Who: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark (Iron Man), Clint Barton (Hawkeye) When: April 25, Friday Where: Stark Tower What: Proving that Tony is, in fact, less decisive than Lucky (and that he has adult supervision in Pepper) Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
Tony bribed Pepper’s personal assistant (with donuts) to put a meeting in Pepper’s calendar for Friday. He reserved enough time for what he thought would be the greatest showdown of all time. Tony versus dog. The instructions on her calendar were for her to go upstairs to Tony’s lab.
Tony was in his lab, waiting for the others to arrive. But he was far from idle. No, actually, he was working on his latest project--an update on the Mach 42. He was working on some wiring, soldering tiny pieces together to make sure that the computer bits were all working properly, attached to the other right computer bits.
He glanced up when someone came into his lab.
Pepper had no idea what the appointment in her calendar meant, she didn't remember putting it in. But it was Tony and his lab so she assumed he had something to show her. And that was almost always interesting.
Entering the the lab using her code she smiled as he looked up. "Hey" she said, "So I assume there's an actual reason for me being here? Other than just to see you of course, which as you know I never mind" she added moving over to press a kiss to his lips.
Clint was aware that all of this was ridiculous, it did not stop him from bundling Lucky up in the car and heading towards Stark Tower again. He parked a little bit away and let Lucky walk the distance, since really, this was walk time and he didn’t want to confuse the poor mutt about things.
It wasn’t the same place they were taken to this time, and Clint was instead greeted with ‘Mr Stark is in his lab, this way please’ and off they went. Lucky sniffing his way through the building. The lab was… not really what Clint was expecting and he was seriously sure that this was all just one cosmic joke. “Now I know you’re just showing off.”
Tony had one arm around Pepper and was returning her kiss when Clint came into the lab. He’d stood from his chair and set aside his tools and things. A grin spread across his cheeks. “Yes. Showing off.” The Lab, not Pepper.
But Pepper was pretty impressive, too, Tony thought. He released his arm from around her. “Pep? This is Clint Barton.” He said, taking a step forward to facilitate the introductions. “Clint, this is Pepper Potts.”
Pepper was surprised when they were joined but smiled politely nonetheless. Moving forward to greet the newcomer with a handshake, she wondered if this was the same man from her dreams who was Tony's team mate. "Pleased to meet you Mr Barton" before shooting Tony a questioning look.
“Ms Potts,” Clint was polite enough, shaking her hand with a small smile. This must be the impartial judge, which Clint was currently doubting the validity of but, whatever. “This is Lucky,” Lucky was a soft-tan coloured lab-mix, not that Clint knew what kind of mix. He was full grown according to the rescue centre that Clint got him from and maybe about seven years old.
“Lucky, say hi.” He was also a giant dork. Tongue lolling out, sitting on his butt, Lucky just gave a yip of greeting before panting happily. “We’re working on basic greetings, but he’s not handshake ready.”
Tony gave Pepper a nod. He knew exactly what she was curious about, but he couldn't say anything. Not yet. Clint hadn't Dreamed, as far as Tony could tell, and he didn't want to say anything that might freak the guy out. But hopefully the nod and the slight movement of his eyebrows was enough to communicate to Pepper what he was thinking.
"So, this is Lucky, is it?" Tony asked, then crouched down so he could greet the dog. "Hi, there, Lucky. Think you're more decisive than I am? Hundred bucks says you're not. And Pep's gonna judge. So that's the lady you have to impress, right there." He pointed at Pepper, then stood up straight again. "I've got this in the bag."
Pepper understood, they’d worked together for a long time and had learnt how to silently communicate through boring meetings. She hoped he would dream, she liked Clint and would enjoy getting to know him here.
“Hey Lucky” Pepper said, briefly stroking the dog not entirely sure if she should or not. Until Tony distracted her, “You bet that you were more decisive than a dog?” she said her eyebrows rising, “You’re aware I can count on one hand the number of actual decisions you’ve made in the last few months”
Lucky wasn’t at all adverse to the attention, even if Tony was talking at him and he was a dog who didn’t understand a single word of it really. Pepper definitely got a better response from the dog, pushing his head back into her hand. “See, I knew this was ridiculous, but it’s just ridiculous enough to go along with.”
That was part of the fun though, right? Even if he lost, Lucky was apparently happy to just be out and doing whatever. And it seemed like Tony really was that insane inventory type. “Then again, this one sniffs his own butt.”
Tony waved his hand, as if brushing off Pepper's comment. Truth was, he wasn't all that decisive. It was just that he thought things didn't matter as much as other people said they did. He gave a gentle "pssh" sound, too, to seal the deal.
"I definitely don't do that," Tony added, turning to Pepper as if expecting her to back him up on this one. "Do I?"
Pepper laughed, “That you definitely don’t do” she confirmed, before looking over at Clint, “You know you’ve started on a very slippery slope, once you go along with one crazy idea he’ll start roping you into more” she warned. Though even she had to admit that most of the time they were fun crazy ideas.
Clint would really hope that Tony didn’t because that was just a whole other level of weird that Clint was so not getting involved in. “Well, y’know,” Clint was bored, it was something to do and why not? Really it wasn’t like he was doing much else anyway. “I hear it’s best to just humour crazy people.”
At the very least eccentric people, which Tony seemed to be firmly in the category of. Which, okay, Clint could deal with. “Besides, Lucky needs to get out more.” Not entirely true, but Clint probably needed to get out more himself. “So, what exactly is your idea for this ridiculousness?” It was an afternoon out at least.
"Absolutely. Best to just humor me and get it overwith." Tony said, grinning brightly at the two other people in the room. Not at Lucky, though. Sorry, Lucky. Tony was more into communicating with people.
"I figured we'd leave that up to Pep." Tony turned to Pepper with curious eyes. "Any ideas what we can do to test the decisiveness of the dog versus the decisiveness of yours truly?" He knew that no matter what test they came up with, Lucky was going to win. It was inevitable. It would probably be waiting for the dog to decide between things, then seeing if Tony could decide faster?
“Wait a minute not only have you brought me into this ridiculousness, as Mr Barton called it, but you expect me to now decide how we’re going to decide your decisiveness? I think you’ve already lost” Pepper told him with a smile, “Lucky has this in the bag” she said to Clint with a wink before smirking at Tony.
It was just comical really, because Pepper absolutely had a point. Evidently Tony had the thoughts and someone else came up with ways to make them happen. Probably lucrative for a company, not so much for winning bets. Clint just smirked as he dropped a hand down, just past Lucky’s face, the dog automatically rising up to touch his paw to Clint’s hand in a rather crude half canine high-five. “Someone is getting extra kibbles this week.”
It wasn’t a terrible way to spend an afternoon. It was just one of those strange ‘you will not believe what I did today’ kind of things.
Tony gave a deep, defeated sigh that was obviously fabricated for the other two's benefit. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a single fold, leather wallet, and tugged a one hundred dollar bill out of it. Then he held the bill out to Clint between two fingers as he folded and pocketed the wallet again with his free hand.
"Well, now that unpleasant business is taken care of... who's up for lunch? Shawarma, anyone?" Tony put his smile back on again.
Pepper knew she had a point and she also knew Tony well enough to know he had known he would never win that bet. But that hadn’t really been what this was about, not really.
“I think lunch would be lovely. Any objections to shawarma Mr Barton? Winner should chose while loser pays of course” she added with a little smile.
That was almost anti-climatic, but Clint just snickered as he pocketed the bill offered out. “Um, is Lucky allowed in there?” Clint had no problem with going along for a lunch, nor did he had issues with shawarma either, food was food for Clint. But he had brought Lucky out and really it’d be cruel to make him perform and then ditch him.
“They’ve got tables on the sidewalk.” Tony replied. “We can’t exactly leave the champion behind.” He wouldn’t suggest a place where the dog couldn’t go--not when the dog just triumphed spectacularly over the billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, rock star.
Pepper supposed it was somewhat anti-climactic since they’d been on about it longer than she’d known but then there wasn’t really ever going to be any other outcome. “He’ll be very welcome” Pepper assured him, “We’ll make sure we get him some water while we’re there too” she tapped a few things into her phone, so that her assistant would arrange food for Lucky as well. After all he was a special dog.
“Okay then,” this was weird. Just a little sudden and a little weird, but maybe this was how people in California worked. Because Clint was just… he had no idea. Sharing a glance with Lucky, and Clint was aware that he was conferring with his dog about going out to lunch with people, he just shrugged slightly, getting a possibly confused look in return. “We don’t have any plans,” and a glance at his watch just reminded Clint that not having any plans was how he ended up here in the first place. “The poodle will be long gone by now, bud. Might as well eat.”