Work Text:
Anthony Edward Stark is a self-proclaimed ‘Genius, Billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’, however, his playboy days are over, really he hasn’t slept with a random model, or reporter with fake breasts, long nails and no personality since before Afghanistan.
Now, he has been in a committed relationship for five years, with his ex-personal assistant and current CEO of Stark Industries- Pepper Potts.
The relationship wasn’t exactly, secret, the two just didn’t tell the press (it was their business after all, not every news outlet in the world) but if someone not associated with the press asked, Tony would tell them.
Except nobody asked.
The Avengers team firmly believed that when Tony couldn’t come to a team gathering, it was sleeping with someone random. They believed when Tony was happy, he was still having the after-effects, of alcohol, drugs or women.
In reality, in those times, Tony was with (or thinking about) Pepper Potts. The love and light of his life.
The team all respected Pepper, but she was always so busy with work that no one knew much about her- or noticed her absence. Everyone on the team did however admire how brilliantly she ran Stark Industries along with how well she could handle a certain someone.
Oh if only they knew.
Another common belief among the other avengers was that Tony didn’t appreciate his CEO.
Oh if only they knew.
~
Pepper Potts was sitting in her office, rubbing her temples; trying and failing to stop the headache from infecting her day. She went to take a sip of water, only to see the glass was empty causing her to groan.
She was going to go back to her emails she has cursed out far too many times than she would care to admit within the past ten minutes when a scratch sound came from her glass doors. She glanced over her computer screen to see a man of 5’9, with messy brown hair, sunglasses standing throwing stones at her door while holding some flowers.
She rolled her eyes at him but smiled dispute herself. Pepper sat back in her chair, rolling it slightly to the right and motioning for him to come in, he shakes his head, motioning for her to come to him as he threw another stone.
Pepper opened the door, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, leg raised with one of her heeled feet leaning on the same doorway as her back.
If Tony could he would take a photo of her right now.
Tony can take a photo of her right now.
Pepper opens her mouth to speak but Tony beats her to it, “Wait don’t move a muscle!” He drops the stones to the floor and takes out his phone. “Smile!” She laughs at him, turning bright red as he snaps a picture, her ears creased as her smile widens.
“This is my new home screen.” He told her like it was the most vital information on Earth.
Pepper shook her head fondly before asking her question again. “And why, Mr Stark, are you throwing stones at my door? I would say if there were scratches you would have to fix them but that hardly would be a punishment.”
Tony grinned, “I was going to throw them at your window, like in all those Rom-com movies you make me watch,” she really had made him watch so many of them (to ‘educate’ him- she insisted every time) he is beginning to like them, “but your office is really high up and I can’t throw that far.”
“Tony you have a flying suit, scratch that, many flying suits.” She reminded him with a smirk.
“I wanted to come to you as Tony, not Ironman.”
Pepper was humbled by this and pushed herself from her position, walking towards him, being slightly taller in her four-inch heels. “Well, Tony who is not Ironman right now, why did you want to come here to me?” She gasped like a kid on Christmas, “Is it to sign the contracts I have been asking you to sign daily for three months which are two months overdue?” She grinned innocently but her eyes were filled with playfulness.
“I will sign them, IF and it’s a big if,” Tony wiggled his eyebrows, “You will take the rest of the afternoon off and come on a date with me.”
“Deal.” Tony was slightly taken aback- did the contracts really work that well?
Pepper continued, “On one condition. This date does not include loud noises or screens because my head will explode.”
“Deal.” Tony replied as Pepper turned to get the papers for him to sign “Do you want some Motrin?”
She turned and smirked, “I’m not on my cycle, Tony!” She winked as Tony laughed at her.
Pepper took the papers to a clear surface and told Tony where to sign. He was sprawling his signature with a fake sigh. “I made you CEO so I didn’t have to do this!” He whined.
“Sometimes, things need the president of the company- my apologies.” She kissed him on the cheek and he took that apology with a quiet hum of appreciation.
He held out the papers for her to take from him after each section was signed. “Will that be all Ms Potts?”
She took the papers from him, “That will be all, Mr Stark.” She smirked as she set them down on her secretaries desk, writing a note:
Hey Clara,
Taking the afternoon off, could you send these over to Oscorp? I wouldn’t ask but I know you live nearby- take the afternoon off.
- Pepper
Pepper placed it down and turned around to see Tony with her coat and purse. She thanked him as she went to put take it but he shook his head, putting it on for her.
“My lady.” He bowed dramatically.
“Thank you, My lord.” She grinned.
The two went to the elevator and Tony asked Jarvis to take them to the garage. Jarvis started to play AC/DC, as coded, but Tony instantly silenced him, looking at Pepper worriedly, only for her to smile at him in a silent thank you.
Going from the top to the bottom floor was a long way down, but the silence felt comfortable between them. Pepper lay her head down on his shoulder, and Tony responded by kissing her hair.
The doors opened and the two walked to Tony’s car, Tony got in the left seat and Pepper in the right. Tony started the ignition and drove off.
As they got stuck in a traffic jam (‘I had planned this so the traffic would be better and yet here we are’) Pepper took the time to admire what her boyfriend wore. He was wearing what looked to be a new pair of smart jeans, still dark blue and not covered in grease and goodness knows what from working in the garage.
He wore a white shirt, the front looked tucked in but Pepper doubted he tucked the back in, he never did (‘And the press say you always look so smart’ she tells him fondly at least once a week). He wore smart black shoes, the same shade as the blazer he wore. He looked smart and really sexy, but it made Pepper question going and getting changed.
Pepper was wearing a black pants suit, a designer and one of her favourites, but it was almost basic. She had no meetings planned for today, so this wasn’t her flashiest outfit. Her heels were the best part of her outfit, she will never admit that she might have a problem with the number of shoes she owns, they were ankle-strapped red to give her a bit of colour. She couldn’t tell if she was underdressed, or overdressed she just knew she wasn’t wearing the best outfit.
“Tony?” She asked, bringing him out of his daydream “do I need to get changed?”
“No! No! Don’t worry, you look amazing and so god damn sexy right now, but you don’t need to get changed.” He smiled reassurance at her before facing the road again as they got moving.
~
Around an hour later Tony pulled into Pepper’s favourite drive-through. Pepper smiled but stated, “oh I’m definitely overdressed.” To which Tony laughed.
Tony opened his window, drove up to the machine and ordered their usual, Pepper a pasta bake and a cheeseburger for himself. The order was taken and he fished out his wallet as he took the car to the window.
He put on his charm (‘no Tony you can not trademark the word charm’) and flashed a smile to the bored-looking cashier who preceded to drop the pen she was fiddling with and screamed.
Tony laughed and she started almost shouting “You’re Tony Stark! I’m a huge fan! Omg, will you sleep with me? Or marry me?! Can I at least have your autograph! Oh, this is the best day of my life!” She was grinning.
Tony was about to reply when some guy from the back shouted over, “My wife slept with you once fifteen years ago and she always says I’m second only to you.” Before going back to flipping burgers.
Tony was speechless and Pepper had to look away as to not laugh. Tony went back to the original girl and took the outstretched pen and paper. He signed it and gave it back.
“Thank you!”
“Any time.” He held out his card, “can I pay for my meal?”
“Oh no! You don’t have to, your meal is on me! As a token of my gratitude for all that you have done!” Tony was going to thank her but she began speaking again, “She has to pay for her meal though.” Pepper turned to face her with one eyebrow raised.
Tony knew not to fight her battles for her, so he kept quiet but his smile dropped and behind his glasses, he was shooting daggers.
“May I ask why I have to pay for my meal?”
“You have a lawsuit against my uncle, he hasn't told us what for but he tells us it's stupid.” the girl looked Pepper up and down with disgust.
Pepper looked at her name badge, “Well, Sandra, what is your uncle called?”
“Eric.” she tells her firmly to which Pepper motioned for her to continue, “Eric Smith.”
Tony muttered under his breath so only Pepper could hear, “Basic ass name.”
Pepper looked almost disappointed. “We have a lawsuit against him for sexually harassing level one interns. If you still want me to pay, please take my card.” she held her card out with perfectly manicured red nails and a challenging look.
Sandra blushed, “No, no it's fine.” she handed the food over to Tony. “Have a good day.” she stuttered, Tony handed the bag over to Pepper and drove off, rolling his window back up.
“That was hot.” Tony smirked, “putting her in her place. I would rather those hands went around the card-”
“Thank you but don't finish that sentence.” she grinned back. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“You’ll see.” He grinned.
Pepper rolled her eyes fondly at him before relaxing in her seat, putting the window down slightly.
Tony drove till the car was on the seafront, nobody was around them and it was just the two of them. Tony parked and got out, Pepper also started to get out but Tony stopped her, jogged around to her side and opened the door for her.
“Such a gentleman.” Tony winked, grabbed her hand and the food, guiding Pepper to the car bonnet.
Pepper removed her shoes and got comfortable, and Tony did the same beside her. He gave her the food and began eating his burger.
The two finished at roughly the same time, and Tony got up and placed the trash in the trash can. He faced Pepper and looked nervous, which instantly made Pepper drop her smile and stop the joke she was about to make. “What’s wrong.”
Tony’s hand tapped his leg, “Pepper. You are the light of my life, without you, I would have nothing to live for. Ever since Afghanistan in that cave, you have consumed my thoughts. I love you so much and if I don’t stop talking now, I will never stop. Pepper Potts, will you marry me?”
Pepper gasped and tears came to her eyes. She aggressively nodded her head, “Yes, god Tony, yes it’s always yes.” She jumped off the car and ran into his arms hugging him tightly before crashing her lips on his.
“Yes!”
~
It was nine in the morning when Pepper woke up, limbs sprawled all over, bedsheets thrown carelessly aside and hands interlocked with her fiancé
She watched him quietly till Tony woke up. He did only five minutes later and without opening his eyes, he pressed a lazy kiss to her cheek before tucking himself into her arms. “Hello, wife to be.”
“Hello.” And they sat like that for ten minutes till Tony groaned, muttering quietly.
“What was that?”
“Got a bloody avengers meeting don’t I, I don’t want to sit in a room with Mr ‘I’m amazing capsicle.” He dug his head into his pillow.
Pepper laughed in response and decided to get up herself, wrapping the bed sheet around herself, going to the bathroom and forcing Tony in while she got dressed.
~
20 minutes later the two were ready for the day, Tony in a blue Armani suit, Pepper in blue jeans and a cream sweater. With five minutes before the meeting started, Tony refused to leave till it was meant to start.
“I need to be fashionably late.” He pouted.
“Do I have to take you down there like a kid?” Pepper teased, knowing five minutes late from Tony is an accomplishment.
“Deal, let me just get a coffee.” Pepper rolled her eyes as he did, getting a coffee before he and Pepper got in the l elevator.
The tower's penthouse was reserved for just Pepper and Tony, and the Avengers meeting room was only five floors down, but Tony walked incredibly slow to the meeting room.
Once they arrived, Tony stood outside, looking at Pepper. “Go enjoy yourself, love you.”
“Love you too, now go in.”
“I don’t want to!” This caused Pepper to push the door open and motion for him to go inside which he did, not without telling her, “You’re evil Ms Potts.”
“Yes, Mr Stark.” She smirked, before returning upstairs to reply to some emails and maybe read a few pages of her book.
Tony however took the empty seat at the table, ignoring the looks getting thrown at him. “Well then eyepatch, aren’t you going to start?”
Nick Fury did begin to speak and Tony didn’t listen to a word of it, though he did perk up when Steve started to whisper to him.
“You should treat her with more respect.”
Tony looked confused and whispered “who?”
“Ms Potts, she is your PA and deserves respect regardless.”
Tony scoffed and looked offended, “She is not my assistant anymore, she is the CEO. I also do respect her, more than you would know. So shut up.”
Tony threw him a dirty look before leaning back in his chair, texting:
Tony: I already hate this and I haven’t even heard a word from Blackbeard
Pepper: Why are you not paying attention?
Tony: I’ll read the transcript Jarvis is writing for me, besides the star-spangled man chose to give me advice I didn’t ask for
Pepper: About what?
Tony: Us, saying I don’t respect you
Pepper: Oh if only he knew.
Tony: Last night proved it
Pepper: God you didn’t tell him that did you?
Tony: No, that’s just between us.
Pepper: I can see the smug expression you are currently pulling
Tony: Have I ever told you you look really hot when you look smug
Tony: Except when it’s at me because you are usual proving me wrong
Pepper: Well, you know I’m always right
Pepper: But thank you
Tony: You just always look hot
Pepper: You should be paying attention
Tony: Awww you’re blushing!
The three-dot showed up to prove Pepper was replying, but before she could press send, Steve took Tony’s phone out of his hand, pointing to Fury.
“Give me my phone Rogers.” Tony told him.
“You should be paying attention, not doing whatever you are doing on your phone.” Steve started to read the messages.
“It’s none of your business what I’m doing. Give me my phone.”
“Who the hell are you talking to, acting like this!” Steve looked at Tony with disapproval.
“Pepper, now give it back she replied.”
“Stop lying and tell me the truth.” When Tony only held his hand out for his phone, Steve pressed it in his hand aggressively, “I’m disgusted that you would ever dream of being in a relationship with her, she deserves better.”
Tony opened his mouth to reply when Fury spoke up, “And that concludes this meeting, you may leave.” at this Tony stood up.
“You can't say shit about mine and Peppers relationship so stay out of it. You may think you ordained the universe, but you didn't so grow up.” and with one final dirty look that would of killed Rogers in an instant if looks could kill, Tony was gone.
Tony decided that the elevator was too long of a wait and ran up the stairs, arriving at the top floor slightly out of breath.
Pepper turned from her computer at the noise. God she looked perfect. Her strawberry blonde hair framed her face, forehead wrinkled in confusion at Tony’s panting form in the doorway.
“Tony why are you-?”
“I’m going to kill Rogers over there.”
Pepper sighed, moving her body more fully to face him. “Why now?”
“He has no right to comment on our relationship! According to him, you deserve better then me, he's not wrong, but how dare he even think of saying I don't respect you! I respect you more then anything and yet no, he just sees me as a jerk who is incapable of love.” Tony fell onto the settee, head closest to Pepper and his feet were still hanging off the edge.
“For starters, I want you, and only you; to me there is no one better and secondly, Rogers is being the jerk incapable of love or even seeing it. Don’t let him get to you.” She bent down, kissing his forehead.
“Want to go on an impromptu date?”
“What now?”
“Yeah why not!” The grin and look of excitement that filled his eyes made it impossible for her to say no to.
“Let me write two more emails then yes we can go.” He looked very happy and even gave a little clap which made Pepper laugh.
She finished the emails rather quickly and put her laptop away, smiling at him.
“Where are we going and should I get changed?”
“No, I have an idea and you can wear that and comfortable trainers.”
She went into their bedroom and picked her favourite, most convenient trainers. “Where we going then?” she asked as she tied her shoelaces.
“Its a surprise.” he good her with a smug expression, to which she dramatically sighed, got a bottle of water and looked at him expectantly.
“Ready?” he nodded and held the door open for her, she thanked him and called the elevator.
The two got in and asked Jarvis to take them to the garage on the bottom floor as AC/DC played in the background.
The two got in the car, and Tony started the ignition and they drove off, into the city and towards the woods.
As they left the city, they were the only ones on the road, talking about this and that, just enjoying each other's company.
“Well Ms Potts- soon to be Stark” he grinned “please share the details of your-” his attention suddenly shifted to the incoming vehicle coming at him. Tony moved to avoid them but the driver must of been drunk because they were not driving in a straight line.
Tony had two options, and each meant crashing the car; one was Pepper got more injured, and the other was that he would.
The choice was obvious.
Tony swerved to the left, crashing his side of the car into a tree. He was pinned in the seat by a branch that crashed through, causing immense pain and his head slamming backwards. Painfully, he turned his neck to face Pepper who was heavily breathing and still awake.
“Tony?! TONY!” she tried to move but her arms didn't let her, causing her to whimper before putting her attention back on Tony. “You’ll be ok, I've got you I promise.” she smiled reassuringly at him.
Tony smiled back but when he opened his mouth no words came out; you could only see him mouth “I love you” before he passed out.
“TONY!” she screamed begging him to wake up.
He didn't. And after five minutes his heart stopped beating and the cool blue light of his arc reactor dimmed into nothingness.
Pepper wanted to scream but her throat was restricted and she could only repeat what he mouthed to her.
“I love you, so so much Tony.”
She felt her tears silently fall as she passed out herself.
~
Two weeks later, Pepper stood at the front of the small crowd of people gathered at Tony’s funeral.
She wore a simple black dress and a hat with a veil covering her expression completely.
As people dispersed, Pepper knelt in front his grave and everyone gave her space as she knelt, crying telling him everything she could.
“Come back Tony, I need you, I really do. I can't do this without you. You are everything to me and I don't know what to do with you gone. I need you to come back. I miss you so much Tony.” her voice lowered, “Thank you for saving my life.”
Pepper stood up and walked away, not involving herself in conversation with anyway, but thanked people for coming when they approach her.
Steve Rogers approaches her and Pepper instantly wrinkles his nose in disgust, not wanting to talk to this man at all.
“You don't need to wear the hat anymore you know.”
“Excuse me?”
“You doing it to hide the fact you are not crying. You are free of him Pepper. I know I'm glad he didn't kill you- after taking advantage of you in real life that is.”
Pepper saw red.
She ripped her hat off her head, allowing him to see her cheeks, stained with tears.
She punched him. “Don’t” punch “You” punch “EVER” punch “ insinuate” punch “That” punch “He” punch “Didn’t” punch “Love” punch “or” punch “Repect” punch “Me”.
And that's how super soldier legend, Steven Grant Rogers ended up as a bloody pile on the floor, looking up like a scared puppy.
Pepper stamped on him one final time before Rhodey had to physically pick her up and take her away from him. She screamed back at him one final time.
“SCREW YOU ROGERS!”
~
“Tony, where are you taking me?”
Tony Stark was carefully guiding Pepper through the dumpsite he called his workstation, while she had a blindfold on.
“Tony, please tell me!” she pouted, facing in his direction causing him to laugh.
“We are almost there!” he took a few more steps then abruptly stopped. “See! We are here!”
He took the blindfold from her eyes and proudly presented one of his suits.
“Its great! I love it! What's special about this one?” Tony rolled his eyes lovingly exasperated with her.
Tony allowed the suit to go around himself and he held a hand out to her. “I am here to take you on a date, Ms Potts.”
“WHAT?”
“Its safe, I promise, and it will be fun. I won't go to fast and if you want to stop you can. Please come!” he pouted at her.
Pepper rolls her eyes, “let me get changed.”
Five minutes later she comes back, in more comfortable clothes. “I'm ready.”
Tony smiles “Hold on!” and he tightly secures her to him and takes off, flying over the New York buildings, as Pepper screams next to him.
“OH MY GOD. OH MY-”
They fly like this for a good half an hour, till Pepper is begging Tony to take her back and he does bringing her back to her bed.
“Thank you for that Tony, I need that.” she looked at the space in front of her, “You can rest now.”
Pepper was met with silence as she sat down on her grey twin bed, looking out her barred window at the glimpse of Stark Tower.
In a mental asylum.