raynos
in
picfor1000
Let's Face the Music and Dance (movie! Ironman)
Title: Let's Face the Music and Dance
Author: raynos
Fandom: movie!Ironman
Warnings: Spoilers for the whole movie
Summary: "They don’t make movies like this anymore."
A/N: THANK YOU tenebris for reminding me how much I love the song in the title and for the SPEED BETA
Pic is here
“Sorry Pepper,” Happy begins, and Pepper refrains from the urge to tell him to drop her an email instead so that she can conveniently forget about it in the mess that is Tony’s mailbox. By Tony's schedule, he is three hours late for a board presentation where he is the main presenter. Her appointment book says he'll be on time if he makes it there in an hour. Pepper has learnt to account for Tony Stark time when making appointments.
But Pepper doesn’t expect it when Happy says, “I think I’ve lost Mr Stark.”
“Lost?” Pepper hears herself repeating before her brain catches up. “He took the Audi, didn’t he?”
“ ‘Fraid so. He’s not answering his cell either.”
Pepper exhales. The good thing about the Bluetooth earpiece is that it frees up her hands so that she can do things like straighten her files and rummage for her pencil to distract herself from thinking uncharitable (but deserved) thoughts about her boss.
“I guess we’ll have to go to Plan C then.”
“Roger that ma’am.”
Happy finds Tony soon enough. Getting him out of where he’s squirrelled himself is another matter.
‘Where’ is a drive-in theatre. Pepper doesn’t see what attracted Tony to this hulk of rusting metal and loose gravel and other things that could scratch the Audi. (Driving is different. Tony drives the way he invents: fast and wild and with little accidents.) Still, the DVD-quality of the film is out of place enough that Pepper crunches her way in.
She spots the Audi almost immediately. Tony, as usual, has found the best place. She can feel the vibrations from the built-in surround sound as she raps on the car window.
“Have you seen this movie?” says Tony by way of greeting as the window rolled down.
“Did you even listen to what Happy said?” Pepper greets him in return. The radio threatens to drown out her voice.
“He did say I should be some place somewhere some time about now. And the appearance of your lovely self is further proof.”
“Then why aren’t you at some place somewhere now, Mr Stark?”
“Pepper. When was the last time you saw one of these movies?”
Pepper glances at the screen and the black and white images. “I can’t say, Mr Stark, because you keep me busy enough rescheduling appointments - ”
But Tony has already popped open the door. He leans over and takes her wrist, the calluses on his palm rough against her skin as he tugs gently. “C’mon. This is a good one.”
She should say no, but then Tony would shrug and shut the door again. So she slides into the front seat. She also reaches over and turns off the radio. Tony doesn’t say anything in the sudden silence, but he widens his eyes in an amusingly childish manner Pepper might be immune to if he wasn’t holding her wrist far too gently.
“We need to talk, Mr Stark,” she says, glad there is no betraying quiver in her voice. “Or rather, I need to talk and you need to listen, because you are very late for a board meeting that you absolutely have to attend.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to listen to this exchange? It’s the best part of the whole movie.”
“No,” says Pepper, because one exchange will become another and eventually the rest of the movie, and she doesn’t think she can sit through a whole movie with him holding her hand.
“They don’t make movies like this anymore,” says Tony thoughtfully. He rubs a thumb over the back of her hand, and she would say something about the inappropriateness if she could trust herself to speak. “No dime-a-dozen conversations, only sparkling wit. See that handsome guy? He’s had a drink or six and yet he’s able to banter with the love of his life.”
“Instead of falling on his face and calling loudly for more drinks?”
Tony waves the image away, but he grins at Pepper in a way that suggests he is thinking of the many inappropriate situations Pepper’s found him in. “Leading men don’t do that. See his handsome face and devillish charm? And that’s the leading lady, and that’s the villain - ”
Pepper recognises this silence. It’s the same silence when Tony goes through his old projects, or family photos, or when someone asks him when he’s going to replace his deputy CEO - tragic accident really, but you can’t grieve for Obadiah forever - and she realises one thing.
Tony Stark has never needed to attend a board meeting in his life.
So she does what she always does when she finds him in these silences - she puts her hand on top of his, and sits with him.
“Mr Stark,” she says after what seems like an eternity. He turns to her and it seems like he’s sitting a little too close, and the Audi seems a little too small.
“You’re crushing my hand.”
He lets go a little too fast, which Pepper ignores in favour of getting the feeling back to her wrist. Tony’s hands go to the steering wheel, and he gives her a little grin. “So where’s this meeting?”
“Happy will be in charge of transportation. And no, Mr Stark, your pouting has not and will not work on me.”
Tony maintains his petulant expression. “And what about my car?”
“I’ll be here, Mr Stark.”
Happy comes soon enough and joins in the task of coaxing Tony to the other car. It takes three exchanges, two bribes (from Tony) and one instance of gentle manhandling. Pepper does her best not to sag against the Audi as Happy gets the car into gear. Once they are gone, she taps her earpiece and makes a call for someone to pick up the car. She had left Tony’s presentation materials with Happy, and if Tony really needs to ask “And what’s this slide for again, Pepper?” he knows her number.
She’ll be right here if he needs her.
Author: raynos
Fandom: movie!Ironman
Warnings: Spoilers for the whole movie
Summary: "They don’t make movies like this anymore."
A/N: THANK YOU tenebris for reminding me how much I love the song in the title and for the SPEED BETA
Pic is here
“Sorry Pepper,” Happy begins, and Pepper refrains from the urge to tell him to drop her an email instead so that she can conveniently forget about it in the mess that is Tony’s mailbox. By Tony's schedule, he is three hours late for a board presentation where he is the main presenter. Her appointment book says he'll be on time if he makes it there in an hour. Pepper has learnt to account for Tony Stark time when making appointments.
But Pepper doesn’t expect it when Happy says, “I think I’ve lost Mr Stark.”
“Lost?” Pepper hears herself repeating before her brain catches up. “He took the Audi, didn’t he?”
“ ‘Fraid so. He’s not answering his cell either.”
Pepper exhales. The good thing about the Bluetooth earpiece is that it frees up her hands so that she can do things like straighten her files and rummage for her pencil to distract herself from thinking uncharitable (but deserved) thoughts about her boss.
“I guess we’ll have to go to Plan C then.”
“Roger that ma’am.”
Happy finds Tony soon enough. Getting him out of where he’s squirrelled himself is another matter.
‘Where’ is a drive-in theatre. Pepper doesn’t see what attracted Tony to this hulk of rusting metal and loose gravel and other things that could scratch the Audi. (Driving is different. Tony drives the way he invents: fast and wild and with little accidents.) Still, the DVD-quality of the film is out of place enough that Pepper crunches her way in.
She spots the Audi almost immediately. Tony, as usual, has found the best place. She can feel the vibrations from the built-in surround sound as she raps on the car window.
“Have you seen this movie?” says Tony by way of greeting as the window rolled down.
“Did you even listen to what Happy said?” Pepper greets him in return. The radio threatens to drown out her voice.
“He did say I should be some place somewhere some time about now. And the appearance of your lovely self is further proof.”
“Then why aren’t you at some place somewhere now, Mr Stark?”
“Pepper. When was the last time you saw one of these movies?”
Pepper glances at the screen and the black and white images. “I can’t say, Mr Stark, because you keep me busy enough rescheduling appointments - ”
But Tony has already popped open the door. He leans over and takes her wrist, the calluses on his palm rough against her skin as he tugs gently. “C’mon. This is a good one.”
She should say no, but then Tony would shrug and shut the door again. So she slides into the front seat. She also reaches over and turns off the radio. Tony doesn’t say anything in the sudden silence, but he widens his eyes in an amusingly childish manner Pepper might be immune to if he wasn’t holding her wrist far too gently.
“We need to talk, Mr Stark,” she says, glad there is no betraying quiver in her voice. “Or rather, I need to talk and you need to listen, because you are very late for a board meeting that you absolutely have to attend.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to listen to this exchange? It’s the best part of the whole movie.”
“No,” says Pepper, because one exchange will become another and eventually the rest of the movie, and she doesn’t think she can sit through a whole movie with him holding her hand.
“They don’t make movies like this anymore,” says Tony thoughtfully. He rubs a thumb over the back of her hand, and she would say something about the inappropriateness if she could trust herself to speak. “No dime-a-dozen conversations, only sparkling wit. See that handsome guy? He’s had a drink or six and yet he’s able to banter with the love of his life.”
“Instead of falling on his face and calling loudly for more drinks?”
Tony waves the image away, but he grins at Pepper in a way that suggests he is thinking of the many inappropriate situations Pepper’s found him in. “Leading men don’t do that. See his handsome face and devillish charm? And that’s the leading lady, and that’s the villain - ”
Pepper recognises this silence. It’s the same silence when Tony goes through his old projects, or family photos, or when someone asks him when he’s going to replace his deputy CEO - tragic accident really, but you can’t grieve for Obadiah forever - and she realises one thing.
Tony Stark has never needed to attend a board meeting in his life.
So she does what she always does when she finds him in these silences - she puts her hand on top of his, and sits with him.
“Mr Stark,” she says after what seems like an eternity. He turns to her and it seems like he’s sitting a little too close, and the Audi seems a little too small.
“You’re crushing my hand.”
He lets go a little too fast, which Pepper ignores in favour of getting the feeling back to her wrist. Tony’s hands go to the steering wheel, and he gives her a little grin. “So where’s this meeting?”
“Happy will be in charge of transportation. And no, Mr Stark, your pouting has not and will not work on me.”
Tony maintains his petulant expression. “And what about my car?”
“I’ll be here, Mr Stark.”
Happy comes soon enough and joins in the task of coaxing Tony to the other car. It takes three exchanges, two bribes (from Tony) and one instance of gentle manhandling. Pepper does her best not to sag against the Audi as Happy gets the car into gear. Once they are gone, she taps her earpiece and makes a call for someone to pick up the car. She had left Tony’s presentation materials with Happy, and if Tony really needs to ask “And what’s this slide for again, Pepper?” he knows her number.
She’ll be right here if he needs her.