Disclaimer: Still don't own Iron Man…Yeah, you know…
A/N: Okay everyone. I have some bad news. I'm not going to be able to update until Friday at best after this because I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow. But that's why I wanted to give you this chapter now. And I will let you know that I should have a few chapters for you once I get back, I have three chapters done past this one and then I'm working on another one right now, and yes, I am taking the notebook with me. I have early mornings and late nights to write, so expect some fun! Thanks to scifi girl 08, tamasit1 and Jadak7ac for reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot to me that you all are keeping up with this! I'm going to give you all cookies! But banana nut muffins in the case of scifi girl 08 (you know why!) Alright, enough rambling, on with the story!
46. Fear
Pepper was working late at the mansion yet again. She glanced at the clock on her laptop and saw that it was past one in the morning. She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. It can't hurt to rest my eyes for a second, she thought, setting the laptop on the coffee table. Then, leaning back on the couch she let her eyes close and drifted off to sleep.
It was the night that Tony had fought Obadiah and Pepper was kneeling next to her boss, grasping his hand. The arc reactor was flickering and times that the light was out were getting longer and longer.
"Tony! Tony please, don't do this!" she begged, running her hand down his cheek.
"Pepper…" he gasped. "Pepper…it's okay…"
"No, don't, not after those three months, please not now." Tony's head lolled to the side and his hand went cold in hers. "Tony! TONY!"
She woke up screaming on the couch. She looked around frantically and realized that she was still in the living area at Stark Mansion. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, Pepper realized that she had thrown a blanket to the floor when she woke up. Tony must have covered her when he came up. For some reason she felt the need to check in on him and stood, stretched and headed for the stairs, going up them as fast as she could. "You're just being silly," she muttered to herself.
"Pepper…no Pepper…" a desperate voice called.
She stopped in the doorway and took in the sight before her. Tony was in bed, tossing and turning, almost to the point of thrashing. In the moonlight streaming in through the windows Pepper saw a look of pure agony on his face. "Please Pepper…" he moaned and she walked over to the bed and was at his side before he finished his breath.
"Shh Tony," she whispered, sitting on the bed next to him and running her hand through his hair. "I'm here, you're just having a nightmare. Tony."
She touched his cheek and he flew up, gasping for breath, his eyes moving wildly about the room until they fell on her. "Pepper?" he asked shakily.
"It's me Tony," she said and held open her arms, which he willingly moved into and she hugged him close. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her for dear life. Pepper felt the silent sobs that wracked his body. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not really, but I'm guessing that you'll keep prodding 'til I tell you so…" he trailed off for a second and she waited. "It was the night we beat Stane but…we didn't and…I was to late to save you." His voice cracked a little at the end, but Pepper didn't mention it. They were both quiet for a few minutes when he asked, "But what are you doing up here? Please don't tell me I woke you up."
"No, I…woke myself up…I had a nightmare too…about that night…"
"What, I wasn't in time to save you?" he asked jokingly.
"No, I couldn't save you." There was silence and she knew he wanted her to elaborate. "I couldn't keep this working," she whispered, pulling back and resting her hand on the bright arc reactor.
"Come here," he said, pulling her towards the headboard. He lay back down and pulled her down with him. Pepper laid her head on his chest next to the reactor and Tony wrapped his arms around her, holding her there. "I won't let anything happen to you Pepper Potts, I promise."
"And I won't let anything happen to you either Tony Stark."
She lay there in his arms, a place that she used to be afraid of. The complications that would have risen from a close relationship with her boss… she still shuttered to think about it sometimes. But now, being here with him, all those fears seemed absolutely ridiculous.
Pepper felt his breathing even out as he fell asleep again and she found her own eyes drooping closed too. She sighed, letting her eyes close completely and snuggling up to him. His arm tightened around her instinctively and she smiled.
As she drifted off to sleep a thought popped into her head. At one point, fear had been the only thing keeping them apart and now it was the thing that was drawing them together. Maybe fear could be a good thing at times.