Metal and Magic (Ch. 24) (Patreon)

( Every character in this story is a legal adult over the age of 18 )

Metal and Magic

Chapter 24

Pepper liked to pretend she only watched television to keep up with current events, but Tony had seen her weep at a dog-food commercial and lose her shit at the season finale of a baking competition, so he was onto her. On a Tuesday evening, she commandeered his couch with a bowl of microwaved popcorn between her thighs.

Tony arrived in the living room carrying a couple of bottles of beer. He handed one to her and eyed the bowl of popcorn. He dropped down on the couch with a groan and scooped a huge handful of her buttery treat. “What are we hate-watching tonight?”

Pepper crunched down on a tasty handful and glanced over at him. “Don’t be cute. You know why we’re here.”

Tony closed his eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. “If you say the words ‘Harry’ and ‘interview’ in the same sentence, I’m leaving and never coming back.”

She tossed a popcorn kernel at his face. It bounced off his cheek and landed somewhere on the floor. “It’s important to watch him. He’s your business partner. Besides, you love him.”

“That’s the Stockholm Syndrome talking,” Tony said, but he didn’t move. Instead, he grabbed more popcorn and swigged his beer. 

The TV flickered to life. The logo for Capital Gains, a business gossip show dressed up as a serious program, filled the screen. The host, a professional brunette with a gorgeous face, grinned through a row of suspiciously white teeth.

“She’s new,” Tony said, gesturing at the screen with his beer. “They keep hiring these beautiful female sharks. She looks like she would cut a man’s scrotum off if he even whistled at her.”

“I admire that in a woman,” Pepper said. She took a drink of her own beer and set it on the coffee table. “Shush, here he comes.”

Harry emerged onto the studio set, wearing a very expensive black suit tailored to fit his form perfectly. His shirt was open at the throat, and his hair was styled in a manner that suggested both carelessness and professionalism. He wore sunglasses indoors. Pepper snorted. “It’s eight at night. Is he drunk and trying to hide it?”

“He wishes,” Tony said. “He saw one interview with Bono, and now he’s convinced he’s the coolest guy on Earth. He’s still got some catching up to do if he even wants to reach my stratosphere, though.” Pepper shushed him again. 

On the TV, the interviewer, Mara, gave Harry the once-over, clearly liking what she saw. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she purred. “Please welcome the man who claims he can cure your hangover … Harry Potter.”

Harry took off his sunglasses with a slow, theatrical flourish, then hooked them on the front of his shirt. “It’s a pleasure, Mara. You’re even more beautiful in person.”

The audience laughed, and everyone knew Harry was being outrageous but also that he meant it. He sat down on the low leather couch beside the host, his posture relaxed and legs splayed. Mara leaned in just a touch too close, presumably for the camera angle, but she didn’t retreat when Harry angled his knees toward her in response.

Back on the couch, Pepper snorted. “Jesus. Look at him. He cleans up really well. He looks like a young James Bond.” Tony, still chewing popcorn, shrugged. “If he ever gets tired of selling cures for drunkards, he can rent himself out for bachelorette parties.” Tony made a fake gagging sound. 

On screen, Mara began her attack. “So, Harry. The world wants to know … what possessed you to cure hangovers instead of, say, inventing something to better humanity?” Her voice had the silky smoothness of a practiced seductress. 

He pressed his hands together in mock gravitas. “Well, Mara, when you’ve experienced as many hangovers as I have, you tend to get creative. And as for bettering humanity, the world is already full of rich, smart, and in-love people, but it’s criminally short on folks who can enjoy the morning after an all-night rager.”

Mara laughed and reached out to pat his knee. Her hand lingered longer than necessary. “That’s the best pitch I’ve ever heard.” She composed herself and crossed one spectacular leg over the other, flashing a lot of sexy thigh. “Well, it seems to be working. Harry’s Hangover Cure is the fastest-growing beverage company in the world right now …”

Tony coughed and made a face. “That’s not the name of the company!” he exclaimed. “It’s Harry and Tony’s Hangover Cure! She completely left my name out!” Pepper giggled and wiped her eyes, barely able to breathe. “Look at that smug prick,” Tony sourly stated. Harry actually looked into the camera and smirked. His green eyes were practically twinkling. “He’s not even correcting her.”

Mara continued, her eyes locked on Harry’s. “And rumor has it you’re opening three more bottling plants before summer?” Harry nodded. “That’s true, Mara. We’re looking at another in California, one in Florida, and one on the Texas coast. My team thinks it’s about logistics and shipping, but really, I just want to spend more time at the beach.”

Mara grinned and shot him a hungry gaze. “You also recently inked a deal to distribute internationally. Are you planning to take over the world, and if you do, can I come with you?” This got a small laugh from the studio audience.

At home, Tony muttered, “He’s going to sleep with her by the third ad break.” 

Pepper patted him on the knee. “It looks like the king has been dethroned.” She shook her head sadly, but it was obvious that she was trying not to laugh at him. 

On screen, Harry considered Mara’s question, tapping his chin with one finger. “To answer your second question … I’ll take you anywhere you want to go. But I also believe we’re on the cusp of something big. If I can make one hungover college student feel a little better about their life choices, then it’s all worth it.”

The host leaned in even closer. “And what about your own life choices, Harry? Can we expect to see you expanding your interests beyond beverages?” She trailed her eyes down his body in a way that the studio audience noticed, erupting in a choir of polite oohs.

“Oh, Mara,” Harry said with a smirk. “Since seeing you, my interests have expanded greatly.” 

Tony scowled at the TV. “He’s getting all the attention!”

Pepper found this hilarious and doubled over, spilling popcorn across the cushions.

Metal and Magic

The Capital Gains interview ended with Harry winking at the camera, Mara clutching his forearm, and the studio audience clapping like Harry was the second coming of Elvis Presley. Natasha killed the volume and let the TV fade to black. She leaned back in her chair and exhaled through her nose.

Maria sat on the arm of the couch in gray yoga pants and a white t-shirt, and she tossed the remote down and let it bounce off the coffee table. “What a jackass,” she said. “Did you see the way he kept calling her Mara, like he was going to take her out behind the set and fuck her on a pile of cue cards?”

Natasha folded her arms. “It was unsubtle, even for him. She couldn’t even finish a question without staring at his mouth.” She let out an annoyed sigh. 

Maria’s foot began to tap furiously. “That man’s getting out of control. I mean, I know he likes women, but sheesh!”

Natasha stared at the ceiling for a second before looking down at her own cuticles. “Did you see how she touched him? It was four times in two minutes.”

Maria snorted. “Four times in the first thirty seconds is more like it.”

Natasha felt the tension migrate from her jaw down her neck. “What’s the point of being the two most dangerous women in North America if we can’t control our own boy-toy?”

“We don’t control him … remember?”

“Yeah, I know. Harry’s not an asset.” Natasha dropped her arms and crossed the living room to the kitchen. She opened the freezer and yanked out the pint of overpriced gelato she’d been saving for a rough night. She pried off the lid, grabbed a spoon, and ate standing up.

Maria came around the counter, her arms folded. “You know he does it on purpose. The suits, the smirk, and the way he sits with his legs spread out … he loves the attention. He’s turning into another Tony Stark.”

Natasha stabbed the gelato. “I don’t think he’s that far gone. He’s just horny and has no shame. We can break him.”

Maria smiled at the challenge. “You mean, we could if we worked together.”

Natasha looked her up and down. Maria’s smile was so tight it looked a bit threatening. “You mean if you stopped fighting me for every inch of turf.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “You mean if you stopped trying to win every argument by sheer willpower.” There was a pause as both women thought about it.

“We have to do something,” Natasha said.

Maria nodded. “We do.”

Natasha leaned on the counter. “We make him choose … like right now. The loser backs off.”

Maria stared at her for a long moment and slowly nodded. “I like it. There’s no point in dragging it out.”

Natasha felt herself start to grin. “He won’t know what hit him.”

“Who gets to call him?” Maria asked.

Natasha considered her question and then held up the spoon like a baton. “Me. Harry always comes running when I call.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll go get ready.”

They separated in the kitchen, both women heading for their rooms. Natasha peeled off her black t-shirt and tossed it over her shoulder before she’d even made it to her door. She caught her own reflection in the hallway mirror. Her hair was a mess, but in a sexy way.

She dug through her drawer for the black lace spaghetti strap top she had recently bought. She’d never worn it, but if there was a night for tactical lingerie, this was it. The straps took a moment to untangle. She yanked them into place and checked the fit. Without a bra, her tits looked spectacular. She could even see her nipples through the lace. She grabbed a lipstick and drew a line of soft pink over her lips with steady hands. Natasha then pulled off her jeans and slipped on the tiniest shorts imaginable. Her wide, thick butt cheeks practically devoured the material. She turned and checked out her ass in the mirror. She bounced a few times on her toes and smirked when her cheeks jiggled. That would certainly make an impression on him, she thought. She nodded, happy with what she saw. On her way back to the kitchen, she called Harry’s number.

He picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Natasha. Did you see me on TV?”

She grinned into the phone. “Did you fuck her?”

There was a pause before he replied. “Do you want the polite answer or the honest one?”

“Neither,” Natasha said. “Get over here.”

Harry’s voice dropped an octave. “Did you miss me?” he asked teasingly.

She said, “Maybe. You’ll find out when you get here.”

He laughed. “I’ll be there in an hour.”

She hung up, returned to the fridge, and put the rest of her gelato away. Maria emerged from her room just as Natasha was closing the freezer door.

Maria wore a sheer green blouse and a black skirt that could have passed for office attire if you squinted. Upon closer inspection, the skirt was incredibly short, showing off her smooth, toned legs. Her blouse was unbuttoned enough to show off a deep valley of cleavage. She’d put on eyeliner and lip gloss.

Maria looked her up and down. “Lace? That’s a bit trashy, isn’t it?”

“You look like you’re going to an HR meeting,” Natasha shot back.

Maria smiled. “I’m just giving him the illusion of professionalism. It looks like you’re trying to make his cock pop right through his trousers.”

Natasha thought about it, then shrugged. “So we’re both in character.”

Maria gestured to the couch. “Should we sit together … or should we ambush him at the door?”

Natasha sat on the couch and crossed her bare legs, gesturing for Maria to take the other side. “I’ll answer the door, then you can ambush him.” Natasha clicked on the television.

They both stared at the muted TV, which was now running an infomercial for some kind of fitness device. It was so irrelevant that it made the silence feel even worse.

Metal and Magic

Harry parked half a block down, mostly to avoid the wrath of Natasha’s neighbor, who once threatened to tase him for stepping on her azaleas. In Harry’s defense, he had apparated to Natasha’s house with a heavy buzz, and he fell into the azaleas. He approached the house at a lazy stroll, whistling and spinning his car keys. He didn’t bother to knock. Natasha’s security cam picked him up before he was on the porch, and the door opened as if by magic.

He stepped in, and Natasha was right there. He greeted her by lifting her up by her ass and planting a passionate kiss on her soft, full lips. She wrapped her legs around his waist, laced her arms behind his neck, and shoved her tongue into his mouth. Harry grinned into her lips and gripped her ass harder. He spun her in a circle and pinned her to the wall. She moaned into his mouth and rolled her hips against him. It seemed that Natasha had lost all sense of reason the moment Harry got his hands on her. 

He was about to slide his hand under her top when he heard the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat with lethal intent. He broke the kiss and looked over Natasha’s shoulder. Maria stood in the hallway, her arms crossed, and her foot tapping like a metronome.

Harry feigned surprise. “Maria! What are you doing here?” In reality, he already knew that she and Natasha were shacked up on SHIELD’s orders. After Jarvis had planted his own malicious code in SHIELD’s servers, he made sure to keep Harry up to date on anything involving him. Of course, Harry was also continuing to spy on them as well. 

Maria’s smile was tight and joyless. “I should be asking you that same question. Natasha came to the bottling plant looking for you. We got to talking and …”

“You both found out Director Fury had ordered you to join forces while pumping me for information?” Harry asked with a knowing smirk. He knew that they had finally decided to confront him, and he wasn’t about to let them play him for a fool.

It was comical the way both of their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “You knew?” Maria practically screeched. Harry nodded and set Natasha down on her feet. 

“Of course, I knew. I’m not an idiot. I’ve known all along that SHIELD has been watching me,” he told them. Natasha stepped away and looked at him.

“So, you’ve been playing us?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. Harry shrugged. 

“No more than you’ve been playing me,” he countered. Natasha sighed, and Maria huffed. 

Natasha took his hand and led him into the living room. Maria followed, still in full Icy Bitch mode. Harry flopped onto the couch, spread his arms, and waited for the onslaught.

Maria sat at the far end of the couch, and her skirt rode up her thigh. She fixed him with a look that could curdle concrete. “So, if you knew I was here, why did you come tonight?”

Harry leaned back and stretched his legs. “Natasha invited me. I thought it was date night.” He looked at Maria with a smirk. “But if it’s a group date, that’s even better.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

Natasha snorted. “We already established that.”

Harry shrugged. “So, not date night?”

Maria ignored that. “You knew I’d be here when she called?”

Harry grinned. “I hoped, but I didn’t want to assume.”

Natasha sat on the armrest beside him. “You think this is funny?”

Harry nodded unapologetically. “A little bit, yeah. You two fighting over me … it’s like my adolescent dreams come to life.”

Maria’s mouth twitched, but she held the line. “We’re not fighting over you.”

“You could have fooled me.”

Natasha glared at Maria, who glared right back. Harry watched this silent battle with open amusement. When it became clear neither would yield, he sat up and said, “Let’s cut to the chase. Why am I here?”

“We want answers,” Maria demanded.

“About what?”

Maria’s eyes narrowed. “Everything. The interviews. The bottling plant. The Iron Man stuff you’re doing with Stark. We know you’re up to something.”

Harry smirked. “Is this where you waterboard me until I confess?”

Natasha didn’t smile. “We want the truth.”

Harry leaned in and dropped the playboy act. “Okay. Go ahead and ask.”

Maria was ready. “When did you find out Director Fury put us together to keep tabs on you?”

Harry’s grin came back in full force. “Later that same day.”

Natasha blinked in surprise. “What?”

He shrugged. “SHIELD’s security is good, but not good enough to stop a guy like me. I pretty much know about everything involving me. I found your reports particularly amusing.”

“You’ve read our reports?” Maria asked. 

He looked at her, almost sheepish. “Sometimes. But there wasn’t anything in there that I didn’t already know.”

Natasha stared at him, unblinking. “So all those times you acted like you didn’t know what was going on …”

“Acting,” Harry confirmed. “Pretty good, huh?”

Maria looked at Natasha, then at Harry. “You’re an asshole.”

Harry chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, you two are the ones who started it,” he told them, and neither could deny it. 

“Did you even really like us?” Natasha asked him, nervous about what his answer might be. 

“Of course, I did. I really like both of you girls. I wouldn’t have hung around if I didn’t,” he truthfully told them. The girls silently looked at each other.

Maria looked down, her lips pressed together. “So what now?”

Harry looked at Natasha and Maria. He put his hands behind his head. “Honestly? I don’t care about SHIELD. They can keep nosing around if they want. I’m just going to keep doing what I do, and hopefully, they’ll stay in the background. You can keep spying on me if you want. I actually enjoyed the attention.”

Maria looked him dead in the eye. “Maybe we will.”

Natasha leaned forward, her face inches from his. “Challenging us isn’t a smart move.”

Harry kissed her softly, then looked over at Maria. “I’m smart enough to know that I’ll win.”

Maria watched the kiss with a poker face, but her cheeks were pink. “So what’s your move, Harry? You’ve got us both here. What now?”

He thought about it and said, “Why don’t we get ready for bed, and we’ll discuss it in the morning?” Natasha snorted, and Maria huffed and rolled her eyes.

Harry stood and surveyed the room like a king inspecting his new territory. “If you want me to choose between you … that’s not happening. I’m a greedy man.”

Natasha arched a brow. “You think you can handle us both?”

Harry grinned challengingly. “Try me.”

Maria and Natasha shared a glance, and their entire conversation was compressed into half a second of eye contact. They could always tell him to fuck off and call the mission. However, with the truth finally out there, they might be able to gather much more information than before. Besides, their work schedules were brutal, and it was nice having someone who was willing to take care of their needs with no questions asked. They hadn’t realized how much they needed that until Harry came along. “Fine … but you have to earn it,” Maria bluntly told him. 

“No sweat,” Harry cheekily responded. 

Natasha rolled her eyes and stood. “You’re so annoying.”

Harry hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her on the lips. Natasha didn’t pull away, and her mouth opened invitingly. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he said after breaking the kiss. 

Maria stood and straightened her skirt. She gave Harry a long, slow look. “Don’t get cocky.”

“It’s not cocky if it’s true,” Harry said. 

He walked to the kitchen and raided the fridge, returning with three beers. He tossed one to each woman. They all stood in the living room, sipping and eyeing each other, waiting to see who would blink first.