Will and Regrets

Ahh, against. I love it. And it loves me back; we have quite a good relationship, and let's keep it like that. Against, sort of fluffy. Love the way her family interact.

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"Mom, how many times have I told you? It's not like that." Said and exasperated Pepper Potts to her cell phone, a little annoyed at the subject her mother had selected to speak off while she scanned the new contracts with the 'green people' as Tony had come to call them. This of changing the company's energy resources had been dragging for far too long, along with the press conferences, Iron Man presentations and now, her mother's call. "Tony's just my boss, I am just his assistant and I don't live with him."

"Then why are you always at his house when I call you?" Said the woman at the other side of the line worried while someone at the same end of the line started to comment something.

"Because I have and office here, and in the company. And no! I don't sleep with him for money! Can you tell Kiara to shut up!"

"Now, children no fighting."

"Kiara is also worried, honey." That was her father's voice he had probably pick up the other phone in the house to listen in to the conversation. Whoever said the Potts didn't communicate was highly mistaken; they took any chance to, uhm, exchange points of view, and discuss them wholeheartedly. Reason that annoyed Pepper while she worked. "You don't visit anymore, this Christmas we thought you'll be coming over but got held back."

"Snow in L.A. is rare, but they closed the airports and couldn't come over. We've been through this before, daddy."

"How about a valentine escapee? You've got to open your presents, honey."

"Screw the presents, I'll keep them. You've got to visit to tell me how your boss rocks your bed, sis."

"Kiara, for the last time: I am not sleeping with my boss."

"Oh, she better not! She's too good for him. Look at that track record of his."

"Now, Jennifer, that's unfair, the man's changed. He's behaving a lot better since the whole kidnapping thing. Ginny told us herself."

"He's cuter too, maybe he'd the stay at home husband Ginny needs."

"Kiara!"

Ok, this was getting out of control. Pepper bit her lip as her family fought at the other side of the line, she'd actually dropped the paperwork and stared at the other side of the office, a plain guacamole green wall. Suddenly the thought of remodeling this confined room that served as her office attacked Pepper, and the voices on the speaker grew louder as they tried to make their points across. Maybe a bookcase with labeled boxes filled with all the old paperwork she had around, maybe a low bookcase with the printer on top and some pictures hanging from the wall... "If she can get him to sign the damn will without him reading we could kill him and inherit everything he owns!" Suggested Kiara suddenly, making everyone else quiet, and Pepper squirm as Tony chose that very moment to enter the office and listen into her private family conversation.

"Pepper, are you really trying to get me killed?"

"Oh MY God! Is that Tony Stark!?"

"Ok everybody, bye!" And Pepper hung up.

"Pepper, you're beet red."

"I ought to be after you catch me in plans to kill you."

"Well I forgive you. A moment to discuss these papers please?"

"Play it cool, Mr. Stark, I already have several partners in crime."

"I am quite aware of the power of the Potts, and wonder constantly why they are not the power behind the power of this country. Hell, the world. So with as much humble appreciation as possible could you possibly explain to me why I'm signing these papers without reading them?"

"Erh," She took the papers he offered, and laughed. "It's your will."

"Yes, indeed, it is." And he sat on the comfortable seat before her desk. He wore an amused stare and his eyes held laughter. Pepper blushed, not nearly recovered from the first blush in the first time and lowered her eyes down to the papers, smiling.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, I'm sure Kiara was just joking."

"I'm sure of that. Although I'm not sure your family is not really fond of me. Me; that handsome devil that keeps you here enslaved with all my work."

"Your work is my work, right?"

"Right." His leg lifted and set on the edge at the other side of her desk, a short silence followed. "I didn't know you didn't make it to your parents this Christmas."

"Got held back by the snow." Tony frowned.

"Where did you spend Christmas?"

"Home." Her confession was heartbreaking and Tony was staring at her, not an expression on his face, as she smiled her answer at him. "I didn't want to bother anyone, after all everyone was with family."

"You could have come over." Pepper had thought of coming over, hell she'd wanted to. But her fears and anxieties had stolen her away to hide in her under decorated apartment, wondering what would have been, if there had been anything at all, between them. It was sad knowing that being Tony Stark's assistant practically scared the boys away; and it was even sadder knowing that she was stuck with him not by work but by love... And that she liked that. Maybe not sad; but a bit on the masochist side. So she took that week of vacations to wonder if Tony had eater anything, if he'd gone out hoping he hadn't made a fool of himself, and if he brought someone back to the mansion... There had been little sighs of him leaving the house; hell he smelled like he didn't leave the workshop in the entire week. "I would have loved to have you over. White Christmas and all."

Another silence, this one utterly uncomfortable and amazingly enough, sad. But not sad because of Pepper's confession, but because of regrets; because now those ifs she so much worried and thought about were coming back to bit her in the face and rip away the mask of indifference and professionalism she so much worked to keep. This particular silence was sad because they both knew that if she'd come over to his mansion she wouldn't have left, never. Not even to pick up coffee the next morning, or to feed him, or to check her blackberry. She would have become his everything then; his love, his soul, his peace and quiet, his other half.

"I didn't wanted to be a bother." She repeated, knowing that tonight she'll probably cry herself to sleep.

"You're never a bother, Potts." Their eyes never met, and taking a deep breath, Tony cleared his throat and stood up. "Well, got to get back to work, I don't think Jarvis would be able to work without me."

"You flatter me, sir, truly." Answered the butler making them both smile.

"The will's signed, let your plan unfold, Potts. That is if you have the heart to kill this handsome man."

"I'll just remember all those years you forgot my birthday." She mused as he exited the office and let out rich laugh. It took longer than usual for her to start working again, probably because she wanted to follow and let him know that... well she wouldn't dare kill him in the contrary she wanted to do more than that. In a good way: in an awesome way really. See what Tony Stark was all about... Now she was babbling to herself.