NOTES: HOLY CRAP! Talk about a Christmas miracle...
Guess what? My computer is back! I've never been so happy in my whole life! Thank you all so much for the kind comments and the support. Most of all, thank you all for your patience.
I hope you enjoy this piece of goodness.
Sadly I had no time for re-reading or beta-reading this, so I have no idea of what you may find in there. Let me know if something is too terrible.
Chapter 6
Toni was up to something. Steve could feel it.
After she'd caught him staring at her on the pool, Steve had kept waiting for some kind of joke at his expense, but it never came. Was it strange that he was somewhat disappointed by the fact?
On the following days Toni was bizarrely focused on the calendar, muttering to herself. Then, on the current day, something different happened: Toni came into their communal kitchen smiling like she'd just won Miss USA.
When they were all in town the Avengers tried to have meals together, or at least the mandatory "family dinner", as Clint called them.
On this specific morning, they were having breakfast together when Toni strode in, giving all of them a sunny "good morning." Steve, Clint, Jane and Bruce –who were the ones present at the scene –gave her confused looks. Toni was the definition of "not a morning person".
Clint opened his mouth to ask her what was the occasion for such a happy smile –and knowing him and Toni it would likely become some kind of innuendo –when Toni's cell phone beeped. The billionaire checked it with a maniac grin on her face, typed a reply and put the device away.
"Jarvis, Miss Potts must not be bothered!" She declared. "No phone calls unless it's urgent. Everything else can be redirected to whoever is her assistant right now."
"Your definition of 'urgent' or hers, Madam?" The British voice asked in a tone that looked a whole lot like he was just humoring Toni.
"Mine." Toni said as if it was obvious.
"Maybe I shouldn't ask, but, what the hell." Clint spoke. "What's your definition of 'urgent'?"
"Fire on the building, alien attack, machines' rebellion and zombie apocalypse." She recited easily.
"Are you seriously expecting the zombie apocalypse?" Jane asked confused.
"I wasn't seriously expecting an alien attack and look what that got me." Toni pointed out and Jane seemed to take that as a good argument.
"Can I ask you why you're isolating Pepper?" Bruce asked.
"You can ask, it doesn't mean I'll tell you." Toni failed nonchalance, analyzing her nails. "Ah screw it, I will! Agent Coulson finally decided to grow a pair and came to talk to her."
Clint's eyes popped open. "Really? I thought he'd never get the courage."
"Hey! How do you know that?" Toni demanded.
"Nat and I are his favorites." Clint said smugly. "Sometimes he'd talk to us about her."
"How adorable…" Toni commented. "The main thing here is that this is getting solved, I don't have to worry about those two anymore and I can jump to the next people on my list."
Steve, who had been bringing his mug to his mouth, froze halfway there. "What list?" He asked worried.
"The 'people needing to get laid' list!" Toni declared, clearly proud of herself. "Pepper was the priority, 'cause Pepper's always the priority, but now that that's fixed, I can focus on you all."
Jane was the only that didn't seem to be overly concerned with the whole thing. Likely because she was getting some on a regular basis.
"Wait a fucking minute!" Clint called. "What list?"
"Chill out, Robin Hood, you're low priority." Toni made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Bruce has the honor of being next."
While Clint was divided between being offended and relieved, Bruce looked like he was on the edge of a panic attack. Not even facing the Chitauri invasion he had looked so stressed.
"What do you mean I'm next?" He wanted to know.
"I mean you're next." She said simply. "Either you do something about Cora or Cora is gonna do something about you. Fair warning."
"Cora? Your assistant?" Jane sounded surprised. "She's adorable."
If there was a word Toni didn't associate with Cora, it was "adorable", but whatever Jane said… "Cora likes this idiot, but she's slow and hasn't done a thing about it." Toni rolled her eyes. "But we'll fix this."
"Toni, I'm not really comfortable with this." Bruce spoke, trying to sound firm –and failing miserably.
"Not my problem." She sing-songed to him.
"Where does Steve fit in that list?" Clint asked, morbidly curious. "What's his priority?"
"Ah he's also in desperate need of getting laid." Toni informed. "But, as I'm busy taking care of some other business right now, I can't solve this for you. So, Captain, you'll have to wait just a tad more, but you and I, we'll get there." She gave Steve a wink. "Now I'm off to the labs. Don't disturb me, unless it's urgent." And she left, leaving the four people in the room pretty perplexed.
"Was it just me…" Jane began carefully, "or when she meant she's going to 'solve' Steve's problem, she really meant that she will do it?"
Phil wasn't exactly sure he should be doing this. To be quite honest, facing Loki on his own had been way less scary.
Although Toni had assured him that things were going to work out well, he wasn't feeling so sure. He had tried to call Pepper two days ago and, once again, she hadn't answered it. Maybe this was a –very clear -sign that the spark that had once been there, no longer existed.
However, Phil had never been the quitting type. He needed one last chance, needed to be face to face with her and see if he had really lost his window, if there wasn't any other way. This would only be over when Pepper looked in his eyes and told him to give up.
And, to be quite honest, maybe not even then.
Was it ridiculous that he was so in love with her? To have spent a whole year travelling around the world, seeing a bit of everything, only to come back to the exact same place and the exact same woman?
No, it wasn't, because if there was one thing on this Earth that Toni babbled about and it was a hundred percent right, was that Pepper was an amazing woman. There wasn't another woman like her on this planet.
Phil took a deep breath once he reached the hallway to her apartment, then he walked to her door. He took another deep breath –this one out of sheer nervousness –and rang the door bell.
The door opened by itself.
"Come on in, Cora." Pepper's voice called from somewhere inside. "I thought you were stopping by later."
Phil stepped into the apartment, but stood close by the door. "It's not Cora." He called, proud of how his voice didn't show how much he shook on the inside.
Super Secret Agent his ass.
Pepper quickly stood up from the sofa where she had been sitting. Phil had never seen her look prettier, clean face, shorts and a tank top, probably looking forward to a calm day.
"Phil." She was obviously shocked by his presence. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Jarvis let me in." He had a small grin.
Pepper crossed her arms and arched a brow. "You mean Toni, right?"
"Yes, we met in London." He took another deep breath. "Pepper, I would like to talk to you. It's not going to take long, but if you never want to see me again after this, I'll accept it."
"Of course. I… I'm sorry, I'm a terrible host." She gave a nervous laugh. "Would you like to sit? Can I get you anything to drink?"
She was nervous, a bit anxious and this had to be a good sign, right? If she really didn't want to talk to him, she would have said so, right?
Phil came closer to her and picked her hands gently between his. "I just need you to pay attention." He told her gently. "The only good thing -and I do mean it - of getting involved in that whole 'Iron Lady' mess right from the beginning, was you. It has always been you. I don't get paid nearly enough to put up with a spoiled brat like Stark and I'm very far from being Job. But there you were, always right in the middle of it, and suddenly, being involved in that mess meant being close to you. That made it all worth it."
Pepper looked beyond shocked.
"When you and Toni started dating… Well, it looked like it was over for me. She could give you anything you wanted with a snap of her fingers, and you looked happy, complete and… That made me happy." He continued. "Seeing you happy made me happy. As corny as that sounds." He gave her a bashful smile.
"Phil…" She called, her voice full of shock.
But now he had started and he needed to finish. "After you two broke up…" He sighed. "I allowed myself to hope as I hadn't before, and…" He hesitated. "It didn't look as one-sided as it had before, it looked like there was a chance. But then New York happened and… I just need to know if it's over for you, if I should quit and leave, because to me nothing has changed. It isn't over yet."
He became silent in face of Pepper's expression. Her eyes were wide open and it looked like she was barely breathing.
And then –suddenly –her lips were on his.
Phil wasn't sure of how that happened. Actually, he barely managed to move, but it was a brief kiss, just a touch of mouths.
She took a quick step back and gently touched her own lips. "I was scared." She admitted. "When I say the news about New York being attacked. Of course that part of this fear was for Toni, because she's reckless and was carrying a missile, but my biggest concern was… You. What was happening? Were you okay? When you called me, worried about me... I thought my heart was going to explode. In a happy way." Her laughter was a bit embarrassed. "I wasn't at SHIELD's headquarter to see Toni that day. I went to see you."
It was Phil's turn to be speechless.
"But before I even had the chance of seeing you, Toni came and fought with Director Fury. I was appalled by what he'd done, the lie, and Toni was so angry that I knew she needed me then." Pepper's eyes went to the floor. "I couldn't accept that those were the type of people you worked for, people that used you and your life like that. I was still nervous and more than a bit stressed. That first month after Toni broke with SHIELD passed so fast and I needed time to think."
She ran her fingers through her hair, messed around with her rings, her eyes still on the ground.
"At first, that was why I wasn't answering your calls, I needed to think." She admitted. "I was trying to conciliate the Phil I knew with Agent Coulson. I wasn't exactly happy with SHIELD, I was working like a mad woman at the company, because of everything that happened. When I felt ready to talk to you again, Killian happened."
Phil felt the bottom of his stomach dropping. When he'd heard about the bombing of Toni's house, he only thought about Pepper. Fury just wouldn't let him go over to Malibu.
"After that I'm pretty sure you can imagine how things were." She put her arms around herself. "I couldn't sleep for a long time, and sometimes I still can't. I had to get that thing off me, go to therapy, think it through, work more… When I felt stronger, the first thing I wanted to do was call you. But I just couldn't."
She finally looked him in the eyes. "I didn't know what I'd say." She continued. "I didn't know what you wanted to hear, if you still wanted me in any way. Every time you called I was worried that it was just to talk about business and nothing else. The more time it passed, the more worried I got, more embarrassed, asking myself why I waited that long." She stopped because she didn't know what else to say.
"Wait." He asked gently. "I don't want to interrupt you or anything, but... Do you mean that…"
"It isn't over." She completed. "For me it isn't."
"Can we finish this conversation later?" He asked with a grin.
"Later does sound good." Pepper agreed slowly.
"Good." His grin became a full smile. "Can I…"
"Yes, please."
Phil passed his finger through her shorts' belt loop and pulled Pepper closer. Since she was barefoot they were the exact same height and kissing her was easy. She came to him smiling, her arms around his neck.
Now that she was there, so damn close, it would be easy to drown in sensations, too easy; but Phil liked to take it slow. He wanted to enjoy every moment, every touch, every kiss; no hurry, because it had taken so damn long to get there that he didn't want it to finish fast.
So they kissed slowly and tenderly and eventually Pepper parted her lips to him. It was still slow and tender, but now it had more meaning, more intentions behind it.
Minutes, hours or months later –who the hell knew –they broke apart, but stayed close –foreheads touching, noses rubbing and stupid smiles. Everything was fucking perfect.
"We still need to talk." Pepper said, but she was still smiling.
"Of course." Phil nodded. "We have all the time in the world. There's no need to hurry."
"We also don't have to be that slow." Pepper chimed, making Phil confused for a second. "I have many fantasies about this suit." She confessed, playing with his tie, suddenly a bit too shy to look at his face.
Phil felt like his brain went blank for a second. "Okay… Maybe not that slow then." He finally managed.
Pepper laughed before kissing him again.
Clint was just chilling, taking care of his bow and arrows, just a man and his weapons of choice, in his room. You know, no stress?
Yeah, Nat didn't know.
Or did, but chose to ignore it.
One minute he was completely alone and in the next he raised his head and came face to face with Natasha. Staring at him. Unblinking. It was kind of unnerving.
Unnerving, but not exactly surprising that she had just entered his apartment, she was the only person in the Tower with permission for that. It also wasn't shocking that he hadn't heard her coming in; Natasha was that good at getting wherever she wanted to be. No, what was actually strange was her look: it was like she was analyzing him, measuring him up and getting completely disappointed by what she saw.
What had he done now?
"Hey, Nat." He spoke, completely casual and relaxed. "Wanna a beer?" He asked, offering her the bottle he had in his hand.
"What do you plan to do with Lewis?" She asked directly, because if there was one thing Natasha Romanoff didn't have to waste was time.
Clint was actually glad he had nothing in his mouth at the moment, otherwise he'd have chocked. That wasn't what he was expecting. At all.
Or maybe he should have. They knew each other for many years and there wasn't anyone is this world who Clint trusted more –ironic, considering she was a former Russian spy/assassin, who made a living seducing and destroying men –and also there was nobody who knew him better.
It was obvious that Natasha would notice something and wouldn't just let it go.
"Nothing." He said firmly, mostly because if he gave her a very honest answer –Lord, there were so many things he wanted to do to her- Natasha was likely going to hit him.
The redhead narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. His answer wasn't what she wanted to hear or she didn't believe him. Anyways, things were about to get ugly for the Hawk.
"Can I ask why?" She asked at last.
"Do you have to?" He rolled his eyes. "Look, Nat: Darcy is an amazing girl. It's the truth and I have no reason to say otherwise. That said… What happened was a one-night-only kind of thing. It's over."
Natasha stared at him in absolute silence, like she was looking deep inside his soul. Finally she seemed to have come to a decision. "Ok." She conceded.
Oh, wait a second. Something there wasn't right. "That easy?" He asked, not even trying to hide his distrust. "Maybe I should be worried."
"Yeah. You should." She gave him a mysterious smile, before turning to leave.
"Nat! Come on! I don't put my nose in your business!" He protested.
"As if I needed your help." The redhead threw over her shoulder, not even missing a step.
Shit. He was screwed.
"Toni!"
The billionaire raised her head and opened a huge smile. "Rhodey!" She dropped everything she was doing and ran to hug her best friend. "It feels like it's been forever since I saw you!"
"It's been a few months, at least." Colonel James Rhodes admitted. "But I was in DC and now I have a couple of free days, so I decided to come and check on you and Pepper. By the way… I tried calling her, but Jarvis wouldn't let me."
"Pepper is extremely busy and must not be bothered." Toni cut immediately.
Rhodes gave Toni a look full of mistrust. "If you were talking about anyone besides Pepper I'd worry you're trying to hide a body." He commented dryly. "As it is Pepper, I'll just assume you're hiding something from her."
"Hilarious." Toni rolled her eyes. "So it's you and me. How about a swank club, with a lot of models and VIP's?"
"How about no?" Rhodes cut her. "I have a reputation to uphold, different from you."
"Hey! I do have a reputation!" Toni protested. "Of being a party girl and I'm very proud of it. It took me years to get there."
Rhodey rolled his eyes. "Let's try to do something that won't get us on the E! as this week scandal."
"You're so boring." Toni sighed. "I'll just finish something here and then we can go." She said, indicating the StarkPad on her hand.
"What about working less?" He teased. "At least that's what you're always telling me. Gimme that." He took the tablet out of her hand.
"Hey! Give it back!" She protested, trying to get the thing back from him.
Rhodey made a half turn, escaping Toni's hands, then another one. "Why would I do that?" He laughed. "This is fun." He decided, raising his arm above his head, leaving the tablet out of Toni's reach.
"I'll show you fun." She huffed.
Without any warning –because Toni was the kind of person that didn't even think before doing something this stupid –she put her hands on his shoulders and jumped, hanging on Rhodes. The colonel was caught by surprise and they only didn't fall because he managed to grab on a nearby table.
"Toni, are you insane?" He was breathless by the scare.
"Nobody told you to piss me off." She answered petulantly.
"Excuse me?"
Toni groaned in frustration. Of course. It was only obvious that from every single person in that freaking Tower, HE would be the one to catch her hanging from Rhodes like a koala.
The billionaire let go of Rhodes and smoothed her shirt back down, like it was really normal. "Rhodey, this is Captain Steve Rogers, aka America's pride and joy. Capsicle, this is Colonel James Rhodes, my bestie and War Machine." She introduced without looking at either of them.
"Iron Patriot." Rhodes replied automatically, but in a very absent way, since his eyes were shining in admiration, looking at Steve.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Colonel." Steve spoke sincerely, shaking his hand.
"The pleasure is all mine, Captain." Rhodes was quick to shake the hand back. "Your works has been…"
"Oh lord!" Toni groaned. "Can you suck each other somewhere else? I have shit to do."
"Why are you so stressed?" Rhodes wanted to know. "Needing to get laid?"
Toni opened her mouth, but then she just huffed. "Could be. I haven't been going out as much."
"Really?" Rhodes seemed genuinely surprised. "Why?"
"Apparently too much sex and alcohol isn't very healthy." She shrugged. "Who would've thought, hn?"
Rhodes rolled his eyes. "You're demented, Stark."
"And on related news… The sky is blue." She sassed back. "What did you want, Capsicle?" She turned to Steve.
Steve looked from Stark to Rhodes, then honest to God blushed. "It wasn't important." He decided. "We can talk later."
"Whatever." She shrugged. "I'm gonna change and then we can go to that sushi place you like so much." She offered Rhodes.
"Way better than a club." He agreed. "I'll wait for you on your living room."
"Oh, by the way, Captain." She turned fully to Steve, hip cocked and a smirk on her lips. "I know exactly why you're here. So the answer is no, you didn't get me wrong. I meant exactly what I said."
"Toni!" Steve was getting this lovely blush all over his face. "Why would you even..."
"Look in a mirror, buddy." She rolled her eyes. "Why do you think I wanna take advantage of your innocence?"
Rhodes eyes became huge. "Toni! This is too much! Even for you."
She looked far from chastised. "I'm not telling him to strip, am I? I'm just giving fair warning."
Steve sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe this."
"Well, you should start believing, Capsicle." Toni chirped. "Because my new purpose in life is finding how super that serum actually made you." She winked to him and left the lab.
Steve turned to Rhodes, expecting some help or support, but the Colonel was just trying to control his laughter. "Good luck, Captain. You're gonna need it."
NOTES:
TONI! lol
Poor Steve. Or not.
Phil and Pepper! This ship has sailed, amen to that.
Let me know what you think.
I wish all of you a magic Christmas. Blessings on you and your family and beloved ones.
See you all next year!
xoxo
