72/Prodigal Stark

Prodigal Stark
Date of Scene:	18 April 2017
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Tony returns home after several weeks of no contact and no communication. Pepper is unamused. Unhappy. And all sorts of other 'un's.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
It's a view Tony never tires of, and up until this very moment, he didn't realize how much he's missed it. Standing with a glass of scotch in hand, certainly not his first and won't be his last for the evening, he's looking out over the city, staring, his expression thoughtful. Taking a breath, he makes a start to speak, stops, then considers before, "JARVIS, give me the last week's numbers on Kord Industries." Work will win out.

"Yes, sir." The clipped British accented Awareness sounds almost relieved, if human emotion can be attached to such a creation. "I see you have extended your condolences to the family."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sent flowers, too." Tony seems a little distracted, and with the one hand, empties his glass while the other hand, gestures in the air the moment the holo appears, and he's looking through financials as he walks towards the bar once again. News cycles. Energy reports. Breakthroughs in the last week, two weeks, three weeks... and how Stark Industries is poised come the end of the quarter. Reports are due out this week, at the latest. (See? He knows something about running his own business!)

Pepper Potts has posed:
Since Pepper took over, she has actually raised Stark Industrie's stock by almost five points. There was an initial dip, but a few wise moves she made to inspire share holder confidence and a small acquisition of a tiny tech firm whose patent turned some StarkTech doubly useful? It all read quite well to the papers. Of course, she hasn't left the office before 10 pm a single evening since taking on the acting CEO role. Not that she ever left much earlier before that, but she pretended to have a life some nights when she wasn't in charge. Now she's not even pretending any more.

However, just about quarter after ten, she actually ran out of pressing things to do and her eyes were on the edge of going cross for staring at any more reports, so she gave up. Still in her bespoke suit, Gucci heels and the dregs of her make up, she's made her way up to the penthouse. She doesn't technically *live* there, but it was closer than her condo on the upper East side, it let her be around if there were any emergencies, and there was a tiny part of her which felt guilty for leaving JARVIS all alone. So, she'd been crashing there, pretty much since Tony was counted officially missing.

That means, she's utterly NOT expecting him to be present when the door opens to her handprint and she's already stepping out of her high heels as she comes in the foyer. Completely beat enough, her mind doesn't quite register that anyone is in the room yet, just that lights are on. She blinks drowsily, "JARVIS... did you turn the lights on... for... me..." Then her voice falls dead quiet, seeing the man across the room, near the window. Her shoes abruptly fall out of her fingertips.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony can see how the company dipped and what was done to recover, and a soft noise of approval is made. It sends a couple of messages to him, particularly to see some of the inhouse memoes, the progression of tone on all sides of the correspondence.

Tony leaves the holos up and open, and turns around only when he catches the opening of the door, then the drowsy voice of one Virginia Potts as she talks to JARVIS as only she can, as he can. As if he's 'real' and 'present', because he totally is.

"He's just that sort of guy, yeah," Tony answers for the Awareness. He waves his hand in the air, his words for JARVIS next, "Take the night off, buddy. Go out, have a few drinks. You've earned it."

JARVIS doesn't respond.

Pepper's reaction to actually seeing him, and he doesn't look that bad. He'd showered, shaved before, and actually still has the bulk of his Armani on, minus the jacket and tie. "Long day? Yeah.. I know."

Pepper Potts has posed:
There are about a thousand different emotions going through Virginia Potts at the moment so, of course, she's doing utterly nothing but standing there, stiff and straight, trying to get tight control of all of them. The only hint that she's losing that battle is the slight glassiness of her pale green eyes as she cannot totally fight the tears of relief, anger and confusion which have sprung. She forces in a deep, slightly shaking breath as stockinged feet carry her across the marble tile, towards the more comfortable sitting area. Eventually, she stops about five feet in front of him.

"...You could have called." Pepper finally murmurs, shock keeping most emotions out of her voice. She doesn't dare touch him yet, she just studies him, searching for any sign of injury or otherwise. He seemed in tact. A bittersweet smile tugs weakly at her tired lips. She looks like she's probably lost 5 lbs over the last month. Being a CEO, when she never expected it, wasn't easy.

Iron Man has posed:
Here stands a man who know he doesn't deserve the redhead before him, but there most certainly is a part knowing she doesn't deserve him either, in the 'she's better than he is' formula. Tony empties his glass again and exhales in a soft breath before he leans over to set his glass on the coffee toble near the couch. "I really couldn't. I mean sure, I could have," and his manner is as animated as it always has been, with the bobbing, gesturing, but his eyes never leave Pepper's, "But I couldn't. Too much was at stake." He breathes a soft exhaled wry laugh, "'Course, the Board declaring me missing was a nice touch. Helped me out. A little. Also almost blew my cover. A lot."

He's okay, though maybe a little lighter. That glowing blue thing in his chest still hums along, the bit of tech a familiar sight, undoubtedly. Tony knows he should move, should step forward at at least hug her, but there's that five foot divide between them. "I don't know what to say, Pep. Help me out here."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Those pale green eyes study his face even closer now, looking for the changes, the slightly added lines, if his hair is shorter or longer. The weight he's lost. Anything that might tell her what he's been through and if she should be livid, worried, or something else. Pepper is quickly vacillating between the two right now and that's making it even harder to get control of her emotions and that frantically pounding heart in her chest. Yet, she's still calm outwardly. Always calm, always the quiet, guiding hand in the middle of the crisis. She takes another step closer, finally reaching one hand forward to lift his chin, turning his face a bit more, actually looking for injury this time. It's the one touch she permits herself.

"You can explain to me exactly where you were and why I shouldn't be screaming your head off right now for letting me think you were dead or worse?" She finally huffs out, some of that impatience coming through. The part of her that knows she DOES deserve better, but will always be standing here, waiting and worrying.

Iron Man has posed:
He's a little thinner, but not by much. There may be a couple more lines around the eyes, or perhaps those there have gotten a little deeper. Tony looks into her eyes, wincing a little as she steps closer as if fully expecting that she's simply going to haul off and slap him. He would deserve it, but...

"Pepper, believe me. I'd like nothing more than to tell you everything, but I can't." Tony takes a deep breath and exhales it in a single breath and shakes his head, at first looking away from her, but finally bringing his gaze back around. "I really do. But, I'm not done yet. I trust you with my life, but I don't trust anyone with yours. And right now, I don't even trust me with yours, so... Pep, if there was any way, believe me... but most of all, trust me?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
That was the *wrong* answer. While Pepper doesn't slap him, her hand abruptly pulls away, any tenderness in that touch which had been present is abruptly gone behind the sudden iciness in her eyes. Anger is winning over concern now. He's not dying, bleeding, or anything other than probably a bit tired and thin. Well, she's tired and thinner now too so he's not getting the sympathy vote there. "You want me to trust you, but you don't damn well trust ME? You leave me with your whole company, don't even TELL me you put some damn... in case of disappearance provision in the books that makes me CEO if you're gone, don't even tell me you're ALIVE! I don't care if you'd not said where you were going..." Probably a lie, but right now she thinks it's true, "Just if you were dead or alive! Let me worry for WEEKS... and now you don't even trust ME enough to tell me where you've been?" Pepper huffs, genuinely angry now.

She then turns on the ball of her foot, stalking back towards the side hallway where the guest bedroom is, unless he tries to stop her. "I'll just get my things. I'm sure you want to get back to normal life now that you're home and I don't care to trip over your flavor of the week in the morning."

Iron Man has posed:
There are some things worse than a slap, and Pepper knows it. She's really, really good at it. Tony is momentarily stunned into speechlessness, and it takes him a couple of heartbeats t actaually find a way to formulate a response, "Okay, so I'm the bad guy for making sure you're taken care of in case I die? Would you rather me give over the company to someone else, and let them say, 'Hey, thanks for your loyal support, your services aren't needed anymore? C'mon, Pepper. I handed you the keys to a billion dollars plus assets, and suddenly I'm the bad guy?"

Tony shakes his head and drops his face, drawing another breath for support. That scotch has gone to his head, but he'd like nothing more than to pour himself another drink. "Didn't you hear me at all? I couldn't. I'm trying to protect you. Trying to make sure that if something actually did happen to me, it wouldn't crawl up the chain and get at you. You're the important one here, and you know it." He moves quickly, though he stumbles on the onset in the attempt to keep her from doing just that which she's threatened, "Pep.. don't. It's late. Don't go. I don't want you to leave."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Standing in the doorway of the guest room would reveal that, no doubt, Pepper had pretty much moved in at this point. If she caught his stumbling, she doesn't remark on it. She's accustomed to the drinking by now, or perhaps she was just too intent on leaving to actually realize how tipsy he is. The room is well lived in, several sets of clothing hanging up, at least three pairs of shoes messily in a corner, an empty coffee cup on the desk which says she was working here at some point too, a stack of reports. The unmade bed. She probably hasn't gone home, other than to pick up some clothes, since he disappeared. Now, however, she's grabbing at the little roller suitcase that she has, picking up the essentials she'll need for the morning. Or maybe packing is just somewhere to put her angry energy.

"Dammit, Tony, you KNOW I'm not mad about the CEO thing. It... it was... I understood. Hell... I'm good at it. Really good at it." Better than she thought she'd be, in truth. "I'm mad that you couldn't even leave me a damn note saying you're ALIVE. I'm mad that you don't trust me to take care of and protect myself, no matter how...dangerous... Whatever you're doing is." She looks up from her suitcase, green eyes shining with tears and anger. "You're Iron Man. You've been that for... what seems like ages now. Every day is dangerous. I know this. Nothing CHANGES that. I've made the choice to be here. I accept that danger, no matter what NEW you are doing. Whatever the risk is... it's... it's worth it. It's worth knowing you are ALIVE and not laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering what finally caught up with you and if I'll ever see you again!"

Iron Man has posed:
Tony doesn't follow her into the room but rather leans on the threshold, his arm up and his forearm above him as he leans. He's giving her space, "Pep, this is different. This.. this is getting a whole lot more personal as well as dangerous." He's trying to explain, and it's frustrating him as he brings out the words, but he can't just get down to the basic truth of it all. "And this isn't just a one-shot deal. It's like.." With his free hand, he pulls it up to dig into his eyes with the palm, "It's like I want to batten the entire Penthouse down, and make sure not a thing can get in. Because they're sure as hell gonna try. And I'm not SHIELD. I can't just go into the office and say, 'Oh hey, guys, by the way.' It doesn't work like that."

Tony drops his arm and he more shoulder leans now, brown eyes watching her every move. He shrugs, but it's not dismissive. It's more, a pleading resignation. A sad resignation. "And if you left now? Well.." He looks down and away, searching for the words that should be around somewhere before he raises his head again. "Please, stay? I'm sorry. I'll try to make it up to you, but I can't.. I can't tell you. Not now."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Deodorant, toothbrush, heels for tomorrow, StarkPad charger. Phone charger. All the things she knows she'll need if she goes back home tonight. They all roughly get tossed into that bag, taking her anger out on the objects more than the man leaning in the doorway. Even as his voice pleads, even as she hears the sadness behind that tone, she keeps shoving things into that bag. But her heart isn't quite behind it. Finally, she just stops. She doesn't go back over to him, but she looks up from the bag and stares at him across her sloppy, unmade bed with those 1,200 thread count sheets he got her for Christmas last year.

"Tony... it's no secret how close we are. The media has said we were in love more than once. I've been at your side almost ten years now. Whether you tell me what is going on or not... if there is truly a target out there concerning whatever you've gotten into? It's already painted on my back. People are going to assume I know. The world assumes you tell me everything. I... I thought, until now, you did too..." And that hurts way more than his disappearing. There is a true sadness behind her voice as well, an ache... The lack of trust stings like few other things can.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony shifts around so his back is to the threshold now, and he rolls his head back, his eyes turning to face the ceiling. He's trying, he is, and every word of hers, the sound of her voice just pushes it all deeper. "I never corrected them. Not in a million years because I..." What? "Should we have in order to keep you safe? Should I have long-armed everything if it meant that was the way I could keep you safe? Because Pepper, that is all I really care about. And you're asking me to bring it all down, telling me that I don't trust you because of it."

There he stands, still looking up at the ceiling, and his voice becomes a little hoarser, "There's nothing else that's important to me." Finally, Tony takes another deep breath and brings his gaze down to watch her again, and it briefly flickers over her packing. He lifts a single shoulder in a shrug, and he finishes up lamely, "I don't know what else to say. I said I'm sorry. That you're the most important thing in the world to me. That I don't want you to go."

Pepper Potts has posed:
While they'd danced around some things, even shared that dance, once... he'd never straight out put anything like that. Never denied it to the press, no, but those words are enough to completely stop her packing. Pepper stares at him, hard, a bit taken back by the pure heart behind his words, even if he finishes with that somewhat giving-up tone. How does she turn away from that? How does she push him away again? Pepper takes in a deep breath, it shaking more than she'd care to admit, and finally she steps around the bed in his direction. She moves back to standing close, but not touching, again. Always that bit of space between. That safety net. The pretending they were just boss and secretary.

"...Tony... I... I'm just your... assistant." Pepper offers back, just as lamely. She can't even believe that lie any more, no matter how much they say it. "I... I don't know what to do. I can't take... not knowing. My heart can't take just... waiting again. Wondering if you're dead. Trying to pretend everything is fine. I can't handle it, Tony... I... " She cares too much. Probably loves him, but her lips don't find the courage for those words. She's the sober one here, the one still in control, hovering but a foot out of touch. She forces in another deep gulp of air. "...is this about the missing money? Is that you? No one else could do it...that quiet."

Iron Man has posed:
It was a battle that Tony was worried about all those years; how Pepper would be treated if others simply thought that she'd retained her position because she was sleeping with the boss? Even if it wasn't true, the thought was lodged in the back of everyone's mind, thanks to the press. But Pepper fought her way through, and the way she picked up the reins to Stark Industries and pushed it forward? Of course the gossipers would natter, but again, she's proved her mettle to everyone out there. Like he knew she could. He always knew she could.

"Just?" Tony shakes his head and watches as she approaches him. He can't look away, and rather than repeat everything he's said, he steps in a half step to raise his hand to cup her cheek, her jaw. "I'm asking you to just give me a little time. To tr-" Missing money?

Missing money. Tony pauses, his words stopping in his throat before he quickly grimaces and then it's gone again. "Part of it." His hand makes to fall again, and he breathes a rapid breath. "Yeah."

Pepper Potts has posed:
The moment he touches her, it's all over. Pepper can't keep her guard, her icy anger up with that. While she'd never admit it aloud, part of her leans into his touch. Her eyes sink shut for a moment, cheek resting a bit heavier in his hand. She missed this. Missed him. If he had any doubt that every inch of her wanted that hug probably as much as he did, it should be erased by her body language alone in this moment. But he might be too drunk and worried to see it. Even as she ruins the moment with business, with her being far too aware, as always. Work always came up when they were so close to actually taking that leap.

Her pale eyes reopen has his hand drops away, following the trace of his fingertips for a heartbeat before she looks back up to him. She gives a faint nod. "I figured. No one else noticed. You... you did it well. Even accounting is oblivious. I couldn't even trace it, just figured a few things were off. When I couldn't trace it, I...figured it was you." She murmurs softly, but the fight has gone out of her.

Iron Man has posed:
It's truly time for that hug now, and Tony takes another small half-step in order to try and wrap her in his arms. There's no mistaking that bit of cold metal in the center of his chest, however; everything is really happening to her. And him. "I knew eventually you'd see it. And I'm sure if you had time, and I wasn't back, you'd be able to trace it." There's a hint, and probably the only one he's going to give.

The scent of her is more home than home is, and Tony's voice is low. "I've been traveling all night, and most of the morning. I met with that guy for Shakespeare in the park. You're welcome. But, fair warning... if he sucks, you're going to have to do damage control." And it's time for bed. "If you stay over, I'll have the coffee made for you in the morning." He's sounding hopeful.

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's over, the rebellion, the determination to leave. Every bit of fight left in Pepper Potts is gone the moment he hugs her. Pepper just sinks there, into his arms, her own thin grasp coming up to wrap around his back and return the hug tightly. Her head sinks into his shoulder even as she feels that cool, constant pulsing against her own chest. It felt like home. He was home, here and alive. All the sleepless nights of the last week gone. Pepper just leans there, holding on for dear life for a few of her own heartbeats.

"...Don't...don't do that again. Don't just... disappear. Leave me something. A note... a hint... Something. Please, Tony... I really can't handle it." But she can. And she did. But it kills her a little more every time. He might feel the smallest trace of damp against the edge of his shirt, even if she doesn't let the tears invade her breath or voice. She's begging him not to do that to her again. Or, as close as Pepper ever gets to begging.

Iron Man has posed:
"I apparently did leave you a hint. I didn't think so at the time, but you're ... amazing." Tony holds her, hugs her, keeps her close, loosening only to bring a hand up to stroke her face. "I don't have any intention of doing that again. If I have to go, I'll let JARVIS know." Even though he did know Tony was alive and where he was, Tony's not about to rat him out. It was under his orders.

"I am going to have one more drink, and then I think I'm going to go to sleep. I've got a few phone calls I have to take, and we'll talk about the company later." Tony leans to press a kiss right in the middle of Pepper's forehead before he's ready to let go and go to bed. He's tired.

Pepper Potts has posed:
The promised reassurance that he won't leave her wondering again, and the gentle kiss against her forehead, it's enough to calm that lion in Pepper's chest. Her fight is gone and now it's just a quiet, collapsing sort of relief that is leaving her aching and exhausted. Pepper didn't even realize how much tension she'd been holding until it all left her in this moment and the room almost spins. She just leans against him a heartbeat longer before faintly nodding and pulling away.

"I've been up since five. I... should sleep. You should too... Really. Another drink won't help. Finish your phone call and go to bed. For me, please?" SHe'd still be up far before him, but her eyes do quietly beg that he doesn't pick up another bit of scotch. She knew he didn't need him.