Disclaimer: I own nothing from Marvel Characters to the MCU or anything Marvel related. Only my story and giggles and cries.
...
Misguided ghosts
Travelin' endlessly
The ones we trusted the most
Pushed us far away
And there's no one road
We should not be the same
But I'm just a ghost
And still they echo me
They echo me in circles
Misguided Ghosts {Paramore}
…
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Misguided Ghosts
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Prologue
Hot, hotter, warm, warming, burn, burning. That was what she was feeling. All the emotion summoned into a simple splattered contact. For years she thought, she dreamt with this moment being awkward or prickly but the only thing her mind was doing was signaling her at that time in the past how that the idea of kissing Tony Stark was too unreal for someone as her to be dreaming for, hoping, pouring her heart for it.
Her own mind was trying to protect her from the disbelief of all.
But here she was, mouth open, a hand pressed tightly on her waist almost like—she felt it— it was digging down on her skin, warming it with every beat of her heart that was close, so close to his. She felt like flying through the sky right now. Her heart beating miles per second, her lips were becoming swollen because of his. His lips. A laugh almost bubbled within her chest. Instead, a smile crept from the corner of her rose-colored lips.
This was her place to be. In his arms, lips locking hers, mind blank and heart fulfilled.
A flash. It felt like a flash. It was so sudden, so fast, she almost stop kissing him.
Realization dawned on her, like a captive set free she let the words come out as a soft murmur.
He stopped.
She did too. She wanted to say them louder.
Both of them were breathing in short gasps. Tony, still in his armor, leaned against the railing his eyes traveling from building to building in a quiet stare as he equaled his lost breathing. A minute passed, her anxiety was becoming unbearable by now. With all the bravery Pepper could managed she took a hesitant step forward but soon when he turned to see her it became a little wobblier.
Pepper shook her head trying to get read of the grogginess of the kiss and the gentleness in his stare and the shape of mouth, the remembrance of the wild softness of it—
"Tony?" Pepper called softly. Her hand came to rest across from his.
"Pepper?" Tony mimicked her tone. A tentative smile crossed his features. Her heart felt like soaring out. But as soon as the desire came it stopped because his smile dropped like stone did to the ground. "Pepper." Tony said, a serious tone forging his words.
"Yes?"
"I—" Tony took a step forward. "I don't know how to explain this. I mean, it's complicated and—" He laughed shortly. "I guess all related about us is complicated or not?" he teased with a weak smile. Maybe she was mistaken but she saw something breaking in him.
"Of course." Pepper laughed too. Her hand uncurling her hair. It was a mess anyway.
"So," Tony said after a pause. "Where should I take you?" he said casually.
"What do you mean?" Pepper replied instantly. "What are you saying?"
She blinked. Not quite getting what he just said. Maybe she did.
"I mean," Tony chuckled nervously. A hand soothing his goatee "It's late, we just survived a living hell of a night and I'm sure you dealt with plenty for now. A good night rest would suffice you for all the heavy load tomorrow would bring us." At the end of the speech he blinked up at her, or maybe down at her since he was a feet taller in that towering suit.
Pepper fidgeted with her hands on her stomach. The world was losing edges.
"I, that," Pepper stammered, her heart dropping. "Is . . . is that all you have to say?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were pleading. She felt like jumping from the roof right now.
Tony looked to the sides. While puffing air he turned to her grinning that playboy smile of his. That only made the blow worst. "Is there anything else I should be speaking of?" he asked while he played with the right gauntlet of his suit.
It would've been better if he had slapped her.
Pepper stood there, between the cold and fresh air of the night, until that moment she finally sensed the real meaning of everything.
It meant nothing to him.
The night.
The roof.
The talk.
The kiss.
A sob almost slipped from her mouth. Something cool fell over her skin, soon enough she knew, there was a small tear that found her way to her cheek. Hastily, she cleaned it.
Like her heart, it was gone in a flip of hand.
Tiny, reassuring and ruined was her smile.
"The Penthouse in the upper city would be fine. Damage didn't left this part of the city after all. Right?"
"Thankfully right." Tony replied in a beat. He smiled at her, shrugging the situation like it was nothing. He bended down to fix and check his rocket boots. Pepper bit her bottom lip, daring herself to maintain appearances.
Appearances, disguises and lies.
Tony stood up and clap his metallic hands. "Well Miss Potts up for another ride?" he asked enthusiastically albeit tired he always seemed ready to knock a bottle of scotch in one go.
She felt like it too.
"I think I can manage it for myself." Pepper laughed lightly. The sound reverberated rotten in her. Appearances. "I just evacuated around 500 people from an exploding expo, I think I'll be just fine if I go by the stairs. Besides, I doubt that can fly more than a couple of buildings." She gestured the whole armor, pointing to the blackened marks scattered around it.
There was a flash of something in his stare. In seconds it was gone. "You should have more faith in me, Pep." Tony jested while feigning mock sorrow. "I'm wounded you don't trust my time-edging technology after so many miracles."
Pepper did believe in them. She believed in his intentions rather than his actions. She hoped for his life rather than his bank accounts and leftovers. She loved him despite he didn't for a single second.
The kiss would be her death song forever.
"Miracles don't happen twice" Pepper replied instead, her back already to him, her heels clicking on the empty roof. Each step marked with a lone word. "Not for me."
Before he could replied, he thrust into the air, leaving only misguided ghosts behind.
Pepper threw open the door.
Now she knew what being in love was for.
It meant being pain.
Tears were streaming down her face as she descended. Pepper gasped as her heart gave another painful twist inside her chest. Without being able to hold anymore she let herself fall.
Maybe, it will have been better if he had let her fall after all.
Sometimes living wasn't worthwhile.
"Sometimes you're not worthwhile for things." Pepper whispered bitterly as she chuckled despondently.
She was pain.
They say love can break every rule ever designed.
Break any boundary, fence, trap you found yourself in.
They say love would save us at the end.
Then, why has love broken her to shreds?
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TBC…
Aprilgen98