12653/Beginnings at the Gala's End

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Beginnings at the Gala's End
Date of Scene: 16 January 2021
Location: First Floor, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis: Tony and Pepper take a ride home in the limo together after she ends up his accidental date to a gala. They end up discussing theories of actually dating and then theory turns into fact.
Cast of Characters: Iron Man, Pepper Potts




Iron Man has posed:
"With... a Dr. Pepper. Actually, you know what? Cancel that entire thing, I'll pay for two meals if you can take the Number 5's meats and put them on the Number 6. In addition to the Number 6's meats, obviously, not in place of. Trying to cut down on my carbs, up my fats... it's a... I have special dietary restrictions, is what it is, actually. So... and yeah, still want the Dr. Pepper, but only one, even though there's two meals. Also, only one set of fries, it's really just more of a situation where I want the extra patties on the burger."

In the back of one of his self-driving limos, with half a glass of scotch in one hand, the former weapons magnate turned... everything else magnate is attempting to loosen his bow tie with his free hand.

Inside the Burger King, the poor night shift employee is trying to make heads or tails of Tony's order, before finally sussing out that he basically just wants extra patties on his burger, and doesn't mind paying extra. Which would have been a much easier thing to lead with, really.

Leaning away from the window, Tony mutters to his long-suffering executive assistant/caregiver/therapist.

"I swear, I'm going to open my own chain, and stock it with robots. Like that bar on the eighteenth floor. Human labor, it's over."

The frustrated voice comes back across the speaker, making a very slight attempt to sound pleasant.

"Will that be all, sir?"

He leans back toward the window, opens his mouth, and then turns back to Pepper.

"Sure you don't want something? Soak up the champagne?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
As nights go, this was actually a nice one. While Pepper was, at first, reticent to be taken as Tony's date to this gala, she was on the edge of admitting that she actually had an enjoyable time. They danced at least twice, he only abandoned her to flirt a handful of times (and came BACK). And, by the end of the night, she'd relaxed enough to let herself have more than one glass of champange. Four, to be exact. Which is one more than her tolerance and now leaves her in comfortably tipsy and tired.

It means she's pushed her spike black leather Jimmy Choos off in the limo and is half dosing against his shoulder, far closer than she let them get (in that first dance, at least). She's still in the gorgeous, body skimming emerald gown that is mostly backless, the fabric a halter tie at the back of her neck and then a scoop at the top of her waist. It's a gorgeous piece that she looked most excellent wearing while on his arm, even if there was some initial blushing.

"Mm... Don't need to soak up the champagne, and I'm *not* dropping anything on this dress. Besides. There'll be extra fries." That's a perfectly acceptable thing for an assistant to do, right? Steal his fries? Never the less, she seems just exhausted and tipsy enough to be content letting her arm press against his bicep and head lull into his shoulder. She might fall asleep right there. She still smells like amber oil and champange.

Iron Man has posed:
The tux that Tony is wearing is maybe not his nicest one ever, but it's definitely his most recent. But given that he goes through multi-billion dollar armors every few weeks, it's highly unlikely that this tux will ever be worn again.

This sort of behavior from Pepper isn't completely unexpected, but it certainly puts him in the unusual position of being the more sober one. It's an uncomfortable position to be in, and Tony's just now wondering how exactly Pepper puts up with it all the time.

The limo pulls up to the window, the self-driving software having finally figured out how to master the dreaded Drive-Thru Paradox after the fiasco of '27. That was a dark year for self-driving cars.

"Hey! Aren't you Tony Stark? My grandmother's a huge fan..."

As the limo pulls away, Tony tries to sort through the bag without disturbing the woman who deserves her rest probably more than just about anyone on the planet. It means he's got to set down the scotch, but it's worth it.

"You were incredible tonight, Pepper. I don't think I've ever seen anyone stiffarm a paparazzi quite so violently. His expression? Totally worth the legal fees."

Settling in himself, Tony relaxes back into the very plush vegan leather seats, while enjoying his decidedly non-vegan lifestyle. His head turns, just to see if she's still awake, his chin just barely grazing the top of that well-controlled mane of red hair.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The woman is awake, if barely. Or, she possibly wasn't awake for a few moments, but the only thing more embarrassing than dancing with your boss in a backless dress is falling asleep on him in his limo and maybe drooling, so Pepper is really fighting every inch she can against falling asleep. But it's hard. She is exhausted, getting maybe 5 hours of sleep a night if she's lucky, in hours that are close to her usual bed time, and his shoulder is just so warm. Comfortable. Muscled. It's a perfect storm for Virginia Potts drifting off into a comfortable, sweet sleep.

Her head jerks, the way one's head does when they've definitely been asleep and definitely don't want to admit to it. She draws in a brief start of breath and blinks from the darkened interior of the limo up to his handsome face. "...Mmm...does Burger King have coffee? I should have gotten a coffee. And I was *not* going to let that photographer get that photo. He'd have it all over the internet by tomorrow and then everyone will think we're dating and... you have... other... Dates." She's still just tired and tipsy enough for that to sound maybe a bit jealous? She normally doesn't wear THIS much of her heart on her sleeve.

She still hasn't sat up straighter, tucked in against him even as he chows down on Burger King. "...I don't know you eat that. It smells like...sweaty sneakers. Maybe I don't want their coffee."

Iron Man has posed:
It's a pretty diplomatic way to say it, but probably stretches the definition of 'date' a bit past its original meaning. Still, it's not as if Tony is embarrassed by his reputation. He's more embarrassed by the time he tried to put those roller skates on his armor.

But although he has a certain reputation, Tony is, perhaps surprisingly, not being creepy. Who knows how many minutes that'll last, but so far he's made it all the way from the gala to the Burger King without saying anything gross or doing anything inappropriate. Maybe he's grown up, after all.

"Wouldn't really be the end of the world, would it? People thinking that we're dating? I mean, I can see how it would be mortifying for you, dating the world's most eligible bachelor and all... but I think after you got over the initial shock, and maybe with some therapy, and long periods of reflection, you might eventually start to think that it was... kind of nice?"

He shoves a giant pile of sweaty-sneaker-smelling beef-like product into his mouth, chewing about as noisily as ever.

"You know, in a purely theoretical... not like a serious, but as a sort of thought exercise kind of way."

Pepper Potts has posed:
And here is the point that it's likely quite clear that Pepper is a little tipsy, because she'd never be this honest if she wasn't. Too caught up in her own nerves and the world aroound them on any given day, this is the most relaxed he has likely ever seen her. She gives a throaty little chuckle at his words, turning her head to tuck her nose against his arm. He smells better than that burger.

"No... not the *end* of the world... It could be really quite... Nice. But I care a little too much for the world's most eligble bachelor to make him... miserable, and stuck in a... box. And if we were *actually* dating, in a thought-exercise kind of way, I would probably want to murder any other woman he set his hands on. So... I let you bachelor, and you are happy... and that is... That." She can't entirely hide the edge of sadness in her voice, as she admits to the vicious loop she's gone over in her head again and again.

She does dare to turn her head just enough that she can look up to him, tired eyes going somber for a moment. "...I told you once you're all I've got in the world and that... hasn't changed. I'm not going to mess that up by trying to...trap you."

Iron Man has posed:
"Right, right. You raise some valid points there. And really, what's the rush? I don't turn fifty for like eight months, I think, so it's not like I'm in some kind of hurry to, you know, in the spirit of just sort of playing along with the thought exercise, it's not like I'm... still plenty of time before I die."

Tony says all of this with his mouth partially full, and seems to regret this almost immediately. The frown on his face is obvious, though probably not from Pepper's vantage point.

Swallowing his food, and wishing he hadn't set his scotch so far away, Tony does his best to sort of... reel that whole thing back in.

"Not that, of course, it's not that I'd only think about being more serious if I was faced with... a sort of... impending mortality... you know... wow, I think that I was really trying to convey more that I... have... certain emotions, sometimes, and... maybe it'd be more convenient if I didn't, but I... uh... I don't necessarily regret them. Having them, that is. So maybe someday, when there's no champagne... uh... the thought exercise..."

"You know what? Let's take a trip. How about the moon? Want to go to the moon?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
As Pepper's rather tired brain starts processing it all, something in her is screaming to wake up more. She needs to be awake for this conversation. He's not being fully honest, but he's more honest than they normally get to and it wasn't the words she expected to hear. She reaches one hand up, dragging it across her face, smearing just a bit of eyeshadow as she goes so she's in full racoon-eyes mode when she looks back up to him, but she is a bit more awake.

"...wait... What? Tony, you're not making a great amount of sense and I can't tell if it's my champagne or your nerves. Why... how would we go to the *moon*? What about Tahoe, or something? And why would we take a...trip? For business? I can't even get you to the conferences they *want* you at. If were trying *not* to cause rumors, taking a... trip together is certainly not the way to do that." She's a bit more sober now, forcing herself to sit straigher and to level eyes in his direction that are focusing on his face now. If he's interested, geniunely interested, she's going to make him say it...

Iron Man has posed:
"Nerves? No, there's no nerves, you're misrepresenting... the tone of the whole thing, without context, you can't just do that, taking things apart from the context and then calling me nervous... you're drunk, is what it is."

It's true that Tony is rarely honest when the subject of 'alleged emotions' might come dangerously close to coming up, but it's also true that there's proof somewhere that he does, in fact, have a heart.

"You're the one who said there was a rumor. I never said rumors, I... if I had to worry about rumors... wouldn't have time to eat, really, I was just saying that... the whole rumor thing, that's more of a 'you' issue than a 'me' issue, because if there was ever a rumor that we were, theoretically, deciding to... unprompted by anyone, or societal expectations, or... but if you and I decided that... and then... rumors started to show up as a consequence of that, and people found out that we WERE... you know..."

Tony finally takes a deep breath, and finishes the rest of his rambling monologue much less animatedly.

"That... I would be okay with that."

Pepper Potts has posed:
While she's still not perfectly herself, this is the kind of conversation that certainly kick starts some adrenaline and hyper awareness that wasn't there before. Pepper's sitting up straighter, body fully turned towards him, just a few artful locks of red escaping the careful up do that has slowly been falling the whole night. Even with smeared eye shadow, and most of her foundation worn off enough to show all those freckles for which she gets her name, she looks lovely. She looks more like *Pepper* than the rest of the world ever gets to see.

"...Tony. If you are saying you're interested in me, you need to say it. Not dance around it. Not...pretend with theoreticals. Just say it. Because I've been waiting to kiss you for three years and if you don't get the courage to actually fucking tell me you care I think I might scream."

Iron Man has posed:
"Yes! That's exactly what I was saying! There's a big difference between dancing around something and..."

Suddenly, Tony looks as if he might actually be terrified. The bowtie has already been undone, but that top button has to go. Pulling it open as quickly as he can, and possibly staving off a minor to moderate panic attack with some increased airflow, he turns toward her as well. Neither of them probably notice that the rest of his burger fell on the floor of a self-driving prototype limosine.

Taking a deep breath... he tries again.

"Building up, is what I was getting at, more than... the dancing around... it's more of a... oh, screw it..."

Leaning in, Tony finally shuts up and goes for it, apparently about three years overdue. It's not a lunge, exactly, but he does about ninety percent of the closing the distance on his own, completely unaware of how he might look.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Most of Pepper didn't expect him to take the leap. Because it's easy to make out with someone when you don't care, but she knows he cares about her, she's just not certain how deeply. So, having bared her own heart, she sits there quietly terrified and waits. Her own pulse races in her throat, not prone to panic attacks this is still one of the most frightening things she's ever done in her life. Because, if he rejects her, she still has to go to work on Monday...

But he doesn't. He's suddenly there, kissing her, and while the taste of burger is not her ideal first kiss fantasy, she's settled for not ideal most of her life. Her slender, bare arms come up around his neck, pulling him a bit closer as she tilts her head into the kiss and dares, for the first time in a very long while, to just let herself enjoy something.

Burgers aside, it's a very nice kiss. She's got champagne breath anyway.

She lets it linger for several moments longer than is professional and then some. When her head finally pulls back, it's just enough to catch her breath, her forehead and nose resting against his quietly. "... worth giving up the super models for?" She asks in a voice that is far too soft, too tiny, to be Pepper Potts. She's still terrified of rejection. But she needs the answer.

Iron Man has posed:
It takes a lot for a raving egomaniac to care about anyone enough to make him that nervous, but sure enough, Tony's got an actual case of palm dampness. It's a good thing that he doesn't need his hands for this part.

When the kiss finally breaks away, Tony finds that his arm is wrapped around her waist, though he only vaguely recalls doing that. He simply enjoys the moment, sitting this close, finally, with the woman who has basically been his life partner for years already.

Maybe tomorrow he'll wonder why it took this long.

With his forehead still pressed gently against hers, Tony's eyes open back up, at least partially.

"I've been meaning to cut back a bit for a while anyway. But just to make it fair, I'm going to need you to give up all of your jackets with shoulder pads."

Pepper Potts has posed:
That gets a genuine, warm breath of a laugh from her, nose turning but brushing against his cheek. She's smiling. The sort of smile he's so rarely seen from her, one that flickered through when he first came back from the middle east. And on a few particularly nice holidays. But it's not a smile that comes a lot. He's got it now, a glimmer of tears in her eyes from a mix of relief and emotions she's really not certain how to hold back. Or if she even wants to.

"I... I think we can arrange an agreement, Mr. Stark. I'll have the paperwork on your desk in the morning." The tone of those words is *clearly* teasing, and then she leans up to kiss him again. Longer this time, reminding herself this is real and quietly reveling in how much she's wanted this for longer than she can really think. No matter how unprofessional it's been. She sinks into his arm easily. She really does just seem to fit against him.

Then their lips slightly break and she whispers, "Oh... and maybe we can take Burger King before making out off the table too? I mean, while we're in negotiations... " She's grinning even as she says it, teasing quietly. Her lips are still within an inch of his.

Iron Man has posed:
With short breaks between kisses, Tony doesn't have the kind of time for one of his usual monologues. Which is fortunate, because it would almost certainly end up being entirely about himself somewhere in the middle, and ultimately spoiling the mood.

Leaning just a bit closer, he doesn't let her lips get much further away than the tips of his mustache hairs, their lips basically bumping any time either of them says anything.

"Well... while we're in negotiations, I should probably point out that the person who usually does my negotiations for me is... currently occupied..."

Another kiss, shorter this time, and then he pulls away. Sitting with his back against the seat again, his arm slides up a bit, pulling her in beside him.

"Dummy, can you turn my heated seat down just a bit? And turn Pepper's up like... four degrees."

With a cheerful 'Mwoop!', the onboard co-pilot fiddles with the car's comfort settings. The limo cuts through the comparatively tame late night traffic, moving in harmony with the many other AI-controlled vehicles on the road. Inside, Tony is more nervous and more content than he can ever remember being at the same time. But his nerves are calming by the second.

They've waited years for this moment, why rush? Tony isn't even fifty yet.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Well, good news. I consulted her about the burger king thing and she agrees, so it's settled." Pepper's practically grinning now, her face flushed and warm beenath all those freckles. Each kiss gets a bit more adventurous, though Pepper puts a stop to being complete teenagers in the limo. After all, he has an incredibly nice bed for them to go back to.

The rest of the night is enjoyed with quiet kisses and, eventually, retiring to that big comfortable bed where Pepper promptly falls asleep, still exhausted from the day and in a better mood than she's been in ages. She's comfortably wrapped around him for the rest, though, and it means she manages to sleep deeper than she has in a long while as well. She might even let him convince her to sleep in come the morning. Miracles do happen, on occasion.