Night in the country is not quiet. The wind is an ever present hum, rising to gusts that make the house creak. There are the odd rumbles and animal cries; the ticking of clocks and shifting of floorboards.
Doors creak, Tony realizes with chagrin, and so do bedsprings.
"Pepper?" he calls in a whisper, pushing open the door to peer into her room. It's about the same size as his, but more feminine, with roses on the wallpaper, and what looks like a vanity table with frilly lace around it.
Pepper slides out of her bed, a duplicate of his right down to the tall bedposts, and tiptoes over to Tony, her old grey Kiowa Coyotes sleep shirt not long enough to hide her bare legs. "Tony—"
"Sorry, I got lonely," he tells her with his best innocent little boy expression. In the semidarkness, his arc glows through the MIT tee shirt, and Pepper laughs to herself.
"Get in bed, you're going to freeze!"
"I thought you'd *never* ask--" he murmurs and scoops her into his arms, moving towards her bed. Pepper doesn't argue; even through socks the wooden floors are cold, and the sooner they're under the covers the better. They climb in and cuddle, trying to regain body warmth on the old saggy mattress.
Pepper hears a crinkly noise and recognizes it as a condom wrapper in Tony's sweat pants pocket. "You're incorrigible."
"One of the factors that got me where I am today," he whispers back, and kisses Pepper, rolling towards her.
The bed creaks.
"Yours too?" Tony sighs. "Damn it."
"It's not . . . impossible to work around it," Pepper murmurs gently, stroking his chest, her fingers moving further south. "There are . . . ways."
"You have my complete attention," Tony moans, "Even *with* cold fingers--"
"Shhh," Pepper chides, whispering naughtily. "Think about this from an engineering point of view. Shifting the thrust from the top to another direction."
"Talking dirty physics . . . okay, if up and down is out . . . ooohhh. Idea." He peels his shirt off.
"Yes?" Pepper encourages him, running a leg up his hip. Tony doesn't reply, at least not verbally, but given that he's always been more hands-on than anything else, Pepper is willing to let him shift her around. What she's not prepared for though, is leaving the warmth of under the covers; she protests, but Tony kisses her until her reluctance dissolves.
"Trust me?" he teases, knowing full well by the pucker of her nipples and quick breathing that Pepper is aroused.
"I'm not sure I should," she tells him reluctantly as he slips out of bed and tugs her along with him.
"I'll keep you warm," Tony promises, and lightly pats the low mattress. Pepper's mouth twitches as she understands what he's suggesting, and she leans over, bracing her hands on it, looking over her shoulder at him.
"Perfect!" Tony sighs, and pushes her Kiowa Coyotes nightshirt up, exposing her taut backside. Somehow the sight of Pepper in thick pink socks and not much else, bent over the bed is cranking his libido to previously unknown levels, and Tony bends to nip her butt, savoring her gasp.
"Tony!"
"Okay, I admit it--I love your ass," he admits happily. "Love it, love it, love it." His hands cup each cheek possessively and he rubs himself against Pepper, growling now. "Ohyeah."
"Stop. Scentmarking. Me." Pepper orders in a hissy, pissy whisper. She's all too aware of Tony's slightly domineering tendencies, and although her entire body is quivering, she's still got enough awareness to snap at him. Tony leans down across her back, nipping at her neck, licking her sensitive skin and making her writhe.
"Look forward," he breathes in her ear, and Pepper does, seeing herself in the mirror on the back of the open closet door.
Herself with Tony lying on her.
"Ohhhhh . . ." she squeaks, slightly startled. She didn't think she looked like . . . that. Tousled, erotic and bright-eyed. Tony raises himself up and moves back to her ass, pushing her thighs apart with one of his own.
"I need you right *now*," he pants, rolling the condom on. Lightly one hand reaches down between her thighs, caressing, fingers gliding along the seam of her sex, widening her, sliding through her slick wetness. "God, Pepper—"
"Yes," she tells him, and rocks back just as he rocks forward. They smack together, and then Tony pushes her down onto the mattress, biting back his heavy, pleasured groan as he thrusts deeply into her.
Pepper groans too; taking Tony this way hits all sorts of deep exciting places in her, and when he moves, stroking them, it's all she can do not to cry out in delight. There are probably medical and scientific explanations, none of which matter a damn right now, not when Tony is riding her hard and making her shudder.
"More. Harder!" she manages to plead through long, sweet minutes of mindless pleasure, bracing with giddy anticipation, widening her stance and gripping the bedspread. "Yess, more, God, more!"
He feels incredible, moving strongly, deeply in her, and Pepper wriggles, lost in the heat and madness, stroke after stroke making her tense and hungry, winding her body up. She loves Tony like this, powerful and just as on edge as she is.
Pepper looks at their reflection in the mirror, and it's so . . . primitive; so breathtakingly sensual that she softly cries out. Her mouth open, head arched up as she groans, clawing the mattress. Tony, shirtless, rocks behind her, eyes half-closed, the arc glowing over his flexing muscles and her bare ass, the sight sweet and raw.
"OhGodP-PepperIcan'toooooohJesussss--" He grunts, barely coherent, and she comes, breathless, weightless, body soaring on a wave of sensation wrapped around the pounding of her heart in frantic thuds.
So good. So delicious and good and right and piercingly sweet she can't take too much of it and can't get enough of it. Pepper arches, tears spilling down her cheeks because she loves this: Tony, sex, love, orgasms, they all seem to be the same in this one fraction of space and time.
Pepper feels the pulses of Tony's climax through his thick cock, the throbs buried deep within her as he slumps onto her back, his own roar muffled against her shoulder, the sound dying away into kisses as he fights to calm his breathing.
They are a boneless pile on the top of the mattress now, cooling and silent, shifting slowly from unity in love to their separate awarenesses again. Pepper reaches for one of Tony's hands and pulls it to her mouth, kissing it. "Wwwwwowwwww."
"Nmmmmungh," Tony agrees, rolling off or her with a slurky sound as his softening cock slides out of her. "Glfffffffts."
"W-what?" Pepper laughs a bit in the darkness. Tony kisses the closest bit of her, which at this moment is her exposed ribcage.
"We're SO getting a mirror for the bedroom when we get home."
000ooo000ooo000
Pepper hears voices in the kitchen, and is startled to find Tony and Aunt Ruby sharing oatmeal and coffee. She glances at the clock and notes it's barely six-thirty; practically the middle of the night for Tony Stark. But here he is, alert and spooning down breakfast as if he's always been an early riser.
She shakes her head and comes in; Ruby smiles. "Oatmeal, Ginnie? You know the rules; no food after seven on Thanksgiving."
"Sure," Pepper nods, and goes to pour herself some coffee. "Did you want me to get the eggs?"
"Already done," Tony looks up, slightly smug. "I didn't even break one."
"He broke two," Aunt Ruby sighs, "but that was only because Cranston chased him and pecked at his ankle."
Pepper smirks; Tony looks slightly sullen. "He was *mean.* Besides I saved the rest, right?"
"Right. And thanks to your effort, we'll have meringue on the pie today," Aunt Ruby reassures him. "Now I've got some cooking to start on, so I'm counting on you two to keep yourselves entertained until dinner. The mares could use exercise, Clarence needs more medicine, and Emily asked me to look in on the station to make sure the data printer is on-line."
Pepper looks at Tony, who smiles back. "Okay then. I checked in on Rrrrrrr; Jarvis says Rhodey will be coming by today to play with her a while. Where's Paul?"
"He needed to pick up a few things in town," Aunt Ruby replies, rising and picking up Tony's empty oatmeal bowl. "Should be back soon."
Just as Pepper finishes the last of her oatmeal, hot and mixed with brown sugar, Paul comes in, grocery bags in hand. His expression is ruefully gleeful. "Hey, somebody made the Enquirer today!"
Tony and Pepper exchange weary glances. Aunt Ruby's mouth purses, but she deftly picks up the tabloid and flicks it open. A few pages in and she stops, looking startled. Pepper rises, and comes around to look. She blushes. "Ohhhhhhh!"
Tony rolls his eyes and reaches a hand out; Aunt Ruby reluctantly gives him the Enquirer and he stares at the lurid yellow headline.
MOON OVER MALIBU: Tony Stark's best side! The headline reads, accompanied by a grainy, out-of-focus picture of Tony's back and bare ass pressed up against one of the windows of his mansion.
The bedroom window, to be precise.
Pepper can feel her face flame up, well aware of the circumstances of the picture even though the only visible aspect is Tony's muscled tushie. Tony cocks his head, appraising the shot, and Pepper sees he's slightly pink too.
Aunt Ruby gives a little sniff. "Oh lord, and it's not even the *nicest* shot of your rump. Honestly, the one they ran of you two years ago when you were flashing that Westboro preacher was *much* better."
"Aunt Ruby!" Pepper bursts out, shocked, but Tony nods thoughtfully.
"You're right. Besides, to get this one, they had to be out in a boat with a telephoto lens, and I'm pretty sure it violates the property line."
"What are your real estate boundaries? Did they include the water specifically?" Paul asks. When everyone looks at him, he shrugs. "Sorry; contract and real estate law is my bread and butter."
Tony shoots him an amused glance. "Really? Think I have a case here?"
"If not libel and defamation of character then possibly trespassing," Paul tells him, looking serious for once. "The first two would have been tough to consider before you, um, got into the hero business, but public opinion of you has changed a lot in the last year, Stark. The latter charge would be a snap to prove if you've got your estate particulars on record and adding harassment would be pretty easy too."
Tony nods. "Willing to go on retainer and get it started? I pay pretty well."
Paul looks startled. "Me? Oh come on--don't you have entire *offices* of legal counsel at your beck and call?"
"Sure," Tony admits, "But since most of them are on vacation, and since *you* spotted the potential lawsuit, I think it's only fair to use the resources at hand. Unless you want to pass on it."
For a minute the two men look at each other.
Then Paul slowly breaks into a wide grin. "I didn't think I was going to like you, Stark. But my mother does, and I have to admit that the deal you made with her for that weather station was more than generous—believe me, I checked. So . . . hell yeah, I'd be damned glad to do this one for you."
"Good," Tony tells him. "Yeah, I'm not the nicest guy in the world; I freely admit that. But if I want to press ham towards Hawaii, I don't think it needs to be shared with the rest of the United States."
Pepper is mortified, face buried in her hands. Aunt Ruby reaches over and rubs her shoulder comfortingly, then moves to rise from the table. "Now, now, Ginnie—it's not the worst picture The Enquirer's ever run of Tony."
"Nope. I'm pretty sure my taking a whiz in the Rose Garden of the White House is," Tony nods. "Although to be fair they airbrushed out the Vice President and the Attorney General on either side of me in that photo."
"Yeah, I remember that one," Paul snorts. "Called it a security leak, didn't they?"
"Yep. There I was, doing my bit for recycling," Tony sighs. "Ah well. Come on, Potts, let's get the damage control started."
000ooo000ooo000
At first she decides she's not going to talk to him for the rest of the day; Pepper is majorly *pissed* and not in a forgiving mood.
And yet, she sighs to herself, *she* was the one who talked him into a nice upright encounter. *She* was the one responsible for Tony's cheeky display.
It's as much if not MORE her fault than his, and *that's* what's bothering Pepper so much. The realization that both of them are now fair game for the tabloids, the Internet, the gossip shows . . . it's just starting to dawn on Pepper, and she isn't sure she can deal with it.
They saddle up the mares and ride; Tony is a little awkward in the saddle but treats his animal well, Pepper notes. They go to the weather data station and he checks it over, much more comfortable with machines than with the horse, and before they remount to ride back, he pulls Pepper into his arms and gives a long sigh. "I'm sorry the damned tabloid ruined Thanksgiving, Snuggles. That *is* the problem with glass houses, literally."
She can't stay mad at him, especially for something that isn't his fault; for an incident she herself initiated. Pepper cups his face and kisses him, then smiles. "Tony—I knew the risks before I fell in love with you."
"When *was* that?" Tony asks wistfully after the kiss, licking his lips.
"Oh it's been a while," she assured him, her dimples framing her smile. "Trust me."
"Really?" comes his question, and the soft sound of it makes her kiss him again, more reassuringly this time.
"Yes. Longer than you think," Pepper confesses, and for a moment the glow of joy in his eyes nearly overwhelms her.
*** *** ***
The turkey is magnificent, and the table is loaded with all manner of dishes: baby peas; gravy; potatoes; green beans; sweet potato casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce; a relish tray and onions in nutmeg cream sauce. Tony is wide-eyed, and both Pepper and Aunt Ruby smile at each other.
"I just hope they'll be enough to go around," Aunt Ruby murmurs, and finally Tony grins, realizing he's being teased.
"Yeah, pret-ty skimpy here—" he murmurs back, deeply touched to see the tray in use. "We may have to order pizza later."
They sit down and Aunt Ruby has them join hands for a prayer and for a moment Tony feels a well of emotion rising up at the feel of Pepper's warm grip on his right and Ruby's frail bony one on his left.
I've missed so much-- he thinks, and like Scrooge, he's glad it's not too late.
Paul carves and serves up the turkey, and dishes begin to move around the table, the conversation light and comfortable. For a while the only noises are cutlery and requests for gravy and happy sounds of chewing and savoring. Judging by the helpings and refills, it's a successful Thanksgiving, and Aunt Ruby winks at Pepper.
"Great stuffing, Mom," Paul sighs happily. "And turkey and peas. Always worth the trip."
"Thank you dear. Got this bird from Lila this year; she set it aside for me special."
Pepper notes with glee that Tony is making a good dent in the peas *and* the beans while not slouching on the turkey either. She shoots him a teasing glance. "Hungry?"
"I worked up an appetite earlier this morning," he replies with just a hint of suggestiveness. "And let's face it; your aunt is a terrific cook."
Pepper cannot argue with that, and turns back to her own plate, feeling cheerful and warm.
She and Aunt Ruby take on the dishes afterwards, while Paul catches the football game on the living room television and Tony murmurs something about a walk. It starts to snow a few hours later, lightly, but growing in strength through the afternoon, and by the time Aunt Ruby brings out the warm pies, Tony finally returns, red-cheeked, and smelling of motor oil and wood.
Pepper is instantly suspicious. She wants to ask—demand, really—what he's been up to, but he dodges around her and approaches Ruby, eyes bright.
"I have something for you," he tells the older woman, and holds out what looks like an ancient remote control.
Ruby takes it, surprised. "My. What's this?"
"Come on, I'll show you," Tony tells her eagerly, and hands her the old flannel jacket she keeps by the door. Pepper follows suit, wondering what Tony's done now.
They move towards the barn, and Tony beams at Ruby. "Go on, press it."
She tentatively lifts the remote and pushes the button on it; the barn door automatically rolls open and the lights go on inside.
"Oh for goodness sake!" comes Ruby's delighted interjection. "Oh *that's* going to come in handy!"
"There's more," Tony assures her, and takes her shoulders, turning her to face the house. "Try it now."
Ruby lifts the remote and pushes the button; long strings of holiday bulbs hanging on the eaves of the porch light up, along with the strings wound down the columns and through the rails.
Pepper is close to tears; the house looks beautifully festive in the darkening day, the bulbs bright and cheerful. Ruby is already wiping her eyes.
"Oh Tony---I haven't had those things up in ages . . . And I didn't even *know* Jan had that old garage door opener still around!"
"Found his workshop, and I got to thinking it might be handy for you to be able to open the barn from the house," Tony admitted. "And it didn't take much to change the frequency to work the outside outlets."
Ruby hugs him again, squeezing tightly, and he hugs back with gentleness, then moves to Pepper's side.
"You hung Christmas lights all by *yourself?*" Pepper demands, seeing tracks along the porch roof, fighting visions of Tony plunging off and breaking his leg, or worse.
He grins at her. "Relax, It wasn't hard."
"Tony . . ." she rolls her eyes. "If you had slipped . . ."
" . . . and died hanging Christmas lights, then yes, it would have been a dumb, stupid tragedy. Buuuuut I didn't, and it all worked out. Is it time for pie yet?" he asks hopefully.
Ruby points the remote towards the barn and clicks it; the lights there go out and the door rolls shut as she laughs delightedly. They both watch her.
Pepper slips an arm around Tony's waist and lightly rests her head on his shoulder, smiling, feeling warm and cozy and happy now. "Okaaaay, I give—you've earned pie and then some, Mr. Stark."
"Good, because it's really, really *cold* out here, and my fingers are numb," Tony tells her, adding in an undertone, "I'm going to warm them up later, on you."
"Oh like *hell,*" Pepper tells him with dangerous sweetness as they make their way back into the farmhouse. "Like hell."