A/N: This is the last installment of this! There MAY be a sequel in the distant future...not sure. To read more about what Tony's video had in it, please keep updated with How To Save Tony Stark! Thank you for all of your kind words on this one!
Pepper agreed to join me in a quick shower after the appointment. And by quick I mean like, ten minutes and about fifty in the bed. And before you get your panties in a twist, we were napping. Don't always assume sex.
Happy wandered in about an hour later, back from dropping off the kid. Thank God for that, because he wound up cleaning up that mess in the kitchen. He panicked, a little, seeing the blood on the rag, but Pepper's pressence in the kitchen when we finished up reassured him that I was fine. He's getting way too clingy.
I followed her in a few minutes later, grumbling and taking another glass of scotch. It's tough being babysat. I need it. She disagreed, but let me have it to save the argument.
"Why don't you stay for dinner, Happy," she had invited.
Then she pushed me to call over Rhodey, too.
So now we have a house full of people and we're ordering takeout and I just want to enjoy some peace and quiet after the show the day turned into. I'm probably being antisocial, who knows, but I'm sitting on the chair by the island while Pepper and Happy unbox everything, working on a hologram blueprint from my phone. Pepper hasn't confiscated this yet.
"What's that?" I hear Rhodey ask from my side as he comes casually strolling over from grabbing a plate. "Another suit?"
"For the kid," I answer.
I inspect the new supports his legs seem to have adjusted to. Let me tell you, what a relief that is. For a while, the nightmares were about him falling. Pepper falling. Both not making it out alive.
"Made it for him when he matures a little and when I..." I finish.
When I wouldn't be here to help anymore. I don't have to finish that.
It's a more high tech suit. More durable. A cooler design. No, not just because I incorporated the Iron Man gold. Something...for when he actually did pass the training wheels protocol. For when he really could be an Avenger.
"You think he's ready for that?" Rhodes asks, thankfully ignoring my tail off.
I flash my eyes up at Happy, who looks taken aback.
"Parker?" he stutters. "The kid? You want to give the kid that?"
"Not after today..." I mutter, and Pepper shoots me a sympathetic look while shoving some food my way.
"Stop," she orders, reading my mind as I sulk. "He's a teenager. He'll get over it."
"I dunno, he seemed pretty dep-" Happy begins, but Pepper jabs him in the gut making him abruptly end his report.
She moves toward the living room, where they decided to sit since it was more 'chill', but stops to give me a soft kiss on the way.
"Come on, Mr Stark. You need to eat something."
"You need it more..." I mumble out while closing the phone, then sigh and stand to follow with the dish she put in front of me.
"Trying to fatten her up, Stark?" Rhodey asks from somewhere behind me. "That's weird, even for you."
I plop down on the couch and pick at the plate, but forget about it as I go back to the hologram and change some of the coding.
"How's that move going, Happy?" Pepper asks politely, trying to get us to move past what could turn into the big announcement.
"All set for tomorrow, boss," he answers, checking his phone and groaning as it buzzes in his hand. "I swear, Tony, if this kid calls me to tell me about some neighborhood mom he helped..."
"He's calling you already? Seriously? Just...just keep him distracted," I offer, shutting down the hologram a second time. "Or wait until tomorrow and I'll take his call."
"Tony, you know we're trying to limit that contact right now," Pepper murmurs, placing a hand on my knee.
I blink. Is she still hinting that I shouldn't be managing a living person? We're going to have a fucking baby. Two, actually. I mean, shit, I get it. I agreed to have Happy handle all incoming calls while I...recovered? That doesn't sound right. Whatever. But he was depressed, right? Isn't that what Happy had tried to say earlier? I was too hard on the kid. Maybe I shouldn't have taken the suit.
"So, the plane leaves Manhattan tomorrow?" Rhodey pipes up, probably noticing my discomfort.
I don't care, though. I'm in no mood to eat and I can't actually produce this suit until Pepper lets me in the lab again, so I grab my scotch and make for the balcony outside, overlooking the large field that makes up the front yard of the new facility. I need some fresh air. And a break from the babysitting.
I can feel Pepper's eyes hot on my back as I let the door slide open and stop at the banister, leaning over it with my arms rested on the railing. The liquid swivels in a circular motion in my drink and I stare at it. I need the air. The space. Fuck, the silence.
But God forbid I get that, right?
"Pepper, I'm fine. I'm not gonna jump, or drink myself to death, or...whatever it is you think I'm gonna do..." I mutter as I hear footsteps follow me out.
"That's good to hear, but unfortunately I'm not Pepper," I hear Rhodey's voice sound and he mimics my pose to my right.
I smirk, turning my gaze to my friend. The fire is gone from me for the day. To be honest, I feel...just out of place. Weird, isn't it?
"If you wanna get me in bed that bad, you just gotta ask," I toss back, earning a smile and a shake of his head. "Believe it or not, there were a few times I experimented with-"
He cuts me off. "Not what I want to hear!"
I can't help but chuckle. He knows everything in my past. They all do. Which is interesting to me, given they can't fucking figure out why I'm depressed. Doesn't take a genius...or maybe it does.
"You seem to be doing better on those stilts," I say, nodding at his legs.
"Thanks to you," he answers, looking me over. "What about you? You doing better?"
I meet his eyes and give him a hard stare. I really don't feel like talking about this right now. Pepper and I talked enough for one day.
"Sometimes," I tell him honestly, looking back at my drink.
"What about the other times?"
I inhale sharply. What the hell does he want me to say? The others I wish I still had the arc so I could just simply rip it out of me and wait until I suddenly take my last breath? Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but just because Pepper's back, it doesn't mean I'm magically over the moon again.
"Tony, you know there's nothing we can do about Steve and-" he begins, but I snap back, cutting him off.
"He killed my parents, Rhodey," I snarl, my voice low so we don't alert the others. "Do you know how long I blamed myself for that? How long I wished I would've done something different? Said goodbye, hugged my mom...anything?"
I realize I'm shaking so I try to calm myself down a little before going on.
"It's not just one thing, Rhodey."
"I know," he agrees, frowning slightly when I look back at him. "I know none of us really understand, Tony, but you scared the shit out of all of us. You gotta know that."
I exhale loudly, straightening myself up as I stand tall and sip at the rest of my drink.
"Why the...serum?" he asks suddenly, catching me off guard. "Why not those pills again? Or any one of the many weapons in that lab? Hell, you had every chance to die when the Palladium was poisoning you."
"Are you trying to give me ideas?" I bark rudely. Oops.
I sigh and look out across the field, clutching the glass close to my chest. I don't fucking know. Maybe I didn't want to blow my brains out or risk puking my lungs up if I didn't succeed with the pills. Or maybe I'm just a coward who can't face death.
"Just easy," I answer quietly. "Look, I know you guys don't want to listen, but I'm over it."
"You don't look over it."
He's right. I'm a disaster.
"Sometimes maybe I'm not. But I promised Pepper," I say, remembering our current situation.
"You can't rely on her being here," Rhodey states and I know he's right.
"I'm not. I know it's just...conveniently timed," I assure him...and myself. "But maybe there's a reason I'm still kickin'. I mean, what about the kid?"
"The...Spider thing?"
"Spider-man," I correct. "I was thinking about making him part of the team."
"An Avenger?" Rhodey asks, apparently shocked.
I get it. I mean, he did almost just sink an entire boat full of people. But I guess he was trying...sort of.
"He's just a kid, Tony," Rhodey concludes, finally standing back up as well. "What if he gets hurt, or..."
"Dies?" I ask blankly. "Then that gives me something to live for, right? To make sure that doesn't happen."
"And Pepper?" he asks.
He has no idea about the twins. I don't think she mentioned it and I sure as hell didn't. Should I? He'll probably mock me. Tony Stark, world's worst father. Superhero, semi-alcoholic, and suicidal; that's the stuff parents are made of, right? Not even close.
"Pepper's..." I begin, but then her voice is coming from the open door.
"Pepper's what?" she asks delicately, raising an eyebrow.
I sheepishly grin and make my way inside to meet her, shooting a nod back at Rhodey to follow.
"Sorry, hun," I whisper before kissing her quickly. "Just talking about the kid. The one in the city, not..."
"Did you tell him?" she whispers, and I shake my head. "Not yet. Didn't come up."
She gives me a sympathetic smile and I rest my forehead against hers as I wrap my free arm around her waist.
"You know I worry about you..." she says calmly and brushes her hand through my hair.
"Just tired."
It's the truth. I just want to go to bed, get this move over with tomorrow. Maybe with house guests, things will be back to normal. Vision's staying...Nat's...coming and going, I guess. Falcon and Rhodey have their rooms.
Thankfully, she graced me with a genuine smile and we say goodnight to Happy. He informs me of his plan for tomorrow night; the jet should land shortly before ten, which gives us a few hours to get everything settled. If Pep agrees to the suit, I can move everything into the room easily. The crew can do the rest overnight.
I didn't ever get a chance to fully fall asleep. Pepper probably assumed I was in a mood, which I was, because she wrapped her legs around mine and clung to my torso all night. I need her. I know I do. I gotta make things right with her.
When the sun finally rises, I'm careful not to wake her. The alarm is set for seven, in about an hour, but I haven't caught a wink of sleep anyway, so I unwrap her from my body and lazily stroll down to the kitchen. It's mid week, I think. Pepper's probably needed at the office, so maybe I can convince her to let me into the lab so I can work on Parker's new suit...
"You're up early," I hear from the stove, and suddenly the smell of eggs and cheese hits me.
"Couldn't sleep. Are you making me an omelette?" I mumble back at Rhodes as I breathe into the coffee mug I quickly fill.
"Don't get used to it," he jokes. "Just happen to have the day off."
"So in other words, you're my babysitter today?" I ask and turn so I can lean my ass against the counter's edge.
He tosses the eggs and plates them, handing me one and I accept. The hunger is settling in from the night before...probably should've eaten a little more.
"She's just worried, Tony. Can't blame her."
He's got me there. Pepper deserves better. Plus, I already promised she could keep an eye on me. At least that therapy shit hasn't started yet. I honestly doubt anyone can fix my fucked up problems.
"Tony?!" I hear from the stairs and then suddenly, Pepper's body comes flying across the hardwood toward me.
She almost knocks me into the sink behind me as she wraps her arms around me, taking me by surprise. Then, she's kissing my cheek and my eyebrows come together.
"Pep, I love you, but what the hell?" I ask, setting down the cup of coffee next to me.
"I woke up, and you weren't there..." she tells me, but then she trails off, probably realizing how ridiculous it was to panic over something like that.
"Just letting you sleep," I say, letting it slide; she's pregnant, it's gotta be hormones, right? "Hey, uh, Rhodey's making us breakfast."
She looks at the Colonel, who is shaking his head while taking in a mouthful of eggs. Embarrassment floods over her, but just as quickly as her face reddens, it pales again and she's clapping her palm over her mouth.
"Oh no. That's...I'm so sorry," she breathes, detaching herself from me before rushing to the bathroom.
Okay, what the fuck just happened? First it's a nice, quiet morning. Then she's attacking me. Now she's puking in the bathroom because-oh. Right. Morning sickness.
"Pep? Honey?" I call after her. "Do you need help?"
Rhodey apparently doesn't miss it either, or maybe I'm just more nonchalant than usual, because he's dropped his fork and stares after where she disappeared to.
"Uh, Tony?" he asks finally. "Is she..."
I don't take my eyes off of the hallway where he's looking. "Yup."
"And you're..." he manages after my confirmation.
"Yup," I repeat, guessing he's double checking who the father is.
And that's how platypus found out I'm gonna be a dad. Betcha thought it'd be more exciting than that. It wasn't.
And neither was the rest of the day...until later. Pepper had to go to the office, and as much as she tried to cancel, neither of would let her. She still hadn't lifted the ban on the lab, so I was pretty limited. Rhodey insisted on having Friday make a grocery order so we were fully stocked for the Avengers so they wouldn't starve during the first week in. Then, we kicked some ass in Call of Duty for most of the afternoon. During this chill sesh, he grabbed some pizza, and the we were back to killing zombies. Pretty sure he's only good at it - no, not because he's bl...African American, geesh - because he literally shot at people for a living for how long?
Then the call comes. I have Friday screen it in the corner of the TV, blocking Rhodey's player screen in the process. I smirk, knowing I now have the upper hand.
"Shit!" he curses, tossing kicking my leg next to his. "That's cheating. I call cheating!"
"You're an airman and you can't shoot blind?!" I grin.
"Tony?" I hear Pepper's voice over ride the game.
"Hey, babe. Coming home soon?" I ask, then let out a celebratory war cry as I take out the last on the other team.
"Tony, thank God!" she sighs, and the panic is clear in her voice.
"Pep...?" I question slowly, setting down the controller. "What's up?"
"Happy hasn't called you?!"
Rhodey shares a look with me and I can feel my blood start to boil. Fuck. Please don't let the anxiety come back. Not now.
"What's going on, Pepper?" Rhodey asks for me as I clutch my chest and try to breathe.
She waits a moment before answering, I assume to figure out what to say. She's never like this. This can't be good.
"Rhodey, can you stay there? I have to meet Happy. The kid...Tony, the plane was brought down," she manages.
"What do you mean 'brought down'?" I ask, glancing up at her photo on the screen. "As in landed on the runway or... Come on, Pep, you gotta give me something!"
I guess I'm starting to raise my voice because Rhodey pats my back with his hand to try to calm me down. I can't tell, I'm too busy trying to find air.
"The kid...Peter was there."
"Parker crashed our plane?!" I snap, now fervently running my hands through my hair. "Are you fucking kidding?!"
"Tony, listen-" Pepper starts.
"No!" I shout at the TV, shooting to my feet. "All of our stuff...fuck! Everything was on that plane, Pepper! Where the fuck was Happy?! He was supposed to be in charge of this. I swear to God..."
"Tony!" she snaps, and I swallow and try to hear her out. "That...thing with the vulture wings, remember?"
"From the boat..." I mutter, agreeing.
"They hijacked the plane. The kid-"
"Was just trying to help," I finish for her.
I groan, turning up toward the ceiling. Son of a bitch. We'd have to start from scratch, but...I've done that before. No problem. But suddenly, I realize that's not why I'm panicking.
"Pepper..." My voice is raspy with fear. "Is the kid...is Happy..."
"They're fine," she calms me. "I'm meeting Happy now. I'm gonna be home late...just... Rhodey, can you please keep an eye on him?"
"No, I want you home," I argue.
"I have to help Happy, Tony."
"Uh, no. I'm not letting you risk it. What about the babies?"
"Babies?!" Rhodey asks, his mouth hanging loose. "As in..."
"You still haven't told him?!" Pepper accuses, sounding almost hurt.
I crack my jaw. "I did, just not the plural part!"
She sighs. "Tony, I promise I'll be back soon."
I'm too focused on my breathing to hear anything more. Another sleepless night, I guess. I sort of pick up the rest of the conversation; Rhodey turns on the news and phones a military friend after ending the call with Pepper for me. Damage control, I guess. He's always been there for that. I stumble to my phone, displaying the security programming on Friday and try desperately to over ride the system so I can get into the lab, but my hands are too shaky to make it.
"Tony?" I finally hear as a hand is placed on my shoulder. "Tony, hey! You okay?"
I jump, but it's just Rhodey bringing me back to reality.
"I took the suit," I tell him with wild eyes.
He understands, because he's shaking his head next. "None of this is your fault. Pepper said some of the crates survived, but-"
"Damnit, I don't care about the crates!" I yell, pulling away from his touch. "The kid, Rhodey! The fucking kid. He could've died, and I...I took the suit, and..."
"Hey!" he says, voice loud and coated with authority. "Tony, breathe. Okay? He's fine. Everyone's fine."
"He warned me and I didn't fucking listen," I continue, thinking back to when I took the suit after the boat incident. "I need to see him. I need to...get the car, I need to go to his aunt's."
"Tony, it's a school night."
"He just fought a fucking bird man thing on a jet, Rhodes!" I yell, more dramatic than ever. "Drive me there, or I'm driving myself."
"We can go in the morning, okay? I promise, first thing, we'll visit him in school. Or...what if we just send Happy?"
I blink at him, my brain finally kicking in. "Send Happy..." I repeat. "Yeah. No, Rhodes, you're a genius!"
He looks taken aback by my sudden change in attitude, but have I ever really made sense? Honestly, he should expect this by now.
"What?"
"We'll send Happy. And...and I want the kid here. After school."
"Here?" Rhodey questions, then puts two and two together. "Oh no, don't you bring him into this. He's in high school."
"He deserves it," I argue. "He just saved Stark Industries. The Avengers."
Rhodey groans, himself, and he knows he won't win this fight with me. His hand shoots to his forehead and he caves.
"Fine. Fine!" he agrees. "But when they ask, I had nothing to do with this!"
I nod, my mind now consumed with one thing: making Parker's upgraded suit. He needs new web shooters, and more durability, and...can I put the arc energy in it? Probably. My head runs wild until Pepper finally comes home, and surprisingly, she's on board with everything. She's exhausted and wants to sleep, and I don't blame her, but there's no way I can. So, she finally lets me into the lab...if I'm under supervision. Rhodey agrees, thank God.
"Just promise me you'll be careful..." Pepper sighs, meeting me for a kiss goodnight. "Last time you were allowed in here-"
I can tell she's remembering it. The syringe. The case. The video...
"Pep," I groan. "Rhodey's here. It's fine. I'll be fine."
Then her voice is soft. "You really think he's ready for this?"
I shrug. To be honest? No idea. But the kid risked his life to help me out, so the least I can do is return the favor.
She sighs, and then gives me another quick kiss. "I'll call for the press conference in the morning. Just...stay out of trouble until then." Then, she glances at Rhodey over my shoulder. "And keep an eye on him, Jim. I won't hesitate to kick your ass if anything happens to him."
He stifles a laugh and nods, accepting the threat. "Don't worry, I've babysat Stark before."
Amusement dances in her eyes before turning toward the bedroom, and then I'm skipping toward the elevator like a giddy school girl. No skirts, I swear. Don't think that's quite my style.
I'm not gonna bore ya with the tech stuff. Long story short, I've been awake almost as long as I had been before the Mandarin, but when the sun rises, we're finally finishing up the new masterpiece. Pepper alerts the press, and schedules the conference for a little after noon. Happy's pulling Parker out of school. Good move? Probably not, but one day won't kill him. I order Friday to take the suit to display, and then Rhode's helps me flatten out a suit. He still hasn't made a public appearance with the braces on his legs, so he's sitting this one out, but until Happy is back and can deliver me to Pepper, I'm not allowed out of his sight.
Thank God that only took about another hour, because I was going stir crazy stuck in the kitchen. A few shots of espresso later and an encouraging phone call from Happy, I grabbed for my tinted glasses and Rhodey escorted me to the elevator, which we took down to the main floor.
"You sure you don't wanna come?" I ask, straightening my shoulders in the suit jacket.
"Yup, pretty sure. But I still have my eye on you, so don't try anything stupid."
I raise an eyebrow, then step off the lift and wander down the hallway toward the entrance way alone, enjoying the silence. Okay, put on a happy face. The kid hasn't seen you recently, and you kinda chewed him out last time. And the press knows nothing about...well, anything. So be eccentric, Stark. Be...
"Oh, there they are!" I announce when I see Peter looking around with awe, Happy close behind. "How was the ride up?"
"Good," Happy says, examining me as if I've gone crazy...
I mean, I probably have, but the espresso is probably just giving me that extra kick he hasn't seen in me since the incident.
"Give me a minute with the kid," I request, brushing his look off.
"Seriously?" he asks after a moment, hesitant.
"Yeah."
Seriously, Hap, come on. You're right here. Rhodey's upstairs. Pepper's in the other room.
"I gotta talk to the kid," I insist, shooting him a look that adds, alone.
"I'll be close behind," he counters, reminding me Pepper has me on lock down with or without her and will kick both of our asses if either of us breaks that agreement.
"How about a loose follow? All right?" I suggest, starting to walk with Parker in front of Hogan. "Boundaries are good."
I see him roll his eyes but I ignore it and playfully punch Parker in the arm instead. I really, really don't want to apologize. It's awkward, and I'm...I'm Iron Man. Iron Man doesn't apologize for shit. Just...whatever, I'll just wrap my arm around him and walk him to the suit. That's a...dad thing to do, right? Fuck, I'm trying, anyway...
I settle on apologizing.
"Sorry I took your suit. You had it coming. Actually, it turns out it was... ...the perfect tough-love moment that you needed. To urge you on, right? Wouldn't you think? Don't you think?"
Holy hell, the caffeine from those shots is really hitting me.
"I guess..." Parker mumbles, glancing back and forth between the doors we're walking toward and myself.
"Let's just say it was," I say, trying to reassure myself that this is a good idea.
"Mr. Stark, I really-" he argues, but I won't let him ruin this.
Nope.
"You screwed the pooch hard. Big time," I inform him, backing myself up a little, at least on the boat thing. "But then you did the right thing. Took the dog to the free clinic, you raised the hybrid puppies... All right, not my best analogy."
The glass doors ahead of us slide open as we approach and I heave out a big sigh. It's now or never. Am I committing to this? I mean, Pepper's gonna kill me if I back out now...
"I was wrong about you. I think, with a little more mentoring... ...you could be a real asset to the team."
We walk through the doors and he's star struck, stuttering. Great.
"To the...to the team?"
I cut him off again.
"Yeah, anyway..." No need to harp on that anymore. "There's about 50 reporters behind that door." I tap my watch to reveal the suit, then add, "real ones, not bloggers."
He's looking at me like a lost puppy. Fuck, what's with the puppy analogies? Maybe Pep and I should get a puppy to, you know...practice? Yeah, actually, mental note to have Friday help us out with that later on.
"When you're ready," I continue, and the suit appears on display in all its glory, "why don't you try that on? And I'll introduce the world to the newest official member of the Avengers...Spider-Man."
He's walking up to it with me and I'm not sure what's happening. Is he laughing? Or crying? Yeah, can he not cry?
"Can..." he manages, and it sounds happy enough, so let's go with it...
"Yeah," I say with enthusiasm. "Give that a look. After the press conference, Happy will show you to your room, your new quarters..." I wave to Happy to get his attention, but he's right up my ass where I should've guessed he'd be. "Where's he between? He's next to Vision?"
"Yeah," he confirms, noting one of the empty rooms. "Vision's not big on doors. Or walls."
"You'll fit right in," I say, turning back to him.
He's still staring at the suit, but then his shoulders suddenly drop and he heaves out a long sigh. He turns to me.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. But I'm good."
Uh, what? Excuse me, did he just turn me down?!
"You're good?" I repeat, tensing up; didn't expect this one. "How are you good?"
"Well, I mean, I'd rather just stay on the ground for a little while. Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Somebody's got to look out for the little guy, right?"
I tear my glasses off, blinking at him before motioning toward the suit again.
"You're turning me down? You better think about this. Look at that. Look at me. Last chance. Yes or no?"
He frowns slightly, and I know what's coming.
"No," he settles on.
"Okay..." I mumble with a little hop on my heels in discomfort. Fuck, I spent all night on this shit... "It's kind of a Springsteen-y, working-class hero vibe that I dig. Happy will take you home."
He looks more confused than me. "Yeah?
"Yeah."
Then I return my gasses to the jacket pocket and turn back to the kid and the panic is setting in. Shit. I made Pepper call the press, and convinced her to let me use the lab again, and... She's not gonna be happy.
"Mind waiting in the car?" Happy asks, making me swallow uncomfortably. "I need a minute."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Peter adds.
"Yes, Mr. Parker, very well."
"See you around," he says, backing away, but then he spins around and pauses, catching my attention again. "That was a test, right? There's nobody back there?"
I narrow my eyes, deciding whether or not to tell him. He's a good kid, and I fucked up a lot the last few weeks... So I figure one white lie won't hurt.
"Yes, you passed." I wave him off. "All right, skedaddle there, young buck."
His face lights up. "Thank you, Mr. Stark!"
"Yeah, thank you!" I call after him before he disappears out the main doors, leaving me along with Happy.
"Told you he's a good kid..." he utters, referencing the phone call I received earlier in the day when he informed me of everything that went down the night before.
There's not much time to reminisce, though, because the doors behind us are swung open and my stomach tightens as I hear her heels click behind me. Fuck. Shit. What do I say? I need an excuse... I mean, I'm still alive, so...there's that...
"Where's the kid?" she asks, the annoyance clear in her voice.
Happy talks first. "He left."
"Everybody's waiting," she says a little softer.
Sure, give him the benefit of the doubt and not me... Yeah, yeah, I know...hormones. I'll give her this one, too.
"You know what," I add, "he actually made a mature choice. It just surprised the heck out of us."
"Did you screw this up?!" she snaps and I flinch.
Okay don't retaliate, don't retaliate... She's pregnant. With twins. Stark twins. She can act however she wants.
Apparently Happy thinks it's a game, though, because now he wants to get me into more trouble. He still doesn't know about the twin part.
"He told the kid to go wait in the car," he tosses out there.
"Are you kidding?!" Pepper gasps. "I have a room full of people in there waiting for some big announcement. What will I tell them?"
"Think of something..." I mumble, then try o correct my idiotic choice of words with something bigger that just rolls off my tongue. "How about..."
To be honest, I had thought about it. But I'm not currently thinking about it. It just kinda fits, you know? Big announcement...she's pregnant. What else could be bigger? Getting that ring back on her finger...I've wanted to since she walked in on me. But with everything that happened...it wasn't really the time. Was it? Ah, fuck it.
"Hap, you still got that ring?" I spill, speaking my mind.
"Do I...I..." he stutters, frantically reaching for his pockets for the ring I designed years ago that he was holding onto for me.
"The engagement ring," I confirm.
"Are you kidding? I've been carrying this since 2008!"
He holds it out and I blink. Was it really that long ago? Damn, that's like...nine years ago. That was before the Expo. Before...
"Okay," I choke out, and when I glance at Pepper she looks just as stunned as me, if not more so weirded out.
Fuck, did I fuck this up? She's gonna say no. She's gonna...
But then she turns to me with a huge grin. "I think I can think of something better than that."
"Well, it would buy us a little time..." I suggest, knowing she's hinting at the pregnancy, but she's leaning into me and her warm lips are covering mine. "Like we need time.," I say into the kiss, and she's giggling.
When she pulls away, I flash my gaze back to Happy and then toward Pepper again, but she's already headed toward the door to the conference, shaking her head.
"I can't believe you have that in your pocket..." she says under her breath toward Happy.
"Want me to get the door for you, hun?" I call as Happy flicks me the ring, and then I slide in behind her, toward the screaming crowd and flashing lights.
This is it. This is the real thing. Not like before, when I just suggested it and we went with it. No one knew then. This...this is gonna be on the news, and... Should I give it all? I mean, she let me scan that ultrasound into Friday's database...I could easily display it.
While my brain's running on caffeine and adrenaline, we make it up to the podium. This is our first press conference together in a while. It's a little weird. A little different. But it feels like home. And when she introduces me, I look at her, and see the past nine, if not more, years fly by in front of us. It may not be the same room all those conferences took place in, but she was there for every one of them. She was my rock, the one my eyes went to when my nerves got the best of me, and believe it or not...that happened quite often.
"Ms Potts, everyone..." I say into the mic as she steps aside and I lean against the podium.
I take a breath and look across the crowd that had gathered. Then back at Pep, who is standing with her hands clasped politely, looking calm as ever. Fuck, she probably expects this to go quickly. To just be something rash and decided. But she...deserves more, and... Here it goes...all or nothing.
"I know we called you all here for a big announcement. But uh...how about two big announcements?"
"Is this about the Avengers?!" one reporter calls as more cameras flash.
"Is this about..." I repeat, then shake my head. "No, this is..." I let out a breath and stand straight. "This is about something more important. About these...quite honestly, annoying press conferences, and the constant need to keep Stark Industries out of the spotlight, and..."
What the fuck am I saying?
"I have something to say and I thought, why not bring in all the reporters?"
I get a small chuckle from the group, about as much as I expected. My hearts pounding, even though I know her answer. She's watching me, her eyebrow raised in question. Shit...just speak, Tony, speak. Words. English. Say something.
"Look, I'm not one to be serious or...stable, or... What I mean is..."
I sigh and meet her blue eyes, calming me down instantly.
"You all know how I was. Before the suit. Before Iron Man. And then, in Afghanistan...the arc, the weapons. I needed a reason to come home. A reason to stay alive. And with all of the fucked up shit that's happened since then, excuse my French, there's been one thing keeping me from going insane. One thing that keeps me going."
I swallow hard, looking at my handle which is fumbling the ring between my fingers.
"And that's you, Pep," I say softly and point to her, forgetting the rest of them in the room. "It's always been you. And I could stand here and say a thousand things about the thousands of times you kept my ass in check, or the thousands of times I almost made you walk out on me and quit. But it wouldn't do this justice. I don't deserve you, and you know it. I know it. I'm a mess..."
I push myself from the podium and walk over to meet her, grabbing her left hand in my own and massaging the back of it with my thumb.
"Look, I don't care if there's fifty cameras in here or if we're back on that roof top in the city after the Expo. I know I'm Iron Man and...whatever, but you...you saved me, Pepper Potts. And I owe you my life."
I look at her for a moment, squeezing her hand.
"God, you're so beautiful..." I tell her, my eyes burning into hers.
And despite having this planned, she brings her hand to her mouth as tears well in her eyes when I sink to one knee in front of her, her left hand still in mine. The cameras go nuts, and slowly their shocked murmur comes flooding back into my ears. Time to give 'em one more.
"Virginia Potts," I announce, using her given name for the first time in a while, causing her to laugh slightly on her tears. "I know I'm more than a handful, but...if you'll let me, I swear I will be there for you and our twins for the rest of your life."
Another gasp ensues and I can't help but chuckle at the bombshells I'm dropping.
"I didn't know how to promise you before," I continue, slying mentioning the attempted suicide, "but I think I've figured out how to prove I'm sticking around for a while. So..."
I hold up the hand with the ring and smirk.
"Pepper, will you marry me?"
She giggles again, her hand still covering her mouth. Then, she nods quickly, and she pulls me up into a standing position so she can jump me with a kiss of her own. I did good, I think. Right? She's crying, but finally, they're not sad tears.
"Yes, of course yes!" she says and I smile as she places her lips back on mine for a second time as I slip the ring onto her finger, where it belongs.
I turn toward the podium after pulling away, her hand in mine, and notice Happy shaking his head with his own smirks from the back. I grin, pulling up the mic, and lean into to seal the deal.
"So, in case you haven't heard," I tell the group. "Tony Stark is getting married. To Pepper Potts. And...we're having two babies," I add, tossing up two fingers in a peace sign. "It's about damn time, right?"