Twenty Three
The doorbell rang as I stepped out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around myself and grabbed a second one for my hair. What was it with people showing up at my house while I was in the shower. Maybe I could con another delivery kid into helping me out. I opened the door to who I thought was just another delivery kid.
"Tony, put some godddamn clothes on." A red headed woman was standing in my doorway wearing an apron over a uniform and a hat brought down over her eyes, red hair tied up in a ponytail.
"Pep?" I asked. She placed a finger over my lips.
"Just invite me in, they're everywhere."
"Please come in." I stepped aside to let her in. Once the door was closed, I spoke. "Pepper? What are you doing here?"
"The place is secured, right?"
"Yeah, but…Wait. I can't be doing that. I'm in a relationship."
"I've heard. Don't flatter yourself Tony."
"If you're not crawling back to me, are you here to kill me?"
"Don't tempt me. One of your blonde haired friends thought I'd be the least suspicious person to get you a message. At least your friends still trust me." She fished a flash drive from her apron pocket.
"Cap."
"You still haven't forgiven me, have you?"
"Forgive you? For cheating on me? With the guy who poured an experimental weaponized drug into you?"
"You were being a jerk! You asked me to move in with you and then I never see you because you were in that damn lab all the time. You couldn't even come sleep in the bedroom!"
"Because I couldn't sleep! I fucking carried a nuclear missile through a wormhole to another dimension. I saw the invasion force headed for earth. They would have killed everything on the planet. And the last thing I did before flying to my doom was call you. My last thoughts before falling back to earth were of you. I was having anxiety attacks from seeing the near destruction of the planet, of everything I love! I needed you near me, I needed you support to help me through. And what did you do? You slept with Aldrich Killian! And you expect me to forgive you for leaving?" I ranted. She looked very small at that moment. "At least you didn't sleep with Rhodey."
"I need to leave now, good luck with the flash drive thing." She sheepishly tried to back out the door.
"You didn't did you?" I accused. She blushed bright red.
"Maybe once. I really need to leave before the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents outside want to know what all the screaming's about.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?"
"Uh, yes. They've been posted outside of the house for days. That's why your friends asked me to do this. So not to arouse suspicions."
"Steve was right about something, something's wrong with S.H.I.E.L.D. You should find some safety before all hell breaks open." I urged.
"You should too. It seems you have someone to take care of you again. Maybe someday, we'll be friends again. I'd like to meet your new girlfriend. Maybe there will be tiny Tony Starks running around. She seems good for you."
"Ok, out. Thank you for food delivery, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here." I pushed her out the door. I slumped against the door.
"Jarvis, remind me to thank Steve for sending Pepper with the message."
"Already on your list, sir."