Hey everyone so just a couple things before i set you loose, Happy Thanksgiving! Alright second, i finally gave you a decently sized chapter, 2,000 words i think is decent, fair, adequate, use any other word you like. Alrighty and lastly, wow you guys must have hated the last chapter for your own reasons because last chapter had exactly one review from my faithful reviewer, dancing through. (Thank you btw)
Okay so now i'm done ans as always, read, enjoy, review, oh and eat lots of Turkey and Pumpkin Pie,(If that's your thing. Suggestion, put some cinnamon on top , i repeat on top, of the pumpkin pie. Tastes even better.)
Fear Chapter 10: Something Forgotten
Tony pulled the shirt over his head, over joyed that he could finally leave this dank hospital. As his head popped out of the shirt, much like a turtle would pop his head out from his shell, he basked in the arm rays penetrating through the windows. Tony stood there keeping his eyes closed as he continued to welcome the feel of the sun on his skin, inhaling a breath and slowly releasing it.
Pepper was out with his newer doctor, signing release forms. Happy was waiting out front with the car and doubted that Christine Everhart wouldn't be there waiting for him as well.
"Worst mistake ever." He mumbled to the air around him. A few minutes later Pepper came walking back into his room with a smile on her face that reached her eyes as she observed his position by the window.
Pepper lightly knocked on the door so as not to startle him, having completing her objective she asked cheerily, "Ready to go?"
"Let's get the hell out of here." Tony replied with a grin and snatched the small duffel bag of clothes Pepper had brought him and without missing a beat slung it across his neck to rest on his left shoulder and stepped beside Pepper taking her hand in his right. She beamed him a smile and laced their fingers together placing a quick kiss on his cheek.
"You look like a hobo." She said affectionately as they walked down the hallway, after having repeatedly glanced at his features. Tony feigned a hurt expression, and being the drama king he was went so far as to remove his hand from hers and place it over his heart. "Your face is overgrown and straggly. It looks as though you grew a squirrel up there." She explained wrinkling her nose. "Not to mention scruffy. I do have to kiss you with that you know." She said with a playful smile.
"Sure, make fun of the guy with PTSD who was just drugged stone cold and out for a week having to live through the realest nightmare you could never imagine, thinking the one thing that mattered most was dead, because of something I had done or rather failed to do." He said rolling his eyes and wincing internally. Pepper stopped him mid step and swung around to face him, looking deep into his eyes as if she were searching for something he had stolen. Tony understood what she was doing and softly spoke trying to reassure her. He encased her face in his palms and softly pressed his lips to hers. "I know this, right here, right now, us, is real Pep. I know you're real and I believe that." He took her lips once more hoping it would convey what he couldn't manage to say yet, 'I love you'. As Pepper pulled back, Tony thought he saw a flicker of doubt pass through her eyes but couldn't be sure because in the next instant her eyes were sincere and happy.
"Good." She simply said earnestly. Pepper switched back onto his side and took her hand in his once more intertwining their fingers and continuing the trek down to the front on the hospital. As they reached the main lobby front doors Tony's eyes flitted all around and upon concluding gave a sigh of relief that Christine Everhart was nowhere in sight. The only sight he saw was Happy leaning against the car door, arms and feet crossed in his black suit with a smile on his face, shades shielding his eyes from the sun and from the few tears that had gathered there earlier. As they drew closer to Happy a grin appeared on both the men's faces that were, in a sense brothers.
"Enjoy your time off?"
"Oh time off from you? Most definitely, but Pepper kept me busy so I didn't have to wallow around moping. But boy, was it nice not having to randomly drive two hours just because you had the sudden urge for Harold's pizza, and you have the self-control of a toddler." Tony chuckled and Happy opened up the door with a grin.
Tony allowed Pepper to enter first and grabbed Happy's arm when the man turned to leave. "Did the blue jay visit while I was gone?" Happy looked confused at first but after a second the light bulb flickered on in understanding. It was their code phrase for Pepper. He was asking how she had been while he was out in the hospital.
"No, I guess it stayed cooped up in its nest this week." Happy replied nonchalantly.
Tony frowned and asked the follow up question Happy was waiting for, "But you did leave out food and water, right?" A.K.A, you did try and help her right?
"Why are you guys talking about birds?" Pepper asked with a confused smirk on her face as she popped her head out of the door to see what the holdup was.
"Oh uh, no reason, I was just asking about the blue jay I usually feed every day. I'll be in in just a minute." Tony replied shrugging off her question as if it was common knowledge.
"Well hurry it up, I want to go home." Pepper said scooting back inside the car.
Happy looked into Tony's eyes and said to him, "Everyday." Tony felt a little better now knowing that Happy and Rhodey had at least don their best to take care of her while he was gone. Tony nodded his thanks knowing that Happy would be able to read between the lines what he hadn't said.
Tony ducked his head and climbed into the back of the car with Pepper and curled her up into his side. Pepper smiled as his arm wrapped around her and scooted closer so her body was pressed into him. The ride to the mansion was silent but comfortable and rather quick.
It was when he walked into the house, with Pepper at his side, and JARVIS spoke that he finally broke his silence. "Welcome home Sir."
"Thanks, JARVIS. Good to be back."
Tony inhaled a breath and softly said, "I'll be back in a minute." Pepper smiled knowing exactly where he would be heading He had to go to his workshop, just to make sure nothing had been touched. Tony had a big peeve about anything in his workshop being touched unless he touched it.
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Tony bounded down the stairs to his workshop entering his password second naturedly his mind focused on only one thing, Pepper's anniversary gift. As they had sat in silence on the way home his thoughts had been brought to their anniversary and he remembered getting it early and putting it somewhere in his workshop. He was sure Pepper thought he had forgot or gotten it last minute but much to even his own surprise not only had he remembered, but he had remembered a week in advance when he was out with Rhodey for lunch and passed the jeweler he had gotten it from.
"JARVIS, where is the box I got for Pepper?"
"You put it in your toolbox sir in the top drawer with the wrenches."
"Thanks J." Tony said quickly walking over to his toolbox and grabbing the box out with a smile before hiding it and leaving to head back upstairs.
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As said, Tony was back up in less than a minute with a smile on his face. "Feel better?" She asked playfully.
"Not yet. I never got to give you your anniversary gift and I actually did get it before I was hijacked." He said sheepishly.
Pepper looked at him in disbelief feeling completely dumb founded. "You remembered? And you got it early?" She asked feeling touched at the sentiment and proud of him before it finally clicked in her brain that this was Tony. Immediately her face morphed and she questioned skeptically, "Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend, Tony Stark? Did that overdose do something to you?"
Tony knew he should be offended but couldn't find it in him to be upset that she doubted him, and so he just chuckled and said, "Good to know you have so much faith in me."
"How long have I known you for? And of those years, how long have you been known for remembering to do anything on time without being yelled at, let alone early?" She asked raising an eyebrow, crossing her arms in defiance and dis-belief.
Tony chuckled and removed a box from his pocket, black velvet, neat red ribbon on top. Pepper eyed him skeptically looking hesitant to take it from him. "Just take it." He prompted pushing the box to her to take. She hesitantly took it from him and opened it not breaking eye contact with Tony whose eyes were gleaming proudly and he motioned with a nod of his head for her to look at the gift.
Pepper glanced down at its contents briefly then back to Tony. Her brain began to register what she had seen and darted her eyes back down to the gift with a gasp of surprise passing through her lips. "Oh…Tony…oh its…"
"You like it?" He asked nervously shifting his footing and fidgeting with his hands not used to feling this nervous or insecure around her before.
She looked at him and nodded, "I…I love it Tony, thank you."
Tony flashed her a genuine smile of happiness and motioned for her to put it on. "Come on Pep, put it on." He urged.
Pepper looked down at the silver charm bracelet band with two charms dangling from it like branches on a tree blowing in the wind. One was a specially made 3D charm of his Iron Man helmet and the other was a miniature silver pepper spray can. Pepper laughed a little through the mix of tears that had anonymously began falling, and took the bracelet from where it rested comfortably on its' make shift pillow. Tony helped fasten the bracelet onto her wrist and rested his palm on her cheek drawing her lips to his where they connected, the sweetest of hearts, and the kindest of kisses.
"Happy anniversary Pep." He whispered softly in her ear before kissing her again. "Your lips are my new choice of addiction." Tony said huskily drawing back and resting his forehead on hers.
Pepper smiled and kissed his cheek. "Let's go sit on the couch. I want a movie and you need to rest."
"The last thing I need is sleep. Whenever I close my eyes I always go back to that place." He said his eyes pained and sad, his gaze distant. "Please don't make me go back." He pleaded close to tears before willing them to go away.
Pepper was taken aback by the shear terror and agony and complete and utter pain she heard in his voice and clearly saw in his eyes. He was allowing himself in this rare moment to be completely vulnerable with her even when just yesterday he didn't believe she was real, and he still didn't fully trust himself again.
"Okay,okay. You don't have to go back, you can stay right here, with me, where you safe. You don't have to go back there Tony." Pepper said takinghis hand and covering hit with hers. Pepper dragged him over to the couch and had him lay down so his head was resting on her lap where she could stroke his face and entangle her fingers in his hair. "JARVIS, turn on the T.V and start up the movie, The Blind Side."
"Beginning movie. Buffering complete." The Al spoke filling the air all around.
"Thank you JARVIS."
Pepper continued to stroke Tony's hair and minutes later into the movie she could make out the sound of his even breathing and see the slight rise and fall of his chest. She leaned down and kissed his forehead whispering against his skin, "Sweet dreams my love."
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Thanks guys, i'll see you back here again when i'm available and done writing the next chapter. We got some action coming up to start reaching the climax.