1963-06-22 - West Coast Ahoy
Summary: Pepper and Tony share a morning before she heads off on a business trip for him to California.
Related: http://marvel1963mush.wikidot.com/log:1963-06-15-paladin-pepper-and-posh-parties
Theme Song: None
tony pepper 


Early morning flights are the worst. So, while Pepper wasn't expecting him to stop in while she was packing and getting ready to go, she still actually *needs* to do these things. Even if it's his hairbrained mission she's going on — some wild research and business meetings in California that might get further with a pair of boobs. She tried to insist that boobs really don't go far in business, but she knows she has a mind for it, so now she's packing. A touch drowsy, and standing in just her teddy, Pepper's staring at a suitcase open on her bed and the two huge closets in her new apartment in Stark Towers. There is so much more room than her old place, her wardrobe almost looks small in comparison. The sound of the coffee pot beeping finished in the other room echoes through the condo. "Thank god."

Tony is already there pouring himself a fresh cup of her coffee, "Oh, were you wanting some of this?" he says, clad in his robe and with his hair still tousled from working late the night before. He came down from his apartment upstairs, not particularly concerned about getting dressed because…well, just because, really.

He knew Pepper was the right person for the job. Not only because she had the brains but, yes, because the people there were sexist pigs. They would underestimate her, which would make it much easier for her to completely take them off guard. "Don't be self-conscious, Pepper. You'll do fine. Guard your hindquarters, though - Professor Einstein has notoriously roaming hands."

The redhead half jumps as she sees him standing in her kitchen, but then a slow smile crosses her lips. She's getting used to the surprises. Secretly, she's getting to like them. She rubs one hand across her face, her long, bare legs carrying her closer to him, "You better save me some of that, or I might need a new boss because I've killed him in defense of my coffee. I could take you down, Tony Stark. When it comes to coffee, at least." Pepper gives him a drowsy, teasing smile, the words much more flirtation than actual threat.

But she means it too. She needs her damn coffee.

She slips up to standing at the counter next to him, giving him a little bump with her hip. Her teddy is a slightly ridiculous, far too flowing, JUST on the edge of sheer cream lace thing hanging on by two thin straps and covering to just below her hips. That's it. She still has bed head and drowsy eyes. She smells like sleep and babypowder.

Tony smirks, not missing the view, of course, because he is both sharp-eyed and a red blooded male. He offers her a cup of her own, even taking the time to pour it, "I don't know how you take it, but I'm guessing a hefty dose of cream and sugar. That's how I like mine, anyway - I had to drink enough straight black when I was a prisoner," he says, the soft pulsing glow of the device lodged in his chest a constant reminder of that imprisonment.

"I'm glad you're not too nervous," he says, playfully giving a grope that Dr. Einstein would find worthy, a full, proper palming of buttock before he moves over to sit down at the table. "You shouldn't be. You're going to eat them alive."

A small sound of gratitude comes from her throat, "Just sugar." So, he was half right. The reminder of his imprisonment draws a slightly more serious gaze from her, a brush of actual worry. Sometimes she wonders if that's why he barely sleeps and drinks the way he does. Her free hand comes up, resting against that glowing device above his heart, for just a moment. But then he's groping her and she gives a slight yelp, he managing to escape before she gets all maudlin OR gets revenge for the grope.

"…Not awake enough to be nervous yet. Give me a cup of coffee and about halfway through the TWA flight and I'll be having a heart attack. They do know I'm *not* a scientist, right?" Okay, maybe Pepper is a LITTLE nervous, even if she's doing her best to hide it and play the big business game like she was made for it. She follows him over to the table and sinks into the seat across from him, kicking her feet up into his lap so he might continue to enjoy the show and she can pretend she's not a nervous wreck.

Tony squeezes one of her bare feet in his strong hand, kneading his thumb into the arch as he continues, "They know. And that's fine - I don't need you to understand their scientific ideas. They already couriered their papers to me weeks ago and I've had plenty of time to review the schematics. I'm mostly bringing them in as quality control - a second set of eyes, a panel to review my work for any potential issues I'm missing. Don't get me wrong, I'm a genius by any measure, but even I'm not perfect. I know, I know, don't be so shocked, but it's true," he grins.

"They're going to want both access to my work that they can' thave, though, and they'll want more compensation than I'm willing to give. Cut down their numbers and m ake them understand that they won't fully understand what they're reviewing - I'm not just handing out my patents for other people to steal before I can apply them. They'll get things piecemeal and sometimes just be double-checking my math. It's gruntwork, honestly, but it's gruntwork on the cutting edge of research. They're free to check out, but they won't because they all want to see what I'm working on."

"…Ahhah. I see. You think a pretty pair of tits will make them forget about money crunching. Mm." Pepper states, half skeptical but half smiling, as her toes curl into his hip and she sprawls a bit deeper in the chair. She takes another, deeper sip of her coffee, letting it sink in and warm her throat down. The first few gulps were relaxing. "I'll manage it. I always do. Just don't blow anything up while I'm gone, alright? I'm going to be plenty angry if I come back and you're laid up in the hospital or something."

Pale eyes stare at him over the edge of her coffee cup, actually a bit worried about that it seems. She might not have always been a part of his life, but now that she's here, Pepper doesn't actually trust anyone else to take care of Tony Stark. Much less trusting TONY to take care of himself. That's ridiculous.

Tony lifts her foot and carefully kisses the tips of her toes, "Not at all. Tits and legs will distract them, no doubt, especially when they're yours, but it's your mind they won't be prepared for. Yes, I do intend to take advantage of the fact that you'll make a lot of the blood rush from their brains, but only because I have no desire to play fair. I like having an advantage and you're certainly one," he says.

"And I have no intention of blowing anything up. If I am blown up, it will be by hands other than my own. Probably my father's."

A single brow arches, slightly skeptical, at his comment about using her body and smarts. She can't be entirely miffed about it though because, really, he was right. Then that kiss comes and any skepticism leaves her smile. He knew how to take the fight out of her. She might even be twitterpated at this point. "Well…Fine. I won't worry… too much." She half insists, curling her toes against his hand before she gently slips her feet off his lap and moves to stand up.

"I should pack, though. What's California like this time of year? Or… ever? I've never been." Pepper might actually have never been anywhere outside of the north east, she didn't exactly have a travel budget before this. She turns on the ball of her foot, giving him a nice view from behind, as she pads back into her bedroom. The door is left open. A quiet invitation.

Tony moves to stand and follow, walking over towards her bedroom door and leaning against the doorjam, peeking inside rather shamelessly. "Warm, although you'll be in northern California so you won't get the worst of it. Make sure to take some sensible shoes - there are a lot of hills in San Francisco. But also take some heels because god damn do you look good in them," he says.

Only one of her closets is currently in use because, well, that's all her wardrobe fits into. Pepper begins tugging down a few sundresses and a few of her lighter linen suits to fold into the garment bag as quickly as possible — the car to the airport would be here within the hour. "…Sure you don't want to come along? Might miss me in a sundress and those heels." She bends over to scoop up a particularly dashing pair of butter cream yellow heels to match the dress she just put into her bag. He's watching shamelessly, but she's not really bothering to be modest either, as she goes about the frantic motions of packing, alternating sips of coffee between putting things in bags.

Tony laughs, "I would like to, believe me, but I have experiments I have to keep an eye on. Although if you keep on bending over in that teddy like that, you might end up being late to the airport because I don't give you enough time to pack. I know what a stickler you are for being on time, but you give a man sinful thoughts in the morning, Miss Potts," he laughs.

He's saying it just as she's digging in the bottom of her closet for a few other shoes and she tosses a look over her shoulder with a grin that says she knows *exactly* what she's doing and is rather glad he appreciates it. She scoops up another few pairs of pumps and carries them back to her bag, tossing them in haphazardly before sauntering back to his side and actually taking a moment to wrap her arms around the back of his neck. She leans up. Close. Dangerously close. "… Well…this is just motivation for you to be good while I'm away… and stay alive until I get back…" She leans even closer, but two inches from his lips. "Right?"

Tony doesn't feel much need to be coy as he leans in and kisses her fully, tilting her head and letting his tongue explore a bit over those luscious pink lips. His hands slide down and stroke over the small of her back, cradling just above her buttocks, "Consider me extremely motivated," he grins, nuzzling his body forward a bit so she can see just -how- motivated he's feeling under his robe at this particular juncture.

While there relationship had only gone quite so far, that motivation is enough to actually make her whimper. Just a little bit. If she didn't have a flight to catch, she'd probably be in trouble this morning. But she lets the kiss linger, pressed into his body already a moment longer than she'd planned. But he was tempting. Once their lips finally break, she murmurs against the corner of his mouth, more than a touch breathless. "…Then…I'm glad we're in… Agreement." And, achingly, she pulls herself away from him to finish getting dressed.

Tony laughs and shakes his head, "Well, I guess I can't fault ya for havin' willpower. Me, I ain't prone to be one to look away from temptation. God damn, I need a drink," he says, his face a bit flushed as he gives another look at the pretty woman packing her bags.

"Coffee just ain't quite enough for that," he says. "I'm going to send one of my prototypes with you - a broadcast communicator. It's got a satellite uplink that will let you communicate with me directly."

"Going to miss me that much?" Pepper asks, mostly teasing, but there is JUST a bit of hopefulness there too. For all her flirting, Pepper isn't certain if this more or just a passing dalliance for him. So there is still some worry there. Especially considering things she walked in on the first few days. She's still in panties, so that doesn't need to change. But a bra will be necessary for going out. She keeps her back turned to him as she pulls off her teddy and grabs a bullet bra out of the drawer, slipping arms smoothly through it, though all the lines of her back, long legs, dancer's frame are exposed now.

Tony gives a low whistle as he enjoys the smooth planes of her back, the way her shoulderblades shift under that smooth skin, the view coinciding with his return with a bit of whiskey added to his coffee. "I'll miss you plenty. More'n I miss most anybody," he says, a bit softly. "I'll probably look pretty silly and miss half my appointments. But I think it's important, for me and for you. Me for business reasons and you…you, I think, need to see just how capable you are without me looking over your shoulder."

That was not actually the answer she expected to hear — the latter half especially. Pepper looks back to him, blinking a moment, just in her bra and panties but not actually with any of the sex-kitten act she so often wears. She is straight up surprised, caught off guard for the time being. "…Tony… I…I'm a secretary. I'm not *supposed* to be capable." It's like she's been caught in the act of being more intelligent than society would like. But then, that's been most of their working relationship.

Tony laughs, "If you're going to be my secretary, you'd better be. Secretary is a title, but it doesn't define you. I need someone I can trust and have on my side - someone who can check me and someone who can put the hammer down on others if I'm not around to do it. And I think that person is you," he says.

Whether she's trying to entice him or not, she always does, so he just grins. "Working for me, you can do a lot more with your capabilities than you'd do anywhere else. Which is good, because I'm going to probably push your limits pretty far."

For a few moments, the often mouthy Pepper doesn't speak. She just watches him, an odd sort of a smile coming across her face. Finally, all she can settle on is a quiet, "You… are a very dangerous man, Tony." It's thankful and a bit scared. She then forces herself to pull away and step back over to her closet, pulling out a pale peach dress that, somehow, still manages to go with her coloring and red hair. She slips it on over her head, stepping back to him and holding up the edges of her red locks, "Help me with the zipper? The car's going to be here soon…"

Tony comes up and slides the zipper up slowly, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on the back of her neck, tucking her glorious hair off to the side and over her shoulder as he presses softly there against her spine, letting her feel the teasing prickle of his mustache.

"A very dangerous man is what it says on my business cards. Or, at least, it should. Have those printed out for me when you get back," he smiles.

Even the tickling brush of his mustache against her throat gets a happy, unspoken little sound from the base of her throat. Her head tilts a bit more to the side, exposing more soft skin for just a heartbeat or two. But then he's commenting on business cards and that's enough to break her out of the happy revere. "Mmph. If I remember." She teases him. She turns to pull him into one last kiss, this one far more fleeting, then turns away to step into a pair of shoes and toss her duffle across her shoulder before she scoops up the garmnet bag over one arm. She could ask him to carry something. She doesn't even think to do it. "…Where is this communicator thing? Or did you actually forget to bring it."

Tony laughs, "I already put it in your purse," he says, after letting th ekiss linger for a long moment, biting her bottom lip teasingly as she pulls away. "It looks like a compact for your make-up, only if you press the button and I press it on my end, you'll see my face in the mirror instead of yours. Not nearly as pretty. The voice is probably still a bit tinny and the reception needs work, but, well, this is why it's a prototytpe," he smirks

Now fully dressed, bags in her arms, Pepper pauses to look in the mirror and realizes — she's not even touched her hair. She swears lightly and drops the bags back on her bed before scampering back to the mirror and picking up a comb. Fortunately, it won't take more than a few push throughs of the brush to make her straight red locks fall at least evenly, but she at least doesn't look like she just got up. "…And how will you know that I'm calling? You have a buzzer on this end, or something? I guess I'll figure it out." One last look in the mirror and she nods. She moves to pick the bags back up and head to the door to brush past him. "We'll be fine. I'll be back in two weeks."

Tony nods, "I already have your reservations waiting. And if you don't make the plane back home, you can expect an iron hand knocking on your hotel window that night asking for the reason why…" he says.

"Well, I mean… Professor Einstein is famous. I might get swept off my feet by a brilliant old codger and stay in California forever. You never know." With that, Pepper tosses a wink across her shoulder and turns on the ball of her foot, moving for the door and soon out. She leaves nothing behind her but the smell of vanilla baby powder and the half finished pot of coffee in the kitchen.

Tony smirks, "Nah, you're not related to him. He might leer and grope, but he has particular interests when it comes to long term relationships," he chuckles. He watches her go and then calls out, "Stay safe, for god's sake. Don't make me come rescue you from a giant Chinese dragon with a silly name or something."

That comment has rang something in the back of her head halfway down the hall, and she's dashing back before the elevator even arrives. "Chinese dragon!" She half yelps. It might seem crazy, but she runs into her room and grabs something off the desk. A simple envelope. "I meant to give this to you. Strangest encounter at the gala last week. Some drunk man in a tuxedo. Said you might be interested in this. Something about the 'Mandarin or Cantonese people'. I told him they are the same people and it's just different languages. But he was drunk. It completely slipped my mind." And she hands over the envelop. Then there is one last kiss and she's disappearing back out the door.

Inside the envelop is a small slip of paper folded in thirds with a water stain in one corner. The text is in Chinese characters, typed apparently somehow and with a firm enough typewriter that he can feel the texture of the symbols on the other side of the paper. It smells like cigarettes and Pepper's perfume now.

Tony takes the envelope and considers it, nodding and tucking it away in his robe for now. Something to think on, yes - after a few more drinks, a nap and perhaps a massage. He wonders if he can get an appointment at Madame Woo's…

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