Fic- Public Relations
Title: Public Relations
Fandom: Iron Man
Summary: Rumours about the nature of their relationship have appeared. Pepper moves to clear them up. Tony has other ideas.
Rating: G
Pairing: Tony/Pepper
Length: ~1,700
Disclaimer: Iron Man (and all related characters, etc.) belong to Marvel, etc.
Notes: Movie-verse, unbeta-ed.
The first time Pepper is asked if she is in a relationship with her boss, she is so surprised, she thinks she must’ve misheard the question. Of course, it isn’t that the issue has never come up before, but it hasn’t in many years, and she’d thought she and Tony were long past questions of this nature. In addition, due to the recent press conference, she’s been expecting all questions to be about Iron Man for at least the next month. Given, of course, that Tony doesn’t do anything outrageous in the next month, which she absolutely does not put past him.
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please?” she asks, after a short, stunned pause.
“There is evidence to suggest that you and Tony Stark are romantically involved. Is this true?” the reporter-Cameron Miller, she thinks he said?-repeats with growing impatience, shifting slightly from foot to foot.
He is bright-eyed, eager and young, so very young that it makes her reluctant to shut him down, which she knows she will have to do. His youth probably also explains why he’s accosted her here in the front lobby of the Stark Industries building. The name of the publication he works for is a minor one (she’s never heard of it, and she always makes sure to be up to date with the state of Tony’s publicity, both company and personal); too small to secure an interview with Tony himself. The reporter has probably just started out and, with nothing to lose, is desperate enough to make a name for himself as well as inexperienced enough to believe he can, to try and find a groundbreaking story here where everyone else has failed.
“You were seen, three weeks ago, alone together on a balcony during a Stark Industries charity function,” Miller tells her, producing a handful of grainy photos. She remembers that night quite clearly, and wonders absently how he managed to get in; Tony’s security is generally very good.
“I am his personal assistant,” she says curtly, but not unkindly. “It’s inevitable, in my line of work, to be in situations with my boss where we are alone together. And yes, I do have to be available for his consultation at all times. If you have no further questions?”
She glances back at him as she walks past to leave. He looks dissatisfied, but not discouraged.
She hopes she won’t regret being gentle with him.
---
The second time Miller approaches her, this time with additional evidence, the idea is still so ridiculous that although she doesn’t laugh, she can’t completely hold in her smile.
“Tony Stark used to take home a different girl every week at least!” he insists, following her as she walks to her car. “And since the night you were on the balcony, there hasn’t been a single one!”
“Well,” she says pensively, having stopped in front of the Audi, “if you think about it logically, it was probably bound to happen sometime.”
“What?” Miller asks, startled by this unexpected answer. She unlocks the door of the car and slides in.
“Well, the supply of young, attractive women in California wasn’t ever going to be endless,” she says, tone reasonable, but mouth twitching. “If he was only intending to sleep with each one once, he was bound to run out sooner or later. He really should have paced himself better.”
Miller looks a bit stunned.
“Good day, Mr Miller,” she says with a nod, before closing the car door and driving away.
His point is an interesting one, however. She’s absently noted that she hasn’t had to show any girls to the door or do anyone’s dry-cleaning but Tony’s for a while now, but with her hands full of things to do about both the Iron Man publicity and company direction, she hasn’t really given it much thought beyond that. She thinks about it now, while she drives to meet with a S.H.I.E.L.D representative about the continuing damage control.
The most obvious reason would be that he doesn’t want to expose the arc-generator in his chest. But Tony’s never been shy, at least not about his body, and especially considering the superhero thing (and the size of his ego), she would have thought he’d be using it as his new chick magnet (literally, she notes) by now.
And while she considers it possible that he has become wary of people coming into close contact with it since Obadiah’s betrayal, it doesn’t really sound like Tony to her, for some reason.
She mentions it to Tony when she sees him later that day, honestly curious about the answer.
“But Miss Potts,” he says, eyebrows lifted in feigned surprise. “Why would I need to pick up girls when I have you?” She sighs and doesn’t push any further, knowing she won’t get an answer out of him today if he’s in this kind of mood. What she doesn’t see is the glint in his eyes as she leaves the room.
Regardless of the reason, she can’t deny the point is a material one, in the light of Tony’s well-publicised habits. And although the so-called ‘evidence’ isn’t really conclusive of a secretary-boss relationship, scandals have been stirred up from by much less. The PR department have enough to deal with already.
Even so, the publication is so small and the story so old and overdone that she decides to take no steps against it.
---
The third time, there are three reporters from three major publications asking her, and she begins to feel a mild panic. The story she considered too old and overdone to pose a serious problem has obviously had a lot more pull with the public than she’d thought.
The issue is brought up at the next board meeting. Tony just shrugs unconcernedly, but Pepper isn’t really surprised. A man who declares to the world that he’s Iron Man is not likely to be a man overly concerned about his professional public image. She, however, thinks it best to consult the head of the Stark Industries head public relations manager.
“Don’t cut yourself up too much over it,” Christina Ferrera, the friendly, middle-aged PR head, tells her. “We had a meeting about it yesterday, and none of us thought that this old thing had enough life in it to make a comeback either! And this is our job, you know?”
“What did you decide we were going to do about it?” Pepper asks. “Not, of course, that it’s likely that Tony will go along with it.” She makes an exasperated face.
“Ah,” Christina says, nodding understandingly. “Well. Although the Iron Man announcement has generated Tony good publicity, the company itself is still floundering a bit because of the uncertainty about direction. We don’t really want to risk adding a secretary-boss scandal to that just yet. But since you’re pretty famous yourself for the way you do your job, it should be pretty easy to get these rumours deflated before they get a chance to do anything. An official statement should do it.” She pushes a folder over the table to Pepper. “Here are some more notes from the meeting if you’re interested, but that’s really all that you need to know.” Pepper thanks her, places the folder under her clipboard and gets up to leave.
“You know,” Christina says as an afterthought. “We did briefly entertain the idea of the playboy billionaire being reformed into a devoted lover.”
Caught off guard, Pepper has to cough to disguise the burst of laughter that escapes. Christina gives her a small grin.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what the reaction was. We think that might be the attraction that’s fuelled this sudden interest, but mostly, we’re not sure if anyone would actually believe it.”
Later, when Pepper is alone at her desk, she has a quick flip through Christina’s notes. The reformation idea was perhaps a bit much, but she thinks she could see Tony devoted if he found the right woman. But Tony devoted to her?
The small feeling of longing is viciously suppressed.
---
To prevent it happening a fourth time, they arrange for Tony to hold a media conference.
“I briefed you yesterday about what you have to say,” Pepper says to him, on the way to the conference room. She stops him just outside the door to fix his tie and straighten his suit jacket. She also gives his hair a critical look, but ultimately decides to let it go.
“Here are your cue cards,” she says, handing them to him, “and please stick to what they say this time.”
“It’s all right, it’s all right,” he assures her, patting her arm soothingly, which doesn’t soothe her at all. “I know exactly what to do. I’ve got it all covered.” That said, he saunters up to the podium, giving the reporters jaunty waves and salutes on the way.
She stands at the back of the room, murmuring instructions to the other staff into her headset every so often. Finally, the buzz of conversation in the room quietens and Tony speaks.
“There have been rumours recently about my having an affair with my personal assistant, Pepper Potts.” He pauses, looking around the room. “These are not true.”
Pepper lets out a sigh of relief. She feels a slight loss at the certain death of these rumours; not the rumours themselves, of course. They were definitely not something she relished. But the idea is something she is a little sad to see quashed, although she tells herself it’s for the best.
“We’re not having a secret affair,” Tony is saying. “However-” At this, Pepper eyes snap up to his face in slight alarm. This wasn’t in the cue cards, her eyes say. He’s looking directly at her; I don’t care. In the pit of her stomach, a sense of trepidation is growing.
“However,” he repeats, smiling widely. “We are getting married.”
There is a roar as the journalists leap to their feet. Half swarm around Tony while the other half head for Pepper. Pepper’s feet are rooted to the floor, and her gaze is still fixed on Tony. Over the heads of the surging crowd, he looks inordinately pleased with himself. Waving microphones are fast approaching, and Pepper has no idea what she’s going to say or do. Only one thing is clear.
She is going to kill him.
---
The newspaper headlines on the following day:
STARK INDUSTRIES BILLIONAIRE KISSES ASSISTANT AT MEDIA CONFERENCE
ASSISTANT SLOGS BILLIONAIRE BOSS ACROSS HEAD WITH BLACKBERRY
STARK WEDDING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SPRING
End.
Comments loved.
I dearly would've loved to not have to say that those were headlines and just have had images of newspapers in there, but my computer art skills are lose and I wouldn't have anywhere to host them anyway. Alas.
(Also, can someone give me some advice on formatting? I've tried indent/no indent and various spacings, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing with the paragraphs an the dialogue and the whatever.)
Fandom: Iron Man
Summary: Rumours about the nature of their relationship have appeared. Pepper moves to clear them up. Tony has other ideas.
Rating: G
Pairing: Tony/Pepper
Length: ~1,700
Disclaimer: Iron Man (and all related characters, etc.) belong to Marvel, etc.
Notes: Movie-verse, unbeta-ed.
The first time Pepper is asked if she is in a relationship with her boss, she is so surprised, she thinks she must’ve misheard the question. Of course, it isn’t that the issue has never come up before, but it hasn’t in many years, and she’d thought she and Tony were long past questions of this nature. In addition, due to the recent press conference, she’s been expecting all questions to be about Iron Man for at least the next month. Given, of course, that Tony doesn’t do anything outrageous in the next month, which she absolutely does not put past him.
“I’m sorry, could you repeat that, please?” she asks, after a short, stunned pause.
“There is evidence to suggest that you and Tony Stark are romantically involved. Is this true?” the reporter-Cameron Miller, she thinks he said?-repeats with growing impatience, shifting slightly from foot to foot.
He is bright-eyed, eager and young, so very young that it makes her reluctant to shut him down, which she knows she will have to do. His youth probably also explains why he’s accosted her here in the front lobby of the Stark Industries building. The name of the publication he works for is a minor one (she’s never heard of it, and she always makes sure to be up to date with the state of Tony’s publicity, both company and personal); too small to secure an interview with Tony himself. The reporter has probably just started out and, with nothing to lose, is desperate enough to make a name for himself as well as inexperienced enough to believe he can, to try and find a groundbreaking story here where everyone else has failed.
“You were seen, three weeks ago, alone together on a balcony during a Stark Industries charity function,” Miller tells her, producing a handful of grainy photos. She remembers that night quite clearly, and wonders absently how he managed to get in; Tony’s security is generally very good.
“I am his personal assistant,” she says curtly, but not unkindly. “It’s inevitable, in my line of work, to be in situations with my boss where we are alone together. And yes, I do have to be available for his consultation at all times. If you have no further questions?”
She glances back at him as she walks past to leave. He looks dissatisfied, but not discouraged.
She hopes she won’t regret being gentle with him.
---
The second time Miller approaches her, this time with additional evidence, the idea is still so ridiculous that although she doesn’t laugh, she can’t completely hold in her smile.
“Tony Stark used to take home a different girl every week at least!” he insists, following her as she walks to her car. “And since the night you were on the balcony, there hasn’t been a single one!”
“Well,” she says pensively, having stopped in front of the Audi, “if you think about it logically, it was probably bound to happen sometime.”
“What?” Miller asks, startled by this unexpected answer. She unlocks the door of the car and slides in.
“Well, the supply of young, attractive women in California wasn’t ever going to be endless,” she says, tone reasonable, but mouth twitching. “If he was only intending to sleep with each one once, he was bound to run out sooner or later. He really should have paced himself better.”
Miller looks a bit stunned.
“Good day, Mr Miller,” she says with a nod, before closing the car door and driving away.
His point is an interesting one, however. She’s absently noted that she hasn’t had to show any girls to the door or do anyone’s dry-cleaning but Tony’s for a while now, but with her hands full of things to do about both the Iron Man publicity and company direction, she hasn’t really given it much thought beyond that. She thinks about it now, while she drives to meet with a S.H.I.E.L.D representative about the continuing damage control.
The most obvious reason would be that he doesn’t want to expose the arc-generator in his chest. But Tony’s never been shy, at least not about his body, and especially considering the superhero thing (and the size of his ego), she would have thought he’d be using it as his new chick magnet (literally, she notes) by now.
And while she considers it possible that he has become wary of people coming into close contact with it since Obadiah’s betrayal, it doesn’t really sound like Tony to her, for some reason.
She mentions it to Tony when she sees him later that day, honestly curious about the answer.
“But Miss Potts,” he says, eyebrows lifted in feigned surprise. “Why would I need to pick up girls when I have you?” She sighs and doesn’t push any further, knowing she won’t get an answer out of him today if he’s in this kind of mood. What she doesn’t see is the glint in his eyes as she leaves the room.
Regardless of the reason, she can’t deny the point is a material one, in the light of Tony’s well-publicised habits. And although the so-called ‘evidence’ isn’t really conclusive of a secretary-boss relationship, scandals have been stirred up from by much less. The PR department have enough to deal with already.
Even so, the publication is so small and the story so old and overdone that she decides to take no steps against it.
---
The third time, there are three reporters from three major publications asking her, and she begins to feel a mild panic. The story she considered too old and overdone to pose a serious problem has obviously had a lot more pull with the public than she’d thought.
The issue is brought up at the next board meeting. Tony just shrugs unconcernedly, but Pepper isn’t really surprised. A man who declares to the world that he’s Iron Man is not likely to be a man overly concerned about his professional public image. She, however, thinks it best to consult the head of the Stark Industries head public relations manager.
“Don’t cut yourself up too much over it,” Christina Ferrera, the friendly, middle-aged PR head, tells her. “We had a meeting about it yesterday, and none of us thought that this old thing had enough life in it to make a comeback either! And this is our job, you know?”
“What did you decide we were going to do about it?” Pepper asks. “Not, of course, that it’s likely that Tony will go along with it.” She makes an exasperated face.
“Ah,” Christina says, nodding understandingly. “Well. Although the Iron Man announcement has generated Tony good publicity, the company itself is still floundering a bit because of the uncertainty about direction. We don’t really want to risk adding a secretary-boss scandal to that just yet. But since you’re pretty famous yourself for the way you do your job, it should be pretty easy to get these rumours deflated before they get a chance to do anything. An official statement should do it.” She pushes a folder over the table to Pepper. “Here are some more notes from the meeting if you’re interested, but that’s really all that you need to know.” Pepper thanks her, places the folder under her clipboard and gets up to leave.
“You know,” Christina says as an afterthought. “We did briefly entertain the idea of the playboy billionaire being reformed into a devoted lover.”
Caught off guard, Pepper has to cough to disguise the burst of laughter that escapes. Christina gives her a small grin.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what the reaction was. We think that might be the attraction that’s fuelled this sudden interest, but mostly, we’re not sure if anyone would actually believe it.”
Later, when Pepper is alone at her desk, she has a quick flip through Christina’s notes. The reformation idea was perhaps a bit much, but she thinks she could see Tony devoted if he found the right woman. But Tony devoted to her?
The small feeling of longing is viciously suppressed.
---
To prevent it happening a fourth time, they arrange for Tony to hold a media conference.
“I briefed you yesterday about what you have to say,” Pepper says to him, on the way to the conference room. She stops him just outside the door to fix his tie and straighten his suit jacket. She also gives his hair a critical look, but ultimately decides to let it go.
“Here are your cue cards,” she says, handing them to him, “and please stick to what they say this time.”
“It’s all right, it’s all right,” he assures her, patting her arm soothingly, which doesn’t soothe her at all. “I know exactly what to do. I’ve got it all covered.” That said, he saunters up to the podium, giving the reporters jaunty waves and salutes on the way.
She stands at the back of the room, murmuring instructions to the other staff into her headset every so often. Finally, the buzz of conversation in the room quietens and Tony speaks.
“There have been rumours recently about my having an affair with my personal assistant, Pepper Potts.” He pauses, looking around the room. “These are not true.”
Pepper lets out a sigh of relief. She feels a slight loss at the certain death of these rumours; not the rumours themselves, of course. They were definitely not something she relished. But the idea is something she is a little sad to see quashed, although she tells herself it’s for the best.
“We’re not having a secret affair,” Tony is saying. “However-” At this, Pepper eyes snap up to his face in slight alarm. This wasn’t in the cue cards, her eyes say. He’s looking directly at her; I don’t care. In the pit of her stomach, a sense of trepidation is growing.
“However,” he repeats, smiling widely. “We are getting married.”
There is a roar as the journalists leap to their feet. Half swarm around Tony while the other half head for Pepper. Pepper’s feet are rooted to the floor, and her gaze is still fixed on Tony. Over the heads of the surging crowd, he looks inordinately pleased with himself. Waving microphones are fast approaching, and Pepper has no idea what she’s going to say or do. Only one thing is clear.
She is going to kill him.
---
The newspaper headlines on the following day:
STARK INDUSTRIES BILLIONAIRE KISSES ASSISTANT AT MEDIA CONFERENCE
ASSISTANT SLOGS BILLIONAIRE BOSS ACROSS HEAD WITH BLACKBERRY
STARK WEDDING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SPRING
End.
Comments loved.
I dearly would've loved to not have to say that those were headlines and just have had images of newspapers in there, but my computer art skills are lose and I wouldn't have anywhere to host them anyway. Alas.
(Also, can someone give me some advice on formatting? I've tried indent/no indent and various spacings, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing with the paragraphs an the dialogue and the whatever.)