Here's another one I did for it's_always_been over at LJ. I'm pretty happy with this one, actually.
I don't own Marvel. I wish to goodness that I did, but I don't.
The Beauty of Simplicity
Part One
When Tony wakes, he stretches and raises himself to his elbows on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He can hear someone moving around downstairs; Pepper must have already returned from her morning jog. The warm California sun streams in through the open windows, and he lays there for a few minutes before he rises from the bed and makes his way downstairs.
When he reaches the foot of the stairs, he pauses, closing his eyes and focusing as he calls on the Extremis. As usual, he feels a satisfying sense of fulfillment as he reaches out to the coffee maker and probes at it with his mind. After a few seconds, he withdraws back into himself and the machine buzzes into life. He chuckles when Pepper jumps at the sudden and harsh noise of coffee beans being ground.
She turns and glares at him, but he can see the playful glint in her eyes. "Do you have to do that every morning?"
Tony grins. "Yep."
Pepper sighs, shaking her head, but allows him a small smile. Tony crosses the room and sits at the breakfast bar beside the stove. "How was your run?" he asks. His restless hands become occupied with one of the several seashells on the counter in front of him. Its slight ridges soothe his ever-busy hands and mind.
"It was fine. I went down that path that runs along the ocean, the one that leads all the way to that beach where we–" She pauses, a deep blush flooding her face. Tony grins, remembering exactly what beach she's talking about. Her skin had been so pale, so perfect in the moonlight…
"It was nice." She finishes, pulling Tony back to the present. "I brought back some shells for that display case in the front hallway."
Tony raises his eyebrows and holds up the shell in his hand. "These shells?"
Pepper looks up from the scrambled eggs she's cooking. "Yes." She sees him smirking and freezes in front of the stove, spatula in hand. "What."
Tony shakes his head. "You're going to put these shells in the display? The display that everyone walks past when they enter our house?"
Pepper nods, a slightly wounded look spread across her features. "What's wrong with those shells?"
He looks down at the simple, plain white seashell in his hand. "I just thought you'd choose something more… extravagant." Tony thinks of the intricate conchs decorating a table in the living room. "It is you, after all."
Pepper narrows her eyes good-naturedly, flipping the eggs onto a couple of plates and handing one to Tony. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that there's beauty and meaning in everything?"
Tony leans across the counter and kisses her lightly. "Yeah," he says, "But beauty is nothing compared to you."
I'll post the second and final part soon.
Reviews are love! 3