with my terms, Miss Potts," the man says sternly.
"Fine, okay," she says quickly, as if pulling off a band-aid.
"Okay what?" he teases.
"I'll go to dinner with you," she snaps, and slams the phone back into its cradle. Rubbing her temples, she decides to get back to work. Wiggling the mouse on her computer, she barely clicks on her login name when she feels her cell phone vibrate.
'its a date :)'.
