| It's a brand new day |
| Summary: | Morning hours and Tony's prepping for his meeting with the President. On the agenda: looking to see if he can't 'get the band back together' after all they've been through. |
| Date: | 2016-06-09 |
| Related: | None |
| NPCs: | JARVIS |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. |
-==[ Penthouse — Stark Enterprises — Long Island ]==----
The elevator doors open up to a spacious apartment. Modern wood paneling covers the walls, while the windows at first appear to be large plate glass pieces going around the perimeter. With all the technology in the room, the windows are a part of it by being able to change their opacity at the behest of the owner. A multi-level living area with a fully stocked bar contains a large screen television with all the components that are ever needed. The furniture is a soft brown leather to match the stain of the paneling. The rooms are tastefully decorated, mostly with newspaper or magazine clippings or some form of honor to the man, Tony Stark.
A small kitchenette with the most modern appliances exists on one side of the suite, while the spacious bedroom occupies the back. Of to the side is the private office and workshop. On every wall is an access panel to the apartment's built-in J.A.R.V.I.S. system.
Pepper promised. It was part of the negotiations in order for her to get more than 14% of the bed. Tony got the shower first, which meant that she was the one responsible for getting the coffee poured. (Set up was the night before, and what's the point of having a fully automated household if it can't brew coffee on a timer?)
So, she's leaning on the counter that divides the kitchen area from the very, very posh living area, sipping her morning's first fix. Holographic news reports are four high and five wide as she takes in all that happened overnight. Fighting. War. England arguing over whether or not they're going to leave the European Union. Everything in the world seems to be about 'right', except for those little… er… big kickers.
"JARVIS, what's on the schedule today?" She knows that Pepper had to have plans at least a year out. She would..
"Mr. Stark is due to leave in one hour, ma'am. There are visitations to three addresses," and he dutifully sets them up, "and six presentations for scholarships for the local high schools. The times are displayed for you."
Pepper turns, lifting the mug and sipping it, leaning on the counter, looking thoughtful. "Thank you."
~~
Tony imerges from the suite wearing a pair of expensive slacks and a t-shirt. He's carrying his button up as he exists and is already headed in the direction of the kitchen to pour himself a glass of the pre-agreed upon mug of coffee. "I have to admit that I'm convinced that I have better taste than myself…" Said as he holds up the watch he pulled from one of a collection of them from one of the two closets. "It's like he forgot how to be flashy… or was getting gaudy in his old age.."
Mehing, he walks around the island and leans over Pepper with a little grin, "Sorry, just grabbing a cup…" He's already wearing his cologne too. Expensive, modestly applied, mixed with an expensive soap!
~~
Pepper is still in yoga pants and light t-shirt, her hair up in a pony-tail away from her face. When Tony emerges, she gets that moment to simply watch (and perhaps appreciate) the form and figure that has suddenly become 'her' husband. Straightening from her lean a little when he moves into her 'space', she can't help but smile, and then laugh. "You do wear it well." Uh huh.. She leans in, "You smell good too."
Turning about now to face him, green eyes are bright. "Now, you've memorized everything, right? Keep JARVIS in your ear, just in case."
~~
Tony spins his mug around his index finger after pulling it down out of the cabinet and fills it halfway with coffee… the other half is for cream… but before that, he kisses Pepper's forehead. "Come on, I spent like an hour with the entire portfolio… what do you think I am? A pleb? of course I memorized everything." He is kind of like a super computer in that way. A few hours with anything and he might be a master at it, but he'd be good enough to fake it on television drama. "Still need to get a meeting with Henry Pym, though…" Glancing at his watch as he adds the cream to his coffee, his elbow just inchs from Pepper's… this is how close they've become in the span of a few days. Alternate dimensions.
~~
Her smile brightens even more at the kiss, and she blushes just a little, glancing down. It takes a moment to collect herself, but when she does she leeeeans slightly in to make that contact. "Well, apparently Dr. Richards has gone missing. No one can find him. Dr. Pym as well." At the thought, there's a pretty scowl that creases her face, "I ran into Simon Williams," she's been reading the files. "He's looking for Dr. Richards too." Beat. "He's not from around here either."
~~
"Simon Williams…" Tony files the name, but cannot place it. Obviously he'll be doing his own round of research, "What's his reaction? From your expression I can assume he's not taking it well?" The smile on his face is hidden, at least temporarily, behind the lip of his mug. He'd seen her blush, he'd seen it. He was not going to let that go easily. For now, he'll let this be forgotten, but it's coming back up! Tony turns and leans against the counter, bare toes spreading a little against the cool tiles of the kitchen.
~~
"'Wonder Man'," and Pepper puts that in brief air-quotes. "I remember seeing the file on him. His particular ability has something to do with ionic particles." Which concerns her a little. "I'd gone out to look at what was left of Avengers Mansion. It apparently was a brownstone your father owned that you refurbished for them." The ghost of a smile flickers, "Congratulations. You're the head of an internationally known super-hero group. Or what was once. Mr. Williams was quite adamant about seeing it put back together."
Here, JARVIS interposes, "He was, sir. To the point of some concern."
Pepper hasn't lost that habit of looking up whenever JARVIS speaks, and she actually chuckles, "He's with me everywhere I go, apparently." Now, she can get another sip of cooling coffee.
~~
The fact that Tony's JARVIS was portable in their own timeline aside, Tony doesn't seem the least bit startled by hearing JARVIS everywhere. That was always his intention, the fact that he achieved it without having to achieve it is the only thing that bothers him… it's like getting something he doesn't feel like he earned because another version of himself did it. Which means he'll just have to get JARVIS a body… to top himself.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it Tony Stark of 616.
Tony lifts his head in a quiet, 'hm' motion and sips his coffee. "The Avengers. I read about it in some of the files I went over last night.. The President seems to to agree with Wonder Man. JARVIS get me a full list of former members and see if you can't get any CCTV images of them.. I'd say check their biometric identifications, but some of them might not be themselves anymore."
With that taken care of, he looks to Pepper, "I'm almost positive it's going to come up in the meeting today." Again glancing at his watch with a twist of his wrist.
~~
*sip*
JARVIS is still very new to Pepper; not something she's used to, and in some ways, it still is a little unsettling. Like.. if, okay, Pepper, 'when' they ultimately get intimate, will JARVIS be there, running in the background? Looking up from her brief jaunt into that reverie, she catches up quickly with the conversation and nods. "The flight is an hour or so, so you should be good with that."
Leaning in a little, Pepper peeks at the watch. "Pepper give that to him, you think? Was that one of the things you saw him wearing a lot?" Though now, she considers, "You aren't wearing any rings."
~~
Tony straightens a little at that last statement and turns to look at Pepper's hands.. He takes them, actually, to rub his thumb across the ring finger to see if he'd managed to get her an invisible diamond from some other planet and still finds nothing… "Well that's not going to do at all." Nevermind ''him''.. "No wife of mine is going to walk around without the biggest damn rock this side of Mount Rushmore.." He actually looks offended by the thought.
This is the world Tony Stark lives in.
"Yes it is.." The watch, he's talking about the watch. "Their second anniversary, so says JARVIS." Who will totally be discreet 'when' they get intimate. He's omnipotent when it comes to Stark Industries, he doesn't have to use those ultimate powers to be a creeper.
Besides, Tony and Pepper are like his parents… nobody needs to see their parents getting it on.
~~
Pepper's cradling her coffee, and when Tony reaches out to take her hands, she's looking at them, hers in his. "That wasn't a hint, Tony. I was just concerned that the media would notice something like that.." but it's more whispered. The warmth of his hands, the tingle.
"Their second." She'll remember that. That also means she is going to go looking deeper into her files to see what other things were planned.
"You need to get ready and go. Your flight plans have been logged for a month." I'll miss you. "Everything'll be fine." Leaning in, she kisses his cheek slowly, a gentle peck. "Dinner plans with a couple of the Joint Chiefs."
~~
"No. Wife. Of Mine. will not have a ring…" Tony repeats this. Media be damned. Tony Stark has a wife, maybe he was forced into the role, maybe they would have developed that way on their own had he been left to make the decision for himself, but the fact remains that she's got no ring…
And that just won't do.
Tony raises his hand from her's and lays it against the oposite cheek to the one she kisses, then winks at her and starts towards the bedroom to grab his tie, jacket, and shoes. "I'll be back for brunch tomorrow. Somewhere nice… let… uhhh Stacy… Stacy down in Public Relations.. have her let it slip that we're going to be there." Tony has almost twelve hours to plan something big.
Whatever Tony Stark here thought he knew about wowing his woman, he doesn't have anything on Tony. Besides… his Pepper was already in love with him. Tony has to win his Pepper's heart from the ground up.
In the immortal words of Sherlock Holmes: The game is afoot.