Second Time Around

Chapter One: Setup

"C'mon, Potts, don't be such a stick in the mud."

"I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed, as her black high heels clicked ruthlessly along the concrete and finally slid to a rather abrupt halt in the spacious workshop and mutually shared garage, her bright blue eyes never failing to take note of the extreme nonchalance with which her boss eventually dropped onto a stool positioned a mere few feet away. His dark hair was slightly tousled about his handsome face, and when his beautiful brown eyes with those strikingly long lashes began to study her with a renewed sort of interest, she realized she may as well be grasping at straws in response to his apparently careless and oddly unyielding demeanor. "Stick in the mud? If anything, I'm being smart and reasonable about this, Tony. Look, whether you like it or not, there are other things at stake here. More important things. Besides, there is absolutely no logical explanation that I can think of as to why you'd want to put in an appearance at a...a...you do realize that the minute the press gets their greedy little hands on this information, it's going to be a total and complete disaster, don't you? A media circus, a frenzy of epic proportion? Maybe you've somehow forgotten what happened these past few weeks, but you admitted to the entire world- on live television, no less, that you're Iron Man. It's not exactly something you blurt out without expecting consequences, and in your case, there are still going to be a lot more of them. This includes public outings for recreational purposes." His personal assistant paused a moment. "Now, I have some things for you to sign, so if we could at least attempt to move on from the topic at hand, and do our best to focus for a-"

"Yep, I stand corrected," he murmured, proficiently cutting her off, the corners of his mouth twitching and very much on the verge of throwing her a rather playful smirk on his behalf. He swiveled over to one of his work stations, and began to busy himself with the simple task of letting his strong fingers mindlessly trail over the glowing high tech keyboard, his attention briefly turning to the computer monitor directly in front of it. "You're a complete and total stick in the mud, and I won't tolerate it. Nope, not acceptable. What you need right now, is a night out on the town. You need to have a little fun, go wild, let your hair down. If you ask nicely, I might actually be tempted to throw in a trip to the zoo and a chick flick or something on Saturday. It's entirely negotiable, of course, so I'd let you pick the film. Could be good, right? I mean, if I'm not secretly wishing I could gouge my eyes out when we're finished." He tapped another series of keys. "Are you free on Saturday?"

"Okay, one, my hair is down," came Pepper's frustrated reply, and she grit her teeth before she could stop herself. It was true. Her red hair was currently splayed about her shoulders and tumbled down her back in soft waves, framing the basic pinstripe pant suit she wore, and still managing to subtly set off the vivid blue of her eyes and illustrate curves in all the right places. "Two, this is obviously some sort of joke to see how far you can try my patience, and I'm not falling for it. Your high jinks aren't lost on me, and they also weren't lost on anybody who attended Wednesday's meeting." She blew out a breath, fluttering the bangs upon her forehead. "I came to find you because I need your signature, Mr. Stark. These forms aren't going to sign themselves, and quite frankly, we're already struggling to meet a deadline as it is. So...putting all of that into perspective? I'm going to deduce that a little cooperation on your part would be greatly appreciated and certainly wouldn't hurt."

"Great, yeah, I got it," he prompted, the smirk spilling over into a full-fledged grin. A grin he was well aware was becoming terribly hard for her to resist. He couldn't help it. She was adorable, and therefore perfectly harmless flirting was clearly inevitable. He didn't mind, and he was far from being out of his mind. In fact, he took great pride in it, and was strangely anticipating her reaction the instant he'd confessed the way in which he'd chosen to spend the remainder of his evening off the clock. "But if we're going to go the extra mile here, and I think we should- then we need to factor in my own terms concerning this arrangement of ours. In other words, I'll happily comply and sign away like the good superhero that I am if you just say yes."

She merely sighed, as she tucked her clipboard into the crook of her arm, noticing for the first time that his faded gray t-shirt and worn jeans were riddled with engine grease, and she became just a tad bit flustered, her pretty face turning a light shade of crimson. Pepper had it on good authority, having observed it first hand, that he could be a real asshole when he was proving himself just the infallible amount of obstinate for her to reign in. But she was also not oblivious to the testimony that showed he was a man who would go above and beyond the call if it meant a life or two could be saved in trying to right the wrongs Stark Industries had been responsible for over a good many years. He was entirely flawed, and yet she still had a soft spot for him in spite of it. If that wasn't love, she didn't know what was. Underneath that cool exterior, the man had a heart of gold. "What on earth would you even do at an amusement park, Tony? You'd be bored out of your mind in five seconds flat, and we both know it. They don't have anything you haven't already seen before, and it's not like we'd accidentally stumble upon an Iron Man booth anywhere near the vicinity, and that's only because not everyone is miraculously buying into the ridiculous amount of hype and demanding a baseball cap with your alter ego's name on it."

"Ouch," he muttered, wincing. "You really know how to wound a man, Potts. You don't pull any punches and go straight for the arc."

She only rolled her eyes at the pun that was undoubtedly in reference to the miniaturized arc reactor sitting snugly in his chest, his inventive genius bestowing it with a history all its own. "Or possibly a little further south in your case, considering the size of your ego," she decidedly quipped, immediately regretting it as her cheeks blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Touché," he responded, laughing.

"I'm sorry, that was-"

"No," he added, absentmindedly shrugging. "Forget it. Listen, it still isn't going to sway my decision about tonight, and since Iron Man doesn't really have a girlfriend to keep him in line yet, I suppose you'll just have to do. If it helps, I promise not to try anything inappropriate and keep my hands to myself. I'll even refrain from profanely suggestive comments."

Pepper huffed out another breath, and her lips formed a tight frown. "It shouldn't be hard for you to find a date, Tony."

"It's always going to be a no then, huh? Because I thought I'd already risked life and limb to put my best foot forward." The billionaire mentally resigned himself to crushing defeat, and he was instantly taken back to the morning of the press conference where he'd initially propositioned her right before acknowledging his secret identity to dozens of reporters following the death of Obadiah Stane and millions in property damage. Pepper had evidently anticipated it and proceeded to present a fairly accurate recollection of a certain night in question, rejecting him without actually saying so, and it made him desperately want to erase the thoughtlessness he'd exhibited in having gotten horribly distracted after that dance at the Charity Ball. A dance which had resulted in getting some air on a rooftop and essentially leaving her all by her lonesome as soon as a conflicting cause had demanded he make a hasty exit. That eye-popping, drop dead gorgeous dress she'd worn was forever ingrained in his memory. But where, exactly, did his missions as Iron Man fit in with trying to woo the girl of his dreams? "Okay, all right, just leave the papers here. I'll get to them in a minute and bring them up as soon as I finish this upgrade."

The truth of the matter was, and as difficult as it may have been for him to conceive prior to deciding to grow up a little, he didn't want another woman. He wanted her. He wasn't waiting for some scantily clad bleached blonde bimbo who foolishly threw herself at him at the drop of a hat and clung to his arm like mounds of super glue. Those days were over, and they'd been over since his ordeal in Afghanistan which had unwittingly resulted in him being held captive in a cave for three months, and had thus granted him the ability to massively shift his priorities while he concentrated on building the one suit that would in essence end up giving him his freedom back. He couldn't even put into words the happiness he'd felt when he'd seen her upon stepping off the jet after his rescue, standing there in the bright sun like an unexpected beacon of hope. Maybe he didn't know how. But in spite of everything, he knew he wanted Pepper Potts, and God help him, he wanted all of her. It was one variable that had remained constant. "Yeah, you, uh, you probably already have plans tonight, don't you? It's Friday, right, so who doesn't?"

Pepper blinked, not quite believing what she'd just heard, because it almost appeared to have come in the form of an apology. Well, as much of an apology as she was going to get from him at any rate. For what it was worth, Tony had absolutely no idea just how badly she'd wanted to say yes and take him up on his offer. She'd almost missed the kind of aberrant satisfaction he possessed in cleverly disputing any of her so-called plans in the past, considering he had surprisingly refrained from trifling in that particular art lately, and she didn't have the slightest inclination as to why. It wasn't as if she actually even had any tonight, but she really didn't feel like fighting the long line at the confession booth to give him the benefit of the doubt, either. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," was all she could muster before she turned on her heel, opened the recently repaired glass door, and began her departure towards the stairwell.

Tony smiled. "You're welcome, Miss Potts."

It was amazing she had put up with him this long, but underneath all of his stubbornness and vanity, something else was still bugging her, and whatever it was began to rapidly take up residence to plague those tiny, unexplored crevices of her mind. Any motivation she might have had left, was slowly crumbling and dissolving at her feet. She stopped on the fourth step, and shyly turned around to catch another glimpse of him before she could stop herself, the curiosity surrounding his impulsive decision keenly overwhelming her. She assumed the upgrade he spoke of was in reference to Jarvis or some last minute addition to his suit that had randomly infiltrated that brilliant psyche of his, in part because he didn't always choose to fill her in when his brain was on extensive overload. He was facing the opposite direction, and he was currently meddling with some kind of contraption on the table, his back shielding the activity as he slipped into his usual routine of uninterrupted chaos.

A few hours attending what was commonly purported to be a fairly innocent endeavor probably wouldn't hurt. Probably. But then again, this was the CEO of Stark Industries, who just happened to moonlight as a man of iron that nearly everybody and their grandmother was now familiar with, courtesy of his spontaneous off-the-wall ramblings. She backtracked and re-entered her code on the keypad beside the glass door, allowing herself entrance once again.

"Wow, you just can't stay away, can you?" he queried, looking up and over in her direction, a sense of instant gratification sweeping over him. "But I do believe a minute is a minute, Pepper, and I barely even had time to pick up the pen. Cut me a little slack here, okay?"

"That's not why I- you know, I wouldn't flatter yourself if I were you," she quickly proclaimed, hands residing against her hips. She honestly felt more than a little uneasy beneath the scrutiny of his intense stare, and fumbled for purchase, ignoring the way those brown eyes latched onto and held her blues. "I mean I don't- were you, um, were you serious about going? I mean, really serious? Because if you aren't, and it's..." she stammered, fluently deflecting her gaze. "Were you serious?"

"Was I serious about- yeah, does this mean what I think it means? Have you, out of the goodness of your heart, decided to get off your high horse and accept my invitation, Potts?" He rose a dark brow in expectation, unable to hide the excitement that crept over his stunning features. "Because that's progress, it's fantastic, and while I really, really want to tread lightly here, I think this calls for a celebration, don't you? Tell you what. I will buy you all of the junk food you can eat tonight, and you just have to promise me you won't lose it on the rides. Does that sound like a reasonable request? I'm, well...I'm willing to accommodate and bend the rules here, so if you don't approve of my conditions, now's the time to speak up or hold your peace or whatever."

"This isn't a date, Tony. It's just two people who happen to work together hanging out as colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less."

He casually waved a hand in front of him, almost as if it were an afterthought. "Please don't tell me you're afraid I'll get obscenely drunk and try to have my way with you, as that is honestly the furthest thing from my mind right now. Like I said before, you don't even need to worry about me, okay? I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"I always worry about you." It clumsily tumbled out of her mouth before she was able to fully comprehend that she'd gone ahead and spoken it aloud, her expression mortified beyond belief, as she nervously glanced down at the tips of her shoes. She shakily reached up to run a hand through her hair, and her teeth closed tightly over her bottom lip, her heart starting to thud wildly in her chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that," Tony informed her rather pleasantly, considerably elated, as he placed a hand up to his ear. "Could you maybe run it by me one more time? If there's a password involved somewhere along the way, I bet it's please."

"I believe you still have some things to sign," Pepper advised, changing the subject and promptly covering for herself, furtively hoping that it was enough to detract him from the obvious slip.

"Nagging is not attractive," he grumbled, wheeling his chair over to the thin pile of papers, and clicking open the pen she'd left on top of them only moments ago. He hurriedly scrawled his name at the bottom of each one and rose to a standing position to return the clipboard, his fingers faintly brushing hers when Pepper accepted it and pulled it to her chest, incredibly pleased with herself.

"Yes, well either is procrastination," she told him firmly, trying to forget the little jolt she felt when the tips of his fingers touched hers. She imagined her pulse would be through the roof in a matter of seconds if she didn't take her cue and retreat upstairs, as she hadn't exactly counted on another exceedingly embarrassing encounter to cap off her work day. Unless of course there was much more to be had at the event in question when she gave in and sided with this latest impromptu enthrallment of his. She suspected it was just a passing phase, and after tonight, he would probably forget all about having asked her, and things would immediately go back to normal. As normal as normal could be in any case. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

Tony only shot her a wink. "Just make sure you're ready to go by seven, Potts. I'll come pick you up at your place."

That comment stopped her dead in her tracks for the umpteenth time today. "You're...not going to have Happy drive us?"

"Nope, three's a crowd, and two-"

"Two is basically entering date territory," Pepper clarified, finishing his sentence for him. "We agreed-"

"Okay, I'll concede that it may be hovering a little close to the edge, but it's not date territory," he argued. "If I bought you flowers, that would be considered legitimate grounds to play the date card- especially if we're still arriving in the same car. Which, by the way, pretty much goes without saying, doesn't it? Flowers, date, another date, more flowers to compensate said second date. Eventually they lead to something a whole lot bigger, possibly a stimulating scenic location for the sole purpose of making out, or..well, from my standpoint these days, nothing at all...really. Anyway, you have my word that our evening will be entirely flowerless. No flowers. I'd say scout's honor, but I was never a boy scout, so it really wouldn't count, would it?" He studied her a good long while, and although she seemed distracted by something he couldn't quite decipher, her blank stare was somewhat unsettling. He suddenly found himself a bit distressed by the fact that she was contemplating changing her verdict, and very nearly regretted the incoherent babble he often fell into when he had absolutely no clue how to approach an issue. The situation he'd landed himself in at present could attest to that fairly well. "Did I leave anything out? Is this going to be a problem for you?"

She snapped out of it almost instantaneously, shaking her head from side to side rather mechanically, as she struggled to regain her focus. "No. No, it's not going to be a problem."

He relaxed then, breathing an audible sigh of relief. "Great. Good. Glad to hear it. So, yes, in answer to your previous inquisition, that will be all, Miss Potts, and I will see you promptly at seven. Wear something nice, okay?"

"As opposed to how I usually dress? It's not a fundraising event, Tony, it's a park. An amusement park."

"Yes, I'm actually aware of that, since I was the one who initially suggested it and all, and you know- you are becoming notorious for putting words in my mouth, Potts. Just for the record, you look good in everything. Believe me, I've noticed, and if you need more proof, I almost had to pick Hogan's jaw up off the floor when you entered the limo the other day in that little blue number. It really is your color, isn't it?"

"Happy?" she sputtered. "Happy Hogan?"

"Did I get another driver?" he solicited curiously, pursing his lips. "Because the last time I checked, it sure looked like Happy Hogan. Hey, I know. Let's give him a call and verify it, hmm? You know, just to make sure we're on the same page here. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

"No!" she yelped. "Anthony Edward Stark, don't you dare!" Before she was altogether conscious of what she was doing, she had practically lunged herself straight into his personal space, and made what could only be construed as a mad grab for the cell phone to his left, her fingers falling just inches short of achieving a victory.

His quick reflexes had smugly beat her to it, and he cheerfully scooped up the device in his hand and waved it back and forth in front of her face with a flourish. "You...are way too gullible," he alleged, throwing her a crafty smile. "I'll have to file that little display away for future reference. Jarvis, did you get any of that?"

"Jarvis, don't even think about answering that," Pepper warned.

"Hey, you could've been an overnight sensation on You Tube. That's cool, isn't it?"

She slowly backed away with as much dignity as she could, prudently straightening her suit, and puffed out an agitated breath in response. She found herself resorting to that agitation quite frequently when she happened to find herself in his presence, and it honestly continually irritated her to no end. He had the astonishing capacity to get under her skin with little to no trouble at all, and she was always so damn reluctant to concede that she let him. "You tricked me. That was all a- he never really said any of that, and you-"

"Ye of so little faith," he declared. "Look, while I can't exactly show you a plaque with his name on it, he definitely said it. Take it or leave it. I'd actually suggest teasing him mercilessly about it the next time you see him. Just don't forget to call me so I can get a front row seat. But more importantly? And this is the part where that silver lining comes in. You should feel privileged to have such a devoted fan. I mean, granted, I've probably reached the thousands with my adoring masses by this point, but you have to start somewhere, right?"

"Oh, is that so?" The words were said in a cold and calculating manner, and he could clearly discern how she was likely secretly envisioning wiping the floor with him now that her patience had just about reached its breaking point. He then began to speculate whether or not it was at all out of the ordinary to actually be kind of turned on by the thought. Not that Tony would ever consider voicing those particular concerns out loud, because he also knew it had the potential to land him in something a hell of a lot worse than the doghouse. The hospital, maybe, and he really didn't want to ponder the ramifications of it.

"That is definitely so, Miss Potts. The ladies dig Iron Man, and I bet I'd be a hit at birthday parties." He ultimately ran with trying to maintain a certain amount of equanimity regarding the matter, and decided to attempt to take the easy way out instead. "Could you, uh, bring me that wrench over there? Just put it-"

"No."

"No?" he repeated, and wasn't quite sure he'd heard her right, gently tilting his head to the side in bewilderment. "Why? You're my PA, and as my PA it's your sworn duty to assist when necessar- do we really even need to rehash this? I feel like I'm quoting the dictionary or something. It's in the contract." He appeared to weigh his options as he briefly mulled it over, thoroughly invested in trying to come out of this on top. Figuratively speaking, that was. "I could fire you, you know. The crazy thing is, it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented this time, and the press would have a field day with it."

"Wow, you really know how to play dirty," she admonished, a touch of humor present. "But the answer is still no, Mr. Stark." She suddenly wondered if they were even talking about the same thing anymore. "Now, if we're finally done cavorting in the sandbox today, I'm going to go back to my apartment and get ready to let my hair down...again, as you so eloquently put it, while I wait for you to pick me up for a date that isn't really a date because there are no flowers involved. Does that about cover it?"

"No, it doesn't, but that's only because it's most definitely not a date," Tony objected, as he casually walked over and retrieved the wrench himself, sliding it down across the surface with a surprisingly loud thud. "Although, I'm starting to think you might want it to be, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just admit it, Pepper. You dig me, too."

"I dig a shower and a good book," she responded, scoffing, yet making no attempt to disprove the claims- much to his delight. "FYI, you're impossible."

"Seven on the dot," he reminded her. "No exceptions. I'm going to show you how to have fun tonight, Potts. Trust me, you're going to want to do it again. And for that matter, again and again."

"We'll see," Pepper commented dryly. But deep down inside, she was more than just a little thrilled at the prospect, and couldn't deny the subtle skip to her step as she executed her departure for the second time that day, her features unable to hide the way the corners of her mouth twitched once her back was turned and she was out of sight.

Tony couldn't resist another grin himself, and before he surrendered his attention span to tying up the loose ends on his latest upgrade, he happily took in the magnificent view when her legs began climbing the stairs to the first floor. "Hey, Jarvis, how does Pepper feel about me?" He squinted at nothing in particular then, quickly shaking his head. "No, wait, correction. I have some idea about how she felt before, but I need to know how she feels now."

There was a silence that hung heavily in the air before the A.I. finally spoke with its familiar British accent, the tone supplying the usual generic inference. "I am sorry, Sir, but I regret to inform you that only Miss Potts can answer that inquiry. Perhaps it would be in your best interest to simply ask her yourself."

"Yeah, well, with the way everything's been going, I just might do that. Of course, sometimes showing is better than telling."

"Indeed, though I trust you will use full discretion and proceed with caution."

"Okay, when exactly have I ever attempted to do otherwise?"

"Do you care to be reminded of the approximate date and-"

"Uh huh. Mute." But he still couldn't help but chuckle. Tony had witnessed up close and personal the complications that came with a pissed off Pepper Potts, and had to agree on the grounds of the caution part alone. He had no intention of staging any kind of repeat performance in any way, shape, or form. Nonetheless, this was turning out to be a very interesting day and he intended, despite her numerous diatribes and rebuttals, to make the most of it.

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