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Chapter 15 - Plan Comes Together

Tony and Pepper had returned to their island home the evening before with Soli. They had enjoyed their holiday at the vineyard, but Tony was anxious to get back to normal. Pepper suspected he was actually anxious to get back to his normal, which was to disappear into his workshop until the wee hours of the morning.

And she was right. After beginning to read a new book to Soli, that's where he had ended up. She wasn't even certain when he had come to bed. When she had woken up that morning, he was sleeping peacefully next to her. He had been having such problems sleeping lately, that she had asked Jarvis not to bother him.

Pepper had a lot to get through that day, so she had gotten up early. After some coffee, she had spent some time answering e-mails in her office upstairs, and was presently finishing up a video call with the Director of Defense. His image filled up the wall above her desk.

"Wonderful. Thank you." He smiled, "I'm grateful you were able to look over those numbers for me."

She smiled warmly. "It was nothing. I'm glad you brought it to my attention."

"I spoke to Tony about it. But, well. I think that I just prefer dealing with you, Miss Potts."

Pepper smiled, "I hear that a lot. And it's actually Mrs. Stark, sir."

"Oh, that's right. I apologize. Mrs. Stark. Yes."

She clicked a few buttons on the keyboard, "I've sent all of this back to the office now. Everything is reflecting the new numbers."

"Thank you, Mrs. Stark." He smiled just before the screen returned to an image of a lovely painting.

"Jarvis."

"Yes, Mrs. Stark?" Jarvis replied.

"What time did Tony come to bed last night?"

The computer beeped and seemed to take longer to answer than was usual. Pepper immediately suspected something.

Finally, Jarvis answered. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Stark. I didn't record that last night."

"Um huh. I bet you didn't." She complained.

Jarvis inquired, "Mr. Stark is still asleep. Shall I wake him?"

She grinned, "No. I'll handle that, Jarvis."

"As you wish, Mrs. Stark."

Pepper made herself a note and left the office. Wearing her dark brown dress, she rose from her chair. She hadn't bothered to put on her heels that morning after she had done her make-up and hair. She didn't see the point.

She walked quietly out of her office with her bare feet. She looked in on Soli, who was sleeping peacefully. He had taken the book that Tony had read to him, and pulled it back into the bed before he had fallen asleep. Pepper picked it up and put a bookmark inside before closing it. She smiled at the cover of The Three Musketeers, and sat it on the bedside table.

She kissed Soli's forehead before she left the bedroom.

She quietly walked into her and Tony's bedroom. Jarvis hadn't changed the lighting in the room yet, and the windows were still shaded.

Tony hadn't moved from when she had left him. He lay on his back with his hand on his forehead. She shut the bedroom door softly, so as not to disturb him.

She moved in silence to the bed, and sat down quietly. Tony still was breathing deeply, which told her he was still sleeping.

She leaned down and began to kiss his neck.

He moaned.

She pulled the duvet down and found that he was wearing a sleeveless shirt. She peppered his neck with kisses. "Good morning." She said quietly to him.

He moaned again.

She sat up and ran her hand through his hair. It was sticking up oddly and was still damp. He must have taken a shower before he had come to bed.

"Tony." She whispered.

He grunted without opening his eyes.

She whispered and returned to kissing his neck. "It's morning."

He answered quietly, "Explains this hard on."

She giggled and rose up, just in time to see him open his eyes.

"The perfect way to start my day."

She stroked his hair. "How's that?"

"Seeing you."

"When you answer like that, it makes me suspicious."

He laughed.

"What kept you from coming to bed?"

"I did come to bed. I'm here now."

She leaned on her arm and faced him. "And when exactly was that?"

He bit his lip and considered her words.

She rose her eyebrows.

He rubbed his eyes. "Jarvis, what-"

"Nope. Jarvis isn't going to save you this time, AH!"

She shouted as he quickly grabbed her, turned, and pressed her down on the bed.

Jarvis spoke, "I'm sorry, madam. I didn't quite understand that."

"So, -" She smiled up at him.

"Shhh." He whispered as he began to rub his nose against hers, "You'll wake up the kid."

"What are you not telling me?" She asked quietly. He had begun to kiss her neck and she could already feel his hand on her breast.

His voice was muffled as he licked her neck to her ear, "Nothing."

She shivered. "Ton-"

Her words were silenced as his lips met hers. She could taste the toothpaste that he had used before he had come to bed. She realized then, that he really hadn't been there long at all. She held onto his back, pulling his shirt off of him.

They continued to kiss, only breaking apart long enough for her to finish removing his shirt.

She moved her hands down his back and completely lost herself in their kiss. He had slowly begun to spin his tongue around hers. It made her smile.

"You like that?"

"I like it, but I love when you do it down there."

He chuckled before he began to kiss her again.

She pressed his body to hers when she gripped his back tighter.

He moaned in her mouth. She moved her hands to his waist, but as she reached his side, his moan turned into a yep of pain.

She immediately let go of him. "Oh my God! What?"

He cleared his throat, "What?"

"What the hell was that?"

His worried look turned into his "Poker" face as he rolled off of her and grabbed the duvet to pull over his side. "Umm. I was just thinking, we can't do this."

"Why not?"

He was thinking quickly. She could see him working it out, "Umm. Ummm. Well, you!"

"Me?" She sat up.

He snapped his fingers. "You said you had a meeting this morning-"

"I've already had my meeting." She smiled. She knew she had him now.

"Oh." Tony nodded. "I need to go pee-"

Catching his shoulders, she pushed him to the bed and straddled him. "Nice try."

"Ugh, Pepper."

"You are going to talk to me. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

She crossed her arms. "Let me see what made you jump-"

"Maybe, it's not me-"

"Oh, it is."

"It was your nail! It stabbed me-"

She dropped the playful tone and demanded, "Let me see it. Now."

He knew there was no way out of it. He whispered, "Damn it."

She moved to sit next to him on the bed, watching him remove the duvet from his side. She gasped when he reveled the huge bruise that was swollen and purple.

"Tony! Oh my-"

"See! I knew you would be worried. That's the reason I didn't tell you-"

She sat on her knees. "Tony. How did this happen?"

He rolled his eyes around his head as he appeared to look confused, "I don't remember-"

She crossed her arms again and laughed, "So. Much. Bull shit." She pointed at him, "Tell me. The truth!"

He closed his eyes and lay back. "I was shot by a sidewinder missile. I think that was what it was-"

"You got shot! Are you alright?"

"Of course I am." He complained. "Don't I look alright-"

"You had John look at this?"

"Nah. It's just a bruise-"

"Was this you going to the desert again? In that damn suit?"

He shook his head. "I haven't done that in….ummm…."

"You better not lie to me." She warned him.

"Since your meeting this morning."

"Ugh!" She exclaimed as she climbed off of the bed. He stood up on the bed on his knees.

"Pepper, I-"

"Tony!" She turned to look at him. "I can't believe you. We talked about this!"

"I wasn't in any danger!"

"Tell that to your side! You need to have John look at it-"

"It's therapy for me-"

"Therapy?"

"Yeah! It keeps me from having the dreams. Look-"

"That's because you've only been asleep for 30 minutes-"

"I was told by a Doctor to do it-"

"Who?"

"Sam. John's son-"

"Yes! I know who Sam is!" She snapped.

He rose his eyebrows and walked on his knees across the bed to where she stood with her arms crossed. He wrapped his arms around her frame and began to kiss her neck.

She told him quietly, "I don't want to lose you-"

"Babe, you're not-"

She pushed him away, "How can you even think that!"

"I'm being careful!"

"That's the stupidest thing you have ever said in your life-"

"Pep-"

Jarvis interrupted them. "Excuse me, sir."

Pepper crossed her arms and glared at Tony.

"What? Damn it, Jarvis!" Tony replied.

"So sorry to interrupt sir, but you asked me to tell you as soon as there was any update to-"

"Yeah, yeah. Alright. Give me a minute." Tony looked at Pepper and took a deep breath. He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry about shouting. I'm sorry I got hurt. I'm sorry about the suit. I'm sorry I got home late. I'm sorry I used your shampoo. I'm sorry I pissed you off. I'm sorry for…umm…I'm sure there's more."

Her face spread into a smile and she took his hands.

"Maybe they've found Genie. That damn Tony. My ship maybe."

She closed her eyes. "Go on to the ship and see."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Sure? No sex?"

She giggled, "I'm not mad enough to say no-"

"Alright! Let's do it-"

"But, you need to go to the ship. So, the answer is…."

"Later." They said together.

Tony sighed. "Is this punishment?"

"No." Pepper grinned, stepped forward, and pressed her body to his. Every beautiful curve she had formed to his body. He could feel her hands rubbing his back and her breasts through her blouse, but what had his attention the most was the mind blowing kiss they were engaged in. Pepper had the perfect amount of teasing and rubbing his tongue with her own. He could feel his growing erection. Just before he was going to pull the zipper on her dress down, she stepped back.

"What?" He asked.

She tapped on the end of his nose with her finger. "That is punishment."

He groaned as he dropped his hands. "Damn."

She rose her eyebrows and walked away.

As soon as she was out of the room, Tony celebrated to himself. "Hey, Jarvis!"

"Yes, sir."

"Great job."

"It was a group effort, sir."

He whispered, "Make. Up. Sex. Eat your hearts out, boys."

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