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.

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[letmetakeaselfie]

He squeezes her arm over his chest and tucks his chin against the pillow, feeling more cozy and comfortable than he can ever remember feeling before. It doesn't take long for him to drift off after her, sleeping soundly for a little over two hours with no incident.

When he wakes, she's still sleeping, but he manages to keep still for a full ten minutes, just listening to her breathe and relishing in her embrace. When his restlessness takes over, he careful turns over in her grip, slipping his arms around her waist and nudging his face into her chest, listening to her heartbeat and waiting to see if she'll wake up from his movement.

[efficacy]

Pepper inhales deeply through her nose when he turns and jostles her slightly, as if she's about to wake, but she only ends up murmuring something nonsensical under her breath in her sleep, shifting a little and curling an arm loosely about him while he pushes his face into her bare chest. One slim leg slips between his before she relaxes again with a sigh, stilling and sleeping on, her breaths steady.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Satisfied that he hasn't disturbed her, he zeroes in on her heartbeat and manages to relax for much longer than his high strung nature would usually dictate he could. A

After much longer being still than he's probably ever accomplished before, he pulls back his face to stare at her from the next pillow, remaining close enough that their legs stay tangled. "Gorgeous," he murmurs softly, watching as tendrils of light slip into the room, catching on her light features and making her hair glisten like gold. He allows his eyes to roam along her pale throat and down over her freckled chest, his heart thumping louder all the while, blood rushing in his ears over the constant din of the reactor.

"I've never felt like this before," he confesses, frowning a little. It doesn't seem to concern him that she isn't awake to receive his words. In fact, it's a comfort that he can get them out now without interference. She's woken up parts of him he thought long dead, and like with all things he wants to know above all else, what it means.

[efficacy]

Pepper sleeps on through his examinations and introspection, though the slight flutter of her eyelids ceases as she begins to slowly emerge, responding to the increasing light in the room and that mostly unconscious sense of being stared at. She doesn't hear any of his words, grunting softly as she shifts mostly onto her back and stretches one arm over her head, inhaling deeply as consciousness slowly returns.

"...Hasn't anyone told you it's considered rude to stare," she murmurs a touch playfully as she turns her head on the pillow, eyes still shut, her voice a little husky from sleep. A beat later, her blue eyes flutter open, her gaze just a hint unfocused and bleary as it seeks out his but her brow arching inquisitively, as if in emphasis of the query.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"No, never," he protests, unable to keep a soft smile off his face as she comes to. "...Am I making you uncomfortable?" She seems to like throwing that one back at him, so it seems apropos to use it now.

[efficacy]

Her lips pull into a little smirk before she rolls them in her mouth for a second, wetting them with the tip of her tongue. Her cheeks still have a hint of color on them from sleep, and her hair is hopelessly tousled from the lack of proper drying before bed. "Takes more than that to make me uncomfortable," she murmurs back, smiling again and rubbing the side of her face into the pillow like a lazy cat woken from a nap -- not an entirely inaccurate description.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"I know," he admits, his fingers catching against the base of her spine where one arm was still loosely resting across her back. "You're so beautiful."

[efficacy]

Her smile softens at that, the muscles under his fingers tensing briefly at the almost tickling touch. She's happy now she's still a little flushed from sleep to mask the pinkness rising to her cheeks in response, feeling the warmth there. "You're none too shabby, yourself," she whispers. "Did you sleep okay?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Who, me? Come on..." He makes a show of looking around before settling next to her again, laying his head back on the pillow and immediately picking up where he left off staring at her. After a long pause, he nods, and for once it isn't a lie. He actually feels really well rested, if pleasantly lethargic even now. "Yeah. I did."

[efficacy]

Her lips twitch at his antics but she says nothing, similarly just watching him. "Good," she says softly when he responds, happy he'd gotten at least some rest. Briefly, she wonders what they're going to do now; are they really going to spend another day hiding in this little hotel room? Eating steak and... she doesn't know, having sex?

Okay, maybe that's not a terrible idea. But still.

She kind of feels like maybe napping some more, but that feel rude when Tony's wide awake. So if sleep is off table... she pushes tangled hair back from her face and rolls over on her belly, the blanket slipping down her freckled shoulders some as she props an elbow on the pillows and leans her chin into her palm, smiling at him. "Is it breakfast time, then?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

His eyes twinkle with bemusement, biting into his lip when she shifts, his eyes drawn down over one pale shoulder. Idly, he brushes her hair away so he can lean in and drop a kiss right on the top. "Depends... What's on the menu?" he queries lazily. He'd never been much for breakfast, but since they're still hiding from the world -- it seems as good a plan as any.

[efficacy]

She smiles fondly at the way he kisses her shoulder, a faint shiver coursing down her spine at the brush of his lips. She laces her fingers together and rests her chin on them, humming a little in thought. "Mm... coffee. Eggs," she lists slowly, pursing her lips and arching her brow inquisitively. "Bacon? Pancakes? And ooh, fruit salad." Since someone else is doing the cooking for them, they may as well take full advantage of the fact.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He nods as she goes on, smile getting wider and wider with each addition. "That sounds like breakfast and lunch, with a little left over."

[efficacy]

Pepper sniffs a little, with mock hauteur. "You clearly just have no ambition," she teases, tsking and shaking her head.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Is that a challenge?" he asks, narrowing his eyes a bit. Not that he really needs to be challenged in order to be motivated to eat lots of bacon and eggs, but hey. "As long as it's still on Fury, I'm in."

[efficacy]

Pepper snorts, giving Tony a Look. Come on bro, get real. "Of course it's still on Fury. Duh." Chuckling to herself, she drops her hands and slips on her belly over to her nightstand and the phone there, ignoring the way the blanket slides down her back at the movement to barely cover her backside. It only takes her a couple of moments to call the room service and order them some of each item she'd just listed. Setting down the receiver, she glances over her shoulder with a tiny grin. "No backing down, now."

[letmetakeaselfie]

His mouth goes dry as his gaze tracks down her spine, breathing heavier as the blanket continues to slide downward. "...What?" he asks dumbly, his gaze snapping back up to her eyes.

[efficacy]

She breathes a little laugh at his reaction, dropping her chin in a moment of bashfulness before looking over her shoulder at him again. "See anything you like?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

Eyes widening a little at being caught out, he swallows and tries desperately to rein himself in. It isn't easy when she looks at him like that. "W-what would give you that idea?"

[efficacy]

Her lips curve a little more, easily picking up on his struggles. She knows it's mean, but she can't help but tease him some more, giving him a look under her lashes. "So... you don't see anything you like, then?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

"That's not what I said," he points out, licking his lips unconsciously. His eyes roam down over her body again before tracking back up to her eyes. Breakfast all but forgotten, he's suddenly hungry for something else entirely.

[efficacy]

Her smile turns more satisfied as she leans her cheek against one propped up hand, fingers loosely curled into a fist. "That's good to hear," she murmurs, only a touch playfully, a new awareness unfurling somewhere deep in her belly at the look in his eyes. "You had me worried, for a moment."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He has to wonder if she's actually worried, almost jumping at the opportunity to prove there's nothing to worry about. But he's worried, too. He has no idea what they're doing still -- what she ultimately wants from him. Tony reaches out, tucking some hair behind her ear. "That's the last thing you need to worry about." It's a bit more serious than is probably warranted for the moment, but he can't help himself.

[efficacy]

She smiles softly at the tender gesture. It's not like she doesn't have her own concerns, the quip just now aside. They should probably talk about this whole thing -- never mind they already did, earlier. But that was just... establishing attraction out loud. Nothing was really decided, aside from a vague 'I wanna hang out with you after this'. Loathe as she is to ruin this pleasant mood, she forges a little reluctantly, "You know, we should probably--"

She starts at the brisk knock on the door, biting her lip. She'd completely forgotten about room service already. Smiling gamely, she starts getting up. "Eat breakfast. I'll get it." Except she's still totally naked, and she adds slightly sheepishly as she takes a step toward the bathroom to fetch her robe, "In a bit."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He draws back a little bit when she starts in seriously, and he's already preparing himself mentally for whatever it is she thinks they should do. When the knock sounds at the door, he actually jumps, so taken by her he'd forgotten entirely about breakfast himself. "Right." Busying himself with trying to get his heartrate under control, Tony leans back against the bed and watches her go, unable to keep his gaze from lingering at her backside. He props up a pillow under his head and sighs, tracking her movements by ear when she disappears from sight.