Tony Stark & Pepper Potts| dancing
Pepper is not immune to the Stark charm.
So, when Morgan inherits Tony's dark eyes and that wide, goofy, charming smile – she knows. She is in for it, trying to tell this child no in any way, shape, or form. Which might be what landed her here; standing on her unmade bed, in her pajamas and no bra, holding Morgan's hands while the little girl bounces to the music in her favorite pink Barbie nightgown.
"Mommy?" Morgan's voice is Pepper's cue to turn the music down.
"Morgan?" Pepper parrots her daughter's curious tone.
Morgan's little head moves, tips in much the same way Tony's does, straight brown hair bending against her tiny pink tulle clad shoulder. "Where's Daddy?"
"I'm right here, munchkin!" Tony's voice draws their attention to the door where he's leaning, wiping his hands on a towel. Pepper tries not to drool over her husband clad in a tight gray t-shirt and black jeans, while in the presence of their three year old.
"Daddy!" Morgan pulls her hands from Pepper's and clambers off of the bed, rushing Tony's knees in an impressive tackle.
"Hi baby," he happily scoops her up, pressing silly, sloppy kisses her round cheeks. She settles easily in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. He easily steps up onto the bed – the benefits of a bed frame built lower to the ground – and reaches for Pepper, grabbing her pajama shirt at her stomach and pulling until she's close enough to kiss. "Hi, sweetheart."
"Hi." Pepper breathes, all but forgetting how her lungs were supposed to operate.
"Were you ladies having fun?" it's not enough that his long, warm drawl could melt her, he had to lower the volume and octave, as well.
"How did you...?"
"I came in for water and heard Morgan laughing and your singing," Tony laughs, tilting his head to kiss her again. "I assumed you were having a dance party without me."
Pepper just laughs, reaching up to thumb the sharp line of his cheekbone affectionately. No matter. She turns the music back up and resumes the dance party. Morgan falls asleep on Tony's chest and Pepper smiles fondly at the image created. When he's tucked the three-year-old safely into their bed for a nap, Pepper is maybe less surprised than she should be by Tony's willingness to gather her up for a slow dance.
"Don't get me wrong, I would rather be dancing to Barbie Girl but I'm not wearing the right shoes," Tony quips when he changes the song to something slower and he can wrap her up in his arms and dance her around their bedroom, when she can rest comfortably against him and breathe in cologne and grease and metal and know that her husband is still here. "I - uh, I love you. I don't know if I've told you that, lately but I love you. All of you."
"I know, Tony, you show me every day," Pepper murmurs, pressing her face into the curve of his neck.
"But I..."
"Tony," she lifts her head, heavy blue eyes staring up at him with such adoration, he almost shudders at the intensity. "I know you love me. You haven't let me forget it since we got together. You showing me is better than telling me because it's you. Whether you tell me or not doesn't matter because you've always shown it. Like, right now. Dancing with me while our daughter sleeps in our bed."
"As long as you know," Tony tips his head, staring at her as if she is the only person in the world. For years, that was true. There was Happy and Rhodey, sure, but Pepper was consistently what he needed when he didn't realize he needed anything and it thrills him that he's managed to hold onto that for so long. "I love you."
"I love you, too."