After the craziness of recent news regarding our couple (don't know what I'm talking about? Google Marvel Cinematic Universe list of deleted scenes. THAT will bring you up to speed), I couldn't get what Marvel denied us off my mind. (Can you blame me?) So I just had to write this in response. I guess it's a way they could fix what they've done to our poor Pepperony, in my mind. It happens sometime just after Civil War, and toward the beginning of what I am hearing will be Spidey Homecoming, just to give you a timeframe.
What's funny is, I started writing this fic to have a place to dump all of the angst I was feeling. But now? It's really more fluffy than anything. It's only going to be a couple of chapters. (God KNOWS I've got enough writing to do on my other fics.) But I just couldn't resist writing and uploading this (it's rated M for future smut, fair warning). I hope you like it. I'd love to hear from you. And may I say? Long live Pepperony, and may true love conquer ALL.
Happy Reading.
"Yeah, see what you can dig up for me, huh, Hap?" Tony told his head of security. He'd called Happy to help him get some background information on the man allegedly calling himself "The Shocker", and they were just wrapping up their video chat conversation.
"Sure thing, boss," Happy replied.
The two men nodded at each other in acknowledgment. And then Tony took a deep breath. On to other pressing matters, he thought glumly.
"So," he said.
Happy smiled awkwardly, knowing what was probably coming next. "So," he replied back.
"Uh, h-how's, uh, how's...Pep-Pepper?" Tony stammered. "Is she...is she doing...okay?" he asked, trying his hardest to keep his tone purely curious and casual.
The polite smile Happy wore morphed into a look of hurt and pity for his long time friend and employer. "She's...fine, boss. She's good," he said softly, hoping the discussion would end with that.
Tony nodded and leaned forward in his chair, his expression one of concern. "Does she ever..." he began slowly.
Oh, no. Here it comes, Happy thought.
"Ask...about me?" Tony asked.
Happy clapped a hand to the back of his neck and averted his eyes from his boss's gaze. "Uh...you know? I can't remember the last time she..." he said.
But Tony could see through the mirage. "Ha-ppy," he warned.
Happy stopped talking and raised his eyes back to Tony's, knowing he'd been made. "Look, boss. I don't feel like it's really my place to..." he stopped talking, as Tony was now frowning in disapproval. "What I mean is," he began again. "C-can't you just call her office? You wanna know what she's up to so bad, just..."
"That's the problem, Hap. She won't return any of my calls herself. She makes her assistant do it," Tony replied. Happy saw him sit back against his chair, and sigh in defeat. "Amanda, or whatever."
Happy frowned. "Her name is Julie," he corrected.
"Whatever," Tony said flatly, keeping his eyes from the camera.
Happy just watched Tony for a moment in silence. He was truly sorry to see him in this shape. It was clear he missed Pepper. Deeply. It had been months since they'd split, and watching Tony hurt for this long was hard enough to take. But there was also the secret he'd been sworn by Pepper to keep from him that made all of this so much worse. And he knew it was only a matter of time before they would bump into each other, and she'd be exposed. And he'd look like a betrayer to one of his oldest and dearest friends.
Just then, Happy's office door opened behind him, and he swiveled around, instantly freezing in shock to see Pepper had entered. "Happy, I was wondering if...oh," she said, unaware at first, and then painfully aware, of what he was currently doing.
She froze as well, glued to the spot she'd stepped to just inside the door, her eyes fixed on Happy's computer screen. And speechless.
Tony immediately sat forward, his eyes wide with alarm as they scanned her. "Pepper?" he gasped. His chest began to heave, and he focused his gaze on her middle. Her protruding middle.
"Tony, I..." she began.
"You're..." he spluttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this. You're..." He flicked his eyes up to hers. "When, Pep?" he asked weakly, his voice soft and wounded. "When were you going to tell me?"
Pepper didn't answer immediately. She just kept her eyes on Tony's, searching for the right response. "Happy? Can you excuse..." she started to say.
But Happy didn't need to hear anymore. He abruptly got up, and bolted for the door, swiftly leaving the room and closing the door behind him, without a word. Pepper slowly lowered herself down into Happy's desk chair, and settled in, squaring her shoulders and once again looking at Tony, this time with more self-assurance.
Tony just shook his head, his eyes filled with hurt. "How could you...not...I mean, didn't you...want me to..." he stammered.
"Tony, listen to me," Pepper urged, her voice hoarse with impending emotion. He stopped talking and just looked at her expectantly, waiting for her explanation. She began again. "I understand this must be...quite a...a shock," she started to say, struggling to find the words.
But Tony scoffed bitterly, interrupting her. "A shock? Yeah, Pep. You could say that. My ex-girlfriend suddenly makes an appearance after months of being incommunicado, and guess what? She's got a surprise. But it's not for me to know about. Oh, no. It's for everybody else in the world to know about. But not me. Nope. Not the person who's so clearly the father of the child with which she's pregnant! " he spat.
"Tony, I know this is hard," Pepper said, trying again to reassure him. "And believe me. I wanted to tell you. A thousand times, in fact. But..." her voice cut out, betraying her bravado, and her shoulders began to shake as she lost control of her composure, and started to sob.
Tony frowned, and then softened, watching her for a moment before he spoke. "Come on, Pep," he murmured. "Come on, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry."
Pepper raised her eyes to his, and they shared a quiet moment, as she dried her tears. Despite himself, Tony gave her a soft, sympathetic look.
"I'm sorry," Pepper began. She shook her head. "These last few months have been just...ridiculously stressful."
"Tell me about it," Tony muttered softly.
Pepper smiled softly in approval of his agreement. She continued. "And I was afraid that...this..." she said, gesturing to her baby bump. "Would just compound the pressure. What with the Avengers being so scattered the way they are, and you trying to pick up the pieces, and reorganize what's left..."
"But you should have told me, Pepper," Tony interjected gently, but his tone laden with disappointment.
Pepper stopped talking, and just nodded, as new tears formed in her eyes. "Yes," she said simply. "I should have. And I'm sorry."
Tony just gazed at her for a moment in silence. And then nodded in acceptance of her apology. What's done is done, he thought resolutely. Then he smiled softly at her.
"So," he said, leaning forward in his seat. Pepper leaned closer in,too, and smiled back.
"So," she said, her voice hopeful. They both chuckled awkwardly. Then she sat back again, and rested a hand on the top of her belly.
Tony watched her do this, and then shook his head, this time in amazement. "You look..." he started to say. He flicked his eyes back up to hers. "Beautiful," he finished.
Pepper smiled bashfully, and averted her eyes from his for a moment before returning them back. "Thank you," she said. "I don't feel beautiful, though. I can tell you that. Actually, I feel huge. That's the word I would use, anyway."
Tony chuckled at her joke. "Well, then your hugeness is beautiful. There. Better?" he teased back.
They both laughed. And then his expression became very thoughtful. "Pepper," he said. "I know we can't go back and fix what went wrong with us, but..." He paused, swallowing hard as a lump was forming in his throat. "I'd like to try...to fix things, I mean. Going forward," he told her, his voice soft and pleading.
Pepper's chin began to quiver, and she brought a hand to her mouth to try to hide it. But her cover was blown as new tears began to fall, and all she could do was nod in the affirmative. "I'd like that," she murmured after a moment. She chuckled sheepishly, and Tony grinned. He nodded too.
"Good," he said simply. "And we can start by you telling me all about..." he nodded toward her stomach. "Mini-Stark, there," he joked. They both chuckled, and Pepper ran an affectionate hand over her belly.
"How are you feeling? What are you feeling? Can you feel him move, yet?" Tony asked inquisitively. Then his eyes went wide. "Is it even a he?" he asked eagerly. Then he flashed her his trademark smirk. "Tell me what we're working with, here, Potts," he joked.
"You mean, what are we having?" she asked knowingly.
Tony nodded, looking at her very intently.
"Well," Pepper said, with a sly grin. She drummed her fingers on her stomach for a moment, before answering. "We're having a boy..."
Tony clapped his hands sharply, and hooted excitedly. "Yes! I knew it!" he cried.
"And," Pepper continued, and Tony froze, raising his widening eyes to her.
"And?" he parroted numbly.
"A girl," Pepper finished. She bit her lips together to keep from grinning at Tony's flabbergasted expression.
"No," he gasped in disbelief.
"Yes," she answered back, with a knowing smirk.
He just looked at her stomach, and then back to her eyes again. He continued flicking them back and forth for a few moments, rendered speechless.
"Tony, say something," Pepper urged, as she started to get worried he'd gone into shock. "Are you happy?"
He slowly melted, giving her a delighted smile. "Oh, baby," he cooed to her affectionately, and shaking his head. "I'm...I'm...I don't even know what," he said. He grinned even more. "But happy's a good place to start, yes."
Pepper giggled in relief at his response.
"Twins," Tony murmured in amazement. "We're pregnant with twins."
"Yes, we are," Pepper cooed lovingly back.
"So, that answers my next question," Tony said.
"And that is?" Pepper asked, looking at him quizically.
"Why you're as big as a house at only five months," he quipped in reply.
Pepper just laughed out loud, enjoying him teasing her, and basking in the sense of relief that she felt at him being in her presence again to do it.
XxXxXxXxXx
Early that next morning, Pepper stood on the tarmac at Stark Aviation, anxiously awaiting a jet that was due for arrival which was carrying her ex-boyfriend. Is that even accurate now?, she suddenly wondered, as she and Tony had agreed they both wanted to start again, to try to move forward as a couple. As a family.
No, she decided. It most certainly is NOT. He's back in my life for good this time. AND he's the father of my children, for that matter. He at least deserves the title of 'boyfriend', for lack of a better term at the moment.
The thought made her smile, but did little to tamp down the fluttery butterflies in her stomach. The babies must have sensed her nervousness, too, she was convinced, as it felt like they were far more active this morning than usual. She put her hand over a spot where she felt another hard kick at that instance, and rubbed it affectionately. "I know," she cooed sweetly, looking down at her stomach. "I'm excited to see him, too."
Just then, Tony's plane came into view, and Pepper gasped excitedly. She was practically vibrating with anxious energy as she watched it land in the distance, and come closer as it rolled down the runway and up to the tarmac. The loud burst of sound from the engines as the plane slowed and pulled to its resting place did hurt her ears. But she was oblivious to it save fore a small wince, as all she could do was look on, counting the seconds until Tony would appear. Another time when she was anxious to see him get off a plane, and be standing in front of her, alive and well, came to mind, and it made her smile. My, how true it is, she thought. That the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The process of shutting down the plane, the stairs being rolled to the exit, the door being slowly opened, and the flight crew securing everything for Tony's departure seemed to take an eternity in her mind. And then all at once, he was there, standing at the top of the stairs, and looking around to locate where she was.
As soon as he laid eyes on her, he flashed her his familiar grin, and Pepper couldn't help herself. She bolted from where she stood, and Tony ran down the stairs to meet her. She ran straight into his arms, smashing into him, and he instantly enveloped her in his embrace, grunting and moaning in euphoric relief, lifting her off the ground affectionately.
Just as quickly, he set her back down, and Pepper instantly, and very eagerly, kissed him, cupping his face in her hands. Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise at her fervor, but then he kissed her just as eagerly in return. Soon, however, they were interrupted, as Tony felt a tap-tap-tap on his stomach.
"Oh, whoa, what the hell was that?!" he exclaimed, quickly breaking the kiss and jumping back, looking questioningly at Pepper's stomach.
She smirked knowingly, and rested a hand on her belly. "That was a baby kick," she informed him.
Tony's eyes went wide. "Really?" he gasped, relaxing and stepping close to her again. He rested his hands on the sides of her belly. "Really? That was...them?" he asked.
Pepper giggled and nodded. "They've been really active this morning," she explained.
"Oh, wow. That's," Tony murmured in amazement, trying to find his next words. "Awesome," he finally gushed. "Tell them to do it again!" he urged excitedly.
Pepper laughed again, and shook her head. "That's not really how it works," she told him.
But he wasn't listening. He just stood there, in silence, totally enthralled. After a few moments, another tap-tap-tapping came along, and he gasped with delight. "Whoa! There we go! Did you feel that?!" he cried.
Pepper chuckled at his wonderment, and put her hands over his. "Yes, Tony. I felt that," she teased.
"And this happens all the time?!" he asked her.
"All the time," she answered with a warm smile.
"Wow," Tony murmured, sinking down to his knees to be eye-level with Pepper's stomach. "Hey. Hey, in there, uh, guys? I...I'm your...your," he stammered. He swallowed hard. "Your dad," he finished, his voice deliberate.
He glanced up at Pepper, who was struggling to hold back tears. She nodded, and smiled at him in approval. And he smiled lovingly back. The babies kicked again in response. Tony took his eyes from Pepper's face, and flicked them back to her stomach, chuckling.
"Nice to meet you, too," he cooed happily.
A soft sob escaped from Pepper's throat, and she brought her fingertips to her lips to quiet herself. Tony ran his hands over her stomach, and then went in to plant a soft, lingering kiss in the center before he rested the side of his head on her belly, and closed his eyes. Pepper began running her fingers through his hair, loving the sweet moment he was getting to have with their children. A moment long overdue, she told herself. She secretly admonished herself for keeping it from him all this time.
After a while, Tony turned to give her stomach another kiss, and then he slowly raised back up to stand, wrapping her in his arms, and resting his forehead against hers. Pepper noticed a couple of tears escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks, and she quickly cupped his face in her hands, swiping them away with the pads of her thumbs.
He shifted his eyes to hers, and gave her a sheepish grin. "God, you don't know how much I needed this, Pep," he admitted to her.
"Actually, I do," she replied.
Tony raised his head and looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Pepper brought her hands to his chest, and fiddled with the buttons of his shirt for a moment before she answered. "I mean that I know what you've been through, Tony. What you went through. With Steve, and with all of the..."
"You heard about all of that, huh?" he asked, frowning at what she might have thought about the situation, and all of its violence.
Pepper nodded, and pursed her lips. "And I want you to know just how sorry I am," she told him.
Tony cocked his head in confusion. "How sorry you are? Baby, I'm the one who..."
"No," Pepper argued. "You having to face all of that alone? It wasn't right. No matter what the circumstances. I never should have..." she said, but her voice trailed off as new tears began to well up.
Tony quickly pulled her into a hug. "Hey. Don't do this, okay?" he murmured to her. "None of what happened was your battle to fight, alright? None of it. I needed to get to the bottom of things. I needed to...well, Steve and I, we both needed to..."
"I should have been there," Pepper reiterated, pulling back to look into his eyes. "Especially because of what you found out about your parents."
Tony raised his hands to grasp hers at his chest reassuringly. "Pepper, listen to me," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "It's been dealt with. Okay? And now," he said, leaving her hands at his chest to move his own to her stomach. "We get to move on. Together. Right?" he said, the corners of his mouth quirking upward in a knowing smile.
Pepper smiled lovingly back, putting her hands over his on each side of her baby bump. "Right," she agreed.
Just then, they felt some more hard kicks, and they both chuckled. "I think they like this idea," Pepper said.
Tony chuckled, and grinned. "Good," he replied. "Because I plan on sticking around."
Pepper smiled. "I think I like this idea, too," she cooed.
Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes," she said, smiling at him lovingly.
Tony bent to kiss her lips again, and they both moaned again, reveling in how good it felt to be in each others arms.
When the kiss broke, Tony sighed heavily. "Mmmm. Missed that," he murmured under his breath.
Pepper bit her lip coyly, and nodded. "Me, too," she murmured back. She toyed with the buttons on his shirt again, and gave him a wanton smile. "Forgive me for being so forward, but..." she said. "There's something else of yours I've missed, as well," she purred.
Tony looked at her in surprise, and then gave her a smirk. "Oh?" he said. "Are you saying you're in need of my..." he paused to make one-fingered air quotes. "Services, Ms. Potts?" he purred back.
"God, yes," she revealed. "The libido of a pregnant woman is nothing to keep on ice. Let me tell you," she said, rolling her eyes in astonishment.
Tony chuckled mischievously at her revelation to him. "Oh, do tell, Pep. I am all ears on how you've managed to maintain for this long," he teased.
Pepper clucked her tongue, and chuckled. "Get me home first, and I just might show you," she purred back.
At her words, Tony instantly snapped his head around to talk to the driver of her town car. "The bags, my good man! Load 'em up on the double! We've gotta get home! Pronto!" he barked urgently. The man nodded in the affirmative, and stepped up his pace on loading the trunk.
Pepper giggled. "Somehow I knew that might get you to pick up the pace," she joked.
"Yeah, well," Tony replied. "You're not the only one who's a little starved for affection, Pep."
Pepper giggled again, and they made their way to the car, Tony keeping a hold of her hand as they got into the back seat. He held it all the way back to their house, as well, using the other one to feel every movement of their unborn children as they rode. And enjoying every minute of it, to boot.