Second Time Around

Chapter Three: Full Circle

Despite being located smack dab in the middle of nowhere, the amusement park was already jam-packed with bodies and cars lining the expansive stretch of property, and Tony Stark carefully edged his car into a vacant slot towards the edge of the congested lot. Breathing a much needed sigh of relief and cutting the engine, he shoved his keys clumsily into the pocket of his jeans as he adjusted his ball cap, letting himself out to help Pepper exit the vehicle on the opposite side. He delicately pulled his dark shades free and looped them over the front of his sweatshirt, allowing his brown eyes to gradually adapt to the dimness that was closing in on them with each advancing increment in time, his frame of vision briefly tracking the sparkling lights from nearby attractions.

He saw his assistant nimbly unzip her purse and explore the contents inside for a moment, eventually diving in and retrieving a handful of bills that she folded over and clasped neatly in her hand. Pepper stole a quick glimpse at the sign positioned several feet away from the front entrance indicating the proper ticket prices, and murmured something that was rather unintelligible to herself before pulling out yet another wad of money to compensate for what was apparently some sort of unspoken loss. Tony gingerly placed his fingers upon one of her wrists, and the gesture startled her somewhat, her expression transpiring into one of utter discombobulation. "What are you doing, Potts?"

"Getting out the money for admission," she stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I almost forgot to factor in yours with mine, so..." She paused abruptly when she took notice of the grin that was rapidly spreading across that incredible face of his with what seemed to be irrefutable amusement, and she couldn't help but wager a guess that she'd been left out of some kind of bizarre prank. "Okay, you're aware of the fact that we can't get in unless we pay, right?"

"Yes, and I'm doing the paying part as we speak," he said simply, pulling out his wallet as if it hadn't even needed clearing up. "Put that away."

"I fail to see what the problem is. You're my boss and this isn't a date," Pepper countered impetuously.

Tony wondered exactly how many times she was planning on profusely reminding him of that assessment during the course of the evening. "Mmhm, and the grass is usually green. Do me a favor and try not to insult me, all right? I want to make good here, and I can't do it when you're being this difficult."

"Oh, I'm the one who's being difficult? I just offered up my generosity, only to have it thrown right back at me like some kind of-"

"Am I still making you uncomfortable? Because you seem uncomfortable. It's just a guess, but I'm almost always right about these things, so..."

"I'm not uncomfortable, I'm just..." Pepper had once again come to find herself at a loss for words, incontestably running out of excuses to blame her unfortunate set of circumstances on. "If you want to pay, go ahead and pay. I just didn't want you to feel obligated. I mean, at least with Rhodey-"

"Rhodey doesn't look good in a dress and I think he's still pissed I didn't stick to the cards," he answered honestly, smartly cutting her off for the second time in a matter of minutes. "The point is, I didn't invite him, Potts, I invited you. We've already talked about this. It's over, it's done. Can we please move on?"

"I don't know," she added decisively, her lips curving up into a half smile, "because I actually have this really frightening visual of Colonel James Rhodes in something backless and frilly now, and it isn't exactly helping."

He laughed, long and loud, and it was as if a huge burden had strangely been lifted from his shoulders. Before he was entirely conscious of his own movements, Tony had basically wedged her in between himself and the car, his hands resting easily upon the roof while he unintentionally boxed her in. Their faces were only inches apart, and the reality of the situation irrevocably registered itself when he felt Pepper's breath catch in her throat as she apprehensively held it, her eyes circumspectly meeting his. The worst part was, was that at present, the only coherent thought that was actually forming in his mind was just how badly he wanted to yank her even closer and kiss the hell out of her. Sadly, that really wasn't an option for him at this juncture, and he wasn't willing to risk a great big black eye to find out. It wasn't even that his insurance wouldn't cover the expenses, it was more along the lines of having to explain the disastrous aftermath to every news publication known to man that would have an absolute ball making his face front page news and awaiting a remotely plausible explanation in the process. That route was most definitely out of the question. "Oops," he muttered, taking a few steps back as he moved out of her personal space, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"It's okay," Pepper said softly, straightening out the creases in her white t-shirt, and tossing her purse back over one shoulder. More than a bit thrown and hanging onto her sanity by a fairly thin thread, she began to advance towards the ticket booth, fighting to keep her voice absolutely level. "So, what are we going to do first? You do have a plan of action here, don't you, Mr. Stark?"

He did, it was true. But unfortunately, much to his dismay, it wasn't going too well. "I was thinking we could get something to eat. I'm basically starving here, and I just figured- I mean I don't exactly want to overstep my bounds again if you want to try something else entirely. Something that's not- are you hungry? Can I buy you dinner? Friends buy each other dinner, don't they? It's like some kind of...prerequisite to friendship."

"Yes, they do, and I'd like that," she conceded, smirking. "Although, I'm not sure about the prerequisite part, because I've been working for you a long time now, and I still have no idea what you're thinking sometimes."

He matched her smirk and approached the ticket booth, where a young woman with short, curly blonde hair and forest green eyes stood on the opposite side, thoughtfully chewing what appeared to be a ridiculously gigantic wad of bright pink gum in her mouth. She was happily jamming along to music that could be heard rumbling out a rather deafening pitch from a seemingly adventurous ride a mere few feet away, a set of wild, colored lights keeping time with the ferocious, otherworldly beat. If she recognized Tony, she gave absolutely no indication whatsoever, and the terribly disinterested expression she had permanently plastered upon her face at the sight of a customer, was one that Pepper cheerfully concluded matched a typical college student working to pay off pesky loans that had gotten in the way of the usual pampering pleasures of fun and sun. She also discovered that Tony's reaction, or lack thereof, wasn't lost on her, either. Pepper watched him barely spare the girl an iota of a glance, as he simply said, "Hi, yes, two please," and promptly pushed a pile of cash towards her without bothering to engage in the customary bout of playful conversation that had always been an imperative part of his habitual incentive. "Keep the change."

The woman took her time as she collected it and retrieved the tally in her head, an exceptionally big pink bubble slowly emerging from her mouth, as she effortlessly slid the ticket stubs into Pepper's waiting hands through the miniscule hole in the glass. It even crossed her mind for a fleeting moment that Tony had quite possibly invited her due to his consummate dislike of having people hand him things, but it was just another silly eccentricity she never really understood to begin with, and had always made a mental note to shuffle away for future reference. "Thanks, enjoy yourselves," the vendor grumbled quietly, and the PA could have sworn she detected a cursory roll of the eyes along with the stoic utterance of the common and repetitious phrase.

"We will," Tony randomly threw out, as he wound himself past the gate that granted them entry, waiting for Pepper to do the same. The noises around them had grown considerably louder as they stepped into the dizzying commotion of the park itself, and he reached over and gently tapped her shoulder to get her attention, trying to make himself heard over the roar of the cacophony of exuberant voices and boisterous tunes. "I'm going to buy us some."

"What?" she queried, practically shouting to him over the discord, while she busied herself with hugging her purse closer to her chest. "What are you talking about?"

"Gum," he added somewhat buoyantly, giving her what could only be construed as a guileful wink, his brown eyes sharp and mischievous. "Yep, done deal, okay? We'll stop at a 7-Eleven or something on the way back."

"Gum? Gum? Are you serious?" She trailed a reasonably safe distance behind him, and while she'd witnessed a great many of his nonsensical theories firsthand in the past, this one really, and not all that shockingly, took the cake...and likely ate it, too. "Tony, that woman was mocking us because she's far from thrilled with her job. It's not rocket science-"

"Yeah, I pretty much figured that out all by myself, although it's really not what I was going for here, Potts."

"Okay, the last time I checked, chewing gum for an undetermined amount of time to please the boss was not one of the requirements for a personal assistant," she supplied indignantly, and would have stubbornly crossed one arm over the other if she could've. "Furthermore, I would already be well on my way to submitting my resignation before you could even blink."

"Oh, relax, would you?" But he couldn't help but remain exceptionally pleased at the prospect, and held no shame in the indulgence. "I only wanted to see who could blow the bigger bubble. Also, please don't try and take that the wrong way, either, because I meant it in a completely literal sense. Do you want mustard on your hot dog?"

Before Pepper could even attempt to process a response to that, he was already moving toward a quaint little stand to the left where a short, balding man was handing a plate consisting of a hamburger, bun, and fries thoroughly drowned in ketchup to an elderly woman who was deftly placing a plastic cover over a drink of soda that had been filled to the brim. A man of about the same age waited patiently off to the side, sipping from a cup of what appeared to be coffee, a cowboy hat pulled low over his head and shielding a pair of thick white eyebrows. A group of three teenagers were next in line, and strolled up to the counter after the couple had departed, lazily stating their orders after a rather lengthy trivial debate involving the limited number of choices available.

"Mustard, ketchup, and onions," she clarified, coming to a nice and even halt beside her boss.

"Ah, the works," Tony confirmed, giving her a faint half smile, as the teens ahead of them hastily collected the food on their separate trays, each of them tenuously making their way over to the wooden picnic tables arranged in an orderly fashion on the patch of lawn in front of them. Their content consisted of frozen treats in the easily recognizable form of frozen yogurt and banana splits. "You're anything but predictable, Miss Potts. I like it."

"Tony, I-"

"Could you maybe hold that thought?" He turned to address the gentleman who manned the tiny station, and held up two fingers to emphasize his point when he spoke. "Hi, we'd like two hot dogs with onions, ketchup, mustard, two vanilla milkshakes...and hey, while you're at it, you can throw a basket of those steak fries in with that, too."

There was an awkward moment of silence then, and Pepper amply deduced that the small man was suffering from a case of finding himself undeniably and ridiculously star-struck. Unlike the supercilious disposition of the woman who had provided them with their tickets, this was a guy who had recognized Tony as soon as her boss had looked at him and opened his mouth. She still preferred to think of it as his big mouth, but she'd previously set aside all reservations and preconceived notions, and had prepared herself for this before they'd left her apartment. "You're that iron guy," the compact man spoke with a muzzled inflection, but his visage could hardly contain the barely restrained acclaim behind it. "The one on tv."

"Maybe," Tony answered, remaining perfectly nonchalant as he shrugged his shoulders. "But then again, you're not exactly asking for ID here, so all credibility on that issue just went out the window and is at present entirely moot. Oh, and I think I'll try some of that relish over there, too."

Pepper clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from laughing, and summarily averted her gaze, instead focusing her attention on Tony and how he was currently removing yet another lump of cash from his wallet and depositing it on the smooth steel counter. The man accepted it without another word, and approximately ten minutes later slipped them food and drink, while Pepper miraculously balanced a large tray in the palm of her hand and instructed her employer to grab some napkins from the nearby red plastic holder. "You should have just admitted it," she told him. They ended up choosing the last table on the far right, and he straddled his side of the bench sideways, his hands automatically reaching for the hot dog and the vanilla shake.

"Please," Tony insisted, as he pulled off the flimsy cap, sampling the shake straight from the cup. "He probably only wanted my autograph so he could sell it on Ebay. Although, on second thought...maybe I should have at least acted like I was somewhat intrigued by the offer so I'd have an idea of how much I was worth."

"I'd wager somewhere in the ballpark of about fifty," she responded ingenuously, doing her utmost best to keep her poker face, as she took a single bite out of her loaded hot dog, chewing thoughtfully while pondering the ramifications.

"Dollars?" he returned, blinking, his head tilted to the side in befuddlement.

"Would you prefer cents? Because we can work that angle, too."

And that was the absolute instant Tony knew he'd fallen in love with her all over again. Of course, there was also the fact that she was thoroughly unaware of the rather noticeable dab of mustard on the left corner of her mouth, as well as the surprisingly subtle way the park's argent lights graciously illuminated the tiny freckles on either side of her nose. His first impulse wouldn't have earned him any points in the gentleman department, so he opted instead for one of the clean napkins in the middle of the table and joined her on the other side, straddling the seat the same way he'd done with his prior to the sudden compulsion to play his own version of musical chairs. Tony felt her jump just a fraction of an inch as he leaned in dangerously close to her and cautiously wiped away the mustard with the napkin, using both his index finger and his thumb. He could feel her shaky intake of breath, as she almost seemed to do a double take regarding the unforeseen gesture, her blue eyes widening ever so slightly. He was sure he had, in all likelihood, just made the biggest mistake of his life- but the terrifying thing was, he hardly regretted it.

Pepper didn't say anything at first and continued to prolong the excruciating bout of stillness between them, before diligently retrieving her own napkin and wiping it across her mouth, overtly plagued by the fear that he'd missed a spot and would move in again for a repeat performance. Her right hand shook a smidgen as she brought it back down to rest in her lap, the napkin curling itself into a crumpled ball with the tense fist she formed, and her cheeks flushed despite her stern temperament. "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" he echoed.

"Yes, what are you doing, because you've been acting strange- well, stranger than usual at any rate- ever since we got here. It's...frankly, it's starting to make me just a little-"

"Would you have gone out with me if this were really a date, Potts?" It tumbled out before he could implement any damage control to prevent it- damage control he was often obligated to engage himself in with the press when the latest story had surfaced out of the blue to ruin his credibility. Damage control he was used to. But he wasn't going to retract or deflect, and find some lame, piss poor excuse to justify his behavior when he had absolutely no logical reason to.

She began to slowly tear the napkin into tiny bits and pieces that fell haphazard and forgotten to the ground below, her expression unreadable. "Are you- would I consider...I...is this another one of your stupid jokes? Exactly how much have you had to drink?"

"Naturally I'd have to take you somewhere a lot nicer with better food, better service, but hypothetically speaking....wait, what?"

"You're joking, aren't you?" she reiterated. "That's what this is, isn't it? We'd already agreed prior to coming tonight that I was with you in a strictly professional capacity, Mr. Stark. I mean, do you have any idea just how many girls would have jumped at the opportunity if you'd have only asked them?"

"That's all true, and if it makes you feel any better, I'm asking now," he acknowledged wholeheartedly.

Pepper just shook her head, putting what remained of the dilapidated napkin on the table, as she forced herself to meet his eyes once again. "I'm not sure I understand."

"See, I think you do," he ascertained, "and I also think you're working awfully hard to skirt around-"

"I'm not skirting around anything, Tony," she implored, her voice clipped.

"You are too so, and if I wanted to ask a Maxim model or try for round two with a woman I can't even remember the name of, I already would have." His brow furrowed with affliction at the setback, desperately doing what he could to get to the bottom of her adamant opposition, admittedly somewhat disconcerted by the mixed signals he was getting tossed at him- had been getting tossed at him for awhile now. There had to be more to it, because he refused to accept he'd been that misguided and off the mark. It just wasn't possible. His calculations were never wrong, he dutifully reminded himself. They couldn't be wrong now. "Does it bother you that I didn't? That I don't? I mean, c'mon, Pepper, talk to me here. I'm starting to feel like-"

"No," she impeded, perhaps a little too swiftly. "It doesn't bother me, and right now there's nothing I'd like more than to have this conversation be over with. Better yet, maybe it would be best to pretend it never even happened, because it's hardly relevant, and I'm still not convinced you're not completely insane yet. It might even be good if you just went ahead and took me home. I'm not going to stay and play games with you when you're already getting bored. I told you before we left that- this is pointless."

"Pepper."

"What? What is it that you want from me, Tony? Because I fail to see why this is so important to you."

"Maybe I'd like an answer to my question," he elicited. "A legitimate answer."

"You want an answer? Okay, fine, then how about this? We're done here, Mr. Stark. Have a good night." She angrily tore herself away and began stomping back in the direction they'd initially come in, expeditiously withdrawing her Blackberry from her purse and allowing her thumb to hover over Happy Hogan's contact number. She swore she'd only succumb to this particular decision as a last resort- but even then, she'd always assumed it was going to be the other way around. Pepper had fully prepared herself for the remote possibility that he might still try and make advances...she just hadn't anticipated those advances being aimed towards her. He'd never been nearly as forward in the past, and in previous instances, a lot of what he said was interpreted in such an off the cuff manner that it often left room for all kinds of speculation, especially given his notoriety. She'd never had probable cause to deem it otherwise.

"Pepper!" Tony shouted to her over the clamor that occupied the surrounding area, doing exactly what he'd once considered to be entirely beneath him for any woman. But Pepper wasn't just any woman. She was a lot more, and she deserved a lot more. He was downright pleading, and he was half tempted to drop to his knees if he thought it might somehow make any bit of difference in the matter in question, his legs already threatening to give out from under him. He then foolishly surmised there was a good chance it would be misapprehended as an eleventh hour marriage proposal, and would thereby permanently score him an eternal and unforgiveable spot in the jerk hall of fame. "Pepper, look, I didn't mean it, okay? Could you just- can we at least talk about this? You don't have to leave. We could-"

"No." Pepper could feel him gaining speed behind her, and when she was positive he wouldn't be expecting it, she scathingly whirled on him in the darkness, gesturing madly with her Blackberry as she carelessly waved the phone in front of his chest. He stopped where he was, taking that as an obvious warning to keep his distance, both hands raising themselves in a feeble attempt at surrender. "Thank you for dinner, but I'd just really like to go home right now. If you don't want to take me, I'm going to make a call and get it over with."

"I don't," he bravely disclosed, as he stepped further into the line of fire, her phone still pointed at him like some kind of arcane weapon. "But that's only because we haven't even gotten to ride the Ferris wheel. I mean for God's sake, Potts, please try and attempt to work with me here. We haven't eaten any cotton candy, which should be a crime in and of itself- and I lost my one and only opportunity to show you how good I am at darts. I could've won you a bear or something. Should I have taken you bowling instead? Would that have proved more feasible? I'm trying to weigh the options on said alternate scenario, and the best I can figure is that I freaked you out, but in a really good way. Is that a fairly accurate assessment or do we need cue cards?"

"You don't need to take me anywhere, because all I want to do is-"

"Go home, yeah, I know."

"What is this?" she demanded.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Tony deadpanned, "because by all accounts, it would appear I've decided I'm trying to ask you out on a date. A real date. I know, it's sudden, it's really out there- for me, anyway, but it's been a long time coming. And just so we understand each other, just so we're...on the same wavelength and all- it's the kind that comes with those flowers you didn't want. Flowers I still intend to give you, Miss Potts."

Pepper uttered a faint squeak, as she guiltily realized she'd allowed him to trap her against the rear entrance of a small brick building that likely served as a convenient meeting ground for park headquarters, and she trembled when the cold brick met her back. It was the second time today that she'd allowed herself to be pinned against a rough surface, and it hadn't been entirely unpleasant. It also wasn't doing her any favors that he seemed oblivious to the way in which her phone was currently pushed up against his chest, just a fraction shy of colliding with the position of his arc reactor, her wrist growing somewhat tired of trying to maintain the space between them. "You're being unprofessional."

"Am I? Because I think we're already past that, don't you?" Tony moved in until his lips were just a breath away from her own, and she could feel the gentle touch of his nose as it brushed hers in a somewhat earnest show of affection, his hands lightly framing her face while his thumbs grazed her jawline. Pepper meekly lowered her arms to her sides, her grasp subsequently tightening around her Blackberry, as she became exceedingly flustered all over again. He wasn't being flippant, which was a rare feat for him, but he wasn't exactly leaving her any room for interpretation, either. It was overtly deliberate on his part, and she discerned it could only mean one thing. That one thing, as much as she yearned for it to happen beyond all measure, still scared her senseless. "Did I ever tell you how much I adore those freckles?"

"Bowling," she stammered, shutting her eyes, her voice low and very nearly inaudible.

"What?" he responded, his eyes narrowing briefly out of extreme curiosity.

"I think I'd rather go bowling."

He laughed, as he thoroughly captured her mouth with his, and felt a sudden warmth radiate across his chest when she reached up to place her free hand over the glowing arc reactor hidden beneath the fabric of his shirt. He almost wished he could send Jarvis a virtual fruit basket, but he had a sneaking suspicion Dummy and Butterfingers would take the request somewhat too literally. Yes, showing was definitely better than telling, and much to his surprise, she was actually responding just as strongly as he was. Pepper. His Pepper. Tony let his lips wander to the tip of her nose, her closed lids, her cheeks, and permitted them to linger for a bit longer upon her forehead, still not quite sure he wanted to let go of her just yet.

When he chose to put some leeway between them again, albeit reluctantly, he studied her with a fierce smile, intently cocking his head to the side. "Exactly how long has it been, Potts?"

"How long-"

"Since you've been denying you're not hopelessly, madly, and completely in love with me?"

"Oh, please."

"Was that a request?" he teased, right before he tugged her into his arms again, letting a hand casually wander and envelope the small of her back, while the other tenderly tilted her chin towards him. "I kind of more or less came up with a flimsy excuse to persuade you into coming here with me tonight, but it was mostly just so Iron Man could have you all to himself. You get that, right? It was probably incredibly-"

"Selfish?"

"Yeah. No. Okay, maybe. But no meetings, no missions, no women, and you still drove a hard bargain and were fighting me every step of the way. Why is that?"

"Well, the short version is that it wasn't a date five minutes ago."

Tony shook his head in mock disapproval. "That's it? That's what you're going with? It's...well, it's actually pretty weak. I mean if-"

"Shut up, Stark," she simply muttered, yanking him forward for another kiss.

The End

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