I feel your heartbeat ♥ All the time

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It's been a year since... everything. Since their house blew up, since Extremis. Since Toni had officially lost her mind. She likes to think she's doing better, but there's no true litmus for something like that. She goes to her therapist once a week, as promised. It's still a struggle, but it's getting easier. Sometimes Pepper sits in with her and sometimes she's alone. Depending on the week, one or the other could be harder. Sometimes she doesn't talk the whole hour. Sometimes she doesn't let the doctor have a word in edgewise. Sometimes she cries -- that's the hardest for her, showing weakness in front of an authority figure; allowing herself to be helped. Maybe it's not making any difference, but she knows Pepper appreciates the effort.

There are two shiny suits in the lab, as promised, too. One that she's repairing now as the other stands idly by. She's working with the Avengers again, sort of. It's kind of on-again-off-again. And her remodeling efforts had been for naught, of course none of them wanted to stay here, what was she thinking? Except Bruce, when he bothers to come back from whatever third-world shithole he's in at any given time. Sometimes she gets along with Steve, but usually not. Things are tumultuous, but it's her version of normal and she feels like her head is at least above water again.

Pepper is back to work, solving world hunger and light fare like that. He does so much better at the helm than Toni ever did. It makes her proud, but with the tiniest bit of niggling jealousy she can't ever seem to shake. He seems happy -- fulfilled. She hears his oh-so familiar footfalls predictably right on time. Or really, five minutes early. It's their scheduled "reconnection" time, and she feels her heart speed up from his proximity alone, finding a stopping point as soon as she can so she can give him a look over. Handsome as ever, of course. And her in a threadbare Pinkfloyd tanktop and holey jeans, grease smeared across her cheek and safety goggles pinning her hair back that had fallen out of her bun. What a pair they make, as ever. Yin and yang.

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"Yeah. That's me," he smiles self-deprecatingly, glancing down and idly turning his wine glass about on the table by the stem. When Toni goes on, he glances up and quirks another smile, though it's perhaps a little forced. He knows things like these aren't up her alley, but is it so ridiculous to want to give her a nice night without ulterior motives? "Oh, you know. Shoved him in the closet, probably hasn't found his way out of there yet."

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She reaches out for the meat of his arm when he turns away, catching his eyes earnestly as the red slowly drains from her face. "Kinky," she comments offhand when he goes on, sensing he's not in the banter like usual and wanting to do something about it. Her hand slips down his arm until she reaches bare skin, gently and deliberately lacing their fingers together. "Thanks for dinner. It was... perfect." Just like everything he does, and here she is being paranoid -- any other girl would kill for romance like this, she reminds herself.

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His lips curve into a small smile, genuine this time, when she twines their fingers. Squeezing gently, Pepper lifts their joined hands to his mouth and kisses the back of her hand softly before letting them rest on the table again.

"You're welcome," he says quietly. "No agenda, I promise. I just... wanted to give you a nice night. It's been a rough year and it hasn't always been easy for you, but you've stepped up and made an effort." He strokes her hand with his thumb, smiling sweetly. "And I'm really proud of you."

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Heat comes back to her face easily, and she shakes her head. Nothing she's done is so great -- most of the time she feels like she's running in place. "You're a saint," she reminds him, the way he stays by her side without wavering much more impressive than any efforts she's put in.

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"So you keep claiming," he returns at length with a small smile, a hint of color rising to his own cheeks. "Want to take the rest of the wine and go sit on the couch?"

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"I thought you'd never ask," she admits, standing with only a little wobble and leaning down for a kiss. It's brief, but firm and warm, and as she pulls back she takes up the bottle and her glass in one hand.

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He braces a hand against her hip when she leans in, tipping his chin up to receive and return the kiss. Smiling when she pulls back, Pepper blows out the candle and picks up his own glass before following Toni. He takes a seat and lays his arm across the backrest of the couch, crossing his legs and balancing his wine glass against his thigh with his free hand. "So, how was your day?"

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Toni waits for him to follow and sit so she can sit flush next to him, resting her head against the crook of his shoulder while she pours herself more wine. Once that's done she hands the bottle to him and takes a long, appreciative drink, shutting her eyes for just a second to savor the taste. "...Long," she answers belatedly, shrugging her free shoulder. "Boring. Yours?"

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With some finagling, he tops up his own glass and sets the bottle -- almost empty now -- on the coffee table before leaning back again, curling the arm behind her around her shoulders. "Pretty productive, actually," he says, dropping a kiss to her temple and idly smoothing his fingertips up and down along Toni's upper arm. "Tiring, but productive."

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She takes in a sharp breath when his soft fingertips catch on bare skin as her top falls yet again. It takes her a second to refocus on what he's saying. "Those sound like keywords for boring," she accuses, starting to feel jealousy bubble up that's totally not welcome here. She knows it's just because she struggled today with finding her rhythm, usually it's so easy to work the whole day away before noticing it's gone, but for some reason she had been full to the brim with anxious energy waiting for him to get home. "It's not boring now," Toni points out after a beat and another long swig, taking up her glass with her other hand so she can turn and look at him, placing her free hand on his knee now.

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"You would think so," Pepper counters wryly, lips pulling into a smirk that's both fond and amused. It's easy to keep up this light banter rather than to dig deeper -- because he's sure there is something to dig at. There usually is with Toni. But he's determined to have a nice night, and willful ignorance works in favor of that goal. Toni in turn seems to favor distraction, and Pepper arches a brow at the hand on his knee, lips twitching.

"Oh? Well, I'm happy to hear I don't count among the many things you deem boring, trust me." He pauses, before suggesting innocently, a playful gleam in his eyes, "Or... maybe you're talking about the wine?"

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A warm smile comes over her features as she takes another sip of wine, coming dangerously close to the bottom of her glass already. She pats his knee in... reassurance. "You're alright too."

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"Oh, wow," he says dryly, snorting. "First I'm passed over by the French lady, and now you're telling me I'm alright? You know what, the rest of that wine is mine," he declares, struggling not to grin too much but his lips are twitching. "I need to nurse my fragile male ego and everyone knows that can't be done without drink."

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"Indian giver," she accuses without any heat, narrowing her eyes in his direction. But then she dumps the contents of her glass into his in easy acquiescence. "You're cute when you're tipsy."

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"That's racist," he returns, similarly without bite. He wrinkles his nose in playful affront at the comment that follows. "How can I be tipsy when you've had the lion's share?" It's a tease and not entirely, nudging her shoulder gently with his thumb.

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"Because you're more fragile than I am," she returns immediately, leaning away from him for just a moment to place her glass on the table next to the bottle. She loves how soft he is; how sensitive. When she cozies back up to him, she casually slips her arm around his waist, pillowing her head over his heart and listening to its steady beat. "At least, when you're not calling me a racist."

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"I can't win today, can I," he jokes on a hum, wrapping his arm more firmly about her shoulders to hold her to him, leaning more comfortably back against the cushions and sighing in contentment. In this moment, everything is perfect. He closes his eyes to enjoy it, reveling in the press of her warm weight against his side. He realizes he could fall asleep right here, like this -- that wouldn't be a good way to end a date night though. Maybe he really doesn't need any more wine, after all.

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"You can't ever win, sweetheart," she sooths, popping her head up to speak close to his ear again. There's a moment's pause where she seems to consider something, then asks: "Are you falling asleep on me?"

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"Hm? Nuh-uh," Pepper denies a little belatedly, though he keeps his eyes closed. Inhaling deeply as if in a prelude to a yawn, he strokes his hand from her shoulder down along her side to snag around her waist, patting her flank soothingly. "I wouldn't do that to you, princess." He's totally falling asleep. He's had a long day, ok!

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Toni plucks his wine glass out of his hand, taking a sip before setting it aside for him. She presses a kiss to the side of his mouth, unable to resist for a second before popping up off the couch and taking both his hands in an attempt to help him up. "Come on, up and at 'em." She doesn't believe his pledge for a second, and the second he's up she starts to dance in place a little, any waning self-consciousness completely gone in favor of being drunk and silly. Toni snaps and JARVIS starts playing "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi, motioning for Pepper to join her.

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Pepper snaps his eyes open when she plucks away his wine glass, blinking a few times; lips curving into an automatic smile at the quick peck to the corner of her mouth. His smile grows into something fond and indulgent when Toni tugs him up, sighing and groaning a little in faux resignation as he straightens up. Her little dance garners a genuine laugh, and he takes her hands in his to swing her about and not giving a fuck this song isn't the best for that kind of dance.

"You know you're a crazy person, right?" he asks on another little laugh as he proceeds to twirl her.

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"Uhm... nope, that's news to me," she sing-songs, spinning around obligingly before leaning against him with her hands on his chest to recover so she doesn't get too dizzy. "I think you should explain your theorem, professor." Toni smiles up at him, loving his laugh, and that he's one of the only lucky ones who gets to hear it in unreserved glory.

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Pepper snags Toni close when she leans against him, wrapping both arms around her waist and proceeding to sway them like a pair of high schoolers in prom, again completely uncaring this song doesn't really lend itself to lame slow dancing. "I think it's a fact as proven by peer review," he returns with a crooked smile, dipping down to kiss her nose.

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She isn't about to complain about the change, placing one hand flat on his arm and the other squeezing his shoulder like a true Disney princess. "What if it's really my peer who's the crazy one?" she postulates, going a bit cross-eyed when he kisses her nose.

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"Can't be. I hear he's a handsome, successful businessman who's definitely not too old," he returns innocently, pressing his lips together to stop them from twitching with mirth. It's not entirely successful.