Anniversary –
"James, I think he is trying to kill me," Pepper stated with a sigh but a small smile on her lips.
"Oh, Virginia, you go through this every year. He is just trying to be nice."
"I know, I know. But you would think he would get it by now. I never have a good time. His ego is so big that he even put up pictures for each year, even 2006!"
"Oh, I remember that. You were barely keeping it together when you posed with me. Although in his defense he told me later that your ex-boyfriend told him you two were still going out, otherwise Tony wouldn't have invited him."
"I know, I guess I should just be happy he remembers something. You going to be home in time this year?"
"Sorry but I am stuck in-between sand dune number 5,323 and 5,324 for the foreseeable future. But I'll be calling in to say a few words."
"Okay," she said quietly. She hated it when James wasn't there. Either Tony didn't show up at all or he spent the night trying to hit on all her co-workers. And she really didn't have any other close friends besides him and James. Most years she spent the night trying to look busy in the kitchen.
"It will be alright. He is trying to be a better person, remember? He'll probably show up this time and I'll tell him to make sure he keeps you company."
"Thanks James."
"Bye Virginia," James said goodbye as his grainy picture faded from the wall as he broke the connection.
She got up to look at the photos. Some with good memories and some bad.
He would forget her Birthday, forget that she was taking vacation time no matter how many times she reminded him, even forget by lunch time that she had call in sick that morning but he never, ever forgot her anniversary – the day she stood in his office and shook his hand after her interview.
Each year it would get more and more outlandish and each year he would get more and more obnoxious.
It started off the first year with a nice dinner with her, him and the board of directors. Everyone telling her how much they appreciated her and how much she meant to the company with each giving her a nice present. Tony didn't hand her anything and she really didn't think about it until she opened her next paycheck and saw that he had given her a raise that pretty much doubled her salary. When she asked him about it, thinking it was some sort of accounting error he said something about her deserving hazard pay after putting up with him longer than any other assistant so far.
Each year after that it evolved into a bigger and bigger party at his home. He would either be out of town on business or he would attend, get extremely drunk and inevitably sleeping with one of her co-workers. After a while it looked as though it was really just a party for him even though he never asked her to help in the planning and the next day a ridiculously expensive gift would be waiting for her.
The last year was the worst with Tony being drunk before the party even started, sleeping with numerous co-workers while the party was going on and hunting her down only to grab her and jump in the pool with her. The night ended with Rhodey putting his coat around her after she got out of the pool and then him punching Tony in the face. The next day Tony woke up to find a resignation letter next to the diamond necklace that was his gift to her. They both knew that she wouldn't quit but they also both knew that it wasn't because he didn't deserve it.
She didn't know what he had planned for this year, but her anniversary was tomorrow and she was dreading coming into work the next day.
XXXXXXXXXX
This is how it always was. Tony would make sure that she would have to go into the office to do work there for the afternoon and then he would call around 5:30 or 6 with some "emergency" that involved her coming back to the house.
This year was no different as her cell phone rang at 5:47.
Pulling up to the house she noticed that the lights were off and there were no cars outside, but this wasn't unusual. Tony usually just had the guest's park in the garage and then when Pepper walked into the house JARVIS would turn the lights on, streamers and balloons would start flying around and everyone would yell "Surprise!"
She braced herself as JARVIS opened the front door for her. "Happy anniversary, Ms. Potts. It has once again been a pleasure working with you this past year," JARVIS remarked as he turned on the lights in the living room and…
nothing happened. No balloons, no streamers, no people she didn't real care about popping up from behind the couch.
She was relived but at the same time really curious as to what Tony was planning.
"Thank you JARVIS. Working with you is always the highlight of my day. Can you tell me where Tony is?"
"He is currently in the kitchen."
This was getting stranger and stranger she thought to herself as she wandered into the darkened kitchen.
Suddenly the lights came on in the kitchen and Tony jumped out from behind the counter and threw a streamer at her, being so close that it hit her in the side of the head before it could completely unravel.
"Tony! What the…" but before she could finish the doorbell rang.
"You better go see to your guests," Tony said with a mischievous look on his face.
This was a first, usually her guest were there before her.
Before she could even open the door fully she was scooped up in strong arms and swung around in a tight hug.
Once she was set back down she saw that it was James which made her hug him again and in turn made him swing her around again.
Tony had wandered back in the living room for the reunion and as usual was starting to get a little miffed that he wasn't the center of attention. "Hey, party planner over here!" he said loudly as Rhodey released Pepper and grabbed Tony in hug.
"So you knew you were coming home this whole time?" Pepper asked as she hit James in the arm.
"Ow Woman! Tony asked me to keep it a secret."
"Pepper, I know I can't make up to you all the years I acted like a complete jerk and ruined your anniversary but I am going to try and start this year by giving you what you want. Which, in talking to Rhodey here, is that you don't want a party. You never wanted the parties did you?"
"No," she said quietly, suddenly uncomfortable by his closeness.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked with a small amount of hurt in his eyes.
"You were trying to be nice and I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
"I was an ass 95% of the time and I deserved to get punched in the face on more than just the one occasion that I did."
"So," Tony continued deciding to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen on the group, "this year you are going to just get me and Rhodey's undivided attention. I bought your favorite pizza and ice cream and we are going to sit down and watch your favorite movies."
"Is there anything else you want or need?"
She looked shyly down at the floor noticing idly that James had a duffle bag in his hand and that Tony had no shoes on.
"Virginia. Come on – this is your evening," Rhodey encouraged her knowing how she always tried so hard to be professional around Tony even when the occasion didn't involve any work.
"I…can I change my clothes?" she finally managed to get out, looking down at her suit and 4 inch heels.
"Of course, we'll wait for you to go change unless you just want to borrow something," Tony offered even though he knew she would no doubt go home and change.
She opened her mouth to tell him she would be right back but noticed that James was glaring at her in a "don't make this harder than it has to be" way.
"Come on Virginia, we're all starving. Just borrow some sweats so we can all relax," James half ordered, half asked her. "I even brought my clothes over," he added pointing to the duffle bag.
"Okay, fine. You two win. Tony, can I borrow some sweats and a t-shirt?"
"Sure. Follow me," he motioned as they all headed toward the stairs. Rhodey disappearing into the first guest room he came to.
Pepper was trying to hide how uncomfortable she was standing in Tony's bedroom with just Tony but he didn't seem to notice and so far he hadn't leered or made a suggestive comment.
He was digging out a pair of pants from the back of his closet as he motioned to her what drawer held his t-shirts.
Finding just a simple black t-shirt that matched the one Tony was wearing she turned around to find Tony handing her a pair of small sweat pants.
She took them and put a hand on either side on the waist band, noticing that there was a small "MIT" logo next to the band.
She looked up at him and almost laughed.
"Not all of us can keep our girlish figure Ms. Potts," he said in a huff, actually looking hurt.
"Did you eat anything while you were in college?"
"Yes, mother," he said sarcastically, "do you want them or not?"
"Only if I get to keep them," she said trying to make amends and for some odd reason really wanting to keep them.
"I always knew you wanted to get into my pants Ms. Potts," he joked trying to figure out where this strange request had come from.
Instead of telling him to stop being inappropriate she just stood there and stared at him, seriously waiting for his response.
Stepping forward slowly, he reached his hand out to her face. "You can have whatever you want Pepper, you know that."
"Thank you," she said, "it's the best gift ever."
He chuckled slightly at that, letting his hand fall away. He would never understand her.
"You better change, the pizza is getting cold," he stated but made no move to leave the room.
He saw in her expression that she was struggling with kicking him out or just changing right there. Unfortunately for him the logical part of her head won out and he was unceremoniously pushed out of his own bedroom with the door slammed in his face.
He was happy she had to think about it though.
XXX
"Why does she do that?" Tony asked as he grabbed a slice of pizza after he wandered back down to the kitchen where Rhodey was already pulling out plates.
"Do what?"
"She acts different when you're here," Tony noted sullenly.
"She's just more comfortable with me," Rhodey stated matter a factly as he pulled some soda out of the frig.
"More comfortable! It's like she is a different person, like I don't even know her. And I've known her for longer than you have," Tony was getting irritated now, "what makes you so special?"
"First of all you know the same Virginia I know. She wouldn't lie by pretending to be someone else around you. She is still the organized, stubborn, bossy person we both know. She can be freer with me because she trusts me to not take advantage of it by, oh I don't know, making her uncomfortable."
"I make her uncomfortable?" Tony asked in a surprised and hurt voice.
To be continued…