Author's Note: Well after reading so man Iron Men stories and after watching the movies like tenth times each (too much free time is not so good to you especially when forced onto you) I decided to try to write my very own Pepperoni. A really huge storm and lack of electricity were the major kicks to write it.

It's my first so please don't kill me and since I do not have beta all mistakes are my and my only. Reviews are always welcome, but if you are intended to be rude you can skip it I will survive it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Iron Man or Tony Stark or anything else but oh God I wish I could.

One Stormy Night

On days like this she was really wondering how she supposed to focus on her work. New York was dark and there was a really heavy storm outside. Lightings were flashing white lines outside tall glass windows at the 30th floor of C&B Intel. conference room. The meeting was punctuated by loud sounds of thunders. Pepper couldn't focus, she wasn't afraid of storms, well technically she didn't like them much, but here in the building she was perfectly safe. Or she was convincing herself that every time she looked at the lightning bolt which ripped the sky illuminating the room. She was supposed to take notes for Tony, well pay attention for both of them, because judging by his focused look at the cell phone which he was holding under the table some really heavy game was on.

She jumped when Tony lightly touched her shoulder with his other hand which he casually wrapped around her chair somewhere in the meeting. She sent him a dark look but he only smirked, his famous Stark smirk at full voltage then leaned closer and whispered into her ear.

"Are you afraid of storms Miss Pott?" his breath was hot against her neck and slightly ticklish. Recently she discovered, to her great annoyance, that her boss had an incredibly weird influence on her ability to think when in close proximity. She even wondered if this was some new invention of his but something inside her told her it wasn't any of his engineering skills. Ever since he came back from Afghanistan and since that extremely tense night at the Charity Ball, not to mention the girlfriend speech before he pulled that stunt with "I am Iron Man", she became extremely couscous to his presence, especially when he was close. Like now. Too close, too much. His voice, his breath, his unique scent. God it was intoxicating and frustrating at the same time. Twenty some people in the room and Pepper could swear that the time just stopped. She held her breath trying to focus on something, anything but not Tony Stark at her shoulder. He moved away slightly trying to look into her eyes. It was even worst. Deep brown eyes were staring into her. She could swear that he knew perfectly well what he was doing to her. He was doing it more often those days. Casual touching, his lingering hand when he was leading her to the office or to some meeting and the nonexistence personal space.

She knew she should answer, but right now her mind wasn't cooperating with her mouth. Oh well, it was cooperating but not in a way she wished it would or the people in the room would appreciate. She locked her gaze at his lips. Then a loud thunder broke the monotonous speech of one of the meeting attendances and shook Pepper into reality. She jumped slightly in her chair again and they could perfectly hear the rattling sound of glass windows. Even Tony looked at the glass checking its condition. But then they were back to business when accounting department was just getting up to take the time. Pepper gathered herself and leaned into Tony's shoulder.

"No I'm not afraid of storms Mr. Stark, but that outside is more like the end of the world skies opening" she whispered back. Accounting be damned she would not be intimidated by storms, or Tony. Well Tony and a storm were hellishly similar. She often thought about her boss as a hurricane with genius mind. He destroyed most things in his way but at the center there was something beautiful. Usually it was his new invention. She didn't know if she would like to be in the center of the hurricane. She was far better with cleaning up the remains.

"Well do not fret my dear, every hero protects his girl even from a storm" he smirked at her. He actually smiled but she was safer with his smirk than seriousness. She just glared at him. Her most 'Oh please' deflected look which always worked on him, this time also made him return to his game.

Half an hour later the meeting was ended. Pepper was mad at herself that she didn't pay enough attention to it. Damn you Tony Stark lately. They were staying in the New York apartment. It was a necessity to have an apartment here taking into consideration how much time they spent here in New York on board meetings or in SI Headquarters. Pepper knew very well that Tony didn't like it here. There was no workshop, no Dummy to yell at, well it was plain boring and it always caused even more trouble with his mischievous nature. If he couldn't play around the house like in California, he was intended to find fun elsewhere. But recently something had changed in him, she was too afraid to spook him so she just kept her mouth shut. He was there on meetings more or less on time, he answered his phone, he signed papers more willingly. Pepper was hoping against hope that maybe Tony, her Tony, the man she knew was there and saw him on multiply occasion was really getting into surface.

She was gathering paper from the table, they were the last to leave. Tony was still sitting in the chair engrossed with the game. She was half amused, half mad at him. She was ready to leave standing by the door.

"JARVIS you snaky one I do not remember programing cheating" barked Tony looking at her waiting at the door "Skivvy thing" he waved his phone at her.

"Well you created him what did you expect" she answered walking past the door.

They were the last to leave the conference room at C&B Intel. The storm outside didn't let go its grip over the city. The rumbling sound of thunders was clearly audible in the dim-lit corridor leading to elevators. Suddenly a really loud thunder shook the building and the lights flicked. Pepper looked frightened at the ceiling lights but didn't say anything pressing the call button of the elevator. With a soft ding the elevators door slid open and they come inside to an empty space. Tony was still finishing playing on his phone with even more focused look on his face. The elevator came rushing down Pepper looked patiently at the displayed numbers. But with a sudden jerk which sending them both flying at the back wall, the elevator stopped. Then everything went still and very very dark. The action was so sudden that Pepper was only able to take hold of the railing at the back, sending the papers she was holding flying down on the floor, they were followed by a loud thud and flash of light when Tony's phone came thumbing down the light on the screen went off.

"Tony" she whispered not even trying to hide her scarred tone.

"It's OK Pepper" came his voice in total darkness "it is probably the power shortage caused by the storm. We just have to wait"

He sounded reassuring and close to her, she reached her hand across the darkness and came with contact with his forearm. Sensing her distress Tony grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly. When she felt his hand taking her, a warm feeling spread across her arm heading to her stomach. She was trying to stay calm but all that was getting on her nerves. Tony was rubbing small circles inside her palm and it was the most amazing feeling she could think of, it was giving her a light-headed feeling. Right now she could care less about the elevator, or the light, or the storm. She was almost melting into his tough. Not thinking for once was such a new feeling for her, she was just feeling. His hand in her, his arm pressed against her, his scent lingering in the darkness. She was feeling like falling head first into him. Maybe he was right, some small part of her brain was thinking, maybe she would be widely conflicted and scared for him as his girlfriend. Like this emotion was any difference from the way she was feeling in years now. But now she was letting herself be pulled into him. She was practically wrapped in his arms. She couldn't honestly explain how it happened. He was rubbing her back, calming her nerves and at the same time setting every nerve on fire. It was dark so she couldn't see his eyes but she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Tony?" she whispered hoarsely

"Yes" he said in husky whisper against her ear sending shivers down her spine.

"Is there a chance…" she started but was cut by his mouth pressed gently to her neck just below her ear. "There is always a chance" he whispered against her neck in dark voice kissing his way to her mouth. Tony Stark was kissing her neck, going dangerously close to her lips. Her knees weakened at the sensation but his hands were holding her firmly pressed against him. And at that moment, her mind won a rebellion against her professional side and she was determined only to feel. Her hand came to his hair as of its own free will, when she felt the velvet locks she forced herself to suppress a moan. Oh god it was heaven … or hell.

…but the fate was neither kind nor cooperative at the moment. With a wild yank sending them on the floor the elevator fell few meters. The lights still didn't switch on, there was no hum of AC but only loud squeaking noise coming from the floor. Tony scrambled to his feet trying to help her in the darkness.

"I don't like this sound" he was trying to see anything in the dark elevator box "I think these are the breaks"

'Dear life when I say things can get any worse it's not a challenge' Pepper thought dimly.

Well what do you think? There is another chapter but well I really don't know if you want to read it? So please, please leave a review it gives me the reason to go on. (You have no idea hove much reviews are important if you would check your email account like fifty times an hour you would know)