CHAPTER FIVE: To Tell Him Thank You
Pepper's eyes fluttered open promptly at six o'clock. She had always been an early-riser. She hardly used an alarm clock anymore because her body seemed to naturally wake her up at this time every day. Looking around the unfamiliar room, it only took her a few moments to remember where she was. The sparse bedroom looked different in the early morning light. She hadn't even noticed the night before that the walls were a soft yellow. She had several satisfying stretches in the comfortable bed before finally flinging aside the covers and sitting up.
She wondered what time Coulson usually went in to work and if he would need to use the shower before she did. Pepper looked through the doorway, but the couch was empty. She pulled her bathrobe from one of her boxes and headed out into the living room. There was no sign of Agent Coulson. The blanket and sheets he had used the night before were all folded neatly and placed with the pillow in a pile by the couch. She went into the kitchen even though, by the lack of noise, she didn't expect to find him there either.
Sure enough, the kitchen was empty. The only signs that he had been there were a toothbrush resting on the counter next to a razor, and a few whiskers in the sink. She turned on the faucet to wash the whiskers down the drain. There was a noise from the other room and Pepper quickly shut off the water to hear clearly. It was someone at the front door trying to get in. They were fumbling with the handle clumsily.
Pepper froze. Whoever it was, they didn't seem to have a key. She remembered what Coulson had said the night before, about how she might have been the target of those attacks. She was suddenly gripped in fear. How likely was it that someone could have tracked her down? Where was Agent Coulson? Pepper grabbed a knife in one hand and a skillet in the other and slowly turned the corner to peek at the front door.
Whoever it was had finally managed to get the door unlocked, and the heavy piece of wood started to swing open. Pepper watched as the figure slowly came into view, and she sighed when it was Agent Coulson, struggling to pull his key out of the lock while juggling three grocery bags.
The man was practically dripping with sweat, returning home from what appeared to be a pretty good run. He wore a pair of basketball shorts, tennis shoes, and a close-fitting Nike shirt that left his arms exposed from the shoulders. The muscle definition in his arms matched that of his back she had seen the night before. It was then that she decided what a tragedy his suit sleeves were. The man hid a very impressive form beneath those suits and Pepper let herself take in the rare image with a small smile.
He clearly didn't noticed her, taking great pains to make sure he didn't cause any excess noise. He hiked his shoulders and hissed in a breath through clenched teeth when his keys slipped from his grasp and hit the floor with a loud clang. He glanced over at the bedroom door before bending to retrieve his keys.
Pepper smiled to herself. He was trying to be so considerate.
He started sneaking towards the kitchen, but froze when he looked up and saw her for the first time. He straightened with a surprised expression. "Oh, you're up," he observed. Then, noticing the skillet and knife, he added, "and armed."
Pepper looked down and then moved both items behind her back. "I thought you were an intruder," she confessed, quietly biting her lip with an embarrassed smile.
Coulson chuckled and then moved past her into the kitchen. "I'm glad to see you're keeping on your toes. Sorry I scared you."
She turned and leaned against the doorjamb. "It's fine. You went running I take it?"
He nodded as he started to pull things from the grocery bags. "Sorry if I smell. I'll hop in the shower here in a bit. Managed to pick up some things for breakfast though."
"Oh, good!" Pepper said with a tiny clap, coming alongside him to help unpack the bags. He had bought eggs, a small carton of milk, fruit, some ham, and a can of coffee beans. She nodded her approval. "This is great. Why don't you go get cleaned up and I'll make us something to eat."
He looked up, "Oh, are you sure? I don't mind making it."
"Go. I'll be fine."
Coulson smiled, "Okay, I'll be quick!" and he scurried away to the bathroom.
A short time later, Coulson emerged from the bedroom with a glorious smell flooding his senses. He fastened the tie around his neck as he approached the kitchen. There was already one plate resting on the small table and he leaned over it to take in the sight of a beautiful omelet and sliced fruit. He sniffed the air indulgently and said, "Smells delicious."
Pepper came from the kitchen and smiled at him, carrying her own plate. "Thank you," she said cheerily as she took a discrete moment to admire his sleek suit. "I must say I feel a little underdressed."
Coulson looked up at her light purple bathrobe and smiled. Her hair was unkempt and the collar of her pajama top was askew. "You look gorgeous," he responded, full of honesty.
She put down her plate with a grin and stepped towards him, taking his tie into her hands and straightening it slightly. Every tie needed a woman's touch, after all. Coulson was silent with the subtlest of smiles on his face while she concentrated on her work. "There," she said a short while later, smoothing her hands over the shoulders of his suit.
"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'll, uh, grab the coffee," he said after a silence drew out between them, and he went to retrieve two mugs from the cupboard.
They both took a seat at the table and ate their breakfast, the air casually punctuated with polite speech and witty jokes. Coulson was surprised by how much he was enjoying such a simple breakfast. It wasn't even about the food, though that was scrumptious. It was the company. Having a lovely woman sitting across from him, sipping her coffee and remarking about the news she had read on her phone that morning, it almost felt like a regular life. He had never "played house" as a child (because it was a girl's game), but he imagined this must be what it felt like.
He rose from the table and moved to collect the dishes when they were both finished. "Will you be okay here for the day? Will you need anything?"
"Oh, I'll be fine. It will be a busy day, but I'll be able to operate from here."
"You have my number?" he asked, rinsing the dishes in the sink and then placing them in the dishwasher.
Pepper nodded, "I believe so."
Coulson checked his watch and started to move towards the door. Pepper followed behind him. "Call me if you need anything whatsoever, and keep the door locked. Don't leave the apartment for any reason," Coulson instructed, turning to face her at the door.
He hesitated. If they were really playing house, this would probably be the part where she'd kiss him goodbye. Looking over to the door awkwardly and then back to Pepper, Coulson wondered if there was something he was supposed to say.
"I'll be careful," Pepper assured and reached up to squeeze his arm through his gray sleeve. "Thank you again, Agent Coulson," she said, in lieu of a kiss.
Coulson smiled at her with a small nod. "Have a good morning, Miss Potts."
And with that, he was gone, pausing by the door just long enough to hear her slip the deadbolt into place and apply the chain-lock. Satisfied, he turned and marched down the hallway.
Pepper's day was a little mad. Collectively speaking, she probably spent four hours on conference calls alone, then about two hours reading and responding to emails. A couple more hours were occupied by doing yesterday's work (the work that was supposed to get done after her meeting with Agent Coulson), and then reading and approving press releases took up another hour.
The search for Tony proved to be a discouraging one. Even Happy hadn't heard anything since the billionaire had skipped town to splurge on wine, women, and song in Atlantic City. It wasn't the first time Tony had ditched his body guard, but it was still a relatively rare occurrence as Happy was usually at the man's side through every party and drunken binge. Pepper found it odd that Tony would abandon his wing man for such a random trip. The only thing that was clear was that Tony had taken his jet the night before last, leaving a note with his home AI to inform Pepper of his whereabouts. Other than that, her sources for information ran dry.
Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She was exhausted. Between trying to keep a multibillion-dollar corporation afloat, reassure the board and stock holders that the world was not ending, and locate her AWOL boss, Pepper hardly remembered to make herself another omelet halfway through the day for lunch.
But, she found that she actually enjoyed working in Coulson's apartment. It was calm and remote, and she made use of his old record player, enjoying the agent's selection of smooth jazz and big band albums. Somehow, she would have to find a way to thank him for everything he was doing for her. She didn't think there were many people who would open up their homes to someone they hardly even knew.
It was true that she didn't know Agent Coulson very well before yesterday, only a few short meetings and phone conversations here and there over the last couple of months, but it seemed like a lifetime had passed since yesterday morning. So much had happened and she suddenly felt as if she and Agent Coulson were sincerely friends now. She always liked him and respected him, but now she also trusted him on a level that was hard to explain. Pepper didn't like to admit whenever she was shaken by most things, but the events at Stark Industries yesterday had honestly disturbed her, and having Coulson by her side the whole time had been like a lifeline for her. She needed to find some way of thanking him, but the man certainly didn't make it easy.
Pepper rose from the kitchen table, which she had converted into her private work space for the day, and paused when she heard a quick rustling of paper and then a thin metallic snap. Looking towards the front door, she saw the day's mail drop through the slot in the door. Curious, Pepper moved to the entry and, peering through the peephole, she watched as the mailman walked down the hallway and out of sight.
Content that nothing was out of the ordinary, Pepper bent to retrieve the fallen mail. The item on the top of the stack caught her eye. It was a bright yellow postcard, with balloons and confetti decorating the boarder. It read: Wishing a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, our valued client! Sincerely, your friends at Wayright Dentistry.
Pepper smiled down at the card and flipped it over to confirm the date. It really was Agent Coulson's birthday! How perfect! She had been looking for a way to thank him and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. What says thank you like a birthday party?
But Pepper had a problem. She told Coulson that she wouldn't leave the apartment for any reason. Pepper was ninety-five percent sure that she could make it to the store and back without getting herself killed, but it was also the first time Coulson had let her out of his sight since the attack, and she didn't want him to feel like he couldn't trust her. After a few more minutes of consideration, she got an idea.
Drawing her finger across the page of the phonebook, she found the number and dialed.
"Flynn's Italian Bistro. What can I get ya?"
"Yes, I was wondering if Andy was working today?" Pepper asked hopefully.
New chapter coming soon! In the meantime, let me know what you thought of this one.