Second Time Around Disclaimer: I just own the fanfiction. The characters all belong to Marvel, Stan Lee, Paramount, and Co. This is set in the movieverse, following the 2008 Iron Man film, and is somewhat of an AU, as it doesn't reflect/follow the events of Iron Man 2 (in which Tony and Pepper do in fact eventually kiss), but instead builds upon the events of the first installment. For those of you unfamiliar with the characters and both movies, I highly recommend them. :) I saw Iron Man in theaters when it originally came out, and even back then I guess you could say I was inspired enough to want to create a fic, but simply never got around to it. It was actually the first time in a comic book outing that I actually found myself caring a great deal about the hero and his plight. A lot of that is likely due to the way in which Robert Downey Jr. embraced the role of Tony Stark, and he has even acknowledged various times just how much fun he has playing him. He's a fantastic actor, and that really comes across onscreen when you're watching him. In other words, it's one of the best casting choices I've seen in a long while for a superhero (I've enjoyed him in other projects prior to this, too). The scenes that chronicle Tony's capture and how he starts building the suit and the mini arc reactor make for some wonderful entertainment. What's more, Gwyneth Paltrow was not the typical "damsel in distress" as Pepper Potts, and it was cool to see the character take charge towards the end and really come through with her part in saving the day. It was also the first time I'd ever seen a comic book pairing with as much chemistry as Tony and Pepper. I remember just sitting there and going, wow, this is honestly rare. They're adorable together and their bantering comes across as very natural. I will admit that I am rather nervous, as this is my first time writing for this fandom (let alone a movie, and not a show that spawned a movie like Firefly/Serenity), and I can only hope I did okay. I am usually pretty hard on myself, lol. Basically, this little plot of mine involves Tony inviting Pepper to step out with him for a night, and neither one of them is entirely sure of what the outcome will be (though Tony does have somewhat of an ulterior motive). I got the idea when the county fair was here for a bit towards the end of the summer, and from there it kind of spiraled into trips I'd actually taken to amusement parks in the past (which yes, I know, differ a bit from fairs). I did leave room open for a sequel, at any rate, so... Oh, and I actually have no clue what Pepper's apartment looks like, so I made up the part about the couch. :) I also have not read the movie novelization, which I hear has some additional material that was not addressed in the film or the deleted scenes on the blu-ray/dvd.
The "texture" I used to create the art is from this site. And if you really took the time to read all of that, I applaud you. ;)