[Fanfic] Not Rocket Science [TonyxPepper]
May. 18th, 2012 04:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blood_wingedTitle: Not Rocket Science
Genre: Romance
Characters/Pairing: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts. Tony/Pepper
Rating/Warnings: U, none.
Summary: Tony Stark, genius billionaire philanthropist, finds himself left at an utter loss in the face of his own child.
A/N: First Marvel fic ever gjkhlf
Pepper had looked radiant while she was pregnant. She had carried herself with an air of grace and had patiently bore all of Tony’s fretting and fussing as he adjusted to the prospect of being a father. He’d seemed content with the idea in the end, and he had held Pepper’s hand while she went through labour and cooed appropriately over the tiny infant that they had brought into the world, but now that they were home, something wasn’t quite right.
It had been a week and he was yet to pick up and hold his own child. He had thrown himself into his work and while, as ever, he had no shortage of affection for Pepper herself, he would only warily look at the baby as if he didn’t understand what a baby was.
He sat on the couch looking over some paperwork while Pepper paced the room, rubbing one hand up and down the baby’s back after a feeding. She snuck up on him, sitting beside him and pushing the papers aside, leaning over and placing the child on his lap.
“Pepper, no—”
“Put your arm under here like this…” Ignoring his protest, she arranged his arm to offer the best support, and then stood. “I have something I need to do.”
“Pep—Wait, no, what? What is this. Pepper, don’t make me—This is cruel. Where are you going?”
“Out, Tony. It’s not rocket science. Be good!”
With that, she was gone, and Tony felt his stomach sink slightly. He looked down, and the large, dark eyes of his daughter looked back up at him, unblinking. She gurgled quietly, flailing her arms a little, fingers grasping at the air.
“Erm. Hi.”
At the sound of his voice she quieted and returned to staring at him, and Tony let out a slightly nervous chuckle.
“Uh… Jarvis?”
‘Yes, sir.’ The voice of the A.I. system was certainly having trouble concealing his amusement. He would have to do something about that.
“What am I supposed to…?”
‘To do, sir? She is your daughter, there is only one thing that you are required to do.’
“Yes? And what is that?”
‘Be her father, sir.’
“… Very unhelpful, Jarvis, thank you.”
‘Always a pleasure, sir.’
Tony felt the sudden urge to pace. His legs were restless, but he didn’t dare move and disturb the baby. She didn’t seem terribly concerned with anything, only with looking at him, and that, was far more unsettling than any other thing she might have done. What was the point of this, anyway? Pepper was tormenting him. Tormenting him with his own child. It was heartless, is what it was, and he would have his revenge when she finally returned from wherever she’d gone.
Whenever that was.
What did you even do with a baby, anyway? He tried moving his arm, and she made a noise. She was so small he thought he might break her if he did anything or even breathed too hard near her. His enemies would surely laugh now, to see Tony Stark brought to such helplessness by such a tiny thing. He wasn’t sure what to do with his other hand, and leaving it on the couch felt wrong, so he rested it on her stomach, feeling the faint flutter of her heart beating under the embroidered, pink onesie that Pepper had insisted she wear, because it was cute, or some such silly womanly thing.
If she could talk, it would be easier. If she could do anything but lie there, it would be easier. If she—
Tony’s train of thought was promptly derailed by the sensation of four chubby fingers holding very, very tightly to one of his.
“Hey, what are you—?”
She wasn’t letting go. He tried to free his hand, gently, and she kept hold of that single digit, tugging as if she was trying to wave his hand around. Tony felt something clench around his heart, and flinched in alarm, but no, the arc reactor was still glowing faintly from under his shirt. Was that..?
A small frown creased between his eyebrows as he slowly shifted the baby, laying her lengthways along his thighs, one hand behind her head, half supporting her as she continued to lightly tug at his finger. One corner of his lips twitched in a smile, and after casting a quick glance at the door, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I love you, kid,” he murmured. “You’re going to do great things one day, you can count on it.” He paused, and looked offside. “… Jarvis, you didn’t see a thing.”
‘Didn’t see what, sir?’
Tony smirked.
Three hours later, when Pepper finally arrived home, she found Tony alone on the couch. Her first reaction was one of alarm, and she moved quickly towards him, a questioning expression on her face.
“Where’s—?”
“I put her to bed an hour ago. Went out like a light. Nothing to worry about.”
Pepper slowly put her bag down, and slid her coat off, regarding Tony with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. He grinned easily at her, and patted the spot beside him.
“Come on, sit. Tell me of your… adventures. I’m all ears.”
“Did you feed her?”
He sighed. “Yes, Pepper, I fed her.”
“And you—”
“Changed her diaper, yes, I did that. Sit down.”
She did, finally, and took the glass of champagne that he offered her. Tony brushed a curl of hair behind her ear and kissed her, then rolled his eyes at the look of worry still shadowing her face.
“Look, mother hen, you can go and check but she’s fine. You’re wounding my pride, here.”
“No, no… I trust you, Tony.” Shifting, she settled back against his outstretched arm and brought her legs up to curl them over his lap. He rested a hand on her thigh and made a quiet sound of approval. “I expected to come back and find the entire tower reduced to rubble.”
“Oh, come on.”
Pepper shook her head at him, and smiled. “Imagine that. You can take care of a child.”
“I’m a dad, Pepper. It’s not rocket science.”
Genre: Romance
Characters/Pairing: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts. Tony/Pepper
Rating/Warnings: U, none.
Summary: Tony Stark, genius billionaire philanthropist, finds himself left at an utter loss in the face of his own child.
A/N: First Marvel fic ever gjkhlf
*****
Pepper had looked radiant while she was pregnant. She had carried herself with an air of grace and had patiently bore all of Tony’s fretting and fussing as he adjusted to the prospect of being a father. He’d seemed content with the idea in the end, and he had held Pepper’s hand while she went through labour and cooed appropriately over the tiny infant that they had brought into the world, but now that they were home, something wasn’t quite right.
It had been a week and he was yet to pick up and hold his own child. He had thrown himself into his work and while, as ever, he had no shortage of affection for Pepper herself, he would only warily look at the baby as if he didn’t understand what a baby was.
He sat on the couch looking over some paperwork while Pepper paced the room, rubbing one hand up and down the baby’s back after a feeding. She snuck up on him, sitting beside him and pushing the papers aside, leaning over and placing the child on his lap.
“Pepper, no—”
“Put your arm under here like this…” Ignoring his protest, she arranged his arm to offer the best support, and then stood. “I have something I need to do.”
“Pep—Wait, no, what? What is this. Pepper, don’t make me—This is cruel. Where are you going?”
“Out, Tony. It’s not rocket science. Be good!”
With that, she was gone, and Tony felt his stomach sink slightly. He looked down, and the large, dark eyes of his daughter looked back up at him, unblinking. She gurgled quietly, flailing her arms a little, fingers grasping at the air.
“Erm. Hi.”
At the sound of his voice she quieted and returned to staring at him, and Tony let out a slightly nervous chuckle.
“Uh… Jarvis?”
‘Yes, sir.’ The voice of the A.I. system was certainly having trouble concealing his amusement. He would have to do something about that.
“What am I supposed to…?”
‘To do, sir? She is your daughter, there is only one thing that you are required to do.’
“Yes? And what is that?”
‘Be her father, sir.’
“… Very unhelpful, Jarvis, thank you.”
‘Always a pleasure, sir.’
Tony felt the sudden urge to pace. His legs were restless, but he didn’t dare move and disturb the baby. She didn’t seem terribly concerned with anything, only with looking at him, and that, was far more unsettling than any other thing she might have done. What was the point of this, anyway? Pepper was tormenting him. Tormenting him with his own child. It was heartless, is what it was, and he would have his revenge when she finally returned from wherever she’d gone.
Whenever that was.
What did you even do with a baby, anyway? He tried moving his arm, and she made a noise. She was so small he thought he might break her if he did anything or even breathed too hard near her. His enemies would surely laugh now, to see Tony Stark brought to such helplessness by such a tiny thing. He wasn’t sure what to do with his other hand, and leaving it on the couch felt wrong, so he rested it on her stomach, feeling the faint flutter of her heart beating under the embroidered, pink onesie that Pepper had insisted she wear, because it was cute, or some such silly womanly thing.
If she could talk, it would be easier. If she could do anything but lie there, it would be easier. If she—
Tony’s train of thought was promptly derailed by the sensation of four chubby fingers holding very, very tightly to one of his.
“Hey, what are you—?”
She wasn’t letting go. He tried to free his hand, gently, and she kept hold of that single digit, tugging as if she was trying to wave his hand around. Tony felt something clench around his heart, and flinched in alarm, but no, the arc reactor was still glowing faintly from under his shirt. Was that..?
A small frown creased between his eyebrows as he slowly shifted the baby, laying her lengthways along his thighs, one hand behind her head, half supporting her as she continued to lightly tug at his finger. One corner of his lips twitched in a smile, and after casting a quick glance at the door, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“I love you, kid,” he murmured. “You’re going to do great things one day, you can count on it.” He paused, and looked offside. “… Jarvis, you didn’t see a thing.”
‘Didn’t see what, sir?’
Tony smirked.
Three hours later, when Pepper finally arrived home, she found Tony alone on the couch. Her first reaction was one of alarm, and she moved quickly towards him, a questioning expression on her face.
“Where’s—?”
“I put her to bed an hour ago. Went out like a light. Nothing to worry about.”
Pepper slowly put her bag down, and slid her coat off, regarding Tony with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty. He grinned easily at her, and patted the spot beside him.
“Come on, sit. Tell me of your… adventures. I’m all ears.”
“Did you feed her?”
He sighed. “Yes, Pepper, I fed her.”
“And you—”
“Changed her diaper, yes, I did that. Sit down.”
She did, finally, and took the glass of champagne that he offered her. Tony brushed a curl of hair behind her ear and kissed her, then rolled his eyes at the look of worry still shadowing her face.
“Look, mother hen, you can go and check but she’s fine. You’re wounding my pride, here.”
“No, no… I trust you, Tony.” Shifting, she settled back against his outstretched arm and brought her legs up to curl them over his lap. He rested a hand on her thigh and made a quiet sound of approval. “I expected to come back and find the entire tower reduced to rubble.”
“Oh, come on.”
Pepper shook her head at him, and smiled. “Imagine that. You can take care of a child.”
“I’m a dad, Pepper. It’s not rocket science.”
