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Thunder and Black Wings 35
🕑 Added 2025-07-09 08:29:59 +0000 UTCChapter 35:
– Pepper –
Pepper sat quietly on the wide steps outside Stark Industries headquarters, the California sun glaring down brightly, making her squint even as tears blurred her vision. Around her, palm trees swayed gently in the ocean breeze, and somewhere far away, waves crashed softly onto the beach. Normally, Pepper would have found this peaceful—but today, the scenery felt painfully out of place with the churning inside her heart.
She sniffled quietly, dabbing at her eyes with the crumpled tissue in her hand, knowing she probably looked pathetic. The steps beneath her felt warm from the midday sun, yet her body felt strangely cold.
Tony had just stood in front of the entire world and declared something completely insane. He was permanently shutting down Stark Industries’ weapon production and starting an investigation into how their weapons ended up in the hands of terrorists who killed American soldiers.
It was a huge move, one that would change everything.
But that wasn't why she was sitting out here crying. No, that part she could actually deal with. That was Tony Stark, after all, he did crazy, reckless things without a second thought.
Pepper had spent countless late nights fixing the messes he created and cleaning up after his impulsive choices. She was used to that. She even secretly admired it, in a strange way.
No, the reason Pepper was sitting alone on these steps, her shoulders shaking slightly with quiet sobs, was far more personal. Far more stupid, too. After all those endless, torturous weeks of not knowing if Tony was even alive, she'd done nothing but worry. She had barely slept, barely eaten, and spent nearly every spare moment praying for some kind of miracle. And the whole time, deep down, she'd told herself that if Tony ever came back safely, she'd stop dancing around her feelings. She'd be honest and finally admit—to herself, at least—that Tony meant more to her than just a boss. More than just someone she organized meetings for, bailed out of trouble, and cleaned up after.
…So much more.
But then, out of nowhere, Tony had delivered a completely different shock. He'd returned from literal hell on earth, and not alone. Tony was now married?
Well—he was GOING to be married to some mysterious Japanese woman who suddenly appeared out of thin air!
A woman Pepper had never heard Tony even mention before!
Shuri Himejima.
A stunningly beautiful, confident, and alluring woman whose presence alone could capture anyone's attention in an instant. She was ridiculously attractive, with curves that made Pepper instantly self-conscious about herself, no matter how professionally she dressed.
Pepper squeezed her eyes shut tightly, fresh tears leaking down her flushed cheeks. She wasn't naïve enough to think that Tony Stark—billionaire playboy extraordinaire—didn't have options or wouldn't date around. But marriage?
To a woman she'd never heard a whisper about, despite being Tony's closest confidant for years?
It hurt.
It made her feel betrayed and foolish. It made her angry—angry at Tony for dropping this bombshell, angry at herself for hoping and believing that maybe, just maybe, she meant more to Tony than anyone else did. Pepper let out a shaky breath, the tightness in her chest refusing to ease up no matter how much she tried to calm down. This was all so fucking stupid, yet she couldn’t stop herself from crying.
She clutched the tissue tighter in her hand, swallowing down another painful lump in her throat, wondering how on earth she was going to face Tony again. Worse yet, how was she supposed to face that woman—that perfect stranger who was suddenly Tony's wife, the one who effortlessly had everything Pepper secretly wished she could have?
“Hey there…”
Pepper jumped a little when she heard someone’s voice. She hadn’t realized anyone was nearby, and it startled her out of her own sad thoughts.
Embarrassed, she quickly brushed the tears away with the back of her hand, hoping it didn’t look too obvious that she’d been crying. She really wasn’t in the mood to have anyone see her so emotional, especially not now.
She turned her head slightly to the side to see who had sat down beside her.
Almost immediately, she felt a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. Damn it, she thought, frustrated with herself. It wasn’t her fault, though—Blake Himejima, the boy—no—the young MAN who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere along with his mother Shuri, was almost unfairly handsome.
Pepper had noticed it instantly when she first saw him get off the plane with Tony. Blake had strikingly dark hair, and deep expressive blue eyes that seemed to stare right into you.
His mother, Shuri, was another matter altogether. The woman was stunningly gorgeous and had managed to instantly sweep Tony off his feet without even seeming to try. At least, that's the story he was going with although Pepper knew it was bullshit.
Both mother and son shared the same confident, effortless beauty—one that was impossible to ignore and made Pepper feel even more self-conscious.
Right now, Blake looked at Pepper with genuine kindness and concern in his eyes. The smile he offered was gentle and warm, and Pepper knew without a doubt that wherever this kid went, girls probably fell all over themselves to get close to him.
He was a heart stopper and a panty dropper—as Tony would say…
But that wasn’t the point. Pepper was still hurt and angry, especially with him and his mother. They were the reason her life had suddenly turned upside down, after all.
She forced herself to look away, blinking back the rest of her tears stubbornly. Pepper didn’t want Blake to see her weakness, especially since she felt embarrassed and foolish enough already. She straightened up and crossed her arms tightly over her chest, hoping to appear stronger and more composed than she really felt.
“What do you want?” she asked coldly, trying her best to sound as indifferent and annoyed as possible. Her voice cracked slightly, betraying how upset she still was, but Pepper didn’t care.
…Blake said he'd come to check on her, to see if she was alright. But seriously—wasn’t it pretty freaking obvious that she wasn’t okay? She'd literally been sitting out here by herself, crying like an idiot.
“It’s clear that you’re not alright…” he added with a sigh.
Pepper rolled her eyes dramatically, huffing in irritation. "Gee, you think, Captain Obvious?" she snapped sarcastically, trying to cover how vulnerable she felt. She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how embarrassing it was to have someone—especially him—find her like this. "Why are you really over here? Did your mom put you up to this or something?"
She watched closely as Blake's gaze immediately darted away from her, his bright blue eyes suddenly finding the ground incredibly fascinating. It was almost cute how easily readable he was.
Aha, she thought smugly, feeling a small surge of bitter satisfaction. She had nailed it on the head. Shuri must have sent him over here because she felt guilty or something. The thought only made her irritation grow!
That bitch needed to mind her own business!
Blake finally sighed and ran a hand through his messy dark hair, looking embarrassed. "Yeah," he admitted quietly, "my mom did send me over initially. She was worried about you." Pepper huffed again, turning her face away sharply, refusing to let him see any softness. But before she could say anything else, Blake continued in a gentler tone, "But honestly, after seeing a beautiful woman like you sitting here all alone and crying, I just… I couldn't just ignore that. Seeing you upset bothered me too. A lot."
Pepper almost laughed out loud at that, barely managing to keep her reaction inside.
Beautiful?
Did this kid seriously just call her beautiful? She wanted to roll her eyes again, harder this time. For years she'd watched supermodels, actresses, and even porn stars parade through Tony’s life and bedroom like it was a damn revolving door. Those women were gorgeous, flawless, sexy—everything Pepper felt she wasn't. Compared to them, she’d always felt ordinary, plain, forgettable even. So Blake's compliment felt completely hollow.
"Please," Pepper said sharply, shaking her head with irritation. "You can save your flattery for someone who’ll actually buy it, Blake. I’m not falling for that."
Blake didn’t flinch or look away this time. Instead, he turned his vibrant blue eyes back toward her, meeting her gaze head-on.
His expression turned serious and earnest, and for a moment, Pepper almost forgot to breathe. "I'm not the kind of guy who needs to lie and say things I don’t mean," he said softly, his voice steady and calm.
Pepper stared at him silently, her heart suddenly beating faster. There was something in the way he was looking at her now—so openly sincere, so intense—that it caught her off guard. She felt her cheeks growing warm, a blush spreading slowly over her face, despite her best efforts to stop it. The embarrassment she’d felt earlier began to fade away, replaced instead by a strange kind of warmth that she couldn't quite explain.
And to her surprise, Pepper realized something else—she had already stopped crying.
A small smile slowly spread across Pepper’s lips, surprising even herself. Blake’s easy-going confidence had somehow managed to soften the edges of her frustration and sadness.
He stood up smoothly and offered his hand to her, his smile gentle but teasing. "You know, you’re way cuter when you smile instead of frowning," he told her playfully, his eyes sparkling warmly.
Pepper chuckled slightly, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation.
But despite herself, she felt her hand instinctively reaching out to take his. Blake’s grip was strong yet gentle, easily helping her up onto her feet without any strain. Her heart fluttered softly at the realization—he was both attractive and surprisingly strong, two things she couldn’t help but appreciate.
Still holding her hand, Blake mentioned casually that Tony and his mom would likely be tied up all day. "Since it seems we’ll probably be seeing a lot more of each other, given the strange situation we’re in—"
"A situation that I still have no idea what the fuck is even going on," Pepper cut in, shaking her head slightly with a small, exasperated laugh.
Blake chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, clearly a little embarrassed. "Yeah, fair enough," he conceded with an amused grin. "But anyway, since we’ll probably be stuck together a lot more often, and with my... parents... busy,"—he paused on the word parents with a small grimace— "why don’t we go have some fun ourselves?" he suggested.
Pepper blinked, her cheeks flushing again as she processed his words. Was this incredibly handsome, and somehow ridiculously charming guy—who was probably at least ten years younger than her—seriously asking her out on a date right now?
And even more ridiculously, was she actually considering saying yes?
Fuck it...
—
Pepper was sitting across from Blake at a quaint seaside restaurant, their table positioned perfectly so that they could watch the gentle waves lap against the shoreline. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink, reflecting beautifully off the water.
Pepper found it amusing—and oddly adorable—how Blake's confident demeanor had quickly shifted into shy embarrassment the moment they sat down.
He cleared his throat nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "Um, Pepper, I should probably mention—I don’t actually have any money on me," Blake admitted quietly, his cheeks flushing noticeably pink.
Pepper laughed softly, genuinely entertained by his sudden awkwardness. She leaned forward playfully, resting her chin on her hand with an amused glint in her eyes. "Does that make me your sugar mama tonight, then?" she teased, enjoying the deepening blush that spread across Blake's face.
In that moment, Pepper felt a surprising connection with Tony, realizing with a slight smirk that her boss probably never experienced a date he didn't end up paying for himself. It was strangely comforting to see the irony in her situation.
Blake shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting in his chair and averting his eyes, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry," he mumbled again, his voice full of genuine regret.
Pepper waved him off, her tone lighthearted and reassuring. "Seriously, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal," she said warmly. "Besides, most people don't know this—but I'm actually secretly a multi-millionaire."
Blake’s eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised.
Pepper grinned at his reaction, continuing with a casual shrug. "I mean, technically I'm just Tony’s secretary, but he pays me an absurdly high salary. Plus, he's pretty generous with bonuses whenever I have to deal with problems he doesn't feel like handling himself—like kicking all his one-night stands out of his bedroom."
And sometimes sending them home with gift baskets…
"Well, hopefully you won't have to do that anymore," Blake said with a gentle smile, clearly referencing the fact that his mom was now with Tony.
Pepper couldn't help the brief, satisfying mental image of kicking Shuri to the curb. It was petty, sure, but imagining it still brought her a small, secret satisfaction.
Returning her attention fully to Blake, she paused thoughtfully for a moment, realizing the absurdity of the entire situation. She glanced at Blake, meeting his attentive, vibrant gaze and finally said with a slightly teasing tone, "Since this is officially the weirdest date I've ever been asked on—but still technically a date—I guess we should probably get to know each other better."
Blake's smile widened warmly. He leaned forward slightly, looking genuinely interested. "Sounds good to me. So, what exactly would you like to know?"
Pepper didn't start off easy.
She leaned forward slightly, her expression serious as she studied Blake carefully. "Alright, first things first," she began firmly, locking her gaze onto him. "What exactly were you and your mom even doing in Afghanistan of all places? How the hell did you manage to run into Tony Stark in the middle of a desert crawling with terrorists? And seriously—how long have you actually known him? Because I'm not buying this 'secret relationship' nonsense he's trying to sell to everyone."
Blake paused, clearly caught off guard by her straightforwardness. His eyebrows knitted slightly as he hesitated, clearly sorting through her rapid-fire questions in his head. Finally, after a thoughtful silence, he looked up at her with a hesitant smile. "Would you believe me if I said it was all because of some magic that went completely wrong, and that we literally just met Tony today?"
Pepper rolled her eyes, shaking her head with exasperation. "No, and… of course you did," she muttered, almost talking more to herself than to Blake. "Wait, hold on—what do you mean by 'magic'?"
Blake opened his mouth, probably about to give some bizarre explanation, but Pepper quickly held up her hand to stop him. "Never mind," she said with a weary sigh, pressing her fingers to her forehead. "Why am I even surprised? Tony's always been impulsive and reckless, but this—this impulsive marriage thing he's pulling now—is on a whole new level of ridiculousness."
Blake tilted his head slightly, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he said he was genuinely surprised that Pepper was more concerned about Tony's impulsive marriage than the fact he had literally mentioned “magic.”
Pepper couldn't help but chuckle softly, giving him an amused glance. To her, it just seemed like he was joking or trying to lighten the mood with some made-up fantasy.
The waiter interrupted their playful exchange, placing their steaming plates on the table in front of them. The tantalizing scent of freshly seared fish wafted up, instantly making Pepper’s stomach grumble softly in anticipation. She took a deep breath, savoring the aroma. This was one of her favorite restaurants, the perfectly cooked fish, seasoned just right, always had a way of brightening even her toughest days.
Grabbing her fork eagerly, she gave Blake an encouraging nod. "Alright, magic man," she teased, smiling warmly at him as she began cutting into her fish. "Go ahead and impress me. Tell me all about this magic of yours—I could use some entertainment. I am footing the bill, after all..."
As they enjoyed their meal, Pepper listened with amused fascination to the story Blake was telling. She had to admit—it was definitely fantastical and pretty exciting.
Blake clearly had an incredible imagination, and by the time he finished, Pepper was ready to suggest he start writing fantasy novels or screenplays or something along those lines.
Blake's tale began with his birth in Japan, explaining he was only half-human.
‘And wow, he is going full fantasy here.’ She chuckled to herself.
According to him, his parents hadn't married—his existence, along with his older sister's, was born from a passionate yet brief romance between a fallen angel and a Japanese shrine priestess.
The story took a darker turn as Blake described how their clan betrayed his family, turning against them in an attempt at murder. He recounted narrowly escaping with his life but tragically losing his memories in the process. Somehow, he ended up in America, stranded and alone without any memory of his past. For the next ten years, he lived as an orphan, completely unaware of his true origins.
“Oh no, Blake, that’s terrible,” Pepper said, suppressing a small giggle. She was thoroughly enjoying the narrative even if she didn’t buy a single word of it.
Blake nodded seriously, smiling softly. "Yeah, it was pretty tough," he admitted quietly, his eyes holding hers with a sincerity that almost made her believe him.
Pepper paused, briefly startled by how convincingly he was selling his imaginary life story. Damn, he was a good actor.
Then Blake leaned forward again, and continued his captivating story…
And now he was going full Isekai for some reason? Into a land of magic ninjas? Whatever, she was enjoying it…
…By the time Blake had finished spinning his elaborate and completely unbelievable story, Pepper realized they'd not only finished their meal but also paid the bill and wandered down onto the beach.
The sun had dipped below the horizon long ago, leaving only the soft glow of moonlight illuminating their path. Above them, countless stars shimmered like tiny diamonds scattered across the dark sky, and a gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean toward them.
Pepper felt the cool, damp sand squishing pleasantly between her toes as she walked barefoot along the shoreline, the occasional wave lightly lapping at her feet and ankles. Blake's hand felt comfortably warm and reassuring in hers, and despite herself, she couldn't help but smile softly.
It had been a long time since she'd just enjoyed a simple, relaxed moment like this.
She glanced sideways at Blake. His dark hair fluttered gently in the wind, and his eyes seemed to shine softly whenever they met hers. Pepper chuckled quietly to herself, shaking her head slightly.
Who would have guessed she'd be walking hand-in-hand along the beach at night with an incredibly handsome guy nearly ten years younger than she was? If someone had told her a week ago that this would be her life now, she'd have called them crazy.
But here she was, and oddly enough, it felt nice—really nice, actually.
For a brief moment, a small pang of guilt crept up on her. She quickly pushed it away, though, stubbornly reminding herself that Tony had done stuff like this—only way more impulsive and reckless—all the damn time.
Why should she feel guilty for doing something even remotely similar?
Besides, Pepper thought with another quiet giggle, Blake certainly didn't seem bothered by the age difference. According to his elaborate and hilarious story, he had two girlfriends back in his magical ninja world or whatever it was supposed to be.
One of them, Shizune, was exactly Pepper's age, and the other had been even older but somehow magically turned younger after sleeping with Blake? Pepper couldn't help herself—she laughed softly again to herself at the memory of that part of his story, shaking her head in amusement.
Of course, she still didn't believe a single word of his fantastical tale. But she had to admit, Blake was very good at telling stories. His voice had a soothing rhythm, his descriptions vivid and exciting, and he’d clearly put a ton of thought into it. He'd even gotten adorably animated at certain parts, waving his free hand around as he'd passionately described the battles, magic, and adventures he'd supposedly been through.
Pepper felt herself smiling wider as she glanced at Blake again, feeling a warmth bloom inside her chest that had nothing to do with the cool ocean breeze or the pleasant evening.
Maybe tonight wasn't what she'd expected or planned, but it was very nice…
But then—
Pepper felt Blake's fingers tighten gently but firmly around her hand, causing her heart to skip a nervous beat. He had stopped walking suddenly.
Pepper's pulse quickened slightly as she wondered if this was it? Was Blake going to kiss her right now, here under the stars, with waves gently crashing near their feet?
Part of her felt a brief flutter of panic at how quickly things seemed to be moving. After all, wasn't this entire thing already crazy enough? But another, more daring part of her welcomed the idea. Blake was young, incredibly attractive, and he seemed genuinely sweet and thoughtful. It had been a ridiculously long time since Pepper had allowed herself to enjoy any romance, let alone anything serious.
Good lord—had it really been all the way back in college since she’d even properly dated?
The realization made her inwardly cringe. She really did need to get out more, away from her desk, her emails, and Tony's never-ending list of insane demands.
Taking a steadying breath, Pepper turned slowly to face Blake, her heart now racing in anticipation. She was prepared, she decided, ready to let this happen.
Tony was taken, so she might as well move on before she got too deep in her feelings.
But instead of finding Blake leaning in closer for a kiss, she was startled to notice he wasn't even looking at her at all!
The hell!?
Instead, Blake’s narrowed eyes stared fixedly down the empty stretch of beach, focused intently on something Pepper couldn’t yet see clearly.
She pouted slightly, disappointment and confusion washing over her. Pepper followed Blake’s intense gaze, squinting slightly as she peered into the dim moonlit distance. And when she finally saw what Blake was staring at, her eyes widened in horror and disbelief, a shocked gasp escaping her lips.
It was a monster!
An honest-to-goodness monster straight out of some nightmare. The creature was grotesque and enormous, its body looking disturbingly mutated. It scuttled slowly forward across the sand on eight long, crab-like legs that clicked ominously with every step. In place of hands, it had giant, bright-red pincers that opened and closed rhythmically, making chilling snapping sounds in the quiet night. Its bulbous, insect-like head had large black bug-eyes reflecting the moon's pale glow, and two long, twitching antennae extended outward, seemingly tasting the air around it.
A shiver of dread crept down Pepper's spine as the monster suddenly spoke, its voice raspy, distorted, and utterly terrifying. "Fallen angel prey smells delicious," it hissed, its eerie tone echoing across the beach and freezing Pepper in place.
"What the fuck is that thing?" Pepper exclaimed, fear making her voice tremble as she instinctively gripped Blake’s hand tighter. Her mind scrambled frantically, thinking about the small handgun she always kept hidden in her purse. But dread quickly filled her chest when she remembered she had left her purse—along with her gun—back in the car, foolishly assuming a beachside dinner wouldn’t require weaponry.
To her disappointment and growing alarm, Blake released her hand gently, stepping protectively in front of her as if preparing himself for a fight.
"A stray devil," Blake muttered quietly, clearly tense yet oddly calm at the same time. He didn’t look back at Pepper as he spoke, instead keeping his steady gaze locked on the approaching monster. "This is actually the first one I've ever seen in my life," he added softly, sounding more fascinated than afraid, even as the grotesque devil advanced slowly toward them across the sand.
"Blake, seriously, what the fuck? That's a real monster! We need to run right now!" Pepper shouted urgently, fear gripping her tightly. She grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging desperately, trying to pull him away from the terrifying sight of the approaching crab-like creature.
Blake turned his head slightly, giving her a calm, reassuring smile despite the danger. "It's alright, Pepper. Really. This stray devil seems pretty weak—I can easily handle it," he said gently, his voice steady and confident.
Then, to Pepper's shock, he stepped forward confidently, leaving her hand gripping nothing but empty air.
Pepper felt frozen in place, confusion swirling inside her. Was any of this even real? Had she fallen asleep on the beach and was now trapped in some kind of bizarre nightmare?
But before she could even process her thoughts, something unbelievable happened. In an instant, eight incredibly beautiful pitch-black wings burst forth from Blake's back. Miraculously, they didn't even tear his shirt, instead emerging smoothly as if they'd always been there. The dark feathers shimmered beautifully under the moonlight, catching Pepper’s breath and leaving her staring wide-eyed in shock.
It was at that exact moment that Pepper realized Blake's entire fantastical story had been completely true.
Holy shit…
"Delicious eight-winged angel!" the crab monster screeched, its raspy voice echoing across the sand. Suddenly, it charged forward with terrifying speed, scuttling so rapidly it might as well have been a speeding car.
Pepper instinctively ducked behind Blake's impressive, outstretched wings, grabbing onto the soft feathers in a panic. Despite her fear, she couldn't help but notice how incredibly soft and comforting the feathers felt beneath her fingertips.
“BOOM!”
A sound like a deafening thunderclap suddenly rang out, immediately followed by a shrill, agonized scream from the monster. Silence fell abruptly afterward, with only the gentle rustling of Blake's feathers in the cool night breeze breaking the quiet.
"It's alright now," Blake said gently, his calm voice breaking the tense silence. "The devil is dead."
Slowly, Pepper peeked over his shoulder, heart still racing in her chest. Her eyes widened even further as she saw that the spot where the grotesque creature had been was now just a smoldering, blackened patch of sand. Blake had somehow completely vaporized that horrifying monster in barely a second.
He turned slowly to face her, his blue eyes gentle and filled with concern. "I hope I didn't scare you," he said softly, a hint of regret in his voice. "I definitely wasn't expecting some random stray devil to pop up out of nowhere. It's probably my fault, it must have sensed my inhuman aura."
Despite the absolute craziness of the entire situation and the revelation Blake had just casually dropped, Pepper found herself focusing on something entirely different. With a frustrated glare, she suddenly raised her fist and punched Blake firmly on his shoulder.
"Ow!" Blake yelped in surprise, rubbing his arm and giving her a look that was suspiciously close to puppy-dog eyes. "What was that for?" he asked, clearly confused.
Pepper scowled, her heart fluttering despite her irritation. "What the hell are you doing asking me on a date when you apparently already have two magical ninja girlfriends back in your magical ninja world!?" she hissed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "And yes, that is exactly why I'm mad!"
And then Pepper surprised Blake—and quite honestly, herself—by suddenly leaning up onto the tips of her bare toes. She pressed her lips passionately against his. The moment their mouths met, a thrill of excitement rushed through her, and she instinctively deepened the kiss, her tongue eagerly slipping past his lips and gently exploring the warmth of his mouth. Her fingers moved upward, tangling softly into his thick, dark hair, pulling him closer as if she were afraid he might vanish at any second.
She knew that later tonight she'd have a mountain of absurd, unbelievable, and downright insane things to process, but right now none of it mattered. The world around her faded into a hazy blur. Instead, the only thought she could clearly grasp was the astonishing realization that she was currently kissing a literal angel!
She had a literal mountain of questions but her tongue was too busy to ask any of them…
XXX
Comments
Ototsu_Yume
Thanks for the chapter. Bit odd you gave Blake blue eyes when neither of his parents have blue, canonically Shuri has brown and Baraqiel has purple similar to Akeno. (even if you wrote that Shuri had purple a couple chapters ago for some reason)
Buck Futter
The cuckening begins!
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