Most of the characters and situations in this story belong to Marvel Comics, Fairview Entertainment, Dark Blades Films, and other entities, and I do not have permission to borrow them. No infringement is intended in any way, and this story is not for profit. All others belong to me, particularly Cedric, and if you want to borrow them, you have to ask me first. Any errors are mine, all mine, no you can't have any.
Note: If you think you recognize the artist, you're probably right--and I expect at least one of you to know him. *grin* Yes, I know, but I don't think there's anyone left to mind if I borrow him for a little while.
Much love to Cincoflex, without whom this would not exist!
**************************
Rhodes turned up the next evening, striding into the mansion with his eyes alight and curiosity in every line of him. "All right, Tony, what the hell's going on? First I get your mysterious 'Play along' message and then the next thing I know the whole world's saying you two are engaged." He laid his cap and jacket neatly over the back of the couch. "Say it ain't so, Pepper--tell me you didn't agree to marry this fool."
Pepper rolled her eyes at his grin. "It's a long story, Jimmy."
Rhodes reached out and grabbed her left hand to look at the ring. "Well, that's not bad, Tony--at least you're doing it right."
Equal parts exasperated and amused, Tony knocked Rhodes' hand from Pepper's. "You're just jealous that I asked her first, platypus."
"Don't call me that," Rhodes said automatically. "Seriously, you two are engaged?"
"No," Pepper interjected, sounding just as exasperated. "This whole thing is a mistake."
Rhodes raised his brows. "Do I need to get my shotgun?"
Unexpectedly, Pepper burst out laughing. Tony stared at her, taken aback. She shook her head and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, sorry..."
Rhodes sighed. "Why don't you all start at the beginning?"
They ended up sitting in the living room as Tony explained the events of the past two days. Soon Rhodes was laughing too. "You've got to be kidding me. You manage to avoid so much as a second date for years, and then you get engaged by accident?" He shook his head, putting his feet up on the low table in front of the couch. "This is classic."
"It's temporary," Pepper corrected. "Jarvis says that when things have stabilized a bit we can break things off quietly."
Tony slumped in his chair. "Yes, well, as you can see we need to keep the real situation a secret." He didn't know quite why he was feeling annoyed; maybe it was Rhodes' blatant amusement at the whole concept.
"Sure, sure." Rhodes smirked. "You know, Pepper, this could be really good for you. How many guys are going to try to catch you on the rebound?"
Pepper tossed a throw pillow at his head, a shot he blocked easily. "I think Tony will have more to handle on that score. Iced tea, Jimmy?"
"Yeah, thanks." Pepper nodded and rose, and Rhodes watched her leave the room before turning back to Tony and leaning closer. "If you let her get away from you you're a bigger idiot than I ever took you for."
"If I let her get away from me, you can fetch that shotgun," Tony replied in a low voice, completely sincere. "This may not have been planned, but I know a good thing when I'm hit over the head with one."
Rhodes nodded once, decisively. "Glad to hear it." His smile sharpened. "You better be serious, though. If you hurt Pepper I'm going to have to damage you."
Tony raised a brow. "You don't think I can be a good husband?"
"I think you've got no practice at being anything," Rhodes replied, though his tone was gentle. "And if you break her heart you'll lose her for good."
His words stung. Tony looked away, knowing Rhodes was right. "I'm a fast learner, Rhodey."
His friend sighed. "I hope you're fast enough."
It was surprising how quickly they settled into the routine of deception. When he'd thought about it, Tony had expected their "engagement" to be more disruptive, but most of the people around them seemed to accept it easily. The press was a problem, but a careful ration of interviews seemed to help, and there was something to be said for having one's own private security force.
Pepper handled the raised pressure with her usual superb grace, which only increased Tony's admiration. Her workload grew even heavier, with more people pressing her for her time as well as his, but the flip side was that he could interfere when he felt like it--making her shut off her computer and leave the office with him, for instance, without it being taken as abnormal.
Tony found he enjoyed playing the part of doting fiancé. It allowed him liberties that Pepper would never normally permit, such as all the little touches he liked to indulge in, and it was fun as well. For instance, one of the first things he'd done was order a daily delivery of flowers to her office. Partly because it seemed the right kind of gesture, and partly to show up Jack Roberts.
And there's nothing she can do about it. The thought gave him a wicked sort of pleasure, because he'd wanted to do these things for months, ever since he'd gotten back from Afghanistan. Wanted to touch her, even just the fleeting brush of his fingers on her arm, or the palm resting on her spine that told other men that she was taken. Wanted to have the absolute right to look after her, no questions asked. Wanted her to lace her fingers with his, or lean over and brush a quick kiss across his lips.
He wanted a lot more than that, of course, but it would do for a start, and Tony was intrigued by the fact that Pepper hadn't seemed to notice that he was touching her more often in private as well as where other eyes could see them. Or maybe she had noticed and was just letting him do it without saying a word. The uncertainty drove him a little crazy, but in a good way.
And she was adapting. That drove him crazy too, and definitely in a good way. For instance, the second morning she'd left the door open when they'd reached his office, and then bent down and done the kiss thing in full view of Cedric. Who'd promptly blushed crimson and vanished, but by then she was already straightening and heading for her own office, and Tony had to regulate his breathing and admire her sense of timing.
Now, two weeks into their faux engagement, things seemed to be going pretty well. He was still trying to figure out how to convince Pepper that getting married for real would be a good idea, but in the meantime Tony was enjoying himself pretending that they were in a romantic relationship. In fact, it was becoming increasingly difficult to remember that they weren't.
As they got out of the limo in front of the mansion, Pepper took his hand as usual and let him help her stand, but then stepped pointedly away. "No cameras, Mr. Stark," she murmured. "You can relax."
After a day of boring meetings--it was harder to blow them off these days when he didn't want to stay home and give up the chances to act the lover--Tony's temper was a little short. "What, a guy can't be polite? My mom would have something to say about that, Ms. Potts."
"I don't think your mother would have approved--" Pepper stopped short, and rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. "I'm sorry. I had no right to say that."
And he was instantly torn, because she was correct, and yet he wanted her to have the right, even though she had never met Maria Stark--wanted her to have the right to be intimately snippy on occasion.
Tony sighed. "My mother wouldn't have approved of a lot of things, but they got me where I am today," he said shortly, irritation mounting at the whole situation. Actually, his mother would probably have metaphorically slapped him upside the head years ago, but it was not a thought he'd allowed himself to entertain before. Nor was the somewhat unpleasant conclusion that a lot of his former behavior probably stemmed from the fact that she wasn't there to keep him on the straight if not the narrow.
Pepper's mouth twisted, a rather sad look. "True." And her eyes didn't have to flick over his chest for Tony to know that she was thinking of his arc implant.
His annoyance was completely irrational, he knew that, but he gave way to it all the same. He stalked up the front steps to the door and let the scanner read his palm. "Coming? I don't know about you but I have things to do tonight."
Given that Pepper was shouldering the bulk of the workload, that was patently unfair, but she didn't riposte, instead just climbing the stairs behind him and following silently inside. Tony stripped off his coat as he walked, balled it up and tossed it on the couch just because he knew it bothered her, and headed downstairs. "I won't be up for dinner."
He didn't quite dare look back. By the time Tony had reached the basement, he was already regretting his words--but not enough to go back upstairs and apologize.
Anger slowly congealed into shame, but Tony still didn't leave his work until well past midnight, and by then Pepper was long gone. The plate of sandwiches he found neatly covered on the kitchen table only added to his black mood, and he didn't sleep well. He was running mostly on espresso by the time Pepper reached the mansion in the morning.
She rapped on his open bedroom door, and her "Good morning" was imperturbably cheerful. Tony glared at her from where he stood brushing his teeth at the sink; normally he didn't feel at all self-conscious about confronting her in nothing but his boxers, but his guilt was making him feel inadequate, and her perfectly-pressed outfit didn't help.
Pepper ignored his mood with sublime indifference. As he finished his ablutions she laid out a suit for him. "What tie do you want?" she asked, pulling socks from the appropriate dresser drawer.
He grunted. Without so much as sighing, Pepper chose three from his closet and held them up, and Tony gave into the inevitable and pointed at one. The last time he'd refused to choose, she'd scheduled him back-to-back budget meetings and given Happy the afternoon off.
Her air of repressed amusement was getting to him; nothing spoiled a good sulk like someone refusing to take it seriously. Just to piss her off, Tony started pulling off his boxers while Pepper was still in the room, but she merely walked out, already tapping away at her phone.
He considered refusing to go into work at all, but he really did want to talk to the nanocircuitry division, they had some ideas that might apply to the armor, so he dragged himself out to the limo and brushed Pepper's hands away when she went to adjust his tie.
"You're in a mood," she commented offhandedly when they were settled in the vehicle. "Did something happen?"
Tony merely grunted again, and reached for the whiskey decanter. Pepper didn't roll her eyes, quite, but she left him alone for the rest of the drive, which was what he told himself he wanted.
Bad mood or not, though, he shifted into the expected role as soon as they reached SI headquarters; there weren't always reporters outside any more, but any public appearance meant they had to be in character. They walked inside and entered the elevator, which was empty; as it started to climb, Pepper finally spoke. "The gossip columnists were speculating yesterday that we're too distant."
Tony stared at the elevator doors. "Want to make out in public?" he said sarcastically.
Pepper eyed the floor indicator thoughtfully. "I was thinking more of lipstick on your collar, but if you insist..."
Her words penetrated just as the elevator passed the third-to-last floor. Tony started to turn, only to find Pepper's hands on his lapels and her mouth on his. This was not a casual brush of lips--it was an actual kiss, sweet and hot and absolutely mind-blowing. Tony gave one instant to startlement and then let his mind blow, and kissed her back with just as much enthusiasm, his hands finding her waist and pulling her close.
The bell pinged. The doors slid open. Pepper let him go and stepped smoothly from his grasp, smiling just slightly, and straightened his tie with an expert tug. "Come on, Mr. Stark," she said, and took his hand.
Dizzy, Tony let himself be led past two marketing executives who had been waiting for the elevator. Both were staring, and as Tony recovered enough presence of mind to arch a brow at them, they looked away hastily and hurried into the elevator.
No one else seemed to have noticed--at least, the noise level didn't change. Pepper deposited him in his office, gave him an amused, professional smile, and closed the door behind her as she went to her own desk.
Tony collapsed into his chair, still stunned, the taste of whiskey completely driven out by the taste of Pepper and his bad mood utterly gone. Slowly he leaned back until he was staring at the ceiling, and grinned. Oh yeah...game on.
"Care to explain that, Potts?" he asked later, strolling into her sanctum with his hands in his pockets and a counter ticking down in his head. Pepper didn't set aside the file she was reading, but she did glance up, her expression serene.
"Frank and Teddy are two of the biggest gossips in the building," she said easily. "I expect that item to hit the streets before closing bell."
"How did you know they were going to be there?" Tony sauntered closer.
"They always come upstairs first thing for the muffins Cho brings in on Wednesdays." She made a note and turned to a fresh page.
"Your efficiency is terrifying." He took one hand from his pocket and gently brushed Pepper's ponytail away from the nape of her neck.
"Tony--" She glanced up at him. "I know the idea annoys you but--"
The counter hit zero, and he bent and nuzzled the newly bared skin, letting his mustache scrape gently over the fine hairs there. Mmm...so soft...
Pepper squeaked, just as the door opened and Cedric backed in with an armload of cardboard lunch boxes. Tony took two more seconds to savor the goosebumps that were rising on that tender skin, then lifted his head.
Cedric had just turned, and was becoming a nicely flaming red. Pepper cleared her throat, and Tony could see the curve of her cheek pinkening. "On the table, please, Ced," she said quickly, and her assistant hurriedly set the boxes down and took himself out with haste.
She waited until the door closed before glaring up at him. "Tony, what--"
He wrapped his fingers around the smooth, cool fall of hair and stroked down it, careful not to pull. "Just doing my part to counteract the rumors." Her hair had always held a mild fascination for him, one that had actually increased as soon as he first touched it.
Pepper huffed, and stood, moving briskly away from him and around her desk. "Cedric doesn't gossip, Tony."
No, but he now has proof to counter anyone saying otherwise. "Oops." Tony rubbed his beard absently. "What is it with him, anyway? He never talks to me if he can help it."
She snickered. "You mean, you haven't figured it out? You're slipping." Pepper frowned at the boxes. "I didn't order lunch."
"No, I did." Tony walked over to the table and started pulling off the box lids. "Let me guess, he's got a huge crush on you. You want Caesar or garden?"
"Caesar, and you're half right." Her eyes narrowed, and Tony could tell that she'd just figured out his timing, but uncharacteristically she let it pass.
"Here you go then." Tony held out a box and a fork. "What half am I right about?"
Pepper took the items and leaned back against the table, lips curling up. "If I tell you, you have to promise you won't make a big deal out of it."
"Okay, fine." Tony held up a hand as if taking oath. Cedric wasn't on his list of people to tease. "And?"
"He has a crush on you, Tony. One that, for some unfathomable reason, hasn't passed yet."
Tony blinked. "Oh."
The notion didn't disturb him; it was hardly the first time he'd had a male admirer, for one thing. His surprise was that he hadn't noticed. "Really? 'Cause it's like he's totally blank towards me."
"He's trying to keep things professional," Pepper said, her face softening with compassion. "So don't give him a hard time about it, okay?"
"Hey, I promised." Tony poured dressing on the garden salad. Cedric was an expert at moving under the radar, as it were, and the man mostly interacted with Pepper anyway. "Do I pay him enough?"
Pepper laughed around a mouthful of lettuce, and covered her lips with a paper napkin before swallowing. "He's happy, Tony. Don't worry about it."
"Mmf." Tony chewed greenery, knowing there was a more substantial sandwich in the third box. He liked salad, but it wasn't enough to keep him going for long.
Pepper chased a crouton with her fork. "The photographer is scheduled for tomorrow--do you want to work from home?"
"Yeah, sounds good." He fished for a napkin. Part of handling the media frenzy was giving them what they wanted, to a degree. In this case, it meant formal engagement photos. "Hey, can you wear the thing you wore to the last holiday party? Because, wow." Tony leered genially.
Pepper laughed.
She did not, to his disappointment, choose to wear the green velvet concoction that had stuck in his memory, but nonetheless Pepper looked lovely the next day, arriving at the house in a white blouse touched with lace at the collar and a full skirt that rippled distractingly around her calves. Tony surveyed her with both admiration and honest lust, neither of which he bothered concealing--the first was deservedly hers and the second was hardly a secret. "You look entirely edible, Potts."
Pepper sniffed gently, smiling nonetheless, and smoothed the forest-green fabric with an absent hand. "Please tell me you're not planning on wearing that."
Tony looked down at his tattered shorts and his "Aerospace engineers do it with lift and thrust" t-shirt, smirking at her tease. "I suppose the sight of my legs might be too much for the susceptible."
Pepper snickered. "That, and I think the glow behind 'engineers' might show up a little too well on film."
"Yeah, well, it's one of my favorites, I didn't want to cut a hole through the words." Tony looked her up and down again. "I wanted to see what you wore--it's more fun if we coordinate."
She gave him a cockeyed look. "'Coordinate'? Tony, don't you think that's a little...twee?"
"Hey, I'm just getting in the spirit of things here. Presenting a united front and all that." Tony winked and went off to change into a suit.
He almost wore a tie the same shade as Pepper's skirt just to make her roll her eyes, but that was really too formal, so instead he went for a shirt two shades darker--complementary but not exact. The corollary to having a woman around that made you look good was making your woman look her best in turn, and he very much wanted the world to see them as an established couple. Because the thought had occurred to them that the closer they seemed to be, the harder it would be for Pepper to "jilt" him.
He'd already decided that there was no way he was going to break off the engagement himself. The longer we're in it, the more time she has to get used to the idea.
Tony felt a bit guilty about manipulating Pepper, but he figured that since she did it all the time to get him to stick to his schedule, he was entitled to a bit of it himself. Besides, it's not like I'm going to force her to marry me. Nobody ever forces Pepper Potts to do something she truly doesn't think is right.
Like raiding Stark Industries' own servers for information incriminating its CFO. Tony fastened his cuffs, remembering that strained argument in the workshop, Pepper's refusal to act until she was satisfied with his reasons. Of course, if he'd known then what was going to happen...but there was no changing the past, and things might have turned out worse if she'd quit and left.
Hell, I know they'd have been worse for me.
The memory shifted forward a fraction, to her grudging, almost embarrassed confession that he was all she had. Tony hadn't had much time to think about her statement then, but in the months since he'd replayed her words, trying to interpret them. He knew Pepper had no family left, but until then he'd never really thought about what that meant for her. She had friends, certainly, both at the company and outside of it, but... It's not the same, and you know it.
None better.
He wondered suddenly if she missed the family times that he had finally let himself remember--dinners, vacations, hugs, the simple solid security of love. From what little she'd said over the years, Tony guessed that her family had been a good one, her parents loving and her childhood unmarred, but he wondered if that just made the losses harder when they came, the loneliness deeper.
I'm tired of being alone.
And if he had his way about it, neither of them would ever have to be alone again. He couldn't tell if Pepper really did love him, but if it were at all possible he would persuade her to it.
Tony shrugged into a suitcoat, leaving his shirt unbuttoned at the throat, and went to find his fiancée.
She was chatting with the photographer in the living room, handing the woman a glass of iced tea from a tray that held a pitcher and two more glasses. Tony could smell the lemon, and it made his mouth water. He smiled at both ladies as he came in. "Vee, you're more gorgeous every time I see you."
Vralia Penn was famous for her shots of celebrities, and Tony had worked with her before. He liked her sharp wits and sharp tongue as well as her efficiency, and the way she would snub him when he flirted with her; it was all in good fun, since she was very publicly a lesbian, and to them both it was just a game. Tony reminded himself to tone it down this time, however; game or no, it was bad manners to banter quite so openly in front of one's betrothed.
Vralia, a tall bony woman with grizzled hair, smiled and lifted the glass. "Congratulations, Stark. Though it's a crime to take Ms. Potts here off the market."
Pepper chuckled and handed Tony a glass as well; she and Vralia shared a mutual respect, and she never seemed to have a problem with the woman's blatant compliments. "I think you'll find that the common opinion is the other way around."
Vralia snorted. "Playboys are a dime a dozen, especially in this town. Glad you've got sense, though, Tony."
He sat down next to Pepper on the couch, letting his fingers find hers and playing absently with the now-loose ring. "Occasionally. No dog-in-the-mangering, Vee--I'll tell Jen on you." He'd known Vralia's partner of sixteen years longer than he'd known Vralia herself.
The photographer snickered and drank from her glass. "She'd agree with me." Setting down the tea, she rose and reached for her camera case. "We can start right here--you're good just as you are."
Tony felt Pepper's fingers tense slightly, and let his thumb rub soothingly over hers. "How is Jen, by the way?"
"Preggers and loving it." The camera Vralia lifted to her face eclipsed her smile. "I've never seen someone so happy to lose her cookies. It's downright weird."
Tony snickered as Vralia began snapping photos. "Just as well--I can't see you being the mommy-to-be."
"Too old," Vralia said, grinning, "and you're right." She lowered the camera for a moment. "Stark, sugar, kiss your girlfriend, she's looking way too uptight."
Pepper made a faint sound, but her only objection was a flash of panic in her eyes when Tony leaned in. He winked at her and closed the distance, cupping her face with one hand and taking her mouth in a slow sensual caress that had her first stiffening slightly and then relaxing. He let his tongue taste her bottom lip and then sat back, enjoying the pink on Pepper's cheeks and cocking a brow at Vralia.
The photographer grinned again and kept shooting. "Much better. I'm thinking pseudo-formal here, very crisp images but with an intimacy behind them. Almost studied, but not quite."
"I trust you, Vee." Tony savored the delicate flavor of Pepper that still lingered.
"I suppose this means no more topless shoots," Vree added, and Tony barely held in his flinch. "Too bad--want to consider letting him do it, Pepper? The set we did for Cosmo six years ago was really something."
Pepper managed a wry smile. "I think it's early days yet," she said smoothly.
Vralia lowered the camera and popped out the film, exchanging it for another roll. "Well, we could always do a set of you, too--that skin of yours would be spectacular. Or a paired nude sitting. You'd knock the Europeans on their asses."
Tony was instantly fascinated by the idea of Vralia's artistry applied to Pepper alone, particularly to what he suspected was truly glorious nudity. He looked over at her, smirking. "What do you think, Pepper? Want to take it all off for Art?"
She gave him her best unamused look. "That would hardly do my reputation any good."
"Maybe private then," Vralia said, snapping the camera shut. "Let's move this out to the terrace, I like the light there."
The sun was on the other side of the house, so the light on the terrace was indirect though bright, and Vralia posed them with the sea behind them, Pepper sitting on the low wall and Tony leaning on it next to her. "Speaking of kids," the photographer said as she began shooting again, "how long are you planning on waiting before you start?"
Pepper's glance was as startled as his own, Tony thought; the topic hadn't even come up as an issue that might need to be addressed. She rallied quickly, however. "Perhaps a year. Things are still very...busy right now."
"Suppose so." Vralia changed angles. "That reminds me, Stark, Pop Mechanics was after me to get you to do a spread with the armor. I told 'em to call you but they said they already had."
Tony wrinkled his nose, secretly relieved at the shift in topic. "I turned them down--how many times is it now, Pepper?"
"Three," she answered promptly. "The last time I sent along a dictionary with a Post-it on the definition for 'no'."
Tony had to laugh, and Vralia's hoarse chuckle chimed in. Pepper smiled sweetly, and Tony hoped that Vralia caught it, because whatever else, he wanted a picture of that to keep--the edge of fun in her proper expression, the intelligence behind her eyes.
"Engineers." Vralia shook her head in mock sadness. "They never can take a hint."
"We just like a challenge," Tony shot back silkily, glancing at over at Pepper. As he expected, she blushed, and Vralia cooed appreciatively.
"Oh yes, that's it. Sugar, this is going to be great."
Pepper saw the photographer out when she was finished, and Tony took off his jacket and started lunch, listening to the women's laughter with a sensation he could only label contentment. He liked this feeling of domesticity, the pretense that he and Pepper were comfortably intimate enough to appear so on film...and he had to admit, Vralia's suggestion of a private shoot of Pepper was very intriguing indeed. Maybe I can talk her into it someday. It wouldn't even have to be nude; a collection of Pepper in various poses around the mansion would be almost as delightful.
"Sure you don't want to take her up on her offer?" Tony asked as Pepper entered the kitchen.
She sniffed, apparently taking it as his usual banter, and reached for a towel. "Tony, you're going to get sauce on your shirt. Lunch is my job..."
Tony plucked the towel from her hands and tied it around his waist. "Not today, Potts. Relax, it's hard to mess up spaghetti." He stirred the sauce he was defrosting in a saucepan. "I'm serious, though. Not nude, necessarily, but Vee does excellent work, you know that. And you photograph really well."
"Tony--" Pepper glanced over her shoulder at him, her hand reaching into a cabinet for a box of spaghetti noodles. "Have you forgotten this is just temporary?"
He shrugged, irritated at the reminder. "I know. That doesn't invalidate the idea."
She chuckled, and closed the cabinet door. "I couldn't afford her. And what would I do with them, anyway? You're the narcissist in this re-, ah, partnership."
Pepper crouched down to retrieve a pot for the noodles--and, Tony suspected, to conceal her chagrin at her verbal slip. One, I'd pay for them, and two, you could give them to me, Pepper. But he had sense enough to keep those thoughts to himself. "I'll just have to give you another raise, then." He admired the way her skirt pooled around her, vivid against the smooth floor.
His PA chuffed and straightened, moving to the sink to fill the pot and hand it to him. "You just gave me one."
"And your point is?" The banter was easy, familiar. Tony turned the burner on under the noodle water. Maybe I could make it a Christmas present.
She just sighed, and collected silverware from a drawer. Tony grinned, stirring again. "By the way, how many kids are we having?"
Pepper snickered, laying out forks. "Oh, two at least."
"Twins?" He turned to eye her lean frame. "Not sure you'd have room for more than one at a time."
"You'd be surprised." She folded a couple of napkins and set them in place. "But admittedly it would be easier to have them singly."
Tony contemplated the idea of Pepper pregnant. It was hard to imagine, comical almost, though the idea gave him a warm and protective feeling. "Seriously, do you want kids? I mean, are they on the list of things you want in your life?"
She looked up, surprised, though he couldn't tell if it was at the question or the fact that he was the one asking it. "I guess...the topic hasn't been on my mind much recently."
"Still waiting for the right guy?" Tony asked, forcing himself to keep his tone light.
She laughed. "Still waiting for enough time. As Ms. Penn and her partner are proving, one doesn't necessarily need a 'guy' to have children these days."
"You have to have one involved at some point," Tony riposted, nettled.
"It's a moot point right now anyway." Pepper shrugged. "I'd rather raise kids with a partner than without one."
Well, Tony thought, there was one way to make sure she had no children that might take her away from him--keep her busy. It was not an entirely satisfying solution.
"What about you?" She cocked her head, regarding him with faintly shy interest. "Do you want kids?"
He blinked. "Hadn't really thought about it." Which was odd, but there it was. Children had always been an abstract concept labeled later, and even Yinsen's gentle question about family had only made Tony look to the past and present, not the future. "They've never been...an ambition...of mine. Though I suppose if my parents were still alive they'd be bugging me for grandchildren."
"Undoubtedly," Pepper agreed with a curl of a smile. "Don't you...I don't know, want to leave the company to somebody?"
"'The company', you make it sound like something with a mind of its own," Tony said dryly, making spirals in the sauce with the spoon. "And no...I'm not sure that I do." He thought for a moment. "Maybe when we have Stark Industries moving in a better direction...maybe then it'll be something worth inheriting."
Pepper nodded, and he knew she understood.
The proofs were delivered by special messenger three days later. Pepper brought the envelope down to the workshop, and Tony spread the sheets out on a worktable, whistling softly at the sight. Pepper leaned over for a look. "Wow."
Tony grinned. "We do make a very handsome couple, Ms. Potts."
Vralia's genius had come through. The images were intense in color and very crisp, producing an effect of something just a little more real than reality, as it were. The shots of them on the couch were almost casual, the two of them smiling as if in conversation, but the terrace photos were stunning. Tony nudged the print of the two of them facing each other, Pepper's crossed ankles peeking out from the hem of her skirt and Tony leaning one hip against the wall. Vralia had posed them, so Tony had Pepper's hand in his, lifted between them, and his head was just slightly bent as if he were about to kiss the back of it, though his eyes were on hers. It was ridiculously romantic, and he thoroughly approved. "I like this one."
Pepper shook her head. "She's amazing," she said quietly.
"So are you." Tony admired the way her skin and hair all but glowed in the picture, then looked up to admire the satin sheen of that same hair in the bright light of his workshop.
Pepper turned her head away, and Tony smirked. "Which ones do you want?" she asked, clearing her throat slightly.
He surveyed them for a long moment, then shrugged. "Get copies of them all. And release these to the press." He separated out three of the terrace photos, including the romantic one.
"Are you sure? That's kind of..."
"I'm sure. They'll eat it up, Potts." Tony looked at it again, realizing belatedly that the expression in his eyes in that particular shot was not at all pretense. So what.
And suddenly he wondered what had been behind Pepper's expression of reserved pleasure.
Pepper sighed, and stacked the proofs together. "Yes, Mr. Stark."
"That reminds me." Tony sat back down on his stool as Pepper slid the photos into their envelope. "I got a call yesterday from Allan Tierney wanting to know about the portrait."
Pepper looked up at him. "I'm sorry, what portrait?"
Tony shrugged slightly, trying to appear casual. "The wedding portrait. You haven't heard of Tierney?"
"Oh--you mean the artist who did your mother's picture?" Pepper pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I didn't know he was still alive."
The portrait in question hung in what passed for a den, a heavy-furnished room that currently went unused. Maria Stark smiled down from over the mahogany desk, her cloud of dark hair and vivid eyes rich and compelling against a crimson background. Tierney had captured her earthy beauty and charm as well as her intelligence, and Tony occasionally slipped into the room just to look at the oil painting and remember.
"Tierney did my grandmother too. He was ancient when he painted Mom, but he's still around. He wants to know when he can start on yours."
Pepper gave him a puzzled look. "Why are you bringing this up? There's no need for a portrait of me."
He turned one hand up. "No, but he really wants to do it--kept going on about it being tradition and all that. I'm not sure I have the heart to turn him down."
Her skeptical expression was eloquent. Tony gave her his best pleading look. "Come on, Pepper. What would it hurt? You'd make an old man happy, and it'll be just one more proof that we're serious."
"It's--unnecessary." But she was wavering, he could tell. "And no doubt expensive."
Tony cast his gaze theatrically at the ceiling. "Since when does a price tag matter around here? Besides, given what our engagement is doing to SI stock prices, it seems to me that you're entitled to a little of the profits."
"Tony, where would I put an oil portrait? That kind of thing is meant for big rooms." Pepper put a hand on her hip, shaking her head. "Besides, the stock price will fall again when we end this thing."
"Not that much, that's the whole point. And we could keep it here and you could come by and look at it." He grinned, and Pepper smiled reluctantly at his silliness. "Look, it's optional, but seriously, Tierney's really excited by the idea."
"I'll think about it," Pepper said in a driven tone, but she was still smiling, and Tony let her go and made a mental note to schedule the first sitting.
After all, he wanted a portrait of her. No matter what happened.