…
Pepper tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator slide down to Tony's lab, wondering exactly what she was going to tell the team. She figured it was probably about the Helicarrier designs, she hadn't actually meant to say the "Free Labor" part out loud, just the "Damn, Fury." Part. The doors slid open and she found her boyfriend tending to a cut on his chest. "TONY!?WHAT HAPPENED!?" She screeched throwing herself at him worry written all over her face.
Tony looked up shocked. "Uh- Pep, I'm fine just an equipment mishap. No big deal." Her eyes narrowed taking in the bags under his eyes again. "When is the last time you slept?" His eyes shot down and she glared harder pulling his chin up and forcing their eyes to meet. "Jarvis? How long has Tony been without sleep?" Tony opened his mouth to forbid Jarvis from saying anything, but Jarvis beat him to the punch. "5 days Ms. Potts." Peppers eyes went wide and she slapped him over the head. "You crazy, self-destructive, maniac. Sleep. Now." Tony's eyes went back to being glued to the floor. "Pep's I can't, my to do list is a mile long, and the team…." Pepper sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this Tony, but you have left me no choice." She quickly pulled out the bottle of sleep spray Tony had designed for her and sprayed his face with it. His eyes went wide before they started to droop. "Pepper! You can't-"His eyelids fluttered closed and Pepper caught him as he lurched forward, gently sitting him on the ground, and dragging him into the elevator.
"Tony why is everything so difficult with you?" She sighed hitting the button for the main commons of the Avengers. "Now you have to sleep on the couch because there is no possible way I can get you to your room by myself." The door swung open and she put on a winning smile for the Avengers, all of whom mouths were wide open. "Would anyone mind helping me out here please?" She said sweetly.
….
Natasha, Bruce, Steve, Thor, and Clint's jaws dropped to the ground when the doors of the elevator opened to present Pepper Potts smiling next to an unconscious Tony Stark lying on the floor. "Would anyone mind helping me out here please?" She said sweetly, as if she didn't have Tony Stark knocked out in the elevator. They all just kind of started at her for a moment before Steve and Thor stood crossing the room and lifting up Tony, gently laying him on the couch. "What happened Pepper?" An astounded Natasha said looking at Pepper with confusion. Pepper just shrugged taking a seat when Steve and Thor sat back down. "I went down to talk Tony out of the lab, when I saw how bad he looked .I asked Jarvis how long it had been since he slept, since Tony refused to tell me himself, and Jarvis informed me it had been 5 days.
Everyone in the room except Natasha looked at her in pure shock and concern. " .What?" Clint spat out, surprisingly angry. Pepper just sighed. "That's going to be one of the conditions I'm adding to you living here. Watch him, when I can't. Make sure he's eating, sleeping, and ya know please break into the lab and make sure he's alive." Natasha looked at the woman with pity. Keeping Tony Stark alive was obviously harder than it looked. "What kept him up for five damn days!? Bruce growled and Pepper jumped startled. He immediately calmed down. "I'm sorry, but please, what is he DOING?" Pepper sighed and gestured helplessly towards the ceiling. "Jarvis?" she said laying her head in her hands. "Mr. Stark started the Helicarrier designs sooner than he told you Ms. Potts; he has been rushing to finish them so his side of the bargain will not be castrated."
Natasha's eyes became hard as Pepper scowled. "That reminds me Pepper, that was what I wanted to talk to you about. What exactly did Tony bargain for?" Pepper nodded nervously and she bit her lip glancing to Tony. "I-I'm not exactly sure he'd want me to tell you that." Natasha let her eyes soften and reached out touching Pepper's hand gently. "Pepper, please? We just want to know because we are his team." Pepper let her gaze wonder looking at how the team all seemed concerned for Tony and sighed. "Alright…well when Tony went to visit the Helicarrier a while ago….he saw how UNHAPPY you all were and demanded Fury let you all come here. Fury refused initially so Tony made a deal that he would give the Helicarrier designs and donate 2 million dollars to cleaning up the city. Fury agreed and Tony has been stressing about it to keep you all here."
