What is it about dancing cheek to cheek, with that someone you love, that is so romantic? Is it the music, the motion of the dance or the intimacy of the act? Finally, Tony and Pepper have their dance in the moonlight.
Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.
Pepper returned to the Keep with Magdalene by early evening, before it got too dark. Jarvis was waiting for them, with a light, cold supper. They ate and Pepper retired to her room, saying she was tired from the fair. But in truth, she was actually pacing.
She had not seen Tony after the archery contest. He had disappeared into the cheering crowd with Happy.
No doubt, the happy villagers must have been anxious to ply his lordship with drink, to celebrate his victory, she thought sourly. He must be reveling away the night, sozzled.
She looked at her time keeper and noted it was midnight. She lay down and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. Just then she heard a noise coming from Tony's room. She crept out of bed and opened her door. She could see light coming out from under Tony's door. She heard him moving around in his room.
She closed her door and smirked to herself. Finally, the victorious one returns.
Then she heard Tony's door creak open and soft footsteps on the landing. He must be going downstairs for some food.
But instead of descending the staircase, they seemed to be heading in the other direction.
Where is he going? Ooooh, he's going to the East Wing! I must follow him.
Pepper was so curious as to what was in the East Wing, that she didn't think twice. She hurriedly wore her white overcoat and her thin slippers, all the better to sneak around in, and picked up her candlestick. The lamp would cast too much of a shadow. Then she quietly went towards the East Wing.
The door to the Wing was unlocked and pushed open. She hurried inside. The door opened into an archway, that led to a narrow long corridor. The roof was leaking, the whole pathway was damp and Pepper wrinkled her nose at the musty smell of mold. There were large holes in the floor and she looked down as she walked carefully. There was portraits lining the corridor.
Tony's ancestors. A gallery of Starks and ... Carbonnel? Could be his mother's maiden family.
The corridor ended at a landing with three rooms. The first room seemed to be the largest, as it had an entire side of the Wing and the other two doors were sharing a side. There was light coming from this room, so she quietly opened the door and stepped in.
To her surprise, it was a long, wide, salon with wooden flooring. There were two large windows, with heavy, closed draperies and a large, glass chandelier in the center of the salon. A large wooden side table, the length of the room, was laden with cutlery and silverware. The room had fallen into serious disrepair, from large patches of mold on the floor, to the thick dust on the drapes and cobwebs luxuriously draping the silverware. A large lamp was lit on the table.
Pepper wondered, So that explains the light, but where is Tony?
Then she heard something behind her and turned rapidly, raising her candlestick high.
"Oi, Pepper, it is me, Tony! Don't hit me with that again." Tony stepped out from the shadows, shielding his face.
She gasped loudly, "Phew! It is only you! You scared me, Tony... what are you doing here?"
He was still wearing the clothes that he wore to the fair. So he's come straight to this room.
"I would also like to ask, what are you doing here? You should be asleep, instead of wandering the house like a ghost, clad in flowing white."
He moved past her, stepped close to the large window and looked outside, absently. She came to his side. From this Wing, the view was of the back of the Keep, the lake in the distance. There was a full moon high in the sky.
"We don't need the lamp for light. If we opened the drapes and windows, the moonlight would stream into this room so beautifully. " She said softly, glancing at Tony.
He shrugged and said "There's no need for that. I was just leaving and you are leaving too." He moved then, towards the door.
He seems ... angry? No, pensive, but tense... why? Do I want to do this right now? When he's like this? Wait a minute, yes, I do. If I back away now, he will never let me in here again.
She said aloud, "Not so fast, your lordship. You owe me a dance."
He turned quickly at that and blinked at her.
"Yes, you do. I never thought you'd come for the fair and when you finally did, you were too busy celebrating your victory." She saw his eyes flicker with some emotion at that, "I saw you win the archery contest. Well done, Tony."
"Well, Pepper, you didn't seem to be lacking in dance partners. I'm surprised you noticed my absence."
Ah, someone was watching me dance. She smiled mischievously. He reddened slightly at his slip.
"You could have cut in, any time, Tony. I wanted to dance with you."
"Why?" he asked her, his eyes, soft whiskey brown in the lamp light.
She tilted her head and answered sincerely, "Why not? We've been sparring partners, we fight together, you trust me to take care of your wounds, I wanted... I wanted to dance with you. I love dancing. Yes, I had many dance partners, but... I was waiting for you, Tony."
She bit her lip. "Can't we dance here? In this beautiful salon? Please..."
He said thoughtfully, "There is no music, Pepper."
"We don't need music. I can hum a decent tune. We can open the drapes for light."
He looked down at his feet and said gruffly, "I haven't danced in a very long time, Pepper, I'm very rusty and will definitely step on your toes."
She had one last trick up her sleeve. "You owe me a favor, Tony. Remember I won the bet and the loser has to do whatever the winner says for one day."
He looked at her askance. "What bet?"
"The time we went racing in the winter, near the lake. I won the race, fair and square and you have to honor your oath. Please Tony, please." She pleaded.
His gaze softened. "All right, Pepper, let's open the drapes."
They did so and put off the lamp. Just as Pepper predicted, the salon was now bathed in bright, clear, moonlight, giving it an ethereal, other-worldly feeling. She demurely glanced at Tony, who staring at her in awe. He seemed to be transfixed by the sight of her in the moonlight.
She took his hand and gently led him to the center of the salon. He was still staring at her and she smiled serenely at him.
"Tony, is there something on my face?"
Then it was Pepper's turn to stare as Tony began to recite fervently, looking deep into her eyes:
'Bathed in moonlight, fair of face
The Lady walks with languid grace.
The endless visage of stars and skies
Shine brightly in her cerulean eyes,
Her each step on the ground
Poetry in motion
Even flowers kneel to her
In abject devotion.'
Pepper was speechless. Tony stood in front of her solemnly, clasped her hand in his warm one and placed the other hand on her hip. Then he cleared his throat.
"Someone mentioned they would be providing the music..." He smirked at her, clearly pleased to see her stunned.
Pepper shook her herself mentally, placed her hand on Tony's shoulder and started to hum, slowly first, as Tony looked at his feet. Then she started to sing.
X-X-X
The dragon advised Anthony, Be calm, be collected. You have danced before right? Just put one step in front of the other.
I hope my palms aren't sweaty. Hers feel so soft and cool. I hope I'm not sweating visibly. Am I? Stop thinking Tony, focus on Pepper. Do not step on her toes, concentrate! And don't look at your feet!
He looked at Pepper who was singing in a low tone.
"Once upon a dream."
"Pepper", he said, "Sing louder please."
She started to sing loudly in a clear, sweet, melodious tone. And Tony began to move, moving her with him.
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that look in your eyes is so..."' she paused and he saw her eyes sparkle, "familiar a gleam."
She was so light in his arms, like a feather. They were nearly equal in height and he could feel her soft hair lightly touch his cheek. Her hip felt soft and warm under his palm. He was trying to be a gentleman and not stare at her slender, graceful form, outlined beautifully through her white overcoat.
"And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem"
Her eyes are so deep, deep, blue, up close. I wish I could drown in their depths. And those freckles. Charmingly dotting her nose and her collarbone.
He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of her, lilies and vanilla and woman.
Pepper, Pepper, Pepper, his heart began to thrum in tune with her melody.
X-X-X
Pepper was struggling to do multiple things at the same time. She wanted to sing, she knew the words very well. She knew how to dance and she could do both at the same time. She was used to dancing with herself, with no music, except for her own voice.
But the man in her arms, twirling her gently, broad frame illuminated in the white, bright moonlight, was making it difficult to concentrate. His grip was so firm and warm. She could feel the calluses on his fingers, the warmth emanating from his solid, male body at a decent distance from hers. His breath was warm on her cheek. She could see the green flecks in his liquid, chocolate brown eyes, twinkling at her.
Why is he looking at me mischievously? Oh darn it, I've stopped singing.
"For a man who protested so much to dance, you are a very good dancer." She said, trying to distract him. "You haven't stepped on my toes once."
He blinked at that and smiled pensively. "I learnt how to dance from my mother. She would lead and I would follow until I became tall enough to lead. Every time I came home from my studies abroad, she and I would come here and dance together for hours. And just like you, she would sing beautifully and we would twirl in time to her tune. We didn't need music."
He seemed lost in memories, his movements slowing slightly but Pepper kept moving, unwilling to disturb his musings.
"She was the perfect lady. She loved dancing and music and she loved teaching it. She was so patient with me, I was so clumsy at times. And with my father..." he trailed off here, his eyes darkening with sadness. "My father was rarely at home. But when he did visit, he and my mother would come to this salon at night and dance together, in the moonlight. I used to secretly watch them from the doorway."
He came to a complete stop and she gently took the lead then, encouraging him to keep moving.
She spoke. "My earliest memory of dancing was with my father. He would lift me in the air and twirl me around."
She smiled at the memory. Her father, she always remembered him laughing, happy, holding her close, smelling of nutmeg and saffron.
"After he... passed on, my mother wouldn't dance any more. She couldn't bear to. So I would dance with a number of imaginary partners, all by myself."
They both looked pensively at each other for a minute, united by a common sadness, the loss of parents.
Tony broke the silence, saying "Say Pepper, you mentioned that you won the bet and I had to do anything you asked..."
She nodded, pursing her lips to stop her smile.
He thoughtfully stared at her. "I now recall, that I won said bet and so you had to do anything I asked. You cheated!"
She couldn't help but laugh at his mock-chagrined expression. "Fooled you, Tony. Never mind, next time for sure, I will do what you ask."
He said "Start singing the song again, I will join in. How do the words go?"
She started to sing again, slowly, to encourage him to say the lines with her.
"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam."
They twirled once magically.
'And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem'
His deep voice was singing with her, slightly hesitant but that was to be expected because he did not know the words.
"But if I know you, I know what you'll do"
He pulled her closer then, his jaw brushing her forehead. She was flush against his body. She could feel herself soften against his hard frame.
She faltered and then softly whispered, laying her head on his shoulder and wound her hands around his neck. It seemed right.
"You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream"
He wasn't singing with her anymore, she could feel him stiffen and then relax against her. He sighed deeply.
"But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream"
She trailed off, humming and they swayed in place together, each unwilling to end the dance. She still rested her head on his shoulder. And gently touched his hair between her fingertips.
Aland and the others be damned. It feels so right to be in Tony's arms. I feel at peace around him. I know this man and I count myself blessed for that.
She straightened and looked at Tony. He was looking at her lips, then he slowly dragged his gaze up to her eyes. The look in his eyes, made her flush. They weren't moving anymore, just standing still, pressed to each other. She slowly swiped her tongue along her bottom lip reflexively. Tony followed the movement with his eyes.
She didn't think, she slowly moved her head closer and closer, lowering her lashes, moving her lips closer to his. She could hear her heart in her ears. I want his kiss. This is not gratitude, this is my want, my need, I need his lips on mine...
And the salon door slammed open with a bang.
Pepper sprang backwards from Tony, who remained where he was, struck still by shock. The harsh light of a lamp was shone into the salon, the lamp held by Jarvis, armed with the fireplace poker.
"My lord! Lady Pepper! I saw that the East Wing door was open and I thought someone had broken in! I'm so sorry!"
Both Tony and Pepper laughed out of sheer nervousness.
"Shit, Jarvis, you scared us!" Tony exclaimed jocularly.
Pepper tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. She felt irrationally irritated at being interrupted.
It isn't Jarvis's fault. He didn't storm in to stop you from kissing Tony. Today, it just wasn't meant to happen today.
She smoothed her expression and followed Tony and Jarvis out of the salon. Jarvis was still talking about intruders but Tony took Pepper's hand as they walked through the damp pathway. He looked at her, sort of sadly, as if even he regretted the interruption. She sighed and caught his hand tightly.
