I'd say it's about time I upload a little happy Pepperony fluff, wouldn't you? ;) :)
Jus wanna say I LOVE LOVE LOVE you guys. Thank you for ALL of your support. You mean the world to me. And so does this fandom. Here's to much more to come in the fanfic world.
Happy reading. :)
It wasn't long before they'd finished eating, and Pepper then got up from the table to clear their plates. She carried them to the sink to wash them, and Tony got up from his seat and walked up behind her, smoothing his hands up and down her sides, and nuzzling her neck as she worked.
"That was amazing, baby," he cooed to her. "Thank you."
Pepper smiled and tilted her head to the side and back against his shoulder, enjoying his affection. "See? I told you it wasn't going to be dry," she gloated playfully.
"You're right. It was not. The goose was perfect. So was everything else. It was awesome. And so are you," he replied softly.
"And you're welcome," she replied, breaking away from his embrace to swivel around and look at him with a loving smile. She leaned in to peck his lips, but Tony made it linger by cupping her cheek, and deepening the kiss for a moment longer. When it finished, they both slowly opened their eyes, and grinned at each other.
"While you finish up here, I am going to go finish what I've got for us out there," he explained, jutting a thumb in the direction of the living room.
Pepper gave him a curious look, and then a smile. "So, I take it no more peeking until you give me the word?" she asked.
He smiled, and nodded in the affirmative. "You got it, Potts. That's why it's called a surprise," he replied. "But you're gonna love it."
Pepper smiled. "Can't wait," she cooed.
Tony grinned back, and then swiveled around to walk out of the kitchen. Pepper went back to washing the dishes. After a moment, she could hear him walk back and forth between the bedroom and the living room several times. She then moved to put away the leftover food, being careful not to let her eyes stray into the space where Tony was working, though she could see in her periphery that he was quite busy bustling around from place to place, softly muttering to himself in the process. This made her smile, and a shiver of excitement and anticipation coursed through her as she thought about what he had planned for them.
Suddenly, though, as she was putting the food in the refrigerator, she heard the static of the clock radio they'd used to scare away the mountain lion, and she froze, wondering if the menacing cat had returned. But, soon realizing Tony was searching for some discernable frequency, she thawed in relief. "You'd think I could find that one AM station we caught that was playing Christmas music, right?" he called out to her from the living room.
"Yeah, you'd think!" she replied back.
Just then, her ears perked as Nat King Cole's voice singing "The Christmas Song" suddenly began to drift through the air.
"Ahhh, there we go! Perfect!" she heard Tony purr, and she smiled.
Just as she was putting away the last dish of food, Pepper saw him round the corner of the kitchen again. He came to stand beside her, his eyes sparkling with giddy anticipation. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Do I know how to crank up the romance or what!" he boasted. "Can't get much more romantic than Nat King Cole singing Christmas carols."
Pepper closed the fridge door, and giggled, walking into Tony's arms, which he wrapped around her. "Come on. Dance with me, honey," he urged, his voice a tender murmur. They began to sway there in the kitchen, gazing again into each others eyes.
"Mmmm, yes. I would certainly agree. This is very romantic," she purred in reply after a moment. Tony smiled, and bent to softly kiss her lips. Pepper smiled and kissed him back.
When the kiss broke, he grinned. "And, with any luck, it'll only get better," he purred back.
Pepper smiled. "You promise?" she teased.
Tony lifted his head to look at her squarely. "You betcha. I want this night to be one you'll never forget," he said. "That neither of us will ever forget."
She smiled. "If I'm being honest, I think it already is," she replied.
He gave her a smirk, his eyes sparkling with giddiness. "Oh, baby," he purred. "You ain't seen nothin' yet." And with that, he grasped her hand and stepped back to twirl her. She giggled again and happily obliged. And when she'd fully spun around, Tony pulled her closely back to him again, and they resumed swaying, his arm wrapped snuggly around her waist, while his other hand held hers at his chest. They gazed into each others eyes as they danced, the edges of reality fading into the soft secure warmth of the love between them.
I would be happy staring into her eyes for the rest of my life, Tony thought to himself. A soft smile crept over his lips in reaction to this thought, and Pepper's eyebrows slowly raised as the corners of her mouth lift upward in curiosity.
"What's on your mind?" she asked him. Tony just grinned, feeling sheepish that she'd caught him in this daydream.
However he didn't answer her question, but instead leaned in to kiss her lips. Pepper softly squeaked in response, and then leaned into the kiss, raising her hand to cup his cheek. The kiss deepened, and their swaying came to a stand still as Tony let go of her hand at his chest, and wrapped that arm around her body as well, pulling her snuggly into his embrace. Pepper's hand slid from his cheek around to back of his neck, and she threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him gently closer into her kiss. Their tongues danced back and forth, and soft moans escaped between them in reply.
But eventually, the kiss slowed in momentum. And when it had completely stopped, they eased out of their lip lock, and broke only enough to rest their foreheads on one another's, the both of them a little breathless. "That is too much fun," Tony purred, making Pepper softly giggle. Then she bit her lip, and grinned.
"Yes," she replied breathily. "It is."
Tony grinned back at her, and softly brushed the tips of their noses together before he raised his head and placed a gentle, lingering kiss to the middle of her forehead. Pepper felt a pleasurable shiver move through her when he did this, and she closed her eyes, relishing his tender affection. Then they shifted their eyes back to look at each other, and smiled warmly.
"I love you, Pepper Potts," Tony murmured, his voice almost a whisper.
Pepper smiled. "I love you, too, Tony Stark," she replied in the same soft voice.
They both then realized that the song on the radio had started coming to an end. So, as their collective reverie was breaking, they each exhaled slowly, as if awakening from some kind of dream state. Tony spoke first. "I guess now it's time to close those baby blues of yours so I can show you the rest of your surprise," he cooed.
Pepper grinned in anticipation, and then did as instructed. Tony smiled, and then raised a hand in front of her face and waived it back and forth to test her. She sensed what he was doing, and chuckled, raising her own hand in an attempt to bat his away.
"No peeking?" he asked.
"No peeking, I swear," she answered resolutely, with her eyes still closed.
"Okay, good. Then come with me," Tony instructed, gently grasping her hand and leading her into the living room. Pepper gripped his hand and his forearm with both of her hands and cautiously shuffled along with him.
After a moment, she felt Tony stop, so she followed suit, stopping right behind him. She then sensed him turn around. "Okay, Pep. Open your eyes," he urged.
Pepper slowly did as he'd told her, and instantly she gasped. A grin spread over her mouth in response to what she saw. "Oh my!" she exclaimed breathlessly, as her eyes danced over the space. It appeared he'd brought up many of the lanterns and candles they'd found in the cellar, and scattered them throughout the room in little groups, including on the coffee table, which had been pushed back against the sofa. They'd all been lit, making the space glitter with flickering warm yellow light. The fireplace was glowing with a rekindled flame, and it was popping and crackling with cozy vigor. The mattress he'd brought from the bedroom was lying in front of the hearth, neatly made with two freshly fluffed pillows adorning the top, where the sheets and blankets were neatly folded down. The big patchwork quilt he'd found for her the first night they were there was spread over the top and tucked neatly under on all sides, making it all look very inviting, and positively begging for them to climb under the covers together.
Pepper turned to him, still grinning. "Oh, Tony. It's beautiful!" she said.
Tony grinned back, and moved to give her lips a lingering peck. Pepper kissed him back, and then they smiled at each other, their eyes sparkling with the warmth of love and light.
When the kiss broke, Pepper smiled again. But then something over Tony's shoulder caught her eye. "Oh my goodness!" she cried, walking briskly past him, and over to the tree in the corner he'd cut down that afternoon. "It's wonderful," she cooed, pointing toward the strands of lights he'd draped around the branches. They appeared to be outdoor lights in the shape of antique light bulbs, with large filaments and copper bases on each one.
Tony smiled proudly at her. "I thought they added a nice touch," he replied. Then he shrugged. "Plus, I had to decorate this guy with something, right?" he asked. "Wouldn't be right if I hadn't, since I cut it down and all."
She reached to hold one of the lights in the palm of her hand, the soft distorted light dancing on her face, and lighting her eyes. "They're perfect," she cooed in awe. "It's all perfect."
Tony smiled, and stepped behind her. He threaded his arms through hers and wrapped them around her waist, nuzzling her hair as he watched the delight in her eyes. "I'm glad you like it," he replied softly. "Pity we don't have any ornaments, though."
Pepper furrowed her brows in thought, and then turned her eyes to his. "I...think I might have a solution to that, actually," she offered.
Tony gave her a curious look as she spun around on her heels and walked back into the kitchen. Moments later she returned, carrying a long, tube-like box in her had. "This should work nicely," she said, waving the box in her hand.
Tony's eyes went to the box, and then flicked back up to meet hers. "Aluminum foil," he replied. Then he shrugged. "It's as good as anything I can think of. Now if I could only conjure up some origami skills," he joked regretfully.
Pepper chuckled. "Ok. Fair enough. I think I can make do on my own. But you could maybe find a way to poke some holes in the lids off of the cans for me that I used for dinner? Then, if we could find some twine or something to thread through them?" she suggested.
Tony shook his head amazement. "You're nothing if not resourceful, Ms. Potts," he admired. "I think we're off to a good start. But why not come with me back down to the cellar, and we'll gather whatever else you think you can use, huh?"
Pepper gave him a broad smile. "I have the feeling this will be the best tree we've ever decorated," she replied proudly.
Tony cocked an eyebrow, and gave her a smirk. "Well technically it's always been you who's done the decorating, Pep. I've just sat back and observed," he explained.
Pepper clucked her tongue. "Mmm hmmm. I know. But not this year, buddy boy," she said, giving him a playful jab in the chest with her pointe finger. "This year, you're going to help."
XxXxXxXxXx
Moments later, Pepper cautiously followed Tony down the steps of the cellar, and quickly grabbed a flashlight as soon as one was in reach to see her way around in the darkness. She shivered. "Ooo, it's chilly," she commented, folding her arms around her. "The temperature sure dropped in a hurry down here."
"That's why we should make this quick," Tony explained. "We don't need anymore cold air in this house than absolutely necessary."
"If we can call decorating a Christmas tree absolutely necessary," Pepper joked.
Tony smiled at her. "Normally, I'd agree that it's not. But this time, it is," he responded.
Pepper smiled softly at him. "I'm glad you think so," she said. "I know you're not fond of this time of year, Tony. So I really appreciate your willingness to make the best of it."
Tony smiled back at her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "Well, it helps that we're together, Pep," he replied. "Not that we weren't together in the past. I meant we literally were in the same place. But I meant romantically," he prattled.
Pepper chuckled at his need to overly explain his meaning, and she nodded. "I knew what you meant. You're saying that being with the one you love makes Christmas much more magical," she replied sweetly. "And I couldn't agree more."
Tony smiled and let out a relieved exhale. "Yeah," he said. "It really does."
Pepper beamed and moved to stand in front of him, planting a loving kiss on his lips. He smiled to himself as she did this, and then pulled her closer, deepening the kiss once again. Pepper let out a soft, approving moan, and cupped his cheek. Tony smoothed his hands over her back and around her middle, with them coming to rest finally on her hips. The kiss eased to a stop, and they rested their foreheads on each others for a moment, smiling.
"What was that about making this quick?" Pepper joked.
Tony chuckled, and shrugged. "I just can't get enough of you, that's all," he replied. "But you're right. You need to focus, Potts. Stop getting distracted," he teased.
"Of course. Got it. My apologies," she teased back.
They broke their embrace, and Pepper set about finding anything she could use for their decorations. In her search, she managed to round up a roll of fishing line (which Tony was equally happy to find, knowing he'd need it to try to catch the next day's supper), more aluminum foil, a small sewing kit, some permanent markers, and, surprisingly enough, a bag of popcorn kernels. In the meantime, Tony found a small hammer, and some 16 penny nails. He grabbed the hammer and one of the nails, and put it in his pocket, telling her it would work in a pinch to poke a hole in those can lids she'd wanted to use to make ornaments, which thrilled her. With all of this in hand, she and Tony headed back upstairs, and he closed the cellar door behind them.
Pepper set all of these items on the dining room table, and then went to retrieve their used cans from the trash. She pulled off the lids the remainder of the way, as they were still slightly attached from where she'd stopped with the can opener, and rinsed them off. She then brought them to the table, and Tony took a seat in one of the chairs. He picked a lid up to examine it as she sat down next to him. "You know," he said. "We could use the labels off the cans, too."
Pepper nodded. "Yes, we could!" she agreed happily. "See? You just might have the knack for this after all." She went back to retrieve the cans, and brought those to the table, too.
Tony smiled, and then began carefully peeling the label off one of the cans. Once he succeeded, he set it down on the table, and it curled up again into it's former cylindrical shape. Then he picked up the other one, and did the same thing as Pepper took a seat beside him, and went about tearing some of the tin foil into large square sheets. Then she halved those, and then did it again so as to make four smaller squares out of each larger square. Once she had 20 smaller squares, she began to fold the first piece.
Tony had started to work on poking a hole in the lid of one of the cans, but soon stopped to marvel at what she was doing. He gasped in amazement when she soon finished her first ornament- a simple star of David.
"Wow, Potts. Look at you," he cooed.
Pepper smiled and set the star in front of them. "What, this?" she asked, pointing at it. "You never made stars out of dollar bills as a kid?"
Tony just shook his head. Pepper just raised her eyebrows, and gave him a playful smirk. "Then maybe it's time you learn how to do it," she said.
Tony smiled. "Yeah. Maybe," he said, nodding in agreement.
Pepper smiled, then slide a piece of tin foil in his direction. He put down the lid he was working on, and pulled the foil in front of him.
"Ok, step one, fold it in half horizontally," she explained. Tony did so.
"Then unfold it," she said. Tony frowned at having to seemingly undo what he'd done, but he said nothing and did as instructed.
"Next fold the corner down, then fold that up in the other direction to make a triangle," she said, demonstrating for him on her own piece of foil.
"A...triangle," Tony repeated slowly, his brown furrowing as he was concentrating on what he was doing.
"Then do it once more, and you should have a little bit of tail left," she said, flicking the small piece of a corner still left unfolded. "See? Like, this."
"Oh...kay," Tony replied in understanding. "Like...this?" he asked, smiling, holding up the piece of foil that he'd been folding that mirrored what she'd done.
Pepper smiled. "Good," she purred. "Now, tuck that little piece in so your triangle is complete."
Tony did so, and then lift his eyes to her, awaiting the next set of instructions.
"Now, we make our other triangle," she explained.
Pepper went through the next few steps to show him how to fold his triangle into a hexagonal shape, and then how to fold the corners so as to make the second set of points for the opposing triangle. Tony tried his best to follow, but at the end, when Pepper held up her second perfect star of David, Tony's more resembled a misshapen square with very un-uniform points sticking out behind it. "Uh..." he grumbled, frowning as his eyes shifted back and forth between his star, and Pepper's. "Yeah," he finally replied in defeat.
Pepper was trying to stifle a giggle as his eyes flicked back up to hers. Then the corners of his mouth started to turn up, and he chuckled. "Hey, don't laugh. I worked really hard," he argued. Pepper gave him a sympathetic look. He nodded in response, then he frowned again at his failed attempt, holding the star he'd made between his first two fingers. "Yeah, you're right. This thing's a tragedy," he finished by saying, tossing it haphazardly onto the table before waving a dismissing hand at his efforts.
Pepper gave him an apologetic moan, and reached for it, picking it up to look at it. "Oh. No, it's not, it's..." she started to say, as she examined his lopsided star. "It's a very good first attempt, Tony. And I think we still should put it on the tree."
Tony cocked an eyebrow at her, then let out a relenting sigh. "You're lying. It's horrible. But fine, Potts. I appreciate the encouragement. So do what you want," he said.
Pepper chuckled and nodded in satisfaction. And Tony chuckled. Then he gave her a wink, and playful smirk.