📍MONACO
───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

BEING promoted in your work space is never easy at first, and Pepper Potts knew that more than anybody; especially now that she had to control a company and a man child all at the same time. After the flight from Malibu to Monaco, she and Tony arrived to the Hotel de Paris, and Pepper did her best to keep up with Tony's pace as he entered the hotel and walk with him.

"You know, whatever happens in the next 20 minutes, just go with it," Pepper whispered to him as they entered the hotel.

Tony, for the first time in a long time, was utterly confused. "Go with it? Go with what?"

Before he could receive any sort of answer, the same (Y/N) from a few days ago was making her way over to him and Pepper with some sort of grimace written in her features. She wore a classic blouse and pencil skirt with a nice pair of shoes that clicked in the carpeted floor of the lobby.

"Mr. Stark?" she said in a monotone voice.

At the sight of her, Tony turned his head so quickly to look at Pepper that it might've snapped by the strong force. All Pepper did was accept the drink that was offered to her by one of the waiters and smile innocently at Tony.

"Hey."

"Hello," (Y/N) continued, noticing the tension between the two immediately. "Did your flight go well?"

"It was excellent," Pepper replied with the same smile. "It's nice to see you."

"We have one photographer from the ACM, if it's no problem?" (Y/N) kept her professional act and grabbed the glasses Tony and Pepper had in their hands and gestured to the photographer.

Tony's confused yet angry gaze only weakened when he spotted the cameras, trying to play a nice and relaxed smile when all Pepper did was clear her throat and look at the camera.

"When did this happen?" he asked in a low tone, his lips not moving from his smile.

"What?" Pepper asked in the volume. "I thought you liked her."

A camera flash went off but they continued arguing behind the fake smiles. "I told you I wasn't convinced."

"You were so indecisive."

"What do you mean?"

"Smile," Pepper ignored him. "Look right there."

The smiles on their faces never wavered and they shared a fake laugh to act like everything was fine and posed for one last picture.

"Stop acting like a child," she muttered. "You are so predictable. That's the amazing thing."

"Is this your way to get back at me?" Tony eyed her. "Real mature of you."

(Y/N) came over to them again once the photographer excused himself and Pepper rolled her eyes one more time at Tony before she flashed him a hard look that silently told him to approach (Y/N) and walk away while she stayed back.

"You look nice," (Y/N) tried to be polite as she walked alongside him through the lobby.

"No, you look nice."

(Y/N) seemed surprised by the compliment from him. "Oh, thank you. Was that genuine, or — "

"I was just trying to make you feel better," Tony replied and (Y/N) only shook her head in disbelief. "Anyway, what's on the docket?"

(Y/N) had to pinch herself hard enough to swallow the response she was going to give him and continue with her act, since she knew she'd later get busted if something happens.

"A 9:30 dinner," she informed.

"Perfect. I'll be there at 11:00."

(Y/N) didn't stop the scoff that left her throat as Tony walked ahead of her towards his reserved table, and the sound didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" he asked innocently.

(Y/N) forced a smile. "No, sir."

Once Tony got close enough to the reserved table with a white linen tablecloth and wine glasses, he gestured towards it and turned to (Y/N) with a questioning look.

"Is this us?"

"Depends on what you want," (Y/N) answered and felt Pepper's presence a few feet behind her.

"Great. Make it us," he said before moving around the table, away from where she was standing.

(Y/N) brushed her palms against her pencil skirt and spotted another man sat on a comfortable chair right beside the table, and didn't think too much of it until she saw how Pepper approached the man.

"Mr. Musk," the blonde greeted.

"Hey, Pepper," Elon Musk stood up from his spot and shook her hand. "Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you very much."

Tony sneaked into the conversation by placing an arm around the man's shoulders. "Elon, how's it going? Those Merlin engines are fantastic."

"Thank you," Elon replied as (Y/N) watched them both drift off from the table. "Yeah, I've got an idea for an electric jet."

"You do?"

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰ ───

A few minutes later, where all (Y/N) had to do was act polite and bite back her tongue from speaking her mind like she was used to do a long time ago, she began to notice how the people inside the lobby began to focus their attention on something playing on the TV, but she didn't have time to check since she was being called away.

"(Y/N)! (Y/N)!"

(Y/N) made her way towards Pepper. "Yes, Miss Potts?"

Pepper's desperate and confused eyes drifted to the TV screen that showed how Tony was getting inside his own race car in the beginning of a race track, and how the crowds all around where confused by this change or even angered by it.

"Did you know about this?" she asked.

"I'm finding out right about now," (Y/N) answered her honestly.

"This. . ." Pepper sighed in frustration. "This cannot happen."

(Y/N) could practically feel Pepper's frustration from where she stood. "How could you keep track of him all this time?"

"I honestly don't know myself," Pepper let out a weak laugh at that but then returned to her serious look. "Where's Happy?"

"He's waiting outside."

"Okay, get him. I need Happy."

the continuity and how the story goes on in this act is going to be really confusing so brace yourselves.

so, no one was going to tell me that elon musk was in this movie? i didn't remember

-see you soon, bex <3