Playing Operation … Poorly
Title: Playing Operation … Poorly
Author: ubiquirk
Rating: PG13
Genre: humor
Word Count: 1255
Characters: Pepper, Tony
Disclaimer: Not mine; no money.
AN: Set just after the movie.
Summary: “I’m a very, very bad boy. Don’t you ever want to hurt me, Potts? Even just a little?”
About a month after the first time, Pepper finds herself standing over a supine Tony Stark. He’s shirtless, but looking at the hole where he’s taken the arc reactor out kills any slight thrill she might have - not that she’d have any, she quickly tells herself.
“I thought we talked about you getting someone to do this,” she says, her right hand hovering above his chest.
“We did, and I said I had someone.”
She meets his eyes and raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
“And I do - you.” His smile shines with schoolboy charm, but she’s immune.
Well … mostly.
“Tonyyy …”
“Pepperrr …” He grins larger. “All right, all right, I know you meant someone else, someone -”
“Someone medical,” she interjects, waving the suction tube around to make her point, “someone qualified.”
“Who could be more qualified than the amazing Pepper Potts?”
She scowls down at his chest in case he’s being sarcastic, even though his voice sounds sincere. “What do I do?”
“You get as much of the goo out as you can without letting the metal touch the side.”
She starts in, leaning further over him for a better view. Biting her lip, she moves the probe in a small circle in the very center of the well, trying to see how much liquid can be removed that way. Not much - liquid seems a generous term for something this viscous.
After a few moments, she pauses and pulls back to swipe her bangs away from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Why did you make this thing metal?” She waves the tube again. “I mean, it seems to me it could have been like the plastic one that … that dentists use or something. Then I could touch the sides all I want.”
“Stainless steel’s much more sterile and,” he waves a hand around the shop, “well, metal’s just kind of my thing. Besides, you can still touch the side if you want. It just means you’ll hurt me some.” He drops his voice a register and looks up at her with hooded eyes. “I’m a very, very bad boy. Don’t you ever want to hurt me, Potts? Even just a little?”
Yes, her mind yells.
But she just laughs and rolls her eyes before reaching in with the probe again.
“Why don’t I make it easy for you.” Tony’s hand presses hers to the side so quickly that the probe hits the metal well with a clang. His back arcs off the chair in a shudder.
Pepper jerks her hand away.
He settles back down, watching her and chuckling, so that she imagines the horrified look she can feel stretching her face.
“Wh- why did you do that?”
“I thought you needed it.”
“Needed … that?” She shakes her head, wondering who would need something like that. It’s a good thing she’s had so much practice over the years in not hitting him, or else there’d be some intentional pain going around.
She gestures towards his chest with the probe. “No tricks this time.”
“No tricks.” He gives her his look that’s part innocence, part hurt.
She snorts - it’s been years since she’s fallen for that one.
But he keeps his word, and in a few minutes, she pulls out the tube and sets it aside.
“Great. Thanks.” With a small metallic clink, he screws the arc reactor back into place.
Leaping from the chair, he pulls on his shirt and walks over his bench, hands and eyes already moving quickly over a jumble of wires and circuit boards.
Pepper stands watching him, digesting something for a few minutes before saying, “Tony.”
“Yes.”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“About the pain thing, Pepper, don’t worry about it.” He doesn’t look up.
“No, it’s not that. It’s that the edges of the arc reactor are metal, so if touching the sides of the well with metal causes you pain, then why doesn’t that happen when you put the arc reactor in? I mean, a month ago the pain was because the wire was electrified, but this isn’t the same thing.”
Raising one hand to rub at the back of his neck without meeting her eyes, he says, “Ah, well …”
“Tony Stark, you played me!” She feels her face heat with the flush of angry blood.
He jumps off of his stool and bounces over to stand in front of her, grinning hugely. “But you enjoyed it! You got to ‘hurt’ me for all the crap I put you through.” He raises both hands to make air quotes - sarcastic air quotes. “And it didn’t actually hurt me. It’s a win-win situation.” His hands spread wide in glee.
She turns - she won’t even grace him with a glare - she just turns and walks up the steps to grab her purse and head out to her car.
~
The next day, Pepper acts offended, a little more formal than usual, and Tony wheedles her more than ever in an attempt to work his way out of trouble.
Then he gets smart and orders her favorites for lunch all week.
Things seem to return to normal.
~
Three weeks later, Tony calls Pepper down into the workshop to once again clean out the well that houses his electromagnet. By the time she arrives, he’s already on the table with his arc reactor out and held in one hand.
“You know, Potts, I’m glad you’re okay with my little joke from last time. I really did think it’d be therapeutic for you.”
She grips the probe tightly in her right hand, feeling her new ring press into the soft flesh of her finger. “You thought it would be therapeutic for me to purposefully cause you pain?”
“Well, I am a pain in the ass - a charming pain with a great ass, granted, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.”
She hums in answer and begins vacuuming out the biological goo that’s accumulated in the bottom of the well. It goes faster this time with no major drama-queen interruptions by Tony.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t talk continuously though. “You know, this is kind of kinky, Potts - you sticking elongated things inside me, penetrating me. Did you ever -”
The probe hits the side of the well, and Tony spasms, mouth gaping and eyes wide with shock. His legs jerk, and his free hand curls around the armrest, knuckles turning white.
After prolonged seconds, Pepper pulls her hands away, and his body sags into the chair.
Setting the probe down on the work bench, Pepper says, “You know, I think you’re right. That may have been therapeutic after all.”
She takes off the ring - a custom creation insulated by rubber where it touches her skin yet wired discreetly along her palm to a twelve-volt - and pulls the battery from her jacket sleeve.
His eyes follow her every move avidly, his mouth remaining an O.
“Even though that wasn’t enough current to really hurt you very much.” Smiling her slightly-catty-but-still-within-professional-parameters smile #3, she turns on one heel to walk away, jauntiness making her steps ring loudly in the large space.
She’s just about to the door and thinking she’s finally bested him when his voice calls out.
“Potts, you dirty girl! If I’d had any idea you actually liked inflicting a little pain, we could have been doing some interesting things all -”
Unflinching from long practice, she keeps going until the glass door snicks shut behind her, cutting him off.
She sighs. Goddamn pervert-genius.
Author: ubiquirk
Rating: PG13
Genre: humor
Word Count: 1255
Characters: Pepper, Tony
Disclaimer: Not mine; no money.
AN: Set just after the movie.
Summary: “I’m a very, very bad boy. Don’t you ever want to hurt me, Potts? Even just a little?”
About a month after the first time, Pepper finds herself standing over a supine Tony Stark. He’s shirtless, but looking at the hole where he’s taken the arc reactor out kills any slight thrill she might have - not that she’d have any, she quickly tells herself.
“I thought we talked about you getting someone to do this,” she says, her right hand hovering above his chest.
“We did, and I said I had someone.”
She meets his eyes and raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
“And I do - you.” His smile shines with schoolboy charm, but she’s immune.
Well … mostly.
“Tonyyy …”
“Pepperrr …” He grins larger. “All right, all right, I know you meant someone else, someone -”
“Someone medical,” she interjects, waving the suction tube around to make her point, “someone qualified.”
“Who could be more qualified than the amazing Pepper Potts?”
She scowls down at his chest in case he’s being sarcastic, even though his voice sounds sincere. “What do I do?”
“You get as much of the goo out as you can without letting the metal touch the side.”
She starts in, leaning further over him for a better view. Biting her lip, she moves the probe in a small circle in the very center of the well, trying to see how much liquid can be removed that way. Not much - liquid seems a generous term for something this viscous.
After a few moments, she pauses and pulls back to swipe her bangs away from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Why did you make this thing metal?” She waves the tube again. “I mean, it seems to me it could have been like the plastic one that … that dentists use or something. Then I could touch the sides all I want.”
“Stainless steel’s much more sterile and,” he waves a hand around the shop, “well, metal’s just kind of my thing. Besides, you can still touch the side if you want. It just means you’ll hurt me some.” He drops his voice a register and looks up at her with hooded eyes. “I’m a very, very bad boy. Don’t you ever want to hurt me, Potts? Even just a little?”
Yes, her mind yells.
But she just laughs and rolls her eyes before reaching in with the probe again.
“Why don’t I make it easy for you.” Tony’s hand presses hers to the side so quickly that the probe hits the metal well with a clang. His back arcs off the chair in a shudder.
Pepper jerks her hand away.
He settles back down, watching her and chuckling, so that she imagines the horrified look she can feel stretching her face.
“Wh- why did you do that?”
“I thought you needed it.”
“Needed … that?” She shakes her head, wondering who would need something like that. It’s a good thing she’s had so much practice over the years in not hitting him, or else there’d be some intentional pain going around.
She gestures towards his chest with the probe. “No tricks this time.”
“No tricks.” He gives her his look that’s part innocence, part hurt.
She snorts - it’s been years since she’s fallen for that one.
But he keeps his word, and in a few minutes, she pulls out the tube and sets it aside.
“Great. Thanks.” With a small metallic clink, he screws the arc reactor back into place.
Leaping from the chair, he pulls on his shirt and walks over his bench, hands and eyes already moving quickly over a jumble of wires and circuit boards.
Pepper stands watching him, digesting something for a few minutes before saying, “Tony.”
“Yes.”
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“About the pain thing, Pepper, don’t worry about it.” He doesn’t look up.
“No, it’s not that. It’s that the edges of the arc reactor are metal, so if touching the sides of the well with metal causes you pain, then why doesn’t that happen when you put the arc reactor in? I mean, a month ago the pain was because the wire was electrified, but this isn’t the same thing.”
Raising one hand to rub at the back of his neck without meeting her eyes, he says, “Ah, well …”
“Tony Stark, you played me!” She feels her face heat with the flush of angry blood.
He jumps off of his stool and bounces over to stand in front of her, grinning hugely. “But you enjoyed it! You got to ‘hurt’ me for all the crap I put you through.” He raises both hands to make air quotes - sarcastic air quotes. “And it didn’t actually hurt me. It’s a win-win situation.” His hands spread wide in glee.
She turns - she won’t even grace him with a glare - she just turns and walks up the steps to grab her purse and head out to her car.
~
The next day, Pepper acts offended, a little more formal than usual, and Tony wheedles her more than ever in an attempt to work his way out of trouble.
Then he gets smart and orders her favorites for lunch all week.
Things seem to return to normal.
~
Three weeks later, Tony calls Pepper down into the workshop to once again clean out the well that houses his electromagnet. By the time she arrives, he’s already on the table with his arc reactor out and held in one hand.
“You know, Potts, I’m glad you’re okay with my little joke from last time. I really did think it’d be therapeutic for you.”
She grips the probe tightly in her right hand, feeling her new ring press into the soft flesh of her finger. “You thought it would be therapeutic for me to purposefully cause you pain?”
“Well, I am a pain in the ass - a charming pain with a great ass, granted, but a pain in the ass nonetheless.”
She hums in answer and begins vacuuming out the biological goo that’s accumulated in the bottom of the well. It goes faster this time with no major drama-queen interruptions by Tony.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t talk continuously though. “You know, this is kind of kinky, Potts - you sticking elongated things inside me, penetrating me. Did you ever -”
The probe hits the side of the well, and Tony spasms, mouth gaping and eyes wide with shock. His legs jerk, and his free hand curls around the armrest, knuckles turning white.
After prolonged seconds, Pepper pulls her hands away, and his body sags into the chair.
Setting the probe down on the work bench, Pepper says, “You know, I think you’re right. That may have been therapeutic after all.”
She takes off the ring - a custom creation insulated by rubber where it touches her skin yet wired discreetly along her palm to a twelve-volt - and pulls the battery from her jacket sleeve.
His eyes follow her every move avidly, his mouth remaining an O.
“Even though that wasn’t enough current to really hurt you very much.” Smiling her slightly-catty-but-still-within-professional-parameters smile #3, she turns on one heel to walk away, jauntiness making her steps ring loudly in the large space.
She’s just about to the door and thinking she’s finally bested him when his voice calls out.
“Potts, you dirty girl! If I’d had any idea you actually liked inflicting a little pain, we could have been doing some interesting things all -”
Unflinching from long practice, she keeps going until the glass door snicks shut behind her, cutting him off.
She sighs. Goddamn pervert-genius.