Anthony "Tony" Stark (i_amironman) wrote in marvel_united, @ 2009-04-24 15:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | iron man, pepper potts |
Who: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts
NPCs: ----
When: April 24th, 2009
Where: Stark Towers
What: An awakening occurs.
Rating: PG-13
A tumbler of scotch sat across from Tony, still untouched with the ice melted halfway and clinking around in the glass as he bumped it with outstretched fingers. Before he'd gotten to enjoy the slow burn of the liquor, he'd passed out from exhaustion right at the desk in his office as he was pouring over two schematics he'd just finished of a new bow and the incendiary arrow tips for Clint. Tony was flat out tired no matter how much sleep he got, and he'd done nothing but run himself ragged since he'd come home from his kidnapping. A solid year of working hard without pausing. It'd been the most work he'd done in his entire life really, and it was clear at times when he actually came up for air that it'd taken a toll on him not only physically but mentally.
It wasn't until JARVIS woke him with some of his chiding that Tony finally woke up to the watered down glass of scotch and a small spot of drool on the corner of his mouth.
"Damn," he said as he wiped the corner of his mouth and got up from the desk, walking around to wake himself up. He had too much work to be done. He didn't have time to sleep right now.
Maybe you should go outside, sir. Fresh air will get you going.
"It's after midnight, JARVIS," he said as he glanced at the clock on the wall as it ticked over to 12:25.
I never said the plan was flawless.
"Thanks, peanut gallery," he said as he stretched a few times. "Is Pepper in the building?"
Yes, sir, she's on the entire floor of the building you so generously gave her.
"If she needs me, she'll call me," he said, pocketing his cell phone before he grabbed his leather jacket and slipped on his old worn Vans and headed downstairs to the lobby in his elevator.
After a good fifteen minutes of walking, Tony was thankful for the 24 hour Starbucks he'd found downtown where he quickly downed a couple of shots of espresso and bought a cold bottle of water to wake him up just a little more. While he'd been waiting in line, it was then that a redheaded woman walked in and stood right behind him, pale skinned and freckled, blue eyes and hair the same shade of Pepper's. He stared for a minute before side stepping down to the hand-off plane. The girl had caught Tony staring and blushed. He wasn't even sure she knew who he was, but the mannerisms, the blushing...just like her. And it made his heart ache.
For the first time in his life, Tony Stark felt nothing like a genius.
Tony wasn't blind; he'd known for a long time how much Pepper loved him, that he was more than a boss or friend to her, but it became a lot more real when she physically uttered the words. He'd been forced to face something he'd done his best to turn a blind eye to ever since he'd come out as Iron Man. It'd almost settled into an unspoken agreement that he was being faithful to her. He'd made the effort to try and make some sort of amends over time, despite his occasional slip-ups, he'd even asked her unofficially to be his girlfriend to which she'd turned him down in her own way. At the time, it wasn't good for the two of them to let that get in the way. Tony was still out to prove himself to the world and to himself that he was a good man and could do good things regardless of his past.
He wanted to be the man Pepper would need. He already knew he was what she wanted. But he had to hurt her to save her. He even hoped once that he could do something to make her stop loving him, but it wouldn't have mattered. He was still too much in love with her and the more time progressed, the more it surfaced in the little things he did like the jealousy that stirred when other men paid her attention, how others observed that she'd be good for him. She already was. He knew that, but Tony always had a hard time coming to terms with anything. Tony Stark was undeniably in love with Pepper to the point everyone saw it.
He'd plopped down on a nearby bench when raindrops suddenly landed on the crown of his head as he'd paused to take a drink of water. Of all things, it would start raining while he was outside. By the time he got back to Stark Towers, he was soaked through, his dark locks plastered to his forehead, his chest rising and fall heavily from the running. He took the elevator up, but instead of going straight to the top, he went right to the floor of Pepper's apartment. Impatiently, he paced the elevator, waiting for it to reach the floor and before the doors could part much, he was forcing himself between them and out to her door.
"Pepper!" he yelled as he beat on the door as hard as he could. He could have just made JARVIS manually unlock it, but he wasn't even thinking that clearly. "Pepper!" he continued to yell as he banged his fists over and over against it.