3981/Drowning

Drowning
Date of Scene:	27 February 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Tony and Pepper review the Vegas trip.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

---

Iron Man has posed:
It is late afternoon on Tuesday, going into dusk. The events of the past day were a bit of a whirlwind: for Tony, and for Pepper, and for anyone else on the jet. Tony's group flew out of Vegas that morning, arriving back in New York at about two in the afternoon. However, he immediately was called in to deal with Avenger business: The Hulk had been destroying things, and Tony needed to go do something about that. It's now past afternoon, but JARVIS is happy to give the update, when an update is finally available of a type that's actually useful to Pepper.

"Ms. Potts, Tony has returned to the tower; he has landed is proceeding to the Penthouse," JARVIS lets her know. "No injuries were sustained during the mission."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Thank you, JARVIS. What is his current physical state? Do you know if he's even bothered to eat or drink today?" Pepper clips out from where she's standing up in her office. She'd already moved all her meetings once today, thinking he'd be home, and then he went off to work, so she moved them BACK, but is now proceeding to clear everything else for this afternoon. She doesn't do it much for her meetings, only for his, so hopefully they will forgive her.

She's walking down the hall and to the lift at a fairly fast clip now, doing the meeting moving on the phone in her hand instead of her computer. She's got her business face on, carefully concealing any emotions she might be feeling behind stern executive assistant resting bitch face. She's pretty good at it. The only thing that gives away how irritated she might be would be the feriocity which she punches her thumb print on the security reader for the penthouse floor.

Iron Man has posed:
"It is my understanding that Mr. Stark and Thor brought Dr. Banner to consume pancakes, as Dr. Banner had not eaten for quite some time," JARVIS explains to her, with a mild hesitation. "As this was done while wearing the Iron Man suit, I have full diagnostics available. His health is stable, and he has eaten recently, though I understand the hangover is unpleasant, by remarks made."

The elevator will grant access to the penthouse. Tony is, actually, present, in a state recognizable as 'sweaty just out of armor' version-- clothes a little mushed to his body in a few places. He is in the kitchen area, with his head and upper torso in the refridgerator.

"Did we finish off that wine from last week?" Tony calls, without turning around, well aware of her arrival.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Maybe you'd like to try that again and ask about water first?" Pepper states, mostly keeping any emotions out of her voice. The slight anger and impatience is mostly (no, entirely) fueled by worry, but she's trying to keep a leash on all of it. She looks very much her normal self, if not quite well slept, that's a fairly common state of being these days. Today's suit is a perfect charcoal beneath her loosely restrained reddish hair and tired green eyes. Her heels are high as the sky -- probably an indication she didn't wake up feeling the best. Generally, with Pepper, the higher the heel, the worse the mood or morning. Heels are a confidence booster.

Iron Man has posed:
"Going with 'yes'," Tony answers, turns around and lets the door shut with an absent motion of hand, to face her. He's tired on the edges but upbeat, and crosses over towards her, thumbs hooking into his pockets when he stops in front of her.

He wasn't aware of her stormcloud mood, but he sees it now. "Wow. Hey. What's on fire?" Tony asks, brows lifting a little bit, dark eyes on her face. His smile drops down a few watts.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Nothing. I'm glad you're home." Well, the second part of that statement is honest. The relief leaks through her voice as much as that mood does. She even tries at a small smile and walks towards him, but doesn't quite get to making contact. Instead, she swerves around and heads for the wet bar, where she already has his favourite selzter chilling and has since she got reports he was returning this morning.

Her motions are neat, precise, and distant with their level of business like conduct. She pours a tall glass of the stuff, rims with with a lemon, and brings it straight back over to him. "Drink. You're dehydrated and still recovering. I'd have hoped you'd take it a bit calmer this weekend."

Iron Man has posed:
"I'm savior of the Internet, Pep. People were buying me drinks every two minutes," Tony says, without any actual apology in the statement. It's more just fact. And that he's also pleased with himself for his new title. It also is not a lie at all: Tony has exploded on social media. Due to the previous internet thing, The Rising Tides Fuck Stark message has been turned into a meme, the phrase being coupled with photoshopped images of Tonys face on male models or featured alongside cheesecake fan art. Since Vegas, the Vegas photos are popping up like mad: Tony alongside models or Avengers, Tony posing with random people in selfies, Tony signing autographs, Tony gambling, and so on. It has come with a lot of extra PR for STARK in general: though most of it is from the whole Internet-savior thing. But Stark showing a strong front otherwise? It all comes together.

Tony scowls at the glass as it's offered to him. But wrinkles his nose at her - she knows damn well about the peeve, and he's sure she did it on purpose - but takes it from her and rebelliously drinks ALL of it, while staring at her. And then hands it back to her, and puts his other hand loosely on her right hip. It's just a natural, easy little motion. The scowl fades as he takes her in visually.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The almost too stubborn gulping of the entire glass gains an arched brow from her. Two can play at that game. She accepts the glass back, pausing as he puts his hand at her hip. That stops some of the chill from her, but it stops her entirely in her tracks and breath. Part of her wanting to move into it more, ask if he missed her, touch him in turn -- and the rest of her still quite unhappily worried and a little jealous over it all. So, she takes a breath, holding the glass upright and proper.

"Good. Do you want another? Maybe a few gallons and a few days of actual rest and you'll be back to where you were when you left." The day she asked him not to go, to postpone, to give himself more time to recover. Not that he's that badly off, but she's still clearly worried. And something else. Maybe it was all those photos online of him with those women. Still, she hasn't pulled away from his hand. She's not moved an inch at all, almost frozen on the spot in chilly indecision.

Iron Man has posed:
"I /did/ ask you to come," Tony reminds her. He doesn't actually really DO anything. He stands there, looking at her with the glass. There's a slow sort of patience to it. But he then breaks it by moving his other hand to rub his eyes and face a little bit. There's the hangover. And a quiet burp from drinking all that carbonation all at once. Ouch. He coughs and rubs his upper chest above the reactor. Just another dumb action in a list of dumb actions.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I... know you did. And I asked you to stay. And you went. And..." Pepper sighs, especially as he burps like that and drops his hand. She moves back to the bar to fetch a glass of flat water, not going to subject him to that again, but she does refill his glass. "I know it was good for publicity that you went. I know you... wanted to celebrate things. I'm glad you had fun. I just... worry." She sighs, stepping back over with the water and setting it down on the coffee table nearest to him. "Drink more water. Get some actual sleep tonight. I... just wanted to check in on you." And, having said her piece, she begins to move back to the door. He clearly wasn't dying, he didn't really need her any more.

Iron Man has posed:
Pepper steps out away from Tony's hand on her hip, and he lets the hand drop at first, then moves it to the counter. The cool tile is steadying.

"Well. I /wanted/ you there," Tony informs her, with his offhanded, throw-away fashion of commenting on things. Just a truth, flung out into the world. And... awkward now. Tony looks at the water she left for him there.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The come back comment, even if it's supposed to be offhanded, is enough to stop her in her crossing the room. Pepper just stands there a moment or two, trying to organize her brain and heart with a few quiet breaths, before she turns back around to face him. "I...think you had plenty of fun with the ladies you found there. I'd have been a miserable influence -- asking you not to drink so much, trying to get you to bed early, worrying the whole time. You had more fun without me." And, while it stings something in her to say that, the expression on her faces says she's pretty sure she's not wrong.

Iron Man has posed:
"Bruce Wayne actually did pretty well channeling you there-- asking me if I was dying and needed to rest," Tony says, in a snorted, baffled way. His friends, being concerned about him. SO WEIRD.

But that's just his quick little way of using humor to hold things out away from him a little bit more. "We had fun, yeah. But I don't remember them or their names," Tony says, digging the grave verbally.

"And, I didn't take anybody back to my room. I mean. That's where I wanted you to be." Erk. He pauses, kind of squints at her, and taps a few fingers to his beard. "That came out weirder than intended, didn't it. Just a moment, waiting for the jackhammer to let me phrase that better."

Pepper Potts has posed:
The news about Bruce does soften her, just a bit, a half relieved smile crossing her lips, "I'll have to thank Bruce, then. I'm glad I'm not the only one worrying myself sick over you pushing the limits just a few weeks after highly dangerous surgery..." And, you know, almost killing himself by pushing the limits before getting the surgery. There might be very good reasons Pepper is over worried.

The smile disappears, though, as he does dig that grave about not remembering their names. "Well...the papers thought you looked like you were having fun." She adds back in half chilly, half clipped. But then he goes on to almost pick up the pieces about his bed and Pepper pauses in moving out of the room again. She half sighs, gazing back to him. "..it certainly didn't come out sweet and romantic. But... I... mostly get the point." She breathes out quietly. She hasn't come much closer, but now she's directly looking at him again. It's that 'what am I going to do with you?' look she so often gets. Both fond and tired. And torn.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony can see the opening here, in her torn behavior. He tilts his head a little bit, smelling potential playtime verbally, and some manner of victory for him. He lets go of the counter and approaches her.

He gets up in front of her, joining her there near that door leading to the elevator. "Is sweet and romantic really our thing?" Tony asks her, with a tug of a rogue's smile across his mouth. The charisma is coming in: the relaxed, comfortable style of Tony Stark. Compared to barely a week ago, Tony is positively full of life. He's not gray anymore, for one. And yes, hungover, but he isn't drunk. To some extent, she has her preferred version of him, right here. And bonus: alive.

"I mean, I recall somebody telling me she wasn't going anywhere." Tony's smile stays in place, but his eyes have softened.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Another slow breath, it's like she's using the very air around her to try and sooth her nerves, then she's stepping over in his direction. Closer to him, once more. Close enough she COULD touch him, but doesn't quite yet. She's still working on keeping that professional control and that slight distance that has always been between them. Well, up until the last few weeks. Her smile is bittersweet, a touch self deprecating, but honest. "Yes, well... you needed me then. You certainly weren't taking care of yourself. Clearly... you're better now. You don't need me any more. You managed that trip quite fine on your own." It's the statement of a woman who, whether she wants to be there or not, isn't entirely sure she is welcome now that he's healthy and hearty.

Iron Man has posed:
"Well. I don't need you to /worry/ about me right now. So I guess, you'd have to come up with some other things to feel towards me," Tony answers. "Although, I mean. I can understand the fear. I'm a /lot/, let alone when I'm healthy and awake." He's backhand complimenting himself. An old coping standby.

Tony extends his hands to snare hers. He doesn't stand there and hold her hands, though. That would be far too 'sweet and romantic' for them, no doubt. He ends up sort of drawing them to his middle chest. He is rather staring at her. Trying to deal with feelings is not a comfortable area for him.

"But, you know. This feels good. ...Right?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
As that hand comes out, Pepper lets her smaller palm be taken. She doesn't resist at all as he pulls her in against his chest and torso, her hand trapped between his, happily near. While she doesn't verbally respond at first, some of that high wire tension which was strung through her entire body has finally melted out a bit. She lets out some of that breath she was holding and a smile -- a true, shy, entirely too awkward Pepper smile -- crosses her lips. He's the only one that gets those smiles -- she's never awkward or unsure in business. But feelings? Those are so new for her. She leans there, just a bit closer. "... Yes. It feels... very right. I just didn't know if you'd want me here still after... everything... Or maybe it was just the drugs." She reaches her other hand up to dare trace down his cheek. "...I'm glad it wasn't just the drugs. I'd... I'd like to feel things that aren't just worry for you... Too. Heck, I mean, I... I do. I just...there hasn't been time..."

Iron Man has posed:
"So I have some suggestions on things you can feel instead of 'worried,'" Tony begins. When in doubt, talk a lot. He may talk this right into a ditch. Or like he's talking himself into something. "So I don't know if you want to take /notes/, or..." Tony continues, and then leans in and kisses her lips, directly. He was just filling the space in the air between them, until getting there. And releasing her hands to drop his own to curl around her waist inside her suit coat, fingers curling into the fabric of her shirt under it.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's not surprising how close to the same line they often are. Pepper's lips had parted just a second before he stopped talking, preparing herself to tell him to do just that, but then the words are stolen from her as she's kissed. And she sinks into it almost immediately. On her tip toes to comfortably reach him, fully leaning against his chest, her arms slipping around the back of his neck, she kisses him for every inch of worry, love, loyalty, care, and then some. She kisses him like she's not scared he's going to break or lose his breath. She slips into that kiss like a drowning woman. It was so much better than words.