Avengers Tower

Pepper stood outside in her scratchy business clothes; she couldn't remember how she used to wear that every day. The wind blew but her tight bun stayed in place. She swayed in her tall heels and held a clipboard to shield her eyes from the bright sun. She stood in front of Stark tower, scratch that, now Avengers tower.

They were late. She looked at her cell phone designed for her by her boyfriend Tony Stark. Hawkeye should have been there…

"Hey, Pots. Which floor?" He seemed to materialize behind her. She turned startled.

"Oh God! Clint! You scared me. It's the top floor you'll need to um identify yourself in the elevator. It'll scan your fingerprint and your eye and um your voice. Ok?"

"Of course Miss Pots… I'm surprised your gazillionair boyfriend allows you to stand out here on the sidewalk without a convoy of guards."

"Oh he's watching. Though he claims he isn't." She gazed up at the top of the tower where she was sure he was perched. He claimed he was out as Ironman but she knew Tony. He pretended it didn't matter one way or the other to him that the others moved into Avengers towers but she knew he was excited. He was like a kid with his friends coming to a sleepover. But he didn't treat them like friends, he treated them like new toys for him to manipulate. He also never let her outside alone. He used to trick Coulson into chaperoning her out but that wasn't an option anymore.

Pepper noticed Clint had only a small duffel bag. Even his clothes were plain and without character: a tightfitting charcoal t-shirt and jeans. He was a true unsentimental military man. How sad. He didn't have anyone or anything.

"So you can head up if you like. The others-"

At that moment a sleek black car pulled up to the curb recklessly fast yet parallel parked effortlessly. The driver door opened to reveal a red scarlet goddess with pale skin. Natasha emerged grinning in a skintight red dress and pointy stilettos. She looked gorgeous in anything but at that moment it was truly profound. Her agent escorts scrambled out to help her out of the car but she didn't need them. She looked out of place on the mundane sidewalk. The agents clambered up to Pepper, not knowing what to do.

"We uh, we tried! "

"We offered to drive! But she wouldn't let us!"

Clint smirked "That sounds like Natasha."

"Thank you, that will be all." Said Pepper formally. They got back into the car, still shocked from their encounter with the wild Natasha.

Natasha nodded at Pepper and Clint, not one for displays of affection. Pepper hugged the other red head and Natasha's eyes popped; she was more stunned than if a terrorist had come at her with a machete.

"You look amazing in that dress! Were you on a mission?"

"Yeah. High class espionage, right Clint?" He nodded, smiling at some inside joke and made no comment about her dress.

The Captain pulled up on his motorcycle at that moment. He wore his usual jacket sunglasses and no helmet. Pepper clicked her tongue. She hadn't unwound enough to get used to superheroes' level of complete abandonment for caution yet. As much as she hung out with the extraordinary breed she couldn't get used to their different ways in the smallest of ways.

He got off and tucked his sunglasses into his jacket.

"Have I died? For surely this is a goddess before me." Steve scooped up Natasha in a big hug for emphasis.

"Hey Steve," Natasha smiled. Clint frowned.

Steve set Natasha down. "Its good to see you guys. Clint," he acknowledged the archer warmly. Clint grunted. "And how are you Pepper?"

"I'm great, Steve thank you for asking!" She replied genuinely.

"You're looking beautiful as usual. Is Tony treating you right?"

"Hey! Hey! Cap! I treat her just fine!" said Tony irritably from Pepper's phone.

"Tony!" cried Pepper. She took out her phone. Her cheeks blushed out of embarrassment for her childish boyfriend. "We'll see you and Bruce upstairs in a minute. I'm turning this off."

"Don't you dare Pepper! Miss Pots! Miss-" She turned the phone off with a click.

"Well shall we go up?"

That night.

Pepper paced around their bed in light pink silk shorts and a tanktop. The thin material hugged her body. Her shorts shoed off her thighs and as she ranted, waving her pale arms in the air, a habit Tony found adorable, the tanktop rode up to display a good expanse of her small freckled waist. Tony really wanted her to come to bed but she wouldn't stop rambling about something.

"Don't you think its ridiculous Tony?"

"Huh! Yeah of course! You're always right Pepper. Now come to bed?"

"Tony!" Pepper climbed onto the bed and hit Tony with one of their many pillows. Tony had never understood why girls thought there needed to be so many pillows of all shapes.

"Fine. What were you saying again?"

"I was saying how Natasha looked so gorgeous and sexy-"

"True. That I can understand." Pepper paid no heed to him; she knew he was teasing.

"And Clint didn't say anything! I said something and Steve said something. Clint even looked upset about it, like peeved and I mean-"

"Pepper! Pepper, darling! The short version." Pepper took a breath.

"Clint won't even complement Natasha let alone tell her how he feels!" she whined.

"Pepper, come here." She curled up next to him.

"Now, I promise you I will get that compliment for Natasha." And when Tony Stark sets his mind to something he accomplishes it.

Duh duh duh!

Tony has a plan!

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