Re: Pepper and Phil (open to Tony and Maria)
She was happy for him. So very happy, and didn't bother to hide her smile, even as he searched for the most comfortable way to express his emotions to her. The sentiments weren't exactly unexpected; when Pepper had broken up with him, it had been because his lifestyle had been one that she knew she would be unhappy with because it didn't mesh well with her own.
On the surface it had appeared that it would but his kind of order and hers were not the same. And his kind of chaos and hers were not the same. Pepper needed answers and sureties and the knowledge that when something exploded, she could manage the disaster. Phil needed those same things, but between them, they could not achieve those same ends together, there would have always been secrecy, with her never knowing where he was or what he was doing and her being helpless to change that.
With Maria it was different. She moved in his world, and her order and chaos were the same as his. The problems they encountered were problems they could face together and they would always know what the other was doing - if not specifically, than at least in general. They were prepared for the kind of life they lived, making them perfectly suited for one another. And, like the cacti Pepper gave him, they would always understand the constraints their work placed on their relationship and be connected by their dedication to both.
She understood perfectly.
His concerns were also understandable, and Pepper bit her lip in thought as she considered an answer. "I've been told for years that one of my more valuable skills is my ability to understand Tony-Speak," she said after a moment's pause. "It's taken me longer to interpret certain things than others." a little smirk curved her lips. "But just because she doesn't speak the words, doesn't mean she isn't saying them. You just need to learn how to listen to her. It took a Herculean gesture for me to finally realize that Tony had been telling me that he loved me for a long time, but I finally heard it. Now, I love it when he tells me, but he doesn't have to because I hear it even when he doesn't.
"It's what you do, isn't it?" He was a spy - he was used to reading people for the truth about their feelings. "Find her 'tells'. Whether she can say it or not, you are going to want to hear it someday; learn how to listen to the way she speaks. And tell her that last part. If you're talking, that's good; ask her what makes her uncomfortable."