I was camping with my two friends for three days and asked myself what would happen if Tony forces Pepper to join a camping-trip like ours. We had rain, sun, unnerving birds, cooking problems, the sea not a mile away from our tent and a BIG spider problem. So now you know what might happen in this story. I hope you'll like it. Please leave a review. I'd love to hear what you think about it.
Set after IM1. Possible PEPPERONY!
Unfortunately I don't own any of the characters.
You have to come or you're fired
She didn't know how she had ended here, in a wood next to the sea. In front of her lay a tent ready to get build up and Tony Stark stood next to her.
"Shall we get started to build it or do you want to sleep without it, Miss Potts?" He teased her.
She was pissed. She hated woods and spiders and all creepy-crawlies and nature. Everyone would say Tony Stark was obsessed with technique and couldn't last a day without JARVIS, but he was a man and his basic instincts sometimes fought their ways out of him. Truth to be told: Pepper hated nature and she was the one who had trouble to last a day without her Blackberry and laptop and not being able to control everything about the company.
"You wanted to do that so do it then. I'm searching some mobile reception." She snapped. Yes, she was pissed and Tony could hear it in her voice as she turned, walking around and holding her phone in the air as tried to find a spot to regain reception.
Result: NOTHING! No reception! It was frustrating. So how the hell had she ended here. Well she knew exactly how she had ended here.
-o-
The day before:
Pepper sat on Tony Stark's leather couch in his mansion, typing away on her laptop, finishing her 328th email for the broad-meeting the next day and started reading the next email from SHIELD. It was about Tony's sudden announcement that he was Iron Man. 'Again.' Pepper thought annoyed.
One week ago Tony had pronounced to the world that he was Iron Man and for Pepper the hell broke loose. Since then her inbox didn't hold the usual 250 emails every morning she came to work, no now it was nearly the double amount of emails and round about 100 emails came from SHIELD.
Suddenly the intercom buzzed and Tony's voice filled the room.
"Potts, can you come down here? I need your help with your petit hands again."
She sighed and put her laptop aside.
Tony shot her a toothy grin as she walked down the stairs.
"I told you I wouldn't replace your reactor again, Mr Stark and I'm – What are you up to?"
He stood at his desk and in front of him were a big backpack, two sleeping bags, two camping mats, a tent, a camping cooker and a lot other things you need to bring for a camping trip.
His smile grew wider. "Rhodey and I are going on a camping trip to Seattle, ehm to the sea."
"And you need my help, because?" She was annoyed. She had a load of work to do and Tony was distracting her for nothing important.
"Well Potts I need to put some things out of my backpack and can't reach them, but your small hands can."
Rolling her eyes, Pepper couldn't believe why he needed her help. "Tony, unpack your backpack and re-pack it. You don't need my help."
His smile grew wider. "Yes, you need to tell me what you'll need for this trip."
"Excuse me what? Can you repeat it, please? I understood that I need to tell you what I need for this trip."
"Yes, you are coming with us."
"No. I need to finish some work, a lot of work actually, because of your announcement a week ago, Mr Stark."
"Pepper, that's why you need a break, we're going camping for a few days and you'll join us."
Now she was getting frustrated, she hated camping. It meant sleeping on the ground, freezing like hell in the morning, cold water, bad food, no possibilities for Internet and no possibilities for getting some work done. She had to act fast or there was no way out anymore. "No Mr Stark. It's inappropriate and like I said I need to sort the mess out you caused. So sorry, but no."
Tony stepped closer and put his hands on her shoulders. "Miss Potts when did I actually cared that something is inappropriate? And if it's work you're worried about then I have to say to you: You come along or you're fired." He teased her but knew he pushed the right buttons to make her come along. "Think about it Potts, campfire, fresh air, relaxing in the sun at the beach, free time, clear skies, stars, marshmallows and fun with your two best friends. Adventure Pepper. Waking up because of singing birds and the sun, watching the sun rise and set at the sea. Just us two."
The last statement wondered her and she arched an eyebrow at him as he realized what he just had said. "I mean just us three, enjoying time and maybe one or two beer."
"Sorry Mr Stark, but that still doesn't sound very appealing to me. I hate camping and I hate being out there, no roof over my head and being outside all the time."
He shot her another toothy grin. "Time to turn your opinion then, isn't it. You will come along Miss Potts."
"So you're actually saying you force me to join you and Rhodey or I'll lose my job?" He nodded in agreement, but both knew he couldn't survive a day without her. She rolled her eyes but gave in eventually. "Fine." She muttered under her breath.
"Fine, Potts. Go to your condo, pack your things and I will catch you in an hour."
She turned around to leave as she realized something. "I have no sleeping mat, nor a sleeping bag."
He turned her struggles down with a wave of his hand towards the things on his desk. "I have it for you."
"You knew I would come along, don't you?" She asked and rolled her eyes again.
"Yes, I knew you would give in. You deserve a vacation Potts and if you honestly don't like it I'll pay you a two-week wellness vacation. Deal?"
"Deal."
-o-
An hour later Rhodey and Tony picked her up and they took the jet from Malibu to Portland. Tony had rented an old Pick-up to drive the rest of the way to Seattle. He insisted to make it as normal as possible, means no fancy cars or technique and no Iron Man.
The ride was like a road trip in movies and Pepper had to admit that it was actually nice to sing along with the songs on the radio and enjoyed the sight outside the window. But Tony was soon bored, just like Pepper. They drove for more than five hours, because Tony had trouble with reading the map properly, Rhodey wanted to take a break every 20 minutes to take a picture and Pepper needed to visit a restroom every hour and a half. That all came together and since they had no GPS they strayed around till they finally found the place Tony had looked for.
And now they stood here, in front her the tent, Tony next to her as clueless as she was while Rhodey was away to get some water. Suddenly a spider landed in her shoulder and she got a screaming fit and jumped nearly a feet. She ran around screaming till Tony managed to get rid of the spider.
As Pepper finally calmed down Tony teased her. "Shall we get started to build it or do you want to sleep without it, Miss Potts? Maybe you can make friends with some ants or some other eight-legged bugs."
8 hours without a connection to the internet or a sign of civilization was unnerving to Pepper and she stormed away with her phone. This was going to be a long, long, long week.
-To be continued-
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Thanks. Xoxox
PP-S