Summary: The beginnings of Tony and Pepper because when you think about, their feelings must come from somewhere. Some story before IM1 because I just love to make Pepper uncomfortable and Tony cheeky remarks. So this is one of the stories where Tony is overworked and had yet another wonderful idea to make Pepper life even harder than it already is. (Ratings just to be save)
A/N As I promise another Tony and Pepper, this time the beginnings, because when you think about it their feeling must come from somewhere, so I proudly present some story before IM1 I just love make Pepper uncomfortable and Tony cheeky answers.
Once again I'm so grateful to my wonderful beta reader NCISVILLE for her wonderful magical ability to make this story so good.
Stupid Kissing Games #1
Pepper walked through the open door leading to the Stark Mansion feeling more than a little tired. Contrary to popular belief, seven a.m. was not her preferred hour to wake up. In layman's terms she really wasn't a morning person. But when you were working for Tony Stark (who let's face it, wasn't a morning or even an afternoon person himself), you quickly had to get used to waking up very early so there was time to drag said person out of bed or out of his head and to wherever he was supposed to be. Usually it was just the next meeting, an R&D panel at SI, or some interview that was actually important and pertinent to SI matters.
But on days like that her job was more difficult task than normal. Tony was working (well he was more in the middle of what he referred to as 'a heavy brainstorming spree') and asking him to do anything other than what he was so absorbed in was impossible. But during times like that Pepper was able to truly see that her boss was a genius with razor- shape mind and outstanding ability to focus at the task at hand. And like all geniuses when at work he was eccentric, inadvertently rude, and completely absorbed in his work.
It was now Friday and he had occupied his workshop for more than a week now and it was clear to Pepper that Tony was borderline obsessive. He didn't leave the workshop, he didn't sleep more than two hours a day, and Pepper was sure that he had consumed all of the coffee in the house. He refused to eat anything that wasn't cold pizza or Chinese take-out. Most of the time he had that obsessively focused look on his face as he stared down the computer screens, giving Pepper perfect opportunity to look at him as she brought him another coffee or while she was clearing away the countless empty take-out boxes scattered around his workshop. She was pretty sure that Tony didn't even realize when she came and went. He was usually too busy barking orders at Dummy, quarreling with JARVIS, and simultaneously punching the keyboard trying to outsmart himself.
Pepper looked through the glass windows into the workshop as she walked down the stairs holding coffee mugs and muffins. 'Today won't be any different from yesterday.' She thought tiredly. 'Great, another day of pushing off meetings and fighting with the engineers from R&D about his absence.' She thought dourly. Over ten years Pepper had learned very fast that she could manage to convince very drunk or very hung over Tony to have a meeting but she still had not quite figured out how to convince Tony while in his inventing mode. It was like talking to an alien or a wall. Pepper knew very well trying to talk him into going to a meeting in that state of mind was a lost cause. She punched in her personal code and entered the workshop bearing the only form of sustenance he was willing to take.
"Good morning Miss Potts." JARVIS' artificial voice greeted her warmly. Tony waved his hand absent-mindedly not even bothering to take his eyes off the screens in front of him filled with pictures, equations, and all the things she would never understand. Tony quickly raised his head when coffee and food magically appeared before him.
"Did you sleep at all?" She asked gathering nearly ten empty cups from various surface.
"I don't know, don't care." He mumbled incoherently in between bites of muffin as his other hand still typed impatiently on the keys.
"JARVIS?" Pepper asked knowing the AI would answer her question to her satisfaction.
"It has currently been 27 hours and 16 minutes …" the British accented AI began before he was cut off by his creator.
"JARVIS stay focus on the things that are relevant to the task at hand, you ungrateful…" barked Tony in the middle of the AI's answer.
"Tony." Pepper said softly in her worried tone.
"Pepper I swear when I'm done I'm intend sleep until the world ends but until that time arises, I would appreciate if you would stop harassing me" he said more frustrated with himself than Pepper as he took another large gulp of coffee. There was no playful tone, no smirk, no flirting. He was deathly focused, tired, and frustrated. Pepper knew that mode very well. It meant the end of a conversation with him. She glanced wearily at him from behind. He was sitting slumped in the chair, hair all mussed up from the countless times he ran his hands through it frustratedly, and he wore the same T-shirt she had seen him wearing yesterday. It was an old, hole filled, light grey, MIT shirt that enhanced awareness of his well-defined muscles. Pepper tentatively put her hand on his back in an attempt to not only feel said muscles but to provide him with the feeling that he was not alone. She felt how tense his muscles became as her hand touched him and then how a brief second later relaxed under her touch. This brief contact lasted only seconds but gave her a warm feeling inside her chest. Then just as quickly as her hand appeared she withdrew it and gathered up all the dirty mugs and left him alone again.
Deep down Pepper had admitted to herself that she had more than just friendly feelings for her boss a long time ago. It was a horrific discovery and it left her scared out of her wits for a couple months but eventually she came to terms with those feelings. It took her some time to learn to bury them deep down inside so they would not surface and how to separate her personal feelings of Tony from her professional ones. But there were times when that traitorous thing called her heart was fighting a tug – of- war with her head and for a brief moment her heart was winning. And then and only then would her composed and professional shields that she had put up so long ago were taken down, and for a few seconds her feelings would shine brightly through her eyes. In those times she just wished to be able to hold him, tell him that he was the most amazing, gifted person she had ever known (in a quite handsome wrapping), and let him know just how much she really cared about him in a way no one else ever would dare to. But she restrained herself to showing this with small gestures, it was a sort of compromise that never really satisfied her heart. There was no way that her heart would ever win that fight and nor could she allow it to for the pain of the rejection that would follow. After working with Tony for ten years, Pepper was very good at knowing when there was a lost cause and her love for Tony was one of those lost causes. Tony Stark was a dangerous person to have feelings for. Loving him was like staying too close to the sun. The warm feeling would be overwhelming sweet and un-comparable, but it would eventually burn her. She had seen one too many burned victims throughout the course of ten years. This knowledge was enough to keep on the lid she had put over her heart a long time ago.
It was pitch black outside signifying it was way past normal working hours, but there Pepper was still sitting hunched over her laptop on Tony Stark's couch. She looked at her watch for the first time in hours and 2 am glared at her. 'Great, Saturday has come without warning.' She thought tired beyond belief. Pepper decided that she had done enough for the day, well now morning and closed her laptop. She found her deserted shoes and got up to put them on; trying to ignore the sudden pain shooting through her muscles from the uncomfortable position she was sitting in. Suddenly the intercom came on and startled Pepper. "Miss Potts I need you to get down here." Tony's voice called through the machine. She adjusted her clothes in an attempt to still seem professional and hurried down to the workshop. JARVIS opened the door for her before she ever had the chance to punch in her code signaling the end of whatever Tony had been working on. Another sign she noticed was Tony himself, who was half sitting, half lying on the beaten up sofa. He had his eyes closed and was holding a rugged pillow pressed against his head.
"Miss Potts." Came his muffled voice from underneath the pillow. "I just finished my project so you can call the R&D department in the morning to schedule a meeting. I sent them the blueprints so let them drool over them for a while. It's good according to my standard. It's a new repulsive missile." He said beginning to drift off. His voice was strained and tired and after a short break he continued, "Right now I need two things," He uncovered his head from the pillow and squint his eyes in an attempt to hide his eyes from the harmful lights. "Well three I think, sleep, painkillers and a party. Preferably in this order but I won't be picky."
Pepper walked closer to him and helped him up. He surprisingly didn't protest with the helping hand. She looked into his eyes and saw they were bloodshot and unfocused but she could still faintly see that warm bright light hidden deep down in them. She smiled tentatively at him cherishing every moment she could touching him.
"Go upstairs and change while I fish you some pain killers, okay." She said as she ushered him up the stairs.
Ten minutes later Pepper quietly opened the bedroom door holding a glass of water and pills in the other hand. Tony was sound asleep, sprawled across the bed fully clothed. She sighed and put the water and medicine at the bedside table. The dim light illuminated the bedroom allowing Pepper to clearly see the dark circles under Tony's eyes. She silently walked closer to his peaceful sleeping form and pulled the covers over him. On pure instinct she softly brushed the stray strand of hair from his eyes and Tony smiled as she did. Pepper was so startled that he was aware of her action that she momentarily froze holding her breath. But nothing happened; there was no smirk, no cheeky comment, and no innuendo. He was actually asleep and he was smiling at her touch. His reaction made her brave enough to do it again. She loved the soft feel of his hair through her hands. Her subconscious sent her vivid images of other activates when she could pull his hair. Her heart began to race and she was sure she was blushing. Pepper felt herself beginning to lose her grip over her emotions yet again. She had had these feelings for him for so long that she couldn't even remember when it actually happened. And moments like these she cherished and hated the most at the same time because they left her yearning for something that could never and would never be and always left her feeling empty inside. But at the same time those moments allowed her to see Tony vulnerable and true. Without his famous Stark grin and playboy charm that he wore like a shield. Those moments gave her glimpses of just Tony, the guy who joked with her at breakfast ,who let her eat his fries when she was nervous before a press conference, and the same guy who no matter how many times had threatened to dismantle Dummy or JARVIS had never even attempted to try it because deep down they were family to him. Those rare moments gave her hope that someday that Tony would come to the surface and give her the chance to tell him just what he meant to her. A day so incredibly impossible. She sat at the edge of his bed, her hand tangled in his hair thinking 'what if.' The most painful and incredible two words she had ever known in regard to Tony Stark. After what seemed like a life time she withdrew her hand from his hair and quietly stood up. Tony frowned at the lack of her ministration but seconds later he slumped again in a deep sleep. Pepper left the room and headed to her car ready for what little sleep she could get. Tomorrow was sure to bring a list of things to be done.
Note: there are like four chapter if you would like to read another let me know. Reviews are very welcome and highly appreciated (in other words reviews make my day and keep me going)