Chapter 1 – "Don't Make Excuses"

Disclaimer: I own nothing and nobody. Although, I wouldn't mind if I did... But sadly, I do not. Oh, but I do own the laptop that I wrote this on.

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TEXT SENT: Come down to the workshop pronto. –Tony

REPLIED: What's the magic word? – Pepper

TEXT SENT: Bring-the-whisky? – Tony

REPLIED: That's three... – Pepper

TEXT SENT: Please :) – Tony

REPLIED: Much better :) – Pepper

Pepper hurried down the stairs to Tony's workshop, with a bottle of whisky in one hand and a glass in the other. Without saying anything, Tony knew she had entered the room.

"Thanks," he went to take the whisky from Pepper, but she quickly pulled it away from him, "What?"

"What did you need me down here for?" Pepper asked, keeping the whisky at a safe enough distance, although she did hand the empty glass to him.

"Nothing really. JARVIS just isn't being very talkative today." He said, with a joking angry face and a shake of the fist, as if JARVIS could see him.

"Sir, you told me to keep quiet whilst you were working." JARVIS stated, as Tony just ignored him.

Pepper knew better than to ask Tony what he was working on, so simply ran through what was planned for tomorrow, "You've got a meeting with the bank manager, Mr Head, at two pm-"

"You mean Mr Boring-As-Fuck Head." He retorted, slightly frowning at the thought of having to meet him.

Ignoring him, she continued, "And Roady wanted to come "play" at two pm, but I told him you were busy with the bank, so can you "play" at seven?"

"Yeah. I'll call him later." He said, tapping the empty glass quietly, "Can I have my whisky now?"

Pepper sighed. She gave him the half full bottle.

Tony looked at her, "You not bring a glass for yourself?"

"I'm still working. Until ten remember?"

"Not anymore. You finish now, at..." he checked his watch, "eight-twenty-six from now on."

"Tony."

"Come on." He grabbed her petite hand and began to walk off upstairs pulling her behind him, despite her excuses which seemed to spiral into nonsense after 'I'm allergic to whisky!'

He led her over to the couch where she eventually sat down, and Tony went to grab another glass for her before asking, "You can have anything. Whisky? Martini? Wine?"

She hesitated, "Just a white wine please."

"Alright," he said, dragging out the 'i' in a seductive, smooth tone, "Coming up."

When he returned from his drinks bar, which was admittedly overcrowded with whisky with the odd white wine bottle dotted around just for Pepper, he sat down next to her. He placed her glass in her band and the wine bottle on the table, in front of them. He slowly poured her wine, and then his whisky, not saying a word.

Pepper quietly sipped her wine once or twice before Tony spoke, "You're quiet."

She put her glass back on the table, "No I'm not."

"Ok. Not now. But you were." He said, angling at an explanation, "What's up?"

"Nothing."

He turned to face her, one leg underneath the other as he put his arm along the back of the sofa behind Pepper, "Seriously? You've always got something to say. Even if it's just 'Oh Tony, you're so handsome'."

"I've never said that." She said with a slight smile,

"You've thought it, though."

She sighed, quite obviously this time. She looked at him in the eyes; her eyes very slightly squinted as she searched for the answer to whether he was being serious about wanting to know what was wrong. But all she got was a flirtatious and humorous vibe. Mind you, she never was good at reading people's minds – unlike Tony who apparently knew her every thought.

"When're you going to call Roady?" she asked, changing the topic.

"When're you going to tell me what's wrong?" He said; his intently looking into hers, in all seriousness.

She said nothing, and tried to look away from him until he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Come on. I'm your pal, inside and outside office hours. You can tell me."

She reluctantly spoke, but knowing that Tony Stark of all people was not the type of man to offer support or sympathy, "My mom... She got hit by a car. And now she's in a coma."

Tony looked at her with wide, brown eyes, "I don't know what to say." That didn't surprise her.

"You made me tell you."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"Have you been to see her?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I've been so busy with all these meetings and press conferences about 'Iron Man' and the future of 'Stark Industries' and people still wanting interviews with you about the kidnapp-" she spiralled off on one, even though she knew it was unprofessional to say that work was taking its toll.

Tony put the arm that was along the back of the sofa, around her shoulders squeezed her gently closer to him, "You should've said." He spoke lowly, with his chin on her head.

"That would be so unprofessional. As is this-"

"No it's not. You're my friend and I'm comforting you." He spoke even more quietly. This was the last thing she expected from Tony.

She bit her lip.

"Come on," He held her hand and stood up, "I'll take you to see her now."

"They said they'll call me again if anything happens. There's really no point in going if she's just going to be sleeping." She challenged.

"She's your mother. Your voice might wake her up."

"I doubt it. We haven't spoken in almost six months; she'd barely recognise my voice."

He sighed and sat down next to her, but keeping a hold of her hand in his lap, "Why haven't you spoken in so long?"

"Just-"

"Don't make excuses. It's because you've been working so hard, isn't it?" He said, as his words didn't really come out a question; more so a statement.

She looked at him. His stubborn, alluring dimples and his slightly chapped but seductive lips were the only features she noticed, until his eyes met hers. She could see he was trying to keep his breathing steady, and her cheeks flushed slightly when she realised that she was trying to do the same.

"You're blushing." He spoke in a soft, smooth tone. A slightly pouted smirk spread across his face, enhancing his deep dimples.

"I'm not."

"Yeah you are," he grinned, quite sweetly in fact, which was a smile only Pepper ever got to see, "You have bright pink cheeks. And now you're not looking at me." He paused, "It's cute. When you blush, you just... look really... cute."

She turned a deep shade of pink and refused to look at him, "You know what would be even cuter?" She asked, rhetorically, "If you stop talking."

"I thought you liked the sound of my voice."

"When did I ever say that?" She looked at him with an incredulous expression.

"Never. I can just tell that's what you think." He smirked.

She decided to retaliate, and challenge him in his own little harassing banter game.

"I can tell what you're thinking too." She began.

"Oh really?" He leant in closer his face a foot away from hers.

"Oh yeah." She whispered, and watched him breathe deeply as she leant closer to him. Their faces were only a few inches away, as she licked her lips subconsciously, and Tony breathed even deeper; his nostrils flared slightly.

He set his jaw, he was sitting on one leg again, turned ninety degrees to face her directly. He placed a hand just above her knee.

"You're thinking that you won't be able to control yourself when I tell you what underwear I'm wearing." She whispered into his ear, and he simultaneously gritted his teeth.

"I am now."

"Told you I can tell what you're thinking."

He gripped her thigh slightly more tightly, as he struggled to compose himself. He was being beaten at his own game.

"Now you're wondering, what colour my underwear really is."

He growled internally, low and quiet, but just about audible to Pepper, "Oh you're good."

She smirked and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder as she leant in closer and whispered right next to his ear, "Do you want to know?"

He growled, easily audible now, "Yeah." He manages to mumble, as she ran a smooth finger from his neck and down his chest, past the arc and down his abs, stopped at the waistband of his most preferable jeans. He closed his eyes and moved his strong hand further up her thigh.

"Do you want to find out?" She licked her lips, and breathed a cool breath against his neck.

He let out the most alluring and arousing growl she had ever heard. Not only was she beating him at his own game, she was now beating herself. As one hand had found its way up his shirt to his chest, the other slightly trembled as she ran it through his scruffy hair. She leant her forehead on his shoulder and brought one hand from underneath his shirt, which had four buttons undone from the top ever since he sat down next to Pepper.

"Stop teasing me, Potts." He moaned, slowly. His hand had now moved slowly from her thigh, to underneath the fabric of her skirt and he ran a finger down the side of her thigh.

"Then strip for me." She smirked, overruling her aroused self, and turning back to beating him in his own game.

"Oh, Miss Potts." he growled, "Who's being unprofessional now?" Slightly taken aback by Pepper's reaction. He had never known her to be intentionally seductive.

"Oh come on, if we're 'pals', what's wrong with it? Is the mighty Tony Stark... Embarrassed?"

"N-No..." he breathed heavily. Usually he wouldn't be bothered about exposing his bare flesh, but that would be to a random girl and in the dark, and he would never see her again. But stripping. For Pepper. The one woman who wanted to see every single day. Who he wanted to touch every single day. Had asked him to strip. He slightly panicked. What if she didn't like what she saw? What if she was turned off by his quite hairy, but obviously manly legs? I mean, she had seen his chest before, but in a different situation. When she had the distraction of pulling a wire out of his chest. But this time, her main focus would be his body.

"Well...?" She pouted.

"Ok... But can I keep my boxers on?"

She sensed he might be a little hesitant about baring his all, so agreed, "Fine. But I want to see everything else."

He breathed deeply and stood in front of her. He began to unbutton his shirt, but just before he reached the button above his navel, he paused, "Do you want music?"

"Whatever you want, Mr Stark." She whispered, encouragingly, with a tone of seductiveness.

With his name being said like that, there was no denying what he was going to do, "Ok."

He unbuttoned his shirt fully, revealing his toned abs. His muscular shoulders. His defined pecs and his strong, enticing arms that were now undoing his belt. He struggled momentarily as his belt was caught through the loops on his jeans.

"Do you want a hand?" She asked, licking her lips purposefully.

"If it's not too much trouble." He replied. Tony Stark. Being polite? She just couldn't resist the opportunity.

As she went around the back of him to pull the belt round, she pulled back slightly on the waistband of his boxers and let go. He growled and turned to face her, as she whipped the belt out of the loops just in time and threw it so it landed on the sofa. He ran his hands down both her shoulder lightly and peacefully, his eyes closed and his lips tightly squeezed together in concentration to control himself.

She ran a soft hand down from his arc, past his navel and unzipped his jeans.

He took a deep breath, "Pep we can't do this." He decided.

She was secretly relieved but didn't reveal it by a breath of relief or a smile. She was more shocked than anything. It wasn't like Tony to turn down anything like this, ever, and especially if he had been given the opportunity with Pepper, after the many years of banter and innuendos.

"I don't want 'this'," he said, gesturing with his hands towards himself and Pepper, "to be so tense and unexplained. I'd want it to actually mean something."

"I totally understand," she said, with a small smile, "I was just seeing how far you'd let it go. I've got to say that you've really surprised me, Tony." She zipped his jeans back up carefully, being extremely wearing of the slight bulge in his jeans.

"Why?" He questioned as he sat back down, subtly dragging a cushion onto his lap, "Did you not trust me to stop anything from happening?"

"I thought you'd just go all the way without a care in the world... But of course, I wouldn't let that happen." She smiled.

"Were you..." he paused, "...teasing me, Miss Potts?" He frowned slightly with a hint of a humorous smirk, as she sat down next to him again.

"As with every good tease, the reaction is everything." She said, as he looked at her incredulously, not saying a word. "And your reaction was definitely worth waiting for."

"So I get nothing out of all this then, do I?" He asked, rhetorically, with a slightly miserable tone to his voice and an expression of which she could only classify as 'Tony eyes'.

"No, you get something." She whispered, as she slowly pressed her lips to his. Her lips as light as a feather, as he parted his mouth slightly and she felt him breathe shakily. The kiss barely lasted three seconds, but when she pulled away he kept his eyes lightly closed. There was no awkward smile or 'I don't know what came over me'. There was just a peaceful silence, and then he opened his eyes.

He spoke with a quiet, husky voice, "Was that... ok?" It was strangely unlike Tony to be self-conscious, but she could still detect some sort of reassurance in his voice.

"Oh, it was so much better than ok." She bit down on her lip lightly.

"It was." He whispered, "Do you, wanna do it again?" He smirked, not even awaiting the answer as he leant in.

The kiss lasted longer this time, and was so much more passionate. There was an underlying whisper of hesitance, but they soon broke past it as it became more natural. He leaned into her, gently pushing her backwards with a strong hand around her back and the other just below her shoulder. She was laying on the sofa as he continued to kiss her slowly, ensuring that he wasn't baring down on her; intimidating her with his broad, muscular frame. But there was no need for him to worry. She was enjoying his body pressed down on her, and she ran her hand through his thick, scruffy hair and pulled him, slowly, closer to her. His harsh breath of air sounded more like a moan as he traced the definition of her thigh with a gentle touch of his hand.

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