A/N: Iron Man is owned by Marvel.

Something I've had on my computer for a while, I figured I might as well post it.

Avengers Initiative

"Can you believe they actually said that," Tony growls spearing his food angrily. "They want Iron Man, but not me."

Pepper chews her own food slowly, carefully gauging the man in front of her, swallowing her mouthful before she speaks. "What exactly is the Avengers Initiative?" She asks in confusion, pretty sure he isn't meant to be sharing any of this with her, but clearly his frustrations are boiling over.

"I don't know," Tony shrugs. "Some Super-secret superhero club. Apparently we're supposed to defend the world or something."

"From what?"

"Hell if I know."

Pepper chews thoughtfully for a moment before asking her next question, "So why tell you about this, if they weren't going to take you?"

"Fury already told me about it after I came out as Iron Man," Tony explains.

"So why decide now they don't want you?"

"Because of Romanova." He snarls, taking more interest in his food for a moment.

"Natasha?" Pepper asks carefully still struggling to believe it all.

"She called me 'narcissistic'," he sneers, looking back at her. "Said I was 'prone to life threatening tendencies' and 'not a team-player'. I mean I was dying, forgive me for not being a ray of sunshine."

Pepper smiles softy, reaching across the table to wrap her hand around his clenched fist, "It's their loss Tony."

"Please," Tony snorts clearly trying to hide his insecurities behind bravado, it's something she might have actually believed had she not been use to the act. "I didn't want to part of their little club anyway."

Pepper drops the conversation there, asking no more questions and simply lets him believe the lie he's told himself.

A/N: A little short, but I hope you all enjoyed :)