Pepper smirked at his immediate defensiveness over the subject of the Caped Crusader that had been her "first love" as far as fictional characters went. "Whiney? You have got to be kidding me. Far from it. Batman is one of the most serious and stoic heroes you will find. Spiderman would be considered 'whiney'...but not Batman. Moody, yes, I'll give you that - but look at the kind of an existance he's had. Besides, it's not like he could have any real companionship with the persona he has to maintain...and that has to eat away at someone after awhile. He's forced to keep up the facade of a wealthy playboy by day - and at night he's an avenger out saving Gotham. Can't manage to squeeze much of a personal life in that way. Either way he goes, he's never going to be fully the man that he actually is."
Much like someone else I know.
She arched a brow and darted a quick glance over at him as he reminded her that he'd saved her life. They very rarely ever mentioned that night...mostly because she'd begged him not to. Yes, it had been the night he'd so valiantly played her knight in shining armor...but it had also been the night he'd all but ordered her to kill him by overpowering the arc reactor.
Even still, she could feel the bite of the gravel on her knees as she fell alongside of where he'd collapsed on the roof. She'd lifted his head and cradled it in her lap, bowing over him with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Tears... Pepper Potts never cried. Never.
The only man she'd ever cried over had been him.
She could remember screaming for help at the top of her lungs until her throat was raw and scratchy. She knew she should get up and go seek out some kind of assistance herself...but she couldn't leave him. She was his guardian angel, watching as the blue light of his arc reactor flickered in and out. She'd kissed his forehead, whispering that everything would be alright...that she'd make it all okay. Just as she'd promised before. That she'd never leave him so long as he didn't leave her now.
It wasn't long before help finally arrived in the form of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Pepper was forced to watch as they lifted his unconscious body out of her arms and began to tote him away. She clung to him until the very last moment when his hand slipped through her fingers.
He'd managed to survive the ordeal and he'd been quick to make a joke out of all of it as she sat on the edge of his hospital bed, watching over him. But she shook her head and whispered "enough, Tony". She couldn't laugh about that night. Despite what he may wish...she'd come far too close to losing him.
But he'd upheld his end of the bargain and came back to her...so now she felt the need to uphold hers and remain with him. Despite what he might throw at her.
Pepper's eyes darted upward from where she realized she'd slipped off into something of a daze as Tony turned to address her. She leveled him with a smirk and a "in your most happy of dreams" sort of look before turning her attention back towards the television again with a quiet sigh.
On the screen, Batman was currently being pummeled by a band of thugs that had managed to get the drop on him.
She felt her heart sink in her chest as the Dark Knight fell dramatically to his knees.
It seemed even the most powerful among them could fall. Even a great and invincible sort of force like Batman or Superman could be hurt.
She turned her eyes back towards Tony as he wiggled his fingers above Salt's nose and watched as she batted at them 'ferociously'.
It was going to be a difficult life as a superhero's assistant.