The Interview: A Pepperony Fanfic
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Word Count: 983
Pairing: Pepper Potts x Tony Stark x F!Reader
Warnings: covid lockdown, celebrities singing to you, bad song lyrics(? I guess that’s subjective).
Synopsis: You are a successful musical in a relationship with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. During lockdown you make an album to raise money for people struggling to pay bills and have a spot on a late-night show to promote it. During the song, you have an unexpected backup singer.
A/N: Didn’t think I’d actually write a lockdown fic, but here we are. I saw Alanis Morissette on Jimmy Fallon singing and her daughter being there a while back and thought it was the cutest thing ever. Lately, the idea of that kind of thing happening with a less conventional family started talking to me so I quickly wrote it out. I’m not a lyricist sadly – sorry about that. I kind of like this relationship dynamic and since writing this very short fic out I keep getting ideas about how they started in the first place. So who knows, when I have some time I might write it. The talk show host is not a specific Jimmy, just thought it was funny to name him that because that’s what they’re named right?
The Interview
Your home studio had been set up – both Pepper and Tony had worked really hard to make sure it wouldn’t be just another one of those interviews done at home on a phone. You had been working hard on your music during the lockdown and the album you’d made had been selling well. Given the relationship you had, it wasn’t like you needed the money, so all the profits were going straight into funds to help other people wait out the whole lockdown.
You were proud of what you were doing and you wanted to sound good. You wanted the people who tuned in to the late-night talk show to see you to get a good version of the song, not some tinny through the speaker of a phone version.
Thankfully the people you’d chosen to spend your life with were exceptionally good at this kind of thing.
Tony was on the phone with the producers of the show as he multitasked fixing the audio and wiring while fixing the levels on the mixing table. You sat at the piano singing notes for him and playing small amounts until he seemed satisfied.
“I think that lighting is good,” Pepper said, adjusting the light and turning on the camera. “We’ll get out of your hair for the performance.”
“Thank you both,” you said kissing them and putting the headpiece in.
“We’ll be watching with madam secretary, on the monitor” Pepper said as Tony double-checked the camera.
“What would I do without you both?” You asked.
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be starving in the gutter,” Tony teased, rolling his eyes. “Break a leg, honey.”
“Thank you,” you said.
“Got a good team with you there,” the producer said when Tony and Pepper had left the studio.
“Yeah, I’m very blessed,” you agreed.
“Well, the show’s a little different these days, we just record the bits separately. So whenever you’re ready go, and then Jimmy will chime in with the questions when you’re done. He’ll record the intro later.”
“Great,” you said. “Thank you.”
You cleared your throat and began to play.
“Before you,
I was running on all cylinders,
Before you,
I never stopped to smell the roses.
My life was spinning in all directions,
Never slowing, never stopping, never taking time.”
The door opened and little footsteps came tapping in. You looked over to see Morgan running for you. You smiled at her but didn’t break singing.
“You were the light at the end of the tunnel,
You were my knight in red and gold armor,
I never knew that you were everything I need,
You were everything I need.”
Morgan reached the chair and you leaned down and scooped her up with one hand as you continued to play with the other.
“Mama, mama,” she babbled. “You sing.”
“That’s right,” you said and tapped a headset that was sitting on top of the piano.
“Before you,” you continued to sing, as Morgan grabbed the headset and put it on. She started to sway to the music and you played the piano around her as she sat perched on your knee.
“I thought that one and one was the equation,
Before you,
I thought that love was in short supply.
My life was all about avoiding,
Never slowing, never stopping, never settling down.”
The door opened again and Pepper quickly ducked inside. “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.
You laughed through the lyrics and shook your head as Morgan began tapping your hands as you played the piano.
“You were the home I never knew I wanted,
You were the queen that came to rule my kingdom,
I never knew that you were everything I need,
You were everything I need.”
“Mommy’s the queen,” Morgan said, as she bounced on your lap.
“That’s right,” you said and kissed the top of her head before returning to singing.
Pepper knelt on the ground out of view of the camera and began trying to coax Morgan off your lap. Your daughter was having a little too much fun joining in with the song to listen to mommy.
“No, mommy,” she said, shaking her head and wiggling on your lap.
“Before you,” you sang, looking down at Morgan.
“I didn’t believe in family,
Before you,
I was missing a piece of me.”
The door opened again and this time Tony came through. He had a juice pop in his hand and he crept over, holding it out to Morgan.
“You are the heart beating inside me,
You are the missing piece of my soul,”
“Me!” Morgan said, bouncing up and down.
“Morgan, I never knew you were everything I need.
You were everything I need.”
Morgan squealed and pushed her head back to kiss your chin. “Love you, mama,” she said.
“Love you too, bub,” you said as you played the last little piece of the outro.
“Aw, you stopped,” Morgan said.
“Is that okay?” You asked.
“Mmm yeah, daddy has juice pops,” she said and wiggled off your lap and ran over to Tony.
You started laughing and your laughter was joined by Jimmy the host of the show you’d just played for, as he clapped and said your name. “That was amazing,” he said. “I liked your backing singer.”
“She’s the best one I ever had,” you said. “I’m very lucky.”
“She calls you mama?” Jimmy asked.
“Yep and Pepper is mommy,” you said. “We decided that that would be a good way to do it when Pepper was pregnant.”
“It’s an interesting family situation you have going on,” Jimmy said. “But from the sounds of the song, you’re all making it work.”
“I have never been happier,” you said, looking over at Pepper, Tony, and Morgan who were all standing by the door. Morgan sucking on the juice pop that Tony had bribed her with. “Can’t complain about being too loved,” you said. “Now can you?”
The Avengers Compound 