Chapter Text
Pepper has a date.
Okay, not really a date, just plans to meet up with a coworker for drinks after a long and grueling day at the office. Dates require dinner or a movie or going to check out the Christmas lights display at the zoo.
Still, date or no date, it’ll be nice to go somewhere other than home after work. She has a term paper due next week, but an hour or two away from her work won’t hurt. Besides, she works far better under pressure and she could really use the time to just unwind.
As she steps back into her office, Pepper notices the small white box left in the middle of her desk, tied nicely with a hot pink ribbon and stamped with the logo she recognizes from a downtown bakery and sweet shop.
She lifts the box, checking to see if there’s a note tucked beneath it, and is surprised to see there isn’t one. She wonders briefly if they’re from Aaron, if he dropped them off before finding her in the break room and chose not to mention them in order to surprise her. It seems like something he would do.
Pepper is halfway through with her portion of the annual report when she finally gives into the temptation of the box of chocolates, sliding the ribbon from around the sides and dropping it in the trash can beneath her desk.
“Dark chocolate . . . how’d he know that’s my favorite?” Pepper murmurs to herself, smiling as she plucks one of the mini chocolates from the box to pop in her mouth.
It’s delicious and smooth, just like expensive chocolate should be, and there’s a hint of something sweet too when she bites into it. She’ll have to remember to ask Aaron exactly what kind these are so she can pick up more in the future; even Pepper isn’t above splurging just a bit on chocolate.
It’s not until she bites into the third piece that Pepper realizes something isn’t right. She feels nauseous and her mouth is itchy despite feeling perfectly fine just minutes before. She’s experienced these symptoms only a handful of times in the past, but enough to know that they’re not because of something in her coffee.
Oh.
Pepper reaches for the open box and flips it over, upending the remaining chocolates all over her desk as she grabs her phone to dial Aaron’s extension.
“This is Aaron,” he says after the second ring, and Pepper nearly groans in response.
“It’s Pepper,” she says quickly, her eyes scanning the bottom of the box. “Did you leave chocolates on my desk?”
There, in small, bold letters, are the words: Made fresh with real strawberries.
“Uh, no. Why?”
“Just trying to figure out who to thank,” she says quickly before hanging up the handset.
Pepper haphazardly pushes the chocolates back into their box and gets up from her desk, grimacing at the wave of nausea she feels when she stands. Her coworker, Teresa is across the hall in her office and Pepper doesn’t bother with knocking, choosing just to walk in instead.
“You didn’t see anyone in my office earlier did you?” Pepper blurts, her expression one of discomfort.
Teresa looks up, eyes going wide as she takes Pepper in, and hurriedly gets up from her seat to rush over to her.
“Pepper, what happened ?” She asks. “Are those . . . are those hives?”
“Just a rash, I think. All the itchiness in in my mouth. Did you see anyone in my office?”
“No. What’s that got to do with—“
“Someone left me chocolates but there was no note. The chocolates apparently had strawberries mixed in with them and I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have eaten them. Out of all the things to be allergic to, I’m allergic to strawberries,” Pepper whimpers. “I feel awful.”
“You look it,” Teresa says sympathetically. “What do you need me to do? I can take you to an urgent care, if that’s what you need.”
Pepper shakes her head as she flexes her jaw in an attempt to help the itching in her mouth subside.
“No, I think I’ll be okay. I just need my allergy medication, which of course is at home because why would I have it here ?”
She feels like she’s bordering on a complete breakdown; this isn’t at all how she wanted to spend her Friday, a blotchy, nauseous mess in the office of one of her coworkers. There’s so much work she needs to get done and not enough time to do it — and now this? And Aaron, she’ll have to cancel with him too. There’s no way she’s going to feel up to going out tonight, especially if she’s still covered in a strawberry-induced rash.
“Let’s get you home then. There’s no way you can stay at work,” Teresa says, already grabbing her purse and keys. “I can drive you and I’ll fill in everyone after I get back.”
Before Pepper can even consider protesting, Teresa has her by the elbow and is leading her down the hallway and toward the elevators. For once in her life, Pepper is glad someone is there to make the decisions for her.
They have to stop twice on the way to Pepper’s apartment, thanks to the nausea getting the best of her. Teresa holds back her hair, rubbing soothing circles on Pepper’s back the entire time. She makes a mental note to buy Teresa something nice as a thank-you.
It’s not until Pepper is settled on her couch and asleep, her body pumped full of prescription-grade antihistamines, that Teresa decides to leave, a note on the coffee table letting Pepper know that she’ll stop back by on her way home from work to check on her.
Back at Stark, as Teresa steps off the elevator, she first sees Wanda just outside of the PR suites, talking to Tony Stark of all people. She nearly snorts, surprised to see the son of Howard Stark roaming the halls and not being an absolute menace like he usually is.
“Oh, Teresa!” Wanda calls, waving her over. “I was just talking to Tony here and he asked about Pepper. I told him what happened; how’s she doing?”
“She seemed okay when I left. Sleeping. She said the itchiness was starting to subside but oh, the rash was horrible,” she says, mostly ignoring Tony. “I saw Aaron on my way up here and told him what happened. I guess he and Pepper were going to go out for drinks after work, so he’s going to send her some flowers and a get well soon card instead.”
Wanda sighs, shaking her head in sympathy. “Poor, poor girl. She knows to call if she needs anything?”
“I made sure to remind her. We left in such a rush that she left her planner in her office. I promised I’d take it to her after work, so I’ll check on her then and see how she’s doing.”