Chapter 19
Tony Stark sat in his seat at the middle row of the movie theater to which he had taken Pepper to watch the latest chick flick. The couple sat in silence watching the previews play and shared a cup of popcorn that was resting on the ginger's lap. The genius' right arm was resting on the redhead's seat, and her head was resting on his arm.
"Being Tony Stark's girlfriend has its perks, huh?" the redhead asked with a smile. "I could get used to this," she added before she took a sip of her shaved iced drink. "This week you've taken me out to more normal places that I've ever gone out in my entire life: the theater, an ice rink, the mall, a museum, the freaking Statue of Liberty..."
Tony smirked and winked at the girl before he leaned over to grab a handful of popcorn and threw it inside his mouth. He took his time to chew it thoroughly, took a sip of his own drink and shrugged.
"This is just the basics. Wait until I take you out on real date."
"A real date? This is not a real date?" the girl asked in shock. "What the heck do you do on a real date? Buy a girl an island?"
"Buy an island," the boy tapped his chin with his finger as he considered the idea. "That doesn't sound bad."
The ginger rolled her eyes. "You would have the money for it, too. But, seriously, what do you do on a real date?"
"Wouldn't you want to know? You'll just have to wait and see."
"That's not fair! I don't even know if and when it will happen! I don't have all the time in the world, you know?"
"Hopefully it won't take that long," Tony said before he rearranged his seating position so that Pepper could rest her head on his shoulder. "I'm running out of normal places to go."
"We can always go to abnormal places. I'm OK with that."
"What do you consider abnormal?"
"Well," the redhead bit her lip. "That's more of a 50th date kind of conversation."
"OK," Tony said with a skeptical tone and a single brow raised. "I think the movie's starting, anyway."
The room's light began to dim, and before they knew it the sound of a corny song invaded their ears as the starting credits of the movie began showing on the screen. The movie Pepper had chosen for them to watch was about a man with a bipolar disorder that had ended up in a psychiatric facility due to beating up the man his wife had been cheating on him with – in their own home, nonetheless. Eventually the man is able to be released from the facility and tries to rebuild his relationship with his estranged wife while befriending a young woman whose husband was recently killed.
"Once a cheater, always a cheater," the ginger whispered to Tony when the efforts of the main character to contact his wife began. "I wouldn't waste my time on her," she pointed to the main character's wife.
"Is that personal experience speaking out?" Tony whispered back, his eyes never leaving the screen. The movie was turning out to be much more entertaining than he thought it would be.
"Maybe," Pepper responded. "But it's mostly common sense. I mean, come on! She cheated on him with an ugly, old guy! At least cheat with someone that is better looking than your current better half. Don't you think?"
"So, you're saying that if you're going to cheat, might as well do it right?" Tony jested.
"Of course. Go all out or go home."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tony said with a slight nod.
"I'm sure you will," the girl chuckled before they both returned their attention to the dancing couple on the screen.
xxxXXXxxx
The park near the bay was practically deserted for such an early time of the day. After the movie had ended, Tony had taken Pepper to have lunch at the food court at the mall, bought her a few trinkets she had pointed out to him, and they were now on a bench watching the sunset.
Pepper sat on one end and Tony stretched his body on the bench, lying sideways and with his head on her lap. The redhead's fingers brushed his unruly locks, causing the billionaire to randomly close his eyes in relaxation despite the tension he felt.
"You're very good at this."
"Don't get too comfortable, Tony. You can't expect this every day."
"Maybe not this exactly," Tony began. "But something pretty close to it I'm sure is not out of the question."
"Well, that's the whole point of this, right?"
"Yup. That's the intention," he agreed and closed his eyes for a few minutes. When he opened his eyes again, the sun had already set and the couple was left in the dark. There were a few streetlights already on, but none of them were close enough to intrude on the privacy of the teens.
"What do you want to do after this?" the redhead asked as her eyes casually scanned their surroundings.
"It depends," Tony responded and stretched his muscles.
"On the outcome?" Pepper looked down at his serious face.
"Yes," Tony responded as he stood up from her lap and sat next to her. "Whatever is necessary for this to work."
"I understand," she said with a nod. "But you need to relax a little so that it can work. You've almost blown it up a few times already."
"I know. I'm trying, but it's hard," Tony admitted. His left arm surrounded the girl's shoulders and she rested her right hand on his knee.
"I know a few things that can help you relax," she said with a sly smile.
"Oh, I'm sure you do," Tony scoffed. "Just don't do any of the things that will get me in trouble with anyone."
"But those are the most effective ones!" the redhead cried. "Besides, I think we both want this to speed up a little, right? We can't stay like this the entire time."
Tony frowned but nodded. "I guess you're right," he said and turned his head to his left to look down at her hazel eyes. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
The redhead smirked. "Do you know of a better way?"
"Legally? No."
"Well, then let's get it done."
"Where? Here?"
"Of course not here!" she rolled her eyes at him. "Too out in the open," Pepper stood up and pulled Tony up by his hand. "Follow me."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see," she sing-songed.
The genius silently followed the girl to the deep part of the park where the trees were thicker. The light from the streets was hardly visible there, and that was exactly what the redhead wanted. Tony began feeling anxious about what he knew was coming but he took in a deep breath to try to calm down. He could not back down now and he knew it – not when they were so close to getting what they wanted – but the thought alone did not help with his shaky and sweaty hands.
"Don't chicken out on me, Stark," the redhead teased when they stopped walking and stood in front of a low wall that served as a divider between the end of the walking trail and the creek underneath. She could feel his uneasiness and reluctance to follow through with what he had agreed to do, but there was no way she was going to let him back out of it now. "You need to learn this, anyway."
"I, uhm… well…" Tony could feel a light blush creeping up on him and the ginger laughed aloud.
"You brought protection, right?" she asked in a joking manner but Tony's eyes still opened wide. It was a good thing the Extremis had fixed his electronic heart or the ginger was certain he would have short-circuited it right then and there with her highly suggestive question.
"Uhm… ah… uh… er…" the genius's bright mind could not come up with a coherent response.
"Just relax," she whispered to him as she sat up on the wall and pulled Tony in between her legs. The genius let out a nervous exhale and stared down at the ground until he felt her hands cupping his face. "Just forget everything else and concentrate on my face."
The inventor did as told and stared deeply into the redhead's eyes for what felt like an eternity. She was then able to see the change within him when his hands found her waist and he leaned down to kiss her. The lip lock was sweet at first, but when her hands pulled up his shirt to lightly scratch his skin, the genius' kiss became more intense.
That's what I'm talking about, she thought.
Their breathing became more ragged by the second as their hands roamed around the other's body. The redhead surrounded his waist with her legs and pulled him closer, and Tony's hands slid down to her hips. His grip on them was tight as he lifted her off the wall, turned them around in place and swapped places with her. He brought her down onto his lap as he sat on the low wall himself.
"Pepper," he whispered to her in a hungry tone and kissed the side of her neck.
The ginger moaned lightly in response and opened her eyes ever so slightly to look behind them to make sure they were still alone. "Did you miss me, Tony?" she whispered in his ear.
"Yes," he responded immediately. "I missed you so much."
The girl knew by reading the genius' non-verbal cues that Tony's mind was not entirely aware anymore, and this was what she knew needed to happen so he could unwind and carry on with their actions.
"Do you miss Whitney?"
Tony scoffed. "Whitney, who?" he responded before kissing her lips again and the redhead's hands flew to the edge of his shirt, pulling it off him in one swift move as she pulled away from his face.
"I'm so happy you were able to rescue me, Tony," the redhead purred and slid her hands up and down over his chest, tracing his muscles with her fingertips. Tony smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.
"And I'm so happy you've returned to me," he said to her before he kissed her again. The redhead's hands held onto his back belt loops and pulled him closer to her. He reciprocated the gesture by tightening his grip on her hips.
"Do you love me, Tony?" she asked after she broke the kiss. She knew she was asking a risky question that could destroy the illusion, but the end justified the means.
"Yes. I love you, Pepper. You know I do," he whispered to her, still caught in his own world, and brushed the side of his nose against her cheek. "Don't ever leave me again."
"I won't," she assured him and brushed his hair with her fingers. "Now that Whitney's gone, we can be happy again."
"Don't say her name anymore," Tony whispered. "I can't stand hearing her name."
"But, she was your friend, Tony," the redhead reasoned, purposefully trying to upset the billionaire.
"Not anymore," Tony spat. "I'd rather die than be friends with her ever again."
"That can be arranged," a voice behind Pepper said and Tony looked up from the ginger's neck to stare at the person they had been waiting for to appear. She was standing just a few feet away from them, gun in hand. The inventor felt the redhead slowly surround his neck with her hands before she leaned over to the left side of his face to whisper in his ear.
"Stick to it, Tony."
"How did you find us, Whitney?" the genius asked, trying with all his might not to summon his armor and beat the living crap out of Madame Masque.
"Guilty as charged," she responded before she cocked the gun and fired a shot that hit the redhead in the back.