I'm prepared for this ✫ I never shoot to miss

[letmetakeaselfie]

I've been here before
But always hit the floor
I've spent a lifetime running
And I always get away
But with you I'm feeling something
That makes me want to stay

Tony's heart is still beating fast, though it's been nearly an hour since his house was destroyed (yet again) by supervillains. Why his house? Why is it always him? He's not really feeling sorry for himself though, because for as much as he criticizes Fury, his plan really worked this time. His face-plate flips up as he pries off the left arm of his suit, indented dangerously close by one of those feisty Doom-bots. He flashes a wan smile over at Pepper, similarly battleworn. They really do work extraordinarily well together, he can't believe how he'd ever dismissed being partners before.

"Thanks for saving me - again." She really was good at that, and without her he'd most certainly not be standing right now. Though, yes, he is still lamenting his poor house. Oh well, easier repaired than he would be, probably.

Comments

[letmetakeaselfie]

He draws in a shallow breath at her trailing fingers, locking eyes with her suddenly. "Perfect." He's forgetting what they're talking about more and more by the second, his throat going dry as his thoughts race on. Every few minutes, he has to reassure himself that this is real; and really happening. There are so many questions once they leave this room, which is why he's stalling for doing just that for as long as he can. "Do you want to order, or should I?" It's tellingly seconds late.

[efficacy]

She hums in agreeing fashion and smiles widely, rubbing her nose against his fondly. She's aware of the same thing he is, that they have to face the facts like actual adults once they leave this room. She's good with stalling for a while longer.

"Could you?" she asks sweetly, dropping a quick, light kiss on his lips. "I'm just gonna go freshen up a little bit," she goes on, nodding slightly toward the general direction of the bathroom. She pecks him again before slipping out of bed without really waiting for an answer, padding naked to said room and throwing a flirty look over her shoulder at Tony before disappearing inside. She doesn't bother closing the door.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He leans into her kiss instead of trying to answer the question, sure she knows he'd do just about anything for her when prefaced that way. An involuntary sigh leaves his lips when the second kiss breaks, watching her go and smiling a little goofily when she looks at him. Once she's in the bathroom, he gets up to slip his robe back on and retrieve their bottle of wine, pouring some into a glass left nearby and meandering back to the phone with his drink in-hand. His conversation with reception goes smoothly, ordering two identical steak dinners and just barely remembering to thank the person on the other side before hanging up. He can hear Pepper's bare feet on tile as she moves about in the room adjacent, wishing silently that she doesn't take too long. He's become almost codependent in the way he watches her leave a room, even knowing she has to return eventually. How can he miss someone less than ten feet away? He takes a long drink as he contemplates that.

[efficacy]

Pepper doesn't rush, but certainly takes less time washing up than she usually would, removing the last traces of their coupling with a tiny sting of regret. She consoles herself with the thought their tumble was unlikely to be the last time, though. She distantly hears Tony's voice as he orders their meals, bringing a smile to her lips as she runs her fingers through her hair to tame it a little. Her cheeks have a bit of color to them and her eyes almost sparkle; she suddenly realizes she's deeply happy, more so than she's been in ages. Splashing some water on her face, she pats her skin dry and pads out of the bathroom and back into the room proper.

Still naked as the day she was born, she smiles sweetly as she lays eyes on Tony. "Save any for me?" she asks playfully, arching a brow at the glass in his hand.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He's perched on one arm of the sofa when she walks out, unable to keep his eyes from sliding downwards over her lithe body. It simply isn't fair how gorgeous she is, that's the conclusion he's come to. In a dumbstruck moment, he hands her his still half-full glass, though there's still enough for another in the bottle.

[efficacy]

"Thank you," she almost purrs in return, accepting the glass with a smile and taking a sip, secretly relishing his intent attention. She's barely swallowed the small mouthful when there's a knock on the door -- their food, most likely. Glancing toward the door and back at Tony, she questions sweetly, "Should I get that?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

His eyes widen and he swallows, pushing himself up off the couch in reaction to her question. "N-no," he insists nervously, gesturing for her to take his place on the couch instead. She likes torturing him far too much, but still he shakes his head just in case she really was serious. "I've got it."

Tony opens the door a crack and has a hushed conversation with the bellboy while trying not to look back at her or call attention to the fact that Pepper Potts is naked in the room behind him. These kind of things were once commonplace in his life and yet now they could bring forth a stammering, flushed face version of himself. Thanking the man profusely, perhaps more than what's warranted for a couple steaks, he manages to get the tray into the room and closes the door without having a heart attack, which he's calling a win honestly.

[efficacy]

Pepper drops her head to hide a grin behind her loosely hanging hair as Tony passes her on his way to the door, setting the glass of wine to the coffee table and picking up her own robe that she'd discarded earlier. The stammering way Tony fumbles through the conversation is all too funny to Pepper, through she knows she's being a little mean to him. Inside her own head, she promises to make it up to him later.

She's sitting with her legs crossed at the knees on the couch when he turns back, all lady-like except for how the front of her loosely tied robe gapes, exposing a large amount of freckled cleavage. "You're cute when you blush," she notes with a grin.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He drags the food over to her and sits down beside her, trying to ignore how she's somehow sexier with the robe on. Or at least, with it gaping that way. And predictably, her compliment only brings more redness out in his cheeks. "Hey thanks," he manages before ducking his head and trying to will his face to clear.

[efficacy]

Pepper chuckles at his embarrassment, leaning over and kissing his warm cheek fondly. "You're so very welcome," she quips back, still grinning as she pulls back. "Now, let's eat. I'm starving." She pauses only to lean the other way and pick up the wine glass off to the side, bringing it over to share.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Nodding, he picks the domes up off of their plates and accepts the wine glass back from her. His stomach rumbles when the scent hits him and he takes a sip before setting it between their plates and picking up his cutlery instead. It's like the perfect comfort food at a time like this, a thick cut New York strip, buttery mashed potatoes and crispy green beans with sea salt. He'll have to thank Fury for feeding them so well :)

"So this was the best idea you ever had." The steak, he means the steak.

[efficacy]

The scent entices Pepper's stomach to growl too, albeit less audibly. It looks and smells amazing, and she wastes no time forking some mash into her mouth, savoring the way it melts on her tongue. Sometimes carbs are just what you need. Sighing in pleasure, she reaches for the wine in turn and takes a sip, humming in amusement at Tony's comment.

"I have so many of those," she says oh so modestly, going on playfully, "Even better than the ice cream, last time?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

That's a tough one. He glances over, shrugging one shoulder while similarly inhaling his meal. Though he leaves the vegetables untouched for now. "I'm calling it a draw," he gets out eventually after swallowing.

[efficacy]

"Mmhm," Pepper hums in amusement, finally tucking into her steak. She notes he's avoiding his greens; not that it surprises her overmuch. "Eat your veggies like a good boy," she prompts with a smirk, pointedly spearing a bean with her fork and nibbling on it.

[letmetakeaselfie]

An unnamed emotion zings through his tummy at the order, and he glances over at her as if questioning her authority. It's only after he's picked up his fork to bring a bean to his lips that he realizes the further implications of such a simple thing. He gets through half of them before pushing the plate away and reaching for the wine glass again, stuffed as he leans back against the couch and away from the tray to take a sip. He doesn't say anything, merely watches her while he drains the rest of the cup.

[efficacy]

She may have worded it precisely that way on purpose. But she only smiles that serene Mona Lisa smile of hers at his glance, though her eyes dip down to his mouth briefly when he complies so obediently. The corners of her lips twitch a little, before she focuses on her plate again. Normally she'd find it bothersome to be stared at when she eats, but coming from Tony it's already... normal. "Any suggestions as to what to do next?" she asks idly as she finishes up her meal, noting from the clock on the bedside that it's actually relatively early in the evening.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"We could..." He pretends to think about it, leaning over to snatch the wine bottle and pour the rest of it into their communal glass. "Watch a movie?" An innocent suggestion as he slides back up against her side.

[efficacy]

"We could," she agrees slowly, smiling and lifting her legs up on the sofa, leaning against his side as she lays her closest arm along the backrest, her hand lifting up to idly stroke her fingers through Tony's hair. She holds out her free hand for the wine glass, wriggling her fingers a little in a wordless request.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He relinquishes the glass easily, especially with her fingers in his hair. Why is that the best feeling ever? Involuntarily, he shuts his eyes for a minute just to relish in the sensation, leaning his face against her shoulder. "Well, I was going to get up to get the remote." But now he's not going anywhere. At least until he can convince himself to.

[efficacy]

Pepper smiles to herself, tipping her head to rest her cheek briefly against the top of his head, never once stopping to run her fingers through his hair. She's quite well caught on to the fact that he enjoys it immensely; a fact she's more than willing to exploit.

"I suppose we'll just have to settle for each other's company instead, then." Which, to be honest, is a much preferable option in her opinion. She drops a kiss into his hair before lifting her head to take a sip from the glass, tucking her legs beneath her on the couch and leaning a little further against his side.

[letmetakeaselfie]

With a sigh, he leans into her touch that much more, enjoying the way she leans against him in turn. "Are you sure you're up for that?" he challenges, sudden nerves rising again at the prospect of being put on the spot with her. A part of him keeps believing she'll somehow see through whatever smokescreen he's managed to maintain even if logic would dictate that he's potentially been realer with her than any other living soul on this earth.

[efficacy]

She leans her chin lightly against the crown of his head, balancing the wine glass on her thigh. "Are you?" she asks in turn, perhaps unexpectedly, an edge of her usual wry amusement lacing the words even though she's far from joking. "You seem to be laboring under the impression you're the only one with any faults, here. I'm not always a picnic to be around, either."

It's actually a little frustrating. She's not looking to be placed on a pedestal like Tony seems determined to do. On one hand it's flattering, but on another she really doesn't want to be seen that way when she's just human like he is; liable to make mistakes.

[letmetakeaselfie]

She challenges him at every turn, something he strangely finds most attractive about her. At first, he doesn't get it though. He has to trace back their past arguments in his head, and even the more recent calm of cohabitating. Neither of them are perfect, of course. They have scars -- without them, they never would have been drawn to one another. Tony reaches for her arm across her body, just bracing it on her shoulder so as not to jostle the wine. He nudges his nose against hers and latches onto her eyes with his, trying to make a meaningful connection for what he's about to say. "I'm ready."

He hopes it's significant enough. Not so much that it's what she wants to hear, but something that will resonate with her and help her understand that he's already all in. If this doesn't work out, he has nothing else, so really what has he got to lose? Pepper has always been more pragmatic than that so he isn't expecting anything earth-shattering here. But he does accept her for all the faults he's seen, and even the ones he hasn't. They're part of what makes her perfect in his eyes.

[efficacy]

"Oh?" Her voice is soft and barely audible, a gentle half-smile gracing her lips as she stares into his beautiful brown eyes. It's not like she's surprised at his answer, really. He does things like these; all or nothing, come hell or high water -- she's the careful pragmatist out of the two of them. Which should probably mean she ought to think twice about this, but. She has. Maybe this has some potential to crash and burn, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. And as she'd just pointed out, she makes mistakes too.

"Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you, then," she whispers playfully, lips brushing against his before leaning in the missing fraction of an inch to kiss him sweetly.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Her warning causes his heart to flutter in his chest, leaning into her kiss as if magnetized. Now that he has her answer comes the hard part: accepting it. He had gone into this under one bad assumption, and that was that she'd never want to be with him. It's still shocking, that they're going to try this thing for real; but he's never backed down from a challenge all his life. He's not about to now, with so much at stake.

He does his best to allow the kiss to remain light and sweet though his feelings for her now are anything but. He thinks of what Yensen had said to him, that he was a man with everything and nothing. That he was bankrupt of love and of anything meaningful in his life. Tony had thought the Avengers were the answer his soul needed, but he's thinking he may have jumped the gun just a little now.

His hand runs down over her side, breath quickening as the kiss goes on. A single kiss has never felt this way before, but he also has nothing to compare it to when every other encounter he had was in the drunken whirlwind of his former life.