Stark Industries [Tuesday]

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

After the events of the week prior, Pepper was doing some extra work making sure that her go-to databases were up-to-date, and updating her software.

It was a fascinating job, really.

Comments

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Dork," Ray said, grinning as he came in with the coffee. What? It made a good excuse to show up.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"I'm not even doing anything dorky!" Pepper protested, smiling at him.

Yes she was. Shhh.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"I bet you're thinking something dorky," he said, seriously, and shoved the coffee onto the desk. "What's up?"

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "And I'm not thinking anything dorky. I'm just reorganizing my methods of doing research."

Pause.

"...okay, point."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Gotcha," Ray said, containing his grin. "Nothing dorky going on here."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Not at all. Just, um, organizational skill," she said. "Which isn't dorky at all. It's really very beneficial."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Very beneficial," Ray nodded along. "And dorky. But beneficial."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"You just say that because your apartment is every obsessive-compulsive's nightmare," she teased.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"I'm a slob," Ray informed her, "I'm not denying that. I'm, uh, embracing it. Embrace the slob."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"You just need some minor organizational adjustments and you could embrace the slob while also being able to find things," she wheedled.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Hey, I can find stuff," Ray argued, because really, he could. Sometimes it just took ten minutes. Or was stuck to the ceiling. "I got my own, uh, system." He took a sip off his own coffee.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Whatever works for you," she said, smiling at him. Even if it completely drove her own OCD tendencies nuts.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"It works great," he reassured her, grinning back. "No need to come after me with a cleaning crew or anything."

No matter what Fraser said about the bread on his ceiling. "So, I was thinking about, uh, getting that new turtle."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Oh?" Pepper raised her brows. "Do you have a name picked out, or are you waiting to, um...meet the turtle?"

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Gotta meet it first," Ray said, seriously, "Determine its turtlishness. Um. Wanna come?"

Shut up, it was just a turtle.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"I'd love to," she said honestly, kind of surprised. "I've never gotten to help pick out a turtle before. Hedgehog, yes. Turtles, not so much."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

... This was great, this was good. "Turtles are awesome," he told her, maybe a little jittery. "Um. Friday after work, I was thinking."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"That sounds perfect," she said, smiling widely and watching him. "Consider my schedule cleared." She paused. "...should I bring anything? A little plant for its terrarium, or anything?"

Look, Pepper was new to turtles, okay?

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"A plant," he said, "Maybe. Might like a rock more, though. But, you don't need to bring anything if you don't wanna."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"It's a housewarming gift," she told him. "For the turtle."

Wow, Pepper, way to seem even more dorky than you did before.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

Ray just grinned at her. "Housewarming gift," he echoed, "I like that."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"To make him or her feel at home," she said, nodding firmly.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Don't want a lonely turtle," he agreed, "That might, uh, end in tears."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"For you or the turtle?" she wondered, oh so seriously.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Me," Ray decided, after thinking about it. Oh so seriously. "Lonely turtle got sharp teeth."

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Awww, poor you," Pepper replied, tsking. "I'd do my best to make it better, though. Scout's honor."

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"That a promise?" Ray asked, and now he was smirking a little.

Doing real good.

Hell.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Cross my heart," she replied, smirking right back and blushing only faintly.

[headkickpoet.livejournal.com]

"Better be careful, huh," he said, reaching over the desk for a peck. Couldn't hang around too much, Stark might show up.

[lots-of-olives.livejournal.com]

"Or at least keep the turtle happy," she agreed, leaning closer to make that a little easier on him. Hopefully Jarvis wouldn't tell on them again.