Day 3
---
That night I slept well. It would have been hard not to, all things considered. Pepper was finally talking to me and she called me Tony a couple of times yesterday, so I suppose that was a major step in regaining her trust in me.
Anyway, after she went home last night I couldn't sleep so I went back into the workshop and made another arc reactor. This one which I'm using now is scratched all over the place and I really wanted to get another one. While I look at it I wonder if Pepper would still accept doing this again. If not I guess I'll have Butterfingers to mount it in my chest, even though I really doubt I'd let a robot anywhere near my heart.
Also, I didn't spent the whole night down in my shop. I just stayed up till midnight and then I took a shower before collapsing in my own comforting bed.
The morning came a little too early for my tastes but somehow I managed to wake up before Pepper arrived at the mansion. It was five past six when I walked into the kitchen with great plans for that day. I rarely cook and that's why it took me two tries to make an omelet. When I was a kid my mum used to learn me how to cook - but I liked working with my father more. I guessed that Pepper wouldn't want to eat any of the food I've prepared so I made her a coffee.
At seven sharp the door to the kitchen opened and Pepper walked in. She was dressed in a black pencil skirt and a white shirt. She looked stunning and I found myself staring at her.
"Hello, Tony. What are you doing up so early?" She asked me while she set down her purse and stuff.
"Hi..." I smiled up at her and thought about a plausible answer while I ate my omelet.
She looked at me and arched an elegant eyebrow.
"So what are you doing up at this hour?"
"Thought I'd surprise you."
Pepper stopped in front of me and glared at me as in disbelief.
"Really now?" She asked and stared in my eyes.
"Absolutely." I replied without hesitation.
She smiled again and I felt hope rising in my chest as she moved closer. My heart was beating at abnormal speed as I watched her.
"You have something on your-" She whispered softly as she stared at my goatee.
My eyes widened as she peeled off the piece of omelet from my trimmed goatee.
"Thanks..."
She lightly poked me into my shoulder and she laughed. I didn't know why but her simple laugh warmed my heart.
"What?!"
She laughed a bit more and then turned serious.
"How's your arm?"
"It's fine. It hurts a bit actually but it's not that bad."
"Okay."
She took the cup of coffee from the island counter and added more sugar.
"I was going to ask you something." I admitted sheepishly.
She sat down on the chair and looked at me expectant. I bit my lip and opened and closed my mouth a couple of times before I had the courage to ask her.
"Will you help me with the arc reactor again?"
Pepper shot me a look and I swallowed hard. Maybe she doesn't want... or maybe she's afraid. I shouldn't have asked her. God... I knew she was going to say no.
"Um. I don't know." She paused and took a deep breath. "Can't you find someone else to help you with that thing?"
"I don't think so..." I gave her that puppy look which I knew it worked on her and I was right. I grinned and sat up, ignoring the throbbing in my arm once again.
"See you in ten minutes, okay?"
"Fine." She mumbled, annoyed.
---
Fifteen minutes later I found myself with the hands of Virginia Potts in the hole in my chest once again. I looked at her with narrowed eyes and studied the worried expression on her face as she was taking off my old arc reactor. I sighed happily as her hand brushed accidentally my chest.
I craved to touch her right then. I wanted to tell her that it was going to be okay and that I won't go into cardiac arrest like the last time, but I was afraid to tell her that because I was sure it was going to break her concentration. Instead of touching her I handed her the new arc reactor which was glowing brightly. This time everything went great and my new arc was working at its full power in my chest.
Pepper wiped her hands on a towel and took the old arc in her hands, then turned her gaze towards my curious one.
"Do you want to incinerate it? Again?" She asked me, smiling.
"Hmm... no. I'd rather want to keep it for yourself, you know, proof that I have a heart."
"You know that I hate doing this for you." She whispered in a tensed voice. I didn't expect that she was going to be upset - god, what did I do so bad that she had to get mad at me again...
"I wish you didn't have this - heart. Because if you didn't I shouldn't change it for you."
That hurt a lot, I have to admit. I sat up and ignored any other comments and gave her a sad smile.
