Pepper smirked, but did not bother herself to respond to that particular quip. There were some things about Tony Stark that would simply never change...and in her own way, she prayed that their relationship was one of them. Even though she glared at him and occaisionally berated him for his often-raunchy comments, he could always see the laughter and smiles behind her professional facade. She liked their banter and their sparring sessions. Though he would adamantly deny it, she knew he looked on her as his equal - otherwise he certainly never would have hired her for such a position as his personal assistant. He wouldn't want to spend so much time out of his day around her.
As Pepper shifted on the couch to prop her elbow up on the back of it, settling her head down in her open palm, her fingers continued to stroke the soft white fur of the kitten she held. The tiny creature had begun to settle now and was in a rather curiously splayed position - half of its body on her lap and the other half across Tony's forehead where he lay alongside of her. She smiled as those blue eyes closed contently and it's little pink mouth gave a quick, gaping yawn.
It was such a calm, domestic sort of picture that they painted together. A moment out of their wild, chaotic life to be still and at peace. To take comfort in each other's presence - and the presence of their new "child" - despite the fact that they were so far from home and uncertain if they would ever be able to return.
Pepper closed her eyes and gave a soft sigh as she settled her head more peacfully down against her arm where it curled against the back of the couch. Her hand continued to ease its way across Salt's soft fur. She knew she really should be getting back to work again...but she'd spent so much time awake and working on trying to solve the problem of where they were. Surely it wouldn't hurt for her to just rest...for just a few minutes...
She could feel her body beginning to give over to the sensation of fatigue that she so valiently fought...when she became aware of something.
Her fingers no longer scratched the silken tufts of fur on the kitten's back. Instead they threaded their way back through smooth locks of hair.
She opened her eyes and paused for a moment as she looked down at the offending hand that had decided to satisfy a curiosity at what her boss' hair might feel like. Ever since the night that they'd danced, she'd been unable to stop herself from wondering what it might be like to push her fingers back through that thick, dark hair of his. To just feel it slip through her fingers...
Hm. It's just as soft as I thought it would be.
Maybe it was because she'd sensed a change in him. Maybe it was because they'd been thrown into this chaotic world together - with no one else to lean on. Maybe it was because she really was just becoming that comfortable around her employer...but Pepper couldn't help givig a secret little smile to herself and let her eyes close again...fingers continuing to lazily ease their way across the smooth hair that framed his face.