8134/Bunker Extraction

Bunker Extraction
Date of Scene:	02 July 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Pepper coaxes Tony to take a real break, as he hasn't slept much due to working on Vision.
Cast of Characters:	Iron Man, Pepper Potts

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Iron Man has posed:
"Mr. Stark appears to be asleep," JARVIS replies politely to a well-phrased query about why exactly Tony has seemed to have fallen off the planet. He has fallen off the planet into one lab or another over and over during the course of the week, though half the time that is in the Avengers' space at the mansion.

"He is still within his lab space," JARVIS adds. "However, I was previously instructed to allow no intrusions, to allow him to focus, as the life of Vision is, and I quote, 'Not a simple thing'. No intrusions, unless they were of highest priority."

The whole of it translates to Tony probably being face down on a desk in his bunker.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"...Considering Mr. Stark being asleep is certainly not helpful for his focus, could you let me in now, JARVIS, so I can make certain he gets rest somewhere it will actually help him do some good?" Pepper clips up to the ceiling, trying not to sound worried (not that an AI would necessarily notice or care, but she still has looks to maintain.) She smooths one hand across her hair, trying to look more put together and awake herself than she was feeling.

She'd stayed up working late herself, in some vain hopes that Tony might properly come to bed tonight, since he was in the penthouse, instead of sleeping at the Avenger's mansion. Also, just in case something like this happened. So, now she folds closed her laptop and unfolds her slender frame from the couch where she was working, padding barefoot towards the stairs that would take her into the bunker space and down. Hopefully the door is unlocked by the time she gets there.

Iron Man has posed:
"I will attempt to rouse him for permission," decides JARVIS, his tone apologetic. He will absolutely follow Tony's standing orders, unless there are certain emergency requirements met. Some of the restrictions in general were placed to protect Pepper, and anyone else, from something that might occur in the lab: their safety, as much as Tony's 'chain of thought' being broken.

When Pepper gets to the door, she'll find it locked, but will get a report from JARVIS. "I am requesting access for you."

There's another minute, wherein Pepper may even be able to imagine in her mind's eye the scene going on inside as JARVIS gently talks to a sleepy Tony.

Whatever went on, the door unlocks.

Tony is at one of his work benches adjacent to a fabrication machine, with one hand pressed into his hair, eyes closed. The print of the edge of the keypad he was using has created a long reddish indented line near his left eye and cheek, evidence of the previous sleeping pose he'd had. "Hey," Tony says raggedly, itching his hair in the front of his scalp. His voice has a relaxed deeper quality than usual.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's got that late-night mussed look herself. While she WAS working, she was working in a pair of yoga pants rolled down a few inches to lay comfortably low on her hips and a teeshirt she stole off of him. Bra abandoned long ago, feet still bare, her hair down out of any clips from the day. She looks like she could be five minutes from bed but her eyes are too-awake. Unlike his.

She flashes him a gentle smile, one hand stretching out to slip across his back and give an idle rub along side of just a BIT of pressure to help coax him off the work bench. "Come on...bed. Proper bed. You're not getting anything done or certainly not focusing tonight. Six hours in a bed next to a beautiful assistant will help your head screw on straight for the morning..." She smells like vanilla soap and her hair's slightly damp. She's even showered already. It must be late.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony seemed to close his eyes for a shade too long, and he jumps slightly when she's suddenly there, as if she surprised him. He's very tired; lost a few seconds there to a long blink! "I'm being very productive," Tony says with another scrub at his hair then his face, against the prickle of shadow coming in due to the late hour along his outside jaw. "JARVIS, what's the fabrication status of the current parts, and ETA."

"Fabrication is at twenty-two percent," JARVIS supplies. "Estimated time, five hours, one minute, and eighteen seconds."

"Productive," Tony repeats with a gesture towards the machines near him. He releases a deep breath as she squeezes against one of his shoulders, though, and leans towards it. "Ow. Table isn't conducive to not getting neck cramps," Tony observes, scrinching his eyes shut, but then starting to push off the table towards standing.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"...Mmmhmm. Sounds like you can remain being productive and sleep for six hours... and only lose 59 minutes of productivity. Come on, bed isn't far. I'll even rub that table-pillow neck cramp out for you." Which is probably some dastardly attempt to get him in bed, laying down, and tricked into an activity that will most likely put him right back to sleep. She steps away enough to give him room to stand up but then lazily loops her arm around the back of his waist.

"No... new news, I take it?" She asks softly, no resentment in her voice for how much he's been working. Vision was a friend to all of them but... something more to Tony. She knew how much it mattered. But now, she gently coaxes him back towards the stairs, tempting with touch and the simple support of deep, insistent care. The way Pepper has always taken care of him. At least she is still a constant.

Iron Man has posed:
"I was about to say your math wasn't going to work, for six hours of sleep, but you headed me off, with your willingness to lose productivity," tired Tony observes, but does get up, stretching his back with a scowl. He grabs a bottle of water off the table -- water, yes, really -- and has some as she guides him towards the stairs. At the stair, he's clearly awake enough to head up without physical urging.

"News? Some. If Hank Pym could pull his head out of his ass long enough to tell me some things, we could have done this faster," Tony does gripe. "But if I kick everyone that's a stubborn ass off the team..." Tony pauses, as if imagining his world without the stubborn people. "That might not be so bad," he says, some tease entering his voice.

"I'm working on physical housings for his systems now," he adds, as if that were obvious, with a gesture backwards. "Can't just replicate what he'd had, but I'll get real close."

Pepper Potts has posed:
A deeper sigh escapes Pepper's lips as he comments about Dr. Pym. She lets him go enough that they can easily scale the stares and the frustration at the stubborn nature of both of them softens as he drinks water. That's reassuring, at least. "...This is... ridiculous between the two of you. I should just go over to him and try to talk some sense into him. If... I got him to come around... would you actually play nice? Be... respectful and not say the first thing that always comes to your mind?" Pepper asks somewhat skeptically, but she has to try.

"And if you kicked everyone stubborn off the team, Tony, you'd have to be kicked off too." She gives him a flat look, hands on her hips, DARING him to contradict her on that. Not to mention the fact she's not really on the team but she often fits the stubborn box as well.

Iron Man has posed:
"Normally," Tony begins, after swallowing some water, "I would absolutely encourage someone to visit Hank, because he /looooooves/ visitors." Tony orients a look towards her, with a prankster's grin. Hank absolutely hates all the visitors, and it's funny.

"But I wouldn't deliberately subject you to him," Tony says, more kindly, and with a slight little flash of something else. "As I like you in a good mood. Even if it's tempting to know that you'd be over on my side about him being insufferable."

"Oh, I'm one of the worst offenders," Tony agrees slyly, no argument. "But I can also be a hypocrite and give myself a pass on it. Abuse my leadership." He moves towards her, drawing a hand around her shoulders, and leans in to attempt to put a kiss on her upper right eyebrow.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"...He can't be *that* bad. And I might have some amount of experience at handling stubborn, brilliant, work-driven men... Once or twice in my life, you know." Pepper dead pans casually, a half smile pulling across her fresh, unmade-up lips. With shower already, it means she's got no make up on, nothing but all natural Pepper who has finally gotten comfortable enough to parade around his apartment in casual bed clothes and yoga pants. It was a big step for the constantly put together executive assistant.

"...You are such a hypocrit." She agrees, but the tone of her voice is all love. A teasing, gentle chide which softens even more as he presses that kiss to her eyebow. She practically melts against him, both arms wrapping around his back with a comfortable hunger which expreses, bodily, how much she's missed him. Even if she's not voiced it. Sometimes body language speaks volumes.

Iron Man has posed:
"...You're saying I'm handled?" Tony asks, with a lift of dark brows. He grins into it though, a natural, warm spread across his dark goatee that also enters his brown eyes. "I know I am," he says more quietly. "Well handled." He lifts a hand to gently touch her hair, brush some of the stray pieces away from her neck.

"The worst," Tony chuckles to being a hypocrite, accepting her into the hung, and hooking his chin against her shoulder. He's tired, so there's a relaxed quality to it. "Five hours of rest is enough, I think," Tony comments in a slightly muffled way as he turns his head and talks into her shirt at her neck. "Five point two?" he barters.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"...depends on how you spend that point eight otherwise." Pepper whispers against his throat, a touch of flirtatiousness beneath the tone but also drowsy support. Reassurance, almost. Pepper is still mostly working on just coaxing him to bed, no matter how much each touch makes her remember that she's missed this. It felt like they had just gotten comfortable DOING this casually when he dove into a project where she soon never saw him again.

Another few steps backwards, towards the master bedroom. "...It's been a lot of work, handling you...but worth every moment. The worst or not." She drowsily banters back at him before turning around, one hand still lacing down his arm and then through his fingertips, so she can lead him up the hall and he can get a somewhat nice view without them fully breaking contact.

Iron Man has posed:
"I'm work?" Tony echoes, clearly 'insulted': being, not at all actually insulted, but he'll wear the false insult to mess with her. "Granted, I am literally your employer, so by that definition, I do qualify as work," Tony comments, in his skillful way of making things better by use of talking a lot.

He does follow her, though, keeping contact with her hand, and obviously more awake from the flirtations she's sending his way. He'll run himself into the ground, with raw willpower alone, if there's good reason. She's a good reason.

"Once Vision is handled, let's say I'm a vacation for a while," he suggests, stopping and letting go of her hand to pull shoes off, and to tiredly get rid of his tight jeans, dumping them into the laundry. "All expenses paid. Sightseeing. Full tour of Stark Tower." A wink follows as he returns, but a rub of his face and eyes proves he's more tired than he's faking.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Bedroom. Goal succeeded. But, unlike teenagers stumbling messily up a hall to get to a bedroom for far different reasons, Pepper just wanted to get him in here as it's all the more likely that she'd be able to get him to SLEEP if he actually passed the door. No more distractions. Bed, warm woman, a handful of hours longer than he's been getting before. She lets his palm go so he can start getting comfortable, but doesn't miss that rub of his face.

"You *are* work... that is literally the only reason I ended up here. Now, however, you just also happen to be good things... and a very comfortable man to sleep next to, when we actually manage to get here."

She tosses him a bit of a wink, teasing back as good as she's getting. She's even missed the banter. "Now...pants off, face down, under covers. Let me work on that neck and we'll figure out where to go from there." Almost certainly it will be him dead asleep on the pillow, but she promised she would. She slips out of her own yoga slacks, the teeshirt covering JUST to the edges of her hips. Chilly bare legs carry her quickly into bed but she doesn't fully stretch out yet, but shifts onto her side so she can offer that rub she kept mentioning.

Iron Man has posed:
"'Comfortable'?" Tony asks, as if unsure if he appreciates that new designation. "Doesn't really fit with the others, like Genius or Billionaire. Lacks the same ring." He's not resisting at all, he'll promote the same gist that she's looking for, which is getting horizontal.

"'Pants off'? I'm seeing that stubborn quality with you," Tony says, muffled, as he settled in the position he 'chose': which does happen to be one to allow massaging to occur. "But again, I can abuse my power, and make an exception," he continues. She missed banter? He is a feast of banter, set to attempt to overdose.

"I have some expert advice on locations to go after." There's a tiredness to his voice, because he's laying down, but he's still gamely hanging on.

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Mm... leisurely, then? That's more genius billionaire themed..." Pepper teases softly, her voice a bit more husky than before as she's brought it lower, almost a whisper, in attempts to ease him down into actual sleep. Once he's settled near in a position she can reach, she stretches her slender, strong fingertips up and begins slowly working at that knot in his neck. The first few moments are probing, finding what is tight and working a few slow, gentle circles to at least coach it to loosening. She lets the rest of her body sink and settle along side of him, so her leg is stretched out against his and she's sharing (stealing) his warmth.

"And I've had to be stubborn...no one could hold on being a push over around you. We make each other better... with our mutual stubbornness." That isn't exactly teasing, but more a warm truth that she's come to accept as a part of life. She might even be a bit proud of it.

Iron Man has posed:
Tony flinches and reacts to the knot being pressed on, but doesn't actually complain about it. "I'm a leisurely man to sleep next to?" Tony banters back, though, with amusement at the word choice. "I'd ask JARVIS for a better word choice, but I'd rather he not get involved with tonight," Tony says, a flirty smile on his face, though she'll just hear the emotion in his voice. He doesn't obey the massage situation too long before he rolls over towards her, perhaps wanting to see her. His dark eyes are very tired, but that also reduces the bullshit level, as well. The filters aren't there, and for once, also no haze of alcohol: he's as sober as it gets.

"I was thinking more like mutual strength," Tony says, clearing his throat. "But I'm glad to hear I improve you. Even if it's in stubbornness. Can't have this be all one-sided."

Pepper Potts has posed:
It's a bit harder to rub his neck that way, but her fingertips just rest across the back of his neck, letting the warmth of her hand just soothe through the muscle instead of an active rubbing. The touch is still intimate, but it also means her mind and eyes are now totally focused on him. Equally tired, equally open... but not quite giving up yet. Her smile softens a bit and she shifts, twining her leg between his. It really had been too long since they both just got to stretch out in a bed together.

"Mutual... strength... sounds right. And balance. Things we both need... knowing when to push, and when to not. And I hope I sometimes remind you to come home and get your head out of the clouds. At least it's not so lonely a home to come to." She leans up, pressing the softest... just tender brush of a kiss to the corner of his mouth. They'd never talked about her actually living here, or this being 'home', but she was around long enough. Just a quiet thought on the wind for another night.

"...Sleep, Tony. I'm not going anywhere."

Iron Man has posed:
"Just ... seems like a waste, to not... use all the time we've got," Tony replies, thoughtfully. And shows a great deal of Tony's outlook of heavy parties, working on projects, burning into things instead of sleeping or resting.

And very frequently, the drive to fix things. The past mistakes, including that he had a role in Vision's death. He has to throw everything at it, if there's something he can do.

"I don't stay in the clouds," Tony murmers, looking at her, but then just starts to let his eyes close. He moves, blind, to adjust his body and nestle her close, forehead set to hers. There's a comfort in it, a welcome quality, of her belonging there.

"I'm here," Tony adds, but then... he's asleep.

Pepper Potts has posed:
No protest. They might have different views on things, but what he just said actually confirmed a lot of what Pepper had suspected of him for years. It wasn't fame or fortune at all that drove him. She knew it, he just rarely said it. She doesn't even need to respond, his breath having evened out, brushing across her lips and chin from the tuck of their foreheads together. She just smiles a brush wider, sinking deep in against him, right where she fit, like they'd always laid this way together. It was but a handful of minutes before she was out too, utterly content tucked against him.