--Tony--

This time she’s at the balcony, looking out over the view of the hot tubs, and suddenly I’m weak in the knees because Pepper’s got an olive delicately speared in the very end of one of her fantastic index talon.

Sexy?

Gahhhhh!

She turns, and I’m still trying to figure out what to say, but Pepper speaks first. “Doctor. I didn’t recognize you without your big pussy.”

“Um, okay Pepper, I get it now. You’re pissed at me, and yeah, I can understand why--” is as far as I get because she’s licking the olive and that is NOT helping my concentration one damned bit, seeing that pink tongue flicking out from those red lips, caressing that . . . that . . .

What’s it called again?

Quickly she sucks it off her red fingernail and crunches it between very white teeth, then licks her lips.

I want to lick her lips.

“You,” Pepper purrs at me, “Understand nothing. You don’t know how to be evil, because you’ve never suffered . . . Doctor.”

“I’m suffering now,” I whimper in absolute and painful honesty. There’s only so much room in my silver boxers, and watching Pepper is not helping the situation down there at all.

Pepper eyes Tony patiently. He’s off-balance, yes, and certainly aware that he’s made a serious error in judgment. She likes the way he’s shifting his weight from one leg to the other and knows exactly why her boss is doing it.

Hard to hide the outline when you’ve dressed yourself to be stared at.

Time to up the evil ante for her boss.

One of the caterers—a curvy harem girl bearing an empty tray—is passing by, and on a quick and reckless whim, Pepper holds out her cigarette holder, stopping the girl, who drops a quick, instinctive curtsey.

“Mistress?” the girl asks uncertainly.

Pepper smiles, and reaches out to cup the girl’s cheek. “You are so beautiful. How I would love to kiss you,” she purrs, tongue flicking out to touch her upper lip.

The girl blushes and it’s a charming sight.

Tony blushes and it’s a gratifying sight.

Pepper leans forward and whispers, “Run along. I will find you . . . later.”

The girl fumbles with her tray, eyes wide, but not with shock or fear. She drops another curtsey and skitters away, looking back, mouth puckered in a sweet little ‘O’ of hopeful surprise.

Pepper shifts her glance to Tony, who is now biting his lips, hard, and swaying a little.
“Suf-fer-ing,” he admits in a hoarse little voice. “Ooohyeah.”

“Good,” Pepper tells him, pitching her normally high voice in a nice, husky timbre. “That’s very good. If you last through this entire party without the relief of your own hand, Doctor, I just may put you out of your aching, blue-balled misery.”

Other people are coming over; Pepper shifts to brush past Tony, reaching quickly to smooth her palm over the hot and hard ridge along his inseam.

He shudders.

“Hang on to it,” she breathes in his ear. “I might want to play with it in a while.”

Then with a careless smile she moves off. Part of her wants to glance over her shoulder to see Tony’s face, but she knows that would spoil the power of the moment, so Pepper turns to look around at the guests.

Rhodey is at the bar, and she advances on him, holding out the cigarette holder his way. His eyes widen, and he reaches to light it for her; Pepper sees his pulse quicken along his throat.

“Daaaaaamn,” is all he manages.

Pepper takes a puff and blows it out, right in his face. “You’re going to dance with me tonight, Jimmy,” she tells him in a low command. “Aren’t you?”

He nods, dazed.

She smiles; this Evil theme is getting addictive.

--Tony--

I . . . am SO over a barrel. Seriously. I thought this party was going to be about saying goodbye to misconceptions and old ideas and the past, and suddenly it’s become my own hellish gauntlet. I smile, I shake hands, I make little witty comments, but the entire time, I have my radar going, keeping Pepper Dragon in my sight because . . .

Because I can’t let her go.

Who IS this woman?

Don’t get me wrong; I love my Miss Potts. I do. God knows I’ve put her through hell time and time again and she’s always been there for me because she and I have this understanding about how we’re all that each of us has.

Pretty little speech that I haven’t forgotten, not at all.

But this is so far over my head that it’s like staring from the bottom of a well. My innocent sweet Pepper, half-naked smoking, drinking and coming onto other women.

It’s like a Penthouse fantasy rolled up in a Fu Manchu movie.

And I do not want to share, nope. Not even with the harem girl.

The other weird part—like all of this isn’t weird enough-- is that I’m actually a lit-tle bit . . . scared.

Not scared of Pepper per se; just sort of scared of this side of her. This ‘where-the-hell-did-this-Dominatrix-come-from?’ side that popped out of nowhere.

I thought I knew her. Pepper: my reliable, beautiful, gentle personal assistant, the woman, the legend.

The GOOD girl in my life.

It’s confusing because while I’m hot and bothered by the red clawed She-Devil, I’m vaguely worried that my sweet, vanilla-scented Pepper is, well . . . gone, and she’s the one I’m in love with.

I don’t really have much of a chance to worry about it though, because I’m stuck with Doof again, and over on the dance floor, Platypus has succumbed to the Dark Side big-time.

Traitor. I can’t really blame him, but it feels good to seethe with resentment, because it takes my mind off my physical discomfort.

And yes, it aches. I am not a happy Evil Mastermind at the moment.

She loves to dance. Pepper always has, but it’s not something Tony’s ever known since she doesn’t dance with him—well, she did, once, but that time was filled with a lot of other things and Pepper is sure he didn’t notice the actual dancing that time.

But Rhodey is good, and there’s a gleam in his eyes that’s fun to see. He may have an idea of what’s going on, but he’s nice enough not to say anything about it. So far his conversation has consisted of “Fantastic dress.”

They’re doing a slow foxtrot while the theme to Dark Shadows plays, and Pepper is enjoying herself. She’s aware of Tony watching them, and moving to cut in.

“May I?” Tony asks through gritted teeth.

“Bug off, Doctor Jiffy-Pop,” Rhodey replies. “This dance is mine.”

Pepper senses what’s about to happen; she pulls her hand off of Rhodey’s broad shoulder just as Tony drops Doof onto it. Doof anchors himself into the material and flesh underneath before rubbing against Rhodey’s head, effectively distracting him. As the colonel spins away, yelping, to deal with his unexpected Persian stole, Tony swoops in and picks up the dance without missing a beat.

She wants to laugh because it’s so brilliantly done and so ruthlessly Tony.

“Hi,” he manages, “you know, it’s bad to associate with known gangsters.”

“As opposed to evil genius masterminds,” Pepper murmurs, fighting to keep her expression stern. He’s working his charm, but there is still a little coal of resentment deep inside that won’t let her end this charade just yet.

“Me? I’m one big cuddly plaything. Your Überteddy if you will,” he murmurs.

Pepper can feel his body against hers; his heat and slight desperation. Tony’s dark eyes hold some anxiety now, and she notes that his palm is sweaty. Nothing fake about his insecurity, and when the dance ends, Pepper keeps his damp hand in her grip.

“Come with me,” she murmurs.

One of the balcony areas has a little L-shaped area that insures a bit of privacy. Pepper notes ironically that she always seems to have heart-to-hearts in places like this. She turns to look again at Tony, who is uncharacteristically silent.

“You didn’t think I could do this,” Pepper begins, quietly and slowly. “I wasn’t meant to hear what you said to Rhodes, but I did, Tony. And it hurt, because you know what? We all have an evil side. You get to flaunt yours. The rest of us don’t have that option.”

“You’re right,” Tony murmurs in a voice so low she can barely hear it. “I never gave you credit for having an evil side because I’ve never seen it before, Pepper. I’ve been around you for so many years, and you’re always . . . good. Good to me, good to other people . . . just . . . good. It’s hard to accept that you’re the same woman I love.”

“I’m not just good,” Pepper feels slightly frustrated. “I’m evil too. I have all the frustrations and irrational angers and malicious thoughts as anyone else. I’ve just gotten into the habit of putting that energy into constructive and positive action. When I can, I mean.”

Tony holds very still, listening, taking it in and Pepper can see that he’s starting to understand this. She takes a breath and stares at him. “Tony—I fired someone at this party. I deliberately confronted and threatened a few other people. And you know what? Those things needed to be done, and I could have done it nicely, on Monday with memos and all the right protocol. But I didn’t. I used my right to be evil and it felt . . . good.”

“Whoa,” Tony murmurs. “Seriously?”

“Very seriously,” Pepper sighs. “I don’t choose to be evil, but I need you to know right in here—” she taps his chest with a fingernail, hitting the arc precisely, “—what I’m capable of. I. CAN. be. evil.”

--Tony—

Love her. God, I really, really do love her, because she’s Potts and so beautiful when she’s sincere down to the bone like this.

How could I have missed it?

This powerful, serene, freckled femme fatale who owns my soul right now.

I look around, and before Pepper can fuss, I move closer, undoing the front of the jacket, just enough so she can see a bit of the arc. I lightly take her thin wrist.

“You are evil,” I tell her. “And you and I are going make it official. Right here, Miss Potts. I insist.”

I swing her cigarette holder up, and she panics for a second as she realizes what I mean. Pepper pauses, but I keep my eyes on her pale face.

“I deserve this,” I tell her. “Be evil. I sure as hell won’t forget it.”

A beat passes. A long, long instant while we stare at each other, but Pepper straightens up, and quickly does it.

She grinds out her cigarette butt against my arc.

I watch her do it, seeing the hot ash from the end of the holder smear over the protective case, leaving a dark smudge on it.

I run a finger through the soot, making a dirty lopsided heart over the glass, and close my eyes briefly, because it’s sort of a heavy moment for both of us.

Yeah, yeah, I may be a billionaire and a genius for whatever that’s worth, but I’m in the presence of the most amazing person I will ever know.

Pepper is shaking, and not just because it’s getting a little cool out here, so I reach for her empty hand and kiss it, starting at the back and moving in to the palm. Pepper stares at me, biting her lower lip.

I button up my jacket again. “God damn it, I love you.”

“Get the car. We’re leaving, right now,” Pepper tells me in a soft, choked voice.

She’s giddy. Pepper feels as if she’s floating, not attached to the ground anymore, drifting like a balloon through the party. Tony is moving ahead of her, his strides purposeful and direct. He stops in front of Rhodey and tells him something and Pepper follows, not fast, not slow, just steadily.

Her body can’t adjust temperature. Her stomach is cold, her face and neck hot. Pepper keeps seeing the glowing end of her cigarette snuffing against the Arc glass, the red of her against the blue of him. She keeps seeing Tony’s dark-eyed gaze full of fear and awe as he truly sees her the way she really is.

They move outside, past the flashes of cameras and into the welcoming cocoon of the limo.

Happy’s second-in-command Brian is behind the wheel. Brian helps both of them in then closes the door and once he does they’re in their own little private world since the windows are up and tinted.

Pepper drops the cigarette holder, not wanting to touch it anymore. Tony turns to her, hands out, and hesitating; he’s not sure of his welcome and that uncertainty suddenly makes it easy.

She reaches for his hands and using them, pulls herself closer, into his personal space along the soft velour seat. Tony shudders when Pepper presses against him, the scent of smoke and perfume tinting the dark air-conditioning of the limo. The car begins to move.

They don’t speak; it’s not necessary. Pepper kisses him, deep and hard, desire and urgency in every caress. She nips his lips, sucks his tongue, urges him on. Tony responds, shaking.

That is when Pepper realizes exactly how much she means to Tony Stark.

That epiphany rushes through her with glorious heat, searing her from head to toes, and she laughs, sweetly. Tony pulls up from a kiss, and the wariness drains from his expression as he notes her joy.

“You love me,” Pepper whispers, delighted.

“Well yeah,” Tony shoots back, looking annoyed and confused. “You’re all of it, you know. Sun, moon, stars, new armor, Cibiannati espresso. Every good thing in my life comes through you.”

“I’m not the sun!” Pepper murmurs against this throat, and moves to straddle him. Tony groans.

“Yes you are. Hot and bright and essential to life,” he manages in a rare flash of poetic turn. “Ohgodyou’renotwearinganythingunderthisareyou?”

“Shhhh,” Pepper orders, and kisses him again, sweeping him up in it; she breaks off to press her lips to his eyelids and nose and each cheek before dipping once again into his mouth.

Tony doesn’t know where to put his hands, or what to do. Pepper realizes it’s been a long time for him, and he’s afraid of displeasing her, so she lightly, gently undoes his fly. “I can’t really wait,” she tells him, knowing that will ease some of his worries.

His hands slide under her skirt and along her naked hips, cupping them, fingers warm and strong as Pepper shifts forward and onto his shaft.

They both groan, loudly, and at any other time Pepper would blush, but not tonight because the feel of Tony driving up into her has all of her emotions and tensions and desire dancing on the precipice now.

Tony pulls her hips down, and their bodies move, fitting sweetly, hot and slick and building now. Pepper braces her hands on his shoulders, arching to deepen the sensation.

It’s glorious and dangerous. Pepper loves the dark and the warmth and Tony’s hot panting against her lips. He’s saying something, but she’s close to coming and can only hear him from very far away as the weightless joy fireworks deep under her stomach, the tension rolling out through her entire body.

She shudders, barely able to contain the pleasure, and faintly, faintly Pepper 
hears . . .

--Tony—

“Love you Pepper!” I grunt and that’s all she wrote because I lose it then, and Godddddddd, it’s been a long time and Pepper is tight and wet and smells so fucking good.

I want it to go on, and on and on. It’s like the first flight in the Suit, just up and up forever, acceleration and thrill. There’s no descent though, and I’m holding Pepper and trying to breathe, not giving a damn about anything but her.

Time enough later to clean up the sweat and damp clothing; right now I’m where I need to be. Where I’ve always wanted to be and just didn’t realize it.

This is my Pepper, good, evil, sexy and precious.

We’re going to go home, and take a bath and I’m taking her to bed. If I try, I might be able to talk her into staying for longer than the night.

I might not be able to: she’s evil sometimes.

But I can live with that.


I can SO live with that.

end