Chapter One:
PVO - Pepper
Tony and I have been married for around a year now. Things have both been good and bad. He has tried to get out of many of his Iron Man responsibilities so he could spend more time with me, but Fury refused. This meant that once or twice a week, I would have a night alone, waiting for him to return home with a new set of injuries.
People warned me when we got engaged. They said he probably wouldn't be loyal, or a good husband, that I would be fed up with him after a couple of days. However those people clearly forgot that we have been acting like an old married couple for years now.
One of the most major differences with my marriage with Tony is that, he doesn't spend as much time in the workshop. He only is down there while I'm at the office, though on Tuesdays and Thursdays he comes to the office with me and spends the night in the workshop. Friday's is still date night, and Saturdays are our days off. Every other Sunday is also date night. Tony has become more open to me, but not to too many others.
Bruce is over our house Monday and Wednesday to work with Tony in the lab. He has a room in the house that he often sleeps in, but he and Tony only work together on those two days. Bruce and I are usually the ones to patch up Tony. Since Bruce doesn't go on nearly as many missions as Tony does. Bruce once asked me for his medical records so he could be of more help and I told him that I didn't have them. That was the one thing that Tony to care of himself. I knew what was on them though.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at that before asking JARVIS. The AI printed out a copy after notifying Tony, who tried to stop it from printing, but I over rid the system. When Bruce saw the records he turned very pale, his eyes flashed green too and I knew exactly why. There are reasons that Tony doesn't share as to why he never wants to be like his father. Reasons why he goes out of his way to be an ass at times.
Howard Stark hated his son. He told him he was never good enough since he wasn't Steve Rogers, which is why Tony hates Captain America. He made Tony do all of his dirty work. That included fixing machines in dangerous situations, and if he refused or failed he was beaten. There was one time where Tony was starved to near death when he was four because he didn't want to make a gun. There was another time when he woke up in the hospital from being beaten so badly. Jarvis (the human one) was the only one in his house who cared for him.
When Tony was eight, he was sent to the Arctic to look for Steve. His father only gave him a single coat, that wasn't very thick. He was in the hospital for three months, and his father never visited. There are more injuries and things that have appeared on his medical record, and now Bruce knows all of them. However, he doesn't know the stored behind the injuries like JARVIS and I do. He just knows the record.
Bruce asked me another time, why didn't all of his injuries appear on his file on SHEILD. I explained that Tony doesn't want people to know about his past, not even Fury knows the extent of his injuries as a child. He hacks into the records once a month and changes what he doesn't like. Only Bruce, Rhodey, Natasha, and I know the full story of what happened when he was captured.
I learned after I got married to Tony that I need to stay in bed until he wakes up, otherwise he will have a nightmare and will refuse to go to bed the following night. Bruce defiantly knows about his nightmares, he hears Tony's cries at night. But he never brings it up, especially not to Tony which I thank him for.
"Pepper?" I hear a voice call behind me and I turn.
"Yes Bruce?" I ask.
"Have you seen Tony today?" He asks, it's a Monday.
"I thought he was in the lab." I say, "did you check down there?"
"Yes." He mutters, scratching his head. "He left to get materials nearly five hours ago, usually he takes 30 minutes. I was wondering if he got distracted up here."
"JARVIS?" I ask, looking up at the ceiling, "where is Tony?"
"Sir went to go buy some supplies and got a call from Nick Fury on his way to the store."
"He went on a mission?!" I ask, shocked.
"Yes. Fury ordered me to turn off outside contact for him on this mission."
"Of course he did." I practically spit.
"Where is he?" Bruce asked.
"He is on his way home now." JARVIS responds and I breath out a sigh of relief.
"When will he return home?" Bruce asks, heading to the medic kit.
"An hour Dr. Banner."
I sigh, this is going to be a long hour. Bruce sighs as well and the two of us head into the lab to wait.
When Tony does finally return, he practically falls as the suit is taken off of him. Bruce manages to catch him and bring him to the couch.
"What happened?" He asks before I can.
"Stupid tanks." Is all Tony says, so I ask JARVIS instead.
"Sir was engaged in a battle with troops and wasn't listening to my warning of five tanks approaching behind him. He was hit badly by the first before he destroyed all of them." I don't believe my ears until I see the sheepish look on Tony's face.
"Preform a full body scan JARVIS." I say, "should he take him to the hospital."
"No hospitals Pep. Please." He says, giving me his puppy dog eyes. Usually I can ignore them, but today for some reason I can't.
"Fine." I mutter, "unless Bruce can't help you." Tony grins at that, because we both know that Bruce can fix almost every injury.
"Fully body scan complete." JARVIS says, "Sir has a broken ankle, four cracked ribs, a severely bruised shoulder, and a deep cut on his stomach."
"I can fix that." Bruce says and Tony grins as I roll my eyes.
"I'll get the pain meds." I mutter, walking out of the room and into the bathroom where I keep the Advil.
I return to the lab and hand Bruce the Advil before holding Tony's hand. "I though you said the suit was indestructible." I say, looking at him.
Tony frowns before saying, "It is."
"But you aren't." Bruce mutters quietly.
"No you are not." I agree, wonder why the hell I still let him go on these missions.
The next day Tony complains ALL day. "Why can't I walk around?" He asks, over and over again.
"Because you have injured you foot." we explain to him over and over again.
Tony is bored most of the day, and tries to talk to Bruce and I, making sure that we get as little work done as possible. This in of itself in incredibly annoying. Tony and I are Co-CEOs of SI, meaning that while he is injured I need to make sure that both of our work gets done. Of course I usually end up having to do all of the work, but of some reason it always feels like more work when Tony is injured.
"Pepper!" Tony yells from upstairs.
"Yes?" I loudly call. I was just going to get lunch.
"I want to walk down there myself, you are taking to long!"
"Tony, for the last time-"
"Please?" He asked and even though we aren't in the same room I know he was giving his puppy eyes and pushing out his lower lip.
"Tony, just be happy that you only need to stay off your foot for three weeks and then you will be fine."
"Three weeks?" He complains.
"Yes. I am one hundred percent sure about that."
"Not twelve percent?"
"A bargain could be made for fifteen." I respond, grinning at the memory.
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