New Beginnings
Pepper walked through Tony's mansion, the low sunlight flowing into the room, illuminating her path. Twilight would come any minute. She focused completely on the BlackBerry in her hand as she walked, Tony's house was beginning to feel as familiar as her own apartment, though her apartment was easily 1/8 the size of his immense mansion. Then something broke her concentration and her stride. She heard an unusual mechanic sound coming from Tony's shop, and instantly, she wondered if she really wanted to know what was going on.
"Tony…?" She called, walking down the stairs towards his shop. She headed to the garage when he wasn't in his shop, knowing that's where he must be. As she walked along the hallway to the garage she started hearing the same weird sounds.
"OW…watch it!" She heard him yell.
"Sir…the more you struggle, the harder this'll be…" Jarvis said, almost sounding irritated. Upon entering the garage, a gasp escaped her throat, and that was enough to get his attention, and his head snapped to look at her.
"Let's face it, this isn't the worst thing you've ever caught me doing…" he said, a small half–grin playing at the corner of his lips. In spite of her genuine worry, she gave in to the grin threatening to crack her stern expression. But that faded the minute she approached him…she saw many scratches and holes in his suit…bullet holes?
"Are those bullet holes?" She voiced the question before she had a chance to think about whether she'd wanted to know the answer or not.
"Pepper…" he said, over his shoulder, "I'll explain it to you, but right now I just need help."
"Uh… ok… what can I do?" She asked, completely unsure that she was competent in assisting her boss getting out of this metallic suit.
"Um… just come over here and unscrew a couple of bolts so the robots have a better chance of not breaking anything in the disassembly process," He explained, spitting the words out as one of his arms was yanked too hard.
Pepper stood there for a second, unsure of what to do. Taking a breath she moved to his arm at the elbow, and found the joint that needed to be loosened. It opened up fairly easily, with a small hissing sound. Pulling the bolt out gently, the plates then opened revealing his arm covered tightly by a black material.
"Protective suit?" Pepper asked, wondering the purpose of this black rubber that clung to him like a second skin.
"Yes…metal isn't exactly comfy y'know…" he said, his normal sarcasm dripping from his tone.
Pepper tried and failed to suppress a small smile and giggle threatening to escape her throat to no avail.
"What?"
"Nothing…" the word came out in a sing-song tone, the amusement evident in her tone and face. Within minutes she had freed both arms, and half his left side, while his robot, affectionately known as butterfingers, worked at his right side. Soon he was free from the waist up.
"You know… if you could just do me a favor and hold me up when the robots undo my boots…in case they pull too hard…that'd be great."
Pepper gulped, she wasn't sure if she could handle that, even if it was beyond simple. She'd set up certain lines that she should not cross a long time ago…and granted she'd put a foot over that particular line a couple days ago now, prolonged contact was sure to do her in. Knowing that he did need her, and really, there was literally no one else that could help him at the moment, she reluctantly stepped behind him, reaching out for his sides. She felt the muscles stiffen for a second at her touch, then relax in an instant. As the robots worked, trying to undo the bolts and clasps on the boots as swiftly as possible, she desperately tried to keep her mind on anything other than the warmth radiating from him into her own skin…though a small part of her mind was definitely enjoying it.
What she didn't know is that it was driving him just as crazy. Her touch was light, just enough presence to be there in case one robot yanked so hard he fell backwards. Her almost ghost-like touch wasn't the worst of it….her breath was tickling the back of his neck, so he used the robots working in front of him as a temporary distraction. Before long, much to his relief and disappointment, he was free.
"See…" he said, turning to grin at her, "all done, that wasn't so hard now, was it?"
They were close now…and the air was so thick in the garage that you could almost touch it. Pepper took a quick step backwards, distancing herself from Tony. Even with the safety net between them, she could still feel his heat and she could still detect the scent that she'd become to recognize as distinctly Tony; the normal scotch and a little mint, and now a tinge of sweat.
"Will that be all, Mr. Stark?" she asked, her eyes locking on his briefly.
He felt his stomach and face fall at the sudden formality. He swore the new found intimacy between the two of them was enough to at least let her know it was alright to call him Tony. Yet he still managed to put a lopsided grin on his face.
"Yes…that will be all…" he said, watching her turn to walk from the room.
Walking into his room, Tony tried to clear his thoughts of Pepper. Everything she did was starting to drive him crazy. He had grown crazy about her in the last few months, and now he felt like a teen unsure of how to act around his crush, which was ridiculous. He had been friends with Pepper for so long now that not even the prospect of a relationship should make things awkward. Then in an instant, he realized how selfish that thought seemed. He'd hardly taken the time to think about what she must be thinking and feeling. Rolling his shoulder he winced in pain at the dull ache that spread down his sides. Reminding himself to be more careful next time, he decided on a hot shower; that should take care of the lingering aches and the lingering thoughts.
Pepper busied herself a few rooms down with busy work, chores that didn't really need to be done. However, in the moment she couldn't care less about that fact, she needed something to focus her nervous energy at. Why did you have to cross that line, 'never become involved with someone you work with or for!' she scolded herself. She tried to reason with herself that she wasn't even really involved…yet. One wrong move, however, and her original plan would be shot to hell; then, as if on cue, the phone rang, breaking from her thoughts of self pity and guilt.
"Pepper Potts," she said, sounding happy that she even surprised herself.
"Pepper, Obadiah… is Tony free?"
"Not at the moment, I'm afraid…can I take a message?" She mused, in her normal manner.
"No, no…that won't be necessary…" he said, sounding as if he was drifting off into his own thoughts, "I'm actually returning his call…"
"I will certainly let Mr. Stark know," Pepper replied, wishing he'd let her hang up already, "is that all?"
"Yes, thank you Pepper."
"Anytime."
With the simple hang up of a phone, she was back with her thoughts, ones that, if she had her way, should not exist to begin with. But it was a new chapter for both of them, one that she wasn't sure if she liked or not.
"Jarvis…where is Mr. Stark?"
"Just stepping out of the shower, Ms. Potts…"
"Thank you."
Tony reached out of the shower, pulling a newly pressed towel off the rack. He scrubbed his scalp with it, both drying his hair and trying to rub out the lingering thoughts of Pepper. Securing it around his waist and stepping out into the cool bathroom air, he ran a hand through his hair, and then tapped briefly at the arc reactor, still glowing brightly in his chest. He walked into the closet, picking out something comfortable to wear after the latest experience in the protective suit.
Just as he was about to pick up his favorite cologne, he heard Pepper's voice and footsteps approaching.
"Mr. Stark…?" she called.
"In here!"
Pepper rounded the corner into her boss' room, and immediately she recognized the familiar scent of Irish Spring mixing with the gentle fresh scent of the shampoo. The thought that he hadn't quite had a chance to get ready didn't occur to her until it was too late. She turned and stepped into his closet and a small gasp escaped her lips.
"Oh…I… I'm sorry…" she said, averting her eyes immediately, looking down at her feet. Now she was exactly where she didn't want to end up. He was very attractive, and had gotten more so with her willingness to admit this. Now he was standing in front of her, barely covered, water droplets still clinging to his skin. Slowly, she willed herself to look up at him, her eyes holding his gaze.
"Obadiah called, returning your phone call from earlier," she managed to choke out in spite of the anxiety eating at her nerves. She glanced down at her hands, unable to acknowledge his proximity…and the way the smell of his soap and shampoo mixed with the thickness of the air was making her dizzy.
Watching her so shy and flustered, Tony began to ache…he'd never seen her look quite so vulnerable. He smiled to himself, knowing full well that his presence and current state of dress made her feel anxious and excited, and it took all of his self control and then some to not pounce right then and there. He watched her shoulders rise slowly as she inhaled deeply and then her blue eyes locked on his. He stepped slowly to her, his hands snaking around her waist, pulling her close. Still she refused to look directly at him, yet she let her hands trace the metallic circle in his chest, and one moved to rest at the base of his neck. He leaned in, knowing she'd made a decision, or so he hoped.
"You know this'll change everything…" he whispered, his voice low and noticeably rough.
When she nodded in agreement, that was all it took for Tony's self-control to give out completely. He put a hand on her cheek, his lips grazing hers, lightly at first, but with every passing moment his grasp on the reality of the moment faded. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, eliciting a small moan of approval from her throat, and immediately her lips parted. He brought a hand up to hold her head, and pulled her closer…impossibly close. In spite of the air in the room, which had already been thick and heavy, he kissed her deeper and with more urgency than he knew he had in him, and now, he could hardly breathe. Her feather-like touches were driving him wild, but he knew he needed to stop before he wouldn't be able to, or would regret in retrospect. Even in the haze of lust and heat, he knew Pepper, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her off. In a moment he broke away from her, and he couldn't help but smile at how dazed she looked. Her clothes were wrinkled from their impossibly close contact, her hair tangled, most of which had fallen from her hair clip. It took about a minute for her to register what had happened, and in a moment, her eyes flew open. Shit… was the first word that came to mind, he knew he'd done it when he saw the panic flicker across her features. But to his surprise, she giggled instead of running away from him.
"Why… don't you take a few minutes to get dressed…" she said, a slow smile pulling at the corners of her lips, "then come have a drink?"
In her disheveled state she looked positively sexy, he thought. All this time they'd worked in such close proximity, and he had no idea she felt this way…and that something as simple as her touch could make him so crazy.
"Sure…" he replied, distracted by their proximity, and his desire to pull her to him again.
She backed out of his embrace, and flashed him a sly, confident smile, "I'll see you in a few then?"
He stood there, still in awe of how things had changed in the last month or so that he even forgot to respond.
"Ok then…" she said, a hint of deviousness in her tone, as she turned and left the room.
