5 Times Peter Fell, and Tony caught him. And the 1 Time Tony didn't.

Chapter 6: Free Fall

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"-and then we have the quarterly meeting with Devin from accounts, he's got some input about the new line coming out in fall-"

Tony ran a hand across his face, attempting to sweep away the exhaustion that was setting there. And failing. Miserably.

He glanced down at Pepper's face, which was lighting up the screen of the laptop that sat in his lap on the bed, and sighed.

"You know I'm pretty sure that when most couples video chat – after weeks of not seeing each other, mind – they usually skip all the accounts chat and head straight for the Netflix and chill kind of vibe."

Pepper's eyes flicked up from the report she was reading to him, staring at him through the computer screen, with a small smirk on her lips.

"Netflix and chill?" She asked, eyebrows rising. "Tony, you're upstate and I'm in Croatia."

"We can make it work. I'm a pretty imaginative guy."

A short chuckled slipped out of Pepper's lips. Her eyes glanced down and a shuffling echoed through the speaker as she pushed her papers away.

"Oh, I know."

God. That sultry tone had Tony adjusting the laptop that was still resting on his now quite tight, silk pyjama pants.

"Really?" He murmured, sliding the laptop forward on the bed until it was resting on the edge and he was sprawled out on his stomach staring at Pepper. "What is it that you know, Ms Potts?"

Pepper leaned towards the screen slowly, resting her elbows on the desk that her own laptop was perched on and folding her hands under her chin to stare at Tony. Christ, that stare did something to Tony that – no matter how many times she levelled him with it – never went away.

"I know that you have a meeting with the secretary of state this morning at eight, and it's already three." She murmured, seductively. It took a full minute for the words to seep into Tony's brain. When they did, his face must have fallen, because Pepper let out a soft chuckle and leant back in her seat. "Go to sleep, Tony."

Tony shook his head, running a hand through his hair and leaning up on an elbow of his own.

"Nah, this view is way better than anything I can dream up."

Pepper's eyes sparkled. That grin grew.

"I thought you said you were imaginative?"

"I am, but even I have my limits." Tony argued, leaning back down onto the bed and throwing a smirk of his own towards the laptop. "The mere image of you, Ms Potts, is too much for even this genius to invent-"

Pepper was bent over, and in hysterics, before he could finish.

"Oh, my god." She gasped. "That was awful." She threw her head back, whipping away tears that were escaping out of the corners of her eyes. "That was-"

"Romantic." Tony insisted. Her chuckles erupted into full out laughter. "I'm being romantic." He argued. "I'm wooing, you just-"

Tony cut off sharply when every light in the room flashed an ominous red – and then a booming alarm sounded all through the compound.

Pepper's hands shot up to cover her ears. Even through the computer speaker the alarm must have been deafening.

"What is that?!" She yelled, eyes wide.

"I have to go." Tony shouted over the alarm, panic setting in. "I'm sorry – but I have to-"

"Tony!?"