The Devil With The Face of an Angel | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 13

Pepper knew it was coming before Tony even had a chance to open his mouth. That didn't mean she didn't hope deep down in her heart, that he won't say it. That he would stick to the plan for once. But it was folly to hope for something like that. Especially when it came to him.

"The truth is, I'm Iron Man," Tony said confidently into the microphone, and chaos started immediately.

"What? What did he say?" blurted out Peter, who stood beside her, and Pepper sighed. Tony just had to do everything to make her job harder.

"You'll have to talk to him about this," she said and grabbed his hand quickly so he couldn't run away. She glanced at Happy, whom she pointed to the back room. Happy nodded, and she walked away with Peter from all the journalists, hoping Tony would join them in a second.

"Did you know about that?" Peter asked when the noise died down around them, and they were alone.

"Yes," she said simply. This was a conversation he had to have with Tony and not her. She had to find out if Tony's statement had already done any damage.

"Yes, I know it wasn't planned," Tony said in the second he joined them. He knew Pepper and Rhodey would be mad at him, but he just had to say it. People should know that there was someone to stand up for them.

"Are you an Iron Man? And what does that even mean? Do you have a super cool suit? Can I see it?" Peter said enthusiastically before Pepper had a chance to chastised Tony.

"The coolest suit you've ever seen, munchkin," Tony said with a grin, brushing his hair. He was quite afraid of Peter's reaction. He was glad he took it well.

"How high can you fly? How did you solve the freezing? Did you solve the freezing, right?" he asked more questions, and Tony was a little ashamed that his son was thinking of the freezing problem almost immediately. Maybe if he watched more Star Wars with him, he would have thought of these almost cosmic things from the beginning.

"How about we go for a pizza and I'll answer all your questions," Tony suggested.

"Okay!" Peter agreed.

"Pepper? Will you join us?" Tony asked, finally dared to look at the redhead. He could see that she was not satisfied with his decision, but in front of Peter was trying to do as if it was nothing. That's what she always did.

"I'd like to, but I'm going to be overwhelmed with work now," she replied, and immediately her phone began to ring. Tony never realized how much trouble he brought with his behavior until it was too late.

•••

Pepper was sitting in her new office trying to concentrate on her work. The trouble was that she couldn't because she had no idea what she was doing. This was a job she had never dreamed of. If someone had told her in her youth that someday she would be a chief executive officer at Stark Industries, she would laugh at his face. But here she is. Don't take her wrong, she loved her job and was grateful for the opportunity. She just didn't like the cost of doing the job.

Tony was more at home now, while she was more at work. And although she enjoyed her work, she missed Peter. After all, she had spent time with them almost every day for the past few years. And now? Now she saw them twice a week when she was lucky. When Tony told her he wanted her to run his company, she was surprised but very happy. Now she was far from happy, and she was no longer certain that it was what she wanted to do in her life.

On the other hand, maybe it was better. No one said she would have a permanent place in the life of two Starks. It was her fault that she had been carried away by Peter's talk about family. It was her problem that maybe, but only maybe, she started to think of Tony differently. She knew very well that her best friend no longer wanted a relationship. Not after Mary left...

And then there was Tony's new assistant, Natalie Rushman. Pepper had to admit she was impressed. This did not prevent her from feeling less jealous of the woman. Tony liked her, that was obvious, but he wasn't the only Stark who was enchanted. Peter was excited about her too. He had always told Pepper what they were doing or what had taught him new. And Pepper always listened with a smile on her face, even though she actually suffered. But Peter seemed happy, and that was what she always wanted for him. Though it meant putting her own happiness aside.

•••

"Oh my God! I can't take this anymore," Pepper gasped as she broke free from his metal grip.

"You can't? Look at me!"

"My body, literally, cannot handle the stress. I never know if you're gonna kill yourself or... or-"

"What?" Tony interrupted her bluntly.

"Wreak the whole company, or-"

"Perhaps, I did okay," he interrupted her again before she could get to the main. Peter.

"I... I quit," she said without thought. That was it. She quits and moves out of town. Somewhere where it will be calmer. She forgets two of Stark's men and lives a normal life.

"What did you just say? You're done?" asked Tony, who had to make sure he heard well. He knew it wasn't easy with him, but Pepper wouldn't have quit. No, that couldn't happen.

"This is no longer possible, Tony," she said in a weak voice. She needed to put together her own life.

"You deserve better. You've taken such good care of Peter and me. I've been in a tough spot, but you got me through it, so... Right?" he said heavily. He didn't know what that meant. His heart clenched painfully. He felt he was running out of oxygen.

"Thank you for understanding. I'll handle the transition."

"Okay. What about the press? Because you only had the job for a while-"

"Well, with you it's like dog years and-" she chattered before she was interrupted again, but this time with his lips that rested on hers. All the stress suddenly left her body. Instead of stress, a wave of happiness flooded her as their lips moved in complete harmony.

"Weird?" he asked as they pulled away and Pepper smiled.

"No, it's not weird."

"I think it was weird," another voice came close to them as their lips almost joined again.

"Uncle Rhodey! You ruined it!" Peter blamed him.

  "I had just quit, actually..." Pepper began, but somehow she didn't know how to proceed. She was a little embarrassed that Rhodey and Peter had seen it. 

  "You don't have to do that. We heard the whole thing," said Rhodey, and Pepper felt a flush of red in her face. At least it was night. 

  "You should get lost," urged Tony, who was happy to see that his son was all right, but at the moment he was eager for something else. Now that he knew what it was like to kiss Pepper, he never wanted to stop. 

  "We were here first!" Peter protested with a grin on his face. "I also hope you won't accept the resignation, Dad," he added, and everyone laughed at his statement.