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Tony is asleep the first time it happens. Wanda has been testing her powers, trying to restrain herself, to learn to control it. Sometimes, though, she's just too damn powerful.
It's a somewhat peaceful night, only a simple mission all day involving some wannabe villains, when Tony settles in to bed. He reaches out before remembering, Pepper's at a conference in Las Vegas. His sleep is already predicted to be troubled.
Tony sighs and closes his eyes, but not before muttering, "Goodnight, Pep."
His sleep is only peaceful for forty-five minutes, because before long, a nightmare starts. This one is peculiar though, extremely unlike his usual You killed millions or have fun in space and sometimes simply welcome back to Afghanistan. This one, unlike the others, terrifies him to his core.
It starts off easy. First, he's eating breakfast with Pepper. They're smiling and talking and it's all good. Then suddenly, Pepper's Stark Phone goes off. Her eyes glance to it once, intending to ignore the text, but she looks back after reading the name. Wanda Maximoff.
Without really knowing why, his entire demeanour shifts. Where he was once happy, now he's a mix between angry and hurt. He's also confused, but that's mostly just because he doesn't understand why he's so angry and hurt. Pepper places her utensils onto the placemat with a fake sigh.
"I'm sorry, Tony," Pepper grimaces, "I have to go. I have a...meeting."
Meeting, he scoffs internally, a completely sudden meeting with Maximoff, huh?
Still, he smiles reassuringly, "That's okay, Pep."
Pepper smiles and stands, draping her jacket over her shoulders, "I'll be back in an hour, okay?"
Tony nods, staring at Pepper as she walks away with longing eyes. When the door slams shut, he closes his eyes for a few moments before heading down to his shop. The next three hours are spent working on his newest armour and wondering when Pepper is going to get back. It's all a dream, though, so it really only feels like two minutes.
After the fourth hour,—really only twenty or so more seconds— Tony slams his tools down with a teary frown on his face. Walking up the stairs and out the door to his latest car, he decides to get to the bottom of all of this. Not long later, he's parking outside of Maximoff's apartment building. He dials Pepper once again, only for it to go to voicemail.
Tony rips the door of his car open and stalks into the building and to Maximoff's apartment. He bangs on the door, only to hear a cut off moan and giggling. He tears up—has to hold in a sob—and ignores the queasy feeling in his stomach.
The door opens to reveal a barely clothed Pepper with a naked Maximoff on the bed. Tony shuts his eyes and turns away, tears finally spilling over his cheeks.
"Pepper," Tony whispers, "why?"
Pepper laughs, "Come on, Tony. You had to have seen this coming. Being your girlfriend is just too difficult."
Tony squeezes his eyes shut, he's always known that, he's just hoped Pepper would be able to put up with him. Guess he's wrong.
"Plus," Pepper glances back at Maximoff with more love in her eyes than she's ever had when looking at him, "I love Wanda way more than I love you."
Tony shakes his head, "Pepper…"
"Sorry, Tony," Pepper shrugs, "but now would be a good time to day this. I'm breaking up with you."
"She's not really sorry, Stark," Maximoff scoffs, "she's a lot happier with me."
Tony simply nods, letting the truth wash over him, Pepper never was and never will be happy with him. He's a monster, not worth loving.
Pepper walks to Maximoff and pulls her in for a kiss, leaving Tony to stare helplessly at the sky, wondering where he went wrong. Wondering why no one ever stays.
Tony sighs, pain written all over his face, "I still love you, Pepper."
Pepper and Maximoff both laugh, glancing at each other for a moment, disbelief colouring their features. They stare at him, amused, and just continue laughing. Tony looks at his feet, he should've expected this.
He looks up when Pepper starts speaking, "Doesn't matter. I don't love you, not really."
Tony jolts upwards in his bed, tears leaking, sweat clinging, and simply sobs. He tries to hold it all in, but he can't. Pepper left him, Pepper doesn't love him. Some part of his brain acknowledges that it was all a dream, that it wasn't real, but he can't help but think, what if it is?
What if his brain picked up on social queues suggesting this? Pepper wouldn't cheat, he knows she isn't that kind of person, but what if she really isn't happy? What if she doesn't really love him? Tony sits on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, and thinks of all the what ifs he can.
That's how Maximoff finds him, a few minutes later. She knocks on his door in the Avengers' facility urgently. Tony makes a sound she assumes means come in. It doesn't, not really, but he's just too sad to move.
"Stark," Maximoff murmurs upon seeing him, "Tony, it was just a nightmare. Whatever I made you see, it wasn't real."
"What," Tony wipes his tears and licks his lips, "what do you mean by 'I made you see?'"
Looking uncomfortable, Maximoff glances at her feet for a moment before looking back up at him, "I lost control…again. Sent out a wave that shows a person one of their worst nightmare."
Tony looks pained for a moment before letting a mask of cheeriness fall over his face, "Wasn't too bad, don't worry about it."
He smiles, but Maximoff can tell that it's faked, "Stark…I know what you saw. I didn't mean to see, I'm sorry."
Tony shrugs, "Whatever, Maximoff, its fine."
"She'd never leave you."
"You don't know that."
"Yes," Maximoff glowers, "I do. I can feel her love for you when you're near each other."
"Oh," Tony feels marginally better with this knowledge, "okay."
Maximoff sighs, "Goodnight, Stark."
"Night, Maximoff."
She may have given him the nightmare, but at least she fixed it a bit. At least now he's slightly reassured that Pepper won't leave him, not anytime soon, anyway. He sighs and wipe a hand down his face before settling back into bed. It's only 4:47, he's got a few more hours.
The rest of his dreams consist of loving moments between him and Pepper. Whether it be her continually saying I love you, or just the two of them doing something they both love, his dreams are full of love.
It takes him a few days to realize Wanda must've stayed up all that night to give him those specific dreams. He makes sure to thank her by finding every photo and video of her brother on Earth and making it into a slideshow.
At least then, they can both have the person they love the most in their lives in some way.