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Despite being a genius billionare playboy philanthropist and superhero, Tony Stark is nothing without Pepper Potts.
He is locked up in his lab, listening to rock music at an ear-shattering volume and hunched over his seat. The source of his frustration is surprisingly not a complex piece of tech the size of his fingernail. Instead, he is furiously reading an article from a women’s magazine. Titled 10 Reasons Why Captain America is Way Hotter Than Tony Stark, it explains in full detail why and how Steve Rogers would make a better boyfriend than Tony. Of course, egotistic Mr. Stark is incredulous. He’s been rereading this article since yesterday, and he hasn’t found a valid reason yet. “Captain has the sweetest eyes”? Please.
Pepper finds him like that, eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and a fuming expression pasted on his face. Unlike her boss, the responsible woman has her hair neatly tied back, and her suit pressed as always. In one hand, she has a clipboard full of things to do as a CEO of Stark Industries, and in her other hand, she has a mug filled with coffee made just the way Tony likes it. He doesn’t even notice her enter until she sets the coffee down on his desk and clears her throat.
“Look, Tony, you got to get some re-…”
“Did you even read this, Pepper? Capsicle isn’t hotter than me, is he?”
There are only two responses to that kind of question. Each answer will result in very different outcomes, and Pepper is well aware of it. She can either fuel Tony’s ego and maybe get him so sleep for a few hours so he can get some work done later, or she can hurt his pride and watch him sulk for a week or two. Sometimes, Pepper just hates her job. She wishes that somebody else would try dealing with what she has to go through every single day. Not qualified? Like anybody else could do this without going through a mental breakdown. Before Pepper, there were many women who quit their post because they couldn’t handle it.
But there’s only one possible answer she can give him if either of them plan to get anything done today.
“No, he isn’t. Now that that’s settled, you need to go sleep.”
The adorable smile she gets for her trouble almost makes her laugh. Almost. She herds Tony out of the lab, into the elevator, and asks JARVIS to take them up to the master bedroom. When the bell dings to announce their arrival, she nudges him along until he is comfortably situated in a nest of blankets. His eyelids are already drooping. Just she is about to step away to give him some peace and quiet, he pulls her in and gives her a soft peck on the lips.
“Thanks, Pep,” he says.
“Get some rest.” With that, she leaves him. Her face is flushed a light pink as she gets some coffee of her own. If any of the Avengers notice, they say nothing about it.
And sometimes, she doesn’t hate her job at all.