Hi everyone! The intent behind this chapter is simple: Merry Belated Christmas, here's a lemon. (If you're reading Love and the Man of Iron, just know that this chapter takes place a few days after Girlfriend.)
And here's another present to help you start 2014 off right: my favorite Pepperony fic right now (for readers eighteen and older only) is called "A Kink in the Armor." It's not on this site, you'll have to Google the title and "Live Journal," but then you'll be able to find it pretty easily. Trust me, I highly recommend it if you're looking for a story in the vein of what Tony and Pepper discuss near the end of this chapter. (A thousand thank yous, outtabreath, for writing such an excellent fic.) Thanks for reading, and I'm sure I'll see you again sooner or later with another lemon. :)
Disclaimer: I own no part of the Marvel Universe. (And technically, this chapter takes place at night, but I'm still calling it Daylight, because Nightlight=Tony and Pepper talking in bed, and Daylight=Tony and Pepper talking in bed but also having sex, so…yeah. :))
Daylight 2
Pepper tried not to stare at Tony as they rode the elevator up to her apartment. They'd both had to make several public appearances that day, and while she adjusted the shoulder strap of her deep blue dress, she appreciatively noted his perfectly tailored black suit, his tie loosened now that he was finished being in front of cameras for the day. Pepper liked where she lived, was happy and comfortable there, and she preferred not to get caught making out (or doing more) with Tony in the elevator.
Still, he was very tempting. Now that she didn't have to resist the temptation he posed anymore, it seemed increasingly likely that one day, they were going to be caught in an embarrassingly public display of affection. Though she didn't think she could prevent it, Pepper hoped to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.
"Tell me again why I've never been here before?" Tony said, stepping out of the elevator and nodding down the hall as Pepper moved toward her door.
"Because I never invited you, and because when I was your PA, I mostly slept at your house anyway," she said, giving him a look. "When I had time to sleep, I mean."
"Right," Tony said, grinning unrepentantly as he followed her into the apartment. "Of course now..."
"I know," Pepper said, rolling her eyes but unable to keep from smiling. "I still don't get a lot of sleep. The difference is, now I don't have to get up early just to show the latest girl in your bed the door. It's much nicer, actually being the girl in your bed."
"Yeah, it's a definite improvement," Tony said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the back of her neck as she shut and locked the door. She shivered—her hair was up, and she'd felt him staring at her neck during their last appearance. Soon, they were going to have to start explaining why he wasn't being photographed in the company of random buxom women by paparazzi anymore.
"You know," Pepper murmured, turning to face him. "You need to work on not staring at me. It's…distracting. Also flattering, but unprofessional."
"I will work on that, though for the record, when I was CEO, people used to ogle me all the time. You included."
"I did not," Pepper said dismissively, tossing her bag on the table and moving further into the room, stepping gratefully out of her shoes. "How do you confuse 'glaring at you' or 'willing you to pay attention' with 'ogling you'?"
"Because you're great at multitasking, so I assume you were doing all three," Tony said, following her and taking off his own shoes. "But hey, I'll try to do better—on the condition that as soon as the world starts recognizing what a great CEO you are, we start telling people that we're dating. I'm just—you know that I don't have much experience being secretive about…anything."
"Especially not who you're sleeping with," Pepper said drily, and Tony shrugged, knowing there was no point in denying it.
"There's that, but I also…I mean, I'm really happy. And you're the reason why. It's sort of hard to not…want to advertise that fact, a little."
"Well, that's sweet, but I think it's going to be awhile before we can go public," Pepper said, biting her lip. Going from being Tony's assistant to the CEO of Stark Industries had been…interesting. On the one hand, she'd been doing parts of the job for over a decade, and after trying to get Tony to do things for years, she found that she was very good at managing most other people (who didn't tend to be as difficult).
But on the other hand, she'd been unprepared for the scrutiny that such a job placed her under. Since Tony had promoted her, everything she did seemed to have ramifications. Pepper knew that she was qualified, knew that she could handle her new role, but she could do without people on TV and online taking everything she did as an excuse to comment on the competence of women in positions of power in general, and the possibility that she'd slept her way to the top in particular.
"If being a CEO taught me nothing else, it's that you have to try and ignore negative comments," Tony said, taking her hand. Then he paused. "I mean, except yours. Usually, your criticism actually had a point. Sometimes."
"Yeah, except people like you have been CEOs for as long as the job has existed," Pepper pointed out. "The fact that I started as your assistant—and the fact that I am not a white male billionaire—means that my legitimacy as CEO seems very questionable to some people. And that's without knowing that I'm now sleeping with you."
"Stupid misogynists maybe," Tony said dismissively. "Anyone who's actually watched you this past week can see that you handle this job way better than I did. You're professional, you have way better people skills, and hey—you've been CEO for almost a month, and you have yet to antagonize any U.S. senators."
"Quite a feat," Pepper said, smiling.
"Really though, you're good," Tony said seriously. "Really good—even if I hadn't been dying, I was going to give you the job, sooner rather than later. Even before Iron Man…I mean, I've known for a while who my best choice for a successor was."
"Thank you," Pepper said, and she meant it. Tony could be an ass—she'd known that since before she'd worked for him—but in spite of his shortcomings, most of them involving women and alcohol, he'd also been a very good CEO. And she knew him well enough to know that if he didn't like the job she was doing, he'd say so. "It means a lot to me, to know that the former CEO supports the way I'm running things."
"How come…your place kind of looks like my place?" Tony said suddenly, glancing around the open concept kitchen/living room.
"I may have appropriated some ideas from the decorator I hired for your house," Pepper said, seeing her apartment through Tony's eyes. Obviously, it was smaller than his place, but there was definitely a similar aesthetic: lots of open spaces, natural light, and the furniture was equally sleek and inconspicuous. Pepper guessed that his interest in interior decorating would be short-lived though.
They'd had an actual date that night, eating dinner before coming to her apartment, and much to Pepper's amusement, it had technically been their first date. So far, their romantic relationship had consisted of a sleeping together, grabbing a quick meal before work, and then going to work. It was a perfectly excellent arrangement, but Pepper had to admit that she'd enjoyed having all of dinner to anticipate bringing Tony home, then having their way with each other.
"It's—nice," Tony said, turning back to her, a very different look in his eyes now. "Maybe I'll have a more articulate opinion later, but right now—"
Pepper grabbed him by his tie and he caught her hips in his hands, grinning. "I've wanted to do this all day," she whispered, leaning close. "Ever since I tied this tie."
"Pepper," he muttered, his eyes huge and dark and his voice low and molten as he leaned forward, kissing her fiercely. She returned the kiss, letting go of his tie so she could grab his head and pull him closer, tasting wine and dessert as his tongue slid maddeningly against hers. After she'd kissed him until her lips felt slightly bruised, Pepper tugged on his arms and pulled him toward the bedroom. With other boyfriends, she'd been more reserved, much less assertive, but she'd been trying to get Tony to do what she told him for over ten years, and it was a pleasant change of pace, finally having him eager to follow her instructions.
In spite of several stumbles (Pepper didn't have much experience walking and making out simultaneously, and it was harder than she'd expected), they eventually made it to the bed, where they both sat down before Pepper climbed into his lap. He unclipped her hair, then smiled as it tumbled over both of them like a curtain. Though Pepper was a little unnerved at times at how good he was at such things—taking down hair, navigating complicated jewelry, and removing bras were second nature to Tony Stark—she was happy to benefit from his experience.
"Do you mind…uh…leaving this on for a bit?" Tony asked, nodding at her dress.
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Only if you leave your suit on."
Tony grinned. "I can do that."
She went back to kissing him, removing his tie as easily as she'd tied it for him that morning, then bit back a moan when he started rubbing his hands up and down her legs, pressing her against him. Pepper ran her hands down his chest, fingers bumping over the arc reactor before she stroked his stomach, then made short work of his fly. He slid his hands under her dress then, his fingers warm against her thighs as he slid her panties down. Pepper shifted until she could slip them off, then she groaned as his tongue and teeth started moving gently against her neck. She held him against her for a moment, then put her hands on his shoulders, sliding her fingers under his jacket and sinking her nails into the fabric of his shirt.
He gasped a little at that, and Pepper smiled. She and Tony had been sleeping together for exactly a week, and already, she was learning lots of interesting things about him, and sex in general. For example, though Tony had slept with, frankly, an alarming number of women, he rarely rushed, and he always made sure she had as good a time as he did.
Pepper wondered if it was just the chemistry between them, or if Tony had been similarly attentive to his many conquests. She guessed that it was probably a little of both—though he seemed more enthusiastic about sex with her than she'd ever seen him with any other woman, she guessed that Tony, though a fan of the one night stand, had made those nights memorable through sheer force of personality (except for those occasions when the girls had been as drunk as he was).
But sex with Tony was, to Pepper's surprise, not terribly kinky. It was electric and amazingly satisfying, but he had yet to mention toys or safewords or anything outside the realm of her own sexual experiences. She'd assumed, given his many years and many partners, that he'd have developed more esoteric tastes in sex…but then Pepper had realized that, in all the time she'd known him, he'd rarely slept with any woman more than once. So whatever kinks he had, it seemed, had so far gone undiscovered. Pepper was really looking forward to exploring that aspect of their new relationship.
"You like that?" she whispered, digging her nails into his arms, and she felt him shudder as he pulled her closer, lifted her up.
"Hell yeah," he managed, and suddenly he was pressed against her, clearly as ready as she was. Pepper returned her hands to his shoulders as she wrapped her legs around his waist, then sank down onto him just as he thrust upward. They both moaned, and Tony, his hands clutching her hips again, muttered,
"Okay, hang on."
"Can do," Pepper whispered, kissing him again as he started moving. She rocked against him, nipping at his tongue as he thrust, his movements steady at first. But soon, he was thrusting wildly, and Pepper dug her fingers into his shoulders, because damn, he had some really nice muscles there. She loved feeling him like this—he was strong, and she knew he wouldn't drop her, but she also liked that she could unhinge him, that after so many years of talking and flirting and never getting too close to each other, they were finally being honest about how much they wanted each other. Pepper had only occasionally been attracted to the old Tony, but the new Tony—well, he was different.
As was proving to be the case after a day of not touching each other, they came together frantically for a few minutes, hands and mouths moving everywhere they could reach, and then they were both shuddering and crying out, finished for the moment. After taking a few seconds to catch her breath, Pepper raised her head from Tony's shoulder and unwound her arms from around his neck.
"See," Tony said slowly, still breathing hard, "the fact that we can do this with almost all of our clothes on—"
"No," Pepper said, untangling her legs before pushing him back onto the bed and resting her head against his chest. She'd always liked how he looked in suits, and now, at the end of a long day, it was very nice to lay on top of him in a post-orgasmic haze, his unbuttoned shirt and her hair muting the light from the arc reactor, the only light in the room.
"Can I finish?" he said, the smile obvious in his voice.
"No," Pepper said again, smiling too, "because I know what you're going to say. 'See, Pepper? We could totally have sex at work.' Not happening."
"We could though," Tony said confidently. "I'm not saying that we should necessarily, I'm just saying that it's possible."
"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Pepper said, climbing off him and sitting up so she could take off her dress.
"Hang on," Tony said, when he saw that she was about to pull it over her head. "Let me sit up first so I can see you better."
Pepper rolled her eyes. "You know what I look like naked," she pointed out, pulling off the dress before unhooking her bra. Then she looked at Tony, who was still almost fully dressed, and nodded at his now somewhat rumpled suit.
"Yeah, the clothes need to go."
"Couldn't agree more," Tony said, smiling as he pulled off his jacket and shirt—slowly, she noted, but she wasn't really about to complain. She enjoyed the view of his chest and abs before he stood up and got rid of his pants, socks, and boxers. Pepper licked her lips. Tony naked was not entirely new to her, but Tony naked with her still made her heart speed up.
"…I'm going to brush my teeth before we grab each other again," Pepper decided, standing up and pulling on a robe before heading into the bathroom. Tony followed her, distractingly nude, and she pulled a new toothbrush out of the medicine cabinet for him.
"See?" he said. "That's why I like watching you undress. For years, every once in a while, I'd try to imagine you naked, but as fun as that was, it was way more entertaining to consider the circumstances that would lead to you taking your clothes off in the first place."
Pepper snorted. "Fine, but that doesn't really explain why I enjoy watching you, because I'd seen you naked lots of times before last week—in real life, on TMZ, in poorly-lighted YouTube videos—"
"Yeah, but now it's just us, being naked," Tony said reasonably, his smile easy and content. Pepper smiled too before offering him the toothpaste. The fact that her bathroom had two sinks, which had always seemed a bit unnecessary before, now seemed very convenient, since it meant they could get back to the bedroom that much faster.
"So it is. Brush your teeth and we can go to bed and enjoy that."
Tony grinned and took the toothpaste. He then somehow managed to make oral hygiene seem sexy, which Pepper thought was patently unfair. Then she was rinsing with mouthwash and trying to rub moisturizer onto her face while Tony, finished with his teeth, hugged her from behind and started kissing the back of her neck again.
"See, that's…really distracting," she murmured, finally turning to kiss him back when she was done with her nightly beauty regimen.
"Sorry, but you smell nice," Tony said. "That's even more distracting."
She rolled her eyes, but kissed him happily as he pressed her against the counter, her eyes widening when she noticed that he was hard again.
"You know, your stamina is great, but a little unnerving," Pepper said, almost adding "for a guy your age" but thinking better of it, since she wasn't all that much younger than he was. "I mean, doesn't it usually take guys longer than a couple of minutes to…"
"Recover?" Tony offered with a leer. "Return to tumescent excellence?"
"I don't think 'tumescent' usually refers to a sexy kind of swelling," she said, running her hand down his chest and stopping at his stomach to enjoy the look on his face.
"Okay," Tony said, clearly willing her to move her hand further south. "I have this…theory that, for obvious reasons, I have never made public—and keep in mind that, before last week, I never really had a chance to test it, but…I think the arc reactor doesn't just hold the shrapnel in my chest in place. I think it might—possibly—improve circulation. Blood flow, specifically. It keeps my heart going, but it seems to keep my blood more oxygenated too. Again, just a theory."
Pepper grinned. "Really?"
"Or maybe it's just you," Tony said with a shrug. "Like I said, I haven't been with anyone but you since I got back, and I've never been with anyone like this prior to you, so…I mean, it could be the arc reactor, or you could just be inspiring me to new feats of sexual dynamism."
Pepper laughed. "Okay, but aside from the fact that you can't prove it, and that no one really needs to know, why wouldn't you make your arc reactor theory public? It wouldn't be the most shocking thing I've ever heard involving you by a long shot."
"Yeah, but then every jerk in the world would want one of these, just in case it really is a means of male enhancement," Tony said with a smirk, and Pepper smiled, moving her hand a little lower while she raised the other to stroke the skin around the arc reactor. She understood that, for all his jokes and casual references to it, he was a little self-conscious about the thing; for her part, Pepper knew that she would be forever grateful to the device for keeping Tony alive when nothing else could. It didn't bother her at all, but Tony clearly liked to be reminded of that fact.
The second she touched him, her fingers tracing his erection, Tony moved forward, kissing her until Pepper, feeling slightly dizzy, sat down between the two sinks and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"It's been a long day," she murmured against his mouth, "and as much as I enjoy the fun we can have vertically, I'd prefer to be horizontal now."
"Yeah, me too," Tony agreed, holding her tightly as he pulled away from the counter. Pepper tightened her legs around him and managed to hit the light switch as they passed, in spite of the fact that her brain felt like it was drowning in endorphins. He carried her to bed, and Pepper spent the trip kissing his face and neck, sighing happily when he set her down. She pulled her robe off, then dragged the comforter away so she could finally lay down, the sheet soft below and Tony nice and warm above her.
"Mmm, I'm going to sleep well tonight," she said, giving him a playful smile.
"Seriously?" Tony said, lying on his side next to her.
"After you've worn me out, of course," Pepper said, pulling him closer.
"Of course. And, I reserve the right to rouse you later—if, say, a sexy dream wakes me up."
"Fine, but only on weekends," Pepper said, glad that they'd be able to sleep in the next day. "Try that on a work night, and you're sleeping on the couch."
Tony chuckled. "Duly noted."
Pepper sighed as they kissed again, then gasped a little when he gently cupped one of her breasts before pulling his mouth away from hers to tease her nipples with his tongue. Pepper groaned. She really liked this, really loved to feel the warmth of his mouth and hands all over her, teasing and stoking the kind of lust she'd previously assumed was confined to movies and romance novels. They kissed and touched for a while, Tony clearly as glad as she was that they were finally in bed together after a day of very professional behavior, and soon he was on top of her, gently lifting her legs to cant her hips upward before sliding into her. She was still wet from the first time, but what friction there was felt incredible.
They both moaned at his sudden entrance, and Pepper, her head thrown back against a pillow, thrust her hips up as Tony laced his fingers through hers and started moving, his pace maddeningly slow at first. Pepper groaned, about to demand that he hurry up, but then she found herself caught up in the rhythm, which seemed to satisfy and frustrate her in equal measure. She matched his pace, realizing that like this, they could both last longer, and as much as she enjoyed herself when they were both rushing toward climax, pleasure like this was languid, drugging almost, like they could just go on for hours, lost in each other…
Pepper wasn't sure how long it really lasted, but eventually, his thrusts came more quickly, and she returned them forcefully, her movements more desperate as Tony, breathing hard, moaned when she slid a hand between them. Her fingers slid against his balls and then further back, stroking against his anus as she felt her orgasm, which she'd guessed was still a few moments away, suddenly pounding through her, obliterating everything but her cries, and Tony's, both of them wild as their bodies, slick with sweat, suddenly found release.
They lay still for a few moments, panting, but eventually, Pepper opened her eyes and looked at Tony, who was still shuddering a little, his movements making her pelvis jerk involuntarily with aftershocks.
"At the end, was that a good sound or not?" she said, laughing a little in spite of the fact that she was hoping she hadn't freaked him out.
"Good, just—," Tony took a deep breath and looked at her. "You have me at a disadvantage, Ms. Potts. You know all about my sexual habits and history, but I know basically nothing about yours. Is it possible that you—somehow, and this sounds insane—have more experience than I do?"
"Definitely not," Pepper said firmly, but then she glanced toward her bookshelf. "I do, however, read the occasional romance novel."
Tony grinned. "So your erotic reading habits have given you some interesting ideas? Works for me. What did you have in mind?"
Pepper raised her eyebrows. "Wait, are you…should I loan you some of the books in question? I think you should know what kinds of stuff I'm talking about before you agree to anything."
"If it's with you, I kind of think I'm up for anything," Tony said, his eyes very dark as he leaned down. They shared a lingering kiss before he rolled off of her and settled at her side, one arm thrown over her hip.
Pepper laughed, slightly nervous but excited too. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you. We'll go slow, work our way up to safewords."
"Happy can never know," Tony said. "Seriously, he'd die of a heart attack instantly if he knew we'd ever really discussed this."
"I will not be discussing our sex life with Happy, and I trust you to do likewise," Pepper said, stretching before she settled on her side, her back against Tony's chest. She was sure that she was about to fall asleep, her eyes slipping closed for longer and longer intervals, when Tony spoke again.
"You know, I'm still getting over the fact that you made me wear a condom the first time," he said, his mouth against her neck. "You're the one who makes me get a physical every year. I figured you knew I was clean."
"I knew that, according to your last physical, you were disease-free, but I was understandably skeptical," Pepper said, shaking her head. "Seriously, you're…almost impossibly lucky when it comes to avoiding the usual consequences of a life spent having sex as frequently as possible with as many different people as possible."
"It's not like I was trying for a record or anything," Tony said, but then he paused. "At least, not consciously."
"No STDs, no kids—as far as we know," Pepper said. "It's pretty amazing."
"Knock on wood," Tony said, and Pepper, chuckling, reached back and knocked gently against his head with her knuckles.
"I'm especially grateful for my mostly charmed life now that I have someone to get kinky with—if we're so inclined," Tony mused. "Not sure how subservient I can be though…or if leather's really my thing…"
"You've never talked about this stuff with anyone before, have you?" Pepper asked, curious in spite of her drowsiness.
"No," Tony said, sounding as sleepy as she felt. "You?"
"Definitely not," Pepper said, considering her few past boyfriends. "I guess I never…felt like I knew anyone well enough to ever bring it up. Or trusted anyone enough."
"Me either," Tony agreed, his arm hugging her closer. "Thanks for that, by the way."
Pepper smiled. "What? For knowing you pretty well, or for being trustworthy?"
"Both," Tony said quietly. "Thanks."
"…you too," Pepper said, turning so she could look him in the eye. "I mean, you drive me crazy sometimes, and there have been plenty of days when I've feared for your life and your sanity…but I trust you, Tony. So, I'm glad we're finally…here."
Tony smiled warmly. "Here in your bed, or here, talking about things in your bed?"
"Both," Pepper said, kissing him gently until they both dozed off, their foreheads still touching.
