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

[letmetakeaselfie]

He nods, petting over her hair as her words tinge him with relief. "We're drunk," he spits out on a breathless little laugh, but he doesn't show signs of moving away any time soon. In fact, he leans in again, kissing her sweetly this time, briefly but nowhere near chaste. His lungs burn from it, but instead of backing off completely he continuously brushes his lips against hers as he slowly lets air back into his chest in between. His body is starting to show signs that it wants for more, but Tony just wants to kiss her until he passes out when he inevitably fucks up and not enough oxygen gets to his brain to keep him conscious. It's all very overwhelming.

[efficacy]

"Yeah, we..." she trails off when he kisses her all over again, her eyes closing at the sweet contact. She sighs when it winds down, her warm breath fanning against his lips, humming softly when he keeps brushing his mouth to hers. "We probably... should..." stop, but she can't seem to get the last word out, murmuring in between the gentle touches of their lips.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Probably," he agrees easily, like she had finished her sentence aloud. He rests his forehead against hers and tries to wrangle his emotions, unsure how he'd gotten so wrapped up in hindsight. But then he remembers that they still have the whole day ahead of them... He doesn't want to sober up or go to work or any of the usual things he'd be determined to do on a free day such as this. He remains close and waits to see if she has any more insight to offer.

[efficacy]

Grasping his shoulders again and leaning into the touch, Pepper licks her lips. She can still taste a lingering hint of vodka and Tony on her tongue. She has no more insights to offer just a sudden realization:

"I... think I need a little nap," she says slowly, perhaps unexpectedly. But really, she suddenly feels pretty drunk and she's not sure whether it's the alcohol or the kisses. Or both.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He likes the way that feels, her hands on him in general, but something about this... Well, everything about their precarious position on the couch is pleasant, but that's beside the point. Tony carefully pulls back enough to meet her eyes, not exactly sure how to transition here. She's saying one thing and doing another -- but asking to make out had turned out okay for him and so after a beat or two of uncertainty, he decides to just ask. "Do you want company?" For the nap. He could use one too, honestly, and it would pass even more time. Obviously that's what's important here.

[efficacy]

"...Sure. Why not?" she agrees rather easily after a beat of processing the question. "It's still your bed." Which is a convenient excuse, isn't it? She shouldn't downright admit that she'd quite like it if he did join her, after all. Her hands slip down from his shoulders as she tries to get off the couch somewhat gracefully (or not), reaching out to tug on his hand once she does.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He smiles, allowing himself to be led just as easily, trailing behind her without letting go of her hand. "Yeah, but I have others." He would still rather be in his with her at this moment, not that he's willing to say as much either. "Water," he reminds her, tugging her hand as he stops by the fridge for two water bottles. They'll need these.

[efficacy]

"Oh. Smart." Pepper taps the side of her nose playfully, laughing a little as she continues to tug him along after their brief stop. Once in the bedroom, she wastes no time waffling or being self-conscious. She's too sleepy and tipsy, respectively, for either. Instead she drags Tony up on the sinfully comfortable bed after her, flopping down on her side. Pepper barely gives him time to set aside the bottles before tugging gently on him again, pulling him next to her -- his front against her back -- and drawing his arm over her middle, pressing their joined hands against her chest as casually as anything. Closing her eyes, she snuggles her face into the pillows with a sigh.

"Mm. 'S good," she mumbles. He's nice and warm at her back, lulling her further.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He laughs, but then nods, managing to take a sip of his water before setting them on the side table and falling into the bed after her. Tony hooks an ankle around hers, happy to be close as he tucks his hand under his pillow and nuzzles into her throat from behind. Usually, he'd worry about the reactor, but she doesn't react to it at all and so he settles easily enough, wrapping her up the way he directs him to. It takes him no time at all to drift off this way, and he sleeps uninterrupted for a few hours, perfectly content and breathing even.

When he does wake, it's uncharacteristically slow, letting out sleepy little mumbles into her hair as he stretches without ever moving away from her. Though they have shifted some in the night, one of his arms wrapped securely and possessively around her middle as she'd turned towards him onto her back during their nap. Every limb he has available is clinging to her not unlike an octopus, his other hand idly cupping one breast as if in announcement that this too is his. The stirrings of an erection is confined against her hip, parts of his anatomy rousing merely from being close and warm.

[efficacy]

Pepper's body is fighting against consciousness at every step, way too comfortable to rouse completely just yet. She burrows further into the bedding and Tony's octopus-like embrace, nuzzling her face like a sleepy cat against his throat. His shifting starts to bring her out of deepest sleep despite her reluctance to wake, though, letting out a quiet noise that's almost a whine and a deep sigh that fans against his skin. Not every part of her is asleep, however, her nipple firming up under his palm and pushing against his hand through the few layers separating them, very interested in that sort of attention.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Encouraged by her body's reaction, though he's still at the edge of waking himself, Tony's calloused fingers rub over her shirt over the sheet they'd become hopelessly tangled in, humming contentedly into her ear as her nipple tightens up even further by his touch. If he had even the vaguest clue of what he was doing right now he'd be horrified, but as it is, his thigh works between her legs, gently trying to encourage her to react in other ways. His lips touch her throat softly, mouthing not-quite-kisses against her skin.

[efficacy]

She lets out a throaty little moan at the way his fingers tend to her nipple, pebbling into a tighter peak at the attention. Heat travels down her body, arching gently into him in that hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, head tipping back on the pillows to expose more of her neck to soft sensation of his trailing lips. She pulls in a deep breath, consciousness emerging with everything going on, finally coming to with a gasp -- startled and aroused in equal measures when her eyes open, cheeks flushing deep pink and heart hammering rapidly.

"Tony..." she stammers a little, tensing up some; her knees clamp down around his thigh to keep it from venturing higher still, one dainty hand clasping his wrist; but she doesn't pull his hand off her breast yet, her whole body going still as she waits, breath shuddering past her parted lips in soft pants.

[letmetakeaselfie]

The way she moves back against him is glorious, but he too feels the shift, eyes popping open at her sharp intake of breath. He's frozen there, hopelessly entwined and with her hand being the practical one of course. His name from her lips in such an unshielded, emotional way has his abdomen tightening up, somehow aroused even further though Tony is trying to get it all stop.

"Pepper," he utters huskily against her ear, though it was meant to be a greeting. His first instinct is to unwind himself and run away but that doesn't really seem to be an option. His heart too is hammering doubletime, though the reactor continues its steady and unchanging whir next door. His knee drops first, delicately angling himself away from her so the weight of his erection isn't pressed against her anymore. He unhands her chest next, albeit slowly and in stages so as not to dislodge her hand from his. "Oh my god, I am so sorry." And mortified, and... turned on. Looks like it's another cold shower for him today.

[efficacy]

Pepper breathes sharply at the husky utterance of her name into her sensitive ear, biting back a whimper though a tiny, thready sound still escapes. Wetting her lips, she swallows thickly and lets go of his wrist, albeit slowly. Her head is spinning from their closeness and aching from the alcohol, making it abundantly clear that perhaps drinking hadn't been the best plan; seeing as how it's lead them to these... oversights. Dear god, did she really agree to drunken make outs under the guise of "practicing"? What must he be thinking of her now?

"No, it's... it's okay," she manages after a moment, a little unsteadily from their encounter, memories of how his lips had felt on hers intruding most awkwardly. "No harm done."

[letmetakeaselfie]

His hand slowly and reluctantly moves back to his side, attempting to extract his limbs from her as gently as possible. His fingers still brush along her tummy though, and his foot over her calf. "How was your nap?" Tony asks softly, flopping over to lay on his back, features bathed in blue LED as he stares up at the ceiling. All he wants is to roll back over; to kiss her again, and to... Down, boy. He needs to try and calm down, Pepper must think he's every bit the lewd playboy he was once made out to be. Or at least really, tragically lonely. How embarrassing.

[efficacy]

"Good," she answers a bit belatedly, her gaze tracking the ceiling as she tries to center herself. Bringing a hand up to her forehead, she rubs at her temple, suddenly realizing her mouth is terribly dry. "Uhm-- yours?" she remembers to ask after a second, slowly sitting up and looking for the waters Tony had brought with him earlier.

[letmetakeaselfie]

They're both on his side because he hadn't thought that far ahead, sorry about it. "Good. Great. Great and good." He offers a brief, if shaky, smile over at her.

[efficacy]

"Good," she echoes, hoping that didn't come out as awkward as it felt. Spotting the bottles, she realizes she'd have to lean over him to grab one -- a precarious situation she's not sure she wants to risk just now after the way they'd woken up all entangled, which she is determined not to think about right now. "Could I have some water?" she asks him instead, nodding a little toward the bottles.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Oh... good call," he says, eyes tracking to the bottles slowly. He leans up with a particularly loud creak, grimacing though he doesn't let him slow him down. He gives her the completely untouched bottle, unable to keep from getting in her space a little to do so. The way the pillows shift puts him close, though not overbearingly so he hopes. He props himself up on an elbow and takes a generous sip from his bottle too.

[efficacy]

"Thanks," Pepper murmurs with a tiny, shy smile as she takes the offered bottle, a light quiver lancing through her belly when he leans close. Drinking deeply, she wipes her mouth with her free hand before pushing some hair behind her ear and rubbing her forehead idly with the back of her hand.

"I think I have a slight hangover," she confesses in a soft, quiet voice, breathing a faintest laugh. She didn't even drink a lot, maybe three glasses of the wine? And some vodka. How sad.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He nods, empathy playing behind his eyes. He isn't feeling amazing himself either, but maybe after a bit more lounging around... He has no idea what time it is even, and he realizes he really doesn't care. "I think me too," Tony admits, his arm brushing hers as he shifts again. "That's sad, isn't it? We're old people." But then it's sinking in how bad this could have been. Makeouts and potential dream-sex aside-- If he had been drinking alone he'd still be drinking. This is an acceptable alternative honestly.

[efficacy]

"Hey. Speak for yourself," Pepper returns wryly, but it's 100% teasing, lips quirking into a small smile. Though it is kind of true.... she takes another sip of water, trying to ignore the tiny fluttering of her heart at their arms brushing.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"You're the one who argued that we're like, practically the same age." He wrinkles his nose, sighing after a long swig. He puts the cap back on his bottle and sets it on his other side so he doesn't have to move. Though one particular extremity is flagging, he doesn't see the benefit in moving away now. This is warm and nice. He doesn't dare say anything else even as he leans back against the pillows so they're eye to eye once more, afraid he'll say something totally stupid again. ("Wanna make out?" Who even says that outside of shitty John Hughes movies.)

[efficacy]

"Wow, I don't... remember anything of the sort," Pepper stammers out her objection, amused. "Nope, not at all."

Fiddling with the cork of her bottle, she raises her gaze from it and gives him a look under her lashes, smiling slightly. This feels intimate in a whole another way than what they'd been (unknowingly) doing earlier, presenting something of a problem. It would be all too simple to let the moment take them wherever it may. Preferably closer still. Which is her cue to back down, setting her bottle upright against the pillows and beginning to get up, intent on the medicine cabinet.

"You want aspirin or something? My head really is starting to kill me."

[letmetakeaselfie]

It's hard to hide the instant disappointment he feels, but he recovers quickly, nodding. "Sure, why not?" His eyes run idly across her back as she turns away, shifting until he's comfortable once more. She'll have to pry him out of this bed when she gets back, if that's even her intention. She's not an easy read, though it only serves to intrigue him more.