A Working Romance | Marvel "The Office" AU

Crime Stoppers

Tony yawns as he wipes his desk down. "I f****** hate coffee stains," he grumbles. "I never feel like I clean it well enough and all of my projects end up smelling like coffee. Not that I'm complaining, it's better than oil and gas stinking up the office, but still. I'm a man, I should be able to scrub this coffee off of my desk without any residue left behind."

He sits back in his chair, head slung back. Tony groans, the coffee soaked rag clutched in his hand. "Why must I have such a small desk?"

"Well, if you actually used your work room that we have at home," Pepper says from the doorway, "then you wouldn't have this problem." She crosses her arms and smiles at him.

"Touché."

"Come on, Tony. I'm ready to go home," she sighs. Pepper takes a few steps into the office. "Please?'

Tony opens his eyes and gives her a soft smile. "Let me clean this up and-" he stops as Pepper places both hands on his desk and leans down, top button of her blouse undone. "Or we could go home now."

Pepper grins, stands up, and turns to the camera. She nods toward the door. The camera starts to back away, maneuvering it's way out the office without taking it's lens off the pair. Pepper shuts the door on the camera, her mic still picking up her words. "Or we could have some fun here?"

"I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Not as much as you should," she says softly.

The sounds of people kissing echo crackle over the mics. "I'll never stop telling you, ya know that?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

---

The camera waits at the front stoop for the first person to arrive. People pass by, wrapped up in their own world despite it only being seven in the morning.

Steve walks on the other side of the street, Starbucks in hand and his bag in the other. He nods to the camera as he looks toward the building. Steve quickly crosses the street and and smiles. "Morning. You guys been here long?"

The camera shakes left and right.

Steve pulls out the keys and grabs the door handle. He puts in a key, but the force pushes open the door. Steve pauses. "Is someone already here?"

Producer: "No, Happy and Peter are usually the only ones who come in before you if anyone. The other offices open at nine."

Steve pushes up his glasses and straightens his shoulders. He opens the door and cautiously steps inside. The camera slides in behind him.

The receptionist looks around the room, checking closests and the security office. He glances around the room and opens the elevator doors. They're empty. Steve turns to the staircase and opens the door softly. "Don't let it bang," he whispers to the crew.

He takes the stairs two at a time, his footsteps nearly silent as he jogs up to the floor. Steve's looking up and around each flight of stairs as he goes up to the right floor.

Steve glances over his shoulder as he gets to the door leading to their floor. He opens it slowly, looks both ways, and steps out of the hall. He pauses, blocking the camera from entering. The color drains from his face.

He turns around and looks past the camera. "Call 911." Steve turns back around and walks towards the office.

The camera moves into the hallway and faces the office. The glass door that leads into the office is shattered, pieces of glass splayed over the carpet on either side.

Steve takes a picture of it before he opens the door, stepping over the glass.

They walk into the office, standing in the entryway. The camera pans over the ransacked office; computers were missing, paper was everywhere, desks were broken, chairs flipped. It was a mess.