Chapter 31

By the end of January, she's almost done with her book and Tony is finishing the last details of his Mark IV. It's early, and the conversation is buzzing with Tony's voice as he teases Bruce about being his edgier, less handsome self. He's not moving, but she can sense the anticipation radiating off of him, almost as if he's waiting for something to happen.

It's thirty minutes later when Jarvis announces Pepper is here, and Tony's spiritual fidgeting is almost palpable. After all, despite his outwardly serene demeanor, she can sense the tumultuous emotions bubbling beneath the surface. She's teetering on the edge of curiosity, but she doesn't want to ruin the anticipation of whatever Pepper's presence means by showing that she knows his emotional state.

"Mr. Stark, Eva," Is what she says as soon as she sees them, which always makes her despair because of how formal it is. She had been working on her matchmaking plans for a while, but it was obvious that her efforts had not been successful.

Although he was feeling anxious, his answers came out in a cool, confident manner. "Yes, Ms. Potts?"

"I'm delivering the tailored suit you requested. Also, I was looking at your schedule and noticed that five different dates were all set for today before noon; I wanted to know if there had been a miscalculation."

She can feel his concentrated attention on her, until the realization of Pepper's words suddenly seems to register. "Wait. Five?"

She's still writing, her eyes focused on the words in front of her, but a small smile plays on her lips. "So you weren't planning an orgy?"

Pepper seems taken aback as a sudden cough escapes her throat, her hand reflexively flying to her mouth. Tony fumbles for the right words, before speaking in a silky, polished manner, "No, no. It was totally planned." He stands up, the wrenches clinking softly against each other as he carefully puts them away. "What, you worried?"

She raises an eyebrow. "To be honest, yes. You're not in your twenties anymore, don't you dread the prospect of becoming all dried-up?

Tony groans, hand running through his hair once, before shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm taking the Ferrari and that's it. How I planned it."

"Are you sure?"

He perks up. "Yes, unless you've something to say?"

"Yeah. Didn't you say you were taking the Ferrari to the mechanic?"

He groans once again, before moving up the stairs while grumbling, "I'm going there first, of course."

Pepper, who has been checking something on her phone, looks up. "Your suit is prepared for you upstairs."

"Thanks, Ms. Potts."

"Anytime, Mr. Stark," she answers back, neutrally. And now she wants to be the one groaning—no intimacy between these two, at all. They wait a beat, until the rumble of his grumbling is nothing more than a distant echo before they look at each other.

Pepper smirks. "He's trying a little too hard, isn't he?"

"I'm actually surprised he messed up the dates."

With a shake of her head Pepper sighs. "He was a bit drunk that time, when he asked them out. I didn't hear anything at all, but I've got his working schedule. When I saw the space he's made, and the five dates, I had to ask him about it."

She giggles. "Oh, to be a fly on the wall."

Pepper snorts, not at all formal with her. They eventually became close friends, and it was enjoyable to have someone to chat with about other 'things'. She loves Tony as a friend, but there are certain topics that stir a different emotion when discussed with a woman.

"Wanna bet he ends up bored and leaves them mid-date?"

Humming, Pepper nods once. "Sure, but I bet he brings at least one here, if only to try to get you jealous."

She covered her face with her hands, her cheeks burning as a soft groan escaped her. How she wished Pepper hadn't realized Tony is attracted to her. It would have made the matchmaking easier.

She sighs, looking up.

"Okay, okay. I'm in." Before they shake hands, she can't help but add, "Doing bets on your employer, Ms. Potts? So daring."

"What can I say? He makes it so easy." She smiled and shrugged, and then she noticed the laptop Tony had given her to write on – one of the first items he'd upgraded and was ready to sell in the market. "How is the book going?"

At the change of conversation, she beams up as she always does when her book is mentioned.

Yeah, Pepper is amazing.

After a while of updating each other, Pepper leaves. She happily sits down and begins typing away, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she writes in English, a language she's more comfortable with. Weird considering her native tongue is Spanish and her second language is Italian.

It's a couple of hours later that she's decided to take a break. She's debating the aromas of homemade cooking versus the convenience of take out, since she doesn't want to prepare a meal for just herself. Finally she decides for a hamburger and is ready to fly away to buy it on her Mew form when Jarvis interrupts her.

"Miss Eva? I apologize for stopping you, but Sir has been attacked by mercenaries while being in the mechanic." Eva tenses, her body language conveying her anxiety, and Jarvis responds by softening his voice. "They're currently going to the Mansion. I've already notified the police as Sir requested, and they have passed across a parade surrounded by cops."

"Wait, they?"

"He's with the mechanic, Mike Charles. Going on by the route Sir chose, I'm sure they will soon pass the bridge near the Mansion. If you could give him a hand, Sir would be grateful."

She's already on her Mew form before he even finished talking, taking one of the Bluetooth devices and putting it close to her ear to hear other news Jarvis has for her. She teleports to the bridge just in time to see Tony's Ferrari about to come near the opening bridge. Then, he's jumping and Eva only has once second to think about helping, before she's already grabbing the car mid-air and helping them cross.

They could have made it, probably, but better to be sure.

She could see the mercenaries stopping just in time, alongside the sirens coming near. They seem to want to escape, with some even ready to take out their guns, but she stops them by closing the doors and windows while taking the tires out.

She finishes doing so by the time Tony arrives flying in his Ironman suit. He seems ready to attack, but when she sees the mercenaries inside their cars like sardines, he chooses to go to her instead.

"So, I've had to cancel my dates."

She rolls her eyes. 'Aren't you supposed to be worried about the bad guys?"

He glances at them before saying. "You seem to be handling it well."

At that moment, the police arrives.

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