Static

Disclaimers: I own nothing that you recognize.

Rating: T

Pairings: Pepper/Tony

Summary: The suit really would be the end of him, but not in the way she thought. She didn't know if this was worse than the fear of him not returning from one of his 'trips'.

Setting: 5 years after Movie, Tony/Pepper finally got it together and got married the year before.

--

She could tell something was off with him today as he slowly made his way to the kitchen and dropped into the seat unceremoniously infront of her without a single word. Uncharacteristically quiet today she had noted, sipping her coffee. She glanced at the clock.

He's up early today too, odd.

She had known he had just returned from another round of blowing his weapons into an oblivion last night. No new bruises or cuts were on him of which she could see by examining him as he spooned down his cereal in a slow aching manner.

"You okay?" She asked finally. He nodded but refrained from speaking entirely. She raised an eyebrow at him before setting down her coffee and moving around the island countertop towards him. He didn't acknowledge the moment until she was right behind him and had draped her arms around his shoulders to give him a loose backwards hug. She set her chin on his shoulder and examined him. He seemed a hue paler then usual, and a hint of sweat coating his face thinly.

"You don't look so hot." She commented snuzzling into the side of his neck. He pulled away from her and stood up, leaving his half eaten bowl of cereal.

"I'm fine, Pepper." He snapped quietly, he sounded slightly out of breath. With that he stalked downstairs to his workshop. He wasn't fine, she knew this, but maybe it was just a bad night for him. She didn't feel his presense in their bedroom at all the night before. It was then she figured that he must have launched directly into the repairs on the suit as he returned and completely ignored the fact of sleeping. She thought she had broken him of that habit, but then again this was Tony she was talking about. When he wanted to work in that workshop of his in the basement no one was going to persuade him otherwise.

Spoiled brat probably got himself sick.

She waited two or three minutes before venturing down into workshop to find him sprawled out on the cot he had down there, snoring. A small sad smile played on her lips as she always thought he looked a good ten years younger when he slept, and snuck back up stairs to work on her own business.

With that she cleared everything during the day he had going, and let him sleep until the art opening that was in the mid afternoon. That would give him some time to regroup, and get some sleep she was sure he needed badly.

--

Pepper glanced down at the time on her laptop. 4:31 PM.

Better make sure sleeping beauty is awake...

She stood up from the couch and stretched. She hadn't moved from her spot since lunch, and when she last checked on her husband. He was still asleep on that cot. Pepper edged down the steps, to find Tony sitting at his workbench and fiddling with the designs of the Mark III on the screen. He turned around to face Pepper as she opened the door. A smile on his face and he seemed to be in a much better mood, and more energized then in the morning. A bit of his color returned, and he all around seemed better.

"Pepper." He greeted her, standing up and gliding towards her. He enveloped his arms around her and started to kiss her on the neck and move upwards to her mouth.

"You...seem to be feeling...better..." She struggled to say calmly, but was being turned on by way he was moving. He knew how she liked it and it was hell to pull away from him, but eventually she did.

"There's that art opening tonight, you need to get ready for it." She said after calming herself a little. His mischievious grin dropped, as he pretended to pout.

"Do we have too..." He whined slightly. "What about just a night at home, a quiet dinner and movie..." He suggested, trying to avoid it.

"No, You need to keep up with your appearances, young man!" She fired back playfully, grabbing his wrist and starting to move him upstairs to get ready. He let her drag him through the house and into the bedroom.

"Now get ready." She ordered.

"Well aren't we bossy today." He smirked.

"You're not going to be late to this one." She said as he started towards the bathroom for a shower.

"You're not coming with me?" He asked, hanging just his head out the window to look at her.

"You know very well I don't like the spotlight. Don't worry Rhodey will be there."

"Since when does Rhodey go to art openings?"

"Since I asked him to come to keep you company."

"You mean to keep me out of trouble."

"That too."

--

How he had managed to talk her into coming was beyond her. She supposed it was the same way that he talked her into living with him, and then eventually marrying him. He was persistant, and wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. And he always got what he wanted, one way or another.

So with a frustrated groan she stepped out of the car, taking the arm he was offering as they headed into the building. Cameras flashing, reporters moving about the other celebrities as they made their appearance. Try as they might they couldn't get into the building without being stopped by at least one reporter. She stayed quiet as Tony answered a couple questions then escaped their clutchs. Most of the questions being about Iron Man, as usual. Even for it being five years since he made that announcement they couldn't get enough information on the red and gold suit. Tony obliged to an extent, she figured it was mostly an ego booster for him. Most of the general public loved it.

Once they finally got inside, Rhodey caught up with them. "Thought you weren't coming, Pepper?" He had asked. "I had a change of heart." She replied with a sigh, her eyes gesturing towards Tony who was snickering with a victorious grin on his face.

--

It was getting later in that night before Pepper had found Tony again. He had managed to wander out of her vision leaving her talking to some people she really didn't know, except for the fact that they had known Tony in some obscure way. He was just coming out of the bathroom, and from that far away seemed completely normal. She politely excused herself from the conversation and went over to him.

As she got closer she could see something was definitly off. He was whipping his mouth off. His skin was shiny with a much thicker layer of sweat then it had this morning and he looked actually sick this time. By the time she reached him he was nonchalantly pulling at his bowtie.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern lacing heavily into her voice. He put on a tired smirk and moved over to her.

"Let's dance." He sounded out of breath as he took her hand and lead her to the small reception area where the band was playing and a few couples were dancing.

"Maybe we should go home." She said as he started leading her around the dance floor slowly and elegantly.

"Why, its just starting to become a good night." He smiled, looking quite exhausted. She let him go for a few minutes, watching him suspiciously.

"How much have you drank?" She asked, taking in the stench of scotch on his breath.

"Hm. Just two, Pepper. That's low for me, you know?" He had a point there. Usually by this time he would be on his fourth or fifth. He stumbled slightly, and then regained his composure. It was so quick of a movement that only Pepper who had learned his little movements and recoveries so well had caught it.

"Maybe we should go home." Her voice a little more persistant this time. He looked at her and sighed.

"Okay." He conceded to her will. She started to head off the dance floor with him behind her, holding his wrist. She nearly got off the dance floor when she felt a tug. She turned around to see Tony had stopped. His eyes had widened in, Panic?

"Tony?" She asked, fear on the edges of her voice. He was staring at the floor, he seemed to be panting. She moved quickly to him.

"...can't...breath..." He said between gasps, his eyes closing in pain. Pepper wrapped her arm around his back as he started to keel over and pushed him over to one of the tables as quickly as she could. Rhodey had appeared out of no where.

"What's going on?" He asked, he obviously had saw something. Pepper shook her head as she watched Tony gripped the edges of the table tightly and lean his head down to the surface, trying to get some air in his lungs.

"He can't breath." She told Rhodey but keeping her eyes trained on Tony who was in his own world. His knees buckled to the ground and a hand flew to just to the left of where the arc reactor is.

"I think he's having a heart attack..." Rhodey said dropping next to Tony, placing an arm around his shoulders. He looked to Pepper who seemed to be shocked into stillness.

"Call 911." Rhodey told her, freeing her from standing there stupidly. She reached into her purse, hunting for her blackberry.

"Is there a doctor here?!" Rhodey had shouted to the people around who had now offically stopped and stared as Rhodey eased Tony to the ground, laying him back down on the metallic floor. Rhodey repeated the question, as a younger man about Rhodey's age appeared from the crowd.

Pepper finally pulled out the blackberry and shakely punched the three numbers and brought it to her ear as she watched the doctor kneel down on Tony's right side and scanned him over with his eyes. He then placed two fingers on Tony's throat. It felt like an eternity before the phone was answered and she could relay the information. In the middle of her trying to talk with a shaky voice the doctor had reached up and pulled the phone from his hands, and started rattling off vitals and stats. During this time Tony had slipped into unconciousness.

TBC