Big Reputation [An Iron Man FanFiction | Pepperony] - COMPLETED

Official

By the time one o'clock rolled around, Pepper was knee deep in questions and accusations about the events in the downtown streets the night before. She had a couple calls on hold, two more scheduled to be called back later on in the day, and another one currently on the line, babbling her ear off. She held the phone to her ear with her one hand while the other made doodles on the sheet in front of her; she had given up trying to focus with everything on her mind, and besides, she had heard the same interview from the tens of people she already reported to that morning.

"Uh uh..." she responded with irritation coating her voice as she listened to the man bite her head off over the line.

The editor of the LA Times wanted an inside source and all the details of the battle, but she was not about to give up that information. Instead, she dropped her pen and played with the phone's coils as she listened, waiting for a change to interrupt.

Finally, it came.

"Mr Kirk," she sighed. "I appreciate the concern, but unfortunately my hands are tied and..."

Pepper trailed off as there was a knock on the door before it opened. She looked up, ready to bark at whoever had ignored her orders to leave her be for the day unless it was urgent, but was quickly met by a large assortment of flowers in a ceramic vase being drug into the room by two of the maintenance men. She narrowed her eyes, studying it, before using it as an excuse to get off the call.

"Actually, sir, I'm going to have to call you back," she decided before placing the phone on the receiver again and leaving the other calls on hold for a while longer. "What is this?"

Pepper stood and walked around the desk to study the flowers, but was only given a shrug in return. Sighing, she plucked the card from the bunch, standing to her waist, at least, as the two men retreated back to their daily duties. She traced the outside of the folded paper, admiring the artwork before reading what was inside.

T.S.

That was it. Just T.S.?!

Suddenly, Pepper felt the annoyance bubbling at her grow and she grabbed for her phone, dialing a call to Tony's suit. She knew he had to have made it to the city a few hours ago, and knowing him, he wouldn't hit the penthouse until he felt like he accomplished as much as he could on the tower for the day; he very well may not even sleep at all.

After a few rings, she heard Jarvis connect them; the familiar rush of wind in the background gave away the fact that he was still in the air.

"Hey, honey. How's work?" he grunted, apparently already starting on the supposed heavy lifting.

"T.S.?!" Pepper hissed instantly. "You couldn't even write out your whole name?"

"Uh," he mumbled, caught off guard by her anger. "Did you like my gift?"

"I can't take care of you forever, Tony," she muttered, still fuming.

She almost heard Stark roll his eyes through the breath he sucked in before answering her. "Are they the wrong kind? Or color?" he asked. "I told Jarvis to get roses..."

"Jarvis?!" she repeated, emphasizing the first half of the system's name. "You had Jarvis order me flowers?"

"I had Jarvis help me order you flowers," Tony corrected, trying to dig himself out of the mess.

"Really?"

"I guess I forgot to change the card," he added breathlessly.

Pepper heard the familiar sound of metal clinking and put together that he had landed for the time being to handle her call. She felt a pang of regret wash through her, knowing it was just her nerves about what was being broadcast all over the news, but that didn't help calm her down at all. Yes, Tony had tried, but he also just admitted to buying other women flowers...obviously with no special greeting other than his initials.