Eventually morning came. Pepper woke up and she immediately noticed Tony sitting at the edge of the bed with his head resting on his hands. She moved herself over so she was sitting next to him. He was just staring blankly at the floor in front of him.
" Are you alright Tony?" Pepper asked. " you look like something is bothering you." Tony was immediately snapped out of his though chain when he heard Pepper.
" yeah, yeah I'm fine" Tony replied.
" you haven't been sitting there all night have you?" Pepper asked. Tony could hear the concern in her voice. He couldn't tell her he had been up for hours. She had been through so much recently. He didn't want to worry her.
" no,no only ten, maybe twenty minutes." Tony lied. "Anyway I'm hungry, are you hungry" Tony replied before getting up and heading downstairs quickly Pepper followed behind him slowly. She could tell something was wrong with him.
When Pepper got downstairs, Tony was already busy making coffee and toast.
"Do you need any help?" Pepper asked.
"No look just sit down and relax, I'll sort out breakfast for us both" Tony said with a tiny bit of command in his voice.
Pepper reluctantly sat down. Tony would probably still be in shock from the events that happened with the Mandarin. He hadn't been himself since the events of that Christmas. He just sat round the house doing nothing. He no longer had any suits to build and he had given up on trying to save the world from danger. Even though Tony always insisted it was for Pepper, she wasn't convinced. There was defiantly something wrong with him but Tony always just said he was fine.
After about 5 minutes, Tony brought over a mug of coffee and a couple of slices of toast.
"aren't you going to eat anything?" Pepper asked sounding both confused and worried.
" no I'm not hungry" Tony replied. He knew this was going to make Pepper worried about him especially seeing as he had said only 20 minutes ago that he was hungry. It had just a lie to change the subject though.
" you said you were hungry earlier?" There was more and more concern growing in Peppers voice and he knew that he wouldn't be able to lie to her much longer. She would find out the truth like she always did.
He couldn't think of how to reply so instead of trying to, he got up and went to make himself some toast. He knew this would confuse Pepper more but what else could he do? He had nothing to say back and he could hardly just sit there and not say anything. He would just make himself a slice of toasts. He could probably just about force himself to eat it.
When he sat back down Pepper looked right at him.
"You sure you're defiantly alright?" Pepper asked.
"yeah course I'm alight? Why wouldn't I be?" Tony said a bit too forcefully.
Pepper gave up questioning him. She knew there was defiantly something wrong with him but she wasn't going to get it out of him. Tony's always keeps so much inside. She needed some time to think over everything he's said that morning to try and maybe figure what was wrong with him. She hated seeing him like this but there was nothing she could do to help.
"I'm going to go get some shopping" Pepper said eventually.
"What no. you can't. I...I'll do it." Tony said quickly without thinking. He couldn't let her go outside. He couldn't look after and protect her then. He had to stay with her.
"Tony I can get the shopping myself. Just go get some rest" Pepper insisted before going and grabbing her coat and walking out the door.
Tony first though of chasing after her. That wouldn't help thought. He was just so worried something bad was going to happen to her. For all he knew there could still be people out to kill him. Threat was still immanent and there was nothing he could do to change that. He just had to protect Pepper.
Little did he know that it was already too late though.