theavengertonystark asked: [TEXT] Pep, I'm tired. Can I quit heroing now?
{TEXT} ..Yeah. Yes, you can. {TEXT} If that’s what you want…?
“You got it, totally won’t mention it to him. Cross my heart.” And, with a ridiculous grin, she conducts the action, making an X over her chest where her heart was, thumping away with adrenaline.
The truth comes out- Pepper will not be physically present for much of Darcy’s run as COO. And probably, that should be worth a panic attack for the young brunette as much as anything, but the idea actually excites her. Darcy Lewis, hardly graduated from college with her bachelor’s in Political Science, the COO of Stark Industries, taking orders and direction from a pregnant Pepper Potts-Stark who was relocated to some remote place? It’s like some ridiculous novel Darcy might have read when she was a tween and still hoping for a miracle job to be handed to her, right alongside receiving her letter from Hogwarts, delivered to her by a giant mass of a man that was Hagrid, grumbling almost unintelligibly “Yer a wizard, Darcy.”
But it really was happened- the COO thing, not the Harry Potter spiel (still, she secretly hopes, deep down inside, that her letter is lost somewhere and will someday make it to her, eleven years late).
Her daydreams are snatched from her head at the words hazard pay and suddenly Darcy is remembering that Tony Stark is a hero, and with heroes, there are always villains. Darcy isn’t a prime target for kidnapping or violence, but she knows not every dude with the kitchen supplies necessary to make a bomb doesn’t watch tv or read the newspaper, and might have no idea that their ideal targets are no longer residing in this side of the hemisphere.
Suddenly, she’s hesitant again.
And then Pepper slides the paper over and the figure makes Darcy’s eyes bulge. Just the hazard pay alone is more than she’s made ever in any job she’s possessed (which, okay, has been crappy minimum wage entry level crap, but still), and she looks up to Pepper, slack jawed.“Are you kidding me? Can you pinch me, please? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I’m conked out cold at home and this is the result of drinking too much Kool-Aid before bed.”
Pepper doesn’t pinch her, and is in fact grateful that Tony isn’t there, because he would have.
What she does do is smile, her eyes a little tired — but that’s the norm these days. She would probably kill for a cup of real coffee, so it’s a good thing she likes Darcy already.
“I realise this is extraordinarily bad timing,” It really, really is, but she also knows it can’t be helped, “but we’ve got a specific brand of crazy around here, and to be honest, none of the other applicants came with the S.H.I.E.L.D. stamp of approval.” She smiles gently, gathering the paperwork up with sure fingers. “Besides, I was your age when I started.”
She feels something along the lines of wistful at that statement, and nods her head toward the elevator.
“Now that your biometrics are in place, JARVIS is equipped to assist you personally. JARVIS, meet Darcy Lewis.”
“A pleasure, miss.”
“He can answer nearly anything you have clearance for, as well as perform security and mechanical tasks around the tower. He can be your datebook, your Rolodex, your alarm clock — and he’s surprisingly good company, considering Tony programmed him.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Stark.” Pepper’s smile is fond; she can’t imagine life without the AI now.
“Darcy’s office, please, J. And would you let Tony that our newest employee is here? Stress that he should make himself presentable.” Her lips twitched as she regarded Darcy with what seemed like the hundredth apology on the tip of her tongue. “I should warn you that Tony and I have varying definitions of the word ‘presentable’…”
(Source: vpottsceo)
“Well, if that’s what you’re aiming for, you’re on the right track.” He felt the cool surface of the fridge touch his shoulders and arched forward to suck Pepper’s bottom lip. His hips canted in her direction and he felt a throb of want deep in his belly.
Pepper smiled beneath the kiss, satisfied with his answer. She wasn’t concentrating on work between the vague idea of surprising him in the workshop and the discomfort that sitting still for any length of time brought, so this was her perfect solution.
(Source: vpottsceo)
“Clearly,” he answered, eyebrow arched. He shut the fridge door and turned in Pepper’s arms, hands coming up to cup her face as he kissed her softly. When he pulled back, Tony smiled and rubbed a thumb over Pepper’s cheek. “You’re in a good mood.”
“You know me these days.” She paused, settling her chin gently in his hands as she savoured the kiss. “Favourable mood, kind of enormous. Like Santa without the reindeer.”
She wrinkled her nose. Pregnancy was not an easy thing for her, even without the unique complications that her lifestyle brought.
“You could be in a good mood, too…” she offered, biting gently at the curve of her lower lip as she coaxed free the button at his waistband.
(Source: vpottsceo)
He’d come up for the workshop in hopes of making a sandwich but when he felt Pepper’s hand at his waist, Tony smiled.
“Hey.” He turned to look at her over his shoulder. “No, just hunting for food. What’re you up to?”
“You could just have JARVIS deliver to the workshop,” she reminded him, playfully suspicious. Her hands found the free end of his belt, coaxing it back through the buckle as she dropped a simple kiss to the fabric of his well-worn tee.
“I’m not up to anything, myself,” she lied, grinning against the crook of his neck as she tugged the belt free of its loops.
(Source: vpottsceo)
Pepper grinned at the sound of Tony in the kitchen. She clicked off her StarkTablet, knowing it would save her place automatically, and padded through the penthouse in bare feet until she found him. The door to the refrigerator was open wide, and she knew he thought if he looked at it long enough, there would be something he could alchemise into a meal.
With a roll of her eyes, she pressed against his back as best the could at the moment, resting her cheek in the space between his shoulder blades. Her arms wrapped around his waist, fingers tracing the metal square of his belt buckle.
“Hey… busy?”