more laziness for summary and titling. also i'm editing so much that i feel like i'm just repeating the same
themes. blurgh.
TICK TOCK
IM1. If there's ever a time for Tony Stark to be noticed, it would be now.
It's not until the third day - a Thursday - of the second month of his return, her return to work, that it hits her completely, that she cannot possibly ignore what's going on anymore.
The first few weeks that Tony is back, Pepper purposely leaves every Friday open on his schedule, rather than schedule various appointments (not that he's in any condition anyway, given Obie's request for him to lay low. But it's Tony Stark.) Saturday is also an off day - and always has been, even before. And she also leaves Sunday open - entirely, for him, because she's certain that Saturday nights are booked for drinking, women, video games, and Rhodey. And Sunday - Tony needs to recover from the night before, so he can actually do work Monday to Thursday. And so goes the cycle.
Tony's pretty thankful. He has too much on his mind right now, to go act on what she thinks she's leaving Friday nights open for. As for Saturdays - she's not around, seeing as it's her off day, to see that all he does is actually stay home.
He has too much to do. To mull over. And he's somewhat aware that maybe having all that thinking time is a little dangerous. But really - dangerous isn't much of a boundary for Tony. It's more a guideline for living.
Pepper doesn't think much of it though. She is a little surprised she hasn't had to do much clean up. There have been no particular fiascos or any danger of his usual nightly adventures getting out to the public. No frantic Happy on the other line to inform her Mr. Stark has done something and giving her the heads up. Or Rhodey's exasperation, lined with concern. No PR asking her what to do. No Obadiah trusting her to do damage control efficiently, cleanly, subtly.
She figures maybe Tony's actually - for once - being discreet. Or is - again, for once - listening to Obie about laying low.
Of course: a part of her recognizes that something is off. Tony is never discreet. He tries. No. Really. He does. Sort of. Sometimes. Things get out of hand, as they do when you're Tony Stark and imbed on alcohol and lipstick. It doesn't excuse him, of course. Evidenced by the fact that after such disasters, Pepper readily shows him the error of his ways by scheduling him multiple meetings with no mercy at all.
(She does, of course, take care of him - as she always has and always will - by giving him aspirin in the morning. She sets up lunch meetings in places with dim lighting. She makes sure Happy checks if Tony keeps hydrated throughout the day.)
So yes. Pepper recognizes there's a change.
But Pepper is also trying to ignore that. Trying to find some reason to not admit that Tony has changed. That he's the same. Scarred, yes, but the same.
And really, that's her failure. For trying to see him as the same man and not recognize the changes - changes that are, as a whole, incredibly important for her to notice.
If there's ever a time for Tony Stark to be noticed, it would be now.
(But even if she were to have noticed him, she wouldn't have been able to do a thing. As Tony says to her later on: he finally knows what to do.
Thing is: Pepper doesn't.
And she isn't sure if she would stop him.
Because he is and looks just so fulfilled.)
"Are those bullet holes?"