Finally
May 29th 2007
“Yes, I will need the contract ASAP. Tomorrow the latest, capiche?” Tony talked to the man in the video call.
The man seemed broody on the video, but he coincided to Tony’s demand. The CEO cut the video off and called his PA to the room. His beautiful PA, Pepper Potts came in with her stark pad. She has her beautiful hair tied into a bun and she smiled warmly at him when she arrived at his desk.
“Mr. Stark.”
“Ms. Potts,” he clasped his hands together, smirking. “So, I’ve got no more appointments for today, right?”
“Yes,” she checked Tony’s schedule on her pad. “No more for this evening. You have finished all your duties for today, Mr. Stark.”
The billionaire stood and stepped out of his desk to circle around it until he was standing in front of his secretary. “So I have no more work stuff to do for today?”
She took her eyes off the stark pad, holding it to her bosom and looked at her boss from behind her slightly longer bangs. “No.”
The younger Stark leaned his back against his glass desk, arms winded in front of his chest. “So, office work is over?”
“It is as it was 30 minutes ago,” She cocked her head slightly to the left.
Before long he stretched his arms wide and enveloped the woman in his arms, surrounded her with his scent, a mix between his cologne and natural scent. Tony quietly kissed her nape and quietly said,” I miss you.”
“Tony,” she said exasperatedly, tried to push him away, but not too hard. “We’re still at work.”
“Don’t you miss me?” He peppered (haha, Peppered) her ear and neck with kisses. “We’ve been sooooo busy today and you did say, you will let me off after I’ve finished all of my homeworks.”
Then he pulled his face to look at the red-head with a pout and puppy eyes. “It’s my birthday.”
Pepper’s face turned pinkish a bit. She could never resist his puppy eyes, but she bit her lower lip to reinforce her resolution. “Not here. We worked here.”
Tony dramatically sighed. “There’s nobody, Pep. Everybody has gone home. There are only us, unless you count JARVIS, though.”
“I am forever your loyal invisible servant, sir,” JARVIS deadpanned from the ceiling.
“See,” Tony pointed out. “I can’t kick him out. He’s practically my own limb.”
“Wherever you go, I go,” the AI drawled.
A few seconds passed before Pepper looked up and asked,” Are you sure there’s nobody around JARVIS?”
“Yes, ms. Potts,” the computer answered. “There are only a handful of security personnel and cleaning crews in the building. And none in this floor, yet.”
Pepper sighed and smiled sheepishly at the billionaire. “Okay then. After all, it is your birthday.”
She put her hands behind his neck while Tony adjusted his arms around her waist. “Now, give me a kiss.”
She chuckled,” Bossy.”
“You know it,” he smiled when she pressed her lips to his and gave him the sweetest, most gentle and passionate kiss he ever had in his life.
It’s been a blissful 5 months for Tony and Pepper. It was everything he ever hoped and dreamt of a relationship with pepper. She was wonderful, they were good… no, they were great together. At work, they stayed professional, she insisted on it. Pepper didn’t want people, press or her co-workers to think that she was using him to climb the social and work ladder by climbing him, pun unintended.
Thus, nobody knew about their new budding relationship, except of course his family and her parents. They were happy. He could totally picture her in his life for a long time. Maybe it was the honeymoon phase talking and when it went away he would laugh at it, but Tony wanted Pepper in his life forever. Not as friend or subordinate, but as his spouse.
She was his best friend, female one and he has loved her for quite sometime. She was an amazing woman and Tony was the luckiest son of a b*tch to have her chose him. He knew it was too fast to plan their whole life ahead (two kids and a bunch of baby robots), but he wanted it all with her. Maybe in two years, he would pop out the big ‘M’ question.
It was the best thing ever when he thought about what happened a few months ago. He didn’t know why he was so scared about telling her about his affection or that he was madly in love with her after a few years working together.
Tony still remembered it like it was yesterday, when he finally confessed to her. Even if, the witnesses of his confession would disagreed with him strongly since it was his little sister who actually blurted his feeling about Pepper.
Christmas, 2006
“So, you’re telling me that Mr. Evans, your butler, ex-butler is your biological father? Which means that Mrs. Hill-Evans who is 10 years older than you is your step-mom…” Pepper laid down the fact.
“I never call her that,” Tony who sat next to her in the limo scrunched his nose in disgust. “It’s too weird. Even now I still had a hard time hearing my sweety Lily calls her mom. I was like, should I call her mom as well? And I was like no way. If I called her that, it would mean she was pregnant with me when she was only like 10 or something. Eew! The thought was so disturbing that I…”
“As I was saying,” she glared daggers at him for interrupting her while Rhodey, who sat on the opposite seat from them snickered at his best friend being reprimanded. “It also means that Lily, who is young enough to be your kid, is actually your little sister. And so far, only your immediate family and close friends knew about this information. Right?”
Tony nodded enthusiastically.
This Christmas, Tony felt that it was time to tell Pepper the truth about his family. After all, she was his most trusted employee slash best female friend. So, he invited her to Stark’s Christmas dinner.
Pepper was reluctant to come since it was Christmas and the holiday was all about family. She didn’t want to intrude on Tony’s family time and she felt bad leaving her own family dinner; still, the billionaire managed to sweet-talk his way when he came unannounced to Pepper’s home.
Pepper’s family understood and they knew that they weren’t just employer and employee. They’re also close friends. The splurge on gifts for Christmas helped as well. He felt guilty for guilt-tripping Pepper by giving her family presents to bribe them to lend her to him.
She was furious and slightly embarrassed, but she wasn’t that angry at him because Tony brought Rhodey with him. He knew her well enough to know that she didn’t like to show her emotional outburst around witnesses.
“Oh, Tony,” she looked at him disappointedly. “You have the worst timing.”
“If it makes you feel any better, he told me on New Year’s Eve,” the lieutenant of the US Air Force shrugged.
Pepper gave him a look that said,’so?’
“The New Year’s Eve when he invited me to meet his whole family,” without an expression, he added dryly. “The party where his step mommy told us ‘there’s a bun in the oven’.” He put an air quote over the last statement.
Pepper gasped and hit Tony on his arm. “How could you?!” then she gave Rhodey a ‘sorry’ look. “That is so awkward.”
“Right?” He shook his head. “When he picked me up at the base, I thought that we were going to have some fun at the clubs. On the ride there, he started talking about his real parents and how the Starks adopted him. Oh my God, I was still in shock when he brought me to the Evans’ party.”
“I said I was sorry. What do you want from me?” Tony pouted at him.
“It’s been a while man,” he looked pointedly at his best friend. “I need chicks and booze. And you broke the news on my one day out of the base after a few months of dry spell. Screw you. You ain’t got the right to get an apology from me.
“I’m SORRY, Rhodey-bear,” Tony switched seat and clung his hands to his friend’s arm like a panda on a bamboo tree. “Forgive meeeeeeeeeeeee.”
“Nope,” he puffed his breath out.
“Pleeeeeeease”
“No way. I haven’t done ‘it’ for almost half a year. You ruined my fun.”
“Oh God, you boys are so childish,” Pepper couldn’t help but giggled at their antics.
In the end, Rhodey forgave him. His platypus could never resist his pleading (‘Don’t you mean pestering?’ * Rhodey) and they finally arrived and rode the private elevator to his parents’ penthouse.
When Tony rang the door, his dad and Lily opened the door. Lily smiled and threw herself at Tony. “Tony!”
“How is my little princess?” he kissed the girl on the forehead, making her giggled. “Did you miss your favorite brother in the whole world?”
“One bwothe. You,” she kept giggling.
“Hi, Tony,” his dad greeted him.
“Hi dad,” he grinned. “Where is everyone?”
“Oh, the ladies are in the kitchen. Your father is talking to James about something,” then Harry smiled mysteriously. “And Ms. Romanoff is here.”
“Oh,” the younger wizard looked surprised, but it was a pleasant surprise. “Bet uncle James was happy to parade her around to the family, huh.”
His uncle finally had his daughter back after the probation. Of course they still have to meet secretly. It’s going to raise a lot of unwanted questions from SHIELD if they got found out hanging out together. That’s why there’s an inside man to help them have these meetings.
James told Coulson the truth to help him concealed their meetings. Phil has been a great help to dissuade them. Tony wasn’t there when James told him the truth about him being the actual James ‘Bucky’ Buchanan Barnes, but he would pay a lot to see his reaction. The man is such a nerd for all Captain America and the Howling Commando stuffs.
“Her? Did your uncle get a girlfriend or something?” Rhodey asked.
Pepper shushed him. “Rhodey. It’s rude to interrupt a conversation.”
“Yes, mam,” he drawled while rolling his eyes.
Tony almost forgot about his friends. Oh wow, he was a really shitty friend.
“Rhodey, Ms. Potts,” his dad smiled warmly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t notice the two of there.”
“It’s okay, Mr. Evans,” they both said at the same time.
“Peppaw!” Lily squealed, making grabby hands at her.
“Hi Lily,” the strawberry blonde woman smiled fondly at her, before taking her into her arms.
“I’m so happy,” she grinned.
“Why’s that, honey?”
“ ‘Coz you will be my sista,” she looked excited. “Teddy said Tony love you. And you love him. If you get mawwy, we will be sista!”
Say whaaaaaaat… Tony looked dumbfounded at his cute sister.
The silence was broke by Rhodey who immediately said,” So, Mr. Evans, is Teddy in? It’s been a while since we hang out together.”
Harry immediately nodded, too fast to be normal. “Yes, yes. He’s inside. He will be happy to see you too. Let’s go inside. Lily, you too, darling.”
“Aaaaw, but I wanna stay with peppaw,” she pouted.
The older wizard took her in his arm, despite her protest, “Tony and Pepper need to talk, honey,” before smiling fondly at them. “After you finish, you should go inside. Dinner will be ready any minute.”
As the door closed, Tony felt the impending warmth rising through his face. He was frightened, but he looked at Pepper nonetheless. Surprisingly, she was looking red in the cheeks and flustered as well.
As his heart pounded inside his heart, he braved himself. “So. Now you know.”
Pepper looked him up from under her eyelashes, clearing her throat,” Yes. Now I know.”
“Should we… talk about it?”
She gave him a little smile. “I don’t know. I know how much you hate talking about feelings, Mr. Stark.”
He pulled her hand and held it gently between his fingers, feeling how soft it was. Tony felt his nervousness died down a bit as he quietly said,” I’ll try,” he licked his lip anxiously, looking at her in the eyes. “I’ll try talking about it. For us.”
“Us?” She laced her fingers with his and gave him a smile that filled his chest with hope.
“Yeah, for us.”
They talked about it and it was the best talk about feelings he had. He had to admit he didn’t hate it that much, but Tony would never ever tell Pepper that or else his girl friend (girlfriend, *squealed) would want to do it every chance she got. Once a month was enough, thank you. He has his limit about pouring his heart out.
“We need to go, “ Pepper smiled in between kisses. “I bet they’re already upstairs, “ a kiss, “ waiting for you, “ and another kiss, “ with a cake.”
Tony groaned, biting his lover’s lower lip in between kissing. “Do we have to? We’re only just starting to the good part.”
Pepper pulled herself away from him and started smoothing her clothes before tidying up Tony’s suit.
She pulled her tie down, so that his ear was beside her mouth. The woman whispered on his ear, “I’ll let you open your present after everybody went home.”
Tony’s imagination was running wild by then that he didn’t notice that Pepper had ushered him to his personal elevator and up to the penthouse. They were greeted by his father and mom, along with uncle James who apologized profusely about Natashalie’s absence due to ‘work’. The work itself of course was classified mission, but he couldn’t say that in front of Rhodey and Pepper who were clueless about SHIELD.
Rhodey has invited himself to Tony’s open bar with Teddy there. There has been tension between Teddy and uncle James for the past couple of months. At the last Christmas, Tony didn’t notice anything weird. Though, it was because he and Pepper have just started their relationship so he only had eyes for her.
But just last week, he finally figured out why they were at odds with each other. Apparently, Teddy, the ‘work is my life’ auror fancied uncle James’ daughter. That’s the reason why the older man has been suspicious at Teddy, whom he knew since he was a teenager. Tony thought he was just being silly.
Uncle James should have known better that Teddy was a good man and a respectable wizard. He wouldn’t do anything bad like taking advantage of his recently adopted daughter. In his opinion, he was more afraid that Natashalie would break his best friend’s heart.
After all, the woman was the black widow. She was a great actress and has been trained to seduce men more powerful in terms of politic and social status.
But Tony raised both hands at this matter. He would let them figure this out. But they took too long to figure this thing, he would try to nudge them in the right direction until they talked about the elephant in the room.
At that moment, the elevator opened and his dad with his wife and Lily showed up. He greeted them with hugs. His mom came to talk to Hill and took Lily with her in her arms. Before he could go with them, his dad suddenly pulled his arm and pushed him towards the master bedroom.
The older wizard casted mufliato around the room. He looked so excited. It’s rare to see his dad this excited.
“Dad, what is it?” Tony asked him.
“I just got an information from my contact in China, “ he smiled widely.
“And?” Tony pressed on.
“There was a sighting of a giant there, “ Harry continued. “He was saving a couple of wizarding children from drowning before he suddenly disappeared. There was little chance for giants to just disappear into the woods without wizards being able to track them.”
Suddenly Tony understood why his dad sounded and looked so elated.
“And what’s more interesting is that this giant is not normal. His skin color isn’t the usual color of a human skin,” he informed him and clasped his hand on Tony’s shoulder, giving him a warm smile. “The giant has green skin, Tony.”
***