Closer
Title: Closer
Rating: K
Warnings: None, maybe a little angst.
Summary: The unveiling of a unique fortune puts things into perspective for Tony.
A/N: This is for the current challenge at it's_always_been. I chose prompts 2, 7, 11, and 20. This is set a few months after IM1, and totally ignoring IM2. No warnings, though it may seem a little angsty, but then again I'm not that good at writing angst, so it is what it is. Let me know what you think, and I swear I am working on the next chapter of ROTM. I'm planning on it to be up this weekend, I promise!
--
"Sir, Miss Potts has returned with dinner," Jarvis' monotone voice said.
"Tell her I'll be up there in a minute," Tony said as he finished tightening a screw on one of the gauntlets.
--
Tony walked into the living room to find her taking the Chinese food cartons out of the brown papers bags. The mixed scents of the sweet and sour aromas made his stomach growl.
"It's about time, Potts, I'm starving," he said, pulling up a chair to the coffee table. Pepper ignored the snooty comment and continued to set the cartons neatly on the table.
"Alright, you had the sweet and sour chicken with shrimp lo-mein and white rice," she said as she had him two cartons and a little bowl with the sweet and sour sauce in it.
"What did you get?" he asked as he opened the carton and grabbed one piece of chicken with his fingers and plopped it into his mouth.
"Either use the chop sticks or a fork; and I got chicken and broccoli," she said while opening her carton. Tony's face scrunched up in disgust. "What? You'll never know it's good unless you try it, Tony."
"No thanks, I hate broccoli," he said, grabbing a set of chop sticks. Pepper huffed.
"When have you ever tried to eat broccoli?" she asked him. Tony looked up to her, but he didn't answer. "That's what I thought." She shook her head and dug into her dinner with her own set of chop sticks.
"Did you get the fortune cookies?" he asked. Pepper rolled her eyes while slurping a noodle into her mouth.
"Yes, Tony, I got the fortune cookies. They're in that bag right there." She pointed to a little paper bag at the end of the coffee table. Quickly, Tony grabbed it and got out the two fortune cookies. "Oh, for heaven's sake Tony! They're not actual fortunes you know."
"I know that, I just like to read them because most of the time the sayings are absolutely ridiculous." Tony opened the cellophane wrapper and pulled out the cookie. He broke it, and pulled out the little piece of paper.
The one you love is closer than you think.
Tony's breath caught in his throat as he read those words to himself.
"Well, what does it say?" she asked, almost sounding a little impatient.
"Um, it says 'Your past success will be overshadowed by your future success'," he said quickly. Pepper snorted.
"Oh yes, that fortune was definitely meant for you." Pepper picked up her cookie and opened it. She cracked the cookie open and pulled out the paper.
"So, what does your say?" Tony asked, after giving her a moment to read her fortune.
"Mine says 'You can always find happiness at work on Friday'," she read with a smirk. Tony snickered at the fortune.
"Yeah, that sounds like you, too," he said. "Look, I've got some things I've got to work on so I'm gonna take dinner downstairs with me," he said, gathering his stuff up. Pepper shrugged.
"Okay, fine," she said nonchalantly. Tony paused and looked at her.
"Is that alright?" Pepper stared at him.
"Why wouldn't it be alright? That's the routine, Tony. I bring dinner, you come get it and disappear back downstairs." Tony swallowed hard at that statement, but he nodded anyway and continued walking towards the stairs, taking his dinner with him.
--
Later that night, long after Pepper had left to go home, Tony was laying on his couch fingering the fortune. 'The one you love is closer than you think,' he kept repeating in his mind. 'Maybe there might actually be something to these things.' He lifted the fortune up and looked at it again. Reading it over and over again was causing his stomach to turn, not to mention a slight ache in his chest.
"Oh, for god's sake!" Tony yelled. He balled up the piece of paper, and threw it in the general direction of the trashcan, not caring whether he missed or not. "It's just a piece of paper, Stark," he told himself. "They're not real fortunes; just sayings to keep customers entertained." He snuggled deeper into his couch and closed his eyes to rest them for a few minutes.
Even after closing his eyes, the fortune still repeated itself in his head. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself it was a stupid piece of paper, the uneasiness in his chest came back. Perhaps it was detecting something that he had tried to deny, or maybe even hide away. He sighed, finally realizing what the problem was.
'I want her closer. But how can that happen? She's already made up her mind.' He laid there a moment. 'It's been a few months; maybe she could've changed her mind.' Tony snorted at that thought. 'This is Pepper I'm thinking about. Either way, I've got to do something.'
Pepper came into work the next day to find Tony had gone out on a mission without telling her. She continued on to her office and dropped her bags down onto the chair. She rubbed her forehead, and reached over to boot up her computer but noticed an envelope on top of it with her name on it. Confused, she picked it up and opened it. Inside was Tony's chicken scratch as well as a fortune from a cookie taped to the paper.
I lied about my fortune. Honestly, this isn't how I imagined admitting my true feelings to you. It's stupid actually. It's ironic though, this being the first fortune I've gotten that's actually true and it's about you. I needed you to know, that's all.
Love,
Tony
Pepper read the fortune. Her knees weakened, but grabbed the desk to keep herself upright. She read the letter over and over again, and even had to sit on the side of her desk because she felt her knees could give out at any moment. She closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't want to, but she was going to have to tell him. There was no way she could walk around this anymore.
--
Tony returned from the mission later that afternoon. He was tired, but the fact that it was a successful mission made the soreness of his muscles all worth it.
"Jarvis, where's Miss Potts?" he asked. "Did she get my letter?"
"Miss Potts had to go to New York for a conference that you failed to attend. And yes, she did get your letter, sir," Jarvis responded. Tony totally ignored the first part of his response.
"And?" he asked.
"I am not at liberty to say, sir." Tony felt the ache in his chest get worse. "However, she did instruct me to tell you that she left her response on your desk." Tony looked to his desk, and indeed saw an envelope laying there. He ran to his desk, nearly tripping over Dummy as he did so, and grabbed the letter. He tore it open and unfolded the letter with a fortune taped to the top.
A secret admirer will soon send you a sign of affection.
Not that you're so secret anymore. I lied, too. You know I don't believe in these things but reading that fortune was kind of spooky. To be honest, I never thought it would be you, but I'm glad it is. Maybe writing a letter was the best way, considering both of us were too chicken to say anything out loud about it. We'll talk when I get home, but not before you try the chicken and broccoli. I'm sorry Tony, but I cannot be with a man that hasn't tried at least one vegetable in his lifetime, and as long as I've known you, you've never eaten them.
Love,
Pepper
Tony was grinning ear to ear, reading her letter. The pain in his chest was gone, and for the first time in a while he was actually happy. 'As long as we talk about it, I don't mind to try it.' He stripped out of the under suit and went to clean up.