Guest Review Responses
Thank you for the favorites/follows: SwimmingPython, 16milesperhour, lexiaoyao, FDRG, Crese, SKLgirl, SingItAllAway, AsgardsValkyrie, CookieMonster'Always, ForsakenMythr2012, Expelliarmus11, Mittyadarsh, Tvfreak2000, and Dandelo19. Many thank yous to all!
MarieLecter: Really good start! Can't wait for the next chapter :) Good thing that you bring them back... since the 18th April(yep, I was at the French Premiere and met Mr. Downey... he's awesome! :D ), I feel horrible. I was like 'you're kidding me, right? It's a joke, she's gonna appear or something!' I think every Iron Man fan loves Pepperony ; I don't get why they made them break up... (okay, I'm fangirling ) – WOW! I'm so jealous! Of you meeting RDJ in person, that is. But not jealous at all for how long you've been suffering. It's only been about 10 days for me, but damn. It. Sucks! Writing this fic is helping me, though, and I hope it helps you too. The chapters are not very long, but we all know how the story will end: with our Pepperony back together, even if just in our fic world for now. Thank you for your review!
Guest: Awesome ideas here. So po'd they put these two on a break. –ABSOLUTELY! Thanks for reviewing! I saw a post on Twitter that said something along the lines of: Cancelled Agent Carter. Split Pepperony. Killed Quicksilver. Made Staron and Brutasha canon. Thanks Marvel! And then it showed a GIF of Mrs. Doubtfire giving someone the finger through a window. Yeah. That's about how I feel about Marvel right now XD
Kate: Love it, looking foward to see how things work out between those two. Was so surprised and sad about this breakup, but I think it was necessary to explore this side of Tony and justify his actions and attitude. Still hopeful, to be honest, their relationship is too important in the saga to just drop it, and RDJ just love Pepper. Can't wait to read more ! – I think that's what made me even MORE upset: the fact that the breakup made sense! I can't argue logic and, in my humble opinion, they HAD to break in order for CW to work from Tony's perspective. I honestly think that he wouldn't have been so off-the-chart if Pepper had been around. He NEEDS her! Or, you know, WE need them together. Yeah, I think WE need them together, for sure. And thank you for taking the time to read and review!
Guest: Hell to the yeah! Just what I needed. Hope you update soon – WOOT! WOOT! Thank you so very much for reviewing! I will try to update once a week, especially since these chapters will only be around 1K each. I have a couple of other stories I have been writing for a while, and while my Faithful Readers over there have been so very patient with me with my lazy ass updates, they've been waiting for over a year for me to get my crap together and finish one particular story XD. I thank you in advance for being patient with me on this one too :)
Guest: It was so sad to see their breakup. They love each other so much after go through a lots of things in past 10 years. We need more pepperony. Cant wait to see update from you. – Pepperony is life, my friend! I hope we get to see their getting back together on screen. They're just so adorable together! Life goals are with them! Oh, and thank you for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter too :D
keylimelie: The "break" hit me hard too, especially when I thought Gwyneth Paltrow was supposed to make an appearance. – UGH! YES! THIS! A THOUSAND TIMES THIS! I tried to stay away from social media (especially Tumblr) to avoid getting spoiled, but when I read that she was going to make an appearance, I made up all these fluffy possibilities in my mind. And then I get to the movie theater and BAM! I'm hit with Tony's face painfully seeing her name on the teleprompter. I died. Thanks for your review!
CharlotteLiar: Thank you for the favorite. I wasn't able to PM you to thank you. I hope you don't mind me doing it through here ^_^
A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, or favorited the story or me as an author. I saw some familiar faces (welcome back!), but I also saw some new faces (welcome!), and that's always something to look forward. Notice for the new Faithful Readers: my only sustenance in life are emails notifying me of favorites/follows and reviews. Please keep me fed with a daily calorie intake of these in my inbox XD
BTW, if you don't get a response to your signed reviews via PM, it's because FFNET is messing up again, and not because I'm not grateful for your input! I get the email notifications of reviews, but there are no reviews showing on the site for me to reply to!
EDIT 09/04/16: By popular demand from my Faithful Readers – and thanks to my schedule getting better – I've made adjustments to this story. I've merged the existing nine chapters into three semi-equal length ones, which brings the length of one chapter to about 3K words. This will give my readers what they have been asking for, and me more space to be as details as I need to be :) Thank you all for your patience! I will reward you with interest! ^_^
EDIT 04/16/17: New adjustments have been made to the length of the chapters for this story to increase the pace and provide better context as to what is happening and when. It also helps me narrow down what I have pending to write and makes it easier on me to commit to updates. What used to be Chapters 1-3 are now Chapter 1: Wheels Up. Chapters 4-6 are now Chapter 2: Venice. Chapters 7-9 are now Chapter 3: Madrid, Part 1. Chapters 10-12 (this one) are now Chapter 4: Madrid, Part 2. The future chapters will be Chapter 5: London; Chapter 6: Pretoria; Chapter 7: Dubai; Chapter 8: Dhaka; Chapter 9: Moscow, Part 1; Chapter 10: Moscow, Part 2; Chapter 11: Hong Kong; Chapter 12: Tokyo; Chapter 13: Sydney; Chapter 14: Brasilia; Chapter 15: Mexico City; Chapter 16: New York; and then the Epilogue.
Moving forward, I will focus more on key interactions between Tony and Pepper. The scope of this fic was supposed to be how we can get our Pepperony back, not the investors' stories themselves (unless they're relevant to our cause). I'm sorry reading this story has been like pulling teeth for ya'll. Last time I write a story with very little planning ahead on my behalf :)
Thanks for sticking around ^_^
Chapter 1: Wheels Up
"I'm sorry about MIT."
Her odd and unexpected statement made his attempt to flee halt in its tracks; a task he had swiftly embarked on when he had realized that she had become aware that he was nearby. It was not so much so that he had wanted to hide from her presence – it was more that he had wanted to escape the look of unreserved disappointment that had tainted her face at seeing him again.
"I managed," he said with a rather pronounced shrug, but he made no effort to turn around in place to face her. "No harm. No foul."
His response sounded painfully insincere, especially to him, making him internally flinch at the fact that he was AGAIN lying to himself – and to her. He had certainly managed to finish the speech without her being there to wrap it up for him; but the harm and the foul had undoubtedly prevailed at all times.
If truth be told, and if he stopped lying his ass off, he would be able to freely admit that both aches were still very much present right now.
Pepper pressed her lips together to keep from verbally expressing what they both knew he was poignantly doing: lying, lying about lying, and then lying some more. There was no need to make this awkward encounter worse for either of them; she recognized that this breakup had been hard on him too. And this was without taking into account that he did not know the all-inclusive truth behind her reason to end it all.
Tony Stark, a compulsive liar? Hell, yes. He certainly was one!
But she, Pepper Potts, was not too far behind.
Perhaps – and it was quite possible, in fact – his scorching skin, adept hands, and his soft lips had not been the only things of his to rub off on her.
Couples that live together, start to look alike, Rhodey had once told her in jest, and the redhead had loudly snorted at the thought.
Looking alike was one thing – acting alike… that was a completely different thing altogether. Yet, the evidence before them was damming, since neither of them knew what to do or say right now.
Other than I'm sorry, that was.
Sorry for lying to you, even after I called you out on it and broke it off because of it. Sorry for breaking up with you, even after everything we've gone through together. Sorry for the Avengers splitting up, even after everything you did to keep them together. Sorry for how I know you feel guilty that Rhodey may never walk again on his own, even if it's not really your fault. Sorry for standing here, making you uncomfortable while I wait for you to guide me on what you want me to do, even if I have no right to ask anything of you.
The words should have been easy to say; but her mouth remained shut through it all.
"Thanks for coming to visit. He really needs a friend right now," Tony finally turned to be face-to-face with her, but his eyes were on Rhodey's back, the man opting to not be part of the conversation he knew was taking place right outside his hospital room.
"Happy will be here in a minute. He dropped me off at the front. He… he had to go park two blocks away from here."
"Why?" his curious eyes locked with hers. "You're the CEO of Stark Industries, Pep. You can park in the waiting room, for all anyone cares."
Against her better judgement, and perhaps because she was trembling in nervousness inside, she chuckled loudly at his retort. The familiar sound made his heart swell, and it pulled an overly satisfied-with-himself smile from him as well. They even went as far as taking a step closer to each other, but neither of them seemed to notice the practically synchronized move.
"Damage control," she replied after she composed herself.
"Oh, yeah," Tony scrunched up his nose. "That annoying thing. Throw billions of dollars at life-saving research, with no questions asked, and no one bats an eye. You're a multinational company, right? That's what you're supposed to do. But ask for your limousine to be validated at the hospital to come see your injured friend, and all hell breaks loose."
"It's the way of the world, Tony. Or our world. It's just… it's just the business we're in. It's what we have to do."
"Yeah, I know," his voice suddenly turned serious after a gulp. "And I couldn't do it without you."
At that, Pepper closed her eyes to protect her heart and soul from his loud gaze. The look in his eyes was simply too much for her to bear. This, him right now, was one of the reasons why she had cancelled her presence at the MIT Alumni Conference on such short notice; because of this, and also because of what she had found at his office, the morning of the event.
When she opened her eyes again, his body was inches away from hers.
She licked her lips, looked past his left shoulder and towards the end of the hall, and watched the exact moment when Happy appeared by the corner of it, fast walking towards where they stood.
The magic was gone. The moment was over. And she had to get ahold of herself before she made the mistake of telling him the truth.
"Is he OK?" Happy's troubled voice made Tony put on both his casual face and his tinted glasses.
"Yes, Happy," Tony replied. "Or… he will be alright. In time. Just don't make any jokes about being hit by a guy named Vision who didn't really quite see where he was aiming his laser."
"Jesus, Tony!" Happy shook his head at him but ended up smiling anyway on his way into Rhodey's room. Hearing humor coming from his long-time friend and former boss instantly told him all he needed to know about Rhodey's current status: it was bad, yes. But Tony would not let it go until the Air Force Colonel was back to his normal self. No one expected less of either of them: both men were stubborn as a mule.
Or as a couple of colossal asses, as it was in their case.
"I'll be waiting for you," Tony whispered to Pepper once Happy was out of earshot.
"What?"
"The board meeting at SI, tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you."
"I'll be there," she replied, ignored the burning need to run her hand down his injured face to make sure he was alright, and then silently walked away from him, leaving him feeling as lonely and hollow as the last time she had told him these exact same words: the time she had promised to be there when he needed her, shortly after stating that she was moving out of their home.
xxxXXXxxx
It had not been long enough since the last time she had been here, alone in Tony's Stark Industries' private office, cracking her fingers at the thought of seeing him again. In fact, the previous time her presence had been known to be in this room, it had been during the same morning when she had been supposed to be in route to MIT to join Tony at the Alumni Event. She had stopped by to double-check some items of his speech with him, particularly his intention to donate millions of dollars towards every single piece of research taking place at his Alma Mater, but she had found said room to be devoid of any presence but hers. Surprisingly, Tony had made his way to MIT much earlier than it was needed to be there on time, simply because, as Bambi had promptly informed her upon arrival, he had wanted to have a chance to talk to her before the start of the speech.
That had been the start of her panic attack, and it had only increased in intensity the longer she had been in the room.
That morning, she had had every intention of attending the MIT event, of standing next to him in front of that crowd, putting on her business face, and pretending that she and Tony were not having a difficult time dealing with this breakup while still sharing a business partnership. She had been willing to deny that she had wanted to quit her position as CEO once it had become obvious to her that she could no longer be with him. She had been ready to refute that she had pondered throwing away her career so that she did not have to be forced to see him at times like these, when appearances needed to be maintained to keep the Board Members and the investors happy.
She had been so sure that she could have pulled it off; that she could have risen to the occasion without much effort on her part, but her heart had quickly laughed at her face and had told her: no. She had been unable to pull through that day – very much so as she was having a difficult time today again. That particular morning, she had been unable to go through with it all once she had seen the papers on his desk. This morning, she was ready to bolt out the door when her eyes had landed on another item in his office that brought painful memories to her.
Memories of what it was like to date an Avenger. Memories of what it was like to decline Tony Stark's engagement proposal, and instead tell him that she could not be with him anymore.
Because, yes: Tony Stark had asked her to marry him; he had even gotten down on one knee and all, just mere seconds before she had informed him that it was over between them both.
The look on his face at hearing her breaking it up would forever haunt her… but she would much rather carry that image of him being disappointed by her actions, than him bearing the guilt of what had happened to her because of his actions.
He would just never know. And that was that.
The door opening behind her made her right palm fly to her face to cover her mouth, if only to keep her gasp under control. There were only two people who had access to this office – and one of them was already inside. This meant that there was only other person who was currently approaching her, saying hi to her in the process, and then resting his hand on her lower back.
"Sorry," he quickly said when he realized what he was doing, mostly out of habit, before he snatched his hand away from the small of her back as if it had scalded him.
"It's OK," she replied as she half turned in place to stare at him, and was shocked to find that he was not as empty-handed as she thought he would be.
"It's gluten-free," he offered, his hands shaking in tension while he held a brown paper bag in one hand, and then transferred a coffee cup to his other. "And no strawberries either."
"You… bought breakfast?" she asked as she cautiously grabbed the coffee and the bag from him, which she quickly realized held a still very warm waffle inside.
"I figured you might be hungry at this ungodly early hour. Who the hell holds a board meeting at 6:30 AM, anyway?"
"Your board members, apparently," she replied even though she knew the question had been either rhetorical, or akin to his version of small talk.
"Next time we renew the bylaws, please remind me we oughta make these early meetings illegal."
Despite herself, she smiled at his comment, nodded once to him, and then walked towards a chair near the large mahogany desk in the office, opting to avoid an argument or an awkward conversation by eating the waffle and drinking the coffee with no questions asked, even if she had already had something to eat on her way here.
Watching her eagerly accept his offering meant the world to him. So much so that he allowed himself to pretend nothing was over and that nothing was off between them. Pretending never really hurt anyone, either way… or, actually, pretending was better than facing the truth.
"Did you bring something for yourself?" the redhead asked when she realized he was just standing near her, watching her intently, but not doing much of anything else at all.
"Had a muffin on the way here," he shrugged. "Gluten-free, too. I promise."
"Tony, you-you… you can eat whatever you want now. You… you really don't have to–"
"I know," he interrupted her, his eyes not staring at hers. "And I wanted a gluten-free muffin, so I had that."
Pepper opened her mouth to reply – to tell him that she knew he hated the diet he had followed when they had lived together, but she decided against doing just that, in the end. It did not matter if he wanted to eat healthy or not, after all. And bringing up the subject would only cause a can of worms, one she was not quite ready to face, to open up.
"Thank you, Tony," the woman added when she realized she was yet to utter her gratitude to him.
"My pleasure, Pep," he replied instantly. "You know I'd do anything for you."
Except leave the Avengers, her mind replied for her. Except stop putting yourself in danger like you always do.
"Are you ready for the meeting?" Pepper asked in an effort to deviate the conversation away from personal matters and into business mode.
"I'm ready to fall asleep during it," he jested. "I think I can sleep with my eyes open now."
"Lucky you," the redhead said as she stood up after finishing her breakfast goodness and then deposited the empty bag in the trash.
Tony looked away from her and towards the front door that he had left unlocked so that Bambi could do what she was currently doing: coming inside to tell them it was time for the meeting to start; doing so right before he made his final retort.
"Yeah, Pep. Lucky me."
How true this statement was going to become once they entered the board room and were present at the meeting, would be something that would never leave his mind…
… for his entire life.
xxxXXXxxx
The moment after the Board Members had slapped her with their oh-so-brilliant idea to secure more funding for the many projects that Tony Stark had just promised money to, days ago, Pepper Potts felt the entire world come to a halt. Her ears, no matter how much she tried to force them to work properly, could only hear an endlessly repeating chorus of the words she had just heard; the sentence drawn out in such an exaggerated manner that it made the entire scene surreal.
Her eyes were blinking rapidly, yet they continued to feel as dry and grainy as a bucket of sand. Her hands had begun shaking. Her brain was being overcrowded by a thick mental fog. Her lungs felt as if they were being sorely constricting and, no one – no one; other than Tony Stark himself, of course – noticed that she was about to lash out like a target being cornered by an overpowering predator.
She pursed her lips and swallowed hard. Her eyes narrowed and her hands turned into fists. And just as she was about to use her metaphorical fangs to bite the life out of the SI Board Members' seemingly ridiculous idea, Tony Stark placed a comforting hand on hers.
Her head snapped towards her right, where Tony was sitting next to her, and he gave her a small smile, knowing damn well what she was feeling right now. Not because he was feeling it as intensely as she was, mind you, or at least not in such a negative manner, he was not. But because he had known this woman for well over ten years – there was only so much that she could successfully hide from him.
"Isn't it perfect?" one board member said with a degree of elation that Pepper had never seen on anyone, ever, in her entire life. "We all win!"
"What do you mean by we, exactly?" Tony asked with a smile that Pepper knew to be fake – one that he tended to use when he was trying his best to be polite even though he definitely did not feel like being so.
"Well, everyone," said board member replied. "You, us, the investors, the people who are expecting funding for their projects. Everyone! And everyone wins!"
"Right," Tony smacked his lips and then retracted his hand from Pepper's. "But, Jim, you're making a lot of assumptions right now. Don't you think?"
"Assumptions?"
"Yes," Tony tapped his fingers on the table. "You're assuming that I am available for this trip you suggest we take. You're also assuming that Miss Potts doesn't have better things to do already set in stone on her agenda. She does run a large company, you know?"
"Seeing that this is a company project, I don't see the issue, Mr. Stark."
"Of course you wouldn't," Tony shrugged. "When was the last time you went on a company trip, Jim? These things take careful planning and time."
"But you're Iron Man," a second board member said with a scoff. "Planning is not even a word you have in your vocabulary, Mr. Stark!"
"Besides," the Chairman of the Board began, "You did promise us that your personal matters would not interfere with our business ones."
"Right," Tony replied with a smile, yet Pepper could see that it was everything but an honest, pleasant or well-intended one.
"We did," Pepper spoke in a soft voice, her anger currently taking a backseat to professional responsibility and her innate need to do what had to be done.
"Then we agree?" Jim asked and everyone's eyes fell on Pepper Potts and Tony Stark.
The twosome silently gazed at one another, a quiet and uncomfortable conversation taking place between them. The assignment was unwelcome and unexpected, but it also was required, reasonable, and in line with the promise they had made to the board when they had informed them of their separation. The investors and the general public did not know of their breakup, simply because it did not make business sense to shake the financial market with news that could cause undue speculation. The company's stock had skyrocketed when it had been announced that the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist was showing signs of settling down. The opposite news could have detrimental repercussions on the company at-large. In the grand scheme of things, it was easier to suck it up and pretend they were still together than to be the cause for all of the people depending on them to lose their stability and jobs.
It was just a month or two of them traveling alone together around the world, anyway. What could possibly go wrong?
"Alright," Pepper was the first one to verbally agree to the terms. "We'll go."
"We will?" Tony furrowed his brow, his eyes still on hers, looking away only when he realized she was trying her best not to explode. "I mean, yeah. Of course. We'll go."
"Wonderful!" Jim clasped his hands.
"I knew you'd see the benefits of this," a third board member said, his smile so wide that it almost looked painful to have.
"Of course we do. When do we leave?" Pepper asked, her entire willpower focused on keeping herself from punching the board member in the face and then bolting out the door.
"Tonight, of course," Jim replied.
"Tonight?" Tony asked.
"Yes. You're expected to meet Mr. Abbiati in his home in Venice at 8:00 AM."
"Venice? The City of Love?"
"That's Paris, Tony," Pepper said between clenched teeth.
"Depends on who you ask, Pep," he replied with a smile that was the result of fond memories with her returning to him, despite knowing that he was tempting the devil with his actions and response. The cat was out of the bag, anyway. Whether they liked it or not, they would have to pretend to still be together for the next six weeks or so.
"It's settled, then," the Chairman of the Board stood up. "Mr. Stark. Miss Potts. Please give our regards to our investors and have some fun!"
Fun, Pepper closed her eyes once she heard the last of the board members exit the room. Sure. Fun.
xxxXXXxxx
She thought that she had been making some real progress.
She really, really, really believed that she had.
But she had been terribly wrong. Oh, so very, very, very wrong!
One deep gaze from his soft, brown eyes. One seemingly innocent touch of his skin against hers. One simple word or phrase coming from him, murmured into her ear when alone, and she knew she would break. Crumble at his feet. Spit out the truth to him. It was that easy; that effortless, for her resolve to dissolve around him. This was why she had remained as far away from him as possible since they had broken up. This was why she had busied herself with everything and anything that she had been able to sign up to do. This was why she was dreading getting on the Stark Industries private jet with him right now. Not because of what he could do… but because of what she could let him do to her.
Ten years of being nothing more than his personal assistant, his always-on-duty babysitter, his on-call jail bond payer, and perhaps even his very close friend, had not prepared her for trying to move on from loving him as much as she did. They had known each other for sixteen years; had dated for nearly six – had lived together for at least two full years… years! Hell: they had been in each other's lives for almost half as long as they had been alive on this mighty Earth! Yet, in none of that lengthy time period together had she ever envisioned chewing her nails at the thought of being in the same aircraft with him. Or at knowing that they would have to share a room for the next six weeks while pretending that their romantic relationship was still a thing.
"We'll just rent the entire penthouse of the hotels we stay in, Pepper. You can use the master bedroom, and I'll use the spare one. No one has to know," Tony had told her earlier today, after the board members had left them alone in the meeting room. "We'll make it work. I promise. We'll make it as pain-free as we can. Trust me, Pep."
Ironically, she did trust him. She just did not trust herself.
Six weeks, she breathed deeply and closed her eyes after she sat in one of the chairs inside the jet. Only six weeks. That's all.
Six weeks could be a short or a long time, depending on what the final outcome at the end of them was. They had engaged in much longer company-mandated travel projects than this one. This, in fact, was the shortest one they had ever embarked on together. Perhaps, she was making this be more than it really was. Perhaps, she was worrying over nothing at all. Perhaps, at some point during these six weeks, she would be able to make it clear to Tony that this break was meant to be permanent, for both their sakes and states of mind.
Yes; she could do this. She could totally do this. She had managed worse before. She had overcome more difficult situations than this particular one, time and time again, with a lot less authority than she had now. This was just an act – a charade. This was simply the world they lived in – as she had told him, just the day before. This was part of the business; part of the dog and pony show, and she did still have control over minor aspects of this trip, such as: deciding on short-term accommodations, the choosing of appropriate garments, and economizing the opportunities for being alone with him.
Plus, she knew that Tony, once a man who not only hardly ever took no for an answer from a possible female companion, but hardly ever even received it, respected her. Truly respected her. And he would never do anything to her that she was not comfortable or agreeable with.
And this, this very aspect of the entire situation, was her one true problem: the fact that if something unexpected happened during this trip; if something serious happened between them, it would be her fault and hers alone. She trusted that Tony would be able to control herself… unless it was her who was unable to do the same.
"Sorry I'm late," his smooth voice made her eyes snap open to watch him sit in the chair across from hers, a distraught look on his face.
Instinctively, Pepper eyed him up and down, searching for a sign of bodily injury on him, but she found none. Though he appeared to be physically fine and mostly recovered from the beating he received in his fight with Steve Rogers, she could tell that something was off. He was not looking at her – his head was aimed towards the small window of the plane, and his gaze was lost in deep thought. He did not need to say much, however, for her to immediately know that he had bad news to relay to her, and that he was unsure how to start.
"Is it Rhodey?" she felt her stomach clench and her blood rush to her feet, not immediately recognizing that, if something bad had happened to their friend, he would have sent for her rather than actually making it to the plane.
She watched him gulp, shake his head, and she then swallowed hard when his eyes locked with hers. Whatever he was having a difficult time voicing, she was definitely not going to like.
"I just got off the phone with Mr. Abbiati," he shook the device in his hand.
"And?" Pepper's eyebrows rose.
"He…" Tony briefly closed is mouth and blew air from his nostrils. "I tried to talk him out of it. I really did, Pep."
"Talk him out of what?"
"I…" he looked at the ground between then, hunched his back, rested his arms on his knees, and then looked up again to witness her response. "We're staying at his house. The whole weekend we're gonna be there. In one of his guest rooms."
"We, what?" she shook her head in disbelief, "But we already have a reservation, and–"
"I know," he made a defensive gesture with his hands. "I told him that. But he… he-he said… in a non-direct manner, that us staying with him was part of what he was told by the Board would happen. It's… it's part of the deal. He won't fork over the signature for the investment if we don't stay with him."
"What does us staying in his guest room have anything to do with the company deal?"
"He said something about how this was the way he did business," Tony grimaced. "Personally, I think he suspects we're no longer… well, you know."
"So, he wants to test his suspicion?"
"I guess so," Tony shrugged helplessly and then pressed his back against the seat.
"But," Pepper began with an exasperated sigh, but she then closed her mouth and eyes instead.
"I'm sorry, Pepper," he told her earnestly, his left palm on his chest. "I promised… I know I promised that it would be pain-free, but–"
"Wouldn't be the first time," the acidic words left her mouth before she was able to stop them; coming out of her more out of anger with the situation than at him. "Broken promises are the only kind you seem to know."
It took her a mere half a second to realize what she had said; the cruel and uncalled for words she had spewed onto him, but it was half a second too late. Before she was able to try to take back the pain she knew she had unfairly bestowed upon him, Tony reacted instead.
"Not all of them," he stood up from the chair and began walking towards the sleeping quarters at the back of the plane. "Marrying you… that would've been a promise I would've kept."
Pepper opened her mouth to apologize to him, to ask him to stop walking away from her, but the slam of the door and a pile of regret was all she was left with.
xxxXXXxxx
He had spent the rest of the flight locked up in the sleeping quarters located at the back of the jet; all the while Pepper had been berating herself for her unforgiving and unkind words. It was not Tony's fault that the board members had promised the moon to their investors. It was not either of their faults that they had not been informed of the expectations that had been set by the Chairman of SI, either. But it was her fault that Tony had decided to be cooped up in that tiny room for hours until they had landed. And it was her fault that he was quiet and uncomfortable now.
"I'm sorry," her heavy-sounding words were followed by a light shake of his head.
"Don't know what you're sorry for," Tony cleared his throat. "You're right. I can never keep what I promise. Especially not to you."
"Tony, I–"
"You ready?" he interrupted her, laced her hand with his, and then plastered a fake smile on his face. "Smile, Potts."
The doors of the jet opened to reveal that the staircase had already been set for them, and that their hosts had been gracious enough to show up at the airport themselves. It was uncommon for the investors to leave their homes for something that they could assign someone else to do for them, making the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Abbiati at the hangar a little unnerving, to say the least.
Carefully, Tony led Pepper down the staircase, not once letting go of her hand, watching her every step to make sure she did not trip. When the couple finally made it to the ground, Tony briefly squeezed Pepper's hand to get her attention, and then swapped places with her without breaking their strides. It took her a moment to understand why he was suddenly switching laced hands, but she then realized that he needed his right hand to be free in order to shake hands with their hosts.
"We didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Abbiati. This is a pleasant surprise."
"This is a very important weekend for us, Mr. Stark," Piero Abbiati replied. "Miss Potts," the man said as he shook hands with the ginger, "Or should I say… Mrs. Stark?"
"Not yet," Pepper smiled as gracefully as possible despite the spike of pain that stabbed her heart, wondered how the couple before them even knew about Tony's intention to ask her to marry him, and then shook hands with the older woman.
"Oh," Alba Abbiati covered her mouth with her right hand after breaking the shake. "Did we spoil it? Did we just give it away?"
"Oh, no. Of course not," Pepper assured the woman. "He already popped the question."
"Oh, alright. Phew! I thought we had ruined the surprise," Alba fanned herself for a second before she furrowed her brow. "But, wait: where's the ring?"
"Hidden," Tony jumped in, "You know how it is. If word gets out of our engagement, the media won't leave us alone. I mean, they already don't… but, you know."
"Why, yes," Piero nodded. "High-profile weddings always attract so much unwanted attention. Next thing you know, you're being asked when you're having kids!"
"Right," Tony smiled. "Kids."
A quick, awkward silence lingered between the two couples before Pepper cleared her throat and placed her left hand on Tony's upper arm.
"Tony, do you want to drive, or should we let–"
"Nonsense!" Piero said with arms wide open, startling Pepper from finishing her words. "We brought our driver. You're riding with us! We aren't heading home just yet."
"Oh," Pepper gulped. "Well, let me make sure that the–"
"I'll get it, honey," Tony began, knowing what her statement was about to be. "Just save me a window seat. You know how I hate being crunched in the middle."
Tony followed his request with a chaste kiss to her forehead and a quick pat to her hand, before he then turned around in place and walked away from them to talk to their driver, all with the intention of asking him to place their travel bags in the back of Mr. Abbiati's vehicle. The exchange with the driver was quick and painless, and by the time he returned to the group, they were already inside the limousine.
"Was the flight alright?" Alba asked as soon as Tony slid inside the back seat.
"It must've been," Tony replied, his left arm now surrounding Pepper from the side. "I slept for most of it."
"It was an uneventful flight," Pepper added. "Hopefully, all of our travel will be like this."
"Of course," Piero nodded once. "And I'm glad that you had a chance to rest. We have a full day ahead of us."
"We do?" Tony spared Pepper a glance, noting that she was as shocked as he was about yet another surprise that was about to fall into their laps.
"Why, yes," Alba stated. "Didn't you get a copy of today's agenda?"
"It appears that there was a small breakdown in communication with our assistant," Pepper said in her most business-like tone of voice – one that she was known to use to cover the fact that she was fucking pissed as all get-out that no one had bothered to give any of them a heads up of what was to come.
"That's unfortunate," Piero said. "But I assure you: what we have in store will be fun."
"I wouldn't expect any less of this city," Tony said as his eyes took note of the familiar route they were taking before he locked eyes with the redhead. "Venice is one of my favorite places in the world."
"Why wouldn't it be?" Alba smirked at seeing the intense gaze the couple before them was sharing, perhaps even without being aware of it. "This is the City of Love, after all."
"Some would argue that that's Paris, Mrs. Abbiati," Tony grinned, his eyes still glued to Pepper's.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see, Mr. Stark," Piero added and then shared a furtive, knowing glance with his wife. "Just wait and see."
"Waiting is what I do best," Tony clasped Pepper's left shoulder with his hand and then pulled her closer to him. "You know, other than flying around in armored suits, avenging the unprotected and helpless, battling alien invaders and genocidal robots, waiting is how I spend my average day. Ain't that right, Pep?"
All Pepper could do at the moment was to nod and smile.
xxxXXXxxx
Saying that she was exhausted was the understatement of the year; probably on par with any sentence that stated that she was terrified of walking inside the bedroom she was supposed to be sharing with Tony Stark tonight. The day itself had proven to be overwhelmingly tiring, mostly due to the fact that she and Tony had been forced to pretend there was nothing different between them. She was not sure if Tony felt as drained as she felt with the acting they had been forced to execute throughout the many events and activities their hosts had planned for the day, but as far as she was concerned, she was ready to drop dead as soon as she was behind closed doors.
If she had been alone, that was.
And if, as her eyes were now sadly confirming for her, the room had had more than one bed.
Why did the Universe hate her so?
"Any chance you're too tired to care if we share the bed, Pep?"
Her eyes followed Tony as he walked past her standing form, grabbed her luggage from her hands, and then took all their travel bags with him inside the bathroom. Seconds later, the billionaire exited the facilities, eyed every single piece of furniture in their quarters, scratched the back of his neck, and then exhaled in defeat.
"The floor it is, then!"
"No," the word was out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "I mean: don't be ridiculous, Tony," she tried to sound nonchalant. "But I do call dibs on the shower."
"Of course," Tony smiled, nodded once, and then made a sweeping motion with his hand towards the entrance of the bathroom. "Ladies first."
"Thanks," her smile was as honest as it could be.
Tony waited until he heard his CEO lock the bathroom door from the inside before he sprawled his body atop the mattress, facing up. He rubbed his face with both of his hands, exhaling and inhaling deeply as he did so to gather his thoughts. Despite as physically fit as he knew himself to be, the day's events had left him more tired than he had felt after his latest outing as Iron Man. Who would have thought that a day with the Abbiati couple could match a day fighting Captain America and company?
Next time he saw the former Avenger, he would make sure to poke fun at his inability to make Iron Man beg for a place to sleep.
Then again, he was keenly aware that the activities in and of themselves had not been the sole cause for his fatigue. If he were to be honest with himself, he would admit that the true reason why he felt as if he had been dragged around the entire city as Hulk's personal ragdoll was because of the added energy he had expended pretending that his romantic relationship with Pepper was not left for dead in the gutter.
"Ugh," he extended his arms across the bed, fatigue making this situation that much more difficult for him. And this is just the first day!
Would they be able to survive this physical and emotional torture? They did have six weeks of fake pleasantries ahead of them. What if ALL of their hosts decided to do the same as the Abbiati family? What if there was never a chance to be off duty? What if their farce was discovered and the investors dumped them like yesterday's trash?
Why did they agree to go through with this?!
Because you needed to keep the investors happy? His mind began listing the reasons for him. Because you told the board your personal problems and issues would not interfere with your business performance? Because Pepper cares so much about supporting you and backing up your crazy, philanthropic ideas, that she knew she had to do this for you so that you could clean your fucking conscience?
Oh, yeah. That was why. All of the above. Guilty as charged.
He inhaled deeply once more before he slid towards the edge of the mattress to sit by the foot of the bed, wanting to occupy his mind with something else. Thankfully for him, he heard the unmistakable sound of the shower being turned on, and he could not help to lose himself in a private second of bittersweet reminiscence. This was the first time in months that he did not share a shower stall with Pepper while having a clear opportunity to do so, and it hurt.
While he would have, without a second thought no less, given up his entire fortune, here and now, to have the right to join her there at this very instant inside the confined space she was currently using, it would have not been due to simple, uncontrolled lust on his part; and definitely not as an excuse to procure a chance to refresh his memory with the details of their encounters under the stream of water. Or for any other shallow or random reason that he had already many times before off-handedly thrown at her whenever she had questioned his bare presence during her shower time.
No.
He would have not used any of those petty pretexts he had uttered in the past with the simple goal of getting a smile out of her. If he had the chance to jump in there right now, he would tell her that he had wanted to join her because, despite spending the entire day together, he missed her.
Missed her.
Utterly missed her. Even while standing next to her all day today, he missed her.
All of her. Every inch of her. Freckles and all.
And also because he was not sure how much longer he would be able to stand having her near him, holding hands, embracing her, whispering in her ear, without being able to truly share a bed at night with her.
Curse all of the higher-powered entities in the universe. He was screwed.
And not in the way he wanted to be.
Could this day get any worse?
Evidently, it could.
"It's all yours," Pepper's voice made him jump inside his skin; his face turning red at the thought of the ginger being able to read his mind.
"OK. Thanks. Bye," he practically sprung off the bed, without sparing her a second glance to avoid her seeing his mortified expression, and then all but slammed the door on his way inside the facilities.
"You're welcome," Pepper whispered, brow wrinkled in confusion at his actions, her back to him, and wondering how the hell she was going to survive the night sleeping next to him.
xxxXXXxxx
It was 3:00 AM, and she was not at all surprised when she turned around in bed to lie on her left side and saw that Tony was also wide awake, his current posture a mirror image of hers. His eyes were aimed at her face, but she knew that he had not been actually staring at her back the entire time. He had a look on his face whose origin she easily recognized after knowing him for so long – an expression of confusion, uncertainty, and pain that shook her to the core.
"Hey," she whispered, feeling the weight of the world resting on her shoulders as much as she could tell he felt as well.
"Hey back," he replied, his expression remaining thoughtful.
"You should get some sleep, Tony. The agenda for tomorrow – today, is worse than yesterday."
"You should, too," he dared to briefly run his left hand down her cheek, his caress tender despite his stern face. "And let's pick up some sunscreen for you, OK? Another day outside and you'll start peeling soon."
"I'll be fine," she rolled her eyes.
"No, you won't," his tone of voice was turning authoritative, igniting in her a need to be defiant.
"Yes. I will," she said between gritted teeth.
"Your skin is very sensitive, Potts."
"It's not that sensitive."
"Bullshit! I've seen it peel and bleed after only two days of being exposed to the sun. I'm not letting that happen again!"
She instantly pursed her lips, unable to deny his claim. Of course he would remember that particular scary incident related to her innate skin condition that he had once witnessed after spending a weekend at a private beach. That night, he had woken up every highly-regarded dermatologist around the country to demand they immediately came to their hotel room to check up on her.
She had to make sure that did not happen again.
"Stop worrying about me, Tony," she emphasized her command by slightly lifting her body and resting her torso's weight on her bent left arm.
"I can't," his response was immediate and he too used his right arm to prop himself up. Whatever had kept him up all night, and whatever he was feeling right now, was intense enough for him to refuse to back down from this trivial fight. "You know I can't."
She leaned closer to him, hoping that their whispered argument went unnoticed by their hosts.
"Tony–"
"Can you?" he leaned towards her as well, their faces a foot away from each other.
"Can I, what?"
"Not worry about me? Because if you can, you're gonna have teach me how to do that. Show me how easy it is not to worry about the woman I love."
"Tony," she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Let's not–"
"I love you," he slid the tiniest bit closer to her, dying to hold her, his face now inches from hers. "We may be apart. Pretending that we're not. I'm giving you some space… But I still love you. You know how much I still love you, Pepper. I'm doing everything I can… everything you've asked of me for this break to work, but… Do you even… I mean… Are you even still looking forward to us one day–"
"I love you," she opened her eyes to stare at his, hoping their exchange stopped heading towards the road where she could see it going. "I do still love you, Tony. Why do you think I'm here, doing this?"
"Then don't tell me not to worry, Pep."
She inhaled slowly and exhaled in broken sighs, closing her eyes again when she felt his left hand cup the side of her face.
"Tony… I…"
"And tell me to stop," his husky voice made her gulp. "Tell me… to stop…"
She opened her eyes halfway, knowing ahead of time what she was going to see. She did not have to open them completely to know his face was closing in on hers – his breath tickling her slightly parted lips told her all she needed to know. Despite her mind screaming for her to do what he had just told her to do – to say the words that would make him halt his efforts, she was unable to find her voice.
It was happening, what she had feared would take place, was finally coming to pass: she allowing him to do whatever he wanted to her.
It had been too long since she had tasted his lips; since she had felt his trademark goatee prickle her face. It had been too damn long since he had nipped at her lips and traced them with his tongue, begging for entrance, as he was doing just now.
She gasped when she felt the familiar sensation of him exploring the inside of her mouth, and of his hands gliding up and down her face. She would never say it aloud, and especially not to him, but even now she wondered how he always managed to disarm her like this. How was it possible that, at their age, he still managed to make her feel like a trembling teenager experiencing her first real kiss? How was he able to set her skin on fire by just staring at her?
She was not blind or stupid – she knew he had had plenty of experience in this arena before she had come along. While being his personal assistant, she had been tasked; many times in fact, with escorting his experience away from his bed and out the door. She was aware of his Don Juan reputation – and she had come to learn that all of it was true – but it still never ceased to amaze her how this former playboy made her weak in the knees without resorting to the techniques that had once before made her roll her eyes when witnessing them being used on his prey.
"I love you," he said between kisses, his hands now roaming towards other areas of her body as he began pressing her back onto the bed, setting off all kinds of alarms within her.
"T-Tony–"
"Pepper," his lips started trailing down her neck, "Let's stop wasting time. I need you. I miss you. I want you. Let me show you that–"
"Stop!" her body froze. "Tony, please, stop!"
Tony swallowed hard, lifted his head to stare at her face, and then felt his heart drop at what he saw. She was shaking beneath him, her eyes wide in fear. He tried to run his hand down her face once more, if just to apologize without words, but watching her flinch even before he was close enough crushed his soul.
"I'm sorry," he pulled back, rolled away from her, and then got up from the bed.
"Tony, wait!" Pepper's legs slid to the edge of the bed, and she looked at the floor to search for her slippers. "Tony, stop! Where are you going?"
But when she looked up, he was already out the door.
xxxXXXxxx
It was not until he ended up in the dark hall, having no clue where to go, that Tony Stark realized how stupid it had been to walk out on Pepper. They were not home, or anywhere that was familiar to either of them – or somewhere were privacy for their fights was present. Yet, what was he supposed to do after the carrot had been dangled in front of him, tantalizingly so, only to find out it was made of plastic? What would a man in his position be expected to do when the woman he loved melted at his touch one moment, only to almost instantly thereafter push him away?
For no good apparent reason, other than mild confusion, it seemed?
She loved him. She, of course, still loved him. She had said so herself. He had heard it with his own two ears, straight out of her mouth. Love was not the issue. Love between them had never been the issue, he knew. She had told him it had been something else. Something more. Something that was much more complex and almost difficult to accurately quantify. It had been his lies. His flip-flopping attitude about his superhero persona. His half-truths of his intentions when saving the world. His inability to keep his promises to her.
That was what she had said was the real problem, right?
Nevertheless, right now, lost in deep thought, as their intimate moment and words kept replaying in his mind, he was starting to wonder if he had not been the only one relaying disguised truths to the other. He could not help but suspect that Pepper was also in the business of protecting him from pain by doing the same thing he did for her: lying his ass off.
If love was not the problem, and the attitude of not sharing all the facts was mutual, then what was really building this Grand Canyon between them? What was it that she was keeping from him? What had she done that she would not share with him? Why would she not trust him enough to share the truth with him?
For better or for worse, Tony Stark was currently feeling a taste of his own bitter medicine. Not surprisingly, he did not like it one bit.
"Looking for something, Mr. Stark?"
The truth, his mind snapped back but he kept his lips pursed for a moment longer.
"Mr. Abbiati," Tony plastered his best fake smile before turning around in place and facing his host. "I was hoping to find the kitchen. Pepper's thirsty."
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I thought I'd given you our housekeeper's number!"
"No, but… I mean. It's just water. And it's late. I can get it myself."
"It is late, isn't?" Piero looked at an invisible watch on his left wrist. "Well then, I'll take you to the kitchen. Follow me."
"Oh, no. Please, don't worry about it. Just point me in the right direction and I'll–"
"Nonsense, Tony," Piero replied and waved over the younger man to tag along. "Come on. Let me be a good host."
Holding back an exasperated sigh, and after running a hand down his face, the billionaire reluctantly followed the man around his home, turning one too many times that Tony did not care to count. He only had to be here two more days to seal the deal and then be on their merry way to their next stop. He really could not care less if he was unable to find the kitchen ever again.
"Cold or room temperature?"
"Both," Tony instantly replied and he was then handed one bottle of water for each of his requests. He then walked over to the counter and quickly got to work. He knew that his redhead had not asked for a drink, but he knew her too well to know that she tended to chug down an entire bottle of water when she was upset. He was not sure why she did it, but she did. And he knew she was very upset right now.
Piero curiously and silently watched the inventor open up the cold water bottle, chug down about half of it, and then fill it up again with the room temperature water. He then sealed the mixed water bottle and shook it in his hand a little bit to make sure the two temperatures blended into something that was neither cold nor warm. When the genius finally looked up to thank the investor, the look of confusion on Abbiati's face made him shrug.
"Pepper has sensitive teeth. This is how she likes her water."
"Ah," Piero smiled. "That explains it."
"Yup," Tony cleared his throat and began walking towards what he hoped was the exit of the kitchen, both bottles in hand. "Anyway, I should get back to our room. Thank you for the water and the tour."
"No problem, Mr. Stark," Piero calmly replied before he paused for an instant, turned around in place, and then made Tony stop in his tracks when he heard his name being called one more time.
"Yes?"
"Before you leave, I have a question for you."
"Sure."
"When did you two break up?"
Tony almost dropped the water bottles at the unexpected inquiry.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"You and Ms. Potts. When did you end the relationship?"
Tony inwardly cursed, took in a deep breath, and then faced the keenly aware man with a grimace. He debated on whether he should just lie his ass out of the situation, if not for any reason other than to keep up his end of the deal with the Stark Industries board. However, when Piero tilted his head to the side and got comfortable by resting his hip against the counter where Tony had just been playing mad scientist with water-filled containers, the billionaire knew only the truth would do.
He scratched the back of his neck, flared his nostrils, and then shrugged in defeat as he spoke.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Painfully so."
"I thought we were good actors," Tony half-smirked.
"Only to those who haven't played the role before."
It took Tony a moment to process the man's words, but once the message clicked in his head, the genius became more intrigued than he would admit himself to be.
Lies, apparently, where everywhere he happened to be.
"Think Ms. Potts would mind waiting for her water?"
"No," Tony eyed the bottle in his left hand, understanding a serious talk was about to take place. "I don't think she'll mind at all."
xxxXXXxxx
The silence between the two men extended more than what Tony could help to bear; longer that what he felt comfortable with, while the billionaire watched the older man prepare himself what appeared to be tea. He did not like silences – let alone long, awkward silences; and he was receiving both right now. He truly felt caught between a rock and hard place – Pepper waiting back in their room being the rock, and Mr. Abbiati knowing the truth and wanting an explanation for the lies being the hard place.
And this was not taking into consideration the repercussions of Piero telling the rest of the investors about their little charade. Or the members of the SI board finding out he and Pepper had ruined the one job they had been tasked to complete.
It was only the second day of their trip here, and they were already royally fucked.
"Look, Piero," Tony scratched his neck in anxiety, wanting to find either a way to run out of the situation as soon as possible, or a way to mend what had already been done, "We're both businessmen. We know how this show goes. I… I'm terribly sorry for misleading you, though. I really am."
"I am quite familiar with the show," Piero sat on the opposite end of the middle island in the kitchen and began dunking a tea bag inside a cup filled with hot water. "Been there. Done that."
Tony rested his head on his upturned left hand and tapped the counter with the fingers on his right hand.
"You and the Missus, I presume?" Tony asked.
"Yeah," Piero stared at his steaming tea cup. "A year ago, actually. We… we're going to get a divorce."
"Huh," Tony felt a little bit more relaxed with the situation. He had not heard about this from the media, or anyone else, for that matter. It was possible that he could still salvage the situation, after all. "I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. But you two seemed very happy now. I guess you worked things out?"
"Not by choice," Piero admitted. "We were already separated. We had met with attorneys… we were about to start the paperwork. But then we didn't go through it. We realized that… that it was stupid. Our supposed differences weren't really just that. We were just being petty. Incredibly petty."
"How did you fix it?" Tony looked Piero in the eye.
"We didn't. Life did it for us."
"Business issues?"
"No," Piero looked at his tea and took a sip of it. "A routine visit to the doctor put things into perspective for me. For us."
Tony slowly straightened his back and eyed the man up and down, looking for signs of illness. He then looked over his shoulder and towards the exit, hoping what he was learning was not being overheard by anyone who should not be privy to what he knew the man was about to confess aloud.
"She knows," Piero replied, as if reading Tony's concerns. "The doctor didn't know we were separated. He called me. I didn't answer. So he called her and told her," Piero scoffed. "She would've never known otherwise. I would've never told her."
"Treatment?"
Piero shook his head.
"Not one that I cared to try," the Italian businessman admitted. "She wanted me to do it at least once. It's still experimental, but I opted out of the trial."
"Why?"
"I want her to remember me like this. Like the man she knew her entire life. Not like a walking corpse carrying a ticking time bomb in a chemotherapy bag."
Tony's head hung and he gulped.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Piero. I'm sorry for all of this, actually," Tony slowly stood up, shame written all over his face. "This sham is probably not what you want to deal with right now. We… we understand your options. We respect them. Pepper and I… we'll just see ourselves out. And, if there's anything I can do to help you: please let us know. Pepper has connections with the best doctors in the world. And I have a suit of armor that can make them cooperate, if Pepper's diplomacy attempts fail."
Despite the grim topic, Piero Abbiati laughed aloud.
"I appreciate that, Tony. I really do. But you don't need to go anywhere. Not yet, at least."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Business. We still need to talk business. That's what you're here for, right?"
"I am. We are. We were. I don't understand."
"Please, sit," Piero pointed to the stool and Tony did as told. "You know, when I was a lot younger, I used to meet up with your father, quite often. We had a few very profitable business partnerships. And we had similar working styles. But then, when he married Maria, he changed. And then, once he had you, he changed again."
Tony uncomfortably glanced towards Piero, wondering what the man was getting at. Whatever it was, Tony hoped he got to the point soon. The pain that came with thinking about his parents and how they had been killed was something he was yet to share with anyone… other than Rogers and Barnes, and he had shared with them exactly how he had felt with his fists and repulsors. He had far too many unresolved issues that had suddenly piled up onto him in the last few months; one after the other – and he sensed that he was about to have one more.
"His focus in life changed," Piero continued. "He went from thinking about the next big invention, to thinking about the next big idea to improve people's lives. Ideas to leave you a better world. I didn't understand him then, so we drifted apart. I actually didn't really see what he was seeing until my less-than-ideal diagnosis. The idea of legacy was never very high up in my books. That is why I don't have any children. Though I wish I did. But, I think that there's a reason, one decided by something higher than any of us, for me to not have children while Howard Stark did."
"Are you trying to adopt me?" Tony smiled, hoping that his attempt at humor yielded the expected results.
"In a sense," Piero nodded. "I have a lot that I'll leave behind very soon. I want to make sure it all gets used in the best of ways."
"We can help with that," Tony nodded. "Pepper knows some very reputable organizations that would ensure that your trust fund and estates are–"
"No, Tony. You misunderstand. I don't want to simply donate to some random charities. I want you to take over my company. Not Stark Industries. Not it's board members. You. And Miss Potts. Whether you're together or not. I don't want the inheritance I've built over the years in the hands of someone that won't use it for the betterment of mankind. I know you're the person to make sure that doesn't happen. You did it with you father's company. You did it with your own life. You did it with the Avengers. There's just… there's only one thing I ask in return."
"What is that?"
"My wife," Piero's eyes began to glisten. "I want you to promise you'll take care of my wife."
"I promise," Tony replied without missing a beat, knowing where the man's concern was coming from. "I will."
"I know you do," Piero retorted, a sad yet hopeful smile on his face. "I know you will, son."
Thank you for favoring the story: arb5710 and Pythonx.
Thank you for following the story: Sundaychild71.
Thank you for the favorites/follows: matty1305, IronJen92, Millibear, psikbe, BertAndTiva, Captain Fluffy Panda, Sillica4Ever, and MightyDuckFan. Thank you all!
Arb5710: I hardly comment on stories but I just want to say thanks for continuing the Pepperony. I was very upset when I saw "Civil War," and found out their relationship was "taking a break." You're doing a fabulous job! I am thoroughly enjoying your story and can't wait to read what else happens. – You are very welcome! Thank heavens for fanfics, huh? I don't know how else I'd be coping with this!
Leighton: Ah I can't wait for this story to unfold! I love Pepperony, and was so disappointed to find out they are "on a break" in Civil War. I think you've really nailed the characters! Can't wait for more :) –Thank you! It's been years since I last wrote for MCU Iron Man; I'm still trying to get into the "character" as much as I can/should. So I really appreciate that you see them be in character so far ^_^
Guest: I wanted a kiss! Damn it, haha. Please update soon. –LOLZ! We'll get there, my Faithful Reader.
MarieLecter: (Please, do not resent me for my mistakes. I read a lot in English [well only in English] since 2012 but I still got some problem... it's not me, it's because I'm French! I was born in the wrong country! ahah) Anyway! Oh dear... you know this story is suppose to help me deal with their breaking! Not making me feel sad all over again! "Non, je déconne!" (No, I'm kidding) as we say in French. I can't ask for a fairytale or it wouldn't be a Pepperony fic... too boring! But pleeeease! I'm dying here! Don't make us wait too long! And thank you for your answer, I wasn't expecting one :) –Psh, girl! No worries! English isn't even my first language: it's Spanish! And LOL! I know the story is kind sad right now, but it'll get better in a couple of chapters or so… or as better as our broken-up couple can be XD But hey! They'll end up back together. That is for sure!
Guest: God, I love your stories. This is great, I can wait for your next chapter. Thank you so much for this – Hi! I take it you were here when I was writing Man in a Can? I miss writing for regular Iron Man! And you are very welcome! Thank you for reading and reviewing! 😃
Guest: esta genial el fic, no demores en actualizar porfavorrrr... – Disculpa la demora, pero aquí está un capitulo nuevo. Espero que te guste. :( Gracias por leer y comentar :D
Guest: Please post again soon! Loving this! – Here's another update! Hope you love this one, too!
Guest: Thanks for the new chapter! It's great, but way too short( How long are you going to make this fic? – Yeah, sorry :( I typically have my fics planned out before I post them, but this one is a little bit different. I have a vague idea of how I want it to go, but I'm not sure how long it will take to get there. This is kinda why the chapters are short, too. I don't want to get too ahead of myself if I'm not quite sure yet how the story will pan out.
Carito: Hermoso, como siempre. I can hardly wait for the next chapter. Thank you - ¡Gracias! ^_^ Here' another chappie for you :D
MarieLecter: (Sorry for not reviewing lately, work take all my time ) I really want to know what happened because I need to be mad at someone... (poor Pepper, for now it is her I'm mad at! lol) The only thing I think when I read your story is "what if it IS the truth?!" It is really a good story, keep going! :) – Ugh! Work is EVIL! On Wednesday, I worked from 6AM until 1AM. Why do we have to work? I'd much rather spend my days writing Pepperony fluff. Why isn't writing Pepperony a job? XD LOL! I think being mad at Pepper is the way to go for now. Later… well… I think we'll be blaming nature :P Thank you for your encouragement and continued support ^_^
Guest: This was great. I'm dying to know what happens next. – Thank you! I hope you like where this is going right now!
Thank you for the favorites/follows: blottedpen23, subu2015, Morgan Champion, ladytimberwolf, KymEsk, ayaaz333, MrGuru, Tan-Sky, KaySab, AsgardsValkyrie, GinnyandHarry14, lorrie1974, chellek23, katielove82, feffarica, Taiski, Sharon 64, .391, csigal1976, Phoenixchix86, NoFate2608, and rriicpol.
Guest: Cant wait the next chapter, pls keep updating ! – Thank you! Here's another chappie for you :D
Pepperonyaddict: please update sooooon! I am so excited! THIS IS SO GOOOD! Thank you so much Miss Starfire for this! Fanfiction is the only thing that makes my Pepperony heart happy.. :( - Thank YOU for your support! Nothing makes a bad day at work feel better than an email notification of a review :D THANK YOU!
Guest: OMG U NEEEEEEED TO POST THE NEXT CHAPTER ASAP plsss. I love this and honestly not gonna lie i cried about their "break" watching CA:CW – I am not looking forward to buying CA:CW when it comes out. All I keep picturing is Tony's face when he reads the teleprompt and Pepper's name is there.
Guest: The love – YES! You just want to grab their necks and bonk their faces together until they kiss, right? PEPPERONY FOREVER!
Thank you for the favorites/follows: InWaiting13, Aolympia, KaterinaMikaelson, ohsocalliente, gururaj20000, Loydfam321, ggfan21, SBSunhawk2, DowntonRuz7, Wolfrunner25, and Toots0001.
Keep it up! You're doing a great job. :) – Thank you ^_^
KymEsk: Hi. Let me congratulate you on this great fic. Forgive my bad English, I speak Spanish, I am Mexican. I'm honestly very upset with the separation of the couple. I really hate the idea that Tony might have a romance with Aunt May. I would not want that to happen, my mind can not accept. I 'm waiting for the resolution in the upcoming films, not if they are to leave as well as Jane and Thor. Meanwhile let me tell you that I love this story, I will not miss me, I'm always on the lookout for updates. I hope that the other chapters are longer. – ¡Muchas gracias, Paisana! ¿De dónde eres? Yo soy de Tamaulipas. ¡Arriba el Norte! Yo estoy que me lleva el tren por eso. ¿En qué cabeza cabe separarlos? Digo, son la pareja más real de todas, y salen con que: "¡Oops! ¡Cortaron!" De 'veras que si salen con esa tontería de que Tony y Aunt May son pareja, ni crean que voy a pagar mis $15 para ver esa película. Ahorita no tengo planes de hacer los capítulos de esta historia más largos, simplemente porque tengo otros fics pendientes, y porque aún no tengo esta historia muy bien detallada. Espero que en cuanto termine otra historia que tengo que esta súper larga, y que el verano termine, que tenga más tiempo para actualizar más seguido. ¡Gracias por tu review! :D
Guest: Nice to find a fic not filled with Cap love... had to quickly flee the Avengers archive. (Speaking of... why not an Ironman movies archive?) Might have to go rewatch the Beyond the Trailer review just to further remind myself that I'm not alone in how I felt in that movie... – LOL Cap love? I haven't ventured into reading any of the stories in the Marvel sections here for a long time (probably shortly after I finished my own Iron Man fics, years ago). What are they writing? Hopefully not hating on Pepper :(
Guest: Hey when will u post further – Don't know when I'll post again after this, but here's an update for you all :D
Guest: Please post again soon! I hope they get together! – They will! And I already know how… I think you're gonna like it when it does happen.
Guest: Missing your update chapter. Don't leave us hanging please – SORRRRRYYYY! Here's another chappie. Hope it makes up for the long wait.
Thank you for the favorites/follows: Abi-chan, KeepFaith-SmellApples, gabiramir, GalanthaDreams, ishotudown, star445, PocketDuelMonsters, No Big Deal, Cacao85, Reading98, Marmar975, CarlinAiki, Pythonx, Stark05, girly1026, nuane, emka1313, RunForYourLife, and Silver Cherry Blossom.
Guest: Perdona envir mal el otro review. Soy del DF y etsoy molesta por está situación. Me enamoré de ésta pareja. Cuando vi Civil War no sabía nada de Marvel, después vi Iron Man (las 3) y me enamoré. Ahí fue cuando entendí la magnitud del rompimiento. No es justo y lo de la tía May se me hace absurdo. No lo creo. Cmo estudiante de Teatro se me hace un método barato y sin chiste. Espero. Que vuelvan. Esa es mi fantasía. Te felicito por este fanfc en español. Gracias. – ¡Ni se diga! ¿En qué cabeza cabe esa barbaridad? Después de todo lo que han pasado juntos, se les ocurre separarlos. Como dices tú: no tiene sentido alguno, en especial si piensan hacerlo permanente. Entiendo que para que la película de Civil War tuviera más sentido, los separaran un ratito. Pero los hubieran reunido al final, ¿verdad? Pero bueno. Que le hacemos más que escribir nuestras penas y arreglarlas así :P
Guest: Wow nice chap plzzz post futher yarrrr – Thank you so much for your review and patience. Here's the next chapter!
Guest: Damn this chapter was so good! Please update again soon! - Sorry about the delay. Work has calmed down, though :D Which means (I hope), weekly updates from now on!
MarieLecter: Hello! Sorry I couldn't review for the last chapter :/ I think you're going to give me a heart attack soon! My poor little heart can't deal with this roller coaster of emotions! Haha Seriously, when Pepper says 'stop' I was imagining the scene at the end of 'Hannibal' [have you seen the movie? I loooove it! ;) ] when Hannibal Lecter(Sir Hopkins) get Clarice Starling's(J. Moore) hair in the fridge door and tells her 'Tell me Clarice, would you ever say to me "Stop. If you loved me, you'd stop"?' I don't know why... maybe it's the 'stop' or maybe it's because they know they can't but they still want to (because love is sooo easy -" ) I'm rambling, sorry.
Keep writing, I am absolutely fan of your fic! - I DID! I think. That's the movie with the "inside or outside" line, right? Where a guy ends up hanging from a building, his guts spilled? I can tell you, though, that Pepper is pushing him away for a reason. But that won't last long ;)
dandelion: Love this! Can't get enough of tony/pepper and was really sad about what happend in civil war :( Hope you will fix their problems sooner or later ;) Please keep going. - Thank you! I think they're going to be in a better place for the next few chapters. But then… coughcough… things are going to start coming out to the light.
saltedcaramel: I was looking forward to Civil War because I thought there was bound to be some Pepperony. Got the opposite. Thanks for writing this. – UGH! Tell me about it! I feel so Pepperony deprived! I can't get enough of those two. They better be back together for Infinity War.
Guest: PLEASE UPDATE! DONT LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THIS! THIS STORY IS SO GOOD YET SO SAD. I LOVE IT. THE FEELS VSIDKCUOW. – Sorry about the loooooong wait Here's a nicer chappie, I think :D
Thank you for the favorites/follows: BakerStreet211b, Aslack, ExplodingPlotLines, PM123, dontwantto, and Always Obsessing.
MarieLecter: Hello! Oh this tension... seriously I'm going mad! As usual : Can't wait for the next chap! P.S: that's the movie! usually, people remember mostly the 'brain scene' but the 'bowels in or bowels out' is not bad either ;) – That bowels scenes was my favorite. The brain one… I think I blocked it out of my brain :P
Stark13: Si happy to read you again ! Can't wait for more. Update soon please – Thank you for reading and reviewing! I got C:CW on iTunes this weekend. This means plenty of inspiration and material for me to continue writing this for you all :D