Yes, Virginia, There Really Is An Iron Man: Chapter Six
TITLE: Yes, Virginia, There Really Is An Iron Man
AUTHOR: Quicksilvermad
SUMMARY: (Movie-verse) Pepper deals with Tony’s newfound lease on life and ends up making a mountain out of her molehill of emotion where her boss is concerned.
GENRE: Humor/Romance
RATING: PG13
PAIRING: Tony/Pepper
DISCLAIMER: Iron Man etc. belong to Marvel Comics et. al.
AN: I'm sorry for not responding to your comments on the last chapter-I wasn't feeling very well at all and got behind with everything. Please enjoy the following:
Chapter Six:
Pepper was Tony’s alarm clock in the morning-breezing into his bedroom, yanking the top sheet off the bed and clearing her throat in a way that will wake someone up far better than a blaring alarm or Jarvis turning the shades off and announcing the time and weather.
“It’s after nine o’clock, Mr. Stark,” Pepper declared.
Tony sat up and popped a tense vertebrae in his neck. “Ugh.”
Pepper walked over to his huge closet and pulled out one of his Hugo Boss suits and a pair of his favorite “dressy” sneakers. “Red or white shirt today?” she asked.
Tony looked down at the brightly glowing arc reactor on his chest and pouted a little. “Might as well go with red.”
Pepper gathered socks, a sleeveless undershirt and a pair of boxers and laid the ensemble out on the empty side of his bed. “The car will be here by nine-twenty, so I suggest you shower fast, Mr. Stark.”
“Yes, Miss Potts,” Tony mocked and tugged at the waistband of his pajama pants as he rolled out of bed. Pepper mentally catalogued the darkening bruises on his back and abs. They weren’t looking any better. Thinking on that…
“Tony, remember to use some of that Blue Emu stuff after your shower.”
He made a face at her over his shoulder before he closed the bathroom door.
Pepper finished gathering all of Tony’s usual effects and dropped them with his clothing. She went about her regular morning routine downstairs-deleted all of last night’s messages (all of them were Rhodey shouting his disapproval and demanding that Tony answer his phone), and poured coffee into Tony’s to-go cup.
A rather loud annoyed groan interrupted her.
“Pepper, I need some help… Again,” he chimed in through the intercom.
“Coming,” she said quickly and took the steps two at a time.
Tony was in his slacks and sneakers and holding out the jar of Blue Emu with a frustrated look on his face. “I can’t reach around to my back. My arms still feel like someone decided to run them over a couple times…”
This statement was not entirely too far from the truth.
Pepper sighed, placed the to-go mug on his dresser and took the jar from him. “Turn around,” she ordered.
Tony pivoted and waited patiently as his assistant rubbed the blue concoction (which, at fifteen bucks a jar, actually did relieve muscle and bruise pain) between her palms before running her fingers across his back. She wasn’t aware of the look on Tony’s face as she did this, and he couldn’t be more thankful. He felt entirely too tempted with the thought of taking her in his arms and finishing what was interrupted last night.
Her touch felt fantastic.
She rubbed at a knot between his shoulder and his neck and moved those petite hands of hers back down his practically blackish-purple back. It was good. Too good.
This was getting out of hand.
An uncomfortable lump was forming in Tony’s throat and he desperately wanted to clear it but was afraid to ruin the moment with any noise (again).
Pepper’s hands disappeared. “All finished,” she announced.
Tony turned around and watched her curiously as she wiped the excess cream across his bruised cheek.
He swallowed the lump and breathed shallowly through his nose as he let his eyes wander across her face.
She looked sad.
“Got things to do today?” he asked quietly. Pepper slowly dropped her hand from his face-the tips of her fingers ghosted across his goatee and she took one step back.
“Actually, no-besides finding a dress for the benefit Friday-”
“Wear the blue one.”
“-I… What?”
Tony was halfway through tucking in his undershirt. “The blue dress. You know, the one ‘I’ bought you for your birthday.”
He shrugged into the dark red oxford shirt she picked out for him and started to button it up.
“But I already wore that to a benefit.”
“So? Is this a girl thing? Because I’ve worn the same suit to like, a billion different things,” he shrugged and tucked the tails of his shirt into his slacks. He left the top three buttons of the shirt undone and tugged on the corners of the collar.
“I-I don’t… Know,” Pepper hesitated and crossed her arms-looking fixedly at his neck. Anything to avoid his eyes and that sly little smile that she knew he was beginning to give.
“it’s fine, go ahead and go shopping while I get my head shrunk. Hogan can drive you,” Tony reached out and gently nudged one of her crossed elbows. “Car’s here, right?”
Pepper nodded and watched him pull his blazer on and fiddle with his watch.
“Okay. Go spend my money. Get shoes and all that jazz,” Tony smiled in a way he only saved for her, ran his fingers through his hair (mussing it up so that it fell across his forehead attractively), and took the coffee from his dresser.
Before Pepper could do anything about it, Tony leaned forward and brushed a swift kiss across her cheek. “I’ll see you later, Pepper.”
She had to clear her throat. “Bye, Tony.”
Pepper didn’t move until she head the front door close.
“Ugh!” she yanked at her hair and stamped her feet like a frustrated teenager. She was confused, irritated, and feeling unsure about herself.
She was breathing hard after her hissy fit and channeled the energy into making Tony’s bed. Pepper found herself calming once she replaced the pillows he’d knocked onto the floor during the night. The only one that had remained was practically flat in the center-proof of how hard her boss was mashing his face into it in his sleep.
She ran her hand along the dent and slowed down. The clean smell of the shampoo Tony used was subtle but there.
It was a very pleasant smell.
Pepper had to squelch the primal urge to bury her nose in the pillow.
TBC
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AUTHOR: Quicksilvermad
SUMMARY: (Movie-verse) Pepper deals with Tony’s newfound lease on life and ends up making a mountain out of her molehill of emotion where her boss is concerned.
GENRE: Humor/Romance
RATING: PG13
PAIRING: Tony/Pepper
DISCLAIMER: Iron Man etc. belong to Marvel Comics et. al.
AN: I'm sorry for not responding to your comments on the last chapter-I wasn't feeling very well at all and got behind with everything. Please enjoy the following:
Chapter Six:
Pepper was Tony’s alarm clock in the morning-breezing into his bedroom, yanking the top sheet off the bed and clearing her throat in a way that will wake someone up far better than a blaring alarm or Jarvis turning the shades off and announcing the time and weather.
“It’s after nine o’clock, Mr. Stark,” Pepper declared.
Tony sat up and popped a tense vertebrae in his neck. “Ugh.”
Pepper walked over to his huge closet and pulled out one of his Hugo Boss suits and a pair of his favorite “dressy” sneakers. “Red or white shirt today?” she asked.
Tony looked down at the brightly glowing arc reactor on his chest and pouted a little. “Might as well go with red.”
Pepper gathered socks, a sleeveless undershirt and a pair of boxers and laid the ensemble out on the empty side of his bed. “The car will be here by nine-twenty, so I suggest you shower fast, Mr. Stark.”
“Yes, Miss Potts,” Tony mocked and tugged at the waistband of his pajama pants as he rolled out of bed. Pepper mentally catalogued the darkening bruises on his back and abs. They weren’t looking any better. Thinking on that…
“Tony, remember to use some of that Blue Emu stuff after your shower.”
He made a face at her over his shoulder before he closed the bathroom door.
Pepper finished gathering all of Tony’s usual effects and dropped them with his clothing. She went about her regular morning routine downstairs-deleted all of last night’s messages (all of them were Rhodey shouting his disapproval and demanding that Tony answer his phone), and poured coffee into Tony’s to-go cup.
A rather loud annoyed groan interrupted her.
“Pepper, I need some help… Again,” he chimed in through the intercom.
“Coming,” she said quickly and took the steps two at a time.
Tony was in his slacks and sneakers and holding out the jar of Blue Emu with a frustrated look on his face. “I can’t reach around to my back. My arms still feel like someone decided to run them over a couple times…”
This statement was not entirely too far from the truth.
Pepper sighed, placed the to-go mug on his dresser and took the jar from him. “Turn around,” she ordered.
Tony pivoted and waited patiently as his assistant rubbed the blue concoction (which, at fifteen bucks a jar, actually did relieve muscle and bruise pain) between her palms before running her fingers across his back. She wasn’t aware of the look on Tony’s face as she did this, and he couldn’t be more thankful. He felt entirely too tempted with the thought of taking her in his arms and finishing what was interrupted last night.
Her touch felt fantastic.
She rubbed at a knot between his shoulder and his neck and moved those petite hands of hers back down his practically blackish-purple back. It was good. Too good.
This was getting out of hand.
An uncomfortable lump was forming in Tony’s throat and he desperately wanted to clear it but was afraid to ruin the moment with any noise (again).
Pepper’s hands disappeared. “All finished,” she announced.
Tony turned around and watched her curiously as she wiped the excess cream across his bruised cheek.
He swallowed the lump and breathed shallowly through his nose as he let his eyes wander across her face.
She looked sad.
“Got things to do today?” he asked quietly. Pepper slowly dropped her hand from his face-the tips of her fingers ghosted across his goatee and she took one step back.
“Actually, no-besides finding a dress for the benefit Friday-”
“Wear the blue one.”
“-I… What?”
Tony was halfway through tucking in his undershirt. “The blue dress. You know, the one ‘I’ bought you for your birthday.”
He shrugged into the dark red oxford shirt she picked out for him and started to button it up.
“But I already wore that to a benefit.”
“So? Is this a girl thing? Because I’ve worn the same suit to like, a billion different things,” he shrugged and tucked the tails of his shirt into his slacks. He left the top three buttons of the shirt undone and tugged on the corners of the collar.
“I-I don’t… Know,” Pepper hesitated and crossed her arms-looking fixedly at his neck. Anything to avoid his eyes and that sly little smile that she knew he was beginning to give.
“it’s fine, go ahead and go shopping while I get my head shrunk. Hogan can drive you,” Tony reached out and gently nudged one of her crossed elbows. “Car’s here, right?”
Pepper nodded and watched him pull his blazer on and fiddle with his watch.
“Okay. Go spend my money. Get shoes and all that jazz,” Tony smiled in a way he only saved for her, ran his fingers through his hair (mussing it up so that it fell across his forehead attractively), and took the coffee from his dresser.
Before Pepper could do anything about it, Tony leaned forward and brushed a swift kiss across her cheek. “I’ll see you later, Pepper.”
She had to clear her throat. “Bye, Tony.”
Pepper didn’t move until she head the front door close.
“Ugh!” she yanked at her hair and stamped her feet like a frustrated teenager. She was confused, irritated, and feeling unsure about herself.
She was breathing hard after her hissy fit and channeled the energy into making Tony’s bed. Pepper found herself calming once she replaced the pillows he’d knocked onto the floor during the night. The only one that had remained was practically flat in the center-proof of how hard her boss was mashing his face into it in his sleep.
She ran her hand along the dent and slowed down. The clean smell of the shampoo Tony used was subtle but there.
It was a very pleasant smell.
Pepper had to squelch the primal urge to bury her nose in the pillow.
TBC
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