From the day and hour Pepper met Tony Stark, things changed. They spent all their time together from that day, they studied together and when Tony went back home over breaks, he usually managed to talk Pepper’s parents into letting her come with him. Howard and Maria loved Pepper as soon as they met her; Maria and Howard gushing over her and treating her like a daughter. The whole idea of Pepper becoming the daughter-in-law of the Stark’s had baffled her at first but it wasn’t long before she warmed to the idea, although she would never admit it to anyone. Pepper and Tony’s relationship was on the bases for friends and that was all, nothing more, nothing less. Although, Pepper had thought one night curled up with Tony in his Malibu home late one night, Tony wasn’t always the most subtle of people and he rarely kept his thought quiet.
Pepper had been at Tony’s house for the whole weekend and tomorrow was Christmas day. Pepper’s parents had been easily persuaded to let their only daughter spend the Christmas holiday, the entire Christmas holiday in the company of Tony Stark. Of course, Howard and Maria had no problem had no problem with this either, they were never here anyway and, as expected, Tony and Pepper had jumped at the opportunity to spend Christmas with their best friend. Wouldn’t any kid? They were curled up together on the couch, Tony and Pepper, watching some bad Christmas movie. They weren’t watching it really, Tony was commenting on all the mistakes throughout the movie and Pepper was laughing half-heartedly, half asleep and propped against Tony’s chest. Every time Tony laughed at something that just so wasn’t funny his chest shook and started Pepper into a dazed state and every time, she slapped him mockingly.
“Hey, Pep?” Tony asked, twirling his finger in her fiery hair.
“Mm?”
“Howard thinks you’re my girlfriend. He told me that the first time I brought you here.” Tony said, sounding a little sad, if Pepper was being completely honest with herself.
“I gathered that. Maria thinks so too, doesn’t she?” Pepper mumbled into Tony’s chest which was only rising and falling gently with his steady intake of breath.
“You did? You’re right, she does. Why didn’t you tell me, Pep? He’s in awe with you and it’s the first time he’s ever approved of anyone. It’s not fair to lie about it, even if it’s Howard.”
“Are you going to correct him? This is the closest he’s been with you in years, right? This is what you want?” She lifted her head to look at him and Tony, for the love of him, hadn’t a clue what she meant by the last sentence. What I want. Tony wanted a lot of things, he wanted to leave this house and never come back, he wanted Howard to accept him and his decisions, he wanted Maria to stop looking at him so sadly, he wanted Pepper and he had since the moment he met her that year and a half ago.
She stared up at him waiting for his reply. She was curious to what was running around behind the eyes of the boy genius. It wasn’t often that something had Tony stumped for words, and for a question so simple as this to have rendered him speechless was more than a little unusual. He opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly. He stayed silent for another few moments before Pepper spoke again.
“This is what you want, right? Tony?”
He closed his eyes, “More than anything Pep.” When he opened his eyes again Pepper was still staring up at him, eyes wide and curious. “What do you want, Pepper?” Pepper opened her mouth and closed it again. The question was loaded, loaded with a tonne of implications and double meanings and how did he mean that question? She wanted Tony, she wanted nothing more than for Howards suspicions to be true. But this was a strictly professional relationship, no implications. Keep telling yourself that, Pepper. Her mind raced circles around the endless meanings that question presented. Tony looked wonderful in the low light and jeez when did Tony get so handsome. “Times up,” he informed her and for a moment she was confused but then he was in her face and his lips, her best friend’s lips, were brushing against hers. There was blind panic but then there was Tony. Tony Stark, her witty and sarcastic, troubled but considerate best friend and he was kissing her and nothing mattered. His hands cupped her flushed pink cheeks cautiously like he didn’t quite know what to do with them. His lips were a little more forceful now, not bruising but a little more like a kiss, controlled and passionate. Tony had kissed girls before, Tony had kissed boys before, sure, but never had he felt the urge to kiss someone like he did when he looked at Pepper. Pepper, however, hadn’t kissed anyone before, unless you count kisses on the cheek, she thought and shuddered.
A few moments later, Tony pulled back. Uncertainty was written across and he looked positively shy.
Pepper wore a stupid grin as she spoke, “I know what I want.”
“Yeah?”
“I want Howard to be right.” The clock at the end of the hall struck twelve and Pepper flashed Tony a soft smile. “Merry Christmas, Tony.”
“Merry Christmas, Pep.”
