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Tony’s eyes bored into hers, one corner of his mouth hitching up in a dark imitation of his usual smile. “You’re not at work anymore, Pepper,” he said softly, and pulled the papers away with one last tug.
-
“Tony… I swear on all that is holy, if you say, ‘This isn’t what it looks like,’ I am going to beat you to within an inch of your sorry little superhero life.”
Tony’s eyes switched from Rhodey to Pepper and back again. “Um, it’s exactly what it looks like?” he attempted hopefully.
-
Crash!
Pepper blinked. “What was that?”
“I was just-” Crash! Bang! “-dropping some things off at the house.”
“Does ‘dropping off’ mean from a great height?” Pepper asked, her eyes narrowing.
-
“In fact, I think it’s very, very simple…” He was practically purring at her - and he was so close-
Pepper closed her eyes, firming her stance. “Stop it.” There; like flicking a switch, she was back to professional, back in control. It had just taken her a little longer to find that switch than it usually did.
She felt Tony lean away from her. He was staring down at her in what could only be described as frustration when she opened her eyes. She stared back at him, her defiant gaze meeting his questioning one.
-
“Tell them the truth,” Tony shrugged, turning back to his work. “We’re not having an affair.” He paused and looked back up at her, a wicked grin starting on his face. “Of course, if anyone asks if you’ve ever slept with me, I leave that answer completely up to you.”
-
“I don’t have anybody else. I don’t want anybody else.”
Pepper gave an involuntary snort, though it was marred by her sniffle. “You want everybody.”
“I want everybody to be you,” Tony replied without missing a beat.
-
“Ah, luck schmuck. We don’t go in for that superstitious nonsense, now do we, Miss Potts?” Tony said, waving a hand airily.
“Of course not, Mr. Stark,” she replied indulgently, smiling to herself.
“We make our own luck, Potts,” Tony continued as she stepped out from behind the divider. “We are the forgers of our destinies, the… um… oh…”
-
Pepper watched him closely for another long moment, experience having taught her not to take his casual tough-guy assertions at face value, and then seemed to decide that either he was telling the truth, or she was too sleepy to do anything about it even if he wasn’t. “Good,” she muttered, and scooted closer to him. “I was worried.” He couldn’t help noticing the way her head fit perfectly under his chin.
Tony smiled, letting one arm drape over her waist. “This wasn’t even a particularly dangerous mission.”
Pepper was silent a moment, and he glanced down to see if she had fallen back asleep already. Instead, he found her staring into the pale light of the arc reactor. She raised one slender finger and traced slowly around its outer edge.
“I know,” she said at last, her voice quiet. “I just actually get to say it now.”
-
“What are you wearing?”
Pepper sputtered, nearly dropping the phone. “Tony-”
“To the banquet tonight,” he clarified with a put-upon sigh. There was a pause. “Though I wouldn’t mind knowing what you’re wearing right now, too…”
-
Something seemed to click in his mind suddenly. “And there better not be any other sexy armored superheroes you’re hanging around with!” he said vehemently, clutching her hands tightly in his.
Pepper laughed, leaning forward so they were nose-to-nose. “You, Mr. Stark,” she said, “are paranoid.”
:D