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Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony found her reaction to hand feeding fish mildly amusing. He dropped the subject and filed the information away as important. Tony listened and nodded as she spoke. “Kids can be judgemental when you’re different,” he said. Tony’s problem had been being far too smart for his own good. Going to a private boarding school had helped him out a bit, but it wasn’t until college that he perfected how to be the center of attention and make lots of people like him.

He was thinking of elaborating when she pulled away. He wasn’t exactly sure what he should do. Often he could figure out what was going on with a person, determine their motivations, and several other things, but when it came to emotional things he had no idea what to do. He could guess that it was probably about Coulson or maybe him. Beyond that, he had no idea what to do. So, he held back and gave her a moment to herself.

When she collected herself and offered an explanation that didn’t really explain anything, he guessed that she didn’t want to talk about it. He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m not exactly asking anyone’s permission. Not that I really need it,” he said. “For right now, there isn’t much I can do. Rhodey is covering for me until a replacement suit gets finished and I’m pretty sure he won’t get too bothered if I ask for a few days beyond that. Of course, I’ll probably have to promise him something in exchange.”

He lifted up her hand, the one she’d linked with his, and kissed the back of it. “All the things I do as Iron Man and all the things you do managing the company, I think we’ve earned a few days alone together.” He looked toward the mansion and then back over the grounds. “This may not be a tropical place, but it won’t attract attention or play wrong to the press. It’s practical and responsible.” He gave her a teasing smile. “You’re a good influence and I honestly have no idea how you manage to do that.”

Pepper took in a deep breath as she glanced over the grounds, he was right about one thing. This place was secluded enough to offer them that little alone time she really desired. She didn't honestly mind if they weren't away on some exotic island - she didn't care about the weather being anything more than normal. All she did care about was having some time with him, time that didn't involve the company or the iron man. Pepper nodded her head slightly "I think this beats any tropical place you could think of, it's just what I need as long as you're here and not caught up in some battle".

Reaching over, Pepper pressed her lips against his for a moment - her eyes closing to savor it. "It's really something else around here, I could actually get used to being here" she smiled, pulling back from him again. "It's private, you have all kinds of things here - enough to keep anyone busy without actually leaving. I really couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be right now". With that said, Pepper took hold of his hand and turned back towards the mansion "I think we need a little extra privacy though, at least just for tonight".

She slowly started to walk back towards the mansion, her emotions were still torn over everything that had happened. All she wanted to do was to share some intimacy with him, just enough to fade out any of the other things. "I'm thinking a long hot shower...one where you're actually joining me" she smirked back to him, knowing he couldn't really resist these kind of invitations.

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony raised his eyebrow and looked at her with an amused smile. “He sounds like a complete jerk. You should take all of your vacation at once so he remembers that he’s lucky to have you working for him,” Tony said talking about himself in the third person because it was funny. He had a rough idea about how much vacation time she could take a year and how little she actually took. The sad fact was he’d forgotten how to run the company without her there, half of the important information he used to know he had to ask her about. “I’m a very bad influence on you,” he said smiling.

"I’m sure I could have talked you into trying the sled," he said squeezing her hand. Tony enjoyed the simple act of holding her hand. He wasn’t prone to lots of physical contact unless it was in private, even then he usually let her initiate it. He was still figuring out how long term relationships worked. "I doubt you were boring," he countered. "Serious, sure. Practical, I don’t doubt it. Just because your idea of fun doesn’t match other people’s it doesn’t mean you’re boring. At least, I never found you boring." He’d found her interesting at their first meeting and she’d continued to remain interesting. "I know the end product of what I come up with is exciting to most people, but I’m sure they’d consider the process of creating something fairly tedious. Not to mention having to learn all the things I needed to learn to be able to make it. Advanced metallurgy…" he trailed off smiling.

He nodded in agreement. “I’m sure they’ll get an increase in pay when we negotiate their contract later in the year.” He was fairly generous with the people he paid here simply because he’d known most of them all his life. He glanced over at the large mansion. “I don’t really have much of a reference for how other people grew up. This was normal to me. I see movies or tv shows and wonder if things like that really go on.”

"They’re called koi. They’re an ornamental variety of carp. In Japan, they’re actually called nishikigoi, here we just call them koi. They’re are two different koi ponds," he said looking at the one she indicated. "That one has different breeds of the brighter colored varieties and the other is filled with various colors of Chagoi koi. You can hand feed them if you want to, it may take a few days for them to get used to you." He shrugged. "Mother didn’t like pets so I haven’t really ever had any." He laughed a little. "Unless DUM-E counts."

"If you were to go on vacation, any where in the world, where would you want to go?" he asked. He’d been pretty much everywhere, but he rarely had someone to enjoy the trip with.

Pepper glanced over to the pond, her eye brow arched slightly as she thought about feeding them. That was the last thing she had thought possible, it wasn’t that she didn’t like the idea of feeding a fish – well, okay she didn’t like the idea of feeding a fish. At least not in that way. The thought of having them come up to her hand, the idea of their coldness touching her skin was enough to bring a small shudder. “As tempting as that sounds, I’ll leave the feeding to you or the staff you have hired to do just that” she smiled to him, she was a little squirmish with a few things. It was silly, she had placed her hands in far worse places and managed it – feeding some fish was a walk in the park compared to those other tasks.

“I’m glad you don’t see me as boring, I just know a lot of the kids back then did see me as boring. I was more interested in other things while they all played – I mean I did have fun, I had a few close friends and as I grew older – I learnt a nifty way to balance things better. I was capable of having all the fun I wanted while remaining on top of my class…well kind of”. Pepper glanced back to the pond and sighed, everything was calm with them but the images of New York were still flooding her thoughts. The image of him falling, the assumed image of Phil dying – everything came crashing back to her, forcing her to let go of his hand for a moment.

She took a moment to herself, attempting to pull the images out of her head before she returned her concentration back to him. “Sorry, my mind wandered again – I’m pretty sure I’m learning that little trait from being around you so much. God knows you have a habit of drifting off to your own train of thought for a while”. Pepper grinned and took hold of his hand again “I wonder if it’s not asking too much for us to have some time alone now – I mean, some time where the world isn’t ending and the Avengers don’t need your help”. Pepper knew that wasn’t something he could control, she was just hoping that they could go a little while before any further ‘end of days’ attack.

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony smiled up at her and shrugged. “I don’t know about smarter, I believe that’s fairly constant, I just know a lot more now than I did then.” He listened as she talked about movies and her preference. He decided to answer her questions about further attempts at sleds when she got back from changing. He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before she dashed away.

While she was gone he finished his wine and glanced up at the family portrait. He tried not to think about the argument between his parents about the sled he heard that evening. Tony got up and moved into the hallway by the stairs to wait. After the farewell in the park, he’d changed into jeans and a more comfortable shirt for the meeting with SHIELD. When she appeared at the top of the stairs, he smiled up at her. It didn’t matter what she wore, he always thought she looked good. He grabbed a hoodie for the walk. “It’s not very chilly to me,” he said. “You’re terribly lazy, Pepper, first vacation in how long?” he asked with a teasing grin. He opened the door for her and closed it behind them once they were outside.

"I made six more sleds that winter. Actually, I designed them, I was only able to get hands on for the stuff that didn’t require power tools or welding. Dad handled that part. There were several issues with the steering that had to be worked out, by the third sled I had the fuel mix down. I wasn’t allowed to test any of them, I had one trip in the last one after an intern rode around in it." When Tony had an idea to build something he would get single minded in his dedication to perfecting it. "By spring, I was into designing and building engines. The next winter I was up to snowmobiles." After that, he was at boarding school or college. He rarely came home after that because his father would send him various places across the country and overseas during breaks. The butler usually went with Tony on those trips.

As they began to walk, Tony slipped his hand into hers. ”Were you far too serious for wintertime fun?” he asked teasing. ”Or do you just not like the cold?” He honestly preferred the weather in California. The flower gardens were blooming nicely. The people he paid to maintain the house and the grounds had done a very nice job.

His teasing about her vacation time brought a small smirk to her lips, he pretty much always teased her when it came to taking any time off. After all, any time she did take off was swiftly ended with something coming up with Stark Industries or with Tony himself. “I’m pretty sure I should be getting even more vacation days but the big boss is such an asshole sometimes” she winked to him, letting out a small laugh. “You’re right, I’m incredibly lazy and should be back working already but I guess I’ll just go against what I should be doing – and just do what I want to do… which currently seems to be hanging around with you, enjoying some food which is no doubt making me gain weight and just ignoring the phone as much as possible”.

Pepper stepped outside with him and smiled as he took hold of her hand, enjoying the simple moments when they were close – some could say they were just like any other loved up couple, just not as clingy which suited them both. She rolled her eyes playfully as he spoke about his many attempts, the advancements he gained over the years. “I’m sure the snow mobiles were wonderful, I would have possibly attempted one of them but the sled thing really wasn’t my cup of tea”. Pepper smiled more, thinking back to the days when she had enjoyed parts of the winter snow – the cold usually forcing her to remain in doors and study, while the other children played. It was a little pathetic to think back to that but her education had earned her many placements in the working world – leading her to Stark industries.

She glanced to her side, shrugging her shoulders as they wandered through the gardened area. “I guess I’ve never been a fan of the cold, especially having balls of the stuff thrown at my face – I was slightly boring as a kid but I don’t regret it now. After all, if I had been having all that fun – I may not have ended up working for you which would be a shame…wouldn’t it?” She winked to him and stopped for a moment, admiring the garden area – everything was perfect but Tony paid many people to keep the grounds looking this way.

“I think your garden staff need a raise – they really are keeping everything looking perfect” she smiled admiring everything, it was almost like the kind of place people would pay to visit. She actually wouldn’t be shocked if people did pay to enjoy the grounds. “I really can’t imagine what it was like to grow up in a place like this – sure makes my small family home seem…well, small!” Pepper bit her lip and stared over to small pond, loving that so many different types of flowers rested around it. “Do you have some of those giant goldfish in there?” she could remember having a very small goldfish as a child, she a feeling he had had a lot more than that. “Actually, how many different pets did you have when you were younger?”

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony enjoyed watching her smirk. Their relationship professionally and personally wouldn’t have worked at all if he was able to walk all over her with impunity. There were good reasons to dial down his usual insouciance for meetings with SHIELD. He was capable of it, but he had a few problems with their evaluation of him that made dialing his personality down difficult without a reason that he cared about. He cared about Pepper and he knew that she seemed to feel better when he was working with backup. The fact that she left him wondering about what might of happened was just part of their established pattern.

Tony shrugged. ”Up to you. As long as you share said cheesecake when you indulge,” he said smiling. There hadn’t been much time for vacations once Iron Man became part of the picture. Even before that, he would insist she accompany him on trips she didn’t need to go on or be available at odd hours. He couldn’t entirely explain it, even to himself, but he liked having her attention and got easily annoyed when he wasn’t getting it. The only times she got a break was when a business trip took him into a place that was unsafe.

Tony helped Pepper clear the table by stacking the empty plates, he was more used to someone taking care of that. His arms automatically circled around her waist when she came in to sit on his lap. He smiled up at her when she ran her fingers through his hair. ”I was, but now I think I could stay right here,” he said resting his head on her shoulder. ”I’ll move if you insist.”

He liked that she asked about the sled. It was difficult for him to talk about personal things because at a young age it was impressed upon him that it was the easiest way for people to get leverage on him. ”It was during the wintertime. I was between nannies at that point, I don’t remember why, so our butler was responsible for keeping an eye on me. I wanted to go sledding, but the grounds are a bit flat. I had the idea that rockets would make it fun. I was a little off on the mix and the steering wasn’t the best so I ended up sledding onto the pond. It hadn’t been cold long enough for a real good freeze.” He paused for a moment. ”The ice started cracking. I knew that I had to spread my weight out and move slowly. I managed to get off the sled and get a bit away from it before it fell through the ice. The butler managed to get a rope onto the ice and pull me to safety before I fell in.” Tony gave a soft laugh. ”He said that I should work on the steering before making a second attempt.”

Pepper offered a soft smile as she settled upon his lap, happy that he was actually wanting to share a story from his child hood. He wasn’t overly forthcoming with his past but he did share some things with her – which always brought a great deal of comfort to Pepper. It was the opposite for her, she didn’t mind sharing her history with him but she also didn’t have much of a history to share. Her child hood had been the opposite to his, not so much being completely poor and without comfort – just not full of the luxuries he had grown used to. Still, she didn’t need to think about her own child hood while he was sharing a story from his. Pepper continued to run her hand through his hair as he spoke, rolling her eyes slightly when he mentioned the use of rockets. “Why am I not surprised you used rockets?” she smirked more and leaned over, kissing his cheek. “It sounds like you were just the same as you are now – just maybe you’ve become a little bit smarter now…not that I think you should attempt the sled again!”

She laughed a little and thought about her own child hood, she thought about the moments when she had attempted to enjoy the snow. “I didn’t really enjoy the snow when I was a kid, it didn’t appeal to me but the movies always made it look like fun. The snowman building, the snow ball fights and the sled”. She would never have actually gone out on a sled, she was always wry about the snow and the fact she slipped on a slight amount of ice…going outside and throwing herself along the ice was not something she wanted to do.

“How many other attempts did you do? I’m pretty sure if I know you as well as I think I do, you probably didn’t give up until you have the best sled around – right?” Pepper smiled widely and took in a deep breath “maybe we should go for that walk, you can show me exactly where you went wrong…and your other attempts as I’m sure you went wrong more than that one time!” Pepper poked her tongue out, only really teasing him with her comment but also being slightly serious. She knew he was the type of guy who needed to perfect something, even as a kid she wouldn’t have seen him any other way. “I’ll go throw on something less dressy and I’ll be right back, don’t eat anymore of the cheesecake!” Pepper hurried out of the living room and up to the main bedroom, where she threw her dress off and changed into a pair of jeans with a casual but not too casual top. She still wanted to look good, just not as though she was going to some formal.

After a few moments of fussing with her look, Pepper hurried back down to him and pulled a coat around her. “I don’t know if it’s cold out there or not? I haven’t really left this place all day…which is now making me feel incredibly lazy but I guess there’s always tomorrow and I’m kind of on a vacation”. She shook her head, she didn’t enjoy lazing around too much but she had to give herself a break – they had been through a lot in the past twenty four hours.

#Tony #definitely not allowing that anymore!

Things I am no longer allowed to do in public.

How she reminds me.

acebodhi

#Tony

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony smiled at at her comment. ”You know me too well. Why get out of my workshop and drive to get food when I can pay someone to deliver it?” Even at 16, Tony had a hard time letting his ideas for building new things wait for food. ”So, you’ve decided to begin using positive reinforcement to influence my behavior,” he thought for a moment. ”You know, that might actually work,” he admitted. He did like that she purchased the cheesecake prior to finding out if he’d behaved or not. ”So, if I hadn’t played nice,” he began digging into the cake with his fork. ”Would I now be watching you enjoy cheesecake while I sat here thinking about what I’ve done?” he asked before taking a few bites.

He nodded. ”Yeah, I’m up for it. There are several flower gardens and small ponds near the main house. There’s a larger pond a good hike away. I lost a sled in it when I was 5,” he said shrugging. He’d tell her the story if she asked. He ate the rest of his slice while she spoke.

"I don’t think there’s any possible way you could stop looking appealing," he said slowly pitching his voice slightly lower and giving her a slow visual once over. He’d found her very interesting and attractive from the first moment he’d met her, it wasn’t difficult to let it show. The fact that she continued to intrigue him made her rather unique. "If you’d like to try to prove me wrong, I’ll buy you as much cheesecake as you want. It’s a win either way for you," he said with a slow smile.

He took a drink of wine. ”That sounds like a great plan for the evening.” Tony hadn’t wanted to broach the subject of other entertainment, not because he wasn’t interested in it, but wasn’t sure she would be and even less sure if asking would go over well. Falling asleep with her the previous evening had been what he needed. Waking up with her was even better.

Pepper smirked slightly at his comments "I guess that's something you'll never know so be thankful that you did behave today...and got to enjoy some delicious cheesecake". She probably wouldn't have held back the cheesecake from him, yet it was fun to allow him to believe that would be the case. After all, this way he knew that there would always be payback for any of his behavior she didn't approve of - which was almost most of the things he did.

"As for the testing my theory, I'll give that a miss. I'm not really looking to get fat or unfit, that's the last thing I want. I will enjoy it now and then, it's cheesecake and deserves to be enjoyed as often as possible!" Pepper smiled over to him and finished her slice, rubbing her hand over her stomach for a moment while she sat back. "I'm defeated for the night, I haven't ate that much in such a long time - I guess this is what it feels like to get some vacation time...and actual time for eating". She was capable of having vacations, she could easily take time off work but she didn't want to - plus she knew it was never a real day off, not with Tony constantly needing her to do something.

After a moment of just sitting there, allowing her food to settle - Pepper sat forward and smiled more. "So a nice walk around the grounds and then we can just relax, find out own little source of entertainment before we sleep". Pepper cleared away the plates, making sure she didn't actually do too much of the cleaning as she knew he had staff for that. It was something Pepper was still getting and hoped she would get used to in time.

Returning to him, Pepper moved over beside him and sat on his lap - running her hand through his hair. "Are you ready to show me around the grounds? You can tell me about the sled if you like - I know you don't always share a lot of your past but I'm sure it's interesting".

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony watched Pepper’s face as the news sank in. He’d learned how to read people a long time ago it was a necessary skill in business dealings. He could often read what people were feeling, but he rarely knew exactly what to do with the information outside of certain circumstances. He could see the pain she was in written all over her face and in her body language. He nodded when she stated that she understood why there was a delay. When she excused herself to retrieve things from the kitchen, he wasn’t surprised. He could barely deal with his own emotions and as much as he wanted to he wasn’t well equipped to help with hers. He would try, but it was more likely he’d make things worse and not better.

He sat quietly sipping his wine as he waited for her to come back. He hadn’t actually dealt with how he felt about the agent’s death, he’d simply locked the feelings away and maintained his composure. It took longer to get the cheesecake than was really needed and one look at her red eyes told him why. He’d teased her about crying when he’d returned from Afghanistan because that was easier than actual talking about it. He wouldn’t do that right now. She offered a smile and brought up the cheesecake. He hoped she would talk to someone and take care of herself.

He smiled. ”I’m sure it will be worth every penny,” he said. ”I’ve been known to pay extra to get places that never deliver to deliver food.” He shook his head and smiled. ”There was one time in college while I was working on building DUM-E, I called up Burger King and offered them an extra fifty bucks to bring me burgers.” It was a stupid thing to say, but he wasn’t sure what else to say.

He served her a piece of cheesecake then served one for himself. ”Did you want to enjoy some more of my musical stylings after dinner? We could take a walk on the grounds or whatever you want?”

Pepper smiled a little extra when he passed her a slice of cheesecake, it was one of the best around and she really did enjoy it. "I'm really not that surprised that you did that with some guy from Burger King, I only did this because I knew how much you liked the cheesecake and I needed to make sure I was rewarding you for behaving today!" She smirked slightly, her thoughts still lingered on Phil but she knew they would pass - at least until the time came for his funeral which she hoped she would be invited to. After all, she had known him slightly - at least well enough to shed some tears at the news of his passing. That being said, anyone who was really close to him would also wonder why she was there. Perhaps staying away from it would be the wiser option. Pepper thought about that for a moment before she shook away the thoughts - concentrating on the cheesecake and Tony's way of getting anything he wanted.

"I'd actually like to take a walk around the grounds, if you're up for that. I mean, this place is really beautiful and I haven't had a chance to see much of it - not with juggling multiple calls with the office and preparing myself for your return". Pepper enjoyed some of the cheesecake, moaning softly at how delicious the chocolate tasted and how the wine complimented it. "I think maybe you need to work on a little standing order with these guys - it may not keep me looking appealing but I think it's worth it". She teased slightly and finished her slice, pushing the plate to one side as she sat back and sipped her wine some more.

She licked her lips, tasting the final traces of the cheesecake "maybe after the walk, you can play some music for me - before we find some other way to entertain ourselves". The night before had ended with them sleeping, nothing more - the exhaustion being too much for them. Tonight was another story.

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony smiled at Pepper and nodded. ”If I don’t stick to the exact wording I’ll stick to the sentiment,” his smile softened a bit. ”I like that plan.” He’d have Happy drive the car, Tony knew he could trust the man to keep their location quiet. He owed Happy a debt, the man had a job for life and had always been very tight lipped about anything that concerned Tony or Pepper. That would give them a chance to relax and Tony wouldn’t have the urge to run over a few members of the press.

Tony finished eating and sat back smiling as she fired back at him. He picked up his wine. ”You’re welcome. It took me a bit to bring you around to my way of seeing things, but I managed it.” He took a drink and grinned at her.

Tony’s grin faded and his face grew serious when she looked at her phone waiting for a response from Coulson, a response Tony knew would never come. He couldn’t put it off any longer just in case someone from SHIELD responded. He took another drink of wine and put his glass down. ”I’m going to start by saying I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier. I could offer several explanations, but it really doesn’t matter much why,” he glanced away for a second to gather his thoughts together about how to continue. He looked back at her face. ”Before Loki attacked New York, SHIELD had him in custody. He arranged for an attack on their base to get free. He was smart enough to arrange the attack so the team was busy while he got out.” Tony closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. ”Coulson was killed during the escape, Pepper,” he said the words as gently as he could. He knew that there was no good way to say a thing like that, but he hoped he hadn’t said it too horribly. He knew Pepper had liked the agent enough to chat with him about the man’s personal life. If she wanted more details, he’d provide them, but from this point out he’d have to take his cues from her.

All their banter and teasing seemed to vanish as soon as Tony spoke about Phil, a pang of sorrow drifted through Pepper as she allowed the news to sink in. He had been killed before the attack on New York, her texts were to a phone which no longer had an owner - not one who still lived. She had been so preoccupied with her concerns about Tony, the Stark Tower and the press she hadn't really questioned if everyone else had made it out of there - and now she was left with a feeling of guilt, along side the sorrow. "I - I don't know what to say" for the first time ever, Pepper really didn't know what to say about any of it. A part of her wanted to cry over the man she had grown to like, the other wanted to file it away for a moment when she was alone - knowing that Tony didn't really deal with the emotions as well as some others.

"You don't need to be sorry for not telling me, you've been through a lot over the past couple of days - it was just something that clearly slipped your thoughts. I'm just - I'm gonna go get the dessert and some more wine as we're already close to finishing that bottle". Pepper stood up and collected the empty plates before she hurried out to the kitchen, trying to act as normal as possible before she was finally alone. She placed everything to one side and opened the fridge, where she simply stood - staring inside at the cheesecake which was waiting for them. For that one moment she allowed her emotions to do as they wanted - her tears swiftly emerging as she sobbed silently. She couldn't claim to be a friend of his, she didn't know him as well as she would have liked to but she did care for him.

A few moments passed before she dabbed her face with a damp cloth and pulled herself together. She grabbed the wine, cheesecake and some extra plates before she moved back into the dining room - offering Tony a smile. It was clear she had been crying but she wanted to keep her emotional moment to herself - not wanting to make Tony feel awkward about any of it. "I hope you like this, I had to pay extra to get them to deliver it..." she placed everything down and knocked back the rest of her wine, swiftly opening the new bottle.

Rewards | Tony & Pepper

Tony gave her a charming smile and raised an eyebrow. “Why, Ms. Potts, that sounds like a compliment, I may blush,” he teased. He watched her think and her explanation made him laugh. “The flash photography would be the least of my concerns, they get fairly intrusive with their questions.” His worst press experiences were the weeks following the deaths of his parents. They were at the funeral and pressed him with questions as soon as they could. He dimly remembered the constant flashing of cameras the whole time. He pushed the thoughts away quickly.

He nodded when she said she’d be there. “There have been a few public officials that are making noise. I called the governor this morning to head off any severe problems,” he said. She was right that having her support would make the press conference easier. He’d have to pull up his press face and give them a show. The moment he was out of the spotlight would be when he needed her the most. She knew the person behind all of the acts and masks. She’d know the things he wasn’t saying and he’d have a brief moment for a few words to be exchanged before they walked out together. “I appreciate the delay. If I’m going to get short with them, I’d like it to be strategic.”

Tony managed to smile and look slightly embarrassed at the same time. “Completely your baby. In my defense, you weren’t taking any credit so me giving you 12% was technically higher than how much you were giving yourself.” It wasn’t the best defense, but he enjoyed verbally sparring with her. “Sounds excellent,” he said smiling as he went back to eating. He nodded a thanks when she filled up his glass. “We can stay here for awhile and commute just to get some peace and quiet. I’m sure the press is swarming the Tower at this point.”

Pepper knew that Tony would need her at the press conference, it wasn't about dealing with them - it was about that small moment they would share behind the scenes. She was the only one he seemed to trust enough to be himself around, it was something she loved about him but she sometimes wished he was more open with others. That being said, she knew why he was that way and it was something Pepper would never question or push. "I'll be waiting behind the scenes for you - making sure you stick to everything we work out together. Then, when you're done - we'll make our exit and come back here for more privacy". She smiled over to him and finished her food, she had actually enjoyed the meal this evening - which was no doubt down to the fact she was more relaxed.

Sitting back, she placed her cutlery down on the plate and sipped some more of her wine. "I should be thankful about the 12% then, I was clearly giving myself far too little credit. Thankfully, you're capable of seeing the error of my ways and improving things with that very generous 12%..thank you for that - and thank you for the whole credit you're now giving me". Pepper winked and laughed a little, it was nice to be normal around him again. This playful banter was something she enjoyed thoroughly, though his romantic moments were also enjoyable. This was just something he was more comfortable with - which was something Pepper felt more than happy about.

"Anyway, I think staying here is the best idea you've come up with" she swirled the wine glass in her hand, thinking for a moment. She wasn't really thinking about anything in particular, just lost in her own thoughts before she glanced down to her phone. "I sent a message to Phil earlier, just to check up on your 'playing good' in the office. He hasn't responded yet but I guess you can get a little busy with a role like his". Pepper shrugged, not really being that bothered about it. "Do you want any more of that are are you ready or dessert?"