once they land, the car will take them to their separate locations for the day. pepper will be heading to stark industries, he’ll be heading to the wreckage of their old home. they’ll meet up for dinner, he imagines, once she’s taken care of everything she needs to do at the office.

“looking good, hap,” tony says, clasping the other man’s shoulder before loading his own bag into the trunk. happy does look remarkably well, the burns on his neck will scar, and maybe one on his cheek — but aside from that, the man looks the same as always. tony gets into the car after pepper, relaxing at the warm breeze compared to the chilly winter weather they’d left behind.

she continues to giggle as she untangles herself from the bedding to sit up and reach for her discarded clothes on the floor.

tony groans in protest as pepper sits up and starts to get dressed. they've been together too long if the sight of his naked body tangled in the duvet isn't enough to entice her to stick around. he closes his eyes, burrowing back into the pillows.

pepper reaches to pat his bare leg gently. “honey, we have less than half an hour before we land. even we can’t be that fast,” she says with a grin. “but i booked us a very nice hotel with a very nice steam shower…”

“ughhhh,” tony’s reply is muffled. “fine. i’ll get up.” he pulls the duvet and pillows away from himself, getting up with a mutinous expression as he starts to get dressed.

pepper is used to his grumbling in the mornings, and she puts on her clothes again without as much of a fuss. she runs her fingers through her hair, stretches, and then slides out of bed to look out the window at the city now visible below them.

tony returns to the cabin, rubbing at his tired eyes, his hair a mess of bed head. he obediently sits down in his seat and buckles his seatbelt, accepting an espresso from one of the flight attendants.

pepper follows shortly after nipping into the bathroom to freshen up her makeup, and slides into her seat beside him feeling more awake. she fastens her seatbelt and reaches for her espresso with a grateful smile.

once they land, the car will take them to their separate locations for the day. pepper will be heading to stark industries, he’ll be heading to the wreckage of their old home. they’ll meet up for dinner, he imagines, once she’s taken care of everything she needs to do at the office.

she continues to giggle as she untangles herself from the bedding to sit up and reach for her discarded clothes on the floor.

tony groans in protest as pepper sits up and starts to get dressed. they've been together too long if the sight of his naked body tangled in the duvet isn't enough to entice her to stick around. he closes his eyes, burrowing back into the pillows.

pepper reaches to pat his bare leg gently. “honey, we have less than half an hour before we land. even we can’t be that fast,” she says with a grin. “but i booked us a very nice hotel with a very nice steam shower…”

“ughhhh,” tony’s reply is muffled. “fine. i’ll get up.” he pulls the duvet and pillows away from himself, getting up with a mutinous expression as he starts to get dressed.

pepper is used to his grumbling in the mornings, and she puts on her clothes again without as much of a fuss. she runs her fingers through her hair, stretches, and then slides out of bed to look out the window at the city now visible below them.

tony returns to the cabin, rubbing at his tired eyes, his hair a mess of bed head. he obediently sits down in his seat and buckles his seatbelt, accepting an espresso from one of the flight attendants.

she continues to giggle as she untangles herself from the bedding to sit up and reach for her discarded clothes on the floor.

tony groans in protest as pepper sits up and starts to get dressed. they've been together too long if the sight of his naked body tangled in the duvet isn't enough to entice her to stick around. he closes his eyes, burrowing back into the pillows.

pepper reaches to pat his bare leg gently. “honey, we have less than half an hour before we land. even we can’t be that fast,” she says with a grin. “but i booked us a very nice hotel with a very nice steam shower…”

“ughhhh,” tony’s reply is muffled. “fine. i’ll get up.” he pulls the duvet and pillows away from himself, getting up with a mutinous expression as he starts to get dressed.

she continues to giggle as she untangles herself from the bedding to sit up and reach for her discarded clothes on the floor.

tony groans in protest as pepper sits up and starts to get dressed. they've been together too long if the sight of his naked body tangled in the duvet isn't enough to entice her to stick around. he closes his eyes, burrowing back into the pillows.

pepper giggles as she snakes her hand under the duvet to pinch his ass. “it’s a great butt.”

"ouch," tony wriggles away from her hand as she pinches him. "you'll bruise me."

pepper chuckles softly and runs her hand up his back idly. “we’re landing soon. we should get back to our seats before someone gets an eyeful.”

"i'm under the covers," tony counters, lips pressing against her neck as he speaks. "and, actually, they would be blessed with an eyeful of my ass."

they sleep the rest of the flight, until the sun starts to filter through the windows as they cross over onto the west coast. pepper opens her eyes sleepily, yawning.

tony stirs when he hears her yawn next to his ear, his arms wrapping around her and pressing her down into the mattress. in that moment, they're still at home, and pepper always wants to get up early. "five more minutes."

“only because you always fall asleep after one drink on red eyes,” pepper says, crawling under the soft sheets once she’s undressed.

"i do not," tony replies, sounding outraged. once he's naked, he follows her into the bed, his eyes already tired, each blink longer. "i was resting my eyes," he says, voice muffled under the duvet.

pepper giggles quietly, slinging one long leg over his and snuggling into his chest. the light of the reactor is smothered by the fluffy duvet, the room plunged into darkness.

“i’m gonna rest my eyes again,” tony announces, as pepper snuggles into him under the covers, her skin warm against his. “but i’m gonna be soooooo awake.”

“sure you are…” she murmurs sleepily, already starting to drift back off in his arms.

tony’s reply is a shallow snore, already unconscious after a few moments of having his eyes closed with her warm weight on top of him.

“only because you always fall asleep after one drink on red eyes,” pepper says, crawling under the soft sheets once she’s undressed.

"i do not," tony replies, sounding outraged. once he's naked, he follows her into the bed, his eyes already tired, each blink longer. "i was resting my eyes," he says, voice muffled under the duvet.

pepper giggles quietly, slinging one long leg over his and snuggling into his chest. the light of the reactor is smothered by the fluffy duvet, the room plunged into darkness.

“i’m gonna rest my eyes again,” tony announces, as pepper snuggles into him under the covers, her skin warm against his. “but i’m gonna be soooooo awake.”

“only because you always fall asleep after one drink on red eyes,” pepper says, crawling under the soft sheets once she’s undressed.

"i do not," tony replies, sounding outraged. once he's naked, he follows her into the bed, his eyes already tired, each blink longer. "i was resting my eyes," he says, voice muffled under the duvet.

pepper wraps her hand around his and leads him back to the private suite at the back of the jet. once the door is closed she tumbles onto the bed and starts tugging off her clothes sleepily.

"we really only fuck back here," tony notes as she undresses slowly and sleepily, her clothes ending up in a big pile at the floor at the foot of the bed. he decides he might as well undress, too, stripping out of his jeans and old mit shirt.

she shakes her head. “no, but i’m going to go to the back and sleep if you want to join me…” she yawns softly, standing up carefully as well.

tony blinks at her, looking up and down the cabin of the jet. no sign of any disturbance. his heart starts to slow. "alright, sure." he steps into the aisle so that she can get out and lead the way.

pepper manages a couple of hours before her neck starts to bother her, and she quietly unfolds herself from her seat. she brushes her fingertips lightly against his cheek to see if he’ll wake.

tony's head jerks up from his shoulder when pepper's fingers brush along his cheek, his brown eyes alert. "are we there?" he asks, unbuckling his seatbelt and standing so quickly that he makes himself dizzy, his hand grabbing at the headrest of the seat behind him.

pepper finishes a few chapters of her own book before turning off the overhead light and settling down in her chair to sleep. she sets his book aside as well, smiling as tony snores quietly.

this always happens to tony on flights that last longer than half an hour. despite the suite set up for them at the back of the plane, he falls asleep, and usually in the most uncomfortable of positions. typically after insisting to pepper that he won't fall asleep at all this time.

she giggles and adds everything on the list to an order, placing it and then tucking her tablet into her bag and pulling out her ereader instead.

tony finishes off his scotch, makes it about two pages into pepper's book, and falls asleep. he snores, his head lolling onto his shoulder, book held limply in his hands.

she turns the tablet to show him. “it’s not work, it’s happy’s grocery list,” she says with a grin. “i promised the kitchen would be stocked for when he moves in.”

"could've sworn i heard that swooping email noise," tony grumbles as he picks up the book on his lap.