3248/Welcome Back, Potter

Welcome Back, Potter
Date of Scene:	26 November 2017
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Welcome home, Pepper!
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
The penthouse. The big house. The high up grand poobah. That's where Tony is tonight, nibbling on a bit of left over turkey, some mac'n cheese, and some stuffing. So yeah, he's carb loading a bit. Maybe he has a marathon he's planning to run. I mean, it's not Haagen Daas so he's fine, right? He's got the TV on, watching the fact that there's some old reruns of movies he enjoys on HBO. Yep, he's vegging out. No news. No suit about. It's full on college bachelor Tony with shorts and a t-shirt and his goatee a bit mussed and yeah, no vegetables since no one is here making him eat them.

Pepper Potts has posed:
While Pepper was supposed to come back yesterday, it was another emergency that happened with the new start up in Sweden. She had to stay another day. But she promised she'd be home today -- even if this is later than expected, she doesn't break her promise. Happy's dropped her off here instead of her own condo, at her request. This was half her home anyway. So, possibly unexpected but hopefully not unwanted, the exhausted looking blonde steps out of the penthouse elevator, her suitcase rolling behind her. She looks like a woman who's just come off a month of international work and an international flight. She's trying to smile, though. "...Knock knock. Do...I...intrude?" She asks gently as she looks him over, a hint of amusement across her face.

Iron Man has posed:
Looking up from his plate in his lap as he lays on the bed, he puts it aside and gets out of bed. He sees you and you can see the moment of excitement at the fact you're there, followed by him masking it with that look of his you've seen before. It's a bit stoick, more so...and out comes the sarcastic voice. "Ahh, sorry, JARVIS can you run facial recognition? I'm not sure I recognize this person at the door. Do you have identification? Security! They'll just let anyone in here won't they," he says, looking back to you as he puts his hands to his hips, lips pursed and he watches, gesturing to the kitchen. "Well, I suppose we can feed the hungry and travel weary. We do have some left overs. Come on in...."

Pepper Potts has posed:
The blonde blinks as she sees him, in the full on veg mode, and she chuckles softly to herself. She lets her suitcase remain standing near the door and, instead, just walks aross the floor in his direction even as he mocks her for not having been around, "I emailed! I even called a few times. I wouldn't let you forget me. Come, now... I promised you I'd be back today. Before midnight. It's before midnight... I kept my promise." Probably why she came straight here instead of actually bothering to go home and shower. She takes another step towards him, so close they could touch each other if one or the other reached out. She doesn't quite yet, the courage not fully in place again. "I...did miss you."

Iron Man has posed:
Tony doesn't make ey econtact. If he did it would be a lot harder to keep up the act that shows how grumpy and mad that he is. And so he looks over to you, pursing those lips, his gaze moving over to you finally, and he nods. "Yes...you did email," he says, "But you are still late. And you missed Thanksgiving. AND I still haven't gotten to take you out because work trumps social schedule," he says, clearing his throat. And of course, you can hear in his voice the complete lack of anything resembling anger. He's being a sulky Tony, plain and simple. There's nothing else to it, nothing else to worry or wonder about - it's just Tony wanting attention, plain and simple. Well, yours, specifically. "I probably missed you too."

Pepper Potts has posed:
While Pepper initially felt that distance, wasn't certain that he'd want her back -- after all, they'd never even got their date yet -- hearing the sulking in his voice and that complaint of her missing Thanksgiving? It's too much. It tugs her heart past the initial worries and she steps closer, arms out, tugging him in against her for the tightest hug -- she still in her high heels and he not, so he's the perfect level to be buried in her strawberry hair. She turns her head, pressing a kiss against his temple. "Work... will always trump social. We both know this, and we hate it... and it's been our whole lives. That's why we didn't do this sooner. Maybe we still shouldn't...but I came here. Not home. Not to my condo. I got off the plane and came straight here..."

Iron Man has posed:
He listens, and he is hugged. And he hugs back, those strong arms coming up over your business suit's shirt, pulling you back to him even as he squeezes. YOu can feel the press to your chest of his reactor which is good, at least while you were gone -that- didn't fall out or stop working. There are times one might wonder how he even dresses himself when you're not about. "Well...you could have flown straight here. Or I could have picked you up. I can be very fast you know," he says, a bit beaten as far as being sulky if you're going to go ahead and turn things around on him by making a perfectly logical case for how you did the best you could. "What if I hadn't been here? What if I would have chosen to spend my Thanksgiving weekend out in California, in Coast City hmm?" Yes, it's a reasoanble question, and one that probably would have simply had you change flights. As if you don't know where Tony Stark is -all- the time. Ironman MAYBE not, but your Tony?

Pepper Potts has posed:
A husky laugh escapes her tired throat, as Pepper tucks herself in tighter against him, enjoying that familiar warmth of the reactor above his heart. It makes her own slightly flutter, like coming home again, because that is what this felt like. She doesn't let go of the hug, even if she is hungry, this was more important. She keeps her lips against his temple, breath brushing through the edge of his hair as she speaks. "As if Virginia Potts doesn't know where Tony Stark is at all points in time. I checked where you were going to be and flew into that city. I had JARVIS pinned to tell me if you decided to go out tonight, and Happy would have taken me there. Fortunately, he took me here. And here we are... We can go to California, if you want? Pretend it's still Thanksgiving. Eat a big dinner together and get fat on a beach."

Iron Man has posed:
He doesn't move either, those arms wrapped around you now in such a way that thinks you might need one of his suits to get them off of you. "Well....didn't you just think of everything then," he says, obviously amused but also realizing that he doesn't have much left in the way of arguments. And so he leans back slightly, to look to you, and he says, "Come on...." and he walks over to the balcony, tugging you with him and he sits just inside the door where it's warm but the cool breeze can be felt and he pulls you down (or tries to) not onto the arm of the chair but into his lap, so that you're sitting cross ways, and he thinks about it for a moment. "We should do that. Go out to the beach...even just for a couple of days. I could use it. You look like you -really- could use it," he says, teasing you for your travel-worn appearance.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It does not seem that Pepper wants to be released from his arms either, a happy little moan of a breath escaping the base of her throat as she sinks just a bit deeper against him. There were so many reasons she came here first, this one of the biggest. Her fingertips drowsily make their way up and down his back, as if remembering his very shape and warmth inch by inch. She almost protests when he pulls away, but then lets him lead her towards the balcony. She really would follow anywhere.

A moment later, she's sinking down into his lap. No protests about propriety, about their working relationship, nothing but the enjoyment of being together as she stretches out against him. "...I could probably take a day or two off. I did work through the holiday, after all. How.... are things here? Is there anything I need to look over now that I'm back?"

Iron Man has posed:
"Probably," he says. "I did start teaching some of the members of SHIELD how to plant viruses so I could sneak into some sort of super computer and steal their secrets....no wait I was the one causing the distraction so they could sneak in," he says, cause that makes it better. It's what you want is him using Stark industries to start global assaults. "I gave a girl an internship and told her as long as she keeps working hard and creating good things that we'll pay for it. She's a bit rough around the edges but she has a good mind. She'll fit in," he says and his fingers move to the buttons of your shirt, tugging but not undoing one, just a playful tug as he says, "You do realize I'm a lot more comfortable than you." Not that he has any thought that suggests you're actually going to get up and change. "This however does not count as beach attire. I've seen sexy beach attire in my day. This isn't it," he offers with a bit of amusement now, poking fun at you. "I hired a receptionist. She is...bubbly, but she seems to make a good impression when people come in. And she can fly so there's that..."

Pepper Potts has posed:
As he pulls at that button, she gives a little laugh, but she cannot entirely hide the wince at the thought of him planting viruses. "You were doing WHAT with SHIELD? Is this something I should be worried about? This is something I should be worried about." She answers her own question a heartbeat later, a bit of a concerned huff behind her voice. SHe's definitely home now, she can tell by the stress and amusement forming a knot at the back of her head. Still, she doesn't move from his lap. "...Maybe in a few days. I wasn't planning on going to the beach *tonight*. I was planning on coming home to a chilly New York City..."

Iron Man has posed:
He grins, and totally tries to dodge over the SHIELD thing by the only way he knows how. He picks you up and he does something he hasn't done in quite some time, not since you two first started working together and you would fall asleep with papers all over and lap top screens open. He carries you over to the bed. Not the guest room. To -his- bed and he tosses you onto it, and he points at the TV. You can see that Sunday Night Football is on, and the teams playing seem to be having a good enough time of it, the people in the stands are happy. "You know what's not happening on the screen right now?" He asks the question as he slides in next to you after going to the drawer of his dresser and grabbing a Van Halen t-shirt and handing it to you. "Anything that requires me to leave here, that's what's not going on. We'll go to the beach in the morning."

Pepper Potts has posed:
A happy little laugh of enjoyment escapes her lips as she's scooped up into his arms. Instinctively, her arms wrap around the back of his neck and she holds him closer, fully comfortable in his grasp as such. Her smile only grows as he carries her back through the penthouse to his bedroom. She kicks off her shoes from the back of her heels, letting them drop on the floor as he brings her to the bed. A happy sigh escapes her breath. "I... have never been much of a football fan, but I think that sounds perfectly lovely." She settles down on the bed, beginning to strip out of the rest of her work clothing. It's all tossed into a pile with her shoes -- not hung up neatly, not folded, just tossed. Pepper is officially in night off mode.

Iron Man has posed:
"Do you need help?" Not that he does. He's amused, as he simply offers her the warm Tony Stark scented t-shirt, completely with well worn soft inside and falling to just past her hips as he settles onto the bed and he hands over the remote. See, that there is love and commitment as he offers Pepper the remote and keys to their tv. "Here's an important question, one I don't think we've discussed. What are your top three Christmas movies? And how do you think we should decorate? Something traditional? Keep it simple? Or should we try to make the cover of some fancy magazine? Me personally, I like simple...a little Charlie Brown tree, two ornaments and a star on top and I'm good but I figure it doesn't hurt to ask your opinion on these things."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I do think I'm awake enough to take off my own clothes..." Pepper mutters with a good smirk, reaching down to her shirt and pulling it off over her head. THe bra comes next, then she does have to stand up to get out of her slacks. Soon enough, she's pulling that shirt back on over her head and stands there in nothing but his soft shirt and panties. She's then tucking back down into the bed, stretching out like some lazy cat as he hands her the TV remove. Her motions are already getting drowsy, as she flips to some old TMC movie. "Mm... simple... Simple is nicer. A real tree, a few ornaments. That's enough. ANd I like that Elf movie... and Miracle on 34th Street. And, of course, White Christmas..."

Iron Man has posed:
Tony Stark listens to your selection...after he watches you change. Someone has to supervice, make sure that everything is handled properly. YOu can't just trust this sort of thing to just anyone - no, it has to be properly monitored and supervised. So Tony smiles to himself, even if he sees nothing, it's fun to just watch you, to know you're that close. And to know that you trust him, that you're both at that playful level before he stretches, pointing his toes and arching his back, getting all settled into the super comfortable bed. "Have you ever tried to get a real tree up this high in an elevator?" He's amused of course. "Those aren't bad. Those are good ideas....but I'm going to have to say that of the three you suggested, only one is correct. First...and foremost, is Die Hard. It is the premier movie. Second is Miracle on 34th Street, which you have correct. Third, however, is 29th Street. If you don't know it....well then we should watch it soon."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"29th... street? I've never even heard of it. You're teasing me." Pepper mutters, as she tucks herself down into the bed next to him. She's not even paying attention to the television now, but curled up on the pillow and looking half way to sleep already. Idly, her foot comes forward, winding between his ankles as if she could wrap herself up in touch in more than one way -- feet, legs, arms -- she wants to be able to curl up close with as much of him around her as possible.

Iron Man has posed:
"29th Street is the tale of the first New York State Lottery Winner....the drawing done I believe on Christmas Eve." He pulls you in more closely, his arms having no problem with you winding about him. Indeed, at this point she looks likea lovely strawberry haired tentacle creature who has sucked up half of his body for her own nevarious purposes...like staying warm and collecting hugs, but he finds for the most part he is okay with all of this. There is no fight. If this is how Tony is meant to die then he has accepted his fate. "But I wouldn't tease you. I am far too serious and stoic a man to do such things. Straight truth, no bullshit. That is my motto. Always has been...." he says, trying to keep from laughing.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"...Tony...I'm going to open my eyes and your nose is going to be as long as your bank account is large, if you keep telling those lies. You can't even bullshit pretending NOT to bullshit well." Pepper huskily mutters, laughter behind her tired voice. She's finally found a settled, tucked in close position, and the pattern of her breath is evening out already, but she's trying to fight it. To stay awake. "...We can watch 29th Street, then... over Christmas. You'll show it to me. And we'll watch Elf too..." She's now half rambling herself.

Iron Man has posed:
"Only if you actually eat the food groups of the elves," he says with a chuckle. "Or if you let me walk in on you while you're singing Baby It's Cold Outside in the shower. Those are my terms," he says, as the ever-shrewd negotiator and he presses a kiss to the top of your head as you curl into him and he says, quietly, almost too quietly to even be heard. "Missed you." He smiles now, his heart beating steadily, relaxed, moreso than when she first walked in. "I'm glad you're home. I think we should hire a Senior Vp to handle the international things. I think I like you home more than I like the idea of you being gone. A lot more," he offers. Yes....Tony Stark has made an executive decision. You need an assistant....