Disclaimer: 'Pepperony' only mine when it comes to pizza. Dialogue based off Steve and Peggy's in Captain America.
She's watching the news, perched on the edge of her seat and rigid with fear. It's mayhem in New York – screams, shots, smoke, fleeing figures as rubble crashes down. While the haze obscures her vision (the dust, she means, not her tears) she knows instinctively that Tony is at the centre of this mess somehow (and in more ways than one.) A hard lump settles in her throat and she thinks wryly, trying not to sob, that her eyes are fixed on the screen in exactly the same manner she's always lectured him about. (Really, his fixation with his technology is ridiculous, but how he would tease if he could see her now.)
She's never been more glad for his technology when the phone rings. "Tony, Tony please tell me you're okay. Are you alright? Are you hurt? Where are you? What's going on?" There are so many questions and not enough time. (She doesn't realise how little time there actually is.)
"Shhh Pepper, I'm fine, really. It's just – I have to direct this missile. Listen Pepper, I'm sorry, there wasn't enough time; the thing was moving too fast and it was headed for New York – I had to put it in the wormhole."
He sounds a little breathless and she hasn't fully caught on to his words yet but she's horrified when she does. "Oh my God, Tony – please don't do this. Where are you taking it? H-how will you have time t-to get away? Please, you can work it out– "
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I'd waited any longer a lot of people would have died. Pepper, it was my choice. Pepper…"
She notices he hasn't answered her second question, but she talks to reassure herself or him, she doesn't know. "I'm here."
"Might need a rain check – you know, for when we plan to open the Potts building."
"All right. We can start planning a week, next Saturday, Stark Tower. "
"Don't think it says Stark anymore – but you've got it."
"Eight o' clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?"
"Morning or night? Feeling a little tired, you know, might need a lie-in from delivering this present to the Chitauri."
Her mind's all scrambled and she has no idea what the Cheetah things are but she responds anyway. "Morning. I'll take care of you. Just be there."
"I promise. Now I'm going to hang up soon, Pepper, but I promise–"
Suddenly everything is empty and there's only the stead beep of the dial tone, loud and horrifying, in her ear. It can't be, he said he'd hang up soon not right now, he'd promised to come back, to not do this to her–
"Tony? Tony? Tony!"
A/N: Of course, if you've watched Avengers *spoilers* you know Pepperony get their happy ending :)