If You Were Here (Tony Stark x Reader)

Part 7

Your plans for an energetic morning encore and afterglow cuddling are ruined when Tony tells you about what your brain was up to while you slept. He calls it 'sleepwalking', but that doesn't make you feel any better about it. Your mind was wandering without your permission, doing god knows what, and you sure as hell didn't have any control over it. What if it gets itself trapped out in the internet again during one of its midnight strolls? If you were hesitant about your powers before, it's nothing compared to now.

"Try moving DUM-E," Tony says later that day when you've showered away most of your panic and put yourself back in order. It's his latest attempt to coax you into practicing with your powers. The idea is for you to gain control, to be more comfortable with hopping in and out of your body.

"I don't want to." You lean with one hip against the workbench, a scowl on your face.

He joins you, placing his hands over your hips and pressing his forehead against yours. "Just try moving it."

"Tony—"

You try to step away, but he holds you fast and caresses your cheek with his fingers. "It'll be fine. I'm right here. Go ahead."

You huff, but focus over his shoulder at the bot, reaching out with your mind to feel the tingle of its circuitry. It hums in response to your touch, like a dog wagging its tail. You keep one foot firmly planted in your own mind, even as you twirl your consciousness through DUM-E, testing the connections, whirring the—

You startle back into your own body with a gasp, releasing the bot in a rush. Tony's hands have slid up the back of your shirt, his teeth scraping lazily over your collarbone. Your sensory cortex lights up like fireworks, gleefully overloaded with the sensation of Tony's skin rubbing over yours. It takes a few seconds for you to find the path to your voice. "Tony!"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?" You tangle your hands in his hair, trying to pry him away from you.

He holds you steady against him, a solid hand resting between your shoulder blades. "Exploring options."

"I thought you wanted me to practice multi-tasking."

"Sure." His tongue traces over the swirl of the dragon tattoo that covers your left shoulder. "That means there has to be something for you to focus on both sides, right?"

You gasp as his other hand sinks past the waistband of your shorts to cup your ass.

"Tony?" A woman's voice rings through the lab. Tony releases you with a sound like a kicked puppy. In his sudden absence, you stumble and land on your backside. "Tony!" The voice is closer this time. Tony's eyes are wide with shock. You stand, hands on the ground to steady yourself, and straighten in time to see Pepper Potts come into the lab.

You recognize her—of course you recognize her. She's in practically every picture with Tony for the past ten years. She took over his company. Forbes has written articles written about her leadership of Stark Industries. She's Pepper Freaking Potts—Tony's ex-girlfriend.

"Hey." Her smile is warm and a little shy as her gaze falls on Tony.

"Hey." His reply is breathless.

The breathing subroutine falters and an unfamiliar wrenching sensation clenches near your heart. Your pretty sure half your brain shuts off.

Pepper notices you and an unreadable expression passes over her features before it's replaced by a smooth veneer of politeness. She holds out her hand. "Hi, I didn't know Tony was hiring interns."