When he agreed Pepper could bow out and rest her weary head after they had arrived at the office from the airport, Tony didn't realize the deal meant he would have to haul his own luggage up to the penthouse without Happy. He fell into the foyer with a groan and sigh of relief, wondering just what the fuck he actually needed to live for three weeks and why he didn't get a place in the East to solve this problem. Good thought-- Steve's voice, please hold-- Tony closed his eyes to breathe a moment and browse the real estate listings. He loved Hong Kong and he really loved the Shangri-La, but his own humble little fiftieth floor cottage would be magnificent. He'd have to book someone for renovations, too. Pepper had to come back into work, this was pressing.
His eyes were still closed and luggage still where it fell in the entrance when Tony wandered into the kitchen, well into his third e-mail of revised plans by the time he stopped and the first thing he saw could be a big, blond, happy puppy. The enthusiasm he had been hoping for fell a little short and so did Tony's grin, wavering when he didn't get a big, slobbery hug, but then he didn't know where he would have gotten that idea. He didn't even want a dog. "Long," he finally answered, eyes widening a moment as he clearly just remembered to take that question off of hold. "Hard. Warm." Now he was just saying things, but he did as he sidled closer, ready to get grabby for more informative ammunition. Fourth revision: Pep, give it fifteen, knock. He smelled like plane, hair mussed and his suit was downright unsightly, but it didn't have to hang around.