Moon Meadow Nursery sits along the side of Highway One about an hour away, and Tony pulls into the gravel lot before Pepper realizes where they are. By the time she's out of the car, Tony has already climbed out and is almost up to the open pavilion that stretches the length of two football fields.
Pepper blinks, once again touched by the odd, sweet delight deep within her. The initial doubts she harbored about moving into something with Tony are starting to fade a bit, and as she crosses the parking lot, the delicious smells of green growing plants, fertilizer and peat moss reach her. She smiles and follows Tony.
"Plants," he observes, looking around a bit uncertainly. "And trees. Oooh, little oranges. Cool." Tony wanders over to the miniatures and begins to pluck a tangerine. A clearing throat makes him look up.
"We're not a snack bar, buddy," comes the drawl of the bearded man in green overalls. Tony cocks his head in wry acknowledgment at being caught.
"Good point. I just never saw these on the tree before. Outside of pictures, that is."
The bearded man lumbers over and blinks a little, giving Tony a puzzled stare. "Really?"
Tony nods. "Sheltered life. *Very* sheltered."
Pepper comes over and interjects herself into the conversation, trying to hide her smile. "Hi, we're interested in some indoor greenery, preferably direct sun varieties."
The bearded man smiles at her terminology and extends a callused hand her way, shaking firmly. "I'm Max Moon. You'll find the indoors over along the solarium. If you're talking western exposure, I'd suggest some of the hardier cacti for starters. We've got some handmade pottery and a good selection of desert soils too."
"Terrific," Pepper brightens. "Singles, or do you have some multi-pots?"
"Both, although you'll find the succulents tend to dry out faster."
"And you shouldn't leave their roots exposed," Tony jumps in confidently. Max Moon shoots a glance at him and nods slowly.
"Er, yeah. Exposing the roots of anything is bad. Just head on towards the solarium and Baker will help you. Tell her I said to show you Big Clyde."
Pepper catches Max's eye and nods; the bearded gardener smiles back and returns to the peat moss he's been lugging. Tony is already halfway to the solarium end of Moon Meadow Nursery, his steps quick. She scurries to catch up to him, definitely amused now.
They step into a large window-filled room and look around. Wind chimes in colorful profusion hang from the ceiling, some with harmonious, deep-toned vibrations, others with little chinkles of glass. There are colorful windmills and nylon streamers, birdfeeders, stepping stones, fountains, sconces, hanging baskets and all manner of plaques, mirrors and wall hangings.
And there are plants. Beautifully displayed on terraced tables, the lush variety and health of the offerings here are almost overwhelming to Pepper, who stops and lets the sensations touch her. Even Tony is moved, and he breathes in next to her, quiet for the moment.
"Good morning," comes a sweet voice, tinted with a slight English accent. Pepper and Tony look up to see a graceful African-American woman with touches of grey in her closely cropped hair looking at them. She wears a green apron, and around her neck is a string of polished beads that look like little green moons. "May I help you find something?"
"Mr. Moon sent us to find someone named Baker?" Pepper offers gently.
The woman flashes dazzling white teeth and nods. "I am Baker, yes?"
Pepper explains what she wants; out of the corner of her eye she notices that Tony is wandering around, looking intently at the plants and the little care tags on them specifically. As she finishes up, Pepper realizes that Baker isn't looking at her, but at Tony.
She turns and sees that Tony has a pot of miniature roses up to his nose, sniffing them.
"Wow. They're real," he announces. "Are these the ones they grow for boutonnières?"
"No—" Both she and Baker say at the same time. Flushing, Pepper moves to take the pot out of Tony's hands.
He looks slightly hurt. "Just asking," he murmurs.
Pepper softens a little. "Generally boutonnières are regular rosebuds, not minature roses. Use one of these and it would barely show up on your lapel."
"So why grow them?" he asks with practicality. "For the cuteness factor?"
"In a way," Baker smiles again, coming over to them. "And in many cases the minature roses are the base DNA for many of the later varieties of full blooms. Now what can I help you find?"
Pepper describes the mansion in vague terms, and Tony lets his gaze wander around until he spots the rack of gardening books along one wall. One book in particular catches his eye, and he saunters over, trying to seem casual. When Pepper's back is turned, he picks it up, memorizing the title for later look up online.
Since the two women are still talking, he opens the book and begins to read, his mind focusing in on the basic information. Already seven different improvements occur to him, and he only glances up when Pepper clears her throat again. "Yes?"
"We're going to see Big Clyde," she tells him with a smile.
Big Clyde turns out to be a fifteen foot Saguaro cactus, multi-armed and impressive for the species. Even Tony is in wary awe of the towering plant, and circles around it, staring up. "Big."
"Yeah. This dude's 'bout a hundred and fifteen years old," comes a drawl. Pepper looks over to see a long-haired young man in ancient jeans and a threadbare tee-shirt that says Fertilizer: It's not just for Breakfast Anymore.
"He carries it well," Tony remarks, making the kid laugh.
Pepper gently touches the cactus between the spines. "A transplant, or has it always grown here?"
"Moon's great grandpa dug Clyde up in Arizona and brought it with him when the family treked out here," the kid replies. "Clyde's been their good luck charm for years. I'm Trey, by the way."
Tony shakes the kid's hand, quietly impressed with the calluses there; clearly Trey isn't the office-bound type. "Hey."
"Hey," Trey nods. "So you're looking for succulents huh? Ground cover or decorative?"
Pepper engages him in a conversation, using her hands to make some point, and watching her, Tony feels a quick surge of pleasure in seeing her so animated. It dawns on him that for most of his years with Pepper, he's never known much about her interests, or likes, and that it's well past time to change that.
Then he catches a glimpse of Trey's admiring gaze flickering over Pepper's shirt, and another surge flares, so quick and hot it startles him. Tony's mouth thins out in a hard line, and he moves closer as Trey begins to lead Pepper towards the back fence and the plants there.
Deliberately, Tony reaches for Pepper's hand.
000ooo000ooo000
By lunchtime, the final bill for four multipots of various enormous succulents and six spectacular cacti totals up to nearly six hundred dollars, and Pepper skillfully negotiates it down to four twenty on the stipulation of several more orders and setting up an account with Moon Meadow Nursery.
Tony watches her finagle with Baker and Max Moon, admiring the way she points out the clear advantages of a steady customer with both corporate and private decorating needs, and it dawns on him that Pepper has the sort of people skills he's never really developed. Yes she's organized and efficient, but on top of that, her personal touch is clearly the dealmaker, and as they get back into the car, he flashes her an admiring smile.
"So, are we moving closer to acquiring Big Clyde? He'd make a hell of a showpiece by the main gate."
"We are NOT going to insult Mr. Moon by attempting to buy his family heirloom, Mr. Stark," Pepper retorts sweetly. "Some things in life are not for sale."
"Fine. I could simply buy all of Arizona and have it transplanted, although that could make things a little weird. I'd hate to evict all those retirees—"
"You could *simply* raise a saguaro," Pepper points out as he pulls back on to the highway and they head back to Malibu.
"That would take . . . years. Decades, even."
"Yes," she agrees serenely. "Something that even *you* can't rush."
This sounds supiciously like a chide, and Tony glances over at her from the wheel, looking to see if she's smug. Pepper has her eyes closed, and her smile is gentle.
He risks asking the question. "You happy?"
Pepper nods.
Back at the mansion, the basketball court has now been replaced by a horrific mess; broken asphalt lies mounded around a huge hole, and several workmen are standing around talking, or on cellphones. Pepper is out of the car before Tony has finished parking, her long strides carrying her over to the nearest man.
Tony follows, concerned. While he knew the job would take more than one day, the current results are disheartening, and he's not alone in that assessment, not by the intensity of Pepper's conversation with the construction worker.
" . . . is unacceptable! It was my understanding you would be done with the majority of this job by *today,* with the debris hauled away."
Tony likes the way all of Pepper is bristling. Her feistiness is definitely turning him on.
"Look yeah, ma'am, all that is *gonna* get done, but we can't move until your piping and wiring people get here, you know? I'm not about to fill in a hole just to dig it up again so the cable can get laid. I don't know who you have that's gonna do that, but it's on the work order, so until they're—"
"Wiring? Plumbing?" Pepper spins as Tony saunters up, and her expression is both confused and suspicious. He ignores her and moves to the man, holding out a hand. Since his own is still slightly dirty from the nursery, this gives him some sort of cred, and the man shakes it.
"So we're waiting on cable, or plumbing?"
"Both," the man grunts. "Order here has it that we're to backfill once all connections are made."
"I didn't authorize that," Pepper breaks in, exasperated.
Tony gives a little shrug. "No, that was me. Sorry. So hey, why don't you and your crew go ahead and take the rest of the day off, and show up tomorrow, and we'll have this all taken care of."
The man in the hard hat shrugs back, clearly relieved to be off the hook. "Sounds good to me. You the one who put in the order—this Stark fellah?"
"Yep. So, we'll see you bright and early tomorrow, and we'll get this all sorted out," Tony announces, and gives Pepper a reassuring smile.
She is not reassured. In fact, she's a thousand miles from being assured as she looks over the destroyed landscaping and the enormous crater in front of them, and when her gaze returns to his, Tony flinches a little.
"Walk with me," he urges her, and takes her elbow. Pepper scowls but goes with him along the path up to the main house.
"Tony, I don't know what you're planning here, but a little advance notice would be *considerate* at the very least! Do you have any idea how much rescaping that lawn is going to set you back? God, why do I even ask—of course you don't!"
"No I don't, nor do I care; I have lots and lots of money and that tends to help smooth over things like lawns. You look stressed; let's go figure out where the sharp pointy new plants are going, shall we?"
Pepper shoots a despairing glance over her shoulder, back towards the workmen. "Will you at *least* tell me what you're building?"
"No!" Feeling the heat of her glare, Tony quickly amends, "Not yet. It's . . . a surprise."
Pepper stops; Tony stumbles around her in a graceful arc as she plants her hands on her hips. "Tony---"
"I'm sorry Pepper, but it's a secret. You like secrets, don't you?"
"Not ones kept from me. You know," she frets, "I think it's time I went home. You're back and safe, and we both have a lot of work on Monday, so I think I'll go."
Tony dodges and weaves around her, his face falling. "Don't be mad. You're just pissed because I'm not telling yet, but I promise you it's all going to be worth it. Besides, I could hurt myself around cactus."
"You have full body armor at your disposal," Pepper shoots back, still exasperated. Tony is seriously annoying her now with his mysterious secret, and doesn't seem to realize what an utter headache the lawn is going to be. She wonders if he even *knows* that permits are required to put in wiring and plumbing, and that despite his high profile and generous contributions, the City of Malibu currently has very little patience with Anthony Stark.
Yet more items for the To-do list, she sighs inwardly.
"You are no fun to tease," Tony somberly announces. "Sheesh, Potts, aren't you even a *little* intrigued?"
That does it.
Pepper draws in a quick, deep breath and shoves a finger at the arc reactor, her nail making a 'clink' against it as she finally blows up. "No! I'm not intrigued, I'm . . . I'm mad as *hell* Tony, that all you ever seem to do is make messes and leave *me* to clean them up! You're a genius about so much in life, but honest to God you don't have a damned *clue* about the normal give and take that regular people have in their lives! Whatever this, this, *thing* is going to be is irrelevant: right now it's another twenty hours of my time on the phone with City Hall and your realtor, just to get the appropriate authorizations!"
Tony is stunned; he's never seen Pepper react this way. She's gotten annoyed with him before, certainly, and made her dissenting opinion known about a lot of his other decisions, but this—explosion--is a little terrifying.
And arousing, he realizes with dismay, trying to fight the first surge of a highly inappropriate erection. Tony tries to jump in, but Pepper's tirade isn't anywhere near through, and he's left stuttering around the edges of her words as she glares at him.
"If you want to throw your money away, that's your business, it's *always* been your business, but right now I'm not in the mood to watch you do it, particularly at the expense of the basketball court, which personally, I loved. So, thank you for breakfast, and I'll be back Monday when the cacti are delivered, but I think I need a little break from the Tony Stark experience."
She turns and stalks off towards the garage. Tony is too shaken to actually follow her, and by the time he *does* move, the roar of her Audi A6 is already fading towards the main gates.
He runs a hand through his hair, utterly at a loss, and when he turns, he sees the construction workers staring at him. A few are shaking their heads. Tony slumps towards the house, too preoccupied to pay attention to where he's going, but his feet take him back to the bedroom.
Tony stretchs out on the bed, aware of the delicate scent of Pepper still on the pillows. He gives a little groan. "That . . . didn't go well."
Jarvis speaks. "You and Miss Potts were not scheduled for a fight until Tuesday of next week. I will have to recalibrate the timeline to compensate for your improvisation."
Tony considers this. "You planned a fight?"
"Certainly, sir. As I have often remarked, both you and Miss Potts are both strong-willed individuals, and once leveled to equal footing in a relationship, it is inevitable that clashes between you are bound to occur. I projected that the two of you would find some element of contention within the next seventy-two hours, and that said element would bring out your polarity."
"Sorry to jump the gun," Tony remarks snidely, but his heart isn't in it, and he pulls the pillow over on top of his face.
Jarvis speaks again. "I find it fascinating how the fundamental elements of my projected timeline are consistent even in the face of random variables, such as your mission, or Miss Pott's menstrual cycle."
"TMI," comes Tony's muffled interjection from under the pillow.
"Hardly," Jarvis replies serenely. "Given her hormonal influx, it is easy for me to see in hindsight that Miss Potts was more suceptible to emotional agitation this week as opposed to next week. This means too, that the period of interaction known as 'make-up sex' will be advanced to Monday."
The pillow begins to lift, and a more hopeful expression peers out from under it. "Make-up sex?"
"A well-recorded phenomenon that occurs between two romantically involved persons often following in the wake of some resolved emotional agitation or upheaval."
"Yeahyeahyeah," Tony grumbles impatiently. "Monday? Any way of advancing *that* interaction?"
"Regrettably, I think not. Miss Potts is highly agitated at the moment, and the prudent course would be to give her a wide berth."
Tony flops back on the bed, growling. "Damn it. I am *trying* to give this woman the perfect gift, and not even three days into the project I'm waaay off the mark. This is unacceptable."
"Agreed," Jarvis replies.
Tony eyes the ceiling with an evil gaze. "Not hel-ping."
"Relationships, it is said, require time," comes the soft response. "Perhaps it would be wise to occupy yourself with other matters that require your attention."
"Such as?" he mumbles, but several things occur to him.
"I have completed the blueprints of your requested list of modifications for the Duesenberg," Jarvis replies, and Tony rolls off the bed with a sigh.