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

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Tony escorted Pepper into the restaurant as Happy dropped them off, taking the car for a spin while they ate.  It was definitely different, Tony grabbing her hand in his and placing a kiss to the side of her head while they waited to speak with the woman at the front desk.  It was...odd, but at least they were finally out in the open.  She still felt a little wary about it, especially with the flashes from photographs and the whispers around them, but it was beginning to become the new normal.  She was always a part of this, just not...the center of it.

"You okay?" Tony asked before they approached the greeter.

She smiled delicately.  "Fine, why?"

"You look a little nervous."

He flashed her a grin and before she could tease him back, he squeezed her hand and alerted the greeter of their reservation.

"Stark," he said plainly, looking at her list for her.

"Right," the woman mumbled; she kept her head down as she was scribbling on their name list instead of looking up for proof.  "I guess that would make me Pepper Potts."

Tony couldn't help but smirk and glanced at Pepper, begging her to speak up, and she did.

"No, that would be me," Potts answered for him, keeping her face as straight as possible.

Finally, the greeter snapped her head up, her face flushing when she laid eyes on the couple.  Apparently word had really gotten around from the night before if she knew to be expecting them together.  On a date.  In public.

"I'm...I'm so sorry.  Mr Stark, miss Potts...right this way," she stammered, grabbing two menus as she rushed to make up for the attitude.

Tony parted his hand from Pepper's but instead placed it in the small of her back to guide her along with him to their table.  She smiled warmly, enjoying the small touch and trying to ignore the eyes of those on them as they walked into the busy seated area.

When they arrived, Tony passed the greeter a bill and requested their drinks, then made a motion to pull out Pepper's chair and help her into it himself. 

"What are you doing?" Pepper whispered as she sat down and he pushed her in.  "Everyone's watching!"

"What, Tony Stark can't take his girlfriend to a nice dinner?" he asked, next seating himself.  "Contrary to popular beliefs, I can be a decent boyfriend."

"Popular?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  "That would suggest you've had more than one girlfriend."

"I have," he agreed, looking over the menu briefly as the greeter made her way back with a bottle of fine wine and proceeded to pour it for them.

"What?!" Pepper gasped.  "How did I not know about this?!  Who?!"

"Well, you're not gonna believe this, but one time, in grade school, I had this really hot teacher, and-"

"Tony!"

She kicked him lightly under the table, earning a high pitched, hearty laugh to escape his frame as his cheeks met the corner of his eyes.  She couldn't help but start laughing, herself, at the ridiculousness behind his statement.  Whatever had gotten into him, she liked it.

"Thank you," she added toward the waitress, realizing their company.

She feigned a smile and asked for their order, to which Tony told him to put in his earlier request...furthering the proof that he really had planned this out.  It was completely unlike him in every way.

"You...really put some effort into this, didn't you?" Pepper asked after a shared smile and a glance down at her wine glass.

He cocked an eyebrow and studied her, furthering her blush as he took a sip of his own.