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]

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."

[redinmyledger]

She could only imagine the kinds of things Pepper had had to see when it came to Tony Stark. In her short time in both their employ she had seen a downward spiral that rivaled any rockstar's breakdown. And that was who he was. Tony Stark, rockstar of the science world. He lived and partied like a playboy, but his mind still didn't really have a contemporary. It was the genius that made her want to keep her mind open just a little. To try and find something redeeming in him past the Iron Man suit.

He really didn't need the lines. Natasha knew all the tricks in the book when it came to attracting a man, but even then she was more reserved than usual. Pepper was different. He deserved to be treated with respect. She wasn't going to start pushing her cleavage at him or climb into his lap even if she did want to act on the attraction. Slow was better. Slow meant that both of them could analyse their moves. Weigh up the consequences.

Her hand slipped from under his and moved a little higher up his leg as she leaned in to follow him in the wake of the kiss. Her smile grew for the briefest of moments before she closed the gap and stole a second kiss. This one lingered as well, but she opened her lips a little more and sucked softly on his bottom one.

"Do you want to go faster?" Her eyes had dropped to his mouth as she processed the taste of him, the feel of his lips against hers. She liked it. She liked him.

[pottsonthelease]

Pepper would never tell another soul about those indiscretions. They would shock and terrify most normal people. Even not so normal people. The past couple of years those shenanigans had toned down a lot though. He still had stories though from the past. Really in-depth stories. No matter how many horrible situations he walked into he still cared about his friend. Tony was probably his best friend. There was also a slight chance that he was Tony's best friend. The man didn't have many male ones. Mostly he turned it into a competition, but Pepper had never been the type to compete. He never felt the need to do that especially with Tony Stark.

He had done the math. He had weighted all the consequences associated with this. Most of them were how Tony would react. Childishly. He didn't care though. He was in no danger of losing his job and Tony could be managed. The information would either cause pervy tendencies or a rant about Pepper going to the dark side. He hardly saw Natasha as the dark side, but Tony was still very touchy about SHIELD. If someone from his camp was to get into bed with someone from SHIELD then you could bet you would hear something from Tony. In this case Pepper was considering doing that quite literally.

His stomach tightened when he felt her hand go up his thigh higher. She moved in for another kiss and found a sort of soft groan escaping when she sucked on his bottom lip. It didn't surprise him too much, but it was a nice feeling he enjoyed. He hadn't kissed a woman in years. Even if he did go on a first date they almost always ended horribly with some emergency from Tony.

Pepper bit his bottom lip gently and thought for a moment. "I'm okay with fast. What about you? I'm not trying to insinuate anything--" He tried not to look down at her lips because he knew he'd be leaning in to find them again.

[redinmyledger]

And Natasha would never, ever choose to ask for those details. He could keep those secrets. She was happy in the dark regarding some of Tony's indiscretions. Though no doubt the man would see fit to boast about some of them one night when he was feeling the need to be the centre of attention. Or if he decided to bring home company once they were all in the Tower.

There was a risk on both sides, but Natasha was prepared. She knew how to keep work and her private life separate. She knew better than to talk about classified information with the man she shared a bed with. She also knew that this had nothing to do with Tony. She wasn't here as a way to further make his life difficult or to steal his best friend and valued employee. She was here for Pepper alone. She was here because she wanted to see if something could happen.

Her hand squeezed his thigh gently as she heard that groan, a ripple of arousal washing over her. Natasha breathed out his name in a sigh before she smiled again, but her eyes had darkened her gaze was definitely starting to reflect just how attractive she found him.

"I'm adaptable." Natasha shifted to sit up a little, leaning her weight on her knee as she brought herself more up to his level and tilted her head before going in for another kiss. Whether he was trying to restrain himself or not, Natasha was much more interested in experiencing the spark that came with kissing him again. "You can touch me. You can kiss me. Anything you want."

[pottsonthelease]

He hadn't heard a woman breathe his name like that in a long time. Most of the time he had a string of failed first dates. A second date with anyone was hard to come by when you worked for Tony. He was partially worried about how Tony could potentially ruin things with him and Natasha. He would probably turn it into a game. See how many times he could call Pepper away from a date or an outing. He had a feeling that Natasha would understand though. She knew Tony. She knew how insanely childish he could get at times.

He was not the type of guy to fly into bed with a woman. He had self restraint and tended to go more towards wining and dining. It was Tony who jumped into bed. Though right now Pepper wanted nothing more than to sweep her up and take her to a guest room in the house. She told him she was adaptable and the knots in his stomach got tighter. His body was heating up the more bold she got with him. She told him he had the freedom to touch and kiss her. His hand ached to reach out and just feel how soft she probably was. So far his only knowledge was that her hands were soft.

"I--uh--I appreciate that." He swallowed a lump and lifted his hand up without realizing. His fingers brushed down her arm. He could feel her body warmth through her blouse. He leaned in again and the kiss was deeper. It wasn't as reserved as before. Another groan escaped him and his hand slid up from her arm to cup the side of her face. Her pulled her body in closer to him and forgot all about his rational argument for slowness from before. He really wanted to just discard that idea completely, but he couldn't bring himself to stop just yet.

"Natasha--" Her name fell from his lips as a plea and something to break this. He pulled back and get his breathing back under control. "I do. I really do." He paused to look her over once more. "God I really want to. I feel like--I should take you to dinner first. Do you wanna go to dinner with me?" Yes. He's that guy.

[redinmyledger]

Natasha's lips were humming in the wake of the deeper kiss, her gaze a little less focused as she instinctively leaned in towards Pepper to bring their bodies closer. Let Tony try his best to get in between them. She had an endurance that could survive interrogations. She could survive anything Stark threw at her. She could also take her revenge without blinking an eye.

And while she had been trying to tell herself not to rush this, not to just seduce Pepper from the start and go straight into bed. But she couldn't deny that she really did want to find out what could follow the kissing. Just what it would be like to be locked into an embrace and she still wanted to get under the Gucci. The warmth she felt radiating from his body was inviting and his lap looked like it would be nice to straddle but she stayed where she was.

She tilted her head, her eyebrows going up a little to see if he'd take advantage of the offer. She swallowed as his hand touched her arm and kissed him back hungrily as their tongues teased at each other. She let a quiet moan get swallowed by his mouth and let a hand lift up to rest on his shoulder.

And then came that question and Natasha was brought back to reality with a slightly surprised laugh. She couldn't even remember the last man that actually wanted to take her out to dinner before he took her to bed. Her hand left his shoulder to brush over his red hair and down the side of his face before she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and tried to get her own urges under control. "I'd love to, Pepper. It'll be refreshing to be wined and dined."

[pottsonthelease]

He had a healthy dating life before coming to work for Tony Stark. He wasn't one to jump from woman to woman. He was a fan of monogamy. He would really like to try monogamy with Natasha. He wasn't sure how much room SHIELD had for monogamy. Being apart of the Avengers was probably another time sucker. He did really want those things with her though. He wanted the first date and the walk home if they were back in New York. He would have gotten a kick out of walking what he assumed was a very talented spy to her door after a date. It almost seemed a little funny that a woman like her would be even remotely interested in him. He was just Tony Stark's personal assistant these days. She kind of deserved a hero in his eyes. A real one.

"Good." His eyes were still on her lips. They were there. He wanted to just lean in and find them again. He wanted to press in close once more. His hand on her shoulder moved to snake around to press into her lower back. He really wanted to slip that hand under her blouse, but he knew that wouldn't be appropriate after declaring he wanted to take her to dinner. He wanted to take her to dinner, but he also wanted to take her to a guest bedroom to be alone. "We should move from the kitchen before I take back what I said."

All he could do was smile. He moved to stand up finally from the couch. He needed to get his hands off her and his composure back. Years of working for Tony Stark and he had never been knocked off kilter quite like this. He flexed his fingers before he side stepped towards the kitchen. "I believe the kitchen table would be a better place to talk." Farther away and he'd have to reach just to touch her thigh or upper arm.

He hadn't quite moved into the kitchen yet. He was still staring at her. It was blatantly obvious what his eyes were saying, but he wasn't going to be that man.