<div class="floatleft">(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d54/TangentGirlNat/Dream.jpg)</div><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>  Name:</strong> Tony Stark<br/>  <strong>Title:</strong> Iron Man<br/>  <strong>Location:</strong> Tony's Personal Lab<br/>  <strong>Time:</strong> 7:29pm Thursday<br/>  <strong>Tags:</strong> <strong>Pepper Potts</strong></span></span><br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;">      For the first time in a long time - Tony let himself get swept away in the moment. It was as if he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore. He'd been doing so ever since he'd returned from imprisonment in Afghanistan, and it had become such a heavy - albeit necessary - burden. But right now he just enjoyed this moment of passion with Pepper. It felt as if he was in his early twenties again - living in the moment, riding his emotions to wherever they might lead him. <br/><br/>     Now, instead of towards some foolish pursuit or temporary joy - his emotions led him to pure and unadulterated pleasure. This experience trumped any other sexual experience Tony could remember, and he didn't. He didn't remember them, he didn't think about anything, he just felt. <br/><br/>     He lost track of time during the throes of their passion, and before he knew it the two of them were lying on the now not-so-cool desktop in a tangled embrace. Both of them were panting for want of breath, and their naked bodies radiated with warmth in the cool evening air. Tony was exhausted.<br/><br/>     Physically, mentally, emotionally <em>exhausted</em>. <br/><br/>      Pepper's enthralling kiss must have done the trick - that and the combination of this extremely stressful day and the foreboding future now that Loki was once more on the loose. Tony couldn't even imagine what the bastard step-child had in mind for Earth this second time around. And not so much for Earth, but for the Avengers specifically. He did not doubt that Loki would recall the way Thor belittled him, the way Tony insulted him, and the way the Hulk had flung him back and forth brutally as though he were naught but a child's plaything. No, that wouldn't sit well with Loki... and despite the potentially terrible implications of that fact - it still made Tony smile.<br/><br/>     Or perhaps something else - <em>someone</em> else - had brought that smile to his face. Tony finally lifted his head and smiled down at Pepper with a look of unbridled content. So many witty phrases popped into his mind of ways to sabotage the moment with sarcasm... but this time he actually didn't. The emotions he was feeling were different... but they weren't all that uncomfortable after-all. It actually made him wonder why'd he'd been running from them all this time throughout the past several years with Pepper. He'd dodged them as if they were the plague and he'd had no immune system. <br/><br/>     But then Tony always had to have a battle. Ever since he was a child there was always a new challenge, a new game to play, and a new war to fight - and usually it was intellectual. And when it all came down to it - it was necessary. Tony was built for it. Better yet... he was <em>born</em> for it. He wanted to convince Pepper everything would be all right, he wanted to explain that he had a plan and they would get through it; but he didn't have to. From the way she was looking back up at him it felt as though he couldn't make a wrong move. He was centered - and she was the reason why.<br/><br/>     Tony didn't feel the need to rush back to work and scramble to find some answer for Loki. It would come to him at the proper time - he knew it would. Tony just took in a deep breath and sighed. <strong>"I don't know about you, but I am beat. It's been such a busy day - what with all the infringing upon your company territory and all."</strong> He offered her a playful grin and a wink before getting back to his feet. Without another word he slid on his dress-pants (and only his dress pants) and walked off towards the elevator that led up to their personal penthouse. <br/><br/>      Despite the close connection the two shared - there was always that subtle game of cat and mouse. Tony walked away from her, leaving her alone and naked on his desk - but the rudeness was double-edged, as Pepper knew he was actually turning in at a decent hour for once. He was heading straight for bed... <em>their</em> bed.</span></span></div><br/><hr/><hr/><br/><div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;"><em>Continued in: Stark Tower - Living Quarters and Common Areas (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=144301.msg7368261#msg7368261)</em></span></div>