Hey guys! Missed you. Sorry for disappearing, but i'm still alive and still in love with the best fanfic couple ever. I tried to write with a more... domestic feel to their relationship.
It was stupid. A stupid argument about a very insignificant thing.
She thought he was an insensitive idiot, and he thought that for once she was in the wrong. They were both playing the blame game because they both knew it was an unnecessary argument and neither wanted to give in because it would make them both look like they didn't care.
They both lay in their shared bed, turned away from one another. Their minds whirring and replaying the night over and over. They had gone out for a few drinks and dinner with a small group of people. Rhodey, Pepper's brother, some Stark Industries management who were a laugh and Pepper's oldest friend Maria. Maria. The trouble maker in Tony's mind. Things started being said in relation to Tony and Pepper's relationship and after one too many drinks, Maria expressed her opinions.
Tony recoiled to her comments and things got heated. Throughout the entire conversation Pepper's brother was trying to distract a tipsy Maria and Pepper was digging her finger nails into Tony's thigh. The attempts to stop the two didn't help and so after both of them did stop the group decided to split immediately once they had left the restaurant. Pepper and Tony argued the entire journey home and both went to bed pissed off with each other.
And so that's where they were left. Both fuming and fighting for the majority of the covers. After pulling and grabbing the duvet from each other for about ten minutes, Tony sat up, turned around and glared at the back of Pepper.
He sighed at her back. She made no movement.
He sighed louder. Still no movement.
After a minute or two Tony crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the room. It was dark except for a strip of moonlight shining through the window. Everything was still. Tony's eyes settled back on to Pepper and after watching her for a short while he knew. Tony had spent a lot of time in his life watching Pepper sleep, he had always found her fascinatingly beautiful. So after watching her, Tony knew she wasn't asleep.
"It wasn't my fault you know." He's low voice shot at Pepper.
She turned her head slightly and gave him an evil look. "Stop trying to defend yourself. You know Maria was drunk and you could have just stopped feeding her more ammo, but no, you wanted the argument as much as she did."
Tony threw his arms up in shock, and then slapped them back on his legs. "Pepper, she called me an egotistic arsehole who didn't deserve you because all I cared about was drinking and where the next shag was coming from."
Pepper gives him a blank look, she really couldn't be dealing with Tony. It was three in the morning and they had both had a long night. She wanted to drop it more than anything because she knew it was a silly fight, but Tony wouldn't leave it alone. Pepper turned back away as if to tell Tony to just shut up.
"I've been faithful to you for three years-"
Tony clearly wasn't going to leave it, so Pepper was going to answer him. She sat up and turned around fully. "Tony, that doesn't mean you can call my best friend a brainless slapper who doesn't know what she's talking about and should find herself a boyfriend to hassle."
"But she doesn't know what she's talking about! Especially if she thinks i'm still the arsehole I was before Iron Man," Pepper went to say something, but Tony didn't notice. "And she should find herself a man to hassle over so that she stops getting in the middle of our relationship."
Pepper wanted to yell at him. "Tony-"
Tony spun around more and cut her off though. "No Pepper, stop. I've always known Maria had a thing against me, ever since I first met her in that bar with you. I'm sorry for," Tony tries to think of the disastrous event which made him Maria's number one enemy. "Whatever i've done wrong to her, tell her i'm sorry. And I get she's been you're best friend since you were eighteen. But I love you with all my heart and you know as well as me that i'm a completely different guy. So when someone insults me like that I feel like you're being pulled away from me. And I need you Pepper so i'm not going to apologise for that."
Pepper was in awe. She didn't know what to say. Tony had always got defensive when people brought up his past so that's all Pepper could pin this argument down to. But it seemed it was about her more than anything. And that made Pepper's anger just float away. Her eyes softened in the darkness of the room and his glistened in the moonlight.
"Tony, I didn't think-" she brought a hand up to his cheek and run along his jaw line. Tony's own hand enveloped hers and gripped it. "You know why Maria has always seemed to not like you. It's because she had a bit of a thing for you a while back. Not anymore so don't let your ego grow, but when she found out we were dating she was bitterly jealous of me. We joked about it and eventually she liked other guys, but that's why she's so against you. Because she always liked your 'bad boy' side."
"Well that makes sense." Tony said with a little smirk. Pepper smiled back.
"As for me being pulled away," Pepper brought his hand down to rest on her lap and linked her fingers through his. "Are you really that dumb? I couldn't imagine not coming home to you and seeing you cook dinner in just your boxers. Or waiting to patch you up from a long mission and snuggling in bed with you when you're hurt. I love every ounce of you and just because my drunk friend makes a comment doesn't mean you should get defensive. Nothing is going to pull me away from you because i'll never let you go."
Now Tony was the one in awe. A smile slowly grew on to Tony's face and he beamed at her. "Sounds like i'm stuck with you then." Tony said whilst lifting their linked hands to kiss Pepper's palm. He closed his eyes and relished in being close to her. He then leaned in and buried his face in her neck.
Pepper brought her hand to slip through his hair and smiled too. "Is that alright?"
Tony breathed out onto her neck. "I'm sure we'll manage."
"And you won't mention that I told you about Maria's crush right?" Pepper asked after a moment of enjoying Tony's good mood. "Because she would kill me if she knew I told you. The friend code and all that, you know."
Tony lifted his head from Pepper's neck and looked her in the eye. "What? I can't even ask her out on a date first."
Pepper sarcastically laughed before leaning in to press her lips to his. Tony welcomed her kiss and moved his mouth to hers. They both knew it was a stupid. A stupid argument about a very insignificant thing.
And now – make up sex.
I know it's short and not a great ending, but I feel out of the loop not having posted anything for ages. Sorry I did disappear, but i'm glad to be back! Review please, AnnaTW :)