Iron Man

Friction

Part Three

Two weeks passed as Victor became a regular at Stark industries. The women swooned over him the moment he walked through the double doors.

Pepper kept to the back, keeping as much space between them without looking awkward. With each smile and wink Victor got, it reminded her of how the girls were in college. He would sit under the tree with his notebooks and guitar in hand. She could still hear the morning melody he would place as a greeting to the freshmen.

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips the day she stopped and listened to him play. He looked into her see blue eyes with the biggest smile on his face.

"Well there hello angel, what's your name?"

"Virginia Potts, but my friends call me Pepper,"

"I'll call you Virginia for it's a such a beautiful name,"

That was the first time she met Victor, who knew that encounter would change her whole life forever.

Standing in the elevator, lost in a daze, Happy waved his hand in front of Pepper's face. Getting no response, Tony looked up from his phone, surprised by Pepper's state. He took a step toward her, but Victor beat him to it.

"Virginia…. Virginia," Victor said waving his hand in front of her."

After some begging, Pepper told Tony she met Victor at College. When she wouldn't tell him anything else, he did some digging. He majored was environmental science and a minor in creative writing. From the pictures he found he looked like a hippie, with bright vivid clothing and long curly hair. But everything else checked out. He graduated with honors and volunteered at various water plants.

Yet he couldn't help but feel jealous of this guy. The way he helped Pepper out of the car and the way the ladies love him, his charisma is amazing and so is his project blue prints. He hoped it would work just as it does on paper.

"Virginia… what does he have that I don't,"

Victor continued, waving his hand in front of Pepper's face. He then laid a hand on her shoulder and she jerked.

Blinking her eyes, Pepper looked at a smiling Victor. Shaking her head, Pepper hopped on the Elevator.

As the elevator doors opened, Pepper stepped off first and moved aside as Victor and Tony got off. She wouldn't look at either of them and kept her eyes near the floor.

"I going to head to my office. I have work that needs to be done," Pepper said, before walking down the hall.

Tony remains silent as he followed Victor to one of his workshops. Sitting outside the workshop, Tony watched Victor and his team work. Victor put the blueprint on the screen and the engineers and scientist hurried to their stations.

Victor's confidence impressed Tony. The way he handles his team is amazing, almost like a bore leader. But he still can't get past his actions around Pepper. Scratching his head, he needs more information about this guy; he thought. Maybe Happy would know more, he thought to himself as he went to go find him.

Sitting at his desk outside Pepper's office, Happy noticed how distance Pepper has become since Victor's employment here. He would often find her day dreaming whenever she was near them, but the look on Tony's face he knew it would only be a matter of time before he would come to talk to him.

Sighing, Happy shakes his head from Victor visiting Pepper's office often to him, even coaxing her outside for lunch one day. This guy must plan something, for he couldn't forget what Pepper told him when he asked about Victor.

"Is he a boyfriend, friend, or enemy?"

"All three..."

Happy's eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth. The more about it the worst he felt. To him, it seems like this was friend phase. He wondered when Victor would move to the next phase and how would he react when he does.

Finishing another round of paperwork and emails, Pepper leaned back in her chair. Her mind wandered back to her and Victor sitting under a tree on the college grounds. He set his guitar aside and picked up his notebook. Looking at Pepper, he smiled as he gently caressed her cheek.

"Why do you always touch my cheek before you write?"

"Because you're my muse, when I look at you the inspiration flows through me."

Leaning back further in her chair, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Another memory of Victor and her.

"Oh, my muse." A familiar voice said

Pepper sat up quickly to a smiling Victor with a large brown bag in one bag and two bottles of water in the other.

"You remembered." Victor said,

"Of course." Pepper replied,

"Would you care to join me outside for lunch?"

Pepper should say no, but she walked out of her office with him like she used do when she was back in college, his words always had a way of making her do things she didn't want to do as they walked the hall to the elevator for a moment she forgot where she was.

Happy stood up to follow them when Tony placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Sighing, he nodded and followed him. But not before signaling for security to monitor Victor and Pepper. Two men nodded and followed Pepper and Victor outside while Happy joined Tony in his office.

Standing at the window, Tony looking down at Pepper and Victor.

"I regret not being able to spend time with Pepper, but I don't like him. His project concept is good but,"

"I don't like him either. I even asked Pepper who he was to her,"

"What did she say?"

"She said he was her boyfriend, friends, and enemy."

Balling up his fists, Tonys's eyes narrowed as he continued to stare down at Victor and Pepper. His eyes widen when Victor looked up at him with a smile across his lips. He stared right back at him, but not without a shiver that ran up and down his spine. Something seemed off about Victor Peterson and he was determined more than ever to find out what.