Second Skin
Rated: PG
Category: Double Drabble. Angst. Mild Pepperony. Movieverse.
Spoilers: Iron Man 2.
Summary: Tony Stark has worn armor for far longer than most would think.
Disclaimer: Everything Marvel belongs to the Man. (Not the Mouse.) Excelsior!
Note: This one is for lemonpiefirefly, who gave me the idea. Happy birthday, kiddo.
XXX
Tony's armor fit him like a second skin.
It felt so natural that sometimes he could forget it was there.
He could even sleep in it.
Sure, that skill had taken time to perfect, but he'd managed it long ago.
It was child's play now.
When he needed to, he could wear it twenty-four hours a day.
In fact, he'd grown so used to it that he felt nearly naked without it.
So even when it wasn't in use, he kept it close to him.
Tonight was no exception.
As Pepper pulled away from him, he felt exposed, despite the gold and titanium surrounding his limbs.
And so, even while wearing his suit, he reached for his armor.
The kind that wasn't red and gold.
The kind he'd had since childhood.
The kind that had protected him from distant parents, the estrangement of college at only fifteen, and especially the possibility of failure.
He reached for it without thinking. He was in a dangerous situation and instinct kicked in.
He'd done something he was unsure of, and that just wouldn't do.
At his single word, his armor fell into place, insulating both him and her, should they need it.
"Weird."