The next chapter! I hope you like it and I can't wait to hear your thoughts to this! I'm really excited! So much happens in this chapter! Please let me know what you think! As always thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and wrote a review, you're awesome! I'm so happy that you like my story!
While I've been writing this chapter, I heard a certain song in my head. It's called 'Leichter' by Revolverheld. I know that not all of you might understand the lyrics, but I think it's really fitting.
I don't own the characters or places!
Pepper
Later that evening, I was lying in my bed and stared at the ceiling. The moment on the beach just wouldn't leave my mind. I'd nearly kissed Tony again. And maybe even more would have followed. One thing I knew for certain: if he would have kissed me, I wouldn't have stopped him. I would have done anything with him.
Why did Happy have to ruin this moment? Or was it better that way? After all, Tony was my boss. And I was just his stupid personal assistant, someone who could never have him. He deserved someone better than me.
However, he kept telling me how special I was. The honesty in his voice while saying this couldn't be missed. But how long would it last? Most probably just until he found someone knew. Somehow, I feared that it wouldn't take long. After all, Tony was very popular and I didn't think that anyone could resist him. Even I had difficulties at this and nearly given in.
What was I going to do now? Behave as if nothing happened? I still felt so stupid for telling him about Ben. This had been the last thing I wanted him to know. He didn't seem to pity me and I was glad about it. I didn't think that I could stand it. However, his sudden anger still confused me. It was in the past, why did it bother him so much?
When I realized that I couldn't sleep yet, I reached for the book on the nightstand. Maybe that would help me to get my thoughts in order again. I needed a distraction. Luckily, Tony would be busy tomorrow. There was this online meeting with the people in New York and after that, he wanted to go to the new reactor again and run the last tests. The presentation would be soon. Which would leave me alone in my office.
About ten minutes after I've started to read, my phone rang. I groaned and considered not answering the call, but then I got curious and looked at the number. I nearly dropped it again when I saw that it was my mother.
"Hey mum." I said once I answered the call. "What's going on?"
"Virginia, it's good to hear your voice, dear!" My mother exclaimed loudly. "How are you feeling?"
I frowned. Normally, my mother only called when she wanted something. So what was going on? "I'm fine. Work's keeping me busy." I replied shortly.
"Don't overestimate yourself, dear. I've heard that being in a big city puts people under lots of stress." As always, she was lecturing me. And I've always hated that she used to call me 'dear' all the time.
"It's not that bad. I like it here."
"Do you?" The doubt in her voice was evident. "I always thought that you would fit into a small town, not a big city."
"Mum, what do you want? It's late and I'm really tired." I muttered, slightly annoyed by her words.
"Ben was here today." She said and I sat up in bed.
"What did he want?" My voice was cold now.
"He was really upset. Apparently, it didn't work out with his new girlfriend. He asked where you are now and what you're doing." At this, my heart began to race.
"What did you tell him?" I demanded to know.
My mother laughed. "Nothing. I told him to ask you himself. After all, he still has your number. If he wants you back, he should talk to you, not us. And besides, your father threw him out of the house before I could answer any of his questions." So my father was useful for something, after all. I really didn't want Ben to know where I was now. It would end in disaster if he'd show up here. And I knew that Tony wouldn't like it as well.
"I don't want to talk to him." I said shortly.
"But Virginia, he was really sad. He told me that he made a mistake by letting you go."
"That's his problem, not mine."
"Why are you so mean? Didn't I teach you that you should always be nice to people and give them a chance?"
"He had his chance." I said sternly. "If you see him again, tell him to screw himself. And now goodnight, I need to get some sleep." Without waiting for a reply, I ended the call. The next thing I did was to block Ben's number so he wouldn't be able to call me.
I threw the phone back on the nightstand and hid my face in the pillows. The next time my mother called, I would just ignore it.
It took me a long time until I was finally able to sleep.
The next days passed rather quickly. Tony was busy with his new reactor and the presentation, which left me at SI alone for most of the time. Sometimes, Tony joined me, but he only stayed for a short time. When he was there, he behaved as if nothing happened at all. I was glad for that and tried to act normal as well.
When I was alone in my office, Obadiah visited me a few times. He kept telling me stories about the company and I realized that he was really nice. And that Tony was important to him.
Then it was already weekend and I continued my tour through Los Angeles. Mostly, I did it to get my thoughts away from Tony Stark. But it was also nice to see all the sights. Until now, I'd just seen them on TV. I also went to look for new clothes. Next to Tony, I always felt underdressed. And I needed something beautiful and casual for the press conference next week. I didn't want to make a bad impression as Tony Stark's new assistant. I'd already told Daisy about the appointment and she would have a look at it. However, I hoped that my parents and of course Ben wouldn't see that.
And then the day of the presentation was there. In the morning, Tony, Obadiah and me met in Tony's office to talk things through again. I knew that Tony wasn't thrilled by this, but Obadiah insisted that it was necessary. I wasn't surprised when he told me that Tony refused to take cards which showed his text to a conference. So Obadiah found another solution, which meant talking things through first. However, I doubted that Tony always did what they talked about before such an event. It wasn't his style.
It seemed like I was right. Every time Obadiah suggested something, Tony just rolled his eyes or started to argue. The only thing they didn't argue about were the technical details. There, they knew exactly how much information they would give to the press. Which was nearly nothing. A clever concept, telling them what we have, but nothing else. The curiosity of other companies would be woken. And maybe there would be a few good deals for SI.
Right before we wanted to leave, Obadiah stopped Tony again. "Don't say anything stupid."
Tony smiled slightly. "As if I'd ever done that."
He sighed. "Regularly." Suddenly, Obadiah turned to me. "We have to keep an eye on him, Virginia."
"Pepper always takes care of me." Tony threw in with a grin. To me, the double meaning of his words was obvious. However, Obadiah seemed more confused by the fact that Tony was calling me Pepper. He raised his eyebrows silently.
"Pepper?" He repeated curiously.
When Tony realized that he'd just let my nickname slip, his eyes widened slightly. To my surprise, I wasn't really upset because of this. It's been nearly two weeks since Tony used that name the first time and by now, I got used to it. And honestly, I preferred Pepper over Virginia. Pepper Potts sounded quite nice.
"It's alright, Tony keeps calling me that." I explained.
"Because of the red hair and the freckles." Tony added, however his eyes were fixed on me. He was frowning now.
"I like it." At this, his eyes widened again. "Better than Virginia, to be honest."
Obadiah chuckled. "Seems like you found another fitting name, Tony."
"He means Happy." Tony said to me. "Ever since I started calling him that, everyone else does it as well."
"I won't tell anyone." Obadiah said. "Unlike Tony, I don't let something like that slip in front of others."
I laughed. "I think it's just a matter of time before everyone knows that Tony calls me Pepper." I'd even expected him to call me Pepper in front of others sooner. Nearly two weeks were a long time, considering how much Tony liked to talk.
Obadiah nodded thoughtfully. "That could really happen. But if you're fine with this." He shrugged and looked at his watch. "Now we really have to leave. We don't want to be late."
I just wanted to follow Obadiah when Tony touched my arm carefully, holding me back.
"So you like Pepper, huh?" He asked and smiled at me charmingly. "And you don't mind if I call you that in front of others?"
"Maybe I really got used to it very fast." I admitted and smiled back at him. Then I grimaced. "And besides, I've always hated Virginia. At home, my friends used to call me V. But that's also horrible."
This made him laugh. "Virginia is kind of old-fashioned."
"Just like my parents." I muttered, remembering the phone call with my mother the previous week. It still made me feel uneasy, knowing that Ben wanted to talk to me.
"Pepper suits you better." Suddenly, Tony reached out and touched a strand of hair which had found its way into my face. He placed it behind my ear carefully and I felt my cheeks get hot at this. He chuckled softly which didn't make it any better.
"Now let's go before Obi comes back and gets angry with me." Tony whispered into my ear and then he stepped back. For a few seconds, we looked into each other's eyes. Then he left the office and I followed him.
The press conference would take place in front of the SI facility with the new reactor. Luckily, the weather was good. Otherwise, we would have to make a new plan spontaneously. When we arrived in front of the building, many reporters were already waiting for us. As soon as we left the car, the reporters took out their cameras hectically and began to take photos.
Tony and Obadiah smiled at the crowd professionally and I hoped that I looked calm as well. However, my heart was racing. I've always felt uneasy when I got the attention of too many people and this didn't make it any better. Luckily, they were mostly fixed on Tony.
When I glanced at him, I also understood why. He was still wearing his sunglasses, but he smiled charmingly at everyone we walked past. I earned a few curious glances and a few reporters asked Tony if I was his new assistant, but he ignored those questions. When we finally arrived at the small desk with a microphone for Tony, I breathed in deeply. Somehow, I thought that I'd never enjoy events like this. Unlike Tony who looked completely thrilled.
While he started to talk about the new facility and the reactor he built, I looked around carefully. I'd heard Tony's speech before, so there wasn't anything new for me anymore. He'd insisted to practice it the previous day. This had made Obadiah laugh, though I didn't know why. Only this morning I got to know that Tony never practised a speech before. However, I was still impressed by him and his intellect. And of course his ability to charm all those reporters.
At the far end of the crowd, I saw a vaguely familiar figure. I'd seen the picture of Tony and Rhodey, so it wasn't difficult to identify him now. Was he here to support his best friend? Maybe today I would get a chance to meet him. Tony's stories about him had made me curious.
Tony talked for about ten minutes before he asked if anyone had questions. Of course there were far too many and Tony answered most of them as good as possible. Just not the ones about the technical details, those were just ignored. When he already wanted to finish the conference, a young man called his name.
"Mr. Stark, one last question!" He said loudly and Tony raised his eyebrows at him. On his other side, I could see that Obadiah was frowning now. And Tony had also stiffened. Did they know this man? And why did they look so uneasy now?
"I just wanted to finish this, I still have other important appointments today." Tony explained and the other reporters began to whisper quietly. It was the first time that Tony blocked a question before it was even asked. "So thanks for coming, and goodbye to everyone!"
And just like they'd planned it, Tony and Obadiah turned around simultaneously and began to walk back towards the SI building. I followed them quickly and ignored the disappointed whispers behind us when the reporters began to leave slowly. However, one of them didn't just go away.
While all the others were leaving, the young man came running towards us, a piece of paper in his hands. "Mr. Stark, how does it feel to be the murderer of thousands of people?"
In front of me, Tony froze and I nearly ran into him. What did he mean? Murderer? Tony couldn't be one, that was impossible. I stared at the man in front of us.
"The press conference is over." Obadiah stood between Tony and the young man now and held up his hands. "I have to ask you to leave."
"The past of Stark Industries is the biggest secret of your company. You barely find information about it anymore. I've been wondering how that happened." The man continued, ignoring Obadiah's words. "Maybe it is helpful that the owner of the company is one of the most intelligent people on this planet? And though you're still standing in the shadows of your father."
Tony had already continued to walk away, but when his father was mentioned, he stopped again. Slowly, he turned his head to the reporter again and looked at him silently. When I saw the expression on Tony's face, I was glad that the man didn't have a camera. The anger in his eyes was obvious.
"You were asked to leave." Another voice said suddenly and we all turned around. Colonel James Rhodes stood in front of the reporter, his arms crossed and a serious look on his face. "If you won't do it now, I'll personally accompany you back to your car." For a few moments, the reporter looked at Rhodey through narrowed eyes, taking in everything about him. Especially the uniform of the Air Force. Then he shrugged.
"Alright. I'll see you again, Mr. Stark!" With those words, he left. However, he looked at me curiously first. And before I could really realize what was happening, Tony stood next to me and looked at the man darkly.
When he was gone, Tony relaxed.
"Are you alright?" Rhodey asked and raised his eyebrows.
Tony nodded. "By now, I should be used to those." He muttered and I raised my eyebrows at him. When he just ignored my questioning look, I turned to Rhodey again. He was smiling at me now.
"I think we haven't been introduced to each other yet. I'm Rhodey. I bet Tony has already told you some things about me." He held out his hand and I took it.
"Only the best." I replied and smiled back at him. "I'm Virginia. But you can call me Pepper."
At this, an amused glance appeared in Rhodey's eyes. "I see that you two get along well." Slowly, we started to walk towards the Stark Industries building.
"We do." I agreed and glanced at Tony, but it looked like he wasn't really paying attention to our conversation. He was staring at the ground in front of his feet darkly. Only now I noticed that Obadiah had placed a hand on Tony's arm and whispered something into his ear.
Then I remembered the words of the reporter again. Mr. Stark, how does it feel to be the murderer of thousands of people? What did that mean? I knew that Stark Industries has done something different before they entered the market of clean energy, but killing people?
Rhodey seemed to notice my confusion. "How much do you know about Stark Industries?" He asked quietly and began to slow down, creating a distance between us and the others.
"Not much." I admitted. "I didn't want to read too much on the internet. Getting your own first impression is better."
Rhodey nodded thoughtfully. "And how much did Tony and Obadiah tell you?"
"Just that Tony's father founded the company. And that they're gone." I swallowed at the last words, remembering my conversation with Tony in the car the previous week.
Suddenly, Rhodey stopped. "Look, I don't want you to get the wrong impression about Tony. He's the best man I've met in my whole life and that means something since I've met many people. So let me just tell you that Stark Industries produced weapons before they entered the market of clean energy."
I frowned at him. "Weapons?"
He nodded seriously. "Tony's father was nearly as brilliant as he is. They produced very good stuff. Until, one day, Tony had enough of it and stopped the production. That's when he entered the clean energy business."
"And why did he do that if everything went so well?"
Rhodey held up his hands. "You have to ask him, not me." It was obvious that he knew the answer to that question, but he kept Tony's secrets to himself.
I nodded. "Alright. I will."
I just wanted to continue following Tony and Obadiah, but Rhodey held me back. "Just don't do it today. Or within the next days." When I raised my eyebrows, he sighed. "He might be in a really bad mood now."
And he really was.
After the press conference, we went to one of Tony's favourite restaurants to eat something. Obadiah told us that the conference had been a success and at SI, they already got calls concerning their latest technology. Additional to that, no one had seen the short conversation with the reporter concerning the past of Stark Industries. And Obadiah had already made sure that he wouldn't publish anything about it, though I wasn't sure how he did that. However, I also didn't dare to ask. Not when I saw the dark look on Tony's face when it was mentioned.
Rhodey stayed with us and tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't really work. Tony was unusually quiet and kept staring at his food instead of really eating it. I was getting worried, but every time I asked him if something was wrong, he just answered shortly that everything was fine. At some point, I gave up my attempts to talk to him.
Instead, I got to know Rhodey better. He was really nice and I could see why Tony liked him so much. He told me many stories about his and Tony's past and we laughed very much. After lunch, Tony and Rhodey decided to meet again in the afternoon. They wanted to go to a bar in LA. To my surprise, they wanted me to accompany them as well. After the first confusion, I agreed.
Back at SI, Tony locked himself in his office and refused to talk to anyone. Obadiah just sighed and when he noticed my confusion, he took me aside. "I bet Rhodey has already told you something about our company's past."
"The weapons." I agreed.
He frowned and suddenly, he looked really unhappy. "For Tony, it's always difficult to talk about this. The past is weighing heavily on him." He held up his hands. "When you want to know why, you'll have to ask him, not me. But let me just tell you that he always gets upset when it's mentioned. It'll pass. Tomorrow, he'll be our Tony again and it'll be as if nothing happened at all."
Our Tony. Was he really our Tony? I liked the sound of that.
The whole afternoon, I sat in my office and tried to figure out why the past was bothering Tony so much. So Stark Industries had produced weapons before they changed to clean energy. It seemed like Tony's father had started it and he'd been really successful. And then Tony became head of the company after his parent's death and at some point, he just stopped everything and turned the whole company around. But why? Did he have enough of being responsible for the deaths of so many people? Or was there another reason?
I got really curious and in the end, I really began to look for more information on the internet. Just that I didn't find anything. Most of the articles had been deleted and I already suspected who was responsible for this. There was only one article about an interview with Tony concerning their new policy. And he didn't say a single word to why he'd changed his mind about the weapons. It was one of the biggest riddles concerning Tony Stark and even now, years later, the press was speculating about it.
If I wanted to know more about this, I would really have to talk to Tony. However, his sudden change of mood today made me insecure about this. I didn't want him to get mad at me.
In the afternoon, I sat between Tony and Rhodey in their favourite bar. It was quite nice here. When you looked out of the windows, you could see the beach. In the course of the day, Tony's mood had lightened again. I was glad about it. Now, he was even making jokes again. Nevertheless, there was this dark look in his eyes when he thought that we weren't paying attention to him. When I glanced at Rhodey and saw him frowning at Tony, I knew that he'd noticed it too.
But even if he seemed to feel better now, Tony wasn't talking that much. He listened to our stories and kept making comments, but that's it. Next to that, he kept staring out of the window or into his glass.
Until today, I'd never seen him drink. But now he did, and very much, to be exact. I was impressed that it didn't seem to affect him very much. And when I saw Rhodey's sad smile at this, realization hit me. He was used to it. He did it regularly.
How could I miss something like this?
The night we met, Tony only drank water. And after that, I'd only seen him sober as well. Why did I never even consider that me might like drinking alcohol?
I was shocked. I hated drunk people and just didn't know how to deal with them. Maybe that was also the fault of my parents. My father had a problem with alcohol in my youth. And it also made him sick. Another reason why I despised it.
I already considered to leave this place. I just couldn't stand seeing him get drunk. To see him lose control over himself. It was difficult to picture Tony like that. Normally, he was always in control.
Rhodey seemed to sense my uneasiness since he placed his hand on my arm carefully. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." He said simply.
"Does he do this often?" I whispered, afraid that Tony might hear us.
Rhodey hesitated. "Only when he's having a bad day."
"I really don't want to see this." I muttered and began to collect my things.
"You like him." It wasn't a question.
I nodded silently, not sure what I could say in this moment.
Rhodey sighed. "Don't define him by this." He said urgently. "That's not really him. He only does this when everything else becomes too much. When he doesn't know how else to get his thoughts in order. It rarely happens that he gets drunk or takes women home -" When he realized what he'd just said, he stopped immediately and his eyes widened.
And in this moment, my heart seemed to stop beating. Of course I'd already expected him to do that. After all, that was also how we met. But to hear the confirmation of my thoughts was something completely different. I stood up abruptly, excused myself and headed out of the bar, not able to stand this any longer. I needed time to think. And to get away from Tony, who tried to hold me back, but wasn't very successful in his drunken state.
I was already on my way around the next corner when someone called my name. Rhodey was faster than me and he blocked my way easily. "Pepper." He said my name slowly, thoughtfully. "He met you on that Saturday two weeks ago." Again, this wasn't a question.
"And if he did?" I asked and crossed my arms.
"He wouldn't stop talking about you." Rhodey explained. "You really impressed him."
"Considering that he always takes random women home, this isn't something special." I was hurt. Until now, I really thought that there was something special between Tony and me.
"You can believe me when I say that it is." Rhodey grabbed my shoulders carefully when I tried to walk past him again. "Normally, he never talks about them afterwards. He doesn't even know their names."
I laughed dryly. "And this should make me feel better?"
"He cares for you." Rhodey said urgently. "Very much. I've seen the way he looks at you. Don't let this ruin everything."
"You mean the truth?" Tears were forming in my eyes and I had to hold back very much. I didn't want to start crying in front of Tony's best friend.
"You're important to him." Rhodey repeated.
I shook my head. "I bet he's already found someone else in there. And this time, he'll take her home." My heart was breaking at those words, but I just knew that it was the truth. Maybe I should really just quit my job at Stark Industries again. I would find another job, in another city, far away from Los Angeles. Somewhere my heart wouldn't be broken again.
"He's not like that." Rhodey whispered again, but this time he didn't hold me back when I tried to get away from him. "Pepper, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said this."
I turned around again. "I'm glad that you told me the truth." I muttered and now the tears were running down my cheeks. "I've been so stupid."
Rhodey just opened his mouth to reply something when the sound of footsteps interrupted him. And someone was calling loudly. My name. Pepper.
It was Tony's voice. And when I realized that he sounded panicked, my heart skipped a beat. And I was more confused than ever.
Then he came running around the corner and stumbled slightly when he saw us. "Pepper!" He exclaimed loudly and stopped right in front of me. He was smelling of alcohol, but to my surprise, the look in his eyes was clear. Apparently, he was really used to drinking. "I thought you were gone." He whispered and reached out with his hand to touch me, but I stepped back quickly. At this, he frowned. "What's going on?"
From the corner of my eyes, I saw that Rhodey left us alone quietly. Somehow, I knew that he was waiting behind the next corner so that he could be with us if something happened. "You're drunk." I whispered and realized how hurt I sounded.
"I'm sorry -" He started, but I interrupted him quickly.
"Don't." I muttered. "Rhodey told me enough. The drinking, the women..." I shook my head. "Don't say anything." I took another step back and suddenly, he reached out and grabbed my hands. I froze at the contact, but I didn't flinch.
"Please, don't go." He begged sadly. "It's not what you think."
I raised my eyebrows. "So you don't take women home just to blow off some tension?" My voice was cold.
"I did. But not since I met you." He whispered urgently. "Every time I close my eyes, I just see you." At his words, my heart began to race. Even if I knew that he was drunk right now and I shouldn't believe his words.
"I hate it when people do this. Get drunk." I said instead of replying to his statement.
He ran a hand through his hair helplessly. "I just couldn't stand it." He muttered. "I never can."
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, there was a heartbroken expression on his face. "You heard it yourself." So it had been the incident with the reporter this morning. Obadiah and Rhodey had been right.
"We shouldn't talk about this right now. Not when you can't think straight."
"I'm fine." He said simply.
"No, you're not. I can smell it." I argued. "You really need to get some sleep. We all do."
Again, I wanted to take a step back, but he panicked and grabbed my hands once more. "Please don't leave." He begged and there was an incredible sadness in his eyes. "I can't stand it when you won't come back."
I frowned at him. "I won't leave you." I whispered and felt how true those words were. I had very much to think about, but one thing I knew for sure. I couldn't stay away from Tony Stark anymore. Without him, I would feel incomplete.
The tension seemed to leave his body quickly and he wrapped his arms around me. Tony hid his face in my hair and breathed in deeply. I could feel that he was shaking. Though I wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol or the situation in general.
The sound of footsteps told me that Rhodey came back to us. He was carrying the rest of his and Tony's things. Apparently, they'd left the bar hastily. He was frowning at us and Tony let me go hesitantly.
"Maybe we should all go home." Rhodey suggested. "I'll call us a taxi."