Heart
By ZionAngel
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Tony isn't ignoring Pepper, per se. He hears her words, and processes them reasonably well. He's simply not going out of his way to devote his full attention to her as opposed to the sandwich in front of him. Not perfect, maybe, but it's a big improvement over how he handled things in the past. That counts for something, right?
Last year, if he remembers correctly, when she told him about the various Halloween-themed benefits, charity dinners and private parties he'd been invited to, he ignored every word, then asked her if he had been invited to whatever party the Playboy Mansion was hosting, and before she could answer, told her to get his name on the list anyway.
This afternoon, though, he could probably give the exact names of at least three of the organizations or people she's told him about. Granted, she probably listed over fifteen, but still. Baby steps.
"- basically every group Stark Industries or you personally have made a donation to. Almost all of them are on the same night, so you'll have to pick just one."
He fights the urge to whine about how boring half of them are going to be. "I dunno, Potts. You're the one who's been talking to all these people. You know what the parties are gonna be like better than I do. Pick one for me."
A few seconds pass, and she says nothing. A few more, and he turns to her. She's staring down at her Blackberry, mouth half open, as if she's deciding whether or not to speak her mind. "What?"
She bites her lip. "The Children's Hospital benefit is going to be a costume party. For the adults, too, not just the kids."
"And what do you suggest I go as, exactly?" He's really not sure if the suit would be a good idea or bad - some of them might enjoy it, but there've been plenty of times when children have been terrified of the armor when it's up close and personal.
She laughs a little nervously. "I was, uh… I was thinking we could… maybe go as Dorothy and the Tin Man. From The Wizard of Oz."
He perks up at that. "You want to go, too?"
"Well - I don't have to, and it's not as if - I mean, if you don't want me to -"
"No, no I want you to come." He clears his throat a little, and takes a drink of water, trying to calm down before he speaks again. "You can come if you want. Probably be a lot less boring."
She smiles and looks down again. "Boring. Please. You've probably got the specs for the costume all worked out in your head already."
Sometimes it's kind of scary how well she knows him.
He sighs dramatically, feigning frustration. "Fine," he grumbles. "I suppose I could be convinced to go for the sake of seeing you in a pair of Ruby-Red stilettos."
She grins, and silently types a note on her Blackberry. He returns to his sandwich, his thoughts warring between internal support structures for the Tin Man costume, and the image of Pepper's slender, pale legs in a pair of bright red heels.
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So he's late. Again. In the past he often made excuses for why his lateness was anything or anyone else's fault but his own. But this time it's really not his fault. He was ready on time, all dressed up in his costume with the help of the shop 'bots, and ready to go. Except with the costume, he couldn't fit into the Audi. Or any of his other cars. So he was forced to call Hogan, and wait a half hour for him to show up with the Rolls Royce. Then it took another ten minutes to figure out some way to maneuver him into the back seat without denting the costume. But they did finally manage, and he did fit in the back seat - a little awkwardly, but well enough. With the traffic he ended up being a solid hour late. But at least he showed up - used to be he'd just not show up at all, either because he decided to blow it off, or forgot about the obligation and decided it was a lost cause by the time he did remember.
But he showed up tonight. And the lateness wasn't his fault. That counts for something, right?
Once he manages to get out of the car (with Hogan's help, but without any damage to the costume) he heads inside and starts looking for his Dorothy.
Despite the silver paint on his face, everyone somehow manages to recognize him. Or maybe it's just the similarity between tonight's costume and his usual one. Or maybe they saw Pepper, and put two and two together. Whatever the case, he ends up schmoozing his way through half of the adults on the first floor, and laughing as just about all of the kids bang on the metal in astonishment, asking if he made it himself. Pepper eludes him all the while.
Eventually, though, he heads out into the cool air of the courtyard and spots a group of children all huddled around each other. He catches a brief glimpse of red hair behind them, and smiles.
He moves quietly around to the side, not announcing his presence just yet. Sure enough, he finds Pepper sitting in the center of the children with a small dog in her lap. The kids are going crazy for little Toto, but as far as Tony is concerned, the woman holding him is far more adorable. She sits in the grass, with her legs tucked under her, heels glittering faintly, with the classic blue checkered dress, and her wavy hair hanging over her shoulders in two pigtails. She smiles, and laughs at something one of the kids says, and he's suddenly very, very glad he agreed to this.
One little girl, dressed as a cowgirl with pink boots, happens to look his way, and jumps in unbridled excitement as she pints and shouts. "You brought the Tin Man!" Tony laughs, and makes his way over to them.
Pepper looks up, and her smile brightens. "There he is!" She puts on an air of annoyance, and asks the children, "Well it certainly took him long enough, didn't it? You know, I thought the Scarecrow was the one without a brain, but it's always this one over here who's late." She winks at him, trying not to giggle.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Dorothy. Hard to get around when you're made of metal." He offers her a hand, and she stands with the dog still in her arms. "You understand, of course."
Before she can answer, a pint-sized Shrek bounds over to him, jumping frantically. "Mr. Tin Man! Is Dorothy really gonna let Toto stay with us here?!"
He glances at Pepper, who nods discreetly. "Well, of course she is! You really think Dorothy here would ever lie to you little Munchkins?" The little ones jump and cheer happily.
She gives a sweet, hearty laugh, a wonderful sound he doesn't hear nearly enough. "Of course I wouldn't!" She leans down a little, letting the children pet the dog again. "Little Toto will be all yours after tonight. He's very excited, too. He just loves little Munchkins like all of you."
Tony smiles, and lets himself savor this joyful, completely relaxed Pepper for a few moments more.
"Hate to break it to you, Munchkins, but I think I'm gonna have to steal Dorothy for a little while."
They all say goodbye and wave, and she picks up a picnic basket from the ground before she follows him inside. They head to the "bar" - no booze at a children's hospital, it seems - and Pepper puts the dog in the basket while they wait for their drinks to be made.
"Where'd you get the dog, Pep?"
"From a shelter. Took me a long time to find just the right one, too." She scratches it behind the ears. "He's young and friendly, and just adores children. I'm donating him to the hospital to use as a therapy dog."
He can't help but smile, because it's just like his sweet Pepper to do something like that. "That's really nice of you."
"They can never have too many of them. They help the kids so much. He's been staying with me the last couple of days."
Their drinks arrive, and they set out to work the room together. They talk a little bit of business, and he accepts many thanks for his contribution to the hospital, but mostly the conversation is light and casual. They all laugh at the irony of his costume, which somehow doesn't get any less funny no matter how many times it is mentioned. Naturally, his costume always receives the most compliments for sheer quality alone.
Eventually, there's a bit of a lull, and they find themselves alone together for a few minutes.
"It really is a very good costume, Tony."
He smirks. "What, you expected a cardboard box with sloppy silver paint?" She gives that same lighthearted laugh again, and he has to force himself to focus. "Thanks. Have to admit, it was fun to make."
"I thought you might enjoy it."
"But I'm very disappointed in your costume Miss Potts," he says sternly. She blinks at him, confused, her face looking not so dissimilar from the small dog in her basket. "Your skirt goes all the way down to your knees, Pepper. I expected better from you."
"Well there are children at this event, Mr. Stark. The Playboy version of this costume would be highly inappropriate."
He grins. "So if I were to throw a private costume party sometime, adults only, I might get to see a little thigh and some cleavage while you're skipping down the Yellow Brick Road?"
She doesn't respond, just tries to hide a mischievous little grin behind her glass as she takes a drink.
"You can keep the shoes if you want, though. Definitely approve of those. Although, if you want, I could get you some made with actual rubies. Custom made, the works. You'd be the talk of the town."
She smiles, genuinely this time. "That won't be necessary. But I appreciate the offer."
Another group of guests finds them then. They return to talking, schmoozing, working the room, and playing with the children. They stay late into the evening, until the majority of the other guests are gone and the kids grow tired and are carried away by their parents. As a business acquaintance stops by to say goodnight to Pepper, Tony can tell she's ready to leave as well.
He doesn't want her to go. He's had such a good time with her this evening - it's been far too long since they've spent any time together outside of work, when they can just be themselves, be friends who can laugh together instead of boss and assistant. He's enjoying her company tremendously. He's not ready for the night to be over yet.
His train of thought is broken when a woman, apparently the hospital's Dean of Medicine, approaches them. It seems the two women have met before, and she thanks Pepper for being so thoughtful with the dog. Pepper pulls the little fuzzball out of the basket, smiling sadly. She holds him to her chest and pets him tenderly, murmuring something to him quietly. The dog reaches up and licks her nose, and with a quiet sigh, Pepper hands the dog to the other woman, who thanks them again, and leaves.
"I'm gonna miss that little guy," she murmurs. He's not sure if she knows she said it out loud.
Tony reaches out and caresses her shoulder. "That's a really good thing you did, Pepper. Really."
She scoffs, like she's purposefully trying to feel better. "Please, you're the one who wrote them a two million dollar personal check. All I gave them was yet another therapy dog."
"Eh, so they get some fancy new whatchamacallit equipment, maybe sponsor some research. As far as the Munchkins are concerned, I'm just some guy with his name on a little plaque on the wall. You, on the other hand, are the nice lady who gave them the puppy."
She turns to him, a bit more serious now. "Yeah, well, you did a good thing, too. Thank you for coming, Tony. And for not making trouble about it. I really appreciate it. And the kids do, too."
He grins at her, suddenly feeling shy. "Well, I am trying to do right by people nowadays, you know."
Her smile is bright and sincere. "I do." She hides a small yawn behind her hand, and then gives her empty glass to a passing waiter. "Well, I think it's about time for me to call it a night."
He does so wish there was some way to convince her to just come over to his house for a little nightcap, maybe let her sleep over in her usual guest room. He wishes he could think of some way to keep the evening going, just a little bit longer. "But Dorothy, you can't leave yet. We still have to find the Wizard. You still need to find a way home and he has to give me a heart," he insists, pouting a little, only half dramatically.
Her smile is slow, different from all the others she's worn tonight. It's… happier, sweeter, more tender - something, he's not quite sure.
"Oh, Tin Man," she murmurs, turning to him, "I already know my way home. And besides…" Her smile widens as she leans close to him, and her voice drops to a whisper. "I know you already have a heart."
Her eyes slip closed, and she leans those few inches closer to press her lips to his. The kiss is brief, but tender, and sweet, and utterly wonderful.
She pulls away, and a rosy blush spreads across her cheeks. She glances into his eyes once, then bids him goodnight, and turns to go. He stands there, shocked, watching her every step in mild shock as she heads for the back entrance. Just before she's out of sight, she pauses and glances over her shoulder. She must be pleased with the look she sees on his face, because she grins and waves a little. He waves back, a little dumbly, and then she's gone.
Eventually he moves, and finds Hogan waiting in the parking lot out back. They struggle, again, to get him into the back seat. They struggle harder to get him out once they reach the mansion. The simple costume turns out to be even more difficult to remove than the Mark II armor.
Even when he wakes up in the morning, scattered with bruises from the costume's trials and tribulations, his face covered in dozens of itchy little red bumps from the silver paint, he can do little else but grin like a fool. All he really cares about is the memory of Pepper, her eyes, her smile, and her soft lips.
He's never looked forward to a Monday morning so much in his life.