Showered With Affection
Tony allowed Pepper to lead him all the way from the basement workshop to the master bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub, watching as she moved around the room getting the things for their shower. For not the first time, he wondered how she did it...how she managed to make order in his chaotic world. Days all ran together. Sunrises and sunsets meant nothing anymore. He hated to see the car pull out of the driveway each morning and it felt like he held his breath until he heard the familiar clacking of her heels on the steps. When she was there, everything made more sense.
Ever since New York, he felt like he was racing against an invisible clock of impending doom. Something was going to happen. Tony felt it in his very soul. Whatever it was, whatever was going to happen, he wouldn't allow it to harm Pepper. That's what all the work had been about. He was expendable. His flight into the wormhole proved that. The world could survive without Iron Man. Pepper Potts could survive without Tony Stark. Tony Stark, however, could not survive without Pepper Potts.
If he was going to join Pepper in the shower, then he needed to get undressed. Tony looked at his feet. His shoes were as good of a place to start as any. He toed them off without bothering to untie them. Bending over slowly, he removed his socks and dropped them beside his sneakers. He levered himself off of the side of the tub. He unfastened his pants and let them pool at his feet. Tony was struggling to kick them off when Pepper came back into the bathroom. She walked to where he stood and gently guided him back down. Pepper took the hem of his shirt and began pulling it over his head. Tony raised his arms to help. When she finished with his shirt, Pepper knelt and slid the jeans the rest of the way past his ankles. She gathered them along with the shirt in her hand and the socks off the floor. When she stood, Tony divested himself of his boxers and gave them to her. Pepper walked out with her armload of Tony's clothes. He knew she was going to deposit them in the hamper. That was Pepper.
While she was gone, Tony climbed in the shower and turned on the water as hot as he could stand it. He braced himself against the wall and let the water beat down on him. Maybe it would help clear his mind. Ever since he could remember, he'd been the one with the clearest mind, the quickest wit. Even alcohol hadn't incapacitated Tony Stark like it did other mere mortals. For the first time, though, Tony felt like he was up against something he couldn't conquer. His head was a perpetual jumble of thoughts, plans, ideas, and emotions. His insides felt like a tightly coiled spring. The only thing that made things right was Pepper and Tony was consumed with making sure he covered every conceivable scenario where she could be taken away from him. But, in doing this, he was driving her away. It was a vicious cycle. The very thought of a life without her made every muscle in his body tense. Something was coming, something bad, something worse than New York and he had to be ready. Tony squeezed his eyes closed. Hot tears of frustration leaked out the corners, washed away by the steaming water from the shower-head. He didn't know how much longer he could live like this. Something had to give. He wondered if he was going insane. Tony felt a rush of cool air behind him. He released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Pepper was back. For the time being, she was safe. And...so was he.
Pepper wrapped her arms around Tony's waist and rested her cheek on his shoulder. She knew him. Despite the fact that his explanation earlier seemed about as clear as mud, she understood what he was trying to say. They stood like that for a long time, doing nothing and saying nothing, just letting the water wash over them. Too soon for Tony's tastes, Pepper released him. He was about to protest when he felt her soapy hands along his shoulders. Almost immediately, he began to relax. Pepper's hands traveled from his shoulders, across his back, down to his waist, and back up. He pushed himself away from the wall to allow her more access to his upper body. Taking the cue, she continued down his arms and up again, across his chest, and ending with a few comforting rubs to his belly. Pepper stepped back while the spray rinsed off the soap. The next thing Tony felt was her fingers massaging his scalp as she worked shampoo into his hair. Despite his best efforts otherwise, he groaned in satisfaction. He swore he could physically feel the tension drain out of him. He loved it any time she had her hands in his hair. If he were to stop and think about it, there was something symbolic about all of this. Not only were they naked in the physical sense, but both he and Pepper were down to the very bare essence of themselves. There was no Iron Man or Fortune 500 CEO. There was just two people trying to take care of each other the best way they knew how. This wasn't even some attempt at foreplay. In a way he couldn't explain, Pepper's ministrations were far too intimate to be considered sexual. Maybe it wasn't for anyone else to try to understand. This moment was meant just for them. However, Tony didn't want to have to think about anything. Even if just briefly, he was able to forget everything else going on in the world except how good it felt to have Pepper Potts touching him.
All too soon, Pepper was holding his head under the water and rinsing the lather from his hair. She reached around him and turned off the shower. Tony caught her hand and brought her around in front of him. Words would never be able to express the gratitude that filled him. Then again, he and Pepper had always been able to communicate without words. He drew her into a hug and simply held her, like she had done him earlier. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled, filling his nose and mind with the scent that was uniquely hers. He'd read once that smell was the sense most closely related to memory. He never wanted to forget anything about her. Without the hot water around them, the air was growing chilly. Tony relinquished his hold, albeit grudgingly. Pepper nuzzled against him and placed a kiss on his chest before pulling away. She eased open the shower door, took a towel down from the hook on the wall, and handed it to Tony. With a gentle kiss and a brush of his cheek, Pepper slipped out of the stall. Tony could hear her moving around in the bathroom before going into their bedroom.
Slowly, Tony wrapped the towel around his waist. He leaned against the wet tile. It wasn't over. The feeling in his gut wouldn't go away. The nightmares would return. The danger was still out there. Somehow, right here and right now, none of that mattered. All that did matter was, whenever Tony walked into the next room, Pepper would be there. For one more night, he wouldn't have to be without the one thing he couldn't live without. That was enough. For Tony Stark, it was everything.
Author's Note: Tumblr was alive with talk earlier this week about the ever-alluded-to Shower Scene in IM3. In the midst of all of the talk of Pepperony Shower Sex, the thought came to me, "What if it didn't happen? What if it wasn't about sex at all, but about Pepper taking care of Tony?" This is a departure from what I normally do and my first attempt at "Angsty Tony." How was it? Let me know what you think. Reviews are wanted and welcome. PEPPERONY FOREVER!