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[honeyimhome]

[Someone's been scoping out the past few days over the comms. And interestingly enough? She's almost glad she hadn't gotten here sooner.]

Guess I missed ... a lot, actually. [And boy, does little Miss PA sound unnerved by it.]

Comments

[Private]

[honeyimhome]

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.]

[Private]

[wedonot]

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(]

[Private]

[honeyimhome]

[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.]

[Private]

[wedonot]

[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.

[Private]

[honeyimhome]

[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.]

[Private]

[wedonot]

[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.