Another one shot! Hope you all enjoy. This is right before Iron Man 3 (which is amazing by the way). May contain a few minor spoilers. Enjoy!
Bet your window's rolled down and your hair's pulled back, And I bet you got no idea you're going way too fast, You're trying not to think about what went wrong, Trying not to stop 'til you get where you goin', You're trying to stay awake so I bet you turn on the radio.
Pepper Potts walked out of Stark Industries late at night after her work was done for the day. She was absolutely exhausted and desperately needed sleep. She had so many worries going on in her head that just wouldn't leave her alone. Pepper grasped her car keys in her hand and opened her Audi. She threw her purse in the passenger seat and rummaged through it for her phone to call Tony.
Pepper finally found it but just as she started to make the call, it died.
"This is just what I need right now." She muttered and threw the phone back in the seat.
Things were pretty rough at home. After New York, Tony hasn't been the same. He locks himself away in his workshop and barely talks to her unless she goes down there. Tony would bury himself in work leaving her feeling ignored. Pepper had begged him to see a doctor about his problems but he wouldn't. Pepper loved Tony, sure, but there's only so much a person can take.
She sighed and roughly pulled her hair in a pony tail and let down the car window. She needed to feel the cool air on her face to keep her awake.
Pepper pulled out on the highway and tried to stop thinking about her problems. She couldn't manage that so she turned on the radio to a random channel.
Tony sighed as he finished tinkering on of his many suits. He glanced over at the clock to see it was almost nine. He knew Pepper would be home soon and he wished things would go back to normal. He missed her but he had to work like this to protect her. She was his life and he couldn't let anything happen to her. He couldn't live without her.
He thought about her driving all alone on that highway. She probably had her gorgeous red hair pulled back and was going way too fast. Probably trying not to cry over him like she did almost every night when she would beg him to come upstairs with her.
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby. I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, baby. The highway won't hold you tonight, The highway don't know you're alive, The highway don't care if you're all alone, But I do, I do. The highway won't dry your tears, The highway don't need you here, The highway don't care if you're coming home, but I do I do.
It was almost nine thirty and Tony was starting to get worried. He tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail. What if she got in an accident? Or someone had taken her? Out on the highway no one cares about anyone but themselves so could something have happened to her?
I bet you got a dead cell phone in your shotgun seat, Yeah, I bet you're bending God's ear talking 'bout me. You're trying not to let the first tear fall out, Trying not to think about turning around, You're trying not to get lost in the sound but that song is always on, So you sing along.
Pepper hadn't done this in awhile but she thought she should. She talked to God about what was going on and prayed for help.
"I can't live without him, I know that but it's so hard sometimes. He won't get help and he's just not the same anymore."
Pepper felt like she needed to turn around and get a hotel for the night just to escape but she knew better. She was the glue that held Tony together and she didn't have the heart to not come home to him. Pepper turned up the radio to try to get lost in the song.
I can't live without you, I can't live without you, baby, I can't live without I can't live without you baby, oh baby. The highway won't hold you tonight, The highway don't know you're alive, The highway don't care if you're all alone,But I do, I do. The highway won't dry your tears, The highway don't need you here, The highway don't care if you're coming home, but I do, I do.
Pepper arrived at the mansion five minutes later and was greeted by Tony standing in the driveway. She was shocked and confused because he never did this. She smiled at him before parking the car and getting out.
"Hey." She called out as he walked towards her.
He wrapped her in a huge hug and smiled brightly at her. "Hey."
"This is a surprise." She whispered as she clung to him tightly.
"I thought something had happened to you since you're home so late. I tried your cell but-"
"I'm so sorry! It died but I didn't mean for you to worry."
"You're home now, it doesn't matter. Come on, let's go inside."
Tony let her go and turned around to enter the house.
"Tony?" She whispered softly.
"Yeah?" He turned around to only find her lips capturing his in a soft kiss.
"Thanks for caring." She said as she wrapped her arms around his torso as she guided him inside.
His answer was a kiss on her forehead and, "The highway don't care, but I do."
The highway don't care, The highway don't care, The highway don't care, But I do, I do.