Story Info

Title: Song For U

Author: Del Rion

Fandom: Iron Man (MCU)

Genre: Fluff

Rating: K / FRC

Characters: J.A.R.V.I.S., Pepper Potts, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Tony's bots (DUM-E and U).

Pairing: Pepper/Tony

Summary: There's a new sport in town: Bot Dancing (at least, according to U).
Complete. Part of the "Genius, AI & Bots" series.

Written for: My card on Love Bingo's Round 3 (square: "Song for you")

Warnings: Mild profanities.

Disclaimer: Iron Man and Marvel Cinematic Universe, including characters and everything else, belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, Jon Favreau and Paramount Pictures. In short: I own nothing; this is pure fiction created to entertain likeminded fans for no profit whatsoever.

Beta: Mythra

Feedback: Very welcome.

About Song For U: Finding songs with the word "U" in the title was challenging and interesting. Here are the tracks that I ended up using in the fic:

U2 in general (Because, you know, it's in the name.)
MC Hammer: U Can't Touch This (Hehe, who doesn't find this funny?)
Timeflies: I Choose U
Duke Dumont feat. A*M*E: Need U (100%)
Cher Lloyd: Want U Back
Pink: U + Ur Hand (I kind of like the idea of Tony dancing to this. Just a little. Shh.)
Roger Shah & Sian Kosheen: Hide U
Waldo's People: U Drive Me Crazy (I order all of you to check this out! One of my all-time favorite songs.)

Story and status: Below you see the writing process of the story. If there is no text after the title, then it is finished and checked. Possible updates shall be marked after the title.

Song For U

. . .

Written for my card on Love Bingo's Round 3. Square: "Song for you".

Song For U

Tony's gotten into a habit of dreading the explanation whenever he finds his bots watching TV. This time it isn't just watching, though; while Dummy seems fully content on doing a robotic version of jamming along with the song that is playing, You is doing a whole routine of what can only be described as either dancing or a seizure.

Knowing that the bots are both in perfect condition, Tony doubts it's the latter.

"Sup?" Tony asks; he thinks he can recognize Bono's familiar singing before he can actually see what's playing on the TV screen.

"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. greets.

"What is You up to?" Tony asks. "Did he stick his hand into the toaster again?"

"No, sir; it would appear… Ah, yes," the AI notes, just as Dummy reaches for the remote and opens a saved program – which promptly features an arena of some kind, with a strangely clothed person with a dog moving around them to the beat of the music, doing all sorts of tricks. Some of the moves are rather impressive, seeing as there's little room for any kind of command, and in front of the screen You proceeds to move around even more.

Dancing it is, Tony decides.

"The sport is called musical canine freestyle – or 'dog dancing'," J.A.R.V.I.S. supplies.

Tony smiles a little despite himself. "I'm not getting you a puppy so that you can enter a competition like that," he points at the screen.

"I do not think U wants a puppy."

"I was kind of afraid of that…" Tony watches his bot move for a bit longer, then shakes his head. "You think you've got the moves, Butterfingers? Let's get you some real music."

"It would appear U2 is one of U's favorites."

"Why? It's not all that… danceable," Tony frowned.

"I believe the attraction lies in the title, sir."

It takes Tony a few seconds to decipher that, then he looks at You – who is looking back at him, cocking his robotic head. "And they call me self-centered."

Dummy is poking at the remote again and finds a cluster of saved music files on the hard drive. J.A.R.V.I.S. must have helped the bots to collect them, and soon MC Hammer's 'U Can't Touch This' is coming out of the speakers and You is moving again, rolling closer to Tony.

"Oh, no!" Tony steps away from the bot. "I'm not dancing with you."

"I believe that is the point of the sport, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. argues.

"You're not a dog," Tony points at the bot, who looks disappointed and lowers his head with a soft cry. "Don't pout," Tony orders. "It's not attractive."

Dummy switches the song. Tony doesn't know what it is, but the file name states the song's called 'I Choose U' by Timeflies.

'Everybody needs somebody to love,
And I choose you, and I choose you.'

Tony rolls his eyes. "That's manipulative."

You still chooses to peer up at him and make a small noise, then starts moving and rotating again, as if trying to lure Tony into giving in. The movements are a bit less clumsy than Tony expects, which means the bot has actually been practicing its moves. It's nothing like watching half-naked girls grind on the dance floor, and maybe that's why Tony can't just dismiss it.

The song ends and switches to another – Tony has no idea where these tracks are coming from.

'I wanna be the one you tell all your friends about,
Baby, I'll be the one you just can't do without,
You gotta give me everything, baby ain't no doubt,
Give me 100, need you 100%!'

"Okay, enough. J, did you dig up these tracks?" Tony asks and moves past You to get to the remote and peer at the screen. Dummy proceeds to steal the remote before he can grab it, though, and in its hurry presses a button, skipping to the next song – another irritating techno beat.

'Remember all the things that you and I did first?
And now you're doing them with her.
Remember all the things that you and I did first?
You got me, got me like this.'

"Give me that," Tony snaps at Dummy and grabs the remote, then browses the menu for a song he actually likes. "Ha!" he smirks and changes to Pink's 'U + Ur Hand'. "Here we go. Much better." Not perfect, but You seems to appreciate his involvement and starts dancing with new vigor.

Tony may gyrate his hips to the beat, just a little, but he won't admit that to anyone. Seriously.

The next track that comes on reminds him of 80's and 90's Europop. He almost orders J.A.R.V.I.S. to change the lights and give them a real discotheque feel, but catches himself before the request leaves his lips.

He skips to the next track that randomly pops up. It starts out nicely, with a faster, slightly heavier beat than the others, and Tony considers he might actually dance to this.

'Cause u drive me crazy,
U spin my head around and around and around.'

You is making a pirouette, and Tony turns up the volume, hands the remote back to Dummy and moves away from the couch. What the hell, he decides, and steps a little closer to You, who veers towards him with excitement.

Tony's danced a lot with people. It's one of the reasons, save for his mind, how he's gotten so many girls wrapped around his little finger. Dancing with You, however, is different, but then he recalls the image of the dog and its trainer. The bot reads his body language better than a canine would, though, so Tony only needs to move his hips and You is shifting to the side, turning and rotating, and coming back from the other side – backwards.

"What is this?" a new voice asks, and Tony freezes.

The music turns down, and Tony and the bots look over at Pepper who stands at the top of the steps leading down to the lounge area.

"Welcome, Ms. Potts," J.A.R.V.I.S. greets.

She dismisses the AI completely, still looking at Tony and You.

Tony squares his shoulders and refuses to be embarrassed, even though he was caught doing something he would rather not have Pepper witness. He shrugs it off, but Pepper's clearly not letting it go, walking down the steps and closer to them.

"Were you… dancing?" she asks, a smile appearing on her lips, swiftly turning into a grin.

"He was," Tony points a thumb at You. "I was just jamming."

Pepper doesn't seem to believe it – or if she does, it doesn't matter. "I didn't know the bots knew how to dance." She says it like she's just witnessed them doing something adorable.

"Clearly they're smarter than you give them credit for," Tony starts defensively.

"No need to give me that tone," she admonishes softly, sliding a hand onto his shoulder. "I know exactly how smart they are."

She's just trying to placate him – and succeeding – so Tony purses his lips, motions with his hand for J.A.R.V.I.S. to switch off the TV and sound system, then snaps his fingers at the bots. "Alright, you two: back downstairs! There's work to be done, you lazy bums."

Pepper's giving him a look as Tony moves to usher the bots into the elevator. The sternness in her gaze is sort of ruined by affection and amusement, and Tony gives You a quick pat on the head before he lets the door close behind them and sends them down, knowing that J.A.R.V.I.S. will see them out. He really doesn't have any tasks to give them, but Pepper doesn't need to know that.

"Come here," she orders once Tony turns back from the elevator doors. He goes willingly, and she wraps her arms around his shoulders, pressing her body into his and does a sway that resembles dancing.

Tony smirks, just a little, and orders J.A.R.V.I.S. to turn the music back on.

The End