2844/Are we good

Are we good
Date of Scene:	09 August 2020
Location:	Stark Tower: Pepper's Office
Synopsis:	Warning: (Awkwardly) Romantic Content.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Tony Stark

---

Pepper Potts has posed:
Night in the City. With many days out of the office, Pepper is just beginning to feel like she's finding the surface of the purchase orders, the requests for bids, the daily accounting checks for the outlays of funds for the relief efforts, all of it and it's making her a touch antsy. Her shoes are kicked off, her jacket hangs on the back of her chair, ahd her hair is down, framing her face. A sigh escapes her as she sits back in her seat, rubbing her eyes, fingers digging deep. She's read the same paragraph in the request for bid at least 5 times, and each time, it's just not registering.

Finally, she pushes back, gets up, and crosses the short distance to her coffee carafe station. It's given a brief, disgusted look as she presses the power button to turn it on, or rather, to activate the heater for it to warm the water to make the single cup of coffee.

"HOMER, what is the due date for Bryson Electronics?" Might as well do something productive with her few seconds of wait time.

Tony Stark has posed:
"That would be Thursday, the 14th of August, Ms. Potts," HOMER replies politely. "Additionally, you have a video meeting scheduled on the 12th with Ms. Hall of Bryson's marketing team; would you like to attempt to move it earlier?" HOMER asks in follow-up.

There's bright motion out the window, an arc of glowing light past the office windows, then again. A very particular hero is out flying, and is doing a tight spiral around the tower in close, very rapid loops! The colors, the type of streak for the repulsors - it's very blatant that it's Iron Man. Of course it is: this is his tower!

A moment later a cloud of little drones follow, as if they were an eager cloud of ducklings following a parent. Then, Iron man returns into view, further away now, doing a corkscrew from near the ground up into the air, though the angle isn't as good from Pepper's main window.

It's not fully an aerial display: it'd be a lot more showy if it were. This is more likely a test of some sort of upgrade or another, particulrly with the drones present like that.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The coffee begins its single-cup burble, and as it finishes its final hisses, she picks it up, nodding at the information that resonates through her office. It's a voice.. and her mouth opens to answer the question as her eyes catch the glowing lights just outside her window. Whatever she might have answered is lost in that moment as breath catches in her throat at the aerial display beyond.

She's cradling that cup of coffee in hand, her head canting as she catches the flight of the drones behind him, and her feet begin to take her back to her window to watch. Her eyes are bright, and her expression is soft as HOMER sounds in the background,

"Ms. Potts? Shall I move your meeting to an earlier time?"

Finding herself at the window, she's looking down and to the side, trying to see which way, perhaps, he'd gone before bringing her gaze up again. Finding her breath as he's lost to her field of vision for a moment, Pepper looks surprised to find herself near the window, and starts, blinks and stammers briefly,

"I'm sorry, HOMER, what?" Give her a chance to focus, to realize what was being asked before, "Oh.. uh.. no. No that's fine. Keep it where it is."

The coffee is set down on her desk, untasted, and pulling her chair out, Pepper crouches to gather her shoes to put them on in preparation to heading out of her office.

Tony Stark has posed:
Below on the street, some cars have pulled over - Tony's gotten a little audience. He does't always react to it, but he does now, at least briefly, because the acrobatics drop lower for the benefit of the people there, and then he actually drops down fully to land and talk to them a little bit.

Tony's always been like that: not just showy, but open and willing to interact, share that upbeat piece of himself with others. Maybe it was a test of new equipment, but it can also become an instant positive PR move just like that.

Regardless, it doesn't last long, soon enough he's stepped back from the grouping to blast into the air again, exacting the cheers and waves as expected, slicing back up through the night in an arc of gleaming red and gold, back up towards the landing zone at the top area of the tower.

In actuality, Tony has had a number of things on his mind, but he's alawys been a good multitasker. It felt good to solve /this/ at least, even if other things feel uncertain or out of control a little bit. A buried uncertainty stays buried a little longer while he tries out some upgrades through the shins of his boot rig. Tangible troubleshooting had an.... appeal. But he did notice that Pepper's light was on. Maybe.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper doesn't have to actually //see// Tony to know what he's doing at times. She hadn't heard anything from JARVIS that might hint that there was something up with the Avengers, so it stands to reason that he's doing some testing. Which means that he could do a short flight, or take a longer one down near the George Washington Bridge, flying between George and Martha (the upper and lower decks of the bridge) and over the Hudson. If the latter was the case, she'd have time to get her shoes on, and get her thoughts together as to exactly //why// she's feeling the need to go upstairs.

Leaving her jacket behind and the coffee out on the desk (one of the bots might get that!), Pepper turns on her short heels and heads from her office directly to the elevator that'll bring her to the upper floor. As she takes the short ride, she's looking up, pulling hair from her face to tuck behind an ear in an anxious moment.

*ding*

The elevator door opens, and for a heartbeat, Pepper stands still, not moving immediately. Taking a deep breath, however, she takes a step out.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony isn't in the penthouse, he's off on his landing zone, chatting with (okay, AT) his robots, and getting out of the armor. It's a swift, fluid process, partially outdoors.

"Mr. Stark is currently finishing an equipment test, and is not currently available," HOMER says, having attempted to anticipate Pepper's needs when the elevator doors opened. The AI is not in her head, of course, to know what she may need Tony for; so it's purely informational. "Would you like me to place a food order, for penthouse delivery?" HOMER questions. That's the next logical thing - as so often that's what Pepper wants to do in these circumstances. Make sure the Tony is fed, and all that.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The first step is slow, almost tentative. It's the next one that starts getting her where she wants to go, her tones almost dismissive as she answers, "Yes, please order Chinese." As for whether or not Tony is 'available', she's not going to answer to that. Instead?

Stepping through, she knows she won't find him in the living room proper, but the weather is such that he's probably outside. So, pulling off her shoes, she pads across the living room and catches one of the coms sitting at the bar. Slowing, green eyes consider, and she shakes her head, "What am I doing?" is murmured. "What.." There is a long pause before,

"Tony?" Pepper settles her tones, even if there are butterflies in her stomach, and instead of staying inside, wanders her way towards the balcony with the amazing view of the city and the Empire State Building, "How did the test go?"

Tony Stark has posed:
She can't see it, but that drew a long blink from Tony, eyebrows shooting up. He was finishing his armor removal, and sending off some slight tweaks to the system through one of the consoles near the equipment station there. He hadn't realized Pepper was paying attention.

"Hi, Pep," Tony answers, a bit of surprise in his voice, but under it, pleasure. "Awesome, actually. Dropped the power use by about forty-five percent for upward thrust. Good stuff. A few things to adjust, but all in all, I call it a success," Tony chatters back.

Tony's quite chatty anyway, but he also does a thing where he fills the air with words when he's unsure.... "What're you up to, Bryson? Do you need me?" Tony asks, waving off one of the little bots, and starting to head in.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Of course Pepper pays attention. That's what makes her so good at her... job. There's a moment when she looks back the way she came, turning her head over her shoulder before coming back around to face him. She presses her lips together and watches him, nodding in the quick report on the power use, green eyes bright. "That's good." As if it could be anything but? She vague-gestures towards the expanse of air by the Tower, in basically the same direction he'd flown, they'd flown, and she breathes a hint of a laugh, "I.. I saw you had the drones out. Looked like you were teaching my cleaning bot how to fly."

It's that finding comfort in a question about work that brings Pepper that little dose of reality, and as he starts to head in, she has to turn in order to keep an eye on him and his path. She's not going to follow, however; she's found a little.. breathing space outside. Instead, Pepper puts fingers lightly on a side table and shakes her head. "No. I have that meeting tomorrow." She assumes HOMER will stop her if she's wrong. "But.. Tony. I.." There's a hesitation before she takes that bit of hair to push around her ear, "I .. I just wanted to know how the test went."

Tony Stark has posed:
While a few robots are outside with pieces of armor as they rearrange and take things lab-wards, none of them are, in fact, her cleaning bot!

Tony didn't anticipate that she wasn't coming with him as he started to go inside, so he gets fairly far - just inside the door, before he realizes she hung back, and he alertly looks back over his shoulder, questioning.

"...Oh. Okay. Glad I can give you really positive news, then. That it went really well," Tony says, head tilting, and his sharp gaze taking her in with a more thorough look. He sets one hand on the outside of the wide doorframe to the balcony, looking back to her there, head angled. "Seems I live up to my reputation another day," Tony jokes, drumming his fingers on the metal a little.

Tony may not want to necessarily face deep feelings a lot of the time, but he's able to recognize the tone of a room. And this room contains something he.... may or may not be imagining. And he feels the compulsion to ... fill the air.

"Um, I mean, if you're curious," Tony rambles, "I was looking into a change for War Machine, related to some slow acceleration. Which brought me to re-evaluating how the lower body thrusters draw power. Upgrade for me first, then I may migrate it to War Machine..."

Pepper Potts has posed:
While Tony walks past her, Pepper isn't following, and the distance divides them gives her a little more breathing space. Being outside certainly helps as well.

There's the moment when she can't help the fond smirk in terms of his reputation, and she nods her head slowly, her tones wry, "Very important, that." It's easier to fall back into the rhythm of the patter, but she doesn't want to. Instead?

"I .. I just want to apologize for the other night," she begins. That night. "I.. thought.." But, she's not sorry. Not really. Shaking her head, Pepper steps forward, "Actually, I'm not. I just.. I want to make sure you're, well.. we're good. I mean, I don't expect anything--" and now, it's her turn to fill the air with the slightly anxious, almost embarrassed patter.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony lets go of the doorframe to move towards her, though his hand lingers along the rail of the balcony, feeling the cool of the night from the metal under his palm, though his eyes remain on her.

The smirk and easy battery of commentary about the current state of War machine reduces, into a serious look; she has his full attention. And a softened concern as she keeps talking.

Tony started to just smile and switch into a joking manner to help make her more comfortable as she begins to say she wants to apologize. She wants to back out of it. But she switches tactics, and it creates an awkward little laugh from Tony.

And he moves to alleviate, with his humor. "I mean, I get that I'm irresistably sexy. It's a burden at times," Tony says, but his smile is warm, dark eyes aren't sharp with arrogance.

"Not to, ah, suggest that you'd fall victim to such a thing. Being the strong, smart, passionate, kind woman that you /are/ - I mean, it's my fortune to be so kissed," Tony says, teasingly, but with honesty. And trying to get out of the awkwardness that he can't fully seem to identify the root of.

Pepper Potts has posed:
She's got that //look//, the one that holds that touch of earnestness, that she knows that there's something in the air, but there's a good chance that //that// guy just.. just isn't getting it, maybe? But, Pepper knows him better that that, and as he pauses and she has his full attention, there's that tentative smile that comes up, lighting her face a touch. Certainly bringing out the natural tones, complete with freckles.

A soft, affectionate laugh is given, very much like all those others when he says something so very similar; a banter that so completely holds her by the heart, but requires her to somehow find that space to breathe. She worries at her bottom lip, teasing at it before her usual response comes, "Uh huh.. rough burden, Mr. GQ." She pauses, her tones teasing, "Haven't seen //that// one on the newstands yet."

Now, Pepper takes a deep breath and steps forward to close the distance just a little. "Not to fall victim or anything, right," and she nods her head slowly, her tones low. "Because it's just way too easy to resist your charm. I mean, what is it anyway? Who needs someone who is actually kind under all that," and one more step is taken so there is just under an arm's length away. "Smart. Witty.. Oh, yeah.. and makes a great cleaning bot." She shakes her head, though those green eyes haven't moved from his own. "I'd never fall for that old trick. Oldest in the book."

Tony Stark has posed:
It isn't necessarily that Tony is missing the messages. He's starting to read them. And sense that there's something there between them. And that it /had/ been there, quietly, for maybe even a long time. He hadn't put into his mind that Pepper was in a category of the women he had fun with. She was /different/. A category of Pepper. Her own special tier.

The kiss had created an electricity, a curiosity, that had just been overlooked before. But each time she's present, now, it's part of things. And it's infiltrated when she's not there, too. The replay of holding her close, and feeling her warmth, and the emotion that was a tip of an iceberg of what /could/ be.

Something a little scary.

It's been a little while since something felt this important. But recognizing that it is important to him... helps. She's important.

"Well, if you fall, I'm here, right?" Tony suggests, playfully reaching out to try to tug on a lock of her hair near her ear a little.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is standing before the man she's both worked for and worked with, side by side. A man who she's seen at his best and maybe not at his worst, but almost. He's someone in her life that she simply couldn't imagine a time when there wouldn't be a Tony in it. It's so many thoughts that streak across her mind that play easily in her eyes as she looks at him. Her head cants slightly, and she's there, biting at her lip before her smile rekindles that glow to her face.

All without his saying a word.

When he finally does say something, and reaches out to tug on her hair like a little boy trying to dip it in an inkwell, her hand rises in brief interception in order to hold it. "Tony," is all she gets out for a moment as she tries to find the words again. She'd thrown the words around in her head so many times, and now? "You're all I have, you know." It's a statement and a question all rolled in to one. She smiles at his assertion; it's very much like when he'd said that he'd be there to help, that he'd share the burden of work... and all that had led to the need to kiss him.

"You promise to catch me?" She chuffs a brief laugh and shakes her head, her hair falling at her shoulders, "It's a long way down."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony echoes her laugh a little; she caught his hand, but he redirects to bring her hand up towards where his shoulder meets his neck, guiding her palm to rest there. "Well, you've gotta hold on, too."

And look at her, and get a full scope of what is actually happening right now. Nerves. Excitement. Some other emotions he isn't entirely ready to admit to.

But Tony can face reality head-on; he can recognize the situation. Tony looks right into her eyes, his own dark ones to her clear green. His heart has entered them; a nerve is exposed there. Because this isn't a /game/. Hearts are on the line.

"Is this --- is this happening, Pepper?" Tony asks. Is this real, is it something they both want? He ventures to step forward and in, close, closer, nose to brush hers, testing the extent of their magnetism.

Pepper Potts has posed:
'Gotta hold on'. That has been an oft repeated phrase for her for several years, at the very least, though perhaps in different versions. Always waiting, always hoping for a different outcome on any given problem in any given year. And it's been the defining bit of advice that helps her decide if it's all worth it. If Stark Industries is worth it, if Tony's worth it.. if her job and her sanity is worth it. She always comes up with 'yes'.

Now?

It has a double meaning for her as she stands so close before him, within arms length, and he's reached for strands of hair. A first bit of contact for a little while.

She'd held that hand before, and for them, comparitively recently. It's a somewhat familiar feeling; a strength and warmth that she recalls, and was loathe to leave at the time.

Pepper allows her hand to be led to his shoulder, and she runs her flattened hand slightly to the side to press against the side of his neck, her thumb gently rubbing against the skin there. The action brings her in closer, the slow half-step a deliberate move, and her free hand slips up to rest on the other side of his shoulder, lingering there. As as their heads get closer, it's harder to see his eyes, but she can feel his breath against her, and she tilts her own forward to rest forehead to the bridge of his nose lightly. Pepper can't help but feel the gaze keenly, read the questions posed there, and somehow, that silly little nickname he'd given her so long ago that stuck seems almost as intimate as any private dimuative. She simply can't help the smile, as fear, awkwardness all sort of resolve into a feeling of... holding on for what could admittedly be a //ride//.

"It really depends on your definition of 'this', though," is breathed. "'This' could mean a lot, or..." a thrill of the moment so he doesn't have to go to the Casinos anymore. There is an end to the teasing, however, as she stands in the moment, her heart pounding in her chest at his closeness, "It could mean a lot." Does mean a lot. "To me."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony doesn't leave her hanging or wondering. That isn't his style. Once he has some momentum, he continues to go on it. Sometimes this can dig him into a bad hole. Most of the time it works out, as he's got this talent for winging his way through all kinds of things.

Pepper's hand on his neck makes him react, though he contains most of it.There's different layers to this that he's not used to. There's a /sincerity/ and comfort with Pepper, a trust level. Recognition of how much he appreciates her touch, how draw in he is by it, makes his answers easier to find, yet more difficult to voice.

"My definition? Good thing being pedantic is a turn on," Tony teases her quickly, slyly, with a tension through his jaw and cheek. It's just general cheekiness, as always. It helps ease him a little into his answer.

But he unearths the answer. "I meant, if 'this' is becoming an 'us.'"

Tony settled his hands at the sides of her waist gently, but as she touches her forehead to his, brings one hand up her back to cradle the back of her head, fingers in her loose hair.

"Which -- would mean a lot," Tony agrees. "But I don't... think it'd be worth doing, if it didn't." There's a depth, an honesty, and slight tentative quality when Tony opens up, and it's there. His heart is in this, and could be hurt.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper stands there, leaning against him, and it'd be easy to will the world away for this moment. She's breathing, but it's a little shallow on the off chance that it's a dream, and will waken if she stirs. Her breath truly gets caught in her throat, though, when Tony gives her that answer, and she's forced to release it when she hears 'us'.

For her, regardless of their relationship, she'd always considered herself and Tony a team. 'Us' vs 'them'. That's good business, that's smart business. But this completely blows even that relationship out of the water.

When his hand moves to cradle her head, his fingers in her hair, it feels like that other night, but it's not. Neither is comforting the other after a hard day, a rough week, month. Her breath softly but distinctly draws in again at the gentle touch, muscles tightening at the strangeness and then relaxing.

She closes her eyes in the night's air, and exhales just as quietly, giving herself over to the emotions. Pepper opens her mouth to say something, but closes it again soon after, a soft breath exiting before she tries again, "I've always considered us an 'us'." She amends it quickly, "But.. not like that. I.. uh.." It's her turn to stammer again, looking for the right words there's a chuff of frustration.

"Tony," it's a whole lot of emotion, everything she'd ever want to say in a single name. "There's nothing you do that isn't worth doing. Even though it scares... no, it terrifies me sometimes." There's a pause and she lifts her head back slightly to search for something in those deep brown eyes, her brow creasing as her nose scrunches slightly, searching and a ghost of a smile may mean that she's found the answers to unasked questions.

Pepper has been hurt more than a few times by the things Tony's said, people he's, to use the term loosely, 'dated', and all the while managed to fight to smile through it with a rehearsed, 'Will that be all, Mr Stark?'. But, he's worth it. Worth her patience, worth her time, worth...

"It would mean a lot."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony moves his hand forward from behind Pepper's head to the side of her hair, gently guiding some of the strawberry strands back a little, behind her ear. He's trying this on for size, seeing how it feels. Allowing that affection to surface, to visually take her in with this new possibility.

It's a different sort of intimacy than he's used to. Playboy stuff doesn't go this direction, it stays more purely physical. This is something 'other'. There's some uncertainty around exactly what they're doing here: it will change everything, if this begins, if something //happens// between them.

But it's already happening, now, the box is open, and there's probably no easy closing for it. Not when both of them are curious about what this could become.

"It'd be really different," Tony agrees, his voice lower. "I thought it might be weird. You know. This 'us'," Tony says, clearing his throat. Awkward. "I've been thinking about it. Pros and cons. Whether I'm crazy or not." The usual.

"But..." Tony brushes Pepper's hair back a little more, drawing his head back to look her in the eyes. His thumb brushes the side of her cheek, fingertips near the upward curl of her ear. "Only one way to find out, right?" Tony asks. A flash of charismatic Tony comes forward, that warmth, studying her reaction from her eyes, before sliding fingers down to the edge of her chin to lift her head to kiss her.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's hand is still resting on the side of Tony's neck, still laying flat with her thumb gently stroking the skin above where his heart beat can be felt. The other lightly falls down his shoulder to rest at mid-chest to snake it around in something of a light embrace. She watches his eyes intently as he moves the wisps of hair, her head tilts slightly in the touch, her features glowing with the attention. It's new, all of this. It's awkward, wonderful and terrifying, all at the same time. It's like a roller coaster ride that she doesn't want to end.

It is completely unlike any start of a relationship Pepper's ever had. But, truth be told, she's had very few relationships that went any farther than the first 2 dates since starting at Stark Industries, so she's not the best judge. Even the other PAs of some of the other companies understand that Pepper is an anomaly. She's not like the others; her work is her relationship.

But, right now, her feelings on the matter are quite plainly written on her face. There's affection, there's her always attentive gaze as he begins to talk again, in her mind, looking to fill some of the silence. It's alright, though. The word brings that brighter smile; he'd been thinking about it?

"Really?" She can't help that soft, happy, breathy laugh that bubbles to the surface. "Pros and cons, hmm?" She's finding her footing slowly but surely in the knowledge that he's in exactly the same boat she's in. Relief can be not only seen on her face but echoes throughout, muscles relaxing from unconscious tension under his hands. "You too?" Then there's the wry smile that flickers, "Late nights, lying awake wondering if I can do it." To be able to handle something like this, and not just with the person. It'll change... everything. Though, not in a bad way? "It'll be a different kind of 'us', but we're still 'us'."

As Tony continues, however, her attention is fully back on him, and the smile rises as he falls back on track. The soft touch on her cheek brings her head to lean into the touch again, and as he asks that particular question, Pepper is leaning in for the kiss. "Only one way," she agrees. He's charming, he's .. everything she's always known him to be, once away from the lights and the cameras. It's the slightest of motions, and this time, any feeling of awkwardness on her part is lessening. It almost feels /right/.

Tony Stark has posed:
But now the talking needs to take a backseat for a minute, because their lips have met - and she leaned towards him to accept and encourage it. In a way, Tony had wondered if Pepper were going to demure aside from it, and he'd need to correct himself and pivot away. It's from a history of never acting //that// way towards Pepper. A professional respect, a distance, a friendship stretching across a decade.

The kiss holds; a tentative check at first. This is a line being crossed. True, one that Pepper had initiated multiple days before, but even with all the teases and playful verbal banter, Tony was always sure to be good to her.

Is this going to be weird? Is it going to mess everything up? Will it be a //mistake//? A lot is at stake.

The kiss seeks a lot of those answers, a gentle caution to it. Pepper has seen Tony kiss a lot of people (a lot...), this is a soft approach. Feels are entangled with this. It /matters/. It's a kiss but it also comes with a change in body language, the hand at her waist moving more around her, wanting to keep her.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The embrace is warmer and headier than she'd expected; one hears about fireworks, lights popping, the reports of the 'bombs' blasting, but this? It's gentle. Warm. Affectionate. It's the kiss of a gentleman; a charming, kind, witty gentleman. It's not hard to fall for the kiss, to turn slightly as she's held, supported as it's shared. There isn't all the fireworks, but her body reacts to the excitement of the moment in the weakening of her knees, as well as setting her head spinning.

If she had any thought of all the women Tony's been with over the years, all that he's kissed, gotten drunk with, played naked.. whatever with, there wouldn't have been a chance. There's something that Pepper does believe in, however. She believes in him, believes that there's the better man in him that is rising, and again- it shows in that Iron Man suit, and it absolutely terrifies her. That is the man she's with, that she shares that soft moment under the stars, back-lit by the white lights of the Empire State Building, and there is very little that she can't forgive him for.

Pepper can feel his hand sliding around, encouraging her to remain close, to stay with him for as many heartbeats as the moment can last. In return, she leans into him, against him, her hand still sitting at the nape of his neck, her other, wrapped around his chest. Her own history of emotions for this man does rise to show him the depth of her care for him, and it's all signalled in that kiss. That kiss that she really doesn't want to end.

Tony Stark has posed:
And it doesn't end: not right away. Tony's able to find some of the answers to his pending questions in the shared kiss. It wasn't something he could //think// his way through, this is something that has to be felt through.

And real feelings, and taking how he actually feels about something with directness, can sometimes be hard. Has he actually fully coped with his kidnappings? No. His relationship with his parents, let alone their loss? No. There's a lot of broken pieces, some of them in evidence as she leans into him, in the arc reactor in his chest.

But this isn't something that's leading into pain or sorrow. It doesn't require him to put his eyes back into the past and deal with the shadows there. This is looking forward, looking ahead: and Tony has always been good at that. At seeing what //could// be. And making that real.

The tentative quality melts away as Tony adapts and accepts what they've found. He holds her more securely, more //fully//, and his relaxation brings some heat to the kiss. Tony's found his footing, this opportunity with Pepper, and isn't letting it pass by.

Pepper Potts has posed:
When a kiss begins, there is that quality of self-consciousness; is it right, is it too long, too short, and a host of other insecurities. When it's returned, there's a line that's crossed, that line when the conscious brain turns down and the emotions take over. It's that first step of truly physical sharing, and it's not hard to determine the moment when she falls over that cliff. Her kiss is softer, her body moves with his, and there truly is nothing else in the world.

The kiss is a promise that for this moment, all is right with the world. There's no emergency out there that requires his help, their help. There's no meeting, no business calls, no hostile takeovers that need 24/7 monitoring and care to push through to the end. For once in some time, it's the two of them that have a little time for each other without the universe and fates intruding.

What she can't promise is that there will be peace and quiet once the kiss is done. Those fears, nightmares, terrors may reappear at any moment. But, she's here. Present. As the kiss for his part deepens, she's following, echoing every step as if answering any and all silent, unasked, never to be asked questions. Everything she'd ever hope for, dreamed of, is right here, right now.

Tony Stark has posed:
The kiss continues, until that self-consciousness and need to check-in takes over. The kiss parts as Tony draws his head back just a little to look at her, to check for her response, her expression. But his instincts tell him loudly that there's a mutual power here, a shared interest and depth that's surprising.

"Not so weird. Which is... weird." It's weird that it's not weird.

It draws him to loudly clear his throat, but not withdraw - instead he puts a kiss on her cheek near her lips and brings his head down and sideways, face into her neck. It pairs with hugging her more closely to him, with an exhale of breath that's a bit ragged. Okay.

Since it's Pepper, Tony's already equipped to be open and real about a lot of things, instead of the shameless, peacocking showboat he generally stays with during his sexy flings. That distance doesn't exist here.

"Okay .... okay," Tony says quietly, a mix of a relieved laugh and something more elusive in his tone. "I've reviewed your proposal," Tony continues, leaning back into teasing comfort zone. "I think this could work, with only minor tweaks." He's being cheeky, but his tone grows more thick with emotional undertone.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper lets the kiss linger, and when it's reached its end, she pulls back only by an inch or so to look back into those dark eyes. It's not what she sees there, it's what she feels thereâ?¦ and she smiles into them, a reflection of her own heart.

"Mmmm," she agrees softly and her brows furrow in echo of deep consideration, "Not so weird. But.. weird." Canting her head a touch, the kiss on her cheek warms her to her core, and when he rocks his head forward to rest it on her, her fingers find their way to run through short, dark hair. Green eyes close to take in this moment, and the realization that there will, hopefully, be many more of them. She breathes in, listening in the city's silent night to his ragged breath, and stands there until she can feel, can hear them relaxing a little. It's a lot on him, on them, and this part is only beginning.

When Tony begins to find his footing, when the levity with undertones finally rise, Pepper is ready to switch gears with him, looking to support. Always supporting. "Mmmhmm.." is begun again, "I went over it a few times, and I'm not really seeing much that would need tweaking, but if parts need to be clarified? I'm willing to hear your concerns, and maybe we can work something out." She's teasing in return, though it carries that softly affectionate timbre as her head nods ever so slightly,  "It might take awhile, though, these meetings. Business dinners..." and she lets her voice trail off, watching him with that ghost of a smile, her features bright and happy.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony had had his face in her neck and shoulder, but as Pepper begins to really actively chatter and tease, Tony draws his head back to look back at her, a smirk of play surfacing quickly. The deeper, emotional look has gone into the background, behind it, but it isn't gone. This is the Tony she's more familiar with overall: confidence returned.

"Before you resist my edits, hear me out," Tony teases in return. He steps back just a little, but does't leave contact with her, hands remain around her waist, comfortably placed on either side. A secure contact without possessiveness. But certainly not a way he's held her before. It's an unconscious body language, receptive of the shift of their status.

"I'd want to negotiate the overtime spent here at the penthouse, up from 0%," Tony explains smooth as silk. In case she forgot, Tony's a flirt. It's just not usually aimed at her. He's still finding his footing with this change.

"But, dinners, yeah. What are you thinking? Hawaiian BBQ? Chinese?" Quickly as that, Tony's flipped back more towards their usual vibe. With the inclusion of his hands on her waist, thumbs move a little to punctuate his question. They can take in this new piece effortlessly, can't they?

Because they were already there, in so many ways.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's got her fingers playing in his hair, lightly, easily, and naturally. A gesture of affection, of closeness; an intimate gesture. When he draws his head back and away, her hands drop and her forearms rest lightly upon each shoulder. Casual, but still above and beyond any contact they'd ever had before. In the step back, he's not too far, but her arms fall briefly to the side, her head canting, brows rising as Tony begins his 'pitch'.

"Okay," and the word comes out slowly and deliberately, her hands reaching to rest on his waist, looking up at those eyes again. Green eyes narrow; she's in the Penthouse a lot. More than 0%- and there's the dawning. Her words lilt softly again, and she takes that space in, her arms draping over his shoulders once more for the renewed closeness, "I'll give it serious consideration," is murmured. "But I can't think of a counter-argument that I like."

She's come out and said it, in so many words, and there's something of a freedom there. It's a staging up of what they have, and all of //this// is more dizzying than she even imagined. It's the offer of dinner, even though they've done it so many times; ordered in, talked about everything and nothing, and then parted- Tony to his room, she to her apartment.

So, dinner? It's the same, but different. "HOMER ordered Chinese when I came in." A smile rises again, echoed easily in those eyes as she looks at him, "He was trying to be helpful, and I think we'll get what we ordered last time." Who knows what the AI called in?

Tony Stark has posed:
"Can't think of a counter-argument, huh," Tony echoes, watching her as she repositions her arms around his neck, willing to step into it to make it easier on her. It's natural, easy. Getting around the uncertainty, and finding this new place is ... very exciting. Surprisingly so.

Confusing why he hadn't seen this before. How long /has/ this taken? Could they have had this years ago?

"I'll be exceptionally distracting of your thinking process; it's going to be a regular thing, if we're together," Tony 'warns' her in a deadpan. He's adapting fairly quickly: but that's a Tony thing, for sure. To take something in, to make an adjustment, and intuitively make his way. "Additionally, things will overall just be better if we go with that I'm always right," Tony adds helpfully.

"Like... that this isn't weird. And can work," Tony says, his voice more quiet, brushing nose to hers, with some lighter care.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper shakes her head, her smile turning into something of an affectionate smirk. "You win that one. But," and her head tilts a little to the side, "I reserve the right to make my own hours.. at times." It's a wonderful place where she is right now, and has no desire to let him go at all.

"You," and she begins slowly, her voice drops to an intimate whisper, "you already were. You just didn't know it." Or notice. "And we weren't together." Just the other day.  Brows rise, however, and she pulls her head back a little, her forearms drawing slightly against his shoulders, all for the chance to see his whole face� his handsome face. "Always right," she drawls slowly, "That, I think, needs to go into deep negotiation." The smirk plays lightly on her face, "That we need to discuss, I think, on a case by case."

Though she leans in again, enjoying his arms around her, the night creating a backdrop that any would be envious of. "I think, though, you're right on this one." She lifts onto her toes to place a light kiss on his lips; a brush and done. "I think on this one?" She pauses, her expression theatrically pensive before she nods lightly, and her voice lowers to a whisper, "You're right."