Tony Owes Pepper (a soulmate au)
(crossposted from my archive of our own)
Working in Stark Industries was about as thrilling as you’d expect; that is to say, not at all. For everyone not directly connected to Tony Stark, Pepper, or Happy, working at Stark Industries was like any other business. Boring paperwork, boring offices, boring people.
You’d worked your way up from an entry position to one of the higher positions after a few years of boring work. Most of your colleagues at this level were men: most women who applied to Stark Industries only hoped to catch a glimpse of Tony Stark and their work output reflected that. The few other women in your office were more like you: working to work, not to see your hot boss. Well, one woman worked there mostly in a hope to spend time with Pepper, who was the most present executive in your office. In fact, you’d had lunch with Pepper on multiple occasions. In the years you’d been working, you couldn’t remember Tony ever showing up.
“Y/N! Can I borrow you a minute?” Speak of the devil, and she shall appear. You immediately drop what you’re working on and head towards Pepper. She gives you a friendly smile and leads you to the elevator.
“Good morning, Ms. Potts.” You greet her. She rolls her eyes in a playful manner.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Pepper?” You shrug and she shakes her head. “Anyway, I have a job for you.”
“Okay? Why does that sound so ominous?” You ask, narrowing your eyes at her. The elevator finally dings and the two of you step inside, Pepper pushing the button to take you two to one of the highest levels of Avengers Tower.
“Tony has at least three meetings this morning and I have to be in DC by noon. I don’t have time to harass him into getting ready, which is where I’m hoping you’ll step in.” Pepper explains.
“You want me...to harass my boss?” You say slowly. She laughs.
“Precisely.” She looks towards you, serious now. “You’ve worked here long enough to prove that you’re capable and, personally, I like you. There’s no one else I can really turn to now, especially with Happy out of town.”
“He won’t listen to me.” You point out. “I know I don’t know him well, but he really won’t listen to me. He hardly listens to you.”
“I know, I really do. But I’m out of options. Please, Y/N?” Pepper pleads. The elevator dings and the doors slide open to reveal a floor far fancier than your office level. You sigh.
“Fine, Pepper, but you owe me.” She immediately shoves a folder into your hand and smiles. “Perfect. Thank you so much!” She disappears as the elevator door closes and you’re left alone in the entryway. You peak into the folder and see a schedule that looked way too full. You sigh.
“She didn’t even tell me which way to go.” You grumble to yourself.
“Tony is down the left hallway in one of the conference rooms. I’ll guide you, if you like.” A voice echoed from nowhere but you know enough to recognize Tony’s AI assistant, Friday. You thank her and make your way towards the conference room.
“Tony, an employee is here to speak with you.” You hear Friday announce in the room ahead. Tony mumbled something unintelligible from your distance and you groan to yourself.
Today was going to be a long day.
You knock on the door frame to announce your presence. Tony gives you a fake smile, enough to make your blood boil a bit. You didn’t ask for this.
“Did you forget how to tie your tie?” You ask him, gesturing to where his half done tie. Tony blinked, glanced down as if surprised that it wasn’t done, then looks back to you, still speechless. You sigh and walk over, knocking his hands away and doing his tie up for him. “Pepper said I’d have to make sure you got to the meetings, not that I’d have to help you get dressed.”
“You could always help me undress, if the tie is too complicated.” Tony replies, a confident grin across his face. Your hands still on the tied tie and the words along the back of your neck warm from more than just your annoyance earlier. Tony raises a wrist, pulling down the suit and shirt sleeves to reveal your words on his skin.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” You groan.
“You’re the reason I wait so late to tie my ties.” Tony admits, reaching out greedily to grab at your hips, eager to have you here in front of him.
“You’re the reason I keep my hair long, can you imagine what people have thought because of what you’ve said to me?” You say back to him, smacking away his hands. “People thought I’d be a stripper or something. I mean, there's nothing wrong with sex work but its not something you tell a six year old.”
“In retrospect, not the best way to greet my soul mate.” Tony acknowledges. He manages to look sheepish while still grinning like the cat who caught the mouse.
“I did learn a lot of ways to tie a tie, just in case.” You mumble an admittance, earning a grin from Tony.
“So, lunch?” He asks. You point dutifully towards the folder.
“You have three meetings and a phone conference.” You recite. Tony pouts.
***
“I cannot believe you two.” Pepper says. She’d walk into Tony’s living room the next day to find the two of you arguing over some small and funny thing, Tony’s arm around your shoulders. You at least, managed to look mildly ashamed. Tony just beamed at her.
“You sent my soul mate straight to me, Peps. I owe you a vacation.” He says happily.
“You owe me more than that.” Pepper says, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“He did make it to most of his meetings yesterday.” You pipe up. It was hard to fight Tony when he got into a stubborn mood, even with your soul mate status. He just turned it back on you, convincing you that as newly affirmed soul mates, you both should be spending time getting to know each other.
“Better than nothing.” Tony adds. If glares could kill, you were sure Tony would’ve died a thousand times over by now.“Why isn’t Y/N in her office?” Pepper asks, giving up on reprimanding Tony.
“This is her new office.” Tony grins, gesturing towards himself. You and Pepper both give him a deadpan stare.
“I quit.” You say, starting to stand.
“Aw, no, come back!” Tony grabs you around the waist, pulling you down onto his lap and pressing a kiss to the back of your neck, where his words lay.
“You know you could never leave me.”
“Cocky, aren’t you?” You roll your eyes. His arms tighten around you, hugging you to him.
“Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be.”
