Previously…
'For years now, the Sandy Beach Café had been Pepper's special haven and social outlet ever since she had moved to Malibu. Estelle, the owner had been one of the first friends Pepper made when she had moved to the area, nearly ten years ago.' –chapter 8
Chapter 19: One Step at a Time
"It's only been two weeks…You just need to relax, and give her some time to come around." Rhodes takes a long pull on his beer. In front of him, Tony is elbow deep in wires and discarded metal from the suit. "This isn't one of your business ventures, man; this is one situation you have zero control over."
Tony drops the screwdriver to the table and picks up a shop towel, turning to his friend. "You of all people should know that I'm not the most patient guy in the world…I thought restraining myself for one week was a stretch. I don't see how calling her is such a big deal." He throws the towel next to the screwdriver and picks up his own beer, downing it in one go. Rhodes' is not surprised; Tony could always drink him under the table.
"Look, it's not like she's confronted with terrorists and mad men every day--"
Tony breaks in. "She's worked for me for years—she's been confronted with a good share of mad men—including yours truly."
"Yeah, but she's never had to kill any of them."
"There is that." He says, looking down at his empty bottle.
"Look, if quitting--"
Tony's head flies up. "Leave of absence." He corrects.
"If a 'leave of absence' is her way of separating herself from the whole situation, then that's just the way it needs to be. That means NO phone calls. Give her a chance to move on from it…then she'll be right back here scheduling your appearances on…on…Larry King, or whatever other show you like to beat up the host." He finishes, then raises his beer for another sip. Tony has moved to another bench to assemble a flight stabilizer.
"I kissed her."
"What?!" Rhodes sputters, liquid flying from his lips. "When?"
Tony doesn't even look up. "After you showed. We were in my bathroom." Rhodes makes a confused face and mumbles something under his breath that sounds a lot like a four letter word. Tony stops suddenly, his head flying up to add another detail. "And technically, she kissed me first."
Rhodes reaches for another beer. "Oh yeah?" he pauses, then, shakes his head, trying to clarify Tony's words. "Wait…first? That means you two kissed twice?" His eyes are as wide as saucers now. "Dude, will you please look at me?" Tony stops fiddling with his tools and heaves a sigh, looking at his friend.
"What happened?" Rhodes asks anxiously.
Tony takes a second to think about his response, then, "I don't think I handled it very well."
"Man, what'd you do?" he asks, already apprehensive about his answer.
"Nothing. I mean…I—nothing." Tony falters, shoulders sagging.
Rhodes plays with a component on the table next to him, then picks it up and chucks it at Tony; hitting him in the shoulder. "Ow! What the hell?!" Tony yells, rubbing his arm.
"Man, I've always said how that woman is a saint for putting up with you for all these years! And now, after the she ends up savin' your ass, you go and make a move on her?" Rhodes was in disbelief. "That's just not cool."
He knew Tony was a ladies' man and a smooth talker--a model of a playboy for all men. Hell, even he looked up to the guy when it came to getting women. But when it came to Mr. Stark and Miss Potts, Rhodes knew that there had always been a very distinct invisible line between their respected work relationship. Their rapport has been a push-pull battle of 'who's the boss'; with neither one of them ever really being able to lay claim to the title. But that worked for them, and Rhodes was often in awe at how well the two of them complimented each other in the business world.
In hindsight, Rhodes could probably say that he'd seen this coming. But he wouldn't dare admit it at this moment. In its place, he chose to reprimand his friend for thinking with the wrong end of his anatomy.
Tony's attention is focused on the workbench again.
"Well?" Rhodes pushes.
Tony doesn't turn around. "Well what?" His shoulders are tense again.
"No argument? No rebuttal? No, 'What's the big deal'? Nothing?" Rhodes stares at his back, waiting.
"I think you pretty much covered it." Tony replies, leaning further over the table—the smoke from his soldering iron curling up into the air.
Rhodes shakes his head. "You are a piece of work." His words hit a nerve and Tony lifts himself up from the table and slams down the handle of the iron. His face is wrought with turmoil, but it's clear that he has no understanding of how to rid himself of it. Rhodes is almost grateful for his reaction—maybe he is finally getting through to him.
"What do you want me to say?!" Tony's hands fly up in surrender. "That I royally fucked up? That I could have quite possible ruined the only functioning relationship that I have ever had in my life?" Rhodes sits quietly, allowing him to release his frustration. Tony throws a wrench across the room, hitting the suit square in the chest as it hangs from the ceiling.
"Fucking suit." He grumbles under his breath. His anger is beginning to make his chest hurt, and he leans forward, gripping the edge of the table, visibly panting. Rhodes continues to watch the rare display of emotion play out on the man across from him.
Tony closes his eyes with anger and disappointment, but when he opens them, they are focused and intense. "When my parents died, I spent half of my life fighting to prove to the world that I had what it takes to fill my father's shoes at Stark Industries—and the other half of it trying to prove to myself that I deserved it." He pauses briefly, throwing a half-smile at Rhodey. "Somewhere along the way I picked you up," Rhodes returns the smile; albeit a bit begrudgingly. Tony pauses again, but when he continues, his face has softened and he speaks as if he is recalling a fond memory. "…and Pepper…" He lets out a puff of air, "…I just can't believe it's taken me this long to realize how much I need her in my life."
And even though he doesn't admit it out loud to his friend, his mind carries him one step further by making him ponder the fact of when exactly it was that the need had evolved into want.
Shaking his head, he looks back to Rhodes and points a piece of metal at him. "And just for the record, I didn't 'make a move' on her. It wasn't that type of kiss." He says firmly.
Rhodes stands and walks over to Tony, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Man, I had no idea you felt that way." He shakes his head and adds with a small smile, "Shit, I had no idea you were capable of feeling that way!" he says jokingly. The corner of Tony's mouth twitches.
"Look, you may have been around the block once or twice," Rhodes starts. Tony clears his throat in amusement, crossing his arms incredulously. "…alright, a few times…but when it comes to women—I mean, really knowing them, you're pretty much a rookie. Machines and mechanics are what you know." He takes a deep breath and stares up at the mask of the Mark II suit, changing the focus of the conversation. "You've done some pretty selfless and brave things for the world over the last year Tony; maybe now it's time for you to do something for you. Just don't jump into this without realizing who it is you're dealing with."
Tony scratches at the back of his head and walks over to the hanging torso of the suit. He tangles his hands in the wires protruding from the bottom. "I've never felt so fucking clueless in all my life…" he says, forlorn.
"Scares the shit outa ya doesn't it?" Rhodes scoffs.
Tony laughs. "You have no idea."
Rhodes eyes Tony for a minute then sighs. "Huh…" he says, sounding contemplative.
"What?" Tony furrows his brow.
Rhodes shrugs and walks over to him. He lifts his hand and taps the hard surface of the arc reactor. "Maybe the tin man really does have a heart under all that iron after all."
Tony stares at Rhodes for a moment, taking in his words. "Huh." He replies, not totally disagreeing with Rhodes' observation.
"One more week. I'll wait one more week before I say something." Tony informs Rhodes. His friend puts his hands up as if to say 'I give up', and then heads for the stairs.
Rhodes knew he wouldn't wait a week. In fact, it was exactly two days later that Tony Stark sped out of his garage and down the hill from his Malibu mansion and into the city below.
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In the city of Malibu, there is no telling what kind of day you will have. You could find yourself walking along the beach, gazing out at the ocean or at all of the sunburned tourists scattered across the sand. In the evenings, you could brush elbows with celebrities at one of the many hotspots that line the popular streets in the downtown area. Or, perhaps, you may find solace at a cozy little beachside café just as the sun begins to make its way past the horizon.
After two weeks of no work, Pepper Potts found herself going a little stir-crazy in her apartment. Coupled with the fact that her sleeping pattern has been thrown off due to some rather insistent nightmares, she decided a nice evening dinner at her favorite café would be the perfect way to end a rather uneventful week. The month of October has brought with it a chill in the air, making it necessary for the heat lamps out on the porch of the Sandy Beach Café. Two women sit on the patio engrossed in conversation, and the last remnants of the sun's rays were beginning to fade in the distance.
"He WHAT?!" The shrill squeal of delight from Estelle's voice pierces the peaceful night air, causing several of the remaining patrons within the café to turn and stare curiously.
Pepper's hands fly up to calm her friend. "Estelle! Hush!" She laughs, despite the twinge of embarrassment that has brought a blush to her cheeks. After two glasses of wine and some prodding by Estelle, Pepper found herself recounting the events of that fateful evening from a few weeks ago.
The portly woman across from her starts waving her hands in an attempt to persuade Pepper to continue with her recently revealed detail. "Nah ah…" she says, shaking her head, "Don't you stop there! You don't go and tell me that Tony Stark planted a kiss on you, and then stop! Spill it, sugar!" She cries, pulling her chair closer.
Pepper's smile fades a bit as she recalls their private moment in the master bathroom of the mansion. "It's not what you think, Estelle…it really wasn't that kind of a kiss."
Estelle bobs her head knowingly. "Mmhmm." She says, keeping her eyes on the young woman across from her. She studies her for a moment, then comes to a conclusion. "There's something you're not telling me."
"I—well, technically…I kissed him first." Pepper looks off into the distance; lost in thought.
Estelle nearly squeals again, but as her gaze travels over Pepper's solemn features, she holds it back just in time. She decides to take another route instead. "So…let's see if I've got this right," she starts, Pepper's eyes float back towards her, "He saves you, you kiss him…You save him, he kisses you..." she pauses, waiting to gauge her friend's reaction. "Am I missing anything?" she says slowly.
Pepper throws her focus down to her lap where she has begun twisting her napkin in her hands. "It's not really that simple…but yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it." She laughs uncomfortably and a sudden lump in her throat threatens to bring tears along with it, but she swallows it down quickly, quelling the threat.
Estelle, sensing that Pepper is dealing with a lot more than two impulsive kisses, leans forward in her chair and speaks in a hushed voice. "Sweetheart," Pepper looks up from her hands, "…you were not given a choice in the matter when it came to firing that gun. You did what any normal, sane, compassionate woman would do for someone they cared deeply for." She says sincerely, and then continues with a firmer tone of voice. "As for you kissin' him and him kissin' you…well, there is something else there that I don't have the qualifications to explore! I'm just gonna run my cute little café and keep my nose outa that business." She finishes with her mouth quirked up into a bright, reassuring smile.
Pepper returns the gesture and reaches her hands across the table to cover Estelle's. "Oh Estelle, you know how much your advice matter to me!" She says sweetly, squeezing her hands to emphasize her words.
"I know, dear. But really…You're not going to be able to keep avoiding the issue forever. At some point, you're gonna have to go back to work and face the man." She points out.
Pepper hangs her head and sighs. "I know, I know…but I will cross that bridge when I come to it." Pepper leans back into her chair, taking her wine glass with her.
Estelle smiles again, but when she goes to call for one of her servers to get another glass of wine for her friend, her eyes stop on the figure of a man standing at the entrance of her café, arguing with the hostess.
Pepper, noticing the alarmed look on her friend's face, speaks up, "What? What's wrong?" she asks, concerned.
"Um…well, honey," she sputters nervously, "I'd say you just arrived at one hell of a big bridge." She says, and then points to what has caught her attention. Pepper turns to see none other than Tony Stark making his way across the dining room, the young hostess trailing behind, trying desperately, but failing to stop him.
The crash of a wine glass hitting the patio floor is nothing compared to the sound of Pepper's own heartbeat in her ears.
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A/N: Hi all…I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. I can blame it on writer's block—which is part of it, and then pure busyness of my life as the other part. But take note…there will be no stopping me when it comes to finishing this tiny little slice of Pepper and Tony fluff…
Thank you again to my reviewers and commentators, I truly appreciate and look forward to hearing from all of you…
And to all of you out there on the alert list…HI!! waves Thanks for staying connected…I do hope you are enjoying…send me a note….promise I won't bite!
Until Next Time…