14403/It emerges!

It emerges!
Date of Scene:	21 May 2022
Location:	Penthouse - Stark Tower
Synopsis:	Pepper and Tony get a chance to breathe. And no, it doesn't count...
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
Tony's been mostly incommunicado. It happens when he's latched onto a project or three. But this time, there's a bit more to it all. The music downstairs is loud, and while the lab isn't locked, there have been honest messages from Tony through JARVIS that he's okay, that he'll be up shortly. Every couple of hours.

Now, however, Tony does rise from his workshop, his hair messy, a shadow on his face that almost blends in with the normally carefully sculpted beard (when did he start going grey?), and a tired step. At the last rise, he's okay. He looks okay, even if dressed in t-shirt and sweats, he feels okay.. and all he wants now is a drink and a moment to put his feet up and not think about a damned thing.

While the first two might be possible, that third is a tall order for Tony Stark, who is always thinking of the next best, always considering upgrades, always ..

The moment he emerges, he's headed towards the bar for that scotch.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's Friday night, and Pepper isn't out on the town, or at a fancy dinner, or even at any sort of gala. She's home, alone, working, because he's home working and it just didn't feel the same without him. So, when she got upstairs from working the day in the offices and realized he was in the workshop again, she didn't even bother trying to get him out. She knew he was deep in something.

She simply changed into some pajama shorts, out of her bra, into one of his stolen t-shirts, poured a glass of wine, and got back to working on her tablet on the big couchin the set in living room. She'd order a dinner for both of them that he may or may not touch later on, but that was later. Still, she's surprised when he finally emerges.

"Do I actually get to see my boyfriend on a weekend or am I a workshop widow again all weekend?" Pepper isn't exactly mad. She knows what she's signed up for. But she's not happy either.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony finishes the cross towards the bar, and stepping behind it, takes the bottle down off his top shelf, and unstoppers it. One piece of ice, three fingers, and it's restoppered and set aside. It's after that first swallow that he exhales and just breathes for a long heartbeat before he shakes his head in prelude to his answer.

"Pep, it's gotta get done." 'It'. His hands move in gesture as he speaks, and he starts to close the distance between him and her. "I am the worst boyfriend ever, I know. I don't get you things, don't take you anywhere nice.." and he's not even being sarcastic. He's being sincere.

"And I can't even tell you when or if this is gonna end." His hours, not 'them'.

Pepper Potts has posed:
A deep sigh escapes her lips, putting the tablet aside from in her hands because she really wasn't doing any important work, she was just distracting herself from being frustrated with him. "You aren't the *worst* boyfriend... but you certainly aren't the best either. I know you can't tell me. And you won't tell me what IT is. You half lose it every time I try to come down. I know... I know this important to you, Tony..."

Pepper sighs, her head sinking back on the heavy pillows behind her. She's trying to compose herself, to keep her emotions in check as she looks to the ceiling instead of his handsome face. "I just wish... if it's really going to be that much longer, if this is going to take so... So long, you could give me a few hours too. Just an evening. I feel like I saw you more before I moved in than I do now!"

Iron Man has posed:
Tony's path leads him to that same couch where Pepper sits, and he settles down, taking one more swallow of his scotch before he sets that down as well. His arm rises, a gentle gesture to convince her to come and rest against him instead. "I'm sorry I haven't showered lately, so if you don't want to sit next to me, I totally understand," he quips softly. "But seriously," he pauses before, "It's.. it's more than that suit ever did." His Iron Man.

Tony's wearing the weight of keeping everyone safe, making sure //his// things worked to the best of their abilities, because if God forbid it didn't? And he can't even figure out a way to put it into words.

"Okay," Tony agrees quietly, "An evening. Dancing, wining, dining.. another flight to Paris and back. Or, anywhere you want. You've got me. Deal?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper has worked with Tony long enough to get used to the smells. As he sinks down at her side, she shifts over to lean against him, fully aware this might be the only time she gets to consciously touch him all day (often she is asleep before he comes to bed as of late.) She takes in a little sniff, considering, "You've smelled worse. I'll stay." She's not really joking. She'd shove him off to the shower if it was that bad.

"Tell me. Just... tell me what It is, Tony, please. The night will be nice. It'll... help. I miss you and I LIVE with you. But... I'm not just your assistant. I'm your patner. I'm supposed to be a part of your life. I should get to know what I'm sharing you with before I get... jealous." Truthfully? She already was a little bit jealous. But she's trying to manage it. So she begs that of him, while leaning against him. She smells like faint vanilla and chanel, a touch of work day sweat left over, but very much like herself.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony makes a soft sound as Pepper leans against him; enjoying it as much as perhaps she does. It is true; she'd push him away and have him take a shower first. And he would.

That soft sound turns into a sigh, and he rocks his head back to lay it on the flat of the top of the back of the couch. His free hand allows him to dig into tired eyes. "Pep, I wish I could. I really.." That free hand drops, and his head rocks forward again, only to have his chin rest on the top of her head. He presses a kiss there, and lets his face remain, taking in her scent as a decision is reached.

"Every week or so, I'm gone. I mean, gone, as in even JARVIS can't track me sort of gone."

<<"Not entirely true, Sir.. I can utilize the..">>

"Enough, JARVIS." is given to quiet the ever present AI. "It's me, Steve, Agent Romanoff.. and sometimes others. We leave Earth, and the only thing that I can do to make sure they're safe is to be sure that whatever comes out of that workshop works, because there is no other option here. If something fails, or I miss something.." He leaves that unspoken.

"And you're not supposed to know. So, if God forbid I don't come home, no one is going to tell you where I was, or what happened."

Pepper Potts has posed:
A tired little laugh escapes her lips as he admits to her just what is going on. She knew a lot, if not the exact details. Had he been so exhausted he forgot how much he told her? Likely so. Pepper turns her head, leaning up just enough to press a kiss against the scruff of his jaw line, before she settles into his upper chest again, where he can rest his jaw or cheek against her rest hair. It did feel so good for him to just be here.

"Tony. I... I know about the space thing. The first time you and the team went, Alexander and I were sitting down here on pins and needles waiting for the phone call. I know you've had to be secretive about details but... I know. I haven't told the world. I haven't messed things up for you or threw a fit. You can TELL ME more. I know why... why you feel like you have to help. I know space is... an awful place to ask you to go. But you don't have to do this alone, either." She wraps his arm around her waist, so she can give his free hand a gentle squeeze. "But if you work yourself to being so bone weary you aren't your best up there either, well...that's just as likely to get someone hurt, you know?"

Iron Man has posed:
Probably. The answer to that 'he forgot how much he told her' is most definitely 'probably'. Which ultimately means that he's almost incapable of lying to her. Ever. Tony forgets from day to day, and keeping his story consistent would be near on impossible with Pepper unless he was telling her the truth.

So, if anyone ever asked her if she could trust him to tell her the truth?

It's just a matter of timing. And when.

"I know you haven't told the world." He'd have seen everything plastered on the news. Oh wait.. no he wouldn't have. He's too busy in the workshop!

As his hand is repositioned, Tony squeezes the warm, soft body a little closer, if it was at all possible, and rests his face back on the top of her head. "Don't go using logic on me, Potts. You know it won't work." He kisses the spot again, and turns his head so his cheek rests there instead.

"Is this considered 'an evening'? Or are we looking at another one as well?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is about to say something else when those last words come out of his mouth. They are laying together close enough that he can probably feel every little tension in her body, or sense the pattern of her breath, if he's paying that much attention. It all stops for a moment. She simply doesn't breath, a jerk of tension tugging through her body, like she'd been slapped. When Pepper is upset, she screams. She cries. When she's hurt, really hurt, she goes silent.

Pepper is dead silent for several moment. She's staring forward, not leaning all of her weight comfortably into him the way she was before. She's just staring at the wall, trying to control her breath enough that he doesn't notice the sudden shock of glassiness across her eyes. Then she slowly tries to sit up and pull away out of his arms. She's not looking back at him.

"Never mind. Go... go back to work. I'm not going to force you anywhere you don't want to be. I'm going to bed." She rasps out quietly. She's still not looking back at him, she's just moving off towards the bedroom.

Iron Man has posed:
What?

What?

Pepper manages to pull out of his grasp and in the silence, there's that feeling that he's either said or done something wrong. This, all this, is still so very new to him, that he's not quite fully aware of how things work. How it's supposed to go.

"Pepper." Now he's rising from his seat, and exhaling in a soft breath of exasperation. "Pepper." Not that she'll answer him, probably. He knows that much, but he's trying. "Come on.." and he stands there.. watching her retreat to the bedroom. Their bedroom.

His hand drops from the gesture, and he lets out another sigh. "Sure.." and he's more talking to himself. "I'll just.." and there are looks now between the bar and the bedroom. One, then the other.. and the other. The draw of the scotch is a very strong one, though he looks back at the bedroom.. which is strong in its own right, even though the mistress of the chambers is angry at him.

At least it's a small victory in the face of everything that the decision is made, and he turns completely to follow her into the bedroom to talk.