"Hello, Tony." The strawberry blonde said from the doorway, "Steve, how are you."
"Hey, Pep." Tony answered.
"Hello, ma'am." Steve said politely, looking up from where he was unhooking the machines from Tony's arm. "I'm doing well, thank you very much. And yourself?"
"I'm good, Steve, thanks." Pepper crossed the room to stand by Tony's bed. "So, what's going on?"
"Just taking Tony off the machines. He doesn't need them anymore." Steve said, neatly coiling wires and tubes on top of their respective machines. It had been roughly three weeks since Tony's fever had returned. And he was doing much better. His bruises were yellowing or gone, and he no longer needed to be monitored by machines constantly. It wouldn't hurt, of course, but Tony insisted J.A.R.V.I.S could do it, and Steve just gave in.
"Can we have a minute, Steve?" Pepper asked with a smile in the captain's direction.
"Of course, Miss Potts." Steve smiled back. "I need to get these machines back and talk with director Fury anyway. Tony, I'll be back kind of late, but I'll keep my phone on, alright?"
"Yes, mom." Tony said, using his new favorite nickname for his friend. "You sure you know how to answer it?"
"Yes, Tony." Steve sighed with a glare, clearing the medical machines out and leaving Pepper and Tony to talk in private.
"So….." Tony said awkwardly, hands fidgeting in his lap.
"Why didn't you call me?" Pepper demanded, shooting Tony a stern look.
"I, well, Pep, I just didn't want you to worry. I was being looked after just fine and I wanted to wait at least until I was off those damn machines to call you."
"So you just disappeared on me, and let me worry for a month?!" Pepper was practically yelling now. "I didn't know if you were even alive! You could have at least called to tell me that."
"I, Pepper, I'm sorry." Tony looked at his girlfriend with pleading brown eyes.
"No. I just can't do this anymore, Tony." Pepper said, taking a deep, shuddering breath, turning her back to him. "I will continue to be the CEO of Stark Industries, but find someone else to wait on you, and care for you. Our relationship will be strictly professional from here on out."
"Pepper!" Tony exclaimed.
"My mind is made up." Pepper wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned to face Tony again. "May you have a swift recovery, Mr. Stark." She said curtly, turning on her heel and stalking out the door before she could turn around, tears falling freely now.
Tony stared in shock at her retreating form. His genius mind struggled to comprehend what had just happen. And finally his massive IQ managed to come up with one, simple sentence: Pepper left me. Tony choked on his emotions.
"J.A.R.V.I.S, I need a drink." Tony ordered the A.I.
"In your condition it is ill advised." J.A.R.V.I.S replied dryly.
"Fuck you, J.A.R.V.I.S." Tony hissed.
"Also ill advised, sir." The A.I said back, and Tony shot a glare at the ceiling.
"Fine, I'll get it myself." Tony said reaching for the pair of crutches Steve had brought home the other day. He wasn't meant to use them for a couple of weeks or better, but screw that.
"Also ill ad-" J.A.R.V.I.S began.
"Can it you overgrown iPhone!" Tony yelled, sliding his legs over the edge of the bed. The first few steps were excruciating, and the next few were pure torture, but Tony managed to get himself out of the bedroom and halfway down the hall before he mucked things ups. One crutch leg caught on the hall rug and Tony pitched forward with a sharp cry.
He tried to catch himself on his hands and that really only made matters worse. A few of his bruises were sure to be refreshed, and he thought he broke his nose. But worst of all, his poor, broken leg was twisted kind of funny, and Tony felt several of his stitches rip. And soon his clothes and parts of the floor were wet with warm, fresh blood. For once his A.I butler was silent and unresponsive, teaching him his lesson he supposed, so Tony decided not to move and to simply wait for Steve to return home.
