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Kate: Can't wait for the next chapter ! So looking forward to read what you have in store and by looking at all of the chapter's title it's gonna be a real all around the globe tour for our favourite Marvel couple :) – Thank you for reading and reviewing! Gotta admit that, even though the task is daunting, having a clear travel plan helps. I've visited ZERO of the places I'll be taking our couple to, so whatever I write about them is my best guess :P Hope I don't offend anyone with my piss-poor attempt at a world tour XD
Chapter 5: London
Jack Dobson really liked his money and the status and power it brought him, if his over-the-top home and apparent opulent lifestyle was any indication of the sort. He had way too many servants, way too many expensive decorative items, and way too many words to describe his grandeur. Whatever it was that the man was overcompensating for, it was clearly teeny-tiny-eensy-weensy-diminutive, microscopic and small.
Under his breath, Tony had told Pepper that he hoped it was Jack's manhood that needed the confidence boost.
"Do you know how many small penis jokes I can make while we're here?" Tony asked the redhead, his mind and body at ease now that they had a driver and he did not have to maneuver the streets of London. "Did I ever tell you that I told Loki one? Or, at least I tried. I don't think he got it or cared for it."
"You tried to tell the supernatural being that brought an alien army to New York City, a penis joke?"
"Done worst things, Honey."
"Don't I know that."
And she did, that was the sad part. Or maybe it was the part where Tony Stark, one of the smartest men on the entire planet, had done worst things than to mock a demigod's symbol of virility in the middle of an alien invasion.
Then again, the ginger almost wished Tony would make an insensitive or uncomfortable joke right about now, if only so that she did not have to listen to Jack Dobson continue talking about how much money he had spent in the custom dining room alone.
"So, Melanie," Pepper interjected when Jack took a moment to sip his custom and rather expensive wine, "How are things with you?"
"Oh, she's great," Jack interrupted and Pepper inwardly groaned and rolled her eyes. "She's almost lost all of the weight she put on while pregnant."
"But the glow remains," Tony quickly added when he noticed the evidently tired woman practically deflating before them. "You look lovely, Mel."
"Thank you, Tony," Melanie said with the smile of a person who hardly ever heard anything positive sent her way.
"Already practicing your bullshit lines for when Pepper has a bun in the oven?" Jack scoffed. "Don't believe everything you hear, Tony. Pregnant women don't glow. They glisten because of the additional sweat they produce while carrying the extra layer of fat they put on to feed and carry the baby. Pregnancy has been romanticized to make ugly women feel better about themselves. There's nothing delightful about it. It's a hassle, it's what it is."
"Pregnancy varies from woman to woman," Pepper smiled kindly towards Melanie, as if Jack had not just spoken pure venom to them. "It seems yours made you even more beautiful."
"It was a hard one," the woman admitted with a light tint to her cheeks, clearly not used to having so much positive attention on herself. "I was in labor for nearly a day until the doctor decided to just do a C-section."
"You should see the scar it left behind," Jack shook his head in obvious disappointment. "She isn't wearing any bikinis any time soon. At least until we have that scar surgically removed, of course."
"Of course," Tony said between gritted teeth, shooting daggers at an oblivious Jack who was too busy checking his phone.
"Mrs. Dobson," one of the servants approached the table, "It is time."
"Already?" Melanie almost paled at the news. "But it hasn't been two hours."
"I'm sorry, Madame. He just woke up and he's growing impatient."
"Can't we just bottle feed him what I already pumped? I'm in the middle of a–"
"Oh, for Christ's sake! Will you just go do your job, Mel?" Jack sighed. "We're having a business meeting. We can't have Jack Jr. throw a fit in the middle of it, can we?"
"No, we can't. You're right," Melanie's head hung. "I'm so sorry, Tony, Pepper. Mommy duty calls."
Tony and Pepper exchanged a quick look of both pity and understanding for their female host before Pepper stood up with Melanie.
"Mind if I join you?" Pepper asked.
"Oh, I…" Melanie stared at her husband with wary eyes, unsure as to how to respond to the redhead's offer, but Jack was still too entranced by his phone.
"Go ahead you two," Tony waved them off as he stood up and moved partway around the table. "I'm sure that baby has a lot more interesting things to say than we do."
"Stark, don't be ridiculous," Jack said as he too stood up and pocketed his mobile device, "He can't talk yet."
"Precisely," Tony mumbled under his breath before he reached a standing Pepper and Melanie and held one of Melanie's hands with both of his. "Thank you for your company. I hope I get to meet the little guy later on?"
"Of course," Melanie beamed, thrilled that someone other than herself and her mother were interested in getting to know her son. "He'll pass right out after eating, but I'm taking him with me tomorrow to the tour."
"Tomorrow it is, then," Tony let go of Melanie's hand after a tight squeeze and then eyed his wife when her hand landed on his upper arm.
"I'll come back down in a minute," Pepper told the inventor as she passed him by.
"I'll be right here," Tony replied and patted her hand once. "I hope. Still alive. Or at least not bored to death."
"You're a big boy," she winked playfully at him, Melanie leading the way with Pepper in tow. "You'll survive."
"Love you, sweetie," Tony called after her, more than just a little amused by her mirth, the phrase leaving him before he could reign it in.
"Love you, too," Pepper replied over her shoulder with a smile, much to his delight.
"Oh, you two disgust me," Jack said, standing next to Tony now, the two men watching their women go up the stairs and disappear down the hall to their left.
"You disgust me more," Tony replied, a fake smile on his face.
"Bloody hell," Jack rolled his eyes at Tony's odd sense of humor – or what he thought was a poor attempt at a joke. "Let's talk business, Stark. Come on."
"Fine. Your studio, I guess?"
"Nah, too crowded in here."
Tony was taken aback and frowned. The mansion was so large it could not be considered crowded even if every person who visited Time Square for New Year's happened to drop by at the same time.
"So, where are we going?"
"Out."
"Out?"
"Yes."
"Out?"
"You've got wax in your ears, Stark? Yes, I said: out."
"Out where?"
"A more private setting. This is a very sensitive meeting, is it not?"
"Well, yeah. But I told Pepper that–"
"She'll be too busy with the baby. Women, you know? When they're young, it's puppies. When they're old, it's babies. I guarantee you the missus will forget you the moment she lays eyes on the kid."
"Pepper is not the–"
"Sure, sure. Hurry up, Stark!" Jack picked up his pace, clearly not interested in whatever the genius had to say about his wife.
"But, Jack," Tony's eyes shifted back and forth from staring at Jack Dobson's retreating back and up the stairs Pepper had just climbed, unsure as to what to do next. "Jack! Jack!"
But Jack was already outside, in his limousine, impatiently waiting for Tony to catch up.
Son of a bitch!
With a groan and after sending Pepper a quick text message, Tony was left with no option but to chase after the obnoxious man.
xxxXXXxxx
Melanie seemed hesitant to feed her child, even if the poor baby was starting to cry about being made to wait. His eyes were still closed and his mouth mimicked the suckling motion that he was anticipating would be nourishing him any time now, but Melanie had made no effort to free her breast for him. Pepper had never seen a baby breastfeed before, but she had read about it and thought she knew what to expect. It was something natural and common, and they were only among women right now after all, so it was unclear to the redhead what was causing Melanie to waver.
"Do you need help, Mrs. Dobson?" one of the servants said, clearly also dumbfounded by the lack of action on the mother's part, but Melanie shook her head almost violently.
"Please, let us be," Melanie said instead. "We have private matters to tend to."
"But, Madame–"
"I said leave," Melanie ordered in a tone that she had hoped would seem commanding but was desperate-sounding instead.
The two servants in the room looked at one another, neither making a move to depart the premises, prompting Pepper to jump to the mother's aid.
"I'll help her. We got this."
Pepper's smile and tone had not been as curt and pointed as Melanie's, but there was something in Pepper's demeanor that told the servants there was no arguing with her. And that, if they did try to push back, there will be hell to pay.
"We'll be within earshot, Mrs. Dobson."
"Please don't," Pepper said before Melanie could pale even further. "We'll be sharing sensitive information. I'd rather keep our conversation confidential. I trust the baby will keep silent about it all, right?"
The off-handed joke got a chuckle out of the maids and Melanie, and it also gave the two younger women a way to leave the room in a dignified manner after practically being kicked out and threatened by a guest.
"Thank you," Pepper added as an afterthought when the doors to the nursery room were about to close.
Both women, now by themselves, waited wordlessly for the other to speak, but it was the sudden tears running down Melanie's cheeks that broke the silence instead.
"Are you OK?" Pepper was on her feet instantly, her eyes searching left and right for a tissue box. Once she found one, she lunged for it and then offered the sobbing woman a couple of them. "Melanie?"
"Sorry," Melanie said between sobs and accepted the tissues. "I just… I can't… I can't do this… please… I just can't!"
"Do what?" Pepper pulled her chair closer to Melanie and sat down. "What can I do? How can I help?"
Knowing that her words would fail her, Melanie uncovered the side of her chest opposite to the baby's head and the sight of what was underneath made Peppers gasp.
"Oh, Melanie…"
The new mother's nipple area was red, inflamed, cracked and already bleeding before it was even put to use. It was clearly as painful as it looked, perhaps even more so if the other breast was in the same condition. Her breast was not even as engorged as Pepper had expected it to be, and it was then that it dawned on the redhead what Melanie was talking about.
"Where's the milk you pumped earlier?"
"In there," Melanie pointed towards a small fridge by the corner of the room and Pepper rushed towards it.
"Bottles?" Pepper asked next, plastic bottle of cold milk in hand, and then followed Melanie's finger aimed at a box atop one of the bookshelves in the room. Within seconds, Pepper had prepared a bottle for the child and, before she realized what she was doing, Jack Jr. was in her arms, happily eating, cooing and closing his eyes.
The sporadic suckling sounds were the only noise in the room for several minutes, broken in between only by Melanie's quieting sobs until the woman finally found her voice once more.
"You must think I'm the worst mother in the world."
Pepper did not look up from staring at the baby in her arms but shook her head in response, no hint of disdain or contempt in her voice.
"Not even close. I actually think you're a saint, trying to breastfeed when your supply is so low."
"It's practically gone," Melanie grimaced. "It was low two weeks ago. It'll be non-existent in a few days."
"Have you thought about which type of formula you're going to want to use?"
"No, I…" Melanie bit her bottom lip and looked away. "Formula is not an option."
"Why not?" Pepper frowned and looked at the woman.
"It's unnatural. Jack won't stand for it."
"What?"
"He," Melanie cleared her throat, preparing herself for what she knew would come next. "He already hates that the baby is not his. I can't tell him we have to do something artificial again."
"I… I'm sorry?"
Melanie sighed in defeat, knowing that she had by now said more than she should have. Yet, at this point, it did not matter anymore. She had bared herself more to this woman in less than five minutes after being around her than she had done to anyone else since the baby had arrived. The cat was out of the bag, anyway. If anyone would understand her woes, it would be another woman who also had to maneuver the bullshit of the business world. The burden of being married to a wealthy, powerful man.
"Jack is infertile. That… Jack Jr., he's my baby… but not his. At least not by blood."
"You got a donor," Pepper stated so matter-of-factly that Melanie thought the ginger had not truly heard her correctly the first time.
"We did. Anonymous. The best money could buy."
"Must have been," Pepper snickered at the cute faces the child was making. "This baby is ridiculously gorgeous. He must've gotten all of your looks, though."
"Pepper…"
Melanie sucked in air, truly moved by the woman's kind words and understanding attitude. It was more than anyone else that knew about her donor story had done for her. Most had pitied her, even if she had not been the reason for Jack Dobson's inability to father a child. Others had accused her of not being attractive enough to make it so that her husband was able to impregnate her the natural way. In this day and age, it had been a shock to Melanie Dobson finding out how biased, uneducated, willfully ignorant, and downright unsupportive other women could be of new wives and new mothers in her position. The men, she could somehow understand their insensitive comments and erroneous thoughts – they had clue zero about pregnancy and child-bearing, and she would admit that she had probably thought and said things about the burdens their equipment gave them that was equally as incorrect and insensitive due to that same kind of natural ignorance, as much as the next woman had. That was one thing. But hearing other women put her down, mock her, blame her for her shortcomings… that had been a bucket of ice poured over her too many times to count.
"But that still doesn't explain formula not being an option. Surely if Jack saw that your–"
"He'll blame me," Melanie replied. "He'll tell me that I'm doing it on purpose. He won't believe how hard I've tried. I've kept it from him and from the servants for weeks. But they'll find out soon. They buy the groceries. They'll tell him. They have to tell him."
Pepper bit back a growl, feeling angry for Melanie. She had thought that Raul Contreras was an idiot. But Jack Dobson was quickly taking up that spot.
"What if your doctor spoke to him? Would that help?"
"Maybe," Melanie shrugged. "It took a few visits and ten different doctors, but he finally accepted that he was the issue and not me. That he was the reason why we couldn't conceive."
"I know a great doctor. Several of them, in fact. I can make some calls. They'll fly here, too, if that's easier for you."
"I… I couldn't, Pepper… There's no way I–"
"Your baby deserves the best," Pepper said as she stood up, slumbering baby in her arms, and she reached the crib to lay him down. "Jack may be your husband, but this baby is your son. He needs you. You know what's best for him. For you. And you do whatever you need to do for both your sakes."
"But, I…" Melanie sighed.
"I mean it," Pepper's voice turned stern, her body facing the crumbling woman before her, hoping against hope that she could reason with her. "If it were me, I'd do anything in my power to give this baby what he needs, no matter who had a problem with the way I did things. I know you're not me, and I'm not you, and our situations are different but… but I can help. I want to help. And if Tony finds out, he'll want to help too."
"But Jack–"
"Jack doesn't know shit," Pepper said, slightly surprised by her use of vulgar language during what was supposed to be a business encounter. "Or jack. Jack doesn't know jack. How about that? That better?"
In spite of herself and the situation, Melanie laughed aloud, but she then quickly covered her mouth with her left hand when the baby shifted in his sleep. Both women held their breaths while the baby fussed a little, but they then sighed in relief when the little bundle started snoring again.
"His biological father is a singer," Melanie supplied. "That baby has quite the set of lungs in him."
"Oh, dear Lord," Pepper giggled and placed her hand over her chest. "Good thing he didn't wake up just now."
Both women laughed at something that they both knew was not entirely funny and more out of nervousness at the peril they had surely avoided before they both relaxed again.
"So, about helping me… Do you mean it, Pepper? Would you really help me?"
"Of course. I meant what I said."
"But, we don't even really know each other. Why would you help me?"
Pepper shrugged. "Why would I not?"
Melanie nodded, accepting Pepper's response, ran her palms down her cheeks to wipe away her tears, and then offered the woman a bright smile.
"I see why a man like Tony Stark fell for you. If he was ever to settle down, it would have to be with someone like you."
"Maybe, but I think Tony deserves some credit, too. He's not as aloof or superficial as his image made him out to be. He's kind. And caring. He's a wonderful man, under all the craziness."
"I can tell. You're both so lucky to have found real love."
Pepper simply nodded, knowing there was nothing she had to say to that. She already knew how lucky she was to have Tony in her life, in whatever capacity he had been able to offer. She was extra lucky that said role was of a friend and a lover. She could not imagine living her life without some of him in it. Even their initial business partnership, when she had first become his assistant, had grounded her more times than she could count.
"Are you going to be OK?" Pepper asked, her hand resting on Melanie's in a comforting manner, returning the woman's nodding response. "I need to get back to the meeting. I'll send you the contact information for the doctors tonight. Or I can give them a call. Make the arrangements for you."
"The names and numbers will be enough. I… you're right. I need to do this. If it were just me, I'd probably continue to take it, and I know that I could take it. But it's not just for me. I need to stand up for my son."
"You will. And if you need my help, please call me. Or call Tony, if you can't find me. He'll get me."
As Pepper dug into her bag to take out her and Tony's business cards, she noticed that she had three unread text messages from the billionaire. She frowned at that, wondering what he could not walk up the stairs to tell her. She had silenced her phone on her way to the nursery to prevent unwanted noise while near the baby, thinking she would not need to worry about incoming communication. Curiosity getting the best of her, she took out both the cards and the phone, and then handed the cards to Melanie's eager hands.
"What's the matter?"
"Not sure," Pepper said as she unlocked her phone and began reading the messages. Her first reaction was to groan, then to growl, and then to smile. The three gestures happened in rapid succession, leaving the again anxious Melanie fearing what Pepper had to relay to her.
"Pepper?"
"You said that Jack Jr. can sing, huh?"
"Yes. Why?"
"And you want my help, right?" Pepper's smirk was borderline Machiavellian at this point. Melanie was not sure what that meant for her and her son, but she knew that whatever Pepper had in mind would not place either of them in any kind of danger.
"I do."
"Then I think we can start right now."
"What do you mean? Start what?"
Pepper pressed a few keys on her phone, smiled proudly, and then eyed Melanie with excitement.
"You'll see."
xxxXXXxxx
Tony Stark was seriously considering writing a book about this trip of theirs. To be released only after his death, if only to show to the world the things he had done to support the bright minds of tomorrow. He had already known the investors were quite the characters – most of them, anyway. But knowing something and living it were too widely different things in-and-of themselves.
Years ago, he would have felt right at home where he was at the moment, but that particular itch had been scratched raw eons ago. He was no longer that man who craved the type of attention Jack Dobson was currently drowning himself in. He had no need for these hollow and shallow encounters anymore. He was an honest man – mostly. And he was better than this – almost entirely. Or at least honest and good enough to know that this was no longer where he belonged. No longer where he wanted to be.
The genius flinched when he felt a smooth hand run across his upper back. He grabbed the dainty hand by the wrist and politely pulled it away from the path it was taking towards his torso, almost grimacing at the disgruntled look the blonde that was trying to get his attention bore on her face.
"I'm good. Thanks, ma'am."
The words sounded stupid even to him, but that was all he had. This was the third stripper that had tried to offer her services to him. And she was also the third one he had turned down since their arrival.
"Stop being a wanker, Stark!" Jack bellowed over the blaring music of the gentleman's club. "Just let the lady do her job!"
"I'm trying to do mine," Tony spat back. "I thought you said you wanted a more private setting. I can't hear myself think!"
"This is a private booth."
"Of a strip club."
"Still private."
"Ugh," Tony rubbed his face with his hands.
"Besides, pleasure before business, Tony. Plus, now that you're married, I've got to show you the ropes of the conjugal world."
"The ropes… of the conjugal world?"
"Yes. Women's expectations and attitudes change once you tie the knot. It gets boring. Monotone. Us men have to go out of our way to keep the spark alive. Because they won't. They expect us to do all the work."
"I don't think having a child is boring," Tony replied. "I think Melanie just needs to sleep a little more. You can probably watch your kid for a while so that she can take a damned nap."
Jack scoffed and then ground his groin against the woman sitting on his lap. "Shows what you know. That brat isn't mine."
Tony was taken aback by the confession, but Jack continued speaking before he could demand that he clarify the statement.
"That's why I got myself a side gig, if you know what I mean. And we're gonna get you one, too. I'm sure the missus won't mind."
"We're… she won't… what, the what? Is THAT why you brought me here? To have an affair?"
"Of course not!" Jack replied and Tony breathed a sigh of relief that was entirely too early once he heard Jack's next words. "This is just testing the merchandise. Once you find one that you like in here, then you can take her home and call it whatever you want."
"Jack," Tony's voice was firm and annoyed, "I'm here to talk business. So, let's get back to your place, get Pepper, and do just that."
"We don't have to talk business. Just pick a woman 'round here, go have fun, and your company can have all the money of mine you want. Simple as that."
Tony covered his face with his hands and groaned. This was worse than lying about being married to Pepper to Raul Contreras. Now his investor expected him to have an affair. What was next? An investor demanding to borrow Pepper for a night? For him to build them a sex doll version of Ultron? A threesome… with a dog? Tony shuddered at the thought.
"Jack," Tony began, his eyes cold and unamused, "I swear to God, if we don't–"
The rest of the genius' reply was interrupted by the feel of yet another hand stroking his back and resting on his shoulder. Tony clenched his teeth and hands, flared his nostrils, and yelled as he turned around.
"For god's sake, lady! Keep it in your pants!"
"Well, that's not what you said last night."
"Pepper?" Tony's eyes were wide.
"Hey," she smiled at him before stepping aside so that an equally stunned Jack could see Melanie and Jack Jr. standing behind the redhead.
"Melanie!" Jack pushed the stripper off his lap. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"This is quite the unusual place to hold a business meeting, don't you think, Pepper?" Melanie replied, her eyes staring at the décor with feigned interest, clearly ignoring her husband's outburst.
Pepper shrugged. "I don't know. I once had a business meeting in the middle of a wet t-shirt contest."
"Again, so sorry about that," Tony flinched, yet he could tell by Pepper's smile that she was just playing a part to annoy their host.
"How did you find us?" Jack asked as he straightened his clothes and stood up.
"GPS tracker," Tony said. "Pepper and I share coordinates of our locations via our phones."
"You allow her to keep tabs on you, Stark?"
"Well, ever since I got lost in the Middle East and she got kidnapped by a terrorist, we've been pretty strict about knowing where the other is at all times. Surely, you understand that, Jack, right?"
"But… this is a business trip!"
"That's what I was doing in Afghanistan," Tony remarked.
"And now we're at a strip club," Pepper added nonchalantly as she took a seat next to Tony, and Melanie did the same.
"This is very quaint," Melanie said with a vague gesture of her hand. "Dark enough for Jack Jr.'s sleep to remain undisturbed, too. Kinda loud, but the music's rhythm is soothing enough to keep him snoozing. Great pick, Jack!"
"I… but you… and… and we…" Jack shook his head from side to side, a myriad of words and thoughts fighting for dominance in his mind.
"So, about that offer, Jack," Tony began, seeing an opening he could not let go by unused, "I think I'll take it."
"What?" Jack was still too dumfounded by the current situation to make sense of whatever Tony was going about.
"The merchandise right here," Tony pointed at Pepper with his thumb. "I'll just go ahead and have a good time with this lovely lady and you can sign the renewal and funding of the Foundation. How about that?"
"Merchandise?" Pepper raised a single eyebrow.
"Yes, Honey. Before you two got here, Jack had just told me to, and I quote: Just pick a woman 'round here, go have fun, and your company can have all the money of mine you want."
"But that's your wife already," Jack argued. "That doesn't count."
"That's not how you stated it," Tony shrugged. "You said to pick merchandise from this location. Technically, Pepper is currently in this location. Employment or professional tie-ins to the location in question were not specified."
"Look, Tony, I don't know what game you're trying to play, but 1) you know that's not what I meant, and 2) that was just a statement, not a legal contract."
"Then you should've stated that, sweetie," Melanie's soft voice was clear over the blaring music. "Vagueness or unclear items on contracts favor the party that didn't draft the agreement. Besides, you do recall that, in England, verbal agreements are legally binding. Do you not?"
"Oh, that's right," Pepper feigned remembering a key piece of information. "You are a lawyer, aren't you, Melanie."
"Sure am. Still have my license."
"So," Tony directed his question towards Melanie. "Is it your legal opinion, Mrs. Dobson, that it's in yours, your husband's and your company's best interest to uphold said legally binding verbal contract?"
"Oh, I would say so. Most definitely."
"Well, I guess that's that," Tony sighed with fake reluctance and held Pepper's hand. "Ready to finish the agreement, Mrs. Stark."
"I do what I must," Pepper said, standing up when Tony did.
"Whoa, wait just a minute here!" Jack flailed his arms. "This is preposterous! And you," he pointed an accusing finger towards Melanie, "What the hell are you doing to me? You're supposed to protect our interests, not theirs!"
"And I am, Jack," Melanie's tone continued to be calm and collected despite her rapidly beating heart, not once before ever having the opportunity or the courage to stand up to her husband as she was doing so right now. "You told Tony you would continue the contract if he were to engage in a fun time with someone on premise. I'm quite certain that he will fulfill his end of the bargain, and so will we."
"But–"
"I'm kind of tired," Melanie interrupted what she was sure would be nothing more than a rant from her husband. "I think I'll head back home now, since the meeting is done."
"And we'll head back to our hotel," Tony said.
"See you both tomorrow at the company tour?" Melanie asked.
"Bright and early," Pepper replied, the three of them speaking as if Jack Dobson was not even present near them.
"Wonderful evening, Jack, Melanie," Tony gave the woman a respectful nod. "Have a great night."
"You too," Melanie pleasantly nodded towards the departing couple, a smile on her face, before she turned back to her wide-eyed, jaw-slacked husband and looked him up and down. "Hurry up, Jack! It's almost feeding time again, and I need a nap."
"What's… what's that supposed to mean?"
"That you're feeding Jack while I sleep. Wake me up next time he's hungry."
"What?! I will do no such–"
"Oh, and we need to figure out what baby formula we're gonna feed him," she added. "My milk supply is dry."
"Formula? Dry? What does that even… what?"
"Time's-a-wasting, Jack," Melanie called over her shoulder, her legs already taking her and her son towards the exit of the club. "Chop, chop!"
Bewildered and at a rare loss for words, Jack Dobson shook his head, exhaled through his nose and teeth, and then begrudgingly followed whatever demon had taken over his wife's body for the night, trying to ignore the slight hardening in his groin, brought on by the never-before-seen spectacle of his timid wife issuing orders to him. He refused to acknowledge the small wave of confused excitement that had come over him from this new development, and he quickly buried it under his pride and ego, embarrassed with himself for having such a reaction to this inconceivable turn of events. He was not sure what in the world had just happened in the span of five minutes, but he was willing to bet that their guests were to blame for this ridiculous charade.
Damn Tony Stark, Jack furrowed his brow and dragged his feet. And his little wife, too.
XxxXXXxxx
Everything and everyone was getting in his way, no matter how hard he fought and how fast he ran, but he kept pushing through anyway. There was no universe in which he was not going to be on the other end of the track when she reached it. There was no reality in which he was not going to be there to save her life.
"Jarvis, get me a suit right now!"
He continued running, hopping, and avoiding enhanced soldiers left and right; the demands of the job suddenly taking a toll on his body in his old age, slowing him down when he could not afford to do so. When the requested suit failed to engulf him, he groaned in response.
"Oh, come on!"
For a brief moment, he thought and feared that he was not going to make it. That he was going to fail her, just as he had failed her many times before. But then, as he watched Rhodey do the impossible while saving the President, he knew that he could do it too: do the implausible to save the woman he loved. Once he finally reached her, however, the task looked ten times as daunting as it had appeared to be before. Yet, there was no time to waste dwelling in minor details such as the complexity of a rescue attempt.
"Pep, I got you. Relax, I got you."
Pepper could hardly extend her arm to try to reach his. If she fumbled, even if just for a second, she would lose her grip and fall.
"Just look at me!"
The metal contraption continued to shake, violently so, making it even more difficult for Pepper to hold onto it and for him to grab her hand.
"Honey, I can't reach any further and you can't stay there, all right? You've got to let go."
He tried to sound confident but he was scared witless beyond belief. He knew his eyes were probably glistening with unshed tears, perhaps not giving her the confidence in him that she needed, but he could not help how scared he felt for her life.
"You've got to let go! I'll catch you, I promise."
Her eyes were so full of trust in him that it physically hurt him, especially when she nodded firmly at him and at his request. Here she was, on the verge of falling to her death, and she was looking at him as if it was nothing, simply because he was reaching out to her, telling her that everything was going to be alright. That he was going to make it all right.
Why she had believed him, he was not sure. But she had. She had believed him without a second thought. And then, she was slipping past his fingers after a vicious jerk of the crane, falling to the already-on-fire ground.
"NOOOO!"
Tony sat up. His ribcage was constricting any influx of air into his lungs, and his eyes were seeing dancing spots. He began hyperventilating so deeply and loudly that he was sure he was either having a heart attack or was on the verge of a stroke. His nails desperately scratched at his neck and shoulders, instantly leaving red angry marks in their wake. His hands then wildly patted around himself, searching for something he did know what it was, making the use of his already dangerously low energy for such a fruitless task a sad waste.
He initially could not make sense of where he was; his mind was still caught somewhere between reality and fantasy, firing images of Pepper falling down so vividly before him that they overlapped his current surroundings. His entire body was shaking and sweaty. His temperature uncomfortably high. Yet, before he began screaming his lungs out again and thrashing as if he was being tortured and killed, he heard a soft voice whispering near his ear that made him turn his head to his right.
"Tony. Tony, look at me. It's a dream. A nightmare. Breathe, baby. Breathe."
His gaze gradually trailed from staring at the mattress up to Pepper's form until it locked with her blue eyes, finding in them almost instant relief. His breathing was still ragged. His brain still showed him blurry versions of his nightmare, and his ears continued to ring with the sounds of imploding flying suits of armor and a screeching crane. Slowly but surely, however, as the redhead continued to offer words of comfort and encouragement but refrained from touching him just yet, the dream sounds and images began dissipating until nothing but Pepper's worried face remained.
Tony breathed deeply and licked his overly dried lips, the energy he had expended dreaming suddenly leaving him. His head lolled forward and hung. His arms nearly failed to hold him up, prompting Pepper to slide over to where he sat to snake her arms under his and press his chest against hers. He did not even try to pretend that he did not need her help. He surely did not hold back the whimper of leftover fear that escaped his lips when she kissed his jaw. He simply melted into her warm and soft embrace and snuggled his face between her shoulder and neck, breathing her in as if his life depended on it.
"Did…" Tony's voice was breaking, afraid of what her response would be. "Did I hurt you, Pep?"
"No," she answered honestly with a faint shake of her head, knowing that he was worried that his uncontrolled thrashing in bed had earned her an accidental punch or kick from him... again. "You didn't hurt me. Just scared me. Are you OK?"
"Yeah, just… give me a minute," he gulped. "I'll… I'll be OK."
She nodded to him and then closed her eyes, the fingers in her right hand combing his hair and massaging his scalp to try to soothe him. He instantly closed his eyes as well, familiar with the current gesture and welcoming it more than he cared to admit aloud. This was a practiced method that they had begun using after openly talking about his trauma. This was how she helped him relax after having one of his bad dreams. On some occasions, the tender gesture would be followed by gentle lovemaking, but he doubted that this was going to be one of those times. He would take whatever he could get, nonetheless, as long as he had a chance to wake up and realize the nightmare was just that. As long as he got to come back to a reality where she still lived.
Pepper patiently waited for the signs that he had gathered his bearings. Sometimes, it took only seconds. Sometimes, it took getting up, showering, kind caresses, affectionate words, and a cuddling nap. It was always unpredictable, how unstable he would be after a nightmare. She never expected the aftermath of them to be the same, no matter the type or length of the dream. The only constant was how broken and vulnerable Tony looked and felt afterwards. How he always searched for fortitude and comfort from her. For a man that had not batted an eye when telling the Norse god of mischief and evil that he had performance issues, it was almost surreal to her how a simple dream would break his spirit and resolve until there was none.
Even though she knew that she was pushing their boundaries, she continued to rub the back of his head and neck, and lightly pressed her lips against his jawline and cheek, relishing when she felt his skin crawl. She would be lying if she said that the roughness of his stubble against her face did not light a fire between her legs. And she would be the biggest hypocrite in the galaxy if she denied that she was enjoying how his body was reacting to her touch. It was unfair to him, she knew, given his current state of affairs, but she also knew that this was the most she could offer him without crossing a line that now existed between them.
She bit down a moan when he trailed her neck with his nose, only to then follow the same path back down to her shoulder with nothing but small puffs of air from his mouth. She was not sure if that had been for her or for him, but she welcomed the fondness either way.
"I kicked his ass, remember?" Pepper whispered in his ear once he stilled his movements and his breathing returned to normal. "He got what he deserved and I kicked his ass."
As hoped, the remark made the inventor chuckle lightly before he pulled his head back from her shoulder and wiped away the remnants of tears.
"That you did. Possibly the only guy I'm proud to say my girl got to blow."
"Tony!" she smacked him on the chest, partly offended by his comment, but too amused by it to really get mad.
"Up," he added. "Blow up. You didn't let me finish. Or him, for that matter. Oh, shit! That's an even worse pun."
"Oh, God! Please, stop it."
"Sorry," he sniffled and chuckled again. "Couldn't resist."
"Oh, I'm sure," she smirked.
The billionaire looked down and exhaled, allowing the levity of the moment to aid him in reaching full recovery. He then slid away from her until his back rested against the headboard, his legs stretched on the bed. He closed his eyes as he caught his breath, willing his body and mind to relax and join the rest of the world. When he opened his eyes again, Pepper was mimicking his position, her legs crossed at the ankles. Their legs were covered by the blankets, but their torsos were exposed to the dim light coming from the poorly covered floor-to-ceiling window of the master bedroom at their hotel room. He made a habit of sleeping shirtless, but Pepper had put on a pink satin gown that had mocked him until he had fallen asleep. And it was mocking him yet again.
He averted his eyes from her, keeping them looking at the shadows before him, before she surprised him by holding his right hand with her left one and speaking again.
"Better? Do you want to talk about it?"
"No," he tightened his grip on her.
"No, you're not better or, no, you don't want to talk about it?"
"Talk. About it. Better, I am."
Pepper scrunched up her nose. "Are you trying to talk like Yoda?"
"Oh, sweet Jesus!" Tony closed his eyes and moaned. "What are you trying to do, woman, talking dirty like that to me?
This time, she laughed aloud. "Sorry, Mr. Stark. Didn't know you had a fetish for tiny green Jedi's that can use the Force."
"Oh, Lord," he hit the back of the bed with his head a couple of times. "Seriously, Pep. Cut it out. I can't be held liable for my actions if you keep using Star Wars references in bed."
"What? Why? Do you feel yourself being drawn by the Dark Side?"
Instead of verbally responding, Tony simply stared at her and licked his lips, exhaling slowly and visibly shivering before he clenched his eyes shut and looked away.
"Sorry," she let go of his hand and cleared her throat. "I just wanted to distract you."
"Well, it worked."
"Too well?"
"Yup."
"Sorry. Again."
"It's alright."
Knowing that he needed a moment to recover, she fidgeted in her spot and stole side glances at Tony as he attempted to hide the physical effects that her teasing had had on him. She would not dare to mention that she could tell that she had crossed the line, but she would also not show that she felt secretly proud that she could still do that to him. When the silence between them extended itself more than usual and it became too much for her, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
The random question took the genius by surprise.
"Nervous? Why? Because we have to deal with the consequences of you dropping by at a strip club with Jack's step-son and wife? Nah. Not at all. It's what we do all day, every day."
"I meant tomorrow night."
"Oh," Tony pursed his lips and began fidgeting himself. "Oh, that part. Yeah. That part. Yup. Terrified. Fucking terrified."
"Don't be," Pepper rested her hand on his bicep. "He was happy to know you wanted to drop by. You two are gonna have a great talk."
"Maybe he was happy because he doesn't have to fly to the States to shoot me between the eyes."
"Tony, please," Pepper rolled her eyes. "Jarvis said he was glad to hear from you."
"Maybe he was just having a senile moment on the phone. Probably has no clue who he was talking to. He IS old, you know?"
"But he's still sharp as a tack."
"Yeah, the tack he's gonna use to poke an eye out of me once he opens the door and he forgets that I'm supposed to go see him tomorrow."
Pepper sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Are you sure you can't stay with me?" he pleaded. "Have my back?"
"I'm sure," Pepper pulled her hand away from his arm and then tucked her legs under herself. "You two need time alone to catch up, and I told Melanie I was going to go out with her. I can only do that tomorrow night, and you can only visit Jarvis tomorrow too, since we're leaving the next morning."
"But, Pepper," he whined and turned to his side to face her. "In sickness and in health, right? You can't just leave me to my own devices and hope it'll be all right. I'm unstable, reckless, narcissistic, and a ticking time bomb. You know that! You knew that when you married me. Your duty as a wife is to keep me in check."
"I have a life, you know? I can't live my life and watch over you full time. Never get anything done."
"Ugh, you're so cruel," he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.
Pepper scoffed at his childish attitude and shook her head at him before she curled up to him to give him the support she knew he needed from her.
"It's going to be OK, Tony. I promise. Just, don't go in there with your mask. Be yourself. Your normal, kind self. The same kind side of you that took that kid in Queens under your wing."
"That's different."
"How?" she rested her chin on his upper arm to look up at him and he responded by throwing his right arm over her shoulders to pull her closer to him.
"That kid already idolized Iron Man. He didn't care if the man under the suit was impulsive. Jarvis, on the other hand, he hated being in the middle of all that. It came with the job and he never not helped my dad, but… But that's how he… that lifestyle… that's why Ana died."
"His wife?"
"Yeah. He was helping Agent Carter with a mission… one of many," Tony elaborated, recalling the details of the mission he had read a long time ago. "Ana was taken from him to get him to stop. She was gone for weeks. They tortured her and…when he got her back, she was…"
"Oh," Pepper swallowed hard when he did not continue his response, easily putting together what his words had all but implied. She then pressed the left side of her face against his chest and closed her eyes. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah. And… I can't even blame him for it, you know? Because, when I lost you… when I thought I lost you… I know what he felt. I know what he probably still feels. I… I don't think I'd still be alive, if that had been me. I don't think I'd want to see or be around anyone that reminded me of what I'd lost. Just anything that reminded me that you died because of something I did or didn't do."
Pepper nodded, a tiny fear growing in her that pushing Tony to meet up with Jarvis was probably not a good idea after all.
"Do you… do you think that's why he left? Why he quit?"
"Could be," Tony shrugged. "It was a year after Ana died that he left. Maybe it took him that long to realize it wasn't ever going to get any better for him. Or maybe he was just tired of the hero life. It's not as glamorous as some make it seem, I'll have you know."
"Yeah, I know."
"But I still want to see him," Tony added after a pause. "Even if he throws me out afterwards and tells me to fuck off. I still want to go through with it. I hope I don't chicken out. It may be the last time I see him. Speak to him. I'd rather have the chance than not at all."
Like with his parents, Pepper mused, sadness for his situation tugging at her heart. Jarvis is the last connection he has to them. If he misses his chance…
With that discouraging thought in mind, Pepper shook her head lightly and knew that she could not let him backdown from this. He had to talk to Jarvis tomorrow, pour his heart out to him, no matter what. She would not let him regret not going. He would carry that remorse with him to his grave, if she let him. She had to ensure that he walked in there with his head up high, ready to bond with the man that had helped raise him. She had to give him the push he needed to do what they both knew was right.
"Well," she sat up straight, locked eyes with him, and held his face in her hands. "If he doesn't tell you to fuck off, make sure you tell him everything you have on your mind. Don't leave anything out. Make it count. Promise?"
"Promise," he replied without hesitation.
"Good. I know you won't let me down."
Tony mirrored her smile and nodded at her as his hands surrounded her wrists. She leaned forward to kiss his forehead and, as she was pulling back, she flinched when she noticed that some of the scratches on his neck that he had inflicted onto himself when he had woken up from his nightmare had blood on them. They probably looked worse than they actually hurt him, but she still felt nauseated at the sight.
"Oh, shit," she pulled away from him to turn on the lamp on her side of the bed and then rushed back to him.
"What?" Tony let her fingers under his chin tilt his head back so that she could further inspect the damage done.
"You're bleeding. Let me clean that up."
"Bleeding… from what?" Tony asked, but then he realized what she was referring to and waved off her concern with his hand. "Forget it, Pep. It's nothing."
"There's blood involved," she said as she stood up from the bed and walked over to the master bathroom. "It's not nothing if there's blood."
"I could've gotten this from a mosquito bite," he argued but he still allowed her to tend to his scratches when she came back to bed.
"But we know you didn't. You get enough bruises and scratches from being Iron Man. We don't need any more of them left untreated."
"But these are not—SON OF A BITCH! Is that alcohol?"
"Yup."
"That stings!"
"Does it?" she said in a mocking tone as she continued to dab the cotton ball on his neck. "But I thought you said it was nothing."
"Fine," he spat. "You win. They're not nothing."
"Thought so," she replied smugly before she returned her attention to the first aid kit by her bent legs. It never failed to amaze her how inconsistent pain tolerance was in men. In spite of the protection the suit offered, Tony had still taken brutal beatings from super soldiers, human furnaces, killer robots, actual gods, and a monster made of radiation and rage, and had more or less shrugged it all off like it was just a day at the office; something she knew she could have never done. Dab a little alcohol onto a shallow cut, however, and he was reduced to a little kid again, crying over the burning sensation. It was nothing short of amusing.
"What, you're not done?" Tony asked when he noticed that she was still sorting through the box. "Looking for something else to torture me with?"
"Maybe," she deadpanned, continued searching for five more seconds, and then turned back to him with ointment in her hand. "Here, stop bitching. This will soothe your skin and prevent an infection."
"An infection? From what? Pepper, it's just a nail scratch, not a zombie bite."
"I thought we agreed it wasn't nothing?"
"FINE!"
He silently and patiently waited while she used her fingertips to dab the cream on the worst parts of the scratches on his neck and shoulders to her liking and leisure. He could feel that she was being extra careful with her task, as if she could make it any worse than it already was, and he had to hold back an amused grin and scoff.
"There you go. All done."
"Until tomorrow," he said with a smile, aware that she would repeat the procedure on him until the evidence of his nightmare was gone.
"At least you know what to expect," she replied, stood up from the bed, and walked back to the master bathroom, first aid kit in tow, to return it to its spot. When she joined him in the bed once more, she made sure to turn off the bed lamp and then rested her back against the headboard again.
"Thank you, Pep," Tony whispered into the night, his hand finding hers on the mattress and holding it tight. "For… for the nightmare help. The talk… the rubbing alcohol from hell…"
"You're welcome," she replied. "Especially for the alcohol."
"Sadist."
"Masochist."
"Oooh, yeah…"
They both instantly chuckled at the inappropriate memories the words brought to them, but then they went silent almost immediately after that.
"Pepper?"
"Yeah?"
"You…" he hesitated.
"Yeah?" she urged him, turned her head towards him and waited for his response. After a minute of stillness and silence, she thought he had given up. However, he then surprised her by turning to stare at her with pure adoration in his face, and looked her in the eye.
"You're the best wife I've ever had."
"I'm the only wife you've ever had."
"Yeah," he looked away, "You're right."
"But hey," she tugged at his hand. "For what it's worth, you're also the best husband I've ever had."
He snickered, nodded, and then pulled her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it before she tugged it away from him and turned to her side.
"Good night, husband."
"Good night, wife."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this! I took some liberties with Jarvis' backstory from Agent Carter, as some of you may have noticed. Sadly, we don't get to see Tony and Jarvis' talk, but it'll go alright. Next stop is Pretoria, South Africa. Hope to see you there!