5689/Charitable Sharing

Charitable Sharing
Date of Scene:	30 October 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Tony returns from a trip and chats with Pepper.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
    Tony's been away. It's been just over a week, really, since he left the country and has been active elsewhere in the world with different projects of heroic nature. It isn't particularly hush-hush though: there's lots of news footage available of Iron Man being active overseas. Pictures of him with rescued children (and women). The usual. He's been chasing some leads related to the telepath the Avengers and other hero groups are trying to pin down.

    Today word came in that the Stark of Stark Tower returned not long ago, he detoured to come to the tower unexpectedly. And similarly Tony's abruptly in Pepper's office. He's tired at the edges, an exhaustion that comes into his features due to that he's no longer a very young man, but his vibrancy of will and spirit more than carries him even despite physical stress or exhaustion. "Hey, honey. How about Pizza for lunch? Something really unhealthy, with a salad on the side to make it appear slightly less so?" Tony suggests loudly, as if it were any other Tuesday.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It takes a few moments for Pepper to disentangle herself from Tony. Professional or no, she fairly tackled him when he came through the door, and his question was practically muffled by her as she clings to him, then leans back to look at him. She reaches up and uses her fingertips to ruffle his hair back into place with a beaming smile that betrays just exactly how much she's missed him. "I say we get the healthiest-looking decoy salad ever to go with that pizza. God I've missed you. I worry when you're not around, you know." Like, who's taking care of him when he's not around? Who'll make sure he eats and rests? From the looks of him, no one has.

"Everyone's so proud of you here around the office. And by office, I mean country. We were watching you over there. But you look like you've been through hell."

Iron Man has posed:
    It's more that the assistants he does hire to do those things aren't aggressive enough with him on the subject. Not very many of the people he hires are up to the task of actually trying to push he do something if he's busy or not listening. People that aren't yes-men to the billionaire, because they value their jobs, are hard to come by.

    Tony automatically put an arm around her to hug her in against his ribs when she hugs him tight, and leans in expectantly for his kiss. If there's any delay, he'll tap his chin a little. Kiss here.

    "Make it happen. JARVIS?" Tony addresses the air. "Yes, sir," answers the AI. Tony nods once. Easily done. "What's to worry about?" he asks her casually, a bit surprised. "I've been on best behavior." Of course he'd go that way with it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper kisses Tony, if a little more enthusiastically, having been deprived of her Tony for a week, but it seems like a month. "Yeah, you'd /say/ that, wouldn't you?" she asks with a wink. Truth be told, she didn't realize she was starving until he mentioned pizza and decoy salad. In his own way, he takes care of her, too.

"Everything's been running just fine here, but I think the staff has missed being ushered out of rooms. They just sort of stand there...and look at me all moony-eyed. I can't tell if they want to be reassured, or run off with a dismissive wave." She laughs and squeezes him again before letting him go. "Soooo tell me everything. How's the world outside of the office?" And by office, she still means country.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Suspiciously, the world keeps turning," Tony replies, with a distrustful expression towards the windows, and then an immediate sly smile. "I take partial credit," he reminds her, though, with a tap of a forefinger to her cheek before returning the kiss. He HAS behaved; the evidence of a bit of heaviness to the kiss is there. He's directing that energy to her, with a shamelessness.

    "Your day is open for say, a few hours, isn't it?" Tony asks. He didn't check. It probably isn't. But schedules are never really rigid for Tony.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Of course it is. For you, I'd clear my day. Or...JARVIS would. Right JARVIS?" she asks into thin air.

"Yes, Miss Potts," comes the diligent reply.

"See? Done." It isn't like Pepper to clear her schedule on short notice, but on occasion, when she really needs it, she can be a little more like Tony. And right now, she needs it.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Wow, throwing all responsibility to the wind for me. I like it. Sometimes. I mean, what about the company?" Tony asks her in a put-upon worried tone, without actually letting go of her waist with his hand. His other moves to rest of her hip comfortably. He's just giving her a difficult time, in his playful way.

    "Come on then," Tony decides, abruptly moving to direct her towards the elevator, uncaring about if she's left behind jacket or purse or anything else, and without much information about where he's expecting to direct her, although since the food is being ordered, it's probably just to the penthouse.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"The company can do without me for a /little/ while. And so can my hairdresser." She flashes a smile and cheerfully lets Tony usher her out the door. Whatever's in her purse, she can do without for the day. And once in the elevator, she leans in to sneak another kiss. "Wow, throwing all responsibility to the wind for me. I like it..."

She's positive that everything in the office will take care of itself without her mentioning it to him, and she has more pressing matters on her mind at the moment. "Seems like a month, you've been gone. I /missed/ this face," she says, gentling a hand alongside his cheek and looking into his eyes.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Well, it's a charitable effort to share this face with the world," Tony reminds her automatically, with his usual dodge of heavy emotions. Emotions are difficult. But he does rein in a little as she passes her hand up his cheek, with roguish smirk falling out of his dark eyes to return the look with a seriousness he can be brought to in these private moments. If a little bit rarely. There is a magical series of events that have to line up just right to get him there, but it is possible: the direct look of his full attention into her eyes without game or misdirection.

    "But I can understand the selfish motive," Tony says, and the moment is gone with the spark that wings back in as he does a quick smooch and turns towards the opening elevator door.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"It /is/ charitable, and I'm a charitable person, to a point," she reminds him right back with a grin. "So, are we headed to your place? Candles, soft music and pizza? Minus the candles and soft music?" she teases. "All things considered, I'm just glad to get out of the office for a little while. And so relieved to see you home in one piece. More or less." She touches his chest over the arc reactor. "It's been all business since you left. It's like I forgot how to have fun."

Iron Man has posed:
    "I'm better than one piece. I have all the optional accessories. It's more like Tony XL. All the trimmings," Tony responds, lifting her hand from near his chest to kiss the backs of her knuckles before replacing it back on the area near the arc reactor. He's fearless of her touching that, or wherever, of course.

    "Unless you put candles out there shouldn't be any," Tony answers smoothly. "There /is/ music. Of which I suppose I can take requests. If they're good requests." He winks at her, but then propels her through the door of the elevator into the penthouse floor entryway that leads into his giant personal area (well, one of many).

    "Or 'other' requests," teases the hopeful playboy.