Current mood:	exhausted
Current music:	Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Victim of Circumstance

Fic: Tin Man (2/?)
Title: Tin Man
Author: Mel (eumelia)
Disclaimer: Marvel owns it all, I just like to play with other people's toys and get no money from it.
Rating: PG-13 for disturbing images and language
Characters: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan
Time line: Directly after Part 1.


Part 2

"Mr. Stark if you don't mind, I'd like to go over your revised schedule, seeing as you decided that today was a bust" she stood and walked (so elegantly on her four inch heels) towards him.

"Not a bust per say… merely slow to begin" he smirked and poured himself two fingers of bourbon.
"Would you like me to order you lunch, sir?"
"No need" he downed the drink and grinned boyishly at her, making sure it reached his eyed, though it was difficult to maintain.
Pepper paused a moment too long from replying.
She said "In that case, you should be ready for a meeting with the heads of the various R and D departments at Stark Industries that I have scheduled for you at the head office at four" she smirked.
"Jarvis, what's the time?"
"It is now three o-six pm, sir"
"Better make it four thirty"

The meeting actually started somewhere around five (which was actually when Pepper had scheduled it, knowing full well that Tony would need half an hour to even bother to begin his morning – now afternoon – ablutions).
It was a successful meeting, actually; with Tony listening to the R and D team leaders giving him reports on new ideas for Stark Industries now that Weapons and Arms were off the table (and it would need to be fast; SI now owed a lot of money to various companies and persons to which it breached dozens of various contracts and the corporate body was hemorrhaging money at a rate that didn't bare mentioning. Though Jarvis did mention the rate to Pepper after she asked, she had had to sit down with her head between her knees for a few minutes after).

Tony spent an hour doing what he enjoyed best; brain storming while other people wrote down his ideas then went on to develop it (though he preferred it when he was alone and the "people" was Jarvis or Pepper or Rhodey), first and foremost developing sustainable and clean energy through Arc Reactor technology.
"But Mr. Stark, just rebuilding the original generator will cost the company millions" said one of the lab coat, who kept fiddling with the bridge of her square, almost opaque glasses.
"You know the old saying," he grinned, charming all the panicking scientists in the room "In order to make money, you gotta spend money. And I guarantee the board will grant the money".

After the meeting in the elevator to the parking lot, Pepper said to Tony "You really can't, you know"
"Can't what?"
"Guarantee the board's support"
"Oh that" he waved dismissively "I know that"
"So…"
"I have money that isn't tied to the company" he declared.
He frowned "Don't I?"
"You do, but-"
"There you go. No problem!"
He winked at her and sauntered across the lot towards the limo.
"Happy," Tony called to his bodyguard-cum-chauffer "Take us to Aria if you please. I'm in need for some quality Martinis. Aren't you, Pepper?" he turned to his PA, her hair now down and wispy all over her face, neck and shoulders.
"Only if they're dirty, sir" she replied dryly and moved her hair out of her face.
Tony grinned, leaned into the open door and sat across it. He patted the leather next to him, indicating that Pepper should sit next to him. Pepper rolled her eyes, sat next to the door and closed it behind her.

"Tony, we don't actually have time for drinks" Pepper began.
"Ah! But it's not just drinks, it's music as well, hence the name Aria." he raised an eyebrow and quirked his mouth "Do you know what an aria is, Miss Potts?"
"Yes, Mr. Stark. I know what an aria is-"
"An aria is an elaborate solo sung with accompaniment, as in an opera" he said, as though reciting from a dictionary. He cleared his throat and continued "like this" he said and to Pepper's utter astonishment he began to sing So Long, Marianne*.

His voice wasn't actually suited for folk, it was a bit too high and sounded strained, as though it was difficult for him to breathe, but he never faulted and his smoky, earthy tones made the old song sound like a lullaby. He knew the lyrics, which Pepper found odd, because Tony was more likely to listen to Def Leppard or Black Sabbath, not Leonard Cohen. As he reached the fifth verse his voice began to waver and a tiny frown line appeared between Pepper's brows.
"For now I need your hidden love/I'm cold as a new razor blade/You left when I told you I was curious/I never said that I was brave…"
His voice trailed off.

He didn't finish the song and gave a dry chuckle "Well, that was actually a-cappella and not really an aria, as there was no, ya know, background music."
Pepper didn't reply.
"Stop it"
"Stop what, sir?"
"Stop looking at me like that"
"Like what?"
"Like you think I've blown a gasket"
"Having problems with the armored suit, sir?" she tried for levity.
"Ah-ah, none of that. You won't distract me from my task"
"Isn't it my job to make sure you aren't distracted from your task?" she raised an eyebrow of her own "which is to run the company, sir"
"Boring"
"Mr. Stark-"
"Hey, look, we've arrived! C'mon Miss Potts, let us drink, sing and be merry" he smiled charmingly and moved across the limo, opened the door and tossed his suit jacket inside along with the tie and opened the first three buttons of his dress shirt making sure that the glow of the arc was hidden.

He turned to see Pepper step out of the limo, a stern look on her face.
"Oh, pshaw! You'll have a wonderful time!" he grabbed her wrist and saw Happy follow them silently – it was a wonder that a man that size managed to blend into the background like that.
"Mr. Stark, I really-"
"Ah-ah-ah! This is Happy hour, not Office hour and I'm 'Tony', not 'Mr. Stark'. Got it? Good. Knew you would."

TBC in Part 3
Previously.

*The link is a YouTube video of the Leonard Cohen song.

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Shamelessly asking for feedback.
Apologies for any grammar or spelling mistakes, this is very un-betad.
Thank you in advance.