Just to be Together
Disclaimer: Characters are not my property. Please read and review, as always your words and feedback are such an encouragement and really appreciated! This is my "date night" fic for pepperony week on tumblr. Enjoy!
It's the little things that matter to Pepper. Date night to her wasn't about some grand evening or gesture, which is what Tony inevitably attempted many times. But all she wanted was a commitment to spending a few hours together with no distractions, lots of kisses, and of course plenty of affection- she liked coming home from work knowing that he wasn't going to be someplace else, physically or mentally. She liked knowing they were both going to bed, together and at the same time.
Pepper knows how much Tony craves and needs affection and reassurance, even when he isn't willing or able to focus on her or their relationship like he wants to. But she knows that the intimacy he's only ever shared with her sustains him and she goes out of her way to provide it.
Long before they were together she suspected he craved that comfort and connection with someone, despite acting in every way to the contrary. One night stands, drunken stupors, impersonal surroundings, parties with strangers. He was a genius, a member of a famous family legacy, he went to college at such a young age. Of course he craved that which he never got. But, as it turns out, he only ever wanted it with Pepper.
He was a good man, he had stumbled quite a bit, but he was a good man that she was madly in love with and after he committed to her she was willing to do whatever it took to make him feel comfortable and loved, even if that meant making a lot of sacrifices. She was no stranger to making personal sacrifices in her loyalty to him and Stark Industries.
They had finally found the right rhythm of what they both enjoyed together- besides the hot sex, of course. Moments like these were her favorite. Moments like this were the reason date night existed, the reason why they mattered.
They had just gotten out of a leisurely bath, washing and caressing each other, sharing slow, deep kisses with no haste, no place else they needed to be. She was perched on the bathroom counter, wrapped in a blue silk bathrobe after he had gently dried her off and kissed his favorite freckles on her shoulders, her neck, her nose. His hips were wrapped in a towel and situated softly between her legs, they were intimately pressed together but it was about closeness not arousal.
He was showing her how to shave his goatee. It was just another way for her to take care of him, another way him to trust her with every area of his life. She bit her bottom lip in concentration as he directed her to the right tools, the right shape for his face. They bantered as usual; she teased his vanity, he teased her pace and focus. She took a wet cloth and wiped off the stray hairs and shaving cream before he pointed out specific "sore spots" he thought might need her kisses to feel better. And she dutifully applied sweet little pecks across his neck and face before Tony cupped her cheek and directed her lips to his, and pressed his hips against hers just a little harder.
Now that they had completed their task-their kisses were unhurried, their bodies pressed tightly together, building excitement in a slow burn. He untied her robe, wanting the skin to skin contact. He slid his rough hands down her back, making her shiver, before grasping her butt, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did.
He lifted her off the counter and carried her to bed, and they were both so happy- to just be together.