13361/Youth Escaped

Youth Escaped
Date of Scene:	14 November 2022
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Pepper and Tony discuss the aftermath of reverting back to their adult selves.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

---

Tony Stark has posed:
"Watch watch, it's hot, and I very definitely intentionally filled it a little full," Tony warns Pepper as he approaches her where she is seated on the couch, a laptop on her lap. Tony, of course, is doing NO work at the moment; they may have originally started each doing work at the same time, but Tony ripped through his, and is now finding other things to busy himself with.

In this case, bringing her some sort of very hot drink. As it gets close, it slams of chocolate scent. In silly callback to their recent youthful sleepover, Tony brought coca, with a concerning heap of marshmellows in it.

Worse, as he hands it off, he deliberately climbs around to mush down to squeeze to sit behind her, so that she's sitting in front of him, which disrupts what she's doing all the more. "How's progress?" Tony asks, with a deep knead of hands on her upper back, sides of thumbs into the spine slowly.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Work can be done anywhere now and no longer remains just within the confines of the office several stories below. In a way, it's made her even more productive, which of course means that when she has those 'off' moments, her attention has t be wrested away from the task at hand. That is done easily, luckily enough, by the one, the only Tony Stark.

As per usual, however, there is a noise of protest that rises from the redhead that is pulled back quickly in light of the fact that he comes bearing hot chocolate, of all things. "You.. what? Oh, Tony..." Pepper's voice rises and falls just as quickly as she looks up at the gift being offered. Her shoulders slump a little, more in relation and pleasure than anything else. It //is// cold outside, after all, and the cheery fire in the central fireplace does give off a happy glow and a very comfortable warmth. "That's very sweet.. oh, oh watch, I don't want to..." burn him.

It's an easy shift for her as he squeezes to make a spot for himself behind her. Pepper sets her work aside to cradle the warmth and smiles affectionately, "So many marshmallows," is observed, bu it's not necessarily a complaint. More, an observation.

A softly audible exhale greets both the question, but more the melt as he begins to knead her back. "I'm just glad we didn't go too nuts. The accounts look in order, and no one tried to contact us about a merger or somesuch. So, I think we're in the clear?" There is a pause in her words momentarily as her head rocks back briefly to look at him. "I'm not sure how you finished so quickly. Did you read half of what was there?"

Tony Stark has posed:
"Of course. I did all the reading. I don't know why everyone questions //that//, when they don't question that I'm a genius," Tony chatters with a huff of breath at her doubting him. "Just because I do smething quickly doesn't mean I half-assed. I'm a full ass when it matters." Tony deliberately squeezes down into her lower back then with his palms in a deliberate knead, though no ass is directly touched. No need to push the joke.

"Too many marshmellows? Give it here." Tony does not in fact take the mug with his hands at all, though, but he'll take a drink if she brings it up into range to slurp up one of the treats. Or several. The no-hands challenge makes it fun. And a bit childlike, really.

"Technically we did have an offer, but I did reject it at the time. Turns out I'm a savvy child, it was a bad deal," Tony comments. "It's in .... I think entry ninety-two on there," Tony clarifies. He did do the reading.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Mmmhmm.." is softly given in response, the tone sounding playfully dubious. Pepper is teasing him, though she will check later regardless. "Genius inventor. Your paperwork skills are getting better, though." There's the ever fond ghosted smile that plays on her lips. She actually laughs at his 'full ass' comment, not being able to resist the urge to nod soon after.

The hot chocolate is offered up; the first sip which means that his moustache runs the risk of being dipped in the sugary goodness. "When it matters, and sometimes just for fun. But, you're my ass." And she wouldn't trade him for the world. "Careful, it's hot." Which, of course, is the same admonition that had been given to her only moments before.

"Wait.. wait, which one?" Entry 92? "I haven't gotten there yet." While he was doing the reading, she was coloring.. so she has a little more to catch up on than he, it seems. "So far, no entries to purchase a bubblegum factory, so I think we're okay. We might see it down the road, however."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Ouch, hot. Why didn't you warn me?" Tony asks, in mock upset as she allows him to drink the cocoa that he himself determined was overly hot. "Here, let's see." He kisses her sideways. "Better." Now she has some chocolate on her - but not a lot, his facial hair is very short!

"I really hope not a bubblegum factory. More likely a toy factory, knowing what I was like as a kid. ...Which we've definitely gotten a review of, so I'm certain that I'm right." Tony drops his head to set his chin more on her shoulder, while still massaging her back, in slow, distracted movement of palm and wrist. Little circles, gentle hand backed in his physical strength.

"Speaking of which, though, some rocket boots for children might now exist. But it's probably better for safety to not sell that particular item."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper starts briefly at his mock outcry of heat; he can probably feel it beneath his expert hands. She brings a hand around in order to cradle first it, and then his chin as he places a kiss on her cheek. A laugh exits her again at the comfortable, familiar feel of his beard. The hot chocolate is held in the one hand as her other slides up his cheek so she can press a light kiss on the other side. She's well aware she's been 'got' with the chocolate and sticky marshmallow goodness.

^"I think the word 'toy' could mean almost anything anymore." Though, when the boots are mentioned? Rolling her shoulders a little in the ministrations, Pepper can feel the stress and strain finally moving through, finding their exits and leaving behind a very happy and content Pepper in its wake.

"I seem to remember something.. you," and the smile turns inward as she pulls up the memory of the very happy 10 yr old Tony. "You flipping around the pool." She thought he was the most amazing thing she'd seen, which was partially what had motivated her to try. "I think if you'd have held my hand?" She shakes her head soon after, a laugh exiting again, but this time, she finally takes a sip of the happy, warm beverage. "I think it's best that you don't put that on the market."

Tony Stark has posed:
"I think as we get older, we fabricate more limits. We see more areas where something is wrong, where it won't happen. And let those limits be walls, pulling in our imagination," Tony says. "I liked that feeling of... freedom of restraints, to really dream bigger. To make stupid ideas... because they can lead to more. Even I can be limited by adult thinking. Creativity is better friend to a kid, because of it. 'Cause a kid can fly, with or without boots."

Tony smiles some. "//But//, I probably prefer my full adult mind. Various reasons, but... those boots were pretty embarrassing. Well, not for a ten year old genius. But I'd do //far// better now. And I may have. Just to do it." Tony kisses Pepper's neck then, settling more to relax, and just be more of a pillow for her to lean on.

"But no, no selling child endangerment," Tony assures her.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I just remember missing my mother," Pepper returns, her tones dropping a little, and she does add, "And still feeling like you were amazing," as that hint of confession. "As far as freedom?" She shakes her head, "I think somewhere in the back of my head I knew I still had to look out for at least the other girls." Even if that pretty much proved false, it was still there. "Responsible without being responsible."

Leaning back now, she rests the back of her head on his shoulder. The hot chocolate is there, but this is one of her more favoriteof spots. "One of the nice things about being an adult is that we can just do it." It's a freedom placed in the hands of the very rich, the very idle, or both. Brows rise, and her head rolls slightly to the side to look at that handsome visage, brows rising. "Did you make new boots? Not for kids, no. Of course not."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Your mother?" Tony asks. He considers for a moment. "Yeah, me too." It's gentle, warm in tone: not sad, exactly, just an admission, a softened piece of something there. He isn't upset. Just a true thing.

"Mine, not yours. Although I do expect great turkey at Thanksgiving," Tony pivots, as he always does, away from before things get too personal, or heavy, with him....

"I just fixed the flaws in the design. Then.... I put it away. Some things like that should be left in the past," Tony grants. Which she may know actually means he did learn something from it, and 'moving on' is more something to use later in a better iteration of something else. Tony evolves regularly.

"I'm pretty good with living in the moment, now," Tony adds, with another lingering kiss.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's a glimpse behind the curtain, and one never shown to the world, or even within his circle of so-callled confidences. It's a moment of privacy given as a matter of trust, and one that is never shared. Not even to her closest of friends, so few and far between those are, even for her. It's her Tony, his heart, his soul that she holds in trust.

Pepper gives him that moment in silence, though she presses her lips against his jaw gently. She understands fully, and as he rises from the thoughts to remark about the turkey for Thanksgiving, she laughs. "Then I think you and dad should design a deep fryer. I'm not too hopefull on this years turkey being better than last year." The gravy made the meal... rescued it, even.

Her head lies back on his shoulder once more, and she nods against him there. "Oh, okay," she agrees easily. There and gone, though now she can hold it as a cherished memory; the vision of Tony being very.. Tony and dangerous, just to show off. How the child Pepper had loved it! It brings another smile to her face, and setting the hot chocolate to the side, she's got something much better to hold on to, and the kiss is returned slowly and softly.

Nothing better than living in this very moment.