billionaires | #inbox

He's beginning to smooth out, accepting the moment for what it is, before her question sends him spiraling. The follow-up is worse, and the way she trails off has him scared. Tony pulls his face back sharply, opening his mouth to ask or tell or maybe just panic, there are no words in his head but he'd been about to speak anyway, a common practice for him by now. But then her one-word follow-up crashes through and all he can do is huff out a laugh. This isn't rejection or regret as he'd initially assumed the first time they kissed, and he finds himself nodding along easily to the suggestion.

"You want me to... run that by you again?" he confirms, carefully tangling their fingers in a lifeline and smoothly swooping in. Tony catches her eyes briefly before they shut tightly, brushing his lips against hers a few times to get it right before closing the deal. It's the most passionate kiss he's ever been apart of, every nerve ending singing at the prospect of finally being this close to her. Tony chases that feeling, kissing her more and more deeply until he can't bring air into his lungs.

Their earlier kiss didn't end in rejection or regret either, just... confusion. But moot point, she's hardly thinking about that now despite Tony's semi-freak out she could hardly not notice.

"Yes, please," she says sweetly with a smile that gets smothered against Tony's lips, humming lowly from her throat at the pleasure of it. She stops thinking entirely -- a rare thing for her -- and for once just lets herself feel, allowing these feelings to overtake her. She kisses him back with equal passion, a hunger she can no longer deny in every move. She shifts closer without taking her lips off his, the hand on his thigh slinging around his shoulders instead as she ends up nearly in his lap, pressing flush against his front. Her other hand squeezes his hand while the other lifts off his shoulder to twine her fingers in his hair, sighing into the heady kiss.

It feels right in the way nothing else ever has.

He moans when she surrounds him, his skin feeling hot in the wake of her touch. There's no hesitation this time as he presses back into her, unable to fight the imperative of his body and heart both where Pepper Potts is concerned. One of his hands goes to her waist to stabilize, but before long he has to pull back to breathe again.

"How can oxygen be so vital and yet so... so inconvenient?" he manages breathily, nudging against her cheek with his nose before brushing their mouths together again, feeling like he could very easily fall into a pattern of this all night. He sighs against her lips when she tugs her fingers into his hair, urgency nipping at his belly that he's already ignoring as much as it threatens to take him over. He doesn't need a quick fix with her, they can take their time, and that's what he really wants anyway. Though he does lean back into the sofa so he can guide her into straddling his lap less awkwardly, shivering as their lower bodies collide.

She responds with a soft moan of her own at the way he presses back against her, feeling the warmth of his hand on her waist even through her shirt. She chuckles at his words when they draw back to breathe, chest heaving against his. She lets go of his hand to cradle his jaw gently, trading soft kisses with him for a moment that are so sweet and loving it fills her heart up with emotion to the brim. She breathes a sharp little gasp as he leans back and shifts her, her pulse racing and heat flooding her cheeks at the way their bodies align so intimately, her thighs cradling his hips as she settles her weight carefully on him.

"Hi," she murmurs for lack of better things to say, brushing her nose against his and dropping another slow, lingering kiss on his lips.

"Hey," he lets out in a shuddering breath, his other hand falling to her arm when she lets go. He returns her ardor, though somehow he seems to slow with each moment that goes on, rather than speeding up. Tony wants to draw this out as much as he can, but it's no mystery what keeps stopping him.

Finally, he grinds to a halt altogether, squeezing her upper arm and imploring her to look his way.

"Pepper, I..." He swallows the bile carrying dread back down his throat and shakes his head. The words aren't coming any more readily now than they were before and now he just regrets stopping their moment. "—Sorry."

The tiny smile on her slightly swollen lips gives way to a more attentive expression when he puts a stop to the proceedings, her thumb stroking along his jawline gently. When he seems to have such trouble saying what's on his mind, a little frown wrinkles her brow, a prickle of concern nipping at her.

"Don't be sorry," she murmurs softly, carding her fingers through his hair soothingly. "Is something wrong? You can tell me anything."

That feels way too nice, there's no way he can think while she does that, so instead he lets his head fall to her shoulder.

"Apparently not," he commentates, frustrated with himself and with this situation, but being close to her is balm enough to make it worth it. "Just ignore me being a spaz, your thing was better."

Tony picks his face back up and moves in for another kiss, this one more vulnerable than any of the lead-ins.

She hugs him close when he rests his head on her shoulder, still stroking his hair with one hand. She's getting more and more concerned about him now, but before she can say anything to convey that worry, he lifts his head and kisses her again.

It's a soft and gentle kiss with something terribly hesitant and vulnerable to it, his lips trembling against hers. It makes her heart squeeze in her chest.

"Tony, please," she whispers when they pull apart for breath, cradling his face tenderly in her hands so she can look him in the eyes. "Tell me what's wrong. How can I help?"

He's never felt so cared for in his life and it only makes it harder to say what he needs to say. Tony clings to her waist as if hearing this might make her flee and he wants to stop her preemptively.

"This thing... I thought about this all day, how I was gonna tell you. But now that you're here, and I'm here, and we..." Tony rubs his nose against hers and stays close, the noise of the TV filtering back in as he steadily gains speed. "You've already done so much for me. I just don't want to hold you back." Or put her in even more danger when she could escape scot-free.

Her knees dig into the couch cushions more firmly and her weight presses more solidly against him when he holds her middle. Her thumbs stroke his cheeks in tiny back-and-forth motions, her lips quirking a little when he rubs his nose against hers.

"Hold me back?" She frowns. "Tony, I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be. And I'm not here because I feel obligated, or something. I'm here because I choose to be, because..."

It's her turn now, something vulnerable entering her gaze as she hesitates over the correct term. Can she be the first one to say it? Should she? Questions collide in her brain, but just as soon as strange sense of calm and acceptance come over her, holding his eyes steadily now even as she gives a tiny exhale. Whispering oh-so-quietly, she finally says, "Because I love you."

He knows she doesn't feel obligated, exactly, but it's with palpable relief that he hears her proclaim it's fully her choice. Of course, Pepper doesn't do things she doesn't want to and he knows it, but it's good to have the reminder. When she trails off, wide brown eyes search her face, not fully expecting her to finish the sentence. And when she does, they only widen further, unable to believe what he just heard. His gaze fills up with water, hand cupping the side of her face tenderly while the other still clings at her waist.

"I... Really?" he has to ask, an unmistakably goofy expression beginning to spread over his face.

Pepper leans her face into the gentle touch, huffing a breathy little chuckle at his response (so predictable). She shrugs her shoulders as if to say what can ya do, even if the look in his watery eyes has her own misting over just a tiny bit.

"Yes. Really," she murmurs fondly, a little smirk spreading to her lips. "Now, what were you going to tell me?"

Edited 2019-08-01 15:12 (UTC)

"Well, uh, this is embarrassing, but... you kinda stole my thunder a little bit? Just a tiny bit, I'm not gonna- hold it against you or... anything."

His ramble has him getting distracted by her lips all over again, and he surges forward into her suddenly to snap the remote off the table and shut the TV off before casting it aside carelessly. Then he twists so he can look at her properly, now grinning like an idiot.

"I really... wow. You just said that, to me. What a rush." He doesn't even realize he hasn't said it back yet.

"Well, it seemed like you were getting nowhere fast, so someone around here had to get to the point," she pokes fun mercilessly but with fondness edging every syllable. She yelps a little when he suddenly surges up and into her, grabbing onto him tightly out of worry he'll tip her or both of them off balance and onto the floor. She harrumphs into the silence left behind the now mute TV, throwing him a quick glare.

But that stupid grin and his marvel over her initiative have her laughing in earnest a moment later, a grin of her own lingering on her lips long after her chuckles have died down. He might not have realized it, but she certainly has.

"Yes, I'm sure it must feel very nice. I wouldn't know, I'm still waiting," she teases.

He laughs, a little nervous and a little giddy, holding her tightly and trying to finally summon the words he's kept inside for so long.

"Oh, did I forget to...?" Tony teases, leaning in until their noses brush and his eyes cross a little trying to focus on hers. "I love you, Pepper Potts. Always have."

Pepper purses her lips in effort to stave off a smirk, tipping her head a little expectantly as Tony teases her. But then he's telling her what she's eager to hear, the words sinking under her skin and causing warmth to well in her chest. Yeah, that sounds pretty damn good. Breathing a faintest laugh, a sound of pure happiness, she leans in and kisses him softly in lieu of a verbal answer, with all the love in her heart.

"Always?" she questions a bit teasingly when they break apart.

He's breathing harder than he needs to be, clinging to her in the hopes he never has to let go now after that heartfelt exchange.

"Are you already doubting me, Ms. Potts?" Tony challenges lightly, chasing their kiss with a tiny peck to her lips and then just staying close to catch his breath.

"Of course not. I'm just... keeping you honest," she teases back, leaning her forehead against his. As honest as a sorta-conman could be, anyway. Details.

"I'm always honest," he protests, smile growing too big for his face though she's too close to get the full effect. Tony kisses the rise of her cheek sweetly, allowing himself to linger this time as they continue to orbit around one another. "With you." A much-needed qualifier, considering.

Pepper laughs softly; more a chuckle, really, sliding her hands up his neck and into his hair, nails scratching his scalp ever so lightly even as she smiles sweetly at the kiss to her cheek. She pulls back just a little, meeting his eyes for a moment before leaning back in to kiss him again. This time, it's far from sweet and soft-- it's deep and hungry, sliding her tongue to meet his and humming low from her throat.

His lips part the moment her hands move into his hair, breath quickening at those gentle scratches. When she pulls back to meet his eyes, they're tellingly dark, and he doesn't hesitate to lean into her kiss with his entire body, meeting her satisfied noise with a low rumble from his chest. Words are apparently beyond them now and he can't find it in himself to complain. Tony's fingers dig into her waist and he abandons any and all restraint, putting every thought he's ever had about her and the two of them together into action instead. By the time he has to breathe, he's forgotten where he is or even what his name is, breast heaving as he kisses her in shorter and shorter bursts, unable to completely pull himself away even as his lungs burn in protest.

Pepper's fingers curl into his hair, grabbing the short strands how she can and none too gently, meeting his fervor step by step. She moans lowly into the heated kiss that grows more and more desperate, maybe even a little sloppy. Her hips pick up grinding against his unambiguously, heat coursing through her and centering between her thighs. She drops one dainty hand from his hair when they take a moment to breathe, working to slip it under his shirt at the waist even as they come together in another hard kiss and another after that, short and heated, her teeth nipping at his lip-- and a powerful desire to touch bare skin urging her on.

He moans loudly against her mouth as they grind, already feeling impatient though he'd pledged to draw this out. Maybe they can't, he surmises, breath only quickening that much more as Pepper's fleet fingers dip under his shirt to touch at his chest. His gaze is full to the brim with awe for her, his own rough hands untucking her blouse so they can skate up over her bare spine. The kiss catches him in another scramble to keep up, though he knows it's a race he'll be happy to lose, pressing himself back into the couch cushions so he can feel her over and all around him. It's more intoxicating than it really has any right to be.

Pepper returns his moan with one of her own as his hands slide under her blouse to stroke her bare back, shuddering at the feel of his rough fingers traversing her skin-- it feels amazing, little frissons of pure sensation zinging down her spine and through the rest of her even as she eagerly rests her weight on him, wrists pushing up his own shirt as she slides her hands further up his chest.

"...Does your head hurt still?" she suddenly asks through panting breaths after tearing her swollen lips from his, trying to focus from the maddening heat of desire coursing through her. She doesn't want to risk hurting him, but god, does she just plainly want him.

Tony looks startled by the question at first, eyes widening as she pins him and continues to touch him like it's all she's wanted for some time now. He really wishes he had known before now this was how she felt, but of course, he'd been too dumb to admit his feelings either.

"No," he says too quick, met immediately with sharp throbbing in his temples. It does little to impact his interest, but he had just told her to trust him, so he amends breathlessly, "Maybe a little. Don't worry about it."

But he doesn't want to think about his stupid visions right now, instead working on unbuttoning her shirt, though he can't completely mask the way his fingers minutely tremble.

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