It was just an ordinary day in the lab, right? So what's up with Pepper? She's acting all…weird. And I'm pretty sure she has something in her eye because she's been blinking a lot. I try not to mind it, but its kinda hard because she keeps saying random stuff when it gets quiet and I try to work on the armor. Weird stuff that she's never really talked about before, like asking me if I've ever liked someone or if I like anyone now. I told her no, not that I know of but I'm not sure that's the answer she wanted to hear because she sighed from behind me and shut herself up for a few minutes before asking something like that.
"Oh, do you think anyone at school likes you?" Why was she asking stuff like that?
"I've never really cared for a relationship, okay Pepper?" I said. I heard a loud sigh from behind me and I wondered if my answer upset her. But why that was was beyond me. It was so strange, the way she's been acting lately. Even Rhodey was being weird. When Pepper asked me a question like that earlier, and Rhodey was here, I answered like I normally do and Rhodey said I was clueless and that he had to go do homework. I asked why I was so clueless, but he just rolled his eyes at me. It's almost like some weird syndrome is going around and I'm immune to it or something.
"Well has anyone ever liked you?" Pepper asked.
"A lot of girls have liked me because I have money and brains, Pepper. Why do you even care?" As I asked her, I turned around to face her with a blow torch still in hand and welding goggles still in hand.
"I dunno…" She muttered. Again, with the strange behavior. Her cheeks were even flushed, red. I think that's blushing, but I wasn't sure because I've never really made a girl blush before. The only girls I've really had a close relationship with in my life was my mother and Whitney—but Whitney and I were only friends and that's all I really wanted us to be. Don't get me wrong, she's a good friend—she just doesn't really seem like it to other people most of the time. It's hard to understand.
I turned back to my work, only to be asked another question. I answered with a usual mutual answer, she responded with a grunt and a sigh, and I went back to my work. She was quiet for a bit longer before asking more questions. Sometimes Pepper feels like talking a lot at the moment I'm trying to do work. But sometimes that's okay, because I like to secretly listen to her go on and on about god know what, just to hear her voice. But sometimes it wasn't the best time for her to be talking because those were the times I needed to really concentrate on what I was doing so I wouldn't screw up.
"Ugh, Tony Stark you are so OBLIVIOUS!" Pepper complained, standing from her seat.
"What? What is up with you today, Pepper?" I asked, annoyed. Why was she being so weird today?
She sat back down sheepishly and looked at her feet.
"Nothing, never mind..." She muttered. I rolled my eyes and went back to my work. There she flared again, completely out of nowhere but shying back as if she were embarrassed by her outburst.
I wonder why she has so many odd questions today. And why Rhodey was siding with her. And why, all the sudden (now that he thought about it) Rhodey just decided he had to do his homework when he had all weekend to do school and he usually did homework after dinner on Sunday night. Maybe there's just something in the air that I haven't breathed in because I've been in the lab for a while. I mean, Pepper is weird but not like this. Her usual weirdness was silly, free-willing teenager. But now she was curious, always wanting to know stuff, almost dazed. Something's up, I guess, but it didn't seem important so I decided to ignore it.
I set the blow torch aside and picked up a wrench. There was still a lot to be done with the armor, and there were still many more armors to fix. It'd take longer than it took to repair the lab, and it still didn't look like nothing had happened. A lot was still scorched and burnt, and there was a lot that I wouldn't be able to fix. A lot was damaged beyond repair. I heard Pepper's phone go off and I knew it was her text message tone because I'd heard it several times before. I couldn't help but wonder what she was talking about, and with whom she was talking to. At least it would make her stop asking so many questions for at least a minute, which was a good break for the amount of questions she'd been asking.
I guessed she was done texting because I heard the faint sound of her bag opening and her phone dropping inside it. Plus, I heard her stand. She hesitated for a moment, I could tell because I didn't hear footsteps.
"Well I have to get going home. See you later, Tony," She started walking towards the exit, but I didn't hear footsteps after a few minutes so I assumed she stopped walking.
Suddenly, she scurried towards me and I felt her lips on my cheek. Surprised, I could tell my eyes widened and the wrench I'd been holding dropped to the floor. This action fit in well with her many questions, and I was wondering if this was why she'd been asking them.
I don't know what came over me when I watched her start to shuffle away, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her back into my arms and kissed her. The best part was that I knew she was kissing back and I knew why she—and Rhodey—had been acting so strange all day.
I released her moments later and she giggled playfully. "Heh, ookay," she started backing towards the door, not taking her eyes off of me and waving dreamily at me. I smiled, trying to look slick, and placed my hand on the workbench beside me…except that I couldn't take my eyes off of her so I missed the workbench and fell to the ground. She giggled at me then left.
Hehe, aww that's so cute. I'll accredit that I did get this idea while surfin' the fanart on deviant. But it's so cuttteeee XD I could read this over a million times and It'd still be cute. So review!
Oh, P.S.-below is an alternate ending to the one-shot that I contemplated using but decided against.
I guessed she was done texting because I heard the faint sound of her bag opening and her phone dropping inside it. Plus, I heard her stand. She hesitated for a moment, I could tell because I didn't hear footsteps.
"Well I have to get going home. See you later, Tony," She started walking towards the exit, but I didn't hear footsteps after a few minutes so I assumed she stopped walking.
Suddenly, she scurried towards me and I felt her lips on my cheek. Surprised, I could tell my eyes widened and the wrench I'd been holding dropped to the floor. This action fit in well with her many questions, and I was wondering if this was why she'd been asking them.
She smiled sheepishly at me, waved and said "See you later," as she exited. I just stared at the spot she'd been standing in, confused. What was that all about?
P.P.S.-dang, now I got an idea for an alternate beginning and I'm going to put it below and you can decide which version you like better. (Personally I like the idea I started with better but I felt the need to write this and post it too.)
Tony and Pepper had just come to Pepper's front door after a night of fancy dresses, fancy dinners and fancy tuxedos. Even if he'd been watching her in a dress for the past hour and a half, he still couldn't believe how good she looked in her silky, fire-red dress. She had a matching red handbag for the dress, and she was clutching it nervously. She felt Tony's eyes bore into her, and it made her nervous to know he just kept staring at her. She didn't think he would be that interested in her dress.
Pepper hesitated to open her front door and say goodbye to Tony; her goodbye consisted of a wave and her whispering 'bye' so quietly that it was as if she didn't say anything at all. Pepper backed into her house, still waving at Tony, feeling like there was something more that she should do before she really said goodbye to him. Stupid Rhodey, she thought, for magically deciding that he wanted to walk home with Whitney and her dad 'so Whitney wouldn't have to walk home alone with Stane'…
Pepper closed her door, but soon after opened it and placed her hand on Tony's shoulder, turned him around and quickly kissed him on the cheek. Tony, looking very shocked at Pepper's action, had wide eyes and didn't know what to make of the action. Pepper was finished kissing his cheek soon though, and smiled sheepishly as she waved and closed her door. Tony sighed and walked back to his own home.
Pepper leaned against her door and sank to the ground with a delighted sigh. Her father was not home, but even if he had been home right now she would have done the same as she was now—ran around the house exclaiming "Hehe, I kissed him!" excitedly. Finally done almost a half an hour later, Pepper fell onto her bed with a delighted sigh and stared at the picture of Tony she had taped to her ceiling. Today, she thought, was a good day.