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

[billionaires]

It's like a static charge, zipping through such a simple contact. He looks at her like she did it on purpose for a second before doubling down on his task. "Getting me on track is a fulltime job, pumpkin. Are you sure you're up for it?"

[efficacy]

It's a challenge as much as a tease, and she can never turn down either. Glancing at him under her lashes, she gives a small, crooked smirk. "Please. I think I could handle you and your track, love muffin."

[billionaires]

Love muffin. He has to laugh at that one, handing over the second bowl. Because he's not looking their arms press and he has to take a sharp inhale to feel steady again. What is that? And why can he only think about getting more of the same? "Then you'd be the only one who ever could." It lacks some of the joke as though he'd forgotten to carry it over. But really, she would be. There's no real point mincing words over it.

[efficacy]

Her lips pull into a smile when he laughs; she can't help but be gratified at making him laugh. Which sounds... a little mushy, but she can deal with that. The press of their arms is warm and familiar by now, which is slightly alarming but nowhere nearly as much as how nice it feels and how much she'd like to feel it again.

"Hmm. And how many have tried?" she asks to distract herself with genuine curiosity rather than (just) teasing him.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"I lost count of how many assistants I've had over the years." Until he'd eventually given up and just become Howard Hughes. "But you know I've never... You know." Had a real girlfriend or anything. He shrugs a shoulder and gets to work scrubbing the pan.

[efficacy]

"Maybe that's the problem, then." She shrugs too, their arms brushing again at the movement. She puts away the second bowl while he starts on the pan. "A girlfriend might whip you into shape more effectively than an employee fearing for their job. Or you just never came across the right kind of assistant."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He huffs out a ghost of a laugh, nodding as he turns the pan over and over again. It's probably been clean for a good ten seconds but he's still checking it. "Yeah... You're right. I was too much of a jerk back then to get either or, anyway."

[efficacy]

"Well..." she begins softly, hands braced on the edge of the sink as she watches Tony turn the pan around -- it's strangely hypnotic, almost, only now realizing how appealing she finds his hands. Wetting her lips idly, she notes equally softly, "It's not too late yet for either of those."

You know... for real. Since this isn't. Real. And she needs to keep that in mind, no matter the moments in between when this makebelieve feels anything but fake.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Kind of is," he protests, looking a little resigned as he finally hands over the piece of cookery. He doesn't leave the house, his only socialization is with... well, her. And the other Avengers but he sure isn't attracted to them.

Wait -- what? He swallows, his throat suddenly dry as the turn towards her highlights just how close they are. How easy it would be to...

"Do you want to watch a movie? I let my Netflix queue get out of control again." How that's supposed to help dispel this awkward tension he really doesn't know.

[efficacy]

Pepper turns her head toward him with a frown that's not so much displeased as it is sad. She wants to protest, to champion the fact that there's someone out there for him too, but words get robbed from her when she realizes the twinge in her gut at the thought is some kind of proprietary jealousy. She scolds herself. Just because they slept in the same bed last night and woke up cuddling while in this fake relationship doesn't mean he is hers, or anything so stupid as that. Why would he even want her?

They really are close. Her lids droop a little as her gaze dips from his eyes down to his mouth, startling even herself. Blood rushes to her cheeks and she tears her eyes away, turning her head as she focuses on drying the pan. "Y-es," she starts a little shakily at first, wetting her dry lips with her tongue. "A movie would be nice, actually. Unless it's something about a lot of things blowing up. I think we get enough of that at work."

[letmetakeaselfie]

She turns away quickly and he takes it as a hint that he's standing too close, taking a shuffling step away from her now that his task is done. He borrows the towel back when she's done to wipe off his hands before tossing it back down and going to pour himself more coffee now that his is cold. The effect of being away from her is instantaneous, like he can breathe again. But it wasn't stifling so much as -- exciting. He finds he misses it already.

"I think we can find a way to hook that up." He's not really feeling much like watching things blow up, either, which would usually be a hint that he's sick or something.

[efficacy]

"Great," she comments, desperate to move past that moment, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water for herself. "I think I'm in the mood for some kind of fun adventure. How do you feel about Indiana Jones? Unless you have something that fits the bill on your queue."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He swivels his head lazily to look at her, considering her suggestion with apparent delicacy. "Have you seen the new one?"

[efficacy]

Pepper can't help the minute wince that crosses her expression at the question. They will either totally agree or entirely disgaree about this. "Yeah, but I didn't think it was that great? I mean, it was fine until the last half hour or so. What was that ending?" Aliens in an Indiana Jones movie? Come on, son.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Come on, how else were they supposed to end it? With more Nazis?" But he can't really defend the honor of something starring Shia LeBeouf so he finds himself crumbling not a second later, a throaty chuckle leaving his lips. "Okay, it was bad. But like, satisfyingly so."

[efficacy]

"Why not? Everyone knows the Nazis are Indy's old nemeses." Maybe aliens were more pc than Nazis in the year two thousand and something. Whatever. She smirks a little. "So bad it made it good?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

"What, you've never heard of that?" That's kind of like, his thing if you haven't noticed. Ideas so terrible they work.

[efficacy]

"How could I have not, working with you?" she deadpans with a lopsided smile.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He bites his lip, but a laugh bursts forth anyway, having to watch his cup to make sure he doesn't splatter coffee all over the floor. Tony can't remember the last time he laughed so much in succession, his belly is starting to hurt. "How about Tomb Raider?"

[efficacy]

The same sense of satisfaction as before at making him laugh makes itself known once more, settling warmly in her belly like a glass of fine wine. She makes a little sound of agreement at the suggestion, shrugging a little. "Sure. I haven't seen that one."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"You've. You've never seen Tomb Raider?" Oh no. Nope, this will not stand. He's clearly horrified. "Alright, there's no way you're getting out of this now. I'll set us up in the living room." Which is where he's heading now, shooting her one last look of incredulousness.


Tony's glad to have a few seconds to breathe, sitting in the middle of the couch while he queues up the movie and finishes the last bit of coffee. He thought it would be harder to spend time with Pepper, quite frankly, but he's finding himself looking forward to when she walks into the room even after his brief reprieve.

[efficacy]

Pepper arches a brow, not having expected him to feel so strongly about Tomb Raider of all things. Shrugging again, Pepper glances up to ask JARVIS something. She joins Tony in the living room a while later with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and a bottle of water for them both, taking a seat next to him.

"Isn't this based on that video game made by lonely coder nerds who've apparently never seen a real woman up close?" she asks dryly as she hands him his bottle, settling the bowl within easy reach of them both. It's clear she has some preconceived notions about this movie possibly being colored a certain way. A sexist way.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He scoots over a little automatically to make more room, though he can't reconcile the pang of regret the action brings. Tony takes the water bottle without looking away from her, strangely touched by her consideration of such a simple thing.

"Yep. That's the one." It's not like it's worth taking the bait before she's seen this masterpiece okay. He's actually pretty excited to get her take on it. "Ready to have your mind blown by lonely coder nerds?" If not he's starting anyway before taking a handful of popcorn and crossing one leg over the other.

[efficacy]

"Like, totes ready," she deadpans with a smirk curving at her lips, popping a kernel in her mouth and leaning back as she lifts her feet on the couch, sitting cross-legged. Fine, she'll try to have an open mind about this!!

[letmetakeaselfie]

Tony leans back against the sofa with a tiny sigh, reluctantly shifting his gaze from her to the screen as the opening scene of Angelina (you guessed it) raiding a tomb plays out. He noisily eats popcorn the whole way, but otherwise seems engrossed enough to stay quiet. Which is a rare feat for him as she knows.