MARVEL: Off-Duty Superheroes [one-shots + imagines]

Tony Stark's (Other) Greatest Fear

"Pepper!"

Tony swats away at a fly swarming his work station, but it continues to pester him. It flits around his head ceaselessly before landing on his forearm once more.

Slap!

The fly buzzes away, undisturbed, and Tony exhales. Maybe now he can get some godda--

Bzzzzzzzzz.

"Pepper!" He calls out again, resisting the urge to use one of his computer monitors as a giant flyswatter to crush the bug into oblivion.

This damn fly has the absolute worst timing. There he was, minding his own damn business, but no. It decided to stop by and say hello. Or rather, bzzzz-bzzzz-bzzzzzzz....

"SHIT!" He slaps at the fly again, waving his hands wildly in front of his face in an attempt to scare it off, and sighs as it leaves him in peace.

For now.

"JARVIS?" Tony asks.

The A.I. system responds politely, "Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"Where's Pepper?" He replies. "Can you get her down here, please? Now?"

JARVIS acknowledges him promptly, "Of course, sir. One moment."

Tapping his fingers anxiously, Tony attempts to shoo the returning fly away from him. He's clearly flustered, his dark hair sticking up from where he's been running his hands through it nervously, and his eyes are darting around the floor nervously.

Sighing, he calls out, "JARVIS!"

"Sir, Miss Potts is--" JARVIS begins to reply, only to be cut off by Pepper's voice.

"Tony?" She calls out from the other room, still out of sight. "What's going on?"

The strawberry blonde woman steps into his view, and Tony's shoulders slump back in relief. Her eyes are wide as she takes in his appearance, and - most importantly - where he's currently standing.

"Don't just stand there," Tony snaps at her, "Do something!"

Pepper stifled a laugh, "Tony....what's going on?"

He clenches his fists, trying to keep himself from panicking, and the stupid fly swarms into his face again. Losing his temper - and his balance - as he swats at the fly, a stream of curses flows from his lips as Tony attempts to maintain his perch on top of his desk. His feet are crouched under him, fingertips bracing him on the desktop, as he looks at Pepper with a look that can only be equated to sheer desperation.

"There," Tony points, just past the wheel of his desk chair. "Kill it."

Pepper follows his gaze, her eyes landing on a tiny black spot smaller than a dime on the floor. From where she's standing, it looks like a smudge on the ground, but then she realizes the smudge is moving.

"Tony," she bites her lip, trying not to laugh. "Is that...?"

He groans, "JUST KILL IT."

She snorts, shaking her head, and smiles brilliantly at Tony. His big brown eyes are pleading with her, and she can't help but laugh at how the amazing Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, has been laid this low. Pulling out her phone, she swipes open the camera and takes a photo while Tony's brown eyes widen with more fear.

"What are you doing?" He asks. "Pepper....Pepper, c'mon. Don't do this. Please, just...gahhhh. Can you please just put the phone down? Delete that. Whatever it is, delete it. Please? Please, Pepper."

Pepper laughs, shaking her head, and tucking her phone back in her pocket, "Sorry, Tony."

"So, what? You're just gonna leave me here?" Tony cries out, watching as Pepper spins on her heel to exit the room.

He stares back at the ground, watching the tiny black spot by his chair, as he lets out another string of profanity while the woman disappears from the room. The damn fly returns, buzzing around his face, and Tony calls out Pepper's name once more.

She laughs from the other room, "Good luck with the spider, Tony!"