Guest Review Responses
Thank you for the favorite/follow: Trinix216, Vick351, PinkAngel90, XxX italia xXx and AmyLiz9.
Guest: I just have a question when pepper gonna tell the secret to tony, and what is tony reaction. I hope the can work it so they don't have to suffer anymore – I can tell you exactly when that's gonna happen, but it will spoil the whole thing. I can assure you, though, that they will have a happy ending, and that the suffering is going to start lowering in intensity. Full speed ahead now :D
Pepperonylove: Whoa! You almost killed me with suspense and worry for Pepper in the last chapter. Good thing she's okay. I thought I would be reading something Pepper whump. Glad she's back safe and sound to her Tony. I love it when Pepper is referred to as Iron Man's 'wife' or Happy telling Pepper I have to control your 'husband'. It just gives me all the feels. Hahaha. I love them married. Hope we could have more fluff! And I would like to thank you for giving us 2 chapters. Wow! Hope everything is okay with you. :) Cheers to Pepperony! (I am still hoping for a baby Stark. Wink wink) haha – YAY! Order of fluff coming up! I'm doing a lot better, too. It's amazing what a few changes in diet and adding a few vitamins can do to balance your body and mind. Thanks for checking up :D
Guest: I LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH! IT'S BY FAR THE BEST ONE I'VE EVER READ! PLEASE UPDATE SOON – THANK SO MUCH! I'm happy that you like it. It's been a struggle to get this out. I have a feeling you're going to really like this and the next chapter ^_^
Guest: Another great chapter! Can't wait for the next one. – Here it is! Hope you enjoy it!
A/N: Please note that this fic is rated M for a reason – this chapter… and others to come ;)
Chapter 9: Moscow – Part 1
"I know it's a lot to process, Ms. Potts. Take your time."
The doctor's recommendation sounded like the understatement of the century to her ears. Then again, the medical professional was on point. The news was difficult to process, let alone to accept, if just because it went against her most basic instincts.
Pepper closed her eyes and tapped her desk with her left hand, her right one holding onto her cell phone – the only way she could have gotten ahold of her doctor. Sneaking out to see her OB/GYN was becoming an adventure on its own, seeing as Tony was practically shadowing her every step. His paranoia that something would happen to her while he was away, or that someone would try to exert revenge on Iron Man through her, was becoming overbearing. She was practically drowning in a sea of overprotection from the inventor.
"There are other options," the doctor continued on her end of the line, "If parenthood is something that you wish to pursue."
Did she? Did he? Did they, together?
"What is the likelihood that I'd ever get pregnant again through natural means?"
"To be completely honest with you, with your current lifestyle, very low. Your age is also an important factor that affects you negatively, but most so is the stress level you're under. This is why you've miscarried twice. I… I don't know how to put this lightly, Ms. Potts, but living the life of the significant other to a known superhero doesn't necessarily scream 'fertility support'."
Of that, Pepper was more than in agreement with the doctor. The first time she had miscarried – right after Tony had carried a nuke through an interdimensional wormhole and had then freefallen to the ground – she had not been too far along and had not even suspected that she was pregnant. Indeed, she had not even known she had miscarried until she had gone for a checkup shortly after, so short a duration had her pregnancy been. The second time, the recent time, she had suspected it and confirmed it, but had held back on telling Tony because he had been so damned stressed after the whole Mandarin and Aldrich Killian fiasco. She had actually been looking forward to telling him about it after she had seen how excited he had been when talking about Harley, the young lad he had teamed up with in Tennessee. But now, Sokovia almost flattening him had ended it all for her, again.
"But, what you're saying is that, even if the chances are low, it can still happen. And if it does–"
"It would be an extremely high-risk pregnancy. You'd require constant bedrest. Better diet. Virtually no stress. Perhaps take a long sabbatical on a remote island while at it, too."
No, no, and no. And double-no on the last one. She was Pepper Potts, Stark Industries' CEO. There was no rest or slack allowed for the people who were Constantly on Extreme Overdrive.
And even if she somehow was able to do all of those things, what would Tony do? He could not just very well drop his responsibilities as an Avenger. He had tried once, and had failed. Because he had wanted to fail, and if he knew a little one was on its way, his obsession with keeping the world safe would surely intensify. He could not take care of her, do avenging on the side, and run the company, all on his own. If she found herself in a delicate condition in which she was no use to him, she could not imagine the type and amount of stress that Tony would live with for the rest of his life. Or her.
Nevertheless, they would not be the first or last celebrity people who attempted to raise a family in a dangerous and chaotic world. They at least had the resources to get the support they needed. There were people who wanted them happy and rooted for them. There were people out there, in positions of power and with excellent connections, who would be ready to help them through one of the most life-changing experiences a person could defer to: bringing a new life into the world. If all of these were facts, and if it was as simple as it sounded, then why the hell was she gnawing her bottom lip and felt distraught?
"If I didn't…" Pepper began, almost not believing the words as they came out. "If I decided procreation was not right for me. What would that look like?"
"There are many options for that, too. They all come down to what you and your partner decide is–"
"No. Just me. What are MY options?"
The hesitation on the doctor's part had been almost untraceable, but Pepper had felt the judgement pouring out of the phone during the short moment it had lasted. Fortunately, the doctor provided her medical advice, either way.
"Tubal ligation is an option. A permanent one."
"Any down time?"
"Minimal. It's an outpatient surgery, but it will require some rest afterwards. For a few days, at least."
"Risks? Side effects?"
"Same as with any surgery. Some risk of infection or complications exist after the procedure, depending on post-care situations. There are other factors to consider, too. Although, I prefer to discuss this with patients in person. Or you could research online and then come see me with specific questions about your case, if you prefer."
"I do. Yes. I understand."
"Would you like to schedule an appointment for this?"
Did she?
The redhead exhaled and inhaled deeply yet as quietly as possible. She did not want to give the doctor any indication that she was not certain about her decision – even if she was not completely convinced about it herself yet. She had merely called the doctor to follow up on the results of the exams she had taken after finding out she had lost the baby. Now, she was talking about undergoing self-sterilization in the foreseeable future… without discussing it with Tony first.
What was the right answer to the question? What was the right thing to do or say? Should she just tell her to book her up for tomorrow or for next week? Or perhaps, to clear up her afternoon so she could see her right now? And what about Tony's role in all of this? Or lack thereof? He had not even brought up the topic of marriage for them. And, as disappointing as it was, bonding with Harley was looking more and more to not be the sign that she had thought it had been. The more she analyzed it, the more she convinced herself that it had not been an indication of him wanting to be a father. That it had been, instead, a way to somehow make up for his own father's mistakes.
Nothing had ever been easy for Pepper Potts. And it appeared as if simple biology liked to fuck with her, too.
"I know your number," Pepper said after an extensive pause instead of asking the million questions that were going through her mind, unsure that she was ready to face the cruel answers to them all.
"That you do," the doctor replied in a similarly knowing tone, not all disguising the fact that she was aware of the redhead's hesitation.
"Thank you for your time, Dr. Adler."
"No problem."
xxxXXXxxx
Proof that Pepper Potts has my heart.
The inscription inside her ring made her recall the inscription in his.
I'm all she has too, you know?
That, he was. And it was extremely self-evident right about now.
He had left the abandoned warehouse where she and Param had been kept during their kidnapping before she had even finished giving her statement to the police. It had been hours since then. The only reason why she was on the Stark jet right now, heading to Moscow by herself, was that Happy had told her that Tony would catch up with her in midair after he was done with her captors.
Pepper scoffed at her superfluous paranoia. Iron Man had faced aliens, gods, and a superpowered AI on steroids and had survived each encounter despite the odds. Four low-ranking criminals who were clearly already pissing their pants by the thought of facing Iron Man were no match to him. However, if that were completely the case, then he would have caught up with her, hours ago.
The ginger felt the urge to get up from the seat and talk to the pilots yet again, to once more ask them how far it was until they landed in Moscow. A quick glance at her phone told her, however, that only five minutes had passed since she had last asked them the same question that she had been asking them nonstop since they had taken off from Dhaka. The two hours that were left was now only one hour and fifty-five minutes. No calculus knowledge was needed to determine that. She was sure the pilots, too, would appreciate her keeping her mouth shut until it was time to land.
She had been supposed to be sleeping to prepare for their meeting with who could be considered the Evel Knievel of the investor group, but she had not been able to get any shut-eye all night. How could she be expected to relax when Tony was out there all alone, playing hero and knight-in-shining-armor for her, with a group of people who, at the very least, knew how to build a bomb?
Maybe we should turn the plane around. Maybe he's hurt. Maybe he needs–
"Incoming call from: Tony Stark."
"Oh, thank God!" Pepper fumbled with her phone as she tried to accept the call. "Tony! Are you alright?"
"Stay clear from the side door of the plane, Pep. I'm about to open it up."
Without hesitation, Pepper strapped herself to the seat she was already in, her eyes glued to the opposing main door to the jet. True to his word, not five seconds later, Iron Man was joining her in the aircraft, his suit coming off him as soon as the door closed behind him.
"Honey, I'm home!"
She could not undo her seatbelt fast enough; her hands trembling uncontrollably the entire time. As soon as she was free of it, however, she ran towards him and met him halfway, her arms curling around his midsection and her face practically merging into his chest. She inhaled his scent with relief and pressed her eyes closed as tightly as her embrace was crushing him. Then, after getting enough of him for now to truly believe he was alive and present before her, she pulled away and held his face in her hands.
"How did it go? Did you find them? Did they hurt you? You didn't get in trouble for it, right?"
Despite the clear signs of concern on her face and tone of voice, Tony could not help but smile at it all as he replied.
"Went well. Found them. Didn't even try to hurt me. Didn't get in trouble at all. They're in the Bangladesh police's custody now."
The relief was evident on her face, but the giddiness did not last long.
"My turn," Tony narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you let the paramedics take a look at you? Did you get any sleep? Did you eat something before you got on the plane? Have you been up all night?"
Pepper opened her mouth and tried to croak an answer, but she snapped it shut when she realized her replies would all be in the negative, so she pressed her forehead against his chest instead.
"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
Tony followed her response with a groan of frustration.
"Come on," he pulled away from her but grabbed her left hand. "Let's take a closer look at you in the bathroom."
"I'm fine," Pepper said but did not stop their walk towards the back of the plane, even if she knew that if he saw her bruises, he would probably be compelled to return to Bangladesh and give the men another round of whatever he had already laid upon them who-knew how many times before coming back.
"Then this shouldn't be an issue."
"Tony, no."
"Pepper, yes."
"But–"
"No buts. Except yours. You've got a cute butt. Now place it right there," he pointed towards the lidded toilet seat. "Let me look at these non-issues on you."
Resigning herself to what was to come – and knowing that he would not stop until he was satisfied that she was all right, Pepper let the genius probe as much as he wanted to of her body. He slowly and carefully rolled up and down her sleeves to check her arms, lifted and lowered her night t-shirt ever so slightly to tenderly touch her ribs and make sure none of them were broken or cracked, and then showed the same care to the entire length of her legs; all the while mumbling curses when he saw something he did not like, interspersed with phrases like: should've punched him harder or should've finished breaking his nose.
"So, what's the verdict, Doctor? Will I live?"
Instead of chuckling at her joke, he kneeled on the floor, placed his face inches from hers, and then allowed his eyes to follow the path of his right index finger as he lovingly ran it down the side of her face that had been on the receiving end of two vicious slaps.
"I surely hope so," Tony's tone of voice was completely different from the playfully one that he had used just a moment ago. "Because I don't know what I'd do if you didn't."
So many retorts wanted to leave her lips, all of them of a dismissive nature, but the fears and concerns that had been suffocating her since he had left in search for her captors made her keep them to herself. She did not really have it in her right now to make an attempt to ignore his words or the feelings they stirred up in her. They were past that at this point, regardless of the promise she had made to herself when this trip had started. If this trip was the last time she was going to have Tony Stark all to herself before she had to let him go forever – or before he pushed her away after she told him the real reason for their breakup – she was sure as shit going to stop holding back now.
Instead of breaking the moment that she could feel building between them – a moment she would have never afforded herself, just three weeks ago, she pressed their foreheads together and rested her hands on either side of his neck.
"Do I get to make sure you're OK, too?"
"Of course. Whatever you want."
After briefly intensifying the grip she had on him, Pepper pulled back, grabbed both his hands in hers, and made him stand up with her. She then traded places on the floor so that he was now the one in a position to sit down where she had been, and he did not hesitate to be led by her. Just as he had done with her, Pepper took her time and care to check on his injuries, softly caressing them with her fingertips, all the while her treacherous mind provided an image of how each cut and bruise could have come to be. With each terrible possibility that each newly-discovered wound brought to the forefront, her resolve to make sure that he knew how much she loved and cared for him grew. He had been so close to dying or, at the very least, been severely injured, not forty-eight hours ago. By a bomb. Once again. And then, after pushing himself to finding her, he had ventured off into the chase of those who had dared to lay a finger on her, simply because no one who made an attempt at hurting her got to get away with it.
Or live. But for her, and because of the Accords, these particular four ruffians had gotten the chance to live.
"When was the last time you cleaned these scratches?"
"Huh?"
"Some of them are red. Have you cleaned them?"
Tony blinked rapidly as he looked up at her, his ears and his mind having diverging interpretations of what she was currently expecting of him. He had been so spellbound and elated by her attentions and touch, that he had almost not heard her speak at all. In fact, it had all sounded like muffled rambling to him, except for the words red and cleaned.
"Oh," Tony's head recoiled when grasping at muddled context became full understanding. "No, I… I guess the doctors helped while I was asleep? I don't… I honestly don't remember, Pep."
"Then that means they need to be cleaned."
"OK," he nodded. "I think there's a first-aid kit under the sink."
"Yeah," Pepper looked away from him, "But… that's not what I meant."
"Huh?" the highly intelligent retort made its appearance again.
When Pepper did not add anything else but instead looked towards the standing shower, it only took Tony two more rapid blinks of his eyes to piece together what the redhead was suggesting. His jaw slacked a little. His tongue darted out to lick his lips. And he then shuddered in anticipation at the obvious invitation she was making to him.
"Oh," Tony repeated his earlier response, to which Pepper simply shrugged. "I, uhm," the genius added as he stood up and nervously rubbed at the back of his neck, hoping to placate his escalating excitement by ensuring he had understood her meaning without a doubt. "You… you wanna go first or…"
Pepper, still not meeting his eyes, tugged at the hem of his shirt. "After everything that's happened, you might need help while in there. I might need help, too."
If there had not been the constant humming caused by the plane being in the air, Tony was sure that Pepper and anyone within a hundred-mile radius would have heard him gulp.
"OK."
Before she lost her nerve, Pepper slowly began lifting his shirt until it was off of him and on the floor, not at all missing the nervous rising and lowering of his chest as she did so. As soon as her hands were off him, the inventor's trembling ones repeated the process with her night shirt, then hovered over her waist for an instant before he clenched his hands and returned his arms to his sides. Feeling the same trepidation that she could see in him, but wanting to go through with what she wanted and what he was willing to give to her, Pepper pushed herself to reach for his belt buckle and started undoing it, only for Tony to suddenly take hold of her wrists before she had the chance to begin sliding it out of the hoops.
"Wait," he breathed and she looked up to him. "I-I can't help it. I'm…"
When he did not continue his explanation, Pepper's gaze trailed from his face to his torso, and then under where their hands were still joined to see the source of his distress. She almost wanted to laugh at his concern but she did not. They had not done this in a long time – or at least not in the way she pictured in her mind that it would play out. Back at Pretoria, it had been done purely out of necessity and she had been mostly still dressed. At the moment, during this very instant, she had no intention for either of them to keep any clothes on before they jumped into the shower together.
"I," she bit back a laugh. "I'd be insulted if it wasn't."
Tony chuckled in relief. "Good. Because when you get those pants down, you're gonna be the opposite of insulted, that's for sure."
Needing to release some of her own pent-up energy, Pepper allowed herself to laugh aloud. Thankfully, Tony did so as well. When the short moment of hilarity ended, however, the air between them changed. Their eyes found the other's and they both became unwilling to break the gaze while they continued to slowly undress one another. With each clothing item that hit the floor, the couple took matching steps towards the shower stall – Pepper walking in reverse and Tony leading her there.
Once they stood by the sliding door, Tony took a moment to start the stream of water, both waiting until it was warm enough before jumping inside. Once there, Tony's back to the showerhead, he took a moment to admire the naked woman before him who was staring at him with a look of total trust that made him want to cry. Unsure as to what he was allowed to do while here, he limited his physical touch to gentle tracing on her face and neck, jumping from there to her palms. He rubbed his thumbs over open hands and then fingertipped his way up her arms and back to her face. He held fondly onto her cheeks as his eyes took in every single one of her freckles before he pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.
Pepper could not recall the last time his touch had felt so positively intoxicating. Sharing a shower had become second-nature to them when they had moved in together. Sometimes, all they had done while there was to shower. Sometimes, they had done way more than that. But even without knowing ahead of time what the purpose of the shower was, it had been a while since it had felt anything close to this. It was as if it were the first time again.
In a way, maybe it was.
When he pulled away from her face, Pepper took her opportunity to return the favor. As opposed to him, she started by running her fingernails over his stomach, slightly dipping into the crevices of the muscles there. Her slow exploration then took her up to his chest and arms, gently raking at his skin as she moved. By the time her eyes and hands reached his face, Tony was clenching his eyes shut and breathing heavily through his nose until a throaty moan escaped his lips when she pressed featherlike kisses to his neck, mostly under his jaw.
"You were right," Pepper whispered into his ear when she felt the distinct evidence of how much he had liked her caresses press against her belly button. "I am the complete opposite of insulted, Stark."
"Fuck," Tony said between grinding teeth, the palms of his hands flying towards the walls of the shower stall to keep himself standing.
"I'm gonna clean you up now," Pepper said as she took a step back from him to calm herself. Seeing him barely hold back was doing things to her she was not sure she was ready to face just yet. "Is that OK?"
"Yup," it took some effort on his part to say that single word. He did not dare open his eyes as he spoke and wished that he could dig his fingers into the wall.
Tony kept his eyes closed as Pepper worked on lathering and rinsing him, paying special attention to the cuts she could see needed extra care. The water did run grimy for a few spots on his body and his hair, proving to her that it was very likely that he had not taken care of himself since waking up in the hospital. It really did not surprise her, in the least. She was aware that Tony did have a track-record of having tunnel vision when he was focused on finishing up something he thought was important to do; going as far as forgoing providing his body with its basic needs. If Tony Stark could go days without sleep, food, or sex, he surely could go on weeks without a drop of water touching his skin without bothering him the least bit.
His head hung and lolled from side to side when Pepper began massaging the shampoo onto his scalp. He did not even try to stop the moans of pleasure that were leaving him with every move her hands made. It was just too good to pretend he did not enjoy it. He was not going to sound ungrateful to her by keeping inside what clearly wanted to be let out.
"Oh, yeah, right there, Pep. Just… yeah…"
She held back the laugh, but not the smile.
A minute later, she carefully pushed him back under the stream to rinse the remainder of the soap and shampoo. She aided in the task by patting down his body to push along the random suds. Even with the film of leftover soap, the overload of water, and the thick steam that was now surrounding them, Pepper could easily feel the goosebumps forming on his skin at her touch. For good measure, she threw caution to the wind and then slid her hands down, starting from his face and all the way to the top of his feet, touching every single pore as she did so.
When she was done, and after standing straight again, Tony's eyes snapped opened. His hands abandoned their position against the walls and moved to holding onto her hips instead. He was practically hyperventilating, his face inches from her, his voice hoarse with barely restrained desire for her.
"Do I get to help you too?"
A single nod of anticipation was the only response she managed to provide.
Wasting no time, Tony reached behind him for her bottle of body wash. She had expected him to grab her loofa, too, but he did not even bother to get near it at all. Instead, he poured a generous amount of the body wash on his palms and then rubbed them together until foam formed. Before she could fully prepare for his clear intentions, Tony began lathering her body with slow and firm circular motions of his hands, ensuring his thumbs flicked any pert body part they came in contact with.
This time, it was her turn to both suffer by and relish at the contact. And, as he had done, she closed her eyes and focused solely on feeling, trusting him to know what to do and how to do it just right.
He started with her neck and shoulders, delicately massaging and partly raking them as he went; grinning to himself when Pepper threw her head back to give him more access. Her arms were then the recipients of similar ministrations while being overly cautious of the bruises he had previously found there. He followed suit by working his way up her stomach and sides, and then onto her chest, taking his sweet time with her breasts as he watched her lick and bite her lips due to the feeling the touch was igniting in her.
Pepper held back a whimper of disappointment when he finally switched to lathering her back, but she then almost immedicably cried in pleasure when his fingers pressed against the bottom part of it, putting pressure on spots she had not been aware were sore. She welcomed more of his touch by pressing the fronts of their bodies together, her forehead dropping to his left shoulder and her hands grabbing onto his waist. Having more room to work with, Tony's hands slowed to an agonizingly gratifying rate as he lathered her buttocks and the top part of her thighs, shivering in pleasure himself when a sudden jerk of her body at his touch made her stomach rub against his manhood.
His hiss was the only warning she got before she was turned around and her back got pressed against his front, effectively smothering his current problem away. His hands returned to her shoulders and then worked their way down again, soap still in his palms, taking all he had in him to continue with his original task. She had been able to clean him up with no problem. He could do the same for her.
When one of his hands took residence far below her navel, Pepper's left arm went behind herself and around his neck. Her nails scratched at his scalp and she worried her bottom lip, trying her best not to scream out in delight. He did not try to get her anywhere she could not hope to get to completely, but he also did not show any hesitation in giving her as good as she had given him. If this was all there was going to be to it, he would make sure that she was satisfied with whatever she did get.
Not wanting to break the spell she was clearly under, Tony slowly started walking backwards with her until most of her body was under the stream. He continued lavishing her with a combination of soft and firm caresses as he rinsed her thoroughly, adding to them the random suckling of skin on the right side of her neck. When he was not helping the water move the soap along, one of his hands took turns with her breasts and the other remained below her waist, applying just enough pressure to chase away whatever thoughts tried to pry her mind away from what she was enjoying. There had been enough tormenting and worrying in the past few days to last them a lifetime. All he wanted for her to do now was to feel.
And what she was starting to feel was a growing need that would not be satiated with what he was doing now. She needed more. So much more. And she needed it right now.
Her free hand went in between their bodies, grasping at the air until she found what she was looking for. He groaned loudly near her ear when she surrounded him, but she did not care that her eardrum had hurt a little. The knowledge that it had been her actions that were causing him, the most eloquent man on the planet, to be forced to use nothing more than grunts and moans to communicate what he was feeling, filled her with pride and joy.
"I'm ready," she said, her hand still working him without mercy. "Please, Tony. I'm ready."
His next groan sounded like a war cry, but it was simply him letting go of the little restrain he had been clinging onto before being allowed free range. Without warning or a word, Tony turned her so that they were face-to-face again, hitched her up by snaking his arms around her thighs, and then lifted her. He took the two steps that separated her back from the wall, pressed her against it, and locked lips with her.
Pepper kissed him back without abandon, though she was slightly annoyed that he was yet to prepare for reaching their final destination. He was very close to it, teasing her and himself with the near-hits of the jackpot, which only served to drive them both wild. She tried to get herself where she needed to be by surrounding his waist with her legs and clamping her feet together at her ankles, but the man would simply not budge. It had been such a long time for the both of them. Such, a very long time. And, if it were up to her, they would have been done by now.
As sudden as the kiss had started, it ended, leaving them both panting and staring into each other's eyes; Tony silently asking her with his gaze one last time if she was sure about what was about to happen between them. She did not have to say anything in response, not even nod. The lustful look in her eyes told him everything that needed to be said. With strength that always took her by surprise, Tony hitched her up a little higher. He pinned her arms above her head and against the wall by holding her wrists together with one hand, and then they both fell in a tangle of limbs when the jet plummeted five feet down and then corrected back its original altitude in the time it took to blink an eye.
"Fucking shit!" Tony was the first one to recover from the unexpected turn of events, his body under Pepper's, having swapped their landing positions as they had hit the floor of the shower stall. "Pepper, are you hurt? Pep!"
The redhead was still in somewhat of a daze, trying to compute the fact that she had been ready to be joined with Tony's body but was now laying awkwardly on top of him instead. She shook her head a few times, looked all around her to center herself, and then slowly nodded to the inventor.
She cleared her throat. "What was that? What happened?"
Tony helped the ginger stand up and then immediately shut down the showerhead. His retort died on his lips when the warning alarm of the jet blared, making them both flinch and briefly cover their ears at the hideousness of the sound. The alarm lasted for only about three seconds, and it was followed by the pilot's voice.
"Mr. Stark. Mrs. Stark. Sorry to wake you up. We're ten minutes inbound, but we're gonna have to go through a minor storm to land. Please find a seat and strap yourselves in. It's going to be extremely bumpy until we touch the ground."
Not a millisecond after Tony echoed Pepper's own thoughts, the plane shook yet again, more violently this time, and Tony had just enough time to brace himself against the wall and pull Pepper's body towards his to keep them from kissing the floor a second time. The turbulence this time around was worse than the last, and it took three more continuous shakes for them to have an opportunity to unsteadily walk out of the shower.
"Mr. Stark? Did you copy?"
"Yeah," Tony screamed at the two-way speaker as he caught a towel that Pepper had just thrown his way. "We're on it. We're heading there."
"Copy, Mr. Stark."
The plane dipped again.
"Ah!"
"Fuck!"
They dried their bodies as best as they could, given the now almost-constant frightening dipping of the plane. They held onto whatever they could on their way to their bedroom, messily throwing on clean, dried clothes when they finally got there. Their previous ones had been soaked by the steam and then by their dripping bodies when they had haphazardly exited the shower. The last thing they wanted at a time like this was running the risk of sliding off their seats due to wet clothing.
"Are you ready?" Tony extended his right arm towards Pepper and she held onto it without hesitation.
"Yes."
"Come on."
The walk to the cabin was difficult; even worse than it had been to get from the bathroom to the bedroom. The closer they got to landing, the worse the conditions were, and the more Tony wished that he had not deactivated the links he had put in his body to remotely connect to his suit. If things went south, literally and metaphorically, he would need to make use of the suit quick, fast, and in a damn hurry. Without that link being available any longer, it would be a bitch to get to his only currently available suit up and running if the plane could not stay leveled for more than two seconds. Images of a dream that had somewhat warned him of the present situation flashed before his eyes, but he shook his head and focused on his hand in Pepper's to find his way back to reality – where he needed to stay rooted in order to be of any use to her.
They barely made it to their seats and strapped their belts on before the worst dip of them all made them scream. Loud. And they could have sworn they had also heard their pilots curse, too. That was definitely not a good sign, and neither was it when the lights inside the entire plane flickered until they turned off.
"Five minutes until touch down. Please remain seated and calm."
Tony inwardly groaned at the pilot's instructions even though he was aware that the man was just doing his job. What other options were there than keeping their butts firmly attached to the seats? Resemble a pinball machine and touch every surface inside the plane? Try to build a house of cards while waiting for the plane to land? Attempt to have sex in the shower with his damned wife?
OK. Maybe the last one was not that bad.
Their hands remained linked as they sat there, both silently hoping and praying that the worst had come to pass. And both in disbelief that, just minutes ago, they had been in bliss, having a rather hot and steamy shower together, only to now be fearing for the lives. Much to their chagrin, they had to admit that the entire situation was rather in tune with how their lives were. Peachy one moment, and the perfect example of a major clusterfuck the next.
Tony turned to his right, his eyes still adjusting to the gloominess, but he was able to somewhat make out the outline of Pepper's face. She was staring right back at him, her eyes shining brightly even in the dark, and he was certain that the same look of regret and fear that he could feel on his face was the same look on hers. The swift realization that his panicked demeanor was probably not sending off vibes of confidence to someone who was already terrified made him school his features. He plastered a smile on his face, manage to wink at her, and then further tightened his grip on her hand.
"We're gonna be alright," Tony ran his thumb over hers, his voice sounding too confident compared to how he really felt.
"Three minutes until touch down."
The thought of having to wait three minutes had never sounded so inhumanly possible to him.
The wind resistance was starting to increase and, with it, the remnants of the plane's stability were thrown out the door. The plunging was now escorted by intense tilting along the jet's vertical axis, making the Stark airliner the most extreme amusement ride he had ever ridden; and that was counting being manhandled by The Hulk. His ears popped when he felt the cabin pressure changing, which prompted the redhead's breathing pattern to become erratic. He had no problem hearing Pepper fight for breath – it was actually a guilty pleasure of his, but only if it was due to what they had almost finished doing in the shower. This was a different kind of gasping for air that she was struggling with, and he was almost powerless to stop it.
Not being able to find any other way to provide her with some comfort, he clumsily tilted his head until he was able to barely brush his lips against hers for a second before yet another round of turbulence took hold of the plane and pulled them apart.
"Jesus!" he huffed. "We haven't even landed and we're already having an adventure, huh, Pep?"
Pepper closed her eyes and nodded sharply, too focused on keeping her empty stomach from thinking it was a good idea to become even emptier with how much the plane was shifting. She was not one to become easily seasick – or airsick, for that matter; dating a flying superhero made you incredibly tolerant of heights – but the situation at hand was really trying to weaken that resolve. Tony could tell that her self-control was hanging by a thread, but fuck it if he knew exactly what to do to make it better for her.
So, he did the only thing he could do when he did not know what to do. He talked.
"Think we can tell Anton that this was our adventure and call it even?"
Pepper chuckled in disbelief, knowing that Anton would probably call this turbulence a warm-up. She shook her head slightly, but did not verbally respond.
Tony huffed, counting down in his head the seconds until it was all over. "I'm still counting on him thinking that marriage in and of itself is an adventure, and that he'll cut us some slack because of it."
This time, all Pepper did was rest her forehead against his right shoulder. He was unsure if that was a good sign or not, but at least she had not told him to shut up. Or maybe she was yet to do so because she was physically unable to.
He opened his mouth to say something else, whatever came to his mind first, but he decided against in the end. Instead, he pressed the side of his face against the top of hers, closed his eyes, and placed random kisses on whatever part of her he could reach. Whatever he could not, he caressed with his cheek or his nose, opening his mouth again only to tell her how much he loved her.
The sound and feeling of the wheels hitting the runway surprised them both. They then held their breath as the plane started slowing, releasing a sigh of relief only when it finally came to a stop. The humming of the turbines started decreasing in intensity, and with it so did the almost imperceptible vibration they caused on everything inside the plane. Some of the lights in the cabin turned on. The subtle ding of the PA system came to life, and it preceded Captain Jonas telling his two passengers that they had landed and that everything was all right.
Even as everything around them told them the crisis had finally come to a close, neither of them moved an inch. They needed a moment to reign in their emotions and gain full control of their bodies. A moment to give their brains and rational thought an opportunity to override reactions born out of fear and basic survival instincts kicking into gear. A fleeting instant in time for them to bask in the luck they had.
Five minutes later, when the two pilots came out of the cockpit, Tony was carrying an emotionally exhausted Pepper Potts in his arms and towards the back of the plane, hoping that he could make her rest while he got them ready to call a cab.
xxxXXXxxx
Anton Mikhailov took another long sip of his bottle of vodka and shook his head at this two business partners, trying to fully process everything they had gone through before coming to Moscow, while simultaneously trying not to sound too envious of their amazing journey. From having a business meeting at a strip club to being kidnapped by would-be terrorists, all in a matter of weeks; it just seemed so unfair to the man that he had to try so hard to find thrill in his life, and Tony and Pepper simply sat back and let it fall into their laps.
Life was so biased, indeed. Tony lived the life Anton wished he could have.
"And then the landing wasn't the best, either," Pepper admitted, the bottle of vodka subtly calling her name after being forced to recall their mishaps to a too-eager-to-listen man.
"We had some awful turbulence because of the storm," Tony explained. "Thought I'd have to suit up and help keep the plane together so it could crash land."
"And even though I hate it when he has to put on that suit, I was this close to pushing him and the armor outside the cabin door to make sure the plane stopped shaking so much."
The redhead's confession took the inventor by surprise. She had barely said a word during the last of the turbulence and not much since they had jumped inside the cab. He had thought that it had been because maybe she was starting to feel awkward about their failed attempt at having sex, but he was now starting to wonder if maybe it was just the dreadful aftermath of coming to terms with the fact of having been really close to biting the big one. He had become so accustomed to being on the verge of death, that sometimes he forgot that the feeling was not considered common. Or that normal people reacted to their life flashing before their eyes the way Pepper was behaving right now. Hell, he had looked that wild-eyed too once, after the wormhole incident, so he should have known better than that. Perhaps his lack of hyperbolic reaction was simply just a sign that he was past his PTSD. At least that was something he could be happy about.
"Well, shit! You two have more adventure than I can find!"
The man possessed both the broken English dialect and the drawling Russian accent of many English-speaking actors playing the part of a stereotypical Russian from any action/thriller of the 80s and 90s, yet Anton imbued it with a level of charm that made it clear that he was the real deal.
"Or that we care to find," Tony rubbed his forehead with his left hand over a small bruise that he had not realized he had earned when falling to the floor in the shower stall until now.
"And that is saying much, since you fight crime as hobby, for fuck's sake."
"I wouldn't call it a hobby," Tony tried to defend himself, but then Pepper threw him a pointed look of disbelief. "OK, fine. Maybe I do. A little."
"This why I like ya, Stark. You can face a mighty tiger and smile!"
"Yeah, sure. I… wait… That's… that's not what you want us to do this time around, right?" Tony flinched. "I think the anacondas took the joy of wrestling wildlife out of me."
"Ah! No, of course not, comrade. We're not wrestling wildlife this time."
Pepper and Tony inwardly sighed in relief.
"We're hunting life," Anton added after a pause.
"Huh," Tony was presently surprised and exchanged a hopeful look with Pepper. "A hunting trip? I think… that… that sounds nice. Hunt. I can hunt. We…. We're still talking about wildlife, right?"
"Nyet, Stark. We're hunting the feeling of life! Of being alive. Of you and the missus surviving near crash landing. And all the other bullshit that came before that."
"OK?" Tony gulped. "And how-how… how exactly are we doing that, may I ask?"
"Elbrus," Anton said with pride.
"Elbrus?" Tony scratched his cheek, "Is that the name of a creepy uncle of yours, by any chance?"
Anton gave him a hearty laugh. "No, Tony. Mount Elbrus. We're gonna climb it. Blind."
Tony's eyes widened as he slowly nodded. "Blind? Blind. Because… because we're gonna be blindfolded the whole time we hike or because you're gauging our eyes out?"
Anton laughed again, this time showing his amusement with Tony's humor by patting him hard on the back.
"Your husband is joker, isn't he? Bet he makes you laugh often."
"Among other things," Pepper said with a forced smile that she suddenly dropped when she realized how her response might have sounded lewd to an already riled up, adventure-seeking, sex-crazed man. "I meant headaches. He gives me a lot of headaches, too."
"Right. And I bet he also takes them away as easily as he gives them," Anton chuckled. "Remedy for headache is easy. Cheap. Can be done in back of car."
"Or during a hiking trip," Tony interjected before Anton could make the moment more embarrassing than it already was. "We're staying in separate cabins, right?"
"Cabins?" Anton scoffed. "Is for pussies. We're taking the uncharted trail up the mountain and staying in tents. You know, if weather doesn't think it better for us to plummet to our deaths. Can get pretty windy up there. Cold as fuck, too."
"So… so you've been there before? Not totally uncharted, then?" Pepper asked with hope.
"Once. Months ago. Can't wait to go back."
"How did it go? How was the way back?" Tony asked, even though he was fearing the response.
Anton shrugged. "Couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. I fell, broke both my legs and passed out in pain. My crew came looking for me when I didn't report myself on time. Woke up in hospital with stupid casts keeping me there. Just took them off last week. Timely that you two show up now."
"Yeah, sure. Timely. No medical restrictions, then? Physical therapy or something?"
"Of course not. Physical therapy is for–"
"Pussies, yeah," Tony finished for the man. "So, we're both going to this thing? Me and Pepper?"
"Of course! You're package deal now."
"Right. Package deal."
"Unless," Anton gave the redhead a once over, "Is the missus fit to go? You aren't expecting, Mrs. Stark?"
"If she were," Tony jumped in. "Would that excuse us from this? Because, as far as I know, there's no bun in the oven. But I can put one in there, right now."
As expected, Anton laughed aloud again. Of course, he would think Tony was joking.
"Go get your things ready. You're both gonna need some better clothes. Winter storms still a thing in June where we're going. I send you list of what you need in terms of clothes. I got hiking gear. Best in class."
"Was that best-in-class gear what you were using when you broke your legs?"
Anton frowned, seriously considering Tony's question, and then huffed. "You make point. Bring your own gear. I need to go buy fucking new ones."
"So, we're doing this?" Tony inhaled. "We-we-we're doing this."
"I pick you up at midnight. To get to top summit where we start hike, we need to take cable car. It leaves at 2."
"In the afternoon?"
"In the morning. Takes while to get there."
"Ohhhkay," Tony swallowed hard. "Midnight. Cable car. 2 AM. Winter storm. Best-in-class. Broken legs. Okay. Sure."
"Don't think too much about, Tony. You're getting off easy on this one."
"Are we?" Pepper could not hold back the snide tone of her voice. "Are we now?"
"Well, of course. Only one day of fun. That's all. We sleep there that night and come right back to talk business. One day, and you get to walk away with three times my initial investment. Call it: a late wedding gift."
"Three times?" Pepper blinked rapidly. "Anton, is that the vodka talking? Because vodka can't sign contracts."
"HAHAHAHA!" Anton stood up from the table, picked up his backpack with him, and then rummaged inside of it as he spoke. "You too have sense of humor. You lucky son of a bitch, Stark. The missus is whole package."
"Yeah, I–"
"Here," Anton finally found what he had been looking for and threw the folder on the table. "Contract's signed and ready. You only have to go with me tomorrow and we call it done."
Hating to look distrusting of their most blunt investor, but needing to know how much of his drunken words were true, Pepper pulled the folder towards her and skimmed the documents held inside. She searched for the main sections on it that would either confirm or deny Anton's offer, and found them all to be there and on point. As she slid the folder towards Tony for him to have a look of his own, Pepper was not sure what she had preferred to have seen printed there instead: an indication that hiking a mountain was just a joke, or a sign that the investment was smaller than the initial one without any other strings attached. Either one would have been better options for them.
"You're staying where you always do?" Anton asked as he strapped on his backpack behind him and took out the keys to his motorcycle from his pants. How he expected to be sober enough to drive after drinking two bottles of vodka was beyond them.
"Yup," Tony replied, wondering how much of a bad person it made him to hope Anton had a minor accident on his way home that left him with casts on his legs again.
"Alright. See you in few hours, then. Thank you for the stories. Bring more for hike."
After a twitchy wink towards Tony and a respectful yet rickety bow of his head towards Pepper, Anton Mikhailov walked towards his bike and sped away from the parking lot, leaving the couple to face the hand that had just been dealt to them.
Then again, it was just hiking and it was just one day, right.
What could possibly go wrong with that?
"Famous last words, Tony," Pepper said as she all but melted into her chair in a pose of defeat, her arms lazily crossing over her chest.
"True," Tony swallowed hard. "Wait, did I say that out loud?"
"Nope," Pepper shook her head. "But I can read your mind. Sometimes."
"Can you read it right now?"
He playfully narrowed his eyes at her, as if they were both not hours away from joining Marco Polo's drunken cousin on his quest to climb and explore fucking Mount Doom to try to recover the damned ring from the lava pits.
Pepper smiled. "Yes, Tony. I also don't think climbing Mount Doom with Gollum is any worse than this."
The look of shock and fear that briefly crossed Tony's eyes made her release the first honest laugh since their arrival.
"Holy shit," Tony gulped, his eyes unable to return to their normal size. "I'm seriously so hot for you right now."
"Save the feeling," Pepper said as she stood up from the table, not looking forward to their trip but knowing they did not have much time to get ready for it. "I hear it's gonna be cold as fuck where we're going tonight."
"Body heat, Honey," he smirked, jogged towards her, and then held her hand. "That's how we'll survive."
"That's how we'll survive," she reluctantly agreed with a roll of her eyes.
A/N: Watched Homecoming on Friday. Totally recommend it. Best Spider-Man movie I've seen in a looooong time. Tom Holland killed it as much as he did when he danced to Umbrella. SPOILER ALERT: MoviekindamakesthisficsomewhatirrelevantIhopeitdidnttkillitforyou.