Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! And Happy Reading! Again! :D
Tony stood up, and extended a hand to help Pepper up off the couch, but she declined. "It's okay," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "You go ahead. I'll be there in a second. I just need a moment."
Tony frowned, but nodded, and left to walk back into the kitchen. Pepper pursed her lips, and furrowed her brow, trying to recall the night before. This "dream" she'd had didn't seem like a dream at all- it felt more like a memory. And past that moment between she and Tony, alone on the balcony, she couldn't recall what happened after that. Had they in fact, kissed? Her stomach fluttered at the thought, and she instantly admonished herself for it. Don't let your emotions run away with you, she scolded. Still, there was only one way to find out. She needed to ask Tony what happened.
She eased herself up off the couch, and walked into the kitchen to find him rooting through the cupboards. He noticed her presence, but didn't make eye contact. "Have you come across..." he muttered curiously. "A...coffee pot? Or at least a tea kettle?" he asked, finally looking to her with eyebrows raised hopefully.
Pepper shook her head, and muttered a "no," in reply. And Tony pursed his lips with a huff.
"Damn," he said. "What good is coffee without a coffee pot?"
But soon he noticed Pepper wasn't paying attention, and instead was staring off into the middle distance, with a perplexed look on her face.
"Pep? Hello?" Tony said. He snapped his fingers in front of her, and she awakened out of her reverie, and smiled bashfully. "You okay?" he asked, smiling curiously.
"I'm fine," she replied. "A...coffee pot, you said?"
"Yeah. Or a tea kettle," Tony affirmed. "You seen one?"
Pepper nodded and walked to a corner cabinet where there was a lazy susan. She opened it, and spun around the top shelf to find a copper tea kettle. Tony purred with satisfaction. "Awesome," he cooed. "I am jonesing for some caffeine, Potts. I'll tell you."
Pepper watched as he filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove. He turned on the burner, and spun around to lean against the counter, his arms folded and ankles crossed. "Boiling water. That is the official extent of my culinary abilities," he joked. But Pepper didn't laugh. "Oh, come on, Pep. A little self-deprecating humor was never lost on you before."
"Tony, can I ask you something?" Pepper asked, furrowing her brow. He studied her face, his expression changing to one of curiosity.
"Shoot," he said simply.
"I had a dream, only...it didn't feel like a dream. It felt more like a recollection. Of a memory," she explained. "So I need to know if it was something that actually happened. Because honestly? I don't remember much about last night."
"Understandable," Tony agreed. "What was it?"
"We were at the Gala," Pepper replied. "And...you pulled me onto the dance floor."
Tony looked at her, his eyes serious. "Mmmmkay," he said, with a lilt of caution in his voice.
"We danced for a moment, but then we started to argue. Does that sound right?" Pepper asked.
Tony swallowed hard. "Mmmm hmmm," he said softly.
Pepper nodded and continued. "You left, and I followed you. Up to that second floor balcony," she told him.
Tony stepped closer to her, looking at her as she closely recalled the details of the night before. He watched as the gears turned in her brain, trying to piece together the puzzle of what had happened between them, and wondering how close she would come to the truth.
Pepper continued. "We talked for a moment, and smoothed things over, and then..."
"And then?" Tony said, unable to help the anxiousness of his voice.
Pepper flicked her eyes to his. "That's what I need to know," she said cautiously. "Did we..." she began, but hesitated nervously.
"Did we what, Pep?" Tony urged gently, studying her face.
Pepper, in turn, stared into his eyes, unsure of what his reaction would be as soon as she said what she assumed had happened. She swallowed hard. "Kiss?" she asked in a soft whisper. "Did we kiss? Tony?"
They stood only inches apart, looking at each other intently. Tony took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Well," he murmured back to her. He cleared his throat, and worked his jaw for a moment. "You tell me," he said softly.
And gently, but swiftly, he captured Pepper's lips with his. Pepper let out a breathy moan, and let herself melt into his kiss. Tony cupped her cheek with one hand, and kissed her soundly. After several moments, he slowly broke it off, sighing with complete satisfaction before opening his eyes to gaze at a thunderstruck Pepper, who was having an extra difficult time staying steady on her feet at the moment, never mind her current state of health.
Tony smirked. "Ring any bells, Ms. Potts?" he teased.
Pepper gave him a dreamy grin. "So...we did?" she asked. She slowly shook her head, and closed her eyes, trying desperately to connect all of the sensations she was feeling at that moment with what he was telling her had happened last night.
"That memorable, huh?" he joked again.
Pepper chuckled. "I'm sure it was memorable. Or would have been, given different circumstances," she assured him. "I just wish I could remember. As I said, last night is..."
"Still fuzzy. Right. But I'm sure it'll come to you. In the meantime," he said, shrugging ."Don't sweat it."
He wrapped his arms around Pepper's waist, and lowered his lips again to peck hers lovingly. Pepper kissed him back, and then giggled, and he smiled in reply. "That is too much fun. Regardless," he purred. "Wouldn't you agree?"
A soft smile spread across Pepper's lips. "So that's why you're being so nice to me?" she reasoned.
"No. I'm being nice to you because I care about you, and I almost lost you last night," he answered. "Plus, I want you around..." he said, smirking playfully, and lowering his head. "For more of this," he purred before kissing her again. She chuckled and let him envelope their lips again, this time enjoying a little playful tongue flicking in and out of her mouth, which sent fireworks shooting up her spine and popping like canons in her brain.
In one movement, Tony turned her back to the counter, and picked her up, seating her between his legs on top of it. Pepper squeaked in surprise, and he smiled to himself, as their lip-lock picked up steam. He stroked her cheek with the tips of his fingers, brushing a stray lock of hair behind one ear as their kiss deepened.
But suddenly, the kettle began to whistle, and Tony groaned, reluctantly breaking the kiss. "Coffee," he grumbled.
"Coffee," Pepper replied, equally as deflated.
He patted her thigh and then turned to the side to allow Pepper to attend to the kettle. He watched as she removed it from the burner, and then spooned coffee grounds into a paper towel, enough for one cup. She then pulled the paper towel over the top of one of the mugs, and slowly poured the water over it, a little at a time, until it soaked through, and the mug was full. It was an inefficient, pains-taking process, but when she had filled the mug, she carefully removed the wet paper towel and grounds, and looked inside to see a cup of dark colored coffee. "Success," she murmured to herself, picking up the mug and handing it to a very grateful Tony. But when she handed him the mug, he accepted it, and then pulled her to him, planting another kiss on her lips. She giggled but went along, and when the kiss broke, he grinned. "Can't get enough of that," he purred in a low rumble.
Pepper smiled, and Tony bent to nibble her neck. She giggled and squealed, and batted him playfully away. He bit his lip coyly as she walked away, and then took a long pull off his coffee cup. "Ahhhhhh, nectar of the gods," he grunted. "That's the stuff."
"How great can it be? Black coffee filtered through a paper towel," Pepper replied, as she worked to fill her own cup.
"Good enough to perk me up. I needed a jolt in the worst way. Though," he said, setting down his cup and coming up behind her. He ran his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her hair. She smiled, not minding the attention at all. "Finally getting to cut loose with you was a nice little wake up, too."
Pepper giggled. "Easy, there, Don Juan. We've kissed. We haven't slept together. We may be currently co-habitating, but sex is a whole other matter," she informed him.
"Totally agree," he assured her. "I just meant that finally getting to kiss you...I mean, again, was exactly the pick me up I needed. That, and..."
"Coffee?" Pepper said knowingly, finishing filling her mug. She turned around, mug in hand, and gave him a coy smile. His eyes sparkled in delight at the new found territory they'd reached together. She took a sip from her cup, and then set it down next to her on the counter.
Tony smoothed his hands over her upper arms, and looked at her intently.
"So, why haven't you tried to kiss me before now? I mean since we got here?" Pepper asked.
Tony shrugged. "I figured it would happen when it was gonna happen. No need to rush you. You weren't 100%, so I thought I'd just play nurse-maid for a while, and let you have your space. You have to know. I wanna do this right, Pep," he told her.
Pepper smiled at his words, and laid her hands on his chest. "I want that too," she said. "And I need this to be for real."
"You mean, for keeps, right?" Tony asked.
Pepper pursed her lips. "I mean we need to give this our best shot," she said. "You know I don't take these things lightly."
Tony nodded."I know, Pep," he assured her. He wrapped her hands in his at his chest.
"It's one thing for us to try everything to make it work, and it just doesn't. But it can't be because one of us is trying to drag the other one across the finish line," Pepper said.
"I know, Pep," Tony said. He bent down to begin teasing her neck with soft, playful kisses.
Pepper tilted her head to the side, almost subconsciously, to allow him better access, but kept talking. "And once we leave here, we can't just be a foregone conclusion to each other. We have the real world to go back to. So we have to work to navigate this relationship there, too," she informed him.
"I know, Pep," Tony said again, his words muffled as he murmured them against her neck. He noticed goosebumps erupting on her skin, and smiled to himself at the effect he was having on her. He moved his hands from hers at his chest, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"We have to go slow, we have to...to," Pepper said, her voice trailing off as Tony cupped her cheek and nibbled her earlobe playfully before tenderly kissing the area directly below it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have a winner," he purred with delight.
"I'm sorry, what was I saying?" Pepper asked dreamily.
Tony smirked, and then faked a thoughtful expression, as he raised back up to look at her. "Uh, something about how you love what I'm doing to you right now, and only want more, I believe?" he teased.
Pepper gave him a wry smile. "Got it. I'll stop talking now," she said, kissing him eagerly.
Tony chuckled back. "Good plan," he mumbled, as he began kissing her just as eagerly.