✵ the conversation stopped and i looked down at the ring ✵

[letmetakeaselfie]

This has the makings of every Tony Stark party to date, plus a few. It's loud, dark; and so totally nineties. It's his era, he can't help himself. Big yellow sunglasses accompany his light-colored suit, hair slicked back and a smile glued on his face. He's ready to make this an affair no one will ever forget.

Before making his way out, he stops to see her, hanging in the doorway as she pulls on her dress. "Did I get you that?" he asks, slowly slipping into the room to help her zip. It's been a few days since he's seen her -- they've barely spoken. Sometimes he gets up long before her and is in the lab long after she gets home. Though they sleep in the same bed, it's as if they lead entirely separate lives at times. He owes her so much more, this week especially, and this is his grand occasion to make up all his misgivings.

He smiles softly, thinking of their night under the stars. Eating diner burgers and garlic fries and looking over their life together. It was impossible to look forward so they had looked back, enjoyed the past for what it was. Though he had never accepted there wouldn't be a future for them, he had had to entertain the possibility that his father would let him down one last time. Fortunately for everyone, Howard had come through, and just in the nick of time.

Tony's forty today and it feels ancient. He's known Pepper for well over half his life and here they are. Once her dress is secure, he pulls her into his arms from behind, hands winding possessively around her waist. "I can tell everyone to go home." Maybe he really should have listened -- made this an intimate affair. But the wedding would be small -- quaint and New England in every way. The engagement had to be big. West Coast big. He sighs against the side of her face, unable to keep from grinning.

--

He is very, very drunk when he gets up on stage, but no one here expects anything less. He has a glass of champagne and he calls Pepper out of the crowd. This is it; their moment. The one his family's been pushing him for since the moment they'd met. "Damn," he says into the mic as she stands, whistling lowly and shaking his head. "What took me so long?"

It gets laughter, of course, but then it's quiet like a library. The New Haven library where they first met, even. No music, no nothing. When Pepper joins him , a walk that seems to take forever, he doesn't hesitate to get down on one knee, his glass left on the podium as he pulls a box out of his pocket.

"I know you wanted to keep this small, so naturally I did the exact opposite." He drops the microphone so he can pry open the box, a giant but tasteful vintage stone shining up at her. Tony swallows back his nerves, playing up the cheese for the crowd, tipping his head with a lopsided smile. "Now that I'm not dying, what do you say?"

Comments

[efficacy]

She groans a little when he pulls his mouth away, her breathing coming a little faster and shallower now. Her head spins a bit at the combination of his words and rubbing fingers, having trouble finding words for a moment.

"I-- yes, take them off," she sighs in agreement as he begins inching the panties down, fingers curling tightly into his hair. "I need more, please, I need you."

[letmetakeaselfie]

His hand runs down over her ribs before settling at her stomach, pressing gently to give her something to lean against. "You have me, Pepper. Keep talking to me." Tony pulls the garment down and away, though he doesn't let them fall yet, holding them at her knees as he leans in to repeat the kiss from earlier, flicking out his tongue at the last moment.

[efficacy]

Pepper sucks in a sharp breath at the contact, unhindered by the lace, body bowing forward slightly and leaning against his hand, her own grasping onto his shoulders tightly on an exhaled cry of pleasure, a shudder working its way up her spine. Her eyes squeeze shut as heat spreads through her, belatedly remembering Tony's request to keep talking.

"God, ah, yes-- oh Tony, that feels so good... god, I love you," she whimpers, panting breaths escaping between parted lips. "Don't stop, please don't stop."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He wouldn't stop now even if he wanted to for some reason, effectively egged on by her voice -- he loves her voice. Already ragged from his attentions, which only serves as further motivation for him. Though he's nervous; afraid he's somehow forgotten how to do this. He'll remember, he convinces himself, though all his movements are edged in uncertainty and uncharacteristic insecurity.

Slowly; and most carefully he licks inside, hand continuing its track down until his thumb can serve the duel purpose of holding her open for his mouth and provided added stimulation to her clit. The panties finally drop from his grip, pooling around her ankles as his other hand braces gently against her knee. Despite his nerves, it's obvious he's fully committed to this; as in it as the ring on her finger would suggest.

[efficacy]

A low moan leaves her lips as his thumb pushes downward, the pressure combined with the slide of his tongue exquisite; the lace brushes lightly against her legs as they slip down to her ankles. She's not so lost in the pleasure as to not notice how careful he's being, having a hard time mistaking it as anything but hesitancy after their dry spell. One hand lifts from his shoulder to delve into his hair, stroking through the strands in effort to reassure further.

"Oh, yess, just like that..." she breathes on a tail-end of another moan. "God, that's so good. I've missed this, the way you touch me-- how amazing you always make me feel."

[letmetakeaselfie]

The muscles low in his abdomen contract, affected by her words in a way that drives him towards urgency. He still wants to take his time, but his body wants more; needs her just as much. While his tongue moves in lazy strokes designed to wind her up, his hand smooths down over her calf again, lingering over her foot and tracing the straps of her shoes before moving to the closure of his pants to try and haphazardly free himself. His head moves back into her hand, silently begging for more while he not-so-silently groans at her taste coating his tongue. It's like riding a bike, he thinks, feeling foolish for the comparison even while he gains confidence in his movements, though he hesitates short of touching himself, hand parking in the waistband of his boxer briefs as the buttons on his slacks come open.

"How do we look?" he pulls back enough to ask, voice husky and desperate even as he delves back in.

[efficacy]

She bites down on her lip, a short whine tearing from her at the way he groans against her flesh, feeling the vibrations of it more clearly then hearing his voice in her ears. The pleasure coils slowly and hotly, tighter and tighter, somewhere low in her abdomen. She can't keep her hips from rolling slightly, nudging herself gently against his mouth in accordance with his caresses, obligingly fisting his hair more firmly. His touch is electrifying, warm fingers skating along her skin and the stubble of his cheeks brushing against her inner thighs.

"Lovely," she breathes in response after a beat, watching the picture they make in the mirror. "I've never seen anything so beautiful than us, like this; your face between my thighs, my fingers in your hair." With a quivering sigh, she warns him softly as the muscles in her tummy tighten as if in agreement, "You're going to make me come..."

[letmetakeaselfie]

His eyes roll back at her assessment, lightening up just a little to draw out her orgasm, fingers slipping into his underwear and stroking the damp head of his insistent erection. Another grunt leaves him at the combined sensation, her nails scratching against his scalp as she rocks her hips against his mouth.

"Do you want to?" he asks stiltedly, mouthing much slower now, his hand sliding up and brushing wetness over her stomach to keep from overstimulating her. His hand pumps a few times as he waits for her answer, nudging his nose against her clit since his thumb had just abandoned the post. "Tell me."

[efficacy]

She watches him under heavy lids through the mirror, unable to keep a small moan from rising when his hand slips under the waistband of his boxers to stroke himself, aroused twice as much at seeing him affected so by what he's doing to her. Though she's tempted to have Tony bring her to an orgasm using his mouth, there's something she's missed more.

"I want..." she trails off with a whimper at the nudge, pausing to catch her breath. "I want to come with you inside me."

[letmetakeaselfie]

He can't stifle another groan at the askance, lapping at her greedily even as he processes the words. He's missed it too, so much, being connected to her this way. Reluctantly, he pulls himself away, shimmying out of his pants as he rises up along the length of her body, stepping out of them once he reaches his full height.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he admits, grabbing at her hip roughly as he forces his lips over hers in a crash of their mouths, tongue sliding in the second he's able to allow her to taste herself.

[efficacy]

Pepper struggles for breath, watching him closely, anticipation thrumming in her veins. She wastes little time grabbing him as she straightens up, pulling even as he pushes closer, their mouths smashing together hungrily. Her tongue strokes his, issuing her own groan at the taste of herself in his mouth, her head spinning at the sexiness of it all. Her hands roam eagerly over his warm skin, touching wherever she can and moaning into his mouth as her hips slot snugly against his, his hard erection trapped between them.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He's already breathing heavy, making it almost impossible to sustain the kiss. Tony's fingers close over her wrist, pushing her hand down to rest over the front of his shorts, rocking his hips forward in an anything but subtle way. He wants her to feel how much he wants this; and how hard he got from servicing her. "I want to watch now," he huffs against her mouth, turning away for just a second to look into the vanity mirror. His attentions are back on what's in front of him soon enough, both hands leaving hers to reach around her back to unhook her bra, licking at the corner of her lips.

[efficacy]

A low groan of want tinged with desperation spills from her lips when Tony guides her hand down to his crotch, palming the hard bulge eagerly through the fabric, rubbing and squeezing gently along the length of him as he rocks against her hand. "Tony... yes," she sighs in heated delight, shivering a little at the feel of him; so hard because of her, because of what they're doing-- she can't wait to have him inside of her. The fingers of her free hand slip beneath the waistband and start pulling downward, impatient to divest him of the article of clothing separating them even as her skimpy bra loosens around her thanks to Tony's talented hands. She's loath to take her hands off him long enough to shrug it off though, hindering also her own attempt to pull his underwear down one-handed. Tipping her head, Pepper parts her lips wider to give him a brief, sloppy kiss even as her hand slides down his length to fondle his balls through the shorts.

[letmetakeaselfie]

His breath hitches sharply at her touches, wetting his lips a second before her mouth descends on his again. He's enjoying the haphazardness to it, though he'd initially intended to draw out the encounter. It isn't going too fast, it's just fueled by pent-up passion and hopefully, love. The everlasting kind.

"You like the way I feel?" He licks his lips again after the kiss, if it could really be called that, nudging his nose up against her ear before speaking lowly into it. "You like that you did this to me. You're practically begging for it, my cock inside you." Tony knocks her hand away though he's loathe to do it, carefully stripping off the last of her lingerie. He doesn't let it fall right away, rubbing one lacey cup against his cheek.

"I really like your outfit," he says around a swallow, gaze briefly following her bra as it tracks to the ground to join her little yellow dress and little yellow panties. "But, yes, it does look better on the floor. Sorry." He brings her hands back to his front to help him strip off the last thing keeping them apart, biting his lip at the heels she's still wearing. Those will be the hardest ones to convince himself to remove, but he clumsily strips off his socks before sinking down in front of her again.

[efficacy]

It's Pepper's turn to catch her breath on a small, needy moan at the incendiary words rumbled into her ear, feeling the effects of his dirty talk go straight between her legs and causing more wetness to gather there, fighting the urge to squeeze her thighs together to relieve the pulsing ache. "Yes," she breathes raggedly as Tony pulls off her bra, watching under heavy lids. "God, yes, I need you so badly."

Her lips quirk a little at his assessment on her outfit, but any response she could have made is forgotten in the face of eagerly assisting him in pulling down his underwear, unable to resist brushing her fingers against his bare cock. Her hands settle on Tony's shoulders when he lowers himself again, knowing what he wants; she'll allow it, aware that they'll throw off their alignment for what she has in mind. Slipping one foot free of the panties still around her ankles, she rubs the side of it against Tony's leg before lifting her heeled foot gently on top of his thigh to better accommodate the removal of her shoes.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He breathes in sharply at the touch, as grateful as he is disappointed that it can't linger. Then he's on his knees again before her and he has to just watch -- stare at her for long seconds as a feeling of belonging settles in his stomach, ridiculously strong. This is where he lives, by her side and at her feet. Anyone outside this room can believe what they want about their epic relationship that's lasted through drama unmatched, but here in a space that's only theirs Tony worships Pepper with all that he has.

His fingers are drawn to the straps, covetously sliding over them again before undoing them with his full concentration. It's inexplicably pleasant the way her rough heel scratches against his quadricep, indenting the skin as he works the buckles open and places a kiss to the top of her foot. She had questioned him before, and so his eyes flick briefly up as he removes her heel, nuzzling the leather against the side of his face before carefully setting it aside and reaching for her other foot.

[efficacy]

Pepper feels it in his every touch, every look; tonight moreso than ever before, which is saying something. She takes one hand off his shoulder and strokes his hair gently, smiling lovingly down at him as her fingers delve through the strands before skipping down to his cheek, thumb brushing his lips lightly. Life with Tony hasn't always been easy and it's unlikely to change, but she loves this man so thoroughly and so deeply that sometimes her heart overflows with it. She can't picture ever not having him by her side.

She watches closely as he works the tiny buckles, mesmerized by the movements of his clever fingers. Her tummy tightens a little at the kiss on her foot, lips parting to breathe out a soft exhale at the seemingly innocent gesture as she meets his gaze. Setting her bare foot back on the cool floor, she switches slowly, lifting her still heeled foot on his thigh now with a knowing little smirk-- the lacy scrap of her underwear dangling around her ankle still.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He leans back into her hand as their eyes meet, moving his lips against her fingertips. He knows he doesn't deserve her; hasn't for the last twenty years. Won't for the next fifty. He doesn't care, he loves her with every fibre of his being. She's his other half; his better half in every sense of the term.

Taking the lace in hand before it can get trapped between her shoe and his leg, Tony brings it to his face and inhales deeply of her scent. Musky, but sweet. Pepper in her purest essence. Reverently, he sets them aside before giving this foot the same treatment. He undoes the buckles, kisses the top and drags his tongue across the arch, before gently taking her big toe past his lips and giving light suction. He looks up at her again, expecting her to laugh maybe, he's not sure; but he's ready to pull away should she make a sudden movement.

[efficacy]

Pepper's heart thuds heavily in her chest, swallowing and wetting her dry lips as she watches his every move in silence, completely taken in by the sheer sexiness of Tony inhaling her scent from the piece of fabric and the strange sensuality of Tony removing her shoes with such reverence.

She does laugh, but only barely; a heavy exhalation with an amused tint to it rather than anything else, mild incredulity mixing with surprise and near confusion as she works out her feelings on this new development, her expression reflecting all of it. Having her feet played with isn't one of her kinks or anything (that she knows of), but Tony's lips and tongue on her skin is never an unpleasant sensation. It's a slightly odd feeling, having her toe sucked. But she doesn't pull her foot away either, a soft noise escaping her on a swallow breath and her fingers gripping his shoulder tighter as she watches on, waiting where this is going.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Dragging his tongue back across the surface of her toe as he pulls away, he's left staring up at her in awe. "You're so..." There aren't any adequate words to describe what he sees, and so he tapers off, kissing her foot in farewell as he slowly gets to his feet so he doesn't push her off-balance. "You're a goddess. I'm so lucky." Tony pushes his mouth against hers, eyes shutting immediately as their lips collide, his fingers digging into her arm slightly as he attempts to put everything he feels into the kiss.

[efficacy]

Pepper's hands glide lightly over his skin as he straightens up, her smile of endearment smothered by his kiss. Her eyes slip closed too even as her lips part for him easily, a soft noise lost between them as she strokes his tongue with hers, endeavoring to return everything he gives her in equal measure.

"I love you so much," she breathes raggedly against his mouth when they finally part to pull in air, giving him only enough time to fill his lungs before initiating another deep kiss, blindly tugging and turning them until her backside bumps against the vanity. Reluctantly winding the kiss down, she disengages gently and turns her back to him, giving Tony a look over her shoulder before facing forward, catching his gaze now through the mirror instead in a wordless invitation as she braces her hands on top of the vanity, back arching just slightly as her teeth worry her bottom lip in anticipation; there's no ambiguity to her actions, what she wants from him plainly obvious.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"I love you more," he insists automatically, chasing the kiss until it's gone and he's left breathless and panting. When Pepper turns aroundm, his hand immediately finds one side of her waist, gripping onto her hip as he takes in their image reflected back at him. Tony bites his lip against a needy outburst, instead making himself useful in finding her opening and slowly pushing one finger inside. She's so wet it makes his knees weak, knowing he did that; knowing she's that wet from watching herself, and from watching them. "Damn we're pretty," he's commenting, his other hand wasting no time lining himself up. While it seems animalistic and not at all romantic, he feels a different string being tugged in his chest every time their eyes catch in the mirror. No one else has to approve this; this is all them. Without further stalling, Tony moves his hand aside and grips her thigh stretching the skin slightly to keep her open to him. And then he's pushing in from behind, doing his best to get as flush with her body as he can before moving.

[efficacy]

A quiet mewl escapes Pepper as he slips a finger inside her, eyelids fluttering at the sensation. The corner of her lips curl into a brief smile at his observation but she says nothing in return, a tremor of anticipation rolling through her as she feels him preparing to enter her. Breath quickening a little, she widens her stance slightly and tips her hips up to assist him, eager to have him inside.

She's so slick he slides in easily, her eyes closing to fully appreciate the feel of him filling her up as her lips part on a moan of absolute enjoyment. "Oh, Tony..." Maybe it's because it's been so long since they've been together or just this particular position, but he's hitting all of her sweet spots just right and stretching her so perfectly she already feels like she could pass out from the sheer pleasure of it, her lithe frame shuddering from head to toe. Another soft noise spills from her parted lips when he's buried in all the way, pressed snugly against her back, the reactor nestling between her shoulderblades in a way that feels less foreign than she thought it would.

"God, you feel so good," she breathes, hips twitching and bucking back against him lightly, opening heavy-lidded eyes to catch his gaze in the mirror, struck breathless by the unbearably sexy sight they make like this.

[letmetakeaselfie]

All of her noises fill his confidence back up, cupping her waist gently in support even though the way she's trembling is driving him wild. The urge to take a slow, gentle approach is there, but it'll be almost impossible with how slick she is, the thought making him take in a sharp breath. He meets her eyes in the reflection while nuzzling into her throat, effectively forgetting about the reactor altogether. It was never a physical obstacle between them, though it's taken him this long to realize it. It was only his own insecurities that kept them apart for this long.

"Yeah? You like that? The feeling of my big, hard cock deep inside you?" He nips at her ear, one leg locking in against hers to prepare for what comes next. "You want me to fuck you hard, don't you? You want to watch as I split you open." His words are deep, almost growled, tone dark and gravelly as his free hand grabs a breast roughly. When his hips move, it isn't gentle at all, but a sharp snap, drawing out of her as much as possible before slamming back in.

[efficacy]

Her belly tightens convulsively, her muscles fluttering around his throbbing girth already; Tony's earlier ministrations have left her primed and yearning for the final push over the edge, which wouldn't take all too long judging by all the signs. He feels so maddeningly wonderful buried inside her, but it's his incendiary words that truly rob Pepper of breath, a choked noise escaping her at the nip to her earlobe.

"Hunhh...! Uh-huh, yes..." Panting, she rolls her hips back into his wantonly, his rough tone and even rougher touches arousing her further even as they make her want to give as good as she gets. Jumping and squeaking a little at the way he grabs her breast, she gives a hoarse little laugh even as she trembles in anticipation. "Oh, no, anything but that," she snarks, knowing -- hoping -- that he'll make her pay for her cheekiness in most delicious ways. Second later he's slamming back inside her with no gentleness, tearing a sharp yowl from Pepper, her fingers attempting to dig uselessly into the surface of the vanity as the force of his thrust jostles her slightly.