honeyimhome | oo1*video

Nothing worth worrying your pretty little head about.

Maybe not over this past week. [Not!side-eyeing it, really.]

What, you wanted to hear about the week we were turned into a zoo? Seems a little dirty for someone like you.

I wouldn't, if I were you.

Why's that?

Because the woman keeps Tony Stark in line. She either has strange and arcane powers of persuasion or she's way tougher than she looks. Possibly both.

Mm, I doubt it's that interesting. She has tits, and Tony's just a prick. Every man has a type.

Besides, trial by fire never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. If she's as tough as you she'll be a shoe-in for our club.

I'll give you that, and fire at will, but I remain convinced there's more to it than tits. [Pepper's definitely beautiful, but in a kind of elegant way, and she presents herself on the modest side. If all it took was raw sexuality to make Tony agreeable he'd be wrapped around Selina's finger, not hers.] It's either some special skill or love, and I'm not sure which is more likely.

Oh, we have a club now? Do we get a treehouse?

Either way it fades, right? [She smirks]

Well, since it's just you and me right now, I think we could stage a hostile takeover of the nearest clubhouse.

That's what the singers say.

True. So who on board has the best pad?

Dracula, definitely. [He has kittens.]

I've seen plenty of dirty.

[Seriously. Ten plus years as Tony Stark's personal assistant. She has seen some shit.]

Oh then this is your ship.

I've been here before. [JUST FYI, KITTY.]

Yeah? How'd it treat you?

Hard to say. I was a little too occupied with ... Other things. And then I got sent home.

[YEAH SHUT UP SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT to you okay.]

Naughty girl.

[Pepper.

It's Pepper. Pepper Potts. Virginia Not-A-State Potts. And more than that? This isn't one of those multiverse bleedthroughs that happen every now and then. This isn't like when he'd gotten the chance to talk to Coulson, Hill, Yinsen, and Rhodey. This was Pepper Potts back on the barge, after getting tossed back home for whatever bullshit reason the Admiral had.

And this time? Tony remembers the relationship they have. He remembers being with her, all the teasing and fighting and late night champagne dates. He remembers pouting as she got friendly with Ph-Agent Coulson, and he remembers the words she whispered in his ear before getting on that plane to DC.

The last words he'd heard from her, actually.]

Yeah, uh, you missed your chance to smoke hookah with a caterpillar and be hunted down by carnivorous topiary. [At least, he thinks that's what happened. Also the caterpillar thing is complete bull, but whatever. They went to Wonderland. Either way, he's acting normal. Snippy and assholish and trying and failing to play it off like he doesn't care that she's back, that she's here.

But that only really lasts about ten seconds, until his expression's softening in that way it only does around her.] And, by the way?

I finished that homework.

[W o w, Tony no. Just. Tony. No. That's not what you say the first time she sees you in months- maybe more, she isn't sure. Not to mention the fact that, while she hasn't just not seen him, he's been pronounced dead.

She'd fought long and hard with many, too many, officials, to get back here. Why she'd been dragged away in the first place ... Well, even she wasn't sure. Some superficial reason that was an absolute loop-hole.]

I'll leave the 'being' hunted to you. [Just the slightest of eye-narrows.]

Did you? [Because by her books? He did, but also ... didn't.]

[Oh come on, he was trying to be... romantic. Kind of. At least a little.

And Pepper should know by now that he's horrible at stuff like this. At breaking the ice and saying the right things. Of releasing tension in any way that's considered nice and normal. He's honestly just too realieved to see someone he trusts, here. To know that he has someone he knows will have his back, will understand him. Someone he cares about and doesn't have to fight paranoia and suspicion in order to let in. Hell, even just someone who doesn't hate him on principle, based on what he does and says without thinking, or in an attempt to cover something up.

It's just nice to have someone, again. As much as he might never outwardly admit it.]

Hey, no suit means no bullet holes to deal with. Officially sidelined and hating it. No being hunted. [Unless you count being hunted by people he's pissed off on the barge.

He pauses, thinking back - it hasn't just been months for him, it's been years. He went back and faced Vanko, lived those two years with Pepper at his side, building the tower, leading up to that fight with Loki, saving New York, flying a nuke into space-

Ah, right. He never came back from that, did he?]

Uh, kind of. In a way. [Eheh] Formed a Boy Band, saved New York, beat up an alien Viking... pretty sure that was the gist of the assignment.

[He's just going to tactfully leave out the reminder that the only way he'd be here is if he died carrying that nuke into space.]

[Much as her expression is vaguely pained, it's still monumentally pleased. He can try and not-remind-her all he likes. He still does a shit-tacular job at it.]

Yes, I saw. The Avengers. [She's sure it was mentioned last time... But then, Tony had been from further behind, then, also.]

Hold on. You've been through all that- last time I was here, you hadn't-- [Wat. What's changed, Tony Stark?]

Welcome back, Miss Potts.

[There's a tight smile as his welcome. Or vaguely so.]

Thank you.

Has anyone brought you up to speed on what you've missed since you were last on board?

I did a bit of my own research for the past week or so, but nothing beyond that, no.

You've been gone for a few months. Mr. Stark has had a few rough patches, but seems to be in a good place, for the time being. I'm hopeful if he sticks with it, he'll graduate sooner rather than later.

A few months?

[There's a twist in her gut. It had been just a few weeks- or maybe months, back home for her. But here, too? She'd thought time worked differently. Why now?

Except Charles is mentioning something else. Something much more interesting. Moreso, than even the brief, aforementioned 'rough patches'.]

He's close to graduating? [...] Really? [NO This isn't an incredulous tone. Just a very, timidly hopeful one.]

Assuming he doesn't have some kind of horrific backslide, I hope so. [Which was, admittedly, possible because this is Tony we're talking about. But between the kid flood kind of opening his eyes on the alcoholism front and generally warming up to people more and not making Hitler jokes at Erik, he's optimistic. B(]

[Her lip is getting quite the chew-out these past few minutes, and Pepper only suspects it will get worse.]

I hope he doesn't.

[But hey, if Charles believes so... Then again, she doesn't know ol' Charlie boy that well, either.]

Is there anything I can do to help? I know I'm not his- Warden, but.

[It's a very difficult role-switch, okay.]

[He hesitates a beat before saying it, because it would help, but he knows if he was in her place and had Erik's warden telling him he'd fucked up his progress by going home, he wouldn't exactly feel awesome about himself.]

It would help if you make sure he knows you're there for him. He didn't exactly handle your last disappearance well.

[There's a tightness in her jaw and lower back that creeps up on her when he speaks. She has an off feeling that one of Tony's relapses might have been just after she'd been shipped back home. Much to her distress, but the point was still there.]

I'll let him know.

[And she will. Vehemently. Again and again until he's sick of hearing it. Or maybe she'll just be subtle about it, do it in little ways that leave him knowing, but not overwhelmed. It's such a fine line to walk along, when you're both employed and in love with your boss.

Especially when said feelings are reciprocated.]

[He hesitates again before continuing, because he knows the situations are different and it's not like either of them know each other well, but. He does think he gets it.]

I know we don't know each other well, but I know what it's like to have someone you care for stuck here as an inmate, [Care for is kind of an enormous understatement, but he's a guy and slightly emotionally repressed, so using the L word even platonically is weird. B(] so if you ever want someone to talk to, I'd be more than happy to make myself available.

You sure did. It's good to see you again, though, ma'am. [Have a small smile from the captain, over here.]

You too, Steve. [Small smiles right back at you. Please tell her you've been watching out for the nuisance, Steve-o.]

Hopefully we can get to know each other a little better this time around. I'm sure you have all sorts of interesting stories about Tony.

[A beat, and then he grins.] I've got a few now, too. We can trade. Don't worry too much, we've kept him in one piece.

You've been here since I left?

[Which is highly unfortunate, most things considered. She has no idea how long it's been since she'd last been aboard.]

I sure have. Dr. Banner's arrived in that time, too.

Hello again, Pepper.

You should be glad you weren't here.

[A little smile and a nod.]

I'm getting that feeling, trust me.

[Well this is curious.]

Apparently that isn't so strange here. [She is UNSURE about this, and honestly wondering if it's a game of the Admiral's: bring her here, send her home, throw Tony through a loop.]

[Y e p. Blaming the Admiral completely and utterly. ~~Not Ely's fail of life and internet, nope.~~]

Missing everything? [She only sounds vaguely put out, to be honest.]

[It's always on the Admiral, rule of thumb for the Barge!] Disappearing.

You've been gone a while.

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