Mad Dash

[thatwasawful]

The Random Scenario Meme

HOW IT WORKS:
❧ Post a comment with your character's name, canon, and any preferences you have. (You can choose your own scenario or let others decide.)
❧ Go to RNG. Enter 1 - 6 to choose a scene, then 1 - 20 to choose a prompt
❧ Play out the scene.
❧ But, play nicely. If someone doesn't want to play something out, please

Comments

[redinmyledger]

Natasha just nodded once in conformation. She had suspected Pepper wouldn't be entirely surprised even if her reasons for seeking out time with the man alone were slightly more selfish. She might be on the same team as Tony but she didn't need him here making a nuisance of himself or creating a buffer. She also knew that Happy would either be scarce or with Tony, so another obstacle was gone for the moment.

Her eyes dipped at the mention of Coulson, her jaw tightening briefly in an effort to hold back a small wave of emotion that still hit whenever she thought of the agent. She did miss him. He'd been paramount in her training in SHIELD. To not have him now stung. "I can assure you it did not do any of it justice. However none of us would be here without Tony."

Natasha's eyebrow crept up briefly before the smile returned. "I shall remember that. And thank you, if I am intruding on anything then feel free to kick me out soon enough." She brushed past Pepper, the contact light and barely noticeable as she stepped into the home she hadn't entered in several months. It did seem different without the presence of Tony or JARVIS.

"I can't say I blame you. I feel the same whenever I get time away from SHIELD. Privacy is a privilege these days, and not something to be taken for granted." She turned back to face Pepper. "I can assure he's being well looked after by Dr Banner. Bruce is a good scientific foil for him. He won't be allowed to blow up anything."

[pottsonthelease]

Speaking of Happy. "Happy's going to be sorry he stayed in New York with Tony. He's been hoping to get a glimpse of you since the Manhattan attack. I believe he's developed a bit of a crush." He did like Happy. He was a dear friend. That didn't mean he appreciated the moment he got with Natasha in the car and the wardrobe change. He was a reserved man though. He wasn't going to fly off the handle like Tony. He would however bring on the guilt trip of trying to catch a glimpse of a naked woman in a mirror. Happy practically melted in the floor when Pepper turned onto the guilt. It was the only way he was able to deal with the situation at hand.

He was aware of how the loss of Phil Coulson would affect his team. He knew that the people close to him would feel it. He had a feeling all of SHIELD was still dealing with it. He mentally kicked himself for even bringing the man up. He would have to watch himself the rest of the night. He didn't want to cause Natasha anymore pain. He had a feeling she had experienced enough of it to last her multiple lifetimes. There was something in her eyes that clued Pepper in. He would mind his tongue.

"No. Company is nice. The only company I've had is multiple workmen who don't really like me that much. I haven't quite figured out the reasoning behind it though." It could have been Pepper's rules. These were rules that Tony had set up though. He was simply enforcing them to keep him happy. If Tony felt that things were slipping then he would be flying down here to handle it. He'd rather have Tony there at this particular juncture. He needed some air.

He had heard a lot of about Dr. Banner. He met him very briefly before his flight to California. He was nice from what he had gathered. Tony had not stopped talking about him since he made it back to Stark Tower. It was almost cute. Tony had found a new bestfriend. "As long as he has some sort of adult supervision I may sleep easier." He made his way back to the couch and took a seat. He motioned for her to do the same. "Is the folder for me?"

[redinmyledger]

Natasha's eyebrows went up. "Oh really? Well, I'll be sure to try and bump into him when I'm back, but he really shouldn't get his hopes up. As nice as Happy is, he's really not my type." And she hadn't exactly appreciated that moment in the car either, but circumstances had meant she'd needed to change quickly and en route. Though she couldn't say she hadn't appreciated the look on Happy's face once he'd realised how many men she'd taken down compared to his one guard. He had underestimated her.

She tried to shrug off the sadness, get the brightness back into her eyes but between nearly losing her best friend to Loki, and then losing her mentor to the same monster, it all hurt. The Battle of New York had put her through the ringer. The truth was she was looking forward to spending time with Pepper. He didn't expect more of her. He wasn't looking to her to save the world right in this moment. She could use a little normalcy.

Natasha smirked faintly. "For anyone else that would probably be heaven. I'm happy to provide a breath of fresh air where company is concerned though. But before you even try and ask, no I'm not going to take my top off and pick up a hammer. You'll just have to wait until Thor visits for that."

She followed and made herself comfortable on the sofa before crossing her legs and offering up the folder. "It is, yes. And I promise there's still some SHIELD eyes and ears keeping an eye on Tony whether he wants them to or not." Inside the folder was a recording. Some of the SHIELD surveillance of the Battle of New York. "I realise that the news has been quite extensive with footage, but I thought you might appreciate something a little less... sensational."

[pottsonthelease]

Pepper and Happy were very different men. They came from different backgrounds. Some could describe Pepper as being a bit waspy, but he preferred to stay away from that term. Connecticut was technically still home, but he had found that his home was near Tony. As cheesy as it sounded it was incredibly difficult to walk away from his friend. He could never in his right mind just leave the man to his own devices. He didn't know what kind of trouble he'd get up to without any supervision. Happy never told Tony no and JARVIS didn't know he had the right to. Pepper was the only adult. Also he's a little worried about how he'd deal without him.

"Let him down easy." There's a small part of him that was happy she didn't find Happy to her type. When she first entered their lives things had been very scattered. Pepper was struggling to maintain his sanity with Tony giving him control of the company. Tony was pissing his life away and Happy was following him into the jaws of Hell until Pepper put his foot down. In breezed Natalie Rushman and their jaws all hit the floor. Pepper was more discrete about it though. He kept his composure and remained professional. He didn't fancy sexual harassment lawsuits like Tony did.

Pepper chuckled softly when she refused to take her shirt off. "I wouldn't dream of asking you. It's a little too presumptuous for me." He had no doubt that the idea of Natasha Romanoff topless would be very interesting, but he tried not to engage in thoughts like that. She was a woman and she deserved respect. That unfortunately meant keeping his mind clean of thoughts like that. Plus he had work to do. He couldn't let himself wander off to that image as much as he would have loved to.

He looked down at the folder and took it slowly. He turned it over in his hands as he listened to her talk about its contents. He smiled warmly at her and nodded. "Thank you. This is very generous of you, Natasha. Tony's been a little light on details. I think he feels that I'm going to worry." Pepper could worry, but he was trying to get a handle on that. Most of his worry was warranted though. Tony played Russian Roulette with his life like it was a good time. "Would you like a drink?" He asked suddenly looking up from the folder.

[redinmyledger]

Natalie had been designed to have an effect as soon as she'd entered Stark's world, but she couldn't deny that Natasha had felt more moved by Pepper than Tony. The billionaire had tried some of his best lines and fallen flat where as she'd had more of a chance to get to know the real Vaughn Potts. Sometimes she wondered what might have happened had Tony not been involved in his downward spiral, but she couldn't fault Pepper for how he handled himself with the Expo had been under attack.

Natasha tucked a red curl behind her ear. "Of course. I'm not looking to crush the man's heart. He just needs to understand there's boundaries." Her gaze stayed on his face for a moment as she tried to gauge his reaction. She might have smiled when she thought she saw some relief there.

"I sometimes forget you're not your employer. Thank you for not being so presumptuous. I promise not to ask you the same thing. Our shirts will remain in tact." And she tried to keep her own mind free of any straying thoughts despite wondering repeatedly what Pepper might hide under the Gucci suits.

"You'll be proud of him after watching this, though I don't doubt for a second you're not already. I just think this might give you some better insight. Some of the audio's in tact. If anyone asks you didn't get it from me." Her eyes flashed playfully with a warning, but she had no wish to punish Pepper. She was mostly teasing. "No one would blame you for worrying. We certainly all had our moments, but thankfully it's over. And yes, thank you. I would. Whatever you're having is fine."

[pottsonthelease]

She sure did put an extra step into their routine. Happy was always trying to focus enough to cater to Tony's needs and Tony was blatant and ridiculous about his lust. He had no problem pulling out all the stops to try to get Natalie Rushman into his bed. Pepper found her attractive, smart and very nice, but he was technically her employer in multiple respects. At the time he was trying to remain professional. He was still holding onto that guise. It felt easier to be professional than to admit he liked the way she smiled. It was easier to keep a respectful distance than to admit he liked to just listen to her talk sometimes. Tony would laugh and that was one of the reasons he hadn't told him. He didn't need that annoyance.

Boundaries was a good thing. He was happy she had boundaries with Happy. He never felt jealous around Tony because nine times out of ten he put his foot into his mouth before he got a woman into bed. Sometimes he got lucky with women who had little to no self respect, but Natasha wasn't like that. He didn't see her falling for his bosses charms. Happy was a good guy. He wasn't like Tony. He could have easily swept Natasha off her feet at some point. Least that was what he assumed. Pepper hadn't tried in so long that he often forgot the moves. His life was Tony Stark. It was hard to find time to date or anything even remotely close to romance.

"Of course. A woman has to have her boundaries." He didn't dare hint around and try to figure out if her boundaries include him. He wasn't a child. Also he was a little terrified that they might. Maybe she didn't want to be involved with anything related to Tony Stark. His job was taking care of Tony Stark. He could understand the hesitance. "It happens to a lot of people. They believe that because I've been with him for so long that we must be very similar. We couldn't be more different if we tried." They were like night in day in how they handled situations. Pepper wasn't sure if he could have survived Afghanistan like Tony had.

"He has this new annoying habit of making me proud. Very strange." Once upon a time he was happy when Tony Stark didn't show up to events hungover. Now he actually felt himself swelling with pride when the man swooped in to save the day. They had come a long way. "Of course. Mums the word." Pepper rose from the couch and smiled as he made his way into the kitchen. "I must say I was relieved to hear from Tony that you managed to make it through all that. It couldn't have been easy." He had worried just a touch. Not that he underestimated her skills. He just knew she was human like Tony. He worried.

[redinmyledger]

Playing into Tony's tastes had been the plan from the start, and while she was used to men looking regardless of her guise it was still a strong woman that could keep saying not to Tony Stark and be civil about it. Several times she'd been close to breaking cover just because she'd wanted to punch him. He had a way of getting under her skin.

And while Happy was the opposite of that, he still wasn't what she liked in a man. He was a little too good for her. And while Pepper's record was pretty spotless he'd worked for a man like Stark. He understood the grey areas without feeling a need to apologise for them, or be sympathetic about them. No walking on eggshells.

Natasha's smile made a brief reappearance. "But there will always be exceptions to those boundaries. The people that make it behind the walls." They didn't include Pepper at all, but she knew she had to be careful for both their sakes. If Tony got wind of it there might be no hearing the end of it. She also didn't want Stark hindering or helping. "That's probably more of a relief than I should admit to, but I am glad to hear it."

The woman finally cracked the mask and started to laugh. "It's strange for all of us, believe me. He managed to single-handedly put Cap and Thor offside. Bruce likes him because of the fact they can share knowledge and speak the same language. Barton... Hawkeye... wasn't exactly around for most of it." And that was where she left it considering not every part of the battle had made it into the press. There was an urge to want to talk to someone about it all, but she didn't want to make Pepper that person. He didn't deserve it out of the blue. "I suppose that depends on your definition of making it through. I didn't exactly escape without compromise of some kind, but I did my part. I might have even enjoyed it, but I think that says more about me than I would like." Her expression softened a little as she watched him. "I wanted to see you before now. A lot of times, actually. I just thought staying out Stark's way for a while was better."

[pottsonthelease]

Pepper tried not to walk on eggshells. He tried to be as real and honest with Tony as he could. A lot of people coddled Tony. They didn't make him get out of that comfort zone. They were content to let him sit in his lab and waste away. They let him eat bad food and drink until he passed out. Pepper was the one that told Tony when he had too much or when he was being a jackass. Usually Tony respected him enough to respond well and not fly off the handle. Though sometimes his emotions got the better of them and Pepper dealt with the blowback. Moral grey was the color of Tony Stark's life. You learn to life within and you learn to accept certain ideas.

"How many people have made it past your walls?" It was a innocent question, but if you were paying attention you could see the hope in Pepper's eyes. Luckily he was in the kitchen. His eyes weren't that clear at this distance. He wanted to be behind the walls though. He was aware that a woman in Natasha's line of work had to have secrets. She had fooled the whole group very easily. She probably came with things to sort out. Pepper was fine with that. His life had been fairly static until he started working for Tony Stark and he was getting used to more exciting notions. Her life was probably ten times worse than Tony's, but that didn't stop Pepper from thinking about her. He was only human and she made a helluva impression on him.

He hadn't had the opportunity to meet Steve Rogers or Thor. The way Tony described the both of them wasn't always accurate. Tony's descriptions were often checkered by how he felt about that person at the time. What Pepper got is that Tony was extremely irritated by Steve and found Thor to be infinitely amusing. He would have liked to have met the infamous Captain America though. He had heard quite a bit about him from Tony and footage from the forties. All that wasn't reliable though. Meeting a demigod wouldn't be so bad either.

Pepper pulled the cork out of the wine bottle he had left on the counter. He took a glass in one hand and poured. "We are who we are. You shouldn't apologize for enjoying being in a fight. It's just part of you." Once he had filled her glass he carried it back into the living room. He paused in front of her and licked his lips. "I can understand that. You wouldn't be the first woman who didn't want to visit me at work for fear of Tony." Not that he was implying they were together, but he understood her hesitance. "It was probably for the best. He's still not your biggest fan. He holds grudges longer than any normal person." He held out the glass finally.

[redinmyledger]

Natasha really didn't have the patience for coddling Tony, nor did she have Pepper's finesse when it came to handling him. She tried. She really did. And she would continue to try for the sake of the team but more often than not she'd be better off just walking out of the room and returning later. Things between her and Stark would take time to patch up.

Natasha blinked at the question, her eyebrows rising slightly but then she settled back into the sofa and considered the question seriously. "Two, neither of whom I've dated. For a man to make it past my walls and date me, well, that would be quite a feat." But she wasn't saying it to scare him off. She wanted Pepper to have that hope, but she also wanted to be honest. She wasn't used to dating and trusting a man with all sides of her. She was used to Barton being behind her walls. He was her partner and her friend and he'd earned. But he hadn't been someone she'd dated. There'd been a couple of nights away on missions where things had turned sexual but it was basic human need and nothing more. "I wouldn't mind so much if someone wanted to try," she finally added. Just to make it a little clearer.

Natasha would have been happy to make introductions but Steve was off doing whatever it was Captain America did after a battle. Lone wolfing with his motorcycle and Thor was caught between Asgard and Jane Foster. Not that she'd blame the demi-god for either.

"I know, it's why I'm really not interested in pushing my luck. Better we keep in our separate corners when we can. I didn't want to put you in the middle of anything either. You deserve some peace and quiet when you can get it," Natasha replied as she reached for the wine glass. She let her fingers brush Pepper's and smiled when their skin made contact. "Thank you."

[pottsonthelease]

It seemed like being apart of Natasha Romanoff's life would be a difficult task. She seemed to have a number of things going on. She was a member of SHIELD and now the Avengers. Heavy responsibilities to put on a person. He could only imagine that dating someone would only add to the stress. He didn't want to make things difficult for her. For a moment it did make sense that she wouldn't date outside of work. Schedules were probably hectic and was just easier to find someone with the same lifestyle. Pepper's life was crazy due to his connection to Tony, but it wasn't anywhere close to hers and Tony's. He was the man outside of all of that. A Connecticut boy with overbearing parents and a very typical childhood.

"Guess we all need companionship. Even heroes." It was true. She had saved New York. Maybe not single-handed, but she had. Her, Barton, Tony, Thor, Steve, Bruce and Coulson were all heroes. They wanted to protect this place and that meant something. She was a hero if you asked Pepper. They all were. He didn't particularly like saying that in front of Tony though. His ego was already out of control on a regular day. He didn't need to constantly inform the man of his superhero status. He had the internet. He made use of his time and read the stories about himself.

Pepper paused for a moment when their fingers brushed. He exhaled finally and moved to sit next to her on the couch once more. Maybe this time just a bit closer. The direct contact had been nice and it was possible he wanted that feeling to return. It was kind of like his first day running things at Stark Industries, but better. Much better. "I wouldn't mind being in the middle. You're the type of person you want to be in the middle for." Tony could harp all he wanted about Pepper liking Natasha. He would go off about how she was pure evil and state examples, but he didn't care. Tony was just being a child and Pepper liked her. She wasn't typical.

He lifted his arm to rest it along the back of the couch. His body turned to face hers on instinct. His glass of wine was on the side table behind him. It had long since been forgotten even before she showed up.

[redinmyledger]

It was a heavy burden to ask any man. And a fine balance to find in one. She needed someone that understood her schedule, understood that she might not always be around. She needed someone that accepted that there might not be things she could tell them. That she might not want to debrief after a mission. And there would be times she did, and she needed to be able to trust that person and for that was a big ask. But she looked at Pepper and she saw a man already invested in his own life. She saw someone that knew what it was to have confidential information at his fingertips and yet never say a word. And she saw a man that could be fun.

"We're not different to any ordinary person. I think it's a want everyone has even if they don't admit to it. I might be used to being on my own, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome the companionship." Even if the word 'hero' was still something she was getting used to. Not once had it been used to describe her before now. Even then she wasn't sure that it had. Mostly it applied to Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Perhaps even the Hulk. His image had changed considerably in the eyes of the public.

Natasha crossed her legs in towards Pepper and mirrored his move to face her as she took a small sip of her wine before cradling it in her hand. She wasn't one to blush easily, or admit to flutters in her stomach but there were moments she really did enjoy the closeness of a man. Especially an attractive one. "Oh, well, maybe next time we'll get you in the middle. Though I have to admit it's nice not having to share this time with a third party."

[pottsonthelease]

Pepper didn't know the other side of her. He didn't know the side she was concerned about. He didn't know the darker part, but he didn't think he'd change the way he looked at her if he did know. Tony's darkness wasn't like hers, but it was monumental. He had drug that man out of more low points than he cared to admit to. Though these days Tony tended to drag himself out of those low points. Pepper's job was starting to change. The burden started to life just a touch. Tony still couldn't keep a calendar to safe his own life or be on time, but he was trying. Thankfully.

"I'm gonna be honest. I don't think anything is ordinary about you, Natasha. That's just one man's opinion." There was something about her from the moment she entered the gym. Pepper watched her movements closely. Sometimes he just couldn't take his eyes off the way her body twisted and turned. It was hard not to notice these little things about her. He wasn't a teenage boy anymore. He didn't write poems or pine over girls. The poem thing had been a brief moment when he was in elementary school. They were almost always atrocious. "I have to agree with you there. I always did want a moment or two alone with you before." Back when she was just Natalie Rushman.

He looked down at the couch for a moment before a smile spread across his face. He finally looked up and nodded quickly. "I have to admit that when you showed up the three of us had a hard time not noticing you. Happy and Tony were tripping over each other at the sight of you." He preferred not to think about what was running through his head. There was nothing professional about it. "I think you were the prettiest woman we had seen in a long time." He was just being honest. The sass and sarcasm was taking a break tonight. It wasn't needed. "I think the fact that you demolished Happy helped to put you at the top of all our lists."

[redinmyledger]

Natasha slowly moved so that she could set the wine glass down and when she leaned back, her hair brushed against Pepper's arm and she dared to rest a hand on his knee as she looked at him. She hadn't been a teenager in a while either. Not that she had ever really been left to be a teenager even then. She'd grown up far too quickly. It's why she hadn't ever been able to shed that darkness. Without it she wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't just break at the idea of how much of herself she'd lost.

Natasha's smile widened as she tilted her face up towards Pepper's. "It's the opinion of a man I happen to rate quite highly. I've always liked you even though I know it didn't seem that way in the beginning. I respect you, and I admire what you do. How you do it. Maybe you think you're ordinary, but it isn't so. There's certainly something extraordinary about you, Pepper, even if I can never quite put my finger on what. Oh, I hope then that this moment can live up to expectations."

Natasha nudged his leg with her foot. "They're welcome to trip over each other. I don't need obvious. I don't need over the top. Happy is sweet, but I'd break him. Even if it would keep me at the top of all your lists. And Tony would only be interested for as long as it took to get me into bed. Then he'd move on to the next conquest. And while I'm an adult and I can handle casual encounters I don't think I want empty sex anymore. You're a handsome man, Pepper. I've always thought that about you."

[pottsonthelease]

And he watched her. A lump developed at the touch of her hair on his arm. It was funny how you didn't realize you missed certain things until they were gone. Pepper had been fine with keeping his life all about work. He hadn't needed a woman's touch in a long time. Just having her hair accidentally brush him though was nice. He almost wished part of it had been intentional. He was fairly certain that the hand that was currently resting on his knee was very intentional. He didn't want to look down at it in case the motion made her retract it. It was warm and it sent a sort of shock right up into his body. Maybe those teenage days weren't as far away as he thought. The longer he sat here with her talking the more he started to feel like one. Dancing around words and feelings because it was safer. It was funny almost.

Pepper didn't blush. He was on the inside though. It took every ounce of him not to let what he was feeling show. He felt silly and maybe even a little bit giddy. He wasn't the type to engage in things like giddy. Not many people called him extraordinary. It was a rare moment. Even more rare when a woman he liked and found attractive felt that way about him. "It's better than I ever imagined, Natasha." Most of his thoughts of this meetup had taken place in Stark Tower in one of the offices. He never imagined it here in Malibu in Tony's home. He was a lot more pleased that Tony sent him out here now. More than before.

"Thank you. That's--very nice of you." He sucked in a shaky breath and slowly moved his hand up to rest on hers on his knee. It was slow. His fingers tips grazed the side of her hand. It inched to cover her hand slowly until finally his fingers wrapped around the other side of her hand. "Honestly, I agree with you. Though casual encounters were never really my thing back when I did date. Always a big fan of monogamy." He smiled quickly.

[redinmyledger]

The touch of her hair against his arm hadn't been intentional, but the hand on his knee certainly was. She was relieved when he didn't seem to want her to move it or didn't tell her it was unwelcome. He didn't even flinch and that made her more confident in being able to read Pepper. Maybe he hadn't asked her any obvious questions, but it was reassuring to know that she could still sense mutual attraction. She could feel a warmth spread through her body at the thought of any further touches that might follow, a little colour entering her cheeks.

Again, the corners of her mouth lifted and Natasha glanced down at the hand on his knee before meeting his gaze. "Good." It did make her wonder what he'd imagined though. Her own thoughts regarding any meetings had gone off on so many different tangents. She really had had to calculate her timing. It was also a welcome break from New York and a necessary selfish moment for herself to come to Malibu. Rarely did she take leave, but seeing Pepper and taking a chance to refresh herself seemed to go hand in hand once she knew Tony was tied up in New York.

"It's the truth, but you're welcome," she responded softly. As he touched her hand with his Natasha stilled but the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth remained. Her chest rose a little as she inhaled a breath and seemed to hold it until the contact was complete. She didn't mind that there wasn't anything rushed about this, nothing insanely urgent. Sometimes stopping and taking your time was a good thing. "Then I guess we'll take it one step at a time and see where we end up."

[pottsonthelease]

Pepper wasn't really the type to flinch. He had worked for Tony far too long to really flinch at much of anything anymore. This was a different situation than walking in on Tony with two Italian models and nothing on but his birthday suit, but they all blurred together. He had no reason to flinch though. If there was anything that Pepper wanted more it would have been to touch Natasha Romanoff on the arm or her hand. Of course he was a professional and that meant not coming onto the woman who turned into his personal assistant. Tony could put his foot in his mouth around her all he wanted. Pepper was going to try to hold onto his dignity as long as he wanted.

He wasn't the type to use lines or funny quips to get a woman. He could be charming when he was neck deep in Tony Stark's issues. He had cleaned up a considerable amount since before the Iron Man incident, but he was still Tony Stark. He was apart of the Avengers, but he still had an ego that could fill all of Stark Tower. An ego that needed constant stroking. "I'd like that." His voice had dropped lower than before and he itched to reach out and just brush back some of her hair, but he didn't know how well that would go over. He could wait.

His pulse quickened and the back of his neck got warm. He remained perfectly poised except for the subtle hitch in his breathing and the way he licked his lips. He did not give into impulse or rash decisions. He didn't run to bars and flaunt himself in flashy clothing like Tony. He was thoughtful and actually planned things out. He didn't plan this out in the slightest.

Pepper leaned in towards her and kissed her. Just a soft lingering kiss to start out. He pulled back, but he was still incredibly close. "I guess that's slow enough."