He made some bad investments.

[letmetakeaselfie]

After working with her at the Battle of New York, Tony had come to respect Rescue -- and the woman behind the suit, of course. But to say they were friends was a gross overshot. Pepper and he could get along. They both had tough shells and were ready equipped with all sorts of sarcasm and wit to deflect any unwanted attention. Because they were essentially Iron Man and Iron Woman, however, the press had their own ideas about the relationship between the pair.

Nick had phoned earlier to tell them about a recent threat, and words came out of his mouth that Tony was pretty sure he misheard. So he made the other man repeat them like, three times. But they didn't change. SHIELD wanted Rescue and Iron Man to shack up, publically. "Officially" so that when the bad guys came they'd have two heroes to contend with, but also so they'd think they were each other's weakness. Since they were only teammates, what could be the harm?

Before he knew it, a press release was set for the morning and Pepper Potts was on her way over to the Tower to move in. He had about a thousand rooms in the place, but if Dr. Doom did find his way inside they should be together just in case. It's all very -- sudden for a man who's never even had a girlfriend. And he still doesn't, but he has to convince the world he does. #Awkward.

"Welcome to Stark Tower, Ms. Potts. And please..."

"Wipe your feet," Tony interrupts JARVIS and his big, sweeping introduction, lifting his eyebrows as he watches her arrival. Should he help her with her stuff...? Probably. After a beat's hesitation, he moves to grab the larger of her two bags.

"Enjoy your stay," JARVIS corrects steadfastly, much to Tony's chagrin. But he offers up a meek little smile for her all the same.

Comments

[efficacy]

"Maybe," she says casually and purses her lips, unconcerned about being caught but instead teasing back as she returns her eyes on her tablet. "Nice glasses," she adds, and actually means it, too.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He snorts, thinking he's being made fun of. He doesn't actually mind, though. "All the better to see you with, my dear." Tony winks over at her before going back to his text.

[efficacy]

She huffs a tiny, breathy laugh at that before she can stop herself. "Well, I do like to be seen." She doesn't even think about her response until it's out of her mouth. Whattt? "I mean. Not like..." She rolls her lips into her mouth against the rampant smile that wants to break free at her own silliness, cheeks pinking again as her eyes stay stubbornly nailed to the screen of her tablet. She's just going to be quiet now, god.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He pauses, but carefully trains his eyes on the text in front of him. Which actually doesn't make it any better because Rhodey's text was about Pepper anyway of course it was. He feels like he's sneaking something talking about her while she's laying right there, and then she has to say something like that. He knows he started it, but goddamn that's... Unable to keep himself from it any longer, he turns fully towards her and lets out a startled bark of a laugh in her direction. Is it just him or are they both exceptionally awkward human beings??? Jesus.

"Rhodey's asking me about you," he admits, putting the screen under her nose so she can see and shifting closer with the motion. He's already typed and erased like fifty texts and now she can probably put two and two together, oops. You thought he was doing work or something didn't you.

[efficacy]

She's not usually this bad!!! But this is kind of a weird situation and there's something about him that just throws her -- and not necessarily in a bad way, exactly.

She has to jerk her head back a little when he suddenly shoves his phone in her face, dropping her tablet on her lap and grabbing his wrist gently before she can fully process the move to pull his hand a little further so she can read the text without going cross-eyed. She hadn't really speculated what he was doing -- that's his business -- but no, she wasn't expecting this. Pepper turns her head to look at him and only now realizes how close they are, swallowing a little. No really, those glasses look ridiculously good on him.

"Don't forget to tell him I kicked your ass during sparring," she recovers after a beat to snark, lips quirking lopsidedly. Tie, what tie??

[letmetakeaselfie]

His eyes push open wide behind his glasses at the grab to his hand. He recovers quickly, steadying his grip so she can read better. He's struck with that same feeling as before suddenly, wanting to get even closer though the situation doesn't call for it on any practical level. Tony scoots even further towards her until their shoulders bump, pushing one leg under the covers so he doesn't trap her inside with the move.

"You took the words right out of my... fingers." He mimicks her swallow unconsciously, a small, almost wan smile coming to his lips.

[efficacy]

Her eyes snap back up to meet his at the bump to her shoulder, having drifted back down to the phone. He's close enough now for her to smell the soap he'd used on his skin, the scent making her tummy tingle; this whole room down to the bedsheets smells like a man, mixing with the flowery wafts she catches off her own hair occasionally. The combination is frankly making her just a little lightheaded.

She abruptly realizes she's still holding on to Tony's wrist, letting go with a slight intake of breath, licking her lips involuntarily as she struggles to jog her brain. "Do they... know the truth? Your friends." Rhodey and Happy, she means. She's actually not sure how that's been handled.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Oh, Jimmy knows," he assures her, rolling his eyes a little at the question. He finds himself... bereft when she lets go, but pulls his hand back to his side in order to text him back for real. He's probably asleep, the text was sent hours ago. "Not like I had to tell him or anything. He's known me since I was fifteen, and he knows better than anyone that no woman would live with me voluntarily."

Though again, it's entirely unneeded, Tony stays right where he is, shoulder brushing hers as he swipes out the reply they'd talked about -- Pepper wiping the floor with him, that is. "I've just been avoiding Happy like the plague." He loves him to death, but he'd be all about this in the worst rom-com way, he's been putting off telling him anything at all. The press release will bring all sorts of questions, his phone will be blowing up the second it goes live. "I should probably warn him, but... this way seems more fun."

[efficacy]

"Oh, come on," she admonishes softly, giving him a little look. "That's not true."

She really does think he's underselling himself, here. Not saying he's the easiest person to deal, much less live with, but she's sure there are women out there who'd happily take the challenge. She chooses not to examine the twinge of what smacks vaguely like jealousy at the thought, because that's just... ridiculous. And something.

Happy, let's talk about Happy. "That sounds a little mean," she says with a faint edge of a laugh in her tone.

[letmetakeaselfie]

She really needs to stop catching him off guard with this stuff. Tony frowns, shrugging one shoulder as he closes the conversation window and goes into Happy's messages again. "You don't have to say that to save my ego." Not that Pepper does that, but he finds it really hard to believe all the same. He's just as grateful for the subject change and latches on greedily.

"You don't know him like I do. And it's only mean if it actually gives him a heart attack." Which isn't too far out of the realm of possibilities tbh. If she should look over she'd see about a thousand messages, short and panicky in content. They take up far more than the viewing screen without a single reply from Tony to break them up so it's clear they're all from today. There's even more from the last twelve hours if you scroll up, too. "He requires a little... tough love."

[efficacy]

"He's just looking out for you," she counters, torn between amusement and feeling bad for Happy's obvious worry. "I mean, look at that, the man's obviously frantic."

She waves a hand toward his phone in emphasis, not able to see exactly what Happy is saying in his texts but there sure are a lot of them, short and succinct. Although Pepper is a tiny bit bemused as to the source of Happy's fluster, unable to keep from joking, "He does know I'm Rescue and not Black Widow, right?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

Tony laughs, twitching his nose to keep his glasses up. It's a hearty, round laugh. Not nervous or awkward as before. This is really starting to feel... nice. He can't remember the last time he had someone to talk to late at night.

"JARVIS must have sold me out, I didn't even tell him who it was." He scrolls up and back down again, clearly at a loss. "But no, you're the hot one as far as he's concerned." Well, okay, Tony and he may have come to an agreement on that front.

[efficacy]

Laughter suits him. She doesn't think she's ever seen him laugh so genuinely before, her own lips pulling into a smile at the sight.

"Oh?" She chuckles at the response, glancing at her tablet without really seeing anything, cheeks pinking just a little again. Teasingly, she adds, "Maybe I should have shacked up with him, then."

[letmetakeaselfie]

A strange tingle of... something claws at his insides. He bites into his lip and throws his phone aside. He can deal with Hogan later. Tony pulls off his glasses and rubs at his eyes. "Look, I know you'd probably rather be anywhere else, but..." He looks over at her, eyes crossing a bit from their close proximity. "I'm really glad, you know. All things considered, that... You know." She probably doesn't. That it's you just seems intimate.

[efficacy]

"I know?" It's a gentle tease, lips hitching into a tiny smile at the repetition, but she sobers up soon. She'd rather not have him thinking that way if she can help it; not when it isn't true. "No, I wouldn't. I mean, it's not some terrible chore, being here. It's actually proving... quite nice."

Her gaze strays down to his lips unbidden, catching herself a moment too late. Clearing her throat, she gives a little embarrassed smile and turns her head, ostensibly to shut down the tablet.

[letmetakeaselfie]

The way she says that makes his cheeks burn in a way he can feel, turning away abruptly when she does, his heart inexplicably picking up speed. He wonders if she can hear it beat, or maybe the constant whir of the arc reactor alongside it that he's long ago tuned out. He thinks it's probably white noise though he should try to sleep on his other side so she doesn't have to deal with the light. "You said it better than me," he admits, nodding succinctly.

He picks up his phone and puts it back on the top of the table, slipping his other leg under the blankets and tugging experimentally on them to make sure he won't disturb her with the motion later. "Are you, um. Ready for the light to go out? I just want to, warn you that the reactor is really bright and if it bothers you..." Feeling strangely self-conscious about it in a way he hasn't in a long time, he moves to hunker down and and draw the top blanket up around his throat so he can poke one foot out the other side.

[efficacy]

Pepper sets aside the powered down tablet before turning her head and nodding with a small smile. "Yeah. It's been a busy day." Well, maybe not busy in a traditional sense, but it's been... a lot. She's pretty tired, so much so that going to sleep in the same bed as Tony doesn't faze her as much now as it did earlier in the day.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Really," she dismisses his concern over the arc gently, following suit and tucking herself in after fluffing her pillow. Every bit of her except her face is covered, blankets pulled up to her chin; not because she's bashful or anything but because she gets cold so easily during the night. Lightly, she adds, "I'll be sure to poke you or something if it becomes a problem."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Jarvis," he mutters sleepily, like he probably did when he was a kid. The lights go out instantly, like a candle being blown out. His leg taps hers in a quest for more blankets, grateful she can't see how flustered the simple accidental brush makes him.

"Please do." Poke him. That's weird, but whatever. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to will sleep to come. As per usual, shutting out the lights and actually hunkering down only makes his mind spring to life with all that tomorrow will bring, good and bad.

[efficacy]

She's glad the dark hides her own reaction to that tap, sure that she looks equally startled, but she's quick to get over it. She inhales a deep breath and lets it out through her nose, sighing a little as she burrows deeper into the soft bedding, rolling to her side facing him and shoving her hand under her pillow, folding her other arm close to her chest. The darkness sharpens her other senses and she can now catch the faintest whir of the arc over the soft noises of her breathing and moving about, but it doesn't bother her.

"Good night, Tony," she bids softly, her eyes already closed and a slightly drowsy edge to her voice. Maybe later she'd contemplate how easy it really was to fall asleep with him next to her; the amount of trust it signifies. She's too tired all of the sudden to worry about tomorrow.

[letmetakeaselfie]

There's a soft smile audible in his reply. "Good night, Pepper." He thinks he likes being on a first name basis with her, though he can't explain why such a simple thing gets under his skin. He tries desperately to call upon the drowsiness he'd felt lying on the mat in the gym not too long ago. But now it's predictably gone. He's alone in the dark with his thoughts and that never helps him accomplish much at the end of it all.

For an hour or so, Tony actively tries to follow her into sleep, but then he's turning over in frustration, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before his curiosity gets the better of him. He moves as subtly as he can onto his side facing her, the blue tendrils of light that escape through his shirt framing her peaceful countenance perfectly. He can't say for sure why, but laying there next to her and observing her sleep helps him relax. Watching her for another hour at least he's eventually able to drift off, face only a half-pillow's space from hers.

[efficacy]

Pepper sleeps soundly, not bothered by Tony's difficulties in doing the same. She never wakes even as he stirs beside her, not even when he watches her slumber in the faint light of the arc bleeding through his shirt before eventually following her. She remains unconscious to it all, just as she does when she rolls on her belly in the wee hours of the night so that her side presses up against him, her body gladly gravitating toward his blissful warmth without consent from her mind.

[letmetakeaselfie]

His eyes flutter at the move, letting out a soft sound of unconscious approva. Equally unconsciously, he tangles their legs and nudges an arm around her, nuzzling his way onto her pillow. He remains like that until morning, still sleeping soundly far past his usual waking hour. It's too pleasant -- too warm. A part of him is trying to push its way through, but the rest keeps getting dragged back under. Without any awareness, his first conscious thought is that he doesn't want to wake up at all. That whatever is happening feels too good to end now.

[efficacy]

Pepper is mired in the same sensation of utter contentment even as she begins to slowly wake up, a soft, sleepy noise escaping her as she stirs, gently arching and pressing further into the embrace of the warm, solid body. ...Wait, what? Slowly, she begins to understand what's happened as sleep gives way to awareness -- of several sorts. She's suddenly indeed completely aware of how tangled up she and Tony have become during the night; and just how nice it feels. More than nice, it feels... safe, comfortable. Right in a way she can't explain. And maybe a little sexy, too.

Yeah, she should move away. That's the sensible thing to do. But maybe just a moment longer won't hurt.

[letmetakeaselfie]

The way she shifts closer is more than a little sexy according to certain parts of him, determined to wake long before he can crawl his way to the surface. It's been a long time since he slept that nicely and before he can stop himself he's pushing his nose into her throat, thinking again how heavenly her hair smells. Wait -- who's hair? It takes him several seconds longer to realize what's happened, slowly blinking eyes open heavy with sleep.

Does he apologize? Does he break away and pretend this never happened? All of it seems too awkward to reconcile with, instead deliberately burrowing closer where she can't see his face. Which of course only exacerbates things. Not only is he sporting half a boner, but now the arc reactor presses into her too and that can't possibly be comfortable. But she's so... warm. This feels right, and now he's freaked right the hell out.

"...Morning." It's more of a mumbled realization than a greeting, but okay. He officially admits to being awake. Help him.

[efficacy]

She can't help the soft intake of breath at the way he burrows closer, a faint, almost kittenish noise escaping her; clearly one of enjoyment and not of objection, causing a little shudder to run through her at the contact -- both the unfamiliar press of the arc reactor and the more familiar beginnings of morning wood against her thigh. An embarrassed blush rises to her cheeks both at the little noise she made and the way her nipples tighten into hard peaks involuntarily at it all. She prays it's not noticeable as she struggles to collect her wits and instill some balance into the situation.

"Good morning," she returns, voice only slightly shaky. She clears her throat delicately to get rid of the wobble. "How'd you sleep?"

She's hoping the best way to handle with this is to just not make a big deal out of it. They're both consenting adults with no significant others, nobody's being hurt by a little unwitting snuggling. Right?