Sorry I've been gone so long, my dear readers (all four of you)! I've been busy writing and organizing chapters. Be on the lookout for a new multi-chapter story starring our favorite couple! This piece is 667 words and I wrote it in the span of about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

-77

Convince Me

"Tony Stark you give me that phone this instant!" A shoe came flying around the corner. It looked remarkably like the one Pepper had on her foot not moments ago. Tony sniggered and waited. Pepper came running around the corner (a bit lopsided) and stopped, looking around the huge living room. She didn't notice that she had run right past him. He stepped forward and whispered in her ear,

"My, my, aren't we in a hurry?" Pepper screamed and whirled. Tony laughed and took off down the hallway Pepper had just come from. Tony heard her sigh of frustration as she took off her other shoe to go after him. Tony waited a few seconds in silence. Was she out in the living room still? He didn't hear any footsteps…

Cautiously, he peeked around the corner…

and his gaze was met by that of none other than the fiery but super-organized Pepper Potts. Tony yelped, Pepper smartly stepped into the room. She glared at him with her hands on her slim hips.

Damn, Tony thought, when did she learn to be so quiet?

"Mr. Stark, may I please have my phone back?" She sounded really pissed off. Tony smiled impishly. Despite her resolve, she was also trying not to crack a smile.

"I don't know Pepper, you'll have to convince me be-" He didn't get a chance to finish. Pepper pinned him to the wall. She had him by his shirt lapels in one hand and was pointing a threatening finger at him. Tony knew it was a very inappropriate time to point out that he was invariably turned on by his current predicament.

"You want me to convince you? If you don't give me my phone back, I will schedule budget meetings back to back for a week. No coffee breaks. And you will attend each and every one of them." The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. They were very close. Their noses were almost touching. He smirked again and reached up to touch her nose with his fingertip.

"Sorry Potts, you're gonna have to do way better than that. You'll have to offer me something in return. Maybe a kiss… a date, maybe?" He grinned at her, awaiting the reprimanding he would undoubtably get.

She surprised him. She leaned in very close. Her head tilted and lips slightly apart. When she whispered he could feel the air rushing past her lips.

"If I kiss you, will you PROMISE to give it back?" He nodded dumbly, almost afraid to move too much. He didn't think she would actually do it, but like he'd refuse? She hesitated briefly… Tony didn't wait. He leaned in the extra two centimeters and pressed his lips against hers. Pepper's eyes closed and Tony let his fall closed as well.

Some time later (Tony wasn't sure how much later) they both resurfaced, gasping for air. Tony leaned his forehead against Pepper's. His hands had unknowingly wound around her waist and her hands were resting on his biceps. He fished in his pocket and pulled out her phone. He offered it to her.

"Here, a deal's a deal. Take it." He quietly said, staring at her with a small smile on his lips. She accepted the phone and held it in her hand for a moment. She was still rather breathless.

"Screw it." She threw the phone behind her and grabbed his lapels again. He chuckled into this kiss but eagerly went forward.

When they had sufficiently messed each other up (Pepper's hair had been a tad too neat for Tony's tastes) they straightened themselves out and headed to the living room. Pepper had her phone back and was holding it like her firstborn. She felt the vibration of a missed text and looked down to answer it. Then she noticed…

"Tony, why is my phone displaying in Spanish? I can't read this!"

The only thing she got in return was the sound of Tony's gleeful snicker and running feet.