Inventorfic: Congratulations!
Pepper Potts lies asleep in her luxurious bed, oblivious to the sunshine and small domestic noises coming through the open bedroom doorway. Her day is about to start, and Friday is busy making things ready for her awakening.
A weight settles beside her on the bed, and Tony wakes her with a kiss to the forehead and a cup of fragrant ginger tea.
"Morning." She says sleepily, gratefully reaching for the cup. She sighs as it settles in her belly.
Tony carefully climbs into the bed beside her, snuggling up and kissing her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I think I've ruined the schedule for today."
"You stayed up all night." Pepper doesn't even look over, his unwashed work-shop smell, and the fact that he's out of bed before her were enough clues for her to have deduced this already.
"Hear me out, I have good reasons."
"I'm listening." The ginger tea really did help with the morning sickness.
"Your life is way too busy. I mean, you're running a huge company, and you're pregnant, so I thought I'd surprise you with a little help. I thought I could hire in a private sonographer for the ultrasound."
"That is sweet Tony. But?" She looks at him over the top of the tea-cup.
"But you're lucky if you can fit one of those ultrasound units into an industrial lift. I started doing a little research into ultrasound machines, and it turns out there aren't any decent portable units yet for visualisation."
"So you made one?"
"A prototype, yes. I may have hacked into proprietary research in ultrasound technology just a little? In my defence there was no-one awake to give me access, and I didn't want to cause trouble. So can you pretty please either buy the patent from this company, or.. the whole company maybe? Because if I make it legit retroactively, no harm no foul, right?"
He hands her a Stark-pad with the medical company's patent open on one tab, and its company precis open on another.
"I know I've done that thing where I've made more work for you. Trust me, it'll be worth it on this one." He continues kissing her shoulder and making puppy dog eyes.
"Will it?" She asks, sighing.
"We'll be able to see our little bundle of joy in the comfort and privacy of your own office. It'll be magical. Ok, it'll be magical anywhere we do it. But it'll be handy, especially in case of emergencies."
"Emergencies? What emergencies are you expecting?" Pepper looks bemused.
"I don't know... there's a lot of pregnancy emergencies that could make use of a portable ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. It's peace of mind."
"And as a side benefit, thousands of parents in developing countries will get to do the same." She finished for him.
"See? It's win-win. Win-win, if we can get that patent, and a few contracts." Tony reaches over to a different program, with a 3D model of the device.
"Three interactive anti-glare flat-screens, a link back to a comparative database of scans. Nice sturdy retractable cables, and a warming device for the conductive goop they put on your skin."
He looks at her adoringly, imploringly.
"I made a solar battery for it. I know how you like solar power. It attaches here, and you can wheel the whole thing around, over hill and down dale, one person." Pepper kisses him.
"Thank you, it's the best diagnostic tool anyone has ever designed for me. Now take a nap, I think the first thing I really need you for is in three hours, and I want you semi functional." With a final peck on his nose, she starts walking out to the kitchen, where a piece of toast and some fruit are awaiting her uncertain stomach.
"Yes Ma'am. I will do that right now." Tony starts shimmying out of his work clothes.
"Pepper? She turns around, and he's standing uncertainly, with one shoe in his hand. "I love you."
"I love you too Tony Stark. You genius, philanthropist, visionary, father to be." He winces.
"I'm still getting used to that part. Am I doing ok so far?"
"You're so focused on making sure the baby and I are ok that you reinvented a piece of technology for doing just that. You're doing just about how I expected."
"And that's good right?"
"That's very good. So, go to sleep. And try not to invent any more medical devices until the weekend, we have a busy week."
He snuggled up where she's been sleeping, and got right on it.
Do you want me to show Tony's invention process instead/as well? I love his excited presentation of ideas to Pepper, but I'm happy to adjust format.