Hey ! So, this is my first dip into the Marvel Universe. I'm a huge fan of the MCU and I espescially love the dynamic between Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. For those that are already acquainted with my DW fics (and Sherlock on AO3, when I think to update), I love AUs and I have yet to submit a story that isn't one. And with Tony and Pepper, I wished to see how she would have handled meeting Tony the womanizer rather than Tony her boss. The story will take them to the end of IM1, if everything goes according to plan (it might not, we'll see). Anyway, the story is rated EXPLICIT for a reason, and thus from the very first chapter. Just giving you a heads up, guys if this is not your speed. It's unbeta'd, as I haven't really met anyone if the fandom wishing to take on the job. If anyone is, PM me, I might need some help with the american terms.
As always, reviews are love. And motivation ;)
Callie xx
Salt in their scars
I will be your China doll/ If you want to see me fall
July 20th, 2007
She doesn't expect to see him here, but then, she never expects to see him. He comes and goes from her life like a familiar ghost, the inconstant reminiscence of her past missteps and mistakes. She doesn't greet him, nor does she acknowledge his presence. It's not a game and yet she still plays by the rules. She can see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. On anyone else, she would deem it charming. On him, it's just plainly annoying. They enter the elevator together. They remain silent as he presses the button to the last level of the building.
The doors close.
He reaches for her and his lips are sucking the quickening pulse on her neck. She moans. She digs her nails in his scalp, her legs wrapping around his waist. She gives as good as she's got. She despises him. Tony Stark is everything she abhors in a man. He is arrogant, a narcissistic playboy, more intelligent than her and he knows it, uses it against her, makes her ply to his will. He is greedy and demanding, and leaves her cold in bed after he's finished with her. He is also the best damn lover she's ever had and will probably ever have. He knows her intimately and reminds her of that fact every time they meet.
She feels his fingers pushing past her lacy underwear and into her. The elevator is halfway to his suite and he is already two knuckles deep into her, thrusting mercilessly and hitting her G-spot with a maddening precision. It never fails to remind Pepper that these are the hands of an engineer. Machines and warm bodies are not so different, once you understand their mechanics. And Anthony Stark is the goddamn best in his field. She reaches climax as the doors to his level open. He retracts his fingers from her, sucks them and leaves her there. He knows she'll follow. She always does.
She wasn't always so pliable. A good seven years ago, she had principles, ideals even. When she had met him the first time, five years ago, sparks had flown, hell, entire buildings had burned.
April 15th, 2002
She enters the elevator alone, her right hand clutching the magnetic key card to her hotel suite. The flight to Tokyo had been exhausting and before that, she'd just gotten out from a three hours meeting with several NATO officials, trying to make them see reason about a necessary intervention against the crimes of the current Sanibian dictator. Of course, Sanibia had oil and several other natural resources that most of the countries sitting at the NATO table were not ready to separate themselves from and her speech to help the population suffering at the hand of the militia had fallen in deaf ears.
"We sympathize with your noble cause, Miss Potts. Unfortunately, we are not in position to enforce the current government ruled by General Affasou. He is currently helping our organisation, the United States army included, to guard the borders leading to Syria against the jihadists. The timing is just not right. Of course we've spoken with General Affasou about the current situation in his country, he promised he would try and improve his government as well as the living conditions of his citizens."
Pepper Potts had almost lost it at that point. How did the most intelligent men and women of this world could be so ready to let a population die of military violence, hunger and illness just for the sake of one strategic border? Surely the fate of ten millions souls, of which six millions were children, should be considered a more pressing concern than the hunt for terrorists?
"Gentlemen, my organisation has been trying to have food, medical supplies and personnel sent to this country for more than three months now, only to be stopped at the border or at the airport by your so called government leader. Clearly, he is not remotely interested in the well-being of his citizens. You must help these people, I am at the end of my wits trying to negotiate with the local authorities so that they let us pass. Children are dying every day when they are not forcibly enrolled in General Affasou's army. Since when does NATO turns a blind eye on such injustices?"
"We acknowledge the sufferings of this people, Miss Potts. Unfortunately, the United States of America and the other countries of our organisation cannot possibly rescue every abused population. We are not Superman."
Pepper huffed at that last sentence. "Indeed, sir. If Superman were real, an asinine organisation such as yours would not have to pretend that they actually care about third world countries more than they care about their oil."
Unsurprisingly, the meeting had ended shortly after her last jibe and she had left the NATO building disgusted by anything remotely political. She took the jet to Tokyo immediately after in order to meet a few Japanese CEOs to discuss the clean energy buildings they had been discussing for the past year. She was trying to convince them to let her company win the contract to build the first self-sustaining skyscraper in Tokyo and she knew they had a good chance to get it. If only their engineers could convince them that their projects was the one they should go for.
The elevator rang as the doors to her private suite opened. God, she hated hotel rooms, even the ones as expensive as her suite. Their lack of taste in decoration was appalling and the former art student still living somewhere in a corner of her mind cringed at the several sculptures adorning the hall. But right now, Pepper was simply too tired to even care. Getting rid of her pumps and her clothes before finding her nightgown in one of her suitcases, Pepper Potts got into bed at 2PM local time, wishing for a dreamless sleep.
Xxxxx
Pepper Potts was some kind of a business prodigy. She had arrived on the job market with her MBA and her fine arts degree with the sole intention of wiping her debts and lead a quiet, if satisfying life. Finding a job had not been easy as the market was clogged due to the hard recession the country had been dealing with but she had finally found a well-paid position at VAST at the financial department of the company. She was 22 and everything was going as she planned.
Things went downward then upward at a dizzying speed two years after her arrival at the environmental consulting company. First, the CFO of VAST, a man named Albert Strogolm, had been embezzling money for years and the scandal had been scooped by the Global Observer before anyone could say "external audit".
Her boss's boss being then under house arrest awaiting trial, she got a promotion that really lasted two weeks, until she discovered that her boss, who was now assuming Strogolm's vacated position, was completely unable to run the financial affairs of VAST and heavily – and he hoped secretly – relied on her to get his job done. Pepper, being relatively new and very grateful of the opportunity to show that she was very competent at her job, said nothing and took on her boss' responsibilities as well as hers.
No one would have discovered anything about her superior's lack of abilities had he not slept with Alice from IT and told her everything during one of their pillow talks. Of course, Alice too happy to have some good gossip to share (that woman had no self-restrain whatsoever), spread the word amongst her colleagues until everyone knew that Johnny Hunter was almost as incompetent with numbers as he was in bed. Including the CEO himself, Mr Wanamaker.
When she finally met the man himself, she was 99% certain she was about to get fired and begged him before he could say anything not to be too harsh on poor Johnny Hunter who hadn't even wanted the job in the first place.
"He uses your own work in his name and you're defending him? I don't know if it's naïve or if it's charming."
Pepper blushed. "I'm just loyal. The man has been nothing but helpful since I got here, and he was actually good at his former job. He just didn't know how to say no to a post like the one of CFO. He is not a bad man. Maybe a little misguided in his ambitions."
Wanamaker had smiled at her last sentence. "I'm not firing you, Miss Potts. Since you've been helping Mr. Hunter, VAST has been gaining in strength and for that, I'm grateful. So grateful in fact, I want you to become our new CFO. Hunter can retake his former office if he still wishes to."
Pepper almost fell down. "Sir, I am extremely flattered, but I haven't been working here that long. Surely, there are people with more experience and seniority than I have, who would be far more competent at that job than I am."
"Now, you're just being naïve, Miss Potts. If you want to succeed in this business, and in life in general, you have to take the few opportunities you're given. I've been doing this job for almost 40 years now. I didn't achieve this" he gestures at his spacious office and the view "by being modest about my own abilities. "
He continues:
"You've got potential, Miss Potts. I've looked into your work. You've completely reimagined the way we handle our numbers. It's more efficient and far more reliable. Your talents are wasted if I let you even one more day at a junior position. You'll need guidance, of course, but I'm willing to help you get there. The only thing I ask from you show me the loyalty you've shown Mr. Hunter. My former collaborators seem to be lacking that particular quality and these days, in this line of work, it seems that very little is more precious than loyalty."
Pepper had then ceased to argue. She'd shaken his hand, signed the necessary papers for her new position and taken on the financial department of VAST. A year and a half later, Pepper Potts, youngest CFO of a Fortune 500 company, had achieved to make a reputation for herself. She was described as fair in business but ruthless in competition, extremely intelligent and well-versed in clean energy technologies, even though she had learned everything from scratch and rumour had it that someday, she'd be at the head of VAST as the health of Andrew Wanamaker was deteriorating.
Between her appointment as CFO and the first news of Mr. Wanamaker's lung cancer, the company had created several foundations for relief in third world countries and while the CEO was undergoing his chemotherapy sessions, Pepper had taken on the task of handling the foundations in his absence. Which basically meant arguing with highly placed bureaucrats that had absolutely no interest whatsoever in helping dirt poor people as long as they were living above oil and between strategic borders.
Xxxxx
Pepper wakes up a few hours later after she'd collapsed on the suit's California King Bed slightly disorientated. The jet lag, the NATO negotiations and the meeting with the Japanese CEOs had drained her physically and mentally. Assuming both the roles of CFO and CEO was exhausting to say the least. She looks at the alarm clock on the bed table. 1AM local time. Great. And, of course, she has now no desire to go back to sleep. She gets up, takes a hot bath and puts on a blue dress before heading out to the hotel bar. One of the few things she appreciates with these business hotels is the 24 hours bar restaurant. No need to adapt too much to the time zone, at least when it comes to your stomach.
The place is quietly half-full when she gets there. There's a woman, singing blues by the piano, longing for her lost lover. Pepper never really cared for music but she has to say the ambiance tonight suits her mood. Sitting at the bar, she admits to herself that she feels bone tired. Andrew, as he asked her to call him, is not getting any better. The board of directors is getting restless as are the investors and share-holders. And they aren't convinced that Pepper can handle the pressure of becoming CEO at barely 26. She can't find a fault in their judgement. The job is a thankless task most of the time. It allows for very few days of vacations, demands constant travelling, and most importantly, one needs a spine of steel to face the constant worry of a board of directors. Pepper is young, female (which she didn't think was a hindrance, but clearly, most of her collaborators do), and alone.
God, the last time she had a serious relationship was in high school. And the guy had been a prick to her through and through. Of course, she had had a few dates and a few flings here and there over the years, but nothing serious. Men either seem to be afraid of her power or suspicious of her sexuality. And she is getting bored of her vibrator.
She suspects her vibrator is getting bored of her as well.
The bartender brings her the dirty vodka martini she asked for. Maybe she should get a pet. A cat, perhaps. Not that she doesn't like dogs but they require more maintenance than a cat. Or a goldfish, but she suspects the poor thing wouldn't last a week.
A man sits on the stool next to hers. "You should buy the entire bottle of vodka if one drink makes you so sad." She looks up, startled. "What?" The man next to her is perfectly groomed. He wears this season's Armani suit, Tom Ford sunglasses and the last Rolex is on his wrist. Pepper knows her fashion, so she knows this man is an avid consumer of it from her first look.
Her second look informs her that Tony Stark is the man trying to hit on her. He smiles and something flutters in her low belly.
"I know you, don't I? Have we met?" He takes of his sunglasses (who wears sunglasses inside, in the middle of the night?) and narrows his eyes. "Yep, I definitely know you. But I'm bad with names so you'll have to tell me yours." Well, that's one way to get someone's name. "I'm Virginia Potts. I'm the CFO of VAST industries."
He smiles once again, this time more genuinely. "You're Pepper Potts! Wanamaker's pet project! I am a huge fan of your work. Well, your company's work and your legs. Great combination, I have to say. Obadiah told me he tried to steal you from VAST and you turned him down. That's impressive, no one says no to that old bastard and gets away with it."
She wants to sigh, to tell him to get lost, to ask him if he's always such an asshole. But she's a bit stunned. And star-struck. However, she recovers pretty fast when he puts his hand on her knee. "Mr. Stark-"
"Tony, please. Mr. Stark was my father."
"Mr. Stark, I am flattered by your interest in VAST's endeavours. If you have any questions as to our line of work, please make an appointment with Mr. Wanamaker's secretary. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must leave."
She is about to stand up when he puts his hand on hers.
"No, wait, I'm sorry, I was being an ass. Please, talk to me. I don't meet that many people that can keep up with me. Certainly not anyone as good-looking as you. Please, let me buy you another drink. Or the bottle, we could share."
She hesitates. He is very handsome. And charming, in a very disrespectful way. And she knows where he wants them to end the night. She finds that she doesn't mind so much, as long as he pays for the drinks. Also, she's not that keen on having him pretending that he's interested by what she has to say. So she takes the matter into her own hands.
"Okay, but not here. Take me back to your suite. I assume your bar is fully stocked?"
He stands up, helps her get down from the stool and put his hand on the small of her back. He is taller than she thought. "You know, you're not at all how I imagined you." Coming from a man with a reputation like his, she doesn't know if it's a compliment or not.
They leave the restaurant and wait for the elevator. She turns to him: "I have one request, before I go with you. No one must ever know. I've made my way to the top with difficulty because of my gender and my age. I don't want a sex scandal to destroy all that. And if you think I don't have the resources to seriously hurt your company, think again. Do we have an understanding?"
He looks at her with an odd expression on his face. "It's really not my style to kiss and tell. I know tabloids like to see my naked bottom on their front page, but I assure you that all the… relationships I may have had in the past that ended up in their rags, were always because the other one – or ones – couldn't hold their tongues. So, you're safe, I promise you."
The elevator doors open. She knows she shouldn't take anyone at face value but she trusts him. Tony Stark won't let her down. At least, not when it comes to being discreet. She steps into the elevator.
He doesn't try anything while they go up to the last level of the hotel tower. He stays at the back of the cabin, studying her. She doesn't know what he sees in her. Well, she knows she's an attractive woman, intelligent and with some considerable power. She's also younger than him by six years and she just agreed to spend the night with him after only talking to him for two minutes. So really, she's not sure what his opinion of her is. The bell rings and the doors open to the imperial suite. She steps in as he goes directly for the bar and starts pouring them drinks.
"So, what are you doing in Tokyo?" His question startles her. She didn't think he would try to smooth things up with small talk. "There's this contract that I'm trying to close. Hopefully I'll get it signed tomorrow." She takes the drink he hands her. It's champagne and she silently gives her appreciation. She takes two sips and then puts the glass down. Now is not the time to linger. This is not a date and Virginia Potts is no prude.
"I think you should take me to the bedroom right now." He puts his glass down as well.
He grabs her waist and kisses her fully on the lips. "I knew you weren't an idiot."
He starts slowly, it isn't chaste but it isn't precipitated either. He bites her lower lip as she starts divesting him of his jacket, then his shirt. He is strong and slightly ripped and she can't help touching his torso before encircling him with her arms. They stumble to the bedroom, lips locked, and not letting go of the other. He holds her up so that her legs can hook behind his back as he lowers her gently onto the bed. He finds the side zip of her dress and gets rid of it, throwing it behind him. He gets up as she lays in her undergarments on top of his bed sheets. He stares at her, as if he were not quite sure what to make of her. And here she thought the man was a genius. A chuckle escapes her. He smiles too. "What?"
"Are you sure you know how this goes? You seem confused." He smirks, as if he were waiting for her to say something like that. "I think you'll find that I am perfectly qualified in this field. Or in any field really. I'm kind of a genius, y'know?" He puts his hands on her hips and drags her towards him. He kneels, still on the floor besides the bed, and kisses her knees, her thighs and as he slowly approaches her centre, her heart skips a few beats. He finally reaches the lacy fabric and kisses her through it. This time, she moans and she feels stupid for being so sensitive when they've not even begun the preliminaries.
He chuckles, his mouth still against her and she swears she's going to have his head if he doesn't get started RIGHT. NOW. "Easy, beautiful, we've got time." She doesn't know he is reading her mind or she talked without meaning too, but none of that matter because he is taking her underwear off and she is completely exposed to him. "So you are a real ginger. I did wonder." Another kiss. "I love it."
Before she can answer in her usual dry manner, he licks her clitoris and god, why has she waited so long to get laid? Her right hand finds the top of his head, encouraging him to continue like that, yes.
Tony Stark takes his time. For a man used to go faster than anyone else, there is something extremely gratifying in having him go excruciatingly slow between your legs. It's also absolutely maddening, but right now, Pepper has lost the ability to complain about anything. He licks her long and deep, his hands stroking her thighs and her hips, moaning against her sensitive skin when Pepper's fingers rake his skull. His left hand leaves her hip and his thumb flips her clitoris. Her hips arch suddenly and he laughs between her thighs and her first coherent thought in several minutes is that no one has ever laughed while pleasuring her. She doesn't have time to ponder whether it's a good thing or not as his other hand cups her pussy and his index slowly goes in, then his middle finger and she climaxes here and there.
"Oh, Virginia, has it been that long? You're so fucking tight, you're making me want to bury my cock in your sweet little pussy and pound into you right this second." She really shouldn't be that surprised that he has a dirty mouth. "Then why don't you do it?"
He starts pumping his fingers into her. "Later, babe. I'm gonna make you just right for me. I think you still need a little stretching." She wants to smack that awful smirk off his face, she really does. However, her hands are too busy trying to rip a hole into the sheets as his fingers set a more punishing pace. His tongue is back on her clit and. She. Is. Coming. Coming. COMING.
He doesn't stop while she climaxes and licks her clean. That man has a dirty mouth and a dirty tongue and finds that she doesn't mind as long as he doesn't stop. Please never stop.
She finds her breath once again and he is getting up before lowering down onto the bed, looming over her. She completely forgot he still had his suit pants on. It looks uncomfortable. She's very willing to help with that. "Do you need a hand with this?" She strokes his bulge. Oh, he is so ready.
"Usually, I wouldn't say no, but I don't think I'll last very long if we do that. But I'll definitely take a rain check, if that's alright with you." She pulls at his belt. "I'm sure I could be persuaded." He kisses her hard while her hands finally free him from his belt and his pants. She tastes herself on his lips and his tongue and she should be slightly repelled by it, but she isn't and it's okay. His right hand get her bra off from by flipping off the front strap (the man knows his lingerie). His tongue circles her nipple, then the other before gently sucking on them. She digs her nails into his arse before remembering that he still has his boxers on. He grinds into her, his clothed hardness rubbing against her centre and she gets his last piece of clothing off and finally, he is naked against her. It feels fucking amazing and so does he, when she takes his length in her hand and he grunts against her breast. He looks up and his pupils are fully blown. "I wasn't kidding when I said I'm not going to last very long if you wanna get handsy with me."
She smirks. Look who's not laughing anymore. Time to turn the tables, she thinks. She parts her legs so that he is between them before thrusting her hips and getting him below her. She straddles him properly and doesn't miss the opportunity to rub herself against him in the process. "Well, maybe it's time to do something about that."
He moans and urgently nods. "Yes, please."
"Condoms?"
He reaches below the pillows and gets several coloured wrappers from under them. Well, someone came prepared. "Any preference?" She smiles, shaking her head. "Mister Stark, you're so full of yourself." He arches into her "You first, sweetheart."
Okay, she completely walked into that one.
She takes one red wrapper from his hand and tears it with her teeth before applying it on him. A long "oooh" gets away from him and she knows she finally has him at her mercy. She sinks onto him very, very slowly. "God you're so tight. So fucking tight. You feel amazing, baby. I want you to give me everything you've got, because I'm not going to last. Not with you and that fucking tight and wet pussy of yours." He does feel impossibly big in her and she blushes at her obvious lack of practice in the last few years. His hands grab her hips and she forgets all about her earlier thought. She starts moving, slowly at first because she's had two orgasms already and she doesn't trust her balance just yet, but his hold on her is strong and she gains in confidence while he encourages her "Go on, sweetheart", "That's it", "You look amazing", "Don't stop" and she doesn't. She gives as good as she's got, fast, hard and deep. His fingers are pushing into her skin and she knows she'll have bruises in the morning, but who cares when she has Tony Stark beneath her and a third climax building up, and up, and up and- "FUCK" She comes before he does but it's a near thing. Two thrusts later and she's going limp on his chest, sweating and completely spent.
He holds her against him, breathing heavily, stroking her hair absentmindedly. They stay in this position for a few minutes before he has to get up and take care of the condom. He comes out of the bathroom with two small bottles of water, one of which he hands her after sitting down next to her. She gladly takes the bottle and drinks half of hers. "Thanks, I needed that."
He smiles. "The bottle or the sex?"
"Both, I think." He lays down again and strokes her back while she drinks the rest of her bottle. She puts it down and looks back at him and they stare at each other. He seems so young without his clothes and his sunglasses. He's let his guard down, she knows. She's let hers too. The remembrance that she's 25 and he's what, 31? 32? They're young. Both of them. And already, they're responsible for so much and so many and she wonders how it can be good, for any of them, to be who they are and yet never fully allowing anyone to see past the public façade. Because she knows that he is in the same predicament as her, if not worse. Stark was a company before Tony was even born. She just stumbled into his world, as if she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. Also, a man who goes through women like others would tissues has "lonely" written all over his face. Not that she isn't lonely herself, she just feels that his solitude has roots that go deep into the earth.
"What are you thinking about?" The question startles her out of her reverie and she smiles at him. "That I should probably go back to my room and my bed." He sits once again and kisses her shoulders and her neck. "Hmm… I have a bed right here. You could stay and in twenty minutes, we could go at it again."
She kisses him on the cheek. "As tempting as that sounds, I can't." She gets up and gathers her clothes before going to the bathroom. She comes out looking less dishevelled and far more respectable, which should be more than enough for a short elevator ride. She puts her stilettos on and grabs her purse on the table. He hasn't moved from the bed. She feels she's deserting him, which is absurd because she doesn't know him, he is – was – a fantastic one night-stand. She shouldn't feel guilty about leaving a man who just came to her for sex. And yet, a knot is forming around her stomach and she wants to get out of there as soon as she can, far away from him and the danger of getting attached to a billionaire womanizer.
He finally gets up and calls the elevator for her. "Well, until next time then, Miss Potts."
"Until next time, Mr. Stark." She steps into the elevator. They don't kiss, they don't wave. And yet, there is a promise hanging out in the air. The doors close.
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