1817/You're Welcome!

You're Welcome!
Date of Scene:	24 May 2020
Location:	Vegas, Hotel
Synopsis:	Pepper and Tony chat briefly in Vegas about the presidential bid.
Cast of Characters:	Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

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Tony Stark has posed:
The message comes in text format. A text onto Pepper's phone. Tony informing her that he'd like food ordered in, to be ready after he gets out of the shower. Normal request, really: and fired off very obviously with voice to text to her. Likely from the shower /itself/, but hard to tell for sure.

That is exactly what it is, though: Tony's had an exciting night down at the tables, that turned into a morning, and an afternoon, and now? He's been up a REALLY long time and is just about ready to collapse. Collapse, only now that he's not being fueled by the energy, games, and people. It may be up to Pepper to get him to stay in long enough to pass out and get some actual rest.

Tony's finishing up in the shower if Pepper checks the main area between the suites; the sound of it is evident.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Las Vegas prides itself on 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas', but nothing ever truly seems to apply to one Anthony Edward Stark. In one week, he's managed to set the news world aflame just by the sheer fact that he is who he is. And love him or hate him, he is a household name.

Pepper has been diligently working on the business of keeping SI on an even keel during the time in Nevada. Shareholders calling with concerns, board members calling with requests for clarification as to what Tony is doing, thinking... to which Pepper usually has the same response,

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Pepper is on the phone again, taking the opportunity to call Japan while Tony's in the shower only to have the food request text *beep* its presence. Thankfully, however, it's near the end, and she makes both her apologies and expectations known with those on the other side before she hits that red button to hang up, and actually read the text coming through. She can hear the water running, and untangling her legs that are tucked under her to rise from the couch, she pads to the phone for room service. Nothing like going back to basics for being a PA!

Truthfully, though, it is her chance to be sure he eats, and given his schedule lately, perchance to sleep.

Tony Stark has posed:
The shower turns off; that means she has either seven minutes or fifteen minutes, depending on if Tony intends to hang around for a little while or go out again onto the casino floor.

After the seven minutes pass, it proves the first situation is the case: Tony's knocking on the separator door, and raises his voice. "I know you're not on a call anymore, Pep," Tony teases through the door. The sound proves he's right on the other side of it, possibly resting hand on the doorhandle.

Tony's comfortably dressed for now; he's warm and damp in lounge pants and a darkred tee, 'STARK 2020' of course.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper certainly knows his habits, and when the 7 minutes pass and the gentle rap on the door hits, she exhales in a soft, relieved sigh. Promising!

Pepper hasn't been spending the evenings out and on the casino floors; that's all Tony and, on occasion, Happy or Rhodey. She's been in and available, just in case. And more than once, fallen asleep before Tony's gotten back.

The door between them.. and for a heartbeat, Pepper pauses before, "You can come in. The food's been ordered; it'll be here in about 15 minutes." Her tones are upbeat, and she's watching that door.

As he comes through, relief plays with a touch of.. thinly veiled annoyance with, "Did you really have to wear that? You know I really, really don't like it." She couldn't tell Thor that when the Asgardian wore it, but Tony? "At all."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Fifteen from when you ordered it, or fifteen from right now?" Tony's asking as he opens the door on the heels of her explaining it, looking at the time more than he is at her.

"Hm?" Tony asks, as she stares at him and looks down at himself, as if he hadn't really been paying attention to what he put on. "Oh."

Tony gets a sly, playful smirk, and abruptly drops his hands to pull the shirt off and entirely over his head. He balls it in the same movement and tosses it at her. "Interesting way to get my shirt off, but not the worst," Tony teases. His arc reactor is a new obvious light source in the room, the strange high tech triangles of blue assuring Tony's heart's safety.

"Burn it if you like," Tony says, but wanders back through the door with a barely contained yawn to pick another shirt she won't glower at, presumably.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Fifteen from now," Beat. "Pasta primavera with salads, some pasta y fagioli, and the hotel is comping us some cabernet sauvignon." The least they can do with all the media attention they're getting.

Pepper's shoulders are a touch slouched as she gestures at the shirt as Tony looks down at it with realization. It's that smirk, it has always been that playful streak that melts the worst of her moods, and when he teases her before removing it, she is ending up trying not to smile even as it's tossed. "Thank you.." and the urge is resisted to fold it in hand, "I just might do that." Green eyes don't leave him, though, as he crosses back to the other room.

Tossing the shirt aside, Pepper does follow, only to stop on the other side of the threshold and leans on the jamb, her tones back to her normal conversational; not that 'business tone' she takes on occasion. "Tony? I.. I just want to say 'thank you' for doing that. I know you didn't do it because of me, or my feelings on the matter, but I hated everything about that. About the campaign."

Tony Stark has posed:
When Pepper comes to the door to look in on him, she'll find Tony's back is to her as he's moving things around in his luggage, selecting a different shirt; he didn't just bring political ones. This one has minimal branding on it: black with a faded 'STARK INDUSTRIES' logo. It's from maybe 2012; Pepper may well remember the line of print for those, it was before a face-lift of the angle of the arrow part of the logo.

Tony glances over as he pulls it on over his head and tugs down down over and against the light gray ties of the lounge pants at his abdomen.

One brow is lifted at her, sideways. "Wow, tell me how you really feel about it," Tony chuckles, but there's no annoyance in it. "You're welcome," he adds, as if she were appreciating a raise. "But yes, I know." Tony stays where he is, resting one hand on the open luggage on the edge of the luggage-rack, considering her with thoughtful dark eyes.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper recognizes the shirt; it's nostalgia. Back before that 'fated' day, and she cants her head, her hair falling forward a little. When things were a whole lot less complicated, if that was a thing?

She, too, is dressed down, but not quite 'sweats' level. Still dressed fashionably, she is at least barefoot as she pads around the hotel suites.

Her hands are behind her as she leans, her expression in that relieved half-smile that reaches those green eyes. "I told you I would always be honest with you, you know," she gently reminds. "But all I could think was that something was going to happen, and.." This, she lets trail off with a shrug; she isn't quite keen on finishing the thought, and instead, pushes to raise her smile a little more, "I'm just glad. I may even promise not to get too worried when you're off in that suit." She holds up a hand, a finger in the air, "May.." Beat. "No promises."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony reaches into the top of the suitcase, to pick up some comfy white socks with gray toes. He pulls one on, then the other while he listens to her. Finally, he abandons the luggage, padding over silently in his warm new socks, and leans against the //same// doorway -- albeit the other side of it, with a thoughtful and overly attentive expression. Tony folds his arms there, listening: or mock listening, at least. He's sort of tired-playful.

"'May'?" Tony echoes, with a suffering sigh. "The things I do for 'maybe'." Tony clucks his tongue and shakes his head.

Pepper Potts has posed:
This is not the image of a man ready to go out for the evening to the casino again. This is the man that nearly no one knows, and it's something that she holds close to her chest, and her heart, and when he moves to lean on the other side, she can't help but smile. She can feel the warmth of his physical presence, even if it's topped with a still damp head. "The things you do for 'maybe'," Pepper repeats, her tones light.

There's a heartbeat again as she stares before she looks down and away. Soon enough, she recomposes herself and Pepper's looking at him again, her tones light, matching his own, "That doesn't mean I'm going to tell you what I'm planning for your birthday. I'm keeping your schedule open."

Tony Stark has posed:
"I like surprises. Don't tell me," Tony says, with one hand up and out, palm towards her, as if to encourage her to keep that surprise-spillage down to a low roar. "Wow, I don't have business meetings for my birthday that I need to cancel? Incredible," Tony starts to laugh, watching her body language with a hint of curiosity, before the room service knocks on the door.

Tony abruptly orients to grandly gesture a hand for her to go ahead, while he pulls one of the chairs around to the table; he'd moved it earlier, but he can set up where they'll eat, while she attends to accepting the food. She's getting a hungry, exhausted version of Tony -- but it is one that is, at least for now, just focused on being present with her.

And having a tasty meal.