InsaneJournal

You’re not… chicken… are you, Tony?
Who: Kevin Flynn, Rachel Flynn (Rarity), Pepper Potts and Tony Stark
When: Valentine’s Day, around midnight
Where: Their suite, Vegas
What: Celebrations
Rating/Warning: Low/None (eloping, drunkenness)
Status: Complete when posted



Tony Stark was a really, really good Best Man. He’d ordered the best suite at the Bellagio, and the two bedroom, lofted living room, floor to ceiling windows with the most amazing view of the strip was all theirs for the night. And the next couple nights, most likely, because they didn’t have to be back in Orange County until Tuesday morning. (President’s Day. Awesome holiday.)

He was standing at the window with a glass of champagne, looking out over the strip. This certainly was the life. He was already drunk, having just watched Kevin and Rachel tie the knot, and he and Pepper had shared their first (of many, hopefully) kiss this afternoon in the office. It seemed like things were coming together.

Even Pepper was merrier from the champagne than she usually allowed herself to be but watching Rachel and Kevin get married had been lovely and she was touched that she’d been asked to witness it.

Wandering over to where Tony was stood she smiled, “It’s an incredible view” she said clinking her glass gently against his own.

Tony grinned. He lifted his arm and draped it around her shoulders, pulling her in against him to kiss her hair. He didn’t care if they weren’t official or even that their first kiss had been this afternoon--only about eight hours ago. This was Pepper, and he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He was jumping into things fast, and she was likely to stop him, to slow things down. He didn’t care. He was tipsy, and happy, and Kevin and Rachel were married. What a weird world.

“I should buy a floor in one of those buildings,” he pointed out toward some high-rise condos not too far from the strip. “Then we can come visit whenever we want.” Though, it’s not like the hotels didn’t have great views without property tax.

Kevin Flynn was married. He blinked at the ceiling as he lay next to his wife. His wife. It was wild, and crazy, just up and getting married on Valentine’s Day - throwing caution and tradition to the wind and just getting it done already. That sounded like just his style, actually. And while they were still planning on having the ‘real’ wedding they’d set the date for, he had to admit that going this route had been pretty fitting. They’d met in Vegas, fell in love in Vegas, it stood to reason they should return here to exchange vows.

Kevin lifted their intertwined hands together to stare at his and Rachel’s wedding rings. The gold glinted on their fingers in the soft light of their penthouse suite. They were married.

There was a chuckle of joy in his throat at the thought. He kissed Rachel’s knuckles and glanced over at her. She’d been as anxious to get to the hotel as if this were the actual big day and they’d just left the reception, instead of a tiny wedding chapel. “Hey there, Mrs. Flynn.” His smile grew into the white toothed grin that was his signature expression of excitement.

Rach gave Kevin’s hand a gentle squeeze. After the ceremony, they’d headed to the hotel, and left Tony and Pepper alone for a while. A couple of hours. They needed to connect, after such a whirlwind experience. She’d been especially clingy, especially needy, especially loving. And the post-coital glow really fitted her. “Hey, Mr. Flynn.” She responded, then leaned over to tap a kiss against his lips. “...you know, we should shower off and go take Tony and Pepper out to dinner. They came all this way, we probably shouldn’t just ditch them. You know?”

Showering sounded fantastic. Though what he had in mind and what Rachel had in mind were most likely two different ideas. And she was right, he couldn’t just ditch his best friend he’d practically begged to come along.

“You’re right,” and he kissed her fingers again and then leaned over and kissed her lips, lingering there a moment. “But don’t think for a moment it’s just gonna be a ‘shower’.” And he grinned, tossing back the sheets and scooting out of the bed, then scooping up Rachel in his arms and carrying her to the absurdly large and luxurious bathroom.

An hour later, the two of them were dressed and ready to go. Well, Rachel was. Kevin, always late, had yet to put on shoes or comb his damp hair properly. “So are we picking the place or should we let Tony and Pepper have the honors?” He was staring at his reflection as his fingers fussed with the buttons on his shirt. The room faintly still had the fresh, clinging, humid scent of a shower just finished - even if it had been finished a while ago.

“I told Pepper that we’d meet them at their hotel room.” Rachel said while putting lipstick on her lips and staring intently at herself in the hotel room’s mirror. She was amazing, she could put on lipstick and talk at the same time. “So we can just head over there.”

Pepper and Tony had realised the time was getting on and figured they may as well get ready for dinner, they would knock on the married couples door before they went down but figured the pair may have gotten caught up with each other. Which was perfectly understandable of course.
Pepper emerged from the bathroom in a pretty and elegant brown/grey dress which flattered her figure, her make-up was done and she was putting her earrings in as she smiled at Tony when their eyes met.

Tony was in a nice suit. One of his ‘going out’ suits. Of course, Tony Stark was fashionable. He had enough money to pay people to tell him what to wear. And he wore it well. Very, very well. So his suit was perfectly tailored. He turned, fixing one of his cufflinks, and broke into a warm smile at the sight of her in that dress. His hand stretched out to her. “You look wonderful.” It was the sort of compliment he might have made to her a week ago, not only hours after the two shared their first, amazing kiss.

“So do you” Pepper replied moving forward to take his hand with a smile as she, quite obviously, looked him over. She stood on tiptoe to place a soft kiss against his lips, “We should go and see if Rachel and Kevin want to join us for dinner” she said when she reluctantly pulled back.

Tony’s arms wrapped down and around her, hands staying in very appropriate places. He was being a very good boy, as much as he wanted to be otherwise. “Yes. Yes, we should.”

It was that moment when the knock came at the door. As if they were listening.

"Are you sure they're you know. ..not busy?" Kevin whispered to Rachel as he knocked on the door. Knowing Tony and his charm, it was a possibility though Kevin knew Pepper wasn't so easy like that. Still, a friend's wedding, swanky hotel suite, Vegas...anything was possible.

“Of course they’re not busy!” Rachel responded. “It’s Tony and Pepper. Come on, they’re not a couple.” Pepper had a lot more sense than that.

A long moment passed and then the door swung open. Kevin smiled broadly.

"Heya, hope we weren't interrupting anything." He said to Pepper, winking, clearly teasing; he made sure he said it loud enough for Tony to hear who was hanging back further in the room as was his style.

"Of course not" Pepper smiled, though two spots of color appeared on her cheeks, "Actually we were just coming to see if you were joining us for dinner"

Tony cocked one eyebrow and glanced over Pepper’s slender shoulder at the newlyweds. “What do you think about Thai?” He asked, hands slipped in his pockets. “Because last time I was in Vegas, there was this absolutely wonderful little hole-in-the-wall.”

“I love Thai!” Rachel burst out before she could help it. She was absolutely giddy with the excitement of the day. Valentine’s Day, her wedding, Vegas… it was a lot for the little brunette to handle. More pent up energy she’d just have to grind out later against her husband.

Kevin chuckled at his wife’s enthusiasm as he entered the room and shared a handshake with his friend. “I guess Thai it is.” He then said between them. “She really does love Thai. Like, loves. Inhales.” It was adorable, actually. He of course didn’t have much of a leg to stand on when it came to teasing about Thai food. He was known to indulge in Thai Iced Tea by the pitcher if they’d let him, which would only leave him wired for practically a day. “So, shall we?” He gestured to let Tony and Pepper lead the way out. Glancing over his shoulder he said, “By the way, that is a fantastic view you got there of the Strip.”

“Absolutely” Pepper nodded when Kevin asked if they should go and she stepped forward, feeling Tony’s hand on the small of her back. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Pepper smiled back at him, “We were admiring it earlier”

Tony wanted to be close to Pepper. Like, for realz. So, his hand didn’t leave the small of her back all the way out the door and down the hall. His thumb moved back and forth across the fabric of her dress, softly. “I was just saying how I should invest in some property out here. That way I won’t have to find a hotel every time we want to come visit.”

“Kev and I met here in Vegas,” Rachel explained to Pepper once they were in the elevator. “I had this little boutique shop. It wasn’t doing all that well. Lots of start-up costs, you know. God, I was in so much debt. Managed to pay it all off when we moved to New York, but it’s still haunted me. I’m thinking maybe I should do something like that in Orange County. Started on Etsy, and that’s going fairly well. Storefronts are expensive.”

Pepper listened as Rachel spoke, she thought it was sweet that they’d met here and returned for their spontaneous wedding. “If you need any help I’d be happy to look over the finances with you” she offered, having obtained her degree and masters in Business and Finance, Pepper was probably one of the best people to help.

“Yeah, we just kinda bumped into each other one day at a vintage clothing store,” Kevin chuckled. “Started talking old school threads and the rest is kinda history.”

Kevin wanted to explain to Tony that he’d offered to bail Rachel out of her financial morass, but that she’d refused. But he knew that it wasn’t something to discuss in an elevator on the way to dinner, and he was pretty sure Rachel didn’t want him telling anyone, even his best friend.

The story was that no matter how many times Kevin had offered - considering his net worth making the debt really a non-issue - Rachel had stubbornly turned him down. She had gotten herself into it, she’d said, and wanted to get herself out of it. So Kevin watched her flounder for a while desperately trying, and eventually making some headway. He admired her spirit greatly, but couldn’t help himself from intervening after a while, often sending people from ENCOM or recommending her to clients that they visit her shop. It was enough in the end for Rachel to get into the black like she said, shortly before they moved to New York.

Kevin turned to Tony, deciding to start up their own separate conversation. “So, you picked out a building you’re thinking of to buy here or just gonna build your own? Heard real estate is picking up here a bit.”

Rachel turned to Pepper, brightening a little bit. “Yeah? You know, I’m really good at the creative part, and the hard work… but finances just go beyond me. And Kev’s been a real trooper, but I want to earn my own keep. I don’t want him bailing me out just because he can.”

Tony gave a little nod to Kevin. “Nah, just thinking about a floor. One of the high-rise condos. Why, you interested in Las Vegas real estate?”

“I can understand that” Pepper smiled, “And I would be very happy to help you Rachel. What I lack in creativity I more than make up for with finance and business knowledge”

“You’re so kind to offer!” Rachel said, giving Pepper a bright smile. The elevator reached the bottom of the shaft and the doors opened. “I’ll collect up some paperwork and bring it to your office sometime. We can talk about my goals and my past, and where I am financially with the business.”

Kevin shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe. Would be nice to have a place to come to when visiting. Pretty sure Rach doesn't want to use my office slash living quarters at the Arcade as the place to stay." He chuckled and playfully pinched Rachel's side as he finished saying this and they headed out of the elevator. Making their way through the lobby and into the evening air, Kevin breathed in deeply. He always liked the dry, desert air. California was nice, but the humidity from the ocean or the rain (when there wasn’t a drought) sometimes got to him. Reaching the car that he’d called up before leaving their room, he opened the door for Rachel to get in. “Mrs. Flynn.” He smirked.

“Sounds like a good plan” Pepper agreed, “I look forward to it” As they stepped out of the elevator she smiled as she watched Rachel and Kevin together, she was so happy for them and grinned at the look she saw on Rachel’s face when Kevin called her Mrs Flynn.

“I forgot you still have that arcade here.” Tony said, following Pepper, Rachel and Kevin out of the elevator and into the lobby. He’d have to go visit the arcade before they headed back to Orange County. Throw some money at the machines. Do the dancing game with those little arrows on the screen. Win a big, stuffed prize for Pepper. That sort of thing.

“Why, thank you, Mr. Flynn.” Rachel had brightened considerably at the words, and climbed into the back of the car. Then she tugged her husband in after her.

Tony moved to the door, and playfully mocked Kevin. “Mrs. Potts,” he said, holding it open for Pepper.

Pepper, for her part, simply snorted and got into the car, “Just get in Tony” the fondness in her tone belied the words and her smile was soft.

Kevin fell into the seat next to Rachel as he was pulled in, then chuckled at Tony and Pepper. "Hey it's Vegas, you could always make it legit, and you'd have your best man right here." He teased with a big, goofy grin.

Kicking back in the back of stretch limo (because why not ride in style?) he draped an arm around Rachel, letting her nestle into his side. "Think you guys might want to catch a show later? Or check out the Arcade? We just expanded and added some seriously awesome laser tag." It sounded childish but it was actually more on the hardcore level of paintball in environment and strategy. "Been meaning to look in on the joint." He turned his head and kissed Rachel's hair. Because he could. Because he was so happy about this day he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

Tony chuckled as he fell into a seat next to Pepper. He wasn’t sure how to respond to the mention of making it legit since he honestly had no idea what was going on there. Besides the fact that he’d been head over heels for Pepper Potts for years now.

“Laser tag? On your wedding night? Seriously?” Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, why not?” Rachel inquired. “I’ll just need to take off my shoes.” Luckily, she was used to running around the arcade barefoot. That’s what she did when it was hot in Vegas. And all of her shoes were fashionable, none of them were comfortable.

Pepper said nothing about Kevin’s comment but did feel color rising to her cheeks which she also ignored.

She grinned at the suggestion of laser tag, Kevin and Rachel were not your usual couple but they were obviously perfect for each other. “Me too” she agreed with Rachel regarding the shoes, “But that actually sounds like fun. I was in university the last time I played I think” she recalled.

"And that's why I married you. You totally get me." And Kevin gave Rachel's lips a quick kiss.

"All right! Laser tag it is!" Kevin laughed. "Seriously you guys'll love it. Got state of the art laser and holographic projectors, computer programmed obstacles, and military grade sensors and optical weapons. I might have borrowed some tech from our defense contract's R&D." He winked mischievously. His face lit up as he got an idea. "Know what? We should have a bet. Whadddya say, Tony?"

“You honestly think I’m going to make a bet with you about laser tag?” Considering what he dreamed about? Kevin had no chance. Especially if he was teamed up with Rachel. She was sweet, but definitely not the laser tag expert type. Tony would have Pepper on his side anyday, though. He had a feeling she was amazing with a gun.

“You’re not… chicken… are you, Tony?” Rachel teased.

Tony’s jaw set. He raised his eyebrows, and then nodded once. “Name your terms, Flynn.”

"You had to say it didn't you?" Pepper said to Rachel but a smile was on her face. Pepper Potts was nothing if not stubborn and there was no way she was planning on letting Tony down. She waited for Kevin to speak, ready to jump in if needed to reign in their terms.

Kevin absolutely loved his wife. She'd needled Tony perfectly to cave to the bet.

Kevin pretended to seriously mull it over when he already knew what he wanted.

"Loser wears the winner's company shirt to the office, no covering it up with anything and no ducking into private offices, workshops, or bathroom breaks that last all day. Also no sick day. Everyone's gotta see you wear it and proof will be a pic on the winner's Facebook wall."

Rachel laughed and shrugged her shoulders. She was actually quite a bit more brilliant than some people gave her credit for--she might not understand computers or finances or history, but she understood people. And fashion, but that was a given.--She knew how to poke Tony Stark’s buttons.

Tony debated for a moment, then nodded. “Deal.”

"Alrighty then." Kevin grinned his cocky 'you so don't know what you're getting into' grin and stuck out a hand, shaking Tony's to make it official. "Oh! And they have to be ladies cut shirts. No backing out now." Because the idea of Stark wearing a tight fitting, V-necked ENCOM shirt was already striking him as hilarious.

Little did either man know, however, that by the end of the night and two extensive rounds, the game would ultimately end in a tie.