AN: My apologies for the lack of updates. Real life happened. This story is not abandoned. I will try to post more regularly but updates may come along once every month or so rather than once every week or so. Thanks for reading.
Tony froze when he saw Maria Hill step off the elevator. "What is she doing here?" he demanded.
"I invited her," Pepper said.
"This is a housewarming party for Jane and Betty, I really don't think they'd-"
"They know I invited her and they're both fine with it," Pepper said. "I just didn't tell you because I didn't want to deal with three days of your complaining." Pepper walked over to Hill, smiling. "Maria, it's good to see you. I'm glad you could make it."
She looked between Tony and Pepper. "Maybe I should just-"
"Don't be ridiculous," Pepper said firmly, taking her by the arm and leading her to the bar. "Tony's an idiot sometimes, you know that."
"Hey!" he protested.
Pepper ignored him. "You're here, so you have to stay for dinner at least. Betty, Jane, and Darcy will be down any minute. I need to check on the caterers. Tony, get our guest a drink."
With that, she walked off. Tony looked at Agent Hill. She stared back at him, then finally shook her head. "This was stupid. I don't know why I came here."
"I don't know why you came here either," Tony said, then relented. "However, you are here, Pepper will probably not let you leave, and you do look like you could use a drink." Or a few drinks. He knew better than to ask what was bothering her, though. She'd shoot him and he was not going to do something so trite as to offer her a friendly ear. That was not how his relationship with SHIELD agents worked.
After a moment, she gave up. "Scotch. On the rocks."
He made her drink, then handed it to her. She took a generous sip, then after a moment's silence, looked at him. "Now I remember why I came. I figured you'd have good booze."
"I'm going to take that as a compliment, Agent," Tony said.
She scowled at him again. "Don't call me that," she snapped.
Tony blinked, knowing her well enough that a quip right now might get him shot, but honestly confused as to what the hell he had done. "Okay... what should I call you?"
The anger faded a bit when he didn't antagonize her further. "Hill. Or god, even Maria, but not Agent."
Tony being Tony, he couldn't resist pushing a bit, so he shrugged. "All right, Maria," he said. She glared at him, but- interesting- was less pissed off than when he had called her Agent. Trouble in SHIELD paradise? He was curious, but again, not about to offer himself as a friendly ear. He'd just tell Pepper. She'd figure it out.
When Jane, Darcy, and Betty arrived, Tony got them drinks then ducked away to find Pepper. But when he told her about Maria's strange attitude, she just stared at him like he was missing something completely obvious. "What?" he said.
"Tony," she said gently. "There was only one person in SHIELD you used to call 'Agent'. That was Phil."
Tony froze, a wave of grief for that heroic idiot hitting him. Damn it, every time he thought he was past this, something reminded him and it came back and smacked him upside the head. Tony just sighed and pulled Pepper into his arms.
She hugged him back. "I know. I miss him too."
He was grateful he didn't have to say the words. One of the perks of Pepper knowing him like the back of her hand.
"But it is good that you've gotten to like Maria," she said.
Okay, so maybe she didn't know him quite that well. Tony pulled back and gave her an affronted look. "I do not like her. I tolerate her. There's a difference."
"Tony," Pepper said, wearing a knowing smile. "You noticed she was out-of-sorts and were concerned enough to mention it to me."
Crap. He had done that. "God damn it." Getting attached to another SHIELD agent was the last thing he needed.
Pepper only laughed at him. "Don't worry, you'll survive." She kissed him quickly. "Now, come on, we can't ignore our guests."
The rest of the evening went very well. It was just them, Rhodey, Happy, and a few people from Stark R&D that Jane and Betty had already met. Tony avoided Maria for most of the night - in actuality, she avoided Tony, as well as almost everyone else. Though Happy did end up talking to her for a time, and Pepper checked in on her throughout the night as well. Tony caught up with Rhodey, who only needed to hear about their Final Space movie night to decide he liked the new tower residents. Rhodey laughed entirely too much at Betty's description of both Jane and Tony's rants during the movie and made them promise to invite him to the next movie night. Tony insisted he was never subjecting himself to that again, but he was ignored.
Of course, liking Betty and Jane didn't stop Rhodey from ragging on him about living with four women. (Ragging on him quietly, of course - Rhodey did not have a death wish.) Tony ignored him for the most part, but did keep pointing out that Darcy did not live here; that she was just visiting Jane. Rhodey responded he'd believe that when Darcy left.
Tony did say goodnight to Maria before she left. "Stark," she said. "This wasn't at all what I expected from one of your parties."
"That's because it was Pepper's party," he said. "I take it you enjoyed yourself? Or at least, you enjoyed the scotch?"
She actually smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. "The scotch was very good."
"Well, Maria, since we avoided causing a scene I'm sure Pepper will invite you to her next shindig." It was the closest he would get to issuing her an invitation of his own.
She stared at him for a moment. "Am I going to regret letting you call me Maria?"
"Probably," he said.
She sighed. "Good night, Stark."
With that, she left. The remaining guests trickled out or went back to their own apartments. Pepper and Tony were left alone. Pepper went over and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled, almost involuntarily, because it still amazed him that she'd do this, that she'd seek out his affection, that she actually wanted to be with him.
"That was nice," Pepper said.
"It was," he agreed.
"Not too quiet for you?" she asked, teasingly. She already knew what his answer was.
"Eh, quiet's kind of growing on me," he said. "Especially when quiet comes with people I can have intelligent conversations with. Intelligent science conversations with," he added quickly.
"Nice save," she said dryly. "Having Betty and Jane here will be good. I like them."
"I like them too," he said, still astonished by it. He actually liked them, and just as friends. Tony Stark had female friends that he didn't want to sleep with. He never would have believed that a few years ago. Even more astonishing was that they seemed to like him. "You should probably enjoy this while it lasts. I'm sure they'll get sick of me eventually."
Pepper pulled back, and her smile was sincere, even if her words were teasing. "I'm training them to put up with you. Also, Jane has the observatory she can run to when she gets fed up. We're working out something for Betty. Or we could just ship you off to Malibu."
If things got too much for him, she meant. That was a perk of being rich. Got sick of your current situation, just jet off to another residence on the other side of the country. "Mmn. Only if you come with me," Tony said. "It'd be nice to go back there. Little vacation or something."
"It would," she agreed. She smiled at him and stepped out of his arms, taking his hand and starting to walk backward. "Right now, though, it's time for bed, Mr. Stark."
He smirked, going along with no protest. "You notice how much easier it is to get me to bed now that you're sleeping with me?" he commented. She shot him a look, but there was amusement in her eyes. He darted forward and swept her up in his arms.
"Show off," she said, still smiling.
"Oh, I haven't even begun to show off, Ms. Potts," he said.
