Given how exhausted he'd been when he went to bed, waking up in the wee hours of the morning to his stomach growling was not Tony's idea of a good time. At least it wasn't a nightmare . . .
He stumbled down to the communal kitchen, grumbling the entire way. When he arrived, he had to figure out what to eat and he stared into the depths of the refrigerator blankly. He didn't want to have to do anything like warm something up, he just wanted to eat something to shut his stomach up so he could sleep. Was that really too much to ask?
He saw the toaster and thought of bagels, but had no idea where bagels would be, if they had any. The ever-present cornflake dispenser was next to it, and that seemed to fit the bill just fine. All he needed was a fucking bowl. Where did they keep the fucking bowls?
He was in the midst of opening every cabinet and straining to peer into their dark depths-turning the lights on would guarantee he'd not be able to get back to sleep-when Vision's head popped out of the cabinet to his right. "Might I be of assistance?"
"Jesus Christ!" Tony yelped and dropped the mug he'd just decided to use as a bowl. It landed on his foot. "Don't startle me like that. I have a heart condition, you know."
"My apologies," Vision said, withdrawing from the cabinet. He reappeared a moment later, rounding the corner like a normal person. "Might I be of assistance?" he repeated.
"I'm good, thanks," Tony said absently, considering his mug of cornflakes and debating whether it was worthwhile to find a spoon. He decided it wasn't. "Just needed a snack, so I'll be on my way."
"Of course," Vision said, standing aside to let Tony pass him. "I have a question for you, when it is convenient."
Tony stopped in his tracks. Vision was letting him not deal with it right now, if he wanted, but if he let it be, he was going to wonder what on earth Vision had to ask him. Dammit. "What's your question?" he asked, turning around and putting the mug to his mouth to suck some cornflakes out of it, as you do when you lack a spoon.
"You mentioned Wanda's status is problematic. Do I have a status that I need to worry about?"
"Uh, no. You don't. Because Wanda is a citizen of another country, the U.S. has certain rules about how long she can stay and under what circumstances."
"Am I a citizen of this country, then?"
Shit, were they really going to do this now? It looked like yes, they really were going to do this now. "No. No, you're not. This country-well, all of our countries-don't have a category for a sentient non-human being. As far as they're concerned, from a legal perspective, you don't really exist. Which could get interesting if you ever commit a crime. So please don't. That sounds like a paperwork nightmare waiting to happen."
"But the United Nations included me for the purpose of the Accords. Do they have a category for me?"
"They just know you are powerful and could be dangerous, so you must be controlled. The specifics of what you are or aren't don't matter."
"I see," Vision said thoughtfully. "I am sorry, I am keeping you from your bed. If I have any further questions, I will ask them later."
"You do that, buddy," Tony said. "Just don't pop up on me like that again."
"Yes, of course."
Predictably, it took a while for Tony to get back to sleep afterward. When he didn't make an appearance for breakfast, Rhodey again came to find out what was up. He knocked lightly, then opened the door a crack when there was no response.
"What?" Tony demanded groggily.
"Just making sure you're still alive and everything," Rhodey teased, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him. "Another bad night?"
"I had the 'sorry, the government doesn't think you're a person' conversation with Vision at 3 a.m. So, yes and no."
Rhodey winced in sympathy. "If it's any consolation, I come bearing a smoothie," he said, holding up the cup. "Wanda wanted me to bring it."
"Breakfast in bed? What am I, an invalid?"
"She's being nice. Don't be a dick about it."
"I enjoy being a dick sometimes. People don't talk about how "vulnerable" you are when you're a dick," Tony grumbled, throwing back the sheet and sitting up on the edge of the bed.
Rhodey handed him the smoothie and the pill bottle. Tony muttered about mother hens but took his medication. "Did you want to try to get some more sleep?" Rhodey asked.
"What I need to do is put in some workout time."
"The physical therapist is coming at nine-thirty if you'd like to join me," Rhodey said with a grin.
"Oh, no. That woman isn't a therapist, she's a torture device. I've watched enough of your sessions to know I want no part of that. I can, however, be present as moral support. From a treadmill on the other side of the room."
"Deal."
It was already nearly nine, so Tony changed into workout appropriate clothes, and they went to the common area to drop off the empty smoothie cup. Everyone else had already scattered after breakfast-to do what, Tony wasn't sure, and he realized that despite the group having been back together for over a month he had no idea of their routines-so it was a quick stop before heading down to the workout room.
Rhodey warmed up with a short stint on a bike; Tony settled in on a treadmill within sight of the mats where Rhodey would be working with the physical therapist. The session lasted a half hour, after which Rhodey was drenched in sweat and Tony was barely winded. Tony moved over to the free weights and did some reps while he waited for Rhodey.
Natasha and Wanda entered the room as the physical therapist left. "Ladies," Tony greeted.
"Did I hear that Pepper is coming?" Natasha asked as she and Wanda took adjacent treadmills.
"Yep. She'll arrive this evening," Tony told them as Rhodey approached in the wheelchair. "Hey, man, how you feeling?"
"Exhausted," Rhodey said. "I need a good, long soak."
"That can be arranged," Tony said cheerfully, taking control of the chair at Rhodey's wave of permission and pushing it past Wanda and Natasha. "Smoothie lady, scary lady, we will see you later."
Wanda smiled at them. Natasha nodded. Neither of them were sweating as much as he would expect them to at the speed they were running.
"Running is something I will never do willingly," Tony said, pushing Rhodey toward the pool annex, which also housed a generously sized hot tub.
"Never say never," Rhodey warned. "But you're definitely safe for now. Dr. Mann would hunt down anyone who tried to make you run right now."
Sam and Clint were in the deep end of the pool, playing some sort of game involving water guns and tiny targets strung up along each wall, while Vision watched and, apparently, kept score. Tony and Rhodey stopped for a moment to watch through the windows. "Do you think Vision can swim?" Rhodey mused.
"I have no idea, but I kind of want to push him in and find out. I'm a dick like that."
"Yes, you are," Rhodey agreed.
.
At lunch, Tony and Rhodey were the only ones who were freshly showered; everyone else would be continuing their training that afternoon. Tony contemplated going down to the workshop while everyone else was occupied, but decided watching the others train would be informative. It might give him some ideas for better gear.
Clint started out the session by leading them in stretches, then Natasha took over to work on agility, then Steve had them doing some tactical drills. What Steve was trying to convey by description, Tony got the idea to try to do in hologram, so he pulled out his phone and began jotting down some notes.
He was in the midst of this when Friday said, "Boss, Ms. Potts' plane is ten minutes out."
"Hey Rhodey, want to go welcome Pepper?"
Rhodey silently looked at him for a minute. "I think it would be better if you went by yourself," he said. "You two need to hash some things out."
"All right, catch you later." Tony quietly slipped out of the room with no one else the wiser.
He was standing at the edge of the landing pad when Pepper's plane, a cross between his old private plane and a quinjet, carefully touched down. The hatch opened and the familiar figure stepped out; Tony raised a hand in greeting but waited to speak until she came closer. She stopped just outside the door to speak to her assistant, a brunette with a serene expression, then approached him.
"Hey Pep, how are you doing?" he said, trying to sound casual.
Pepper's eyes quickly scanned him up and down, as if looking for injuries. "Tony. What have you done to your face?"
"Don't worry, I'll shave before the interview," he said quickly. "I only left it like this because it annoys Rhodey." In the background, Pepper's P.A. led the two members of the flight crew toward the main building, all of them with baggage in tow.
"Of course it does, you look like a vagrant," she said, her tone fond. "Oh Tony, when Rhodey called about what happened, I feared the worst." She embraced him gently.
"I know. I'm sorry," he said, carefully returning the embrace without making it obvious that he would love to hold tight and not let go for a while. As soon as she began to pull away, he released her lest she think he was trying to pull something.
"But you'll be all right? It will heal, that's what she said?"
"With time and rest," Tony confirmed. "And also a little bit of medication, but we don't need to spread that around." He hesitated, then ventured, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too," she said softly. "But I don't-I still don't see how we can make this work if you're going to be here and I have to be there."
"We can figure something out," he said, trying not to sound pleading even though he was. "I'm not supposed to travel much right now, but I can commute when I'm better."
"Really, Tony? You would commute from California to here regularly? And what about all that work you've been doing with the U.N. in New York City?"
"For you I would do almost anything," he said honestly.
"Except give up Iron Man," she reminded him. It was an old argument and they were no closer to a resolution for having repeated it so many times.
"Right now I'm all yours."
"I need more than just right now."
"All we know for certain is right now, so why can't we take it as it comes?"
"Oh, Tony," she said with the sigh that meant he just wasn't getting it. Again.
"Enough about that. How are you doing?" he asked as he escorted her into the building.
"Everything is fine. The stock only dipped a few points today, so I think we're safe there."
"No, how are you? After what happened, I wondered if maybe I'm working you too hard, with being CEO and managing several foundations. Philanthropy is all well and good until you work yourself to death. Since apparently you can do that."
She squeezed his hand and let it go again. "Thank you, I'm fine. The foundations each have their boards that more or less keep things running. I'm a figurehead, nothing more."
"Good, that's good." He probably should have known that already.
Silence fell as they entered the building.
"Bunk with me?" he asked abruptly as the elevator arrived with a ding.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"There would only be sleeping involved. I-I've missed you." He was beginning to regret asking, but he still meant it.
She touched his cheek, then quickly drew away her fingers. "Only if you take care of that mess on your face."
"Done," he said instantly. "Want to supervise?"
While he shaved, Pepper had her P.A. bring her bag to Tony's room and she changed out of her suit and heels into something a little more comfortable. She filled him in on what had been going on at Stark Industries, then he explained what was going on with the Accords and Ross and why he had so many lawyers so busy.
It was a good, easy conversation, nothing like the arguments fraught with tension where their voices were never raised but every phrase had an undercurrent of meaning.
By the time they went to the common area, Rhodey, Vision, and Clint were already there. When Rhodey saw him, he said, "Oh, I see how it is. I tell you, as a friend, that you need to shave and you don't do it. She wants you to, and you do it. It's nice to know where I stand."
Tony shrugged. "Hey, she's my CEO. You're just my best friend."
"Just your best friend. Thanks for that, Stank," Rhodey shot back.
"Stank?" Vision asked, confused.
Rhodey shared the story while Tony groaned and sat on a couch. Pepper sat beside him and he gave her a grateful look.
"I'm going to have to use that at some very inappropriate moment," Clint said, grinning.
They bantered easily, absorbing more participants into the verbal play as the other members of the Avengers gradually arrived. The only ones who didn't fully join in were Steve and Vision, Steve because he was starting dinner and Vision because he seemed to prefer to listen. Tony assumed he could understand the repartee-Jarvis always did-but perhaps not.
When Laura and the kids arrived, Lila immediately gravitated toward Tony, book in hand. He introduced her to Pepper, checked with Steve that the food wouldn't be ready for a while yet, then went with Lila to a corner where they could read the day's chapter.
Wanda and Natasha were in the seats on either side of Pepper and evidently involved in a serious conversation when Tony returned so he didn't interrupt. He wasn't sure what they were talking about until Pepper's skin took on a slight orange hue, then faded.
"Friday," he murmured, "restrict audio and video of Pepper, Wanda, and Natasha to level seven. Begin restriction at the moment Wanda and Natasha sat down with Pepper." How the conversation had begun didn't matter if Extremis had come up, and the fact that Pepper still had it (under very tight control) was a closely guarded secret. She, too, would be subject to the Accords if word got out.
Then he realized he was a big, fat idiot as he looked from Pepper to Rhodey to Pepper to Rhodey. Rhodey noticed his gaze and rolled over to him. "No," he said simply.
"What?"
"No, you're not using that stuff on me. I don't care that you refined it and targeted it and used it on yourself with no apparent lasting effects. Have you ever considered your heart problem might be a lasting effect?"
"No. I used Extremis mostly to regrow my rib cage. Any damage repaired on my heart was external. My current problem is internal."
"I still don't want it used on me. I don't think it's worth the risk."
"But-"
"This is my fucking spine we're talking about. I would rather stay as I am, with the perfectly functional braces we've been working on, than take the risk that more damage might be done in the attempt. No."
"Fine, be that way."
"And you're not going to make a version for me just in case I change my mind. I won't."
Tony cast Rhodey a sour look. That Rhodey knew he was thinking about it was a testament to how long they'd known each other. "Fine," he said sullenly.
When they sat down to dinner most of the attention was on Pepper: how she'd been, what she'd been up to, that sort of thing. The elephant no one mentioned was the status of their relationship, which was quite all right by Tony.
After dinner, Pepper leaned over to Tony. "We're going to go finish our conversation. Where will I find you when we're done?"
"The workshop, probably. You can ask Friday if you're in the common areas or the corridors."
"All right." She leaned over and kissed his cheek before rising from the table and leaving with Natasha and Wanda.
"Where are they going?" Rhodey asked.
Tony shrugged, typing a command to Friday to continue restricting recordings of their conversation, should they be in range of any recording devices. He took his, Pepper's, and Rhodey's dishes to the sink and tried to help with cleanup, but Vision and Clint wouldn't let him. He wandered back over to the table. "You up to working on the armor designs?" he asked Rhodey.
"Absolutely."
They'd been in the workshop for over an hour when Tony began to wonder about Pepper. "Friday, is Pepper still with Natasha and Wanda?"
"Yes, boss."
"Well, all right, then." He shifted his attention back to the suit design they were trying to tweak to incorporate a few elements from a different design. It was exacting work, and he quickly lost track of time again.
"Weren't you planning to go to bed sometime tonight?" Pepper's touch on his arm as much as her voice brought him out of the world of schematics he'd been occupying.
He quickly looked around. "Where's Rhodey?"
"Colonel Rhodes has been in bed for an hour," Friday answered promptly. "He notified you he was leaving one hour and thirty-three minutes ago."
"It's after midnight," Pepper added. "And you need all the beauty sleep you can get. Come on."
He saved everything and left it, following Pepper to the elevator and then to his room. Pepper had already changed for the night, so she climbed into bed while he changed. He slid in beside her a few moments later and the lights dimmed automatically.
"Sleep well, Pep," he said, consciously resisting the temptation to lean over and give her a kiss.
"You too, Tony." She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, then laid down with her back to him.
.
Thin light filtered in the windows when he woke from a dream that seemed likely to turn nightmarish in short order. He was spooned up behind Pepper, one arm curled around her. He started to move his arm, but she gripped his hand. "It's fine," she murmured.
He brushed a kiss on the nape of her neck and fell back to sleep.
Pepper was still in bed with him when he woke again, so it couldn't have been too late in the morning. "Good morning," she said, sitting up.
"Morning," he mumbled, not sure yet if it was good or not.
"I was about to take a shower. Would you like to go first or second?"
He felt a momentary flash of disappointment that she didn't suggest taking one together, but he knew that wouldn't have been a good idea for a number of reasons, including that they couldn't afford distractions with an interview looming. "Second is fine."
She patted his arm and gathered her shower things. He sat up when the bathroom door clicked shut, then realized he wasn't having the physical reaction that Pepper's proximity and the thought of a shower liaison should have elicited. Well, crap. Was it his heart? The meds? He'd have to ask Dr. Mann. Or maybe he should've read that little insert with the pill bottle.
Speaking of pills . . . he got up and dry swallowed his pill for the day. He carelessly made the bed, then pulled some clothes out for after his shower. Pepper would give him orders about what to wear for later.
When Pepper emerged, she was wearing a bra and a towel tucked around her waist. "Next," she said, stepping out of the way and bending over to briskly rub her hair with a second, smaller towel.
He washed quickly, pausing partway through when he thought he heard a knock. Pepper's voice drifted to him over the sound of the water. He turned off the tap, rubbed himself dry, and pulled clothes onto his bottom half before opening the door.
Pepper was fully dressed in slacks and a short sleeved shirt and was now doing something with her hair. "Rhodey came to make sure you were awake and had taken your meds," she said, her hands tangled in those lovely red locks.
"I did," he said, turning away to trim his beard better than he had yesterday.
"So Friday told us." She stood behind him to look in the mirror while she pulled parts of her hair back.
He stepped to the side to give her a little more room to see. It was so like old times that he felt a pang of nostalgia.
"You look like you've lost some weight," Pepper commented in her 'should I be worried?' tone.
"I hadn't noticed." He'd been busy enough it was entirely possible she was right.
"Have you thought about what questions Christine might ask?" Pepper had moved on to applying her makeup.
"No." He wandered away from the sink to put a shirt on.
"You do realize she'll ask about us, right?"
It felt like she was following him, but no, she was only going over to her bag to put on a pair of flats.
"You'll have to tell me what you want me to say, then."
"Don't I always?" She stood in front of him and took his face in her hands. "You're quiet this morning. Did you sleep?"
He covered her hands with his. "I slept better than I have for at least a week," he said frankly. "Thank you."
"I worry about you, you know," she said, lowering her hands.
"But not enough to worry about me in person?" he said, trying to sound teasing, but it fell flat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."
"I know." She sounded sad. "Let's go eat, I'm starving."
Tony had hoped Pepper wouldn't begin grilling him for the interview until after breakfast, but she pulled out a pad of paper and a pen as soon as she'd sat down and taken a bite of yogurt.
"All right, we know that she'll work in a question about our relationship at some point. She has also been reporting on the government oversight issue, so expect some questions about the Accords and your role in them." She took another bite. "The question is, how is she going to try to skew your responses?"
The other Avengers watched and listened curiously as they debated what questions were likely to be asked. Pepper pulled up some brief clips of Christine's recent news stories about the Avengers, which most of them had not seen before. She was a staunch advocate for government oversight so Tony hoped she'd be a sympathetic audience for that part, but he knew better than to think that would make it an easy conversation.
At length Pepper decided it was good enough to figure out general topics and what Tony's responses to them should be. Tony was quickly tired of this endeavor, but Pepper drilled him until he could answer the questions she posed to her satisfaction.
Just before lunch they went to the office Tony had designated for interactions of this nature in order to review the lighting and technical setup. An A.V. staff member was in the midst of a test with the news station so they watched and Pepper made some notes. When the test had concluded, she went behind the chair Tony would be occupying and moved some things out of the visible background. Everything else seemed to satisfy her-Tony didn't care one way or another so long as the tech worked-so they went back upstairs.
Tony didn't eat much. He hadn't been nervous about the interview before, but some of Pepper's anxiety that all go well had rubbed off on him to the point that his palms were already getting sweaty.
After that it was time to change his clothes, do some makeup, and get settled in for the interview.
Then the lights were on him, the camera was rolling (figuratively, of course, as it was digital), and Christine's face appeared on the monitor facing him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. I am delighted that you were willing to be interviewed so soon after your health crisis."
"I am glad to be here," he responded simply. No way was he going to address that 'health crisis' nonsense.
"Since the news of your hospitalization broke, there has been a good deal of debate about what that will mean both for the Avengers and your work on the Accords. First, a question many have asked: will you have to give up being Iron Man?"
"I have no intention of giving up Iron Man," he said firmly. "My doctors have advised a period of rest in the short term, but in the long term there is no reason I cannot continue in that role."
"What about the conflict within the Avengers themselves? Public details of the skirmishes have been scant, but the fact that there was division and what some are calling outright war between you has many wondering if the Avengers are even a team anymore."
"We had some differences of opinion that led to confrontation, that much is true. However, the team is back together and ready to face whatever new calamity may come our way." That was the rosiest angle possible on the situation, but the public didn't need to see all of the Avengers' dirty laundry. Also, it was news to him that there was more than one so-called 'skirmish' involving the whole team, but going along with it was easier than trying to set the record straight.
"What if that new calamity rises from amongst you, like Ultron? Will the Avengers still be a team then?"
Tony swallowed and hoped his face wasn't sweating though he could feel it trickling down his back. "Ultron was a unique situation caused at least in part by alien technology. There are safeguards now in place to prevent such a situation from happening again."
"Safeguards like the Sokovia Accords?"
"The Accords are part of the answer, yes. Also, we simply don't have any other alien technology on Earth that we know of, which helps."
"What you're calling 'confrontation' between the Avengers led to substantial amounts of property damage. How do you suggest the Avengers be held responsible for such wanton destruction, especially since the Avengers were completely to blame for the damage?"
"In my recent work with the United Nations on the Accords, I have been advocating changes to the language in order to address those issues. In this instance, you will find that the Stark Relief Foundation is footing much of the bill. Going forward, the Avengers will have their own relief foundation to work with citizens of affected areas for cleanup and reconstruction." Here, he was on much firmer footing.
"Is it true that the confrontations between the Avengers were the result of disagreement over the Accords?"
Tony wasn't quite sure what she was fishing for, but he knew he needed to tread carefully. "We did not all agree on whether to sign the Accords," he acknowledged. "However, there were other concerns also involved, and that tension was exploited by the man responsible for the Vienna bombing."
Pepper started shaking her head and motioning for him to end it. He wasn't sure why.
"Are you saying that this man Zemo was able to manipulate the Avengers into fighting one another?" Christine asked, sounding almost incredulous. "How can we trust the Avengers to operate for the public good if one man is able to manipulate these supposed superheroes into fighting one another?"
"Oversight by a third party seems like a good way to start."
"Thank you, Tony, for a most enlightening interview. I have one last question, if you don't mind."
"You always have one last question, Christine."
"That's my job," she said with a broad smile. "Is it true that you and Pepper Potts are no longer a couple?"
"We have been taking a break, but we remain very close."
"At what point does this 'break' become a breakup? It's been at least six months."
"That's two questions, but I'll answer. Our relationship has always been rather . . . unique. Whatever might happen in our personal lives, our work together for Stark Industries and our philanthropic efforts will remain unaffected."
"There you have it. Thank you very much, Mr. Stark."
"Always a pleasure, Ms. Brown."
The camera shut off, the lights dimmed, and Tony took a deep breath followed by a large gulp of water. "Well, that wasn't so bad."
"You've done worse," Pepper agreed. "There are a few things you probably shouldn't have mentioned, but there's no undoing it now."
"What, like Zemo? As soon as he goes on trial, it will all be in the open anyway." Tony stood and staggered a little, catching himself on the arm of the chair. "Just a little dizzy," he explained before Pepper could speak.
"Do you need to lie down?" she asked worriedly.
"No, I'm fine. Unless you're offering to keep me company, in which case yes, I definitely need to spend some time in bed," he said, winking at her.
"I hear what you're saying, but I also see how pale you are right now despite the makeup and I'm thinking I believe your skin over your mouth." She took his arm to steer him out of the office and didn't let go until they were back in his bedroom.
By that point, Tony had to admit he wasn't feeling quite right; doing the interview probably wasn't his best idea from a health perspective. At least it would give him more data for his monitoring system. "Friday, are you recording this?"
"Yes, boss."
Pepper had him sit on the bed before she helped get him out of his suitcoat and tie, even going so far as to untie and remove his shoes for him.
Going from sitting to lying down was more of a slump than a conscious decision, and his legs would have remained dangling over the edge of the bed without Pepper's assistance. His chest felt tight again, but not as bad as those two earlier times, so he hoped this wasn't going to be a big deal. Just in case, though . . . "I love you, you know."
"Don't you dare do that to me right now," Pepper scolded.
He was starting to hyperventilate and his eyes seemed distant, so she snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Tony? Tony, stay with me. Breathe with me. Long breath in, then long breath out."
She repeated it several times until he no longer appeared to be on the verge of passing out. This, at least, was familiar-Tony had been having issues with anxiety for some time, and waking in the middle of the night to find him hyperventilating had happened far more times than she wanted to count.
"Colonel Rhodes and Sam Wilson are coming to assist," Friday announced.
"Why Sam?" Pepper asked.
"Field medic training," Tony murmured. "He helped when I went to the hospital."
"Do you think you need to go back to the hospital?"
"No. Just give me a few minutes, I'll be all right."
The bedroom door burst open and Sam hurried past Pepper to feel the pulse in Tony's neck. Rhodey bumped up to the bed on her other side.
"We should put his feet up higher," Rhodey said, gesturing toward the pillows. Sam passed them down the line and Rhodey did his best from the wheelchair to adjust Tony's feet.
"I'll be all right," Tony repeated. "It's not even as bad as last time."
"Last time?" Sam asked. "When we had to rush you to the hospital?"
"No, in the workshop. Rhodey was there."
Sam gave Rhodey a disbelieving look. "This happened before? Does his doctor know?"
"It was Saturday morning, I think. He said it was an anxiety thing, so no, I didn't tell Dr. Mann."
"She needs to know about this. If he's having anxiety problems this bad, he should be on meds for it, because it's going to mess up his heart worse."
Tony didn't appreciate being talked about like he wasn't there, but at least Sam's irritation wasn't directed at him. "Friday, send the data you've recorded to Dr. Mann."
"I'll call her right now," Pepper said. To step away from the bed required letting go of Tony's hand, which she didn't remember taking hold of in the first place. She squeezed it reassuringly before she let go and went to the other side of the room, already pulling out her phone and finding the cardiologist's information.
She had to leave a message, but she hadn't even made it back to the bed before her phone was ringing. Pepper told Dr. Mann what she'd witnessed and what she knew of the previous episode, and walked back toward the bed as she listened.
"Guys, she wants to talk to all of you," Pepper said, thumbing the call to speakerphone.
"Friday, project the call through the room speakers," Tony said.
When Dr. Mann spoke, her voice booming down on them from the ceiling had a very voice-of-God quality. "Gentlemen," she said, sounding stern.
"Hey doc," Tony said.
"Am I correctly informed that this is the second occurrence of these symptoms?"
Rhodey spoke up. "Yes, ma'am. The first time, I found him in the middle of what I thought was an anxiety attack. I've seen a few." He cast a glance toward Tony, who looked resigned.
"I should have been notified. Tony, I don't like that this has happened twice in less than a week. I'm going to need more information about what is going on and when, so I want you to wear a Holter monitor until your tests at the hospital on Thursday. Do you have one of those at the compound?"
"Yes, ma'am, we do," Sam said.
Dr. Mann continued, "And I'm sorry, dear, but I want you to remain in bed until noon tomorrow, just to be on the safe side. Once I get the results from the monitor and the hospital, we'll talk again."
So now he actually was an invalid. Great. Just great. With friends like these, who needed enemies?
No, that wasn't fair. This was his own damn fault. As usual.
Pepper asked something about visitors that he missed in his self-absorption. "The only visitors allowed are those currently present," Dr. Mann responded. "I think I can trust all of you not to get him riled. Also, Tony, I'm hoping it goes without saying, but with you I'm never sure. Being in bed means resting. No hanky panky."
Pepper flushed, Rhodey smirked, and Sam looked slightly embarrassed on Tony's behalf. Tony cleared his throat. "I, uh, don't think that will be a concern," he admitted, looking away from the others.
There was a long pause. "That is a common side effect," Dr. Mann said finally. "If it troubles you, we can try a different medication."
"It's probably better this way," Tony said, glancing toward Pepper, who was looking at him with sympathy.
"All right. We may end up switching after Thursday, but we'll wait and see. Any other questions?"
They didn't have any, so she hung up. "I'll go fetch the monitor and someone to put it on you, and then I'll pass on the word that you're restricted to quarters for a while," Sam said.
Tony grabbed Sam's arm before he could move. "Do me a favor and don't mention that last bit?"
"That's need-to-know, and no one else needs to know."
After Sam left, Rhodey heaved a sigh. "You need me to do anything?"
Tony moved his feet off the pillows and sat up on the edge of the bed. "Not right now," he said wearily. "I guess you were right, though. The interview was a bad idea."
"I don't know. It sounds like if it wasn't that, it would've been something else instead. Better we know now and deal with it."
"Listen to you being all positive," Tony grumbled, carefully standing up.
"Should you be doing that?"
"Would you want to wear horribly expensive suit pants in bed?"
"Good point. Carry on. Do you want me to leave?"
His question was directed more at Pepper than Tony. She replied, "I think we can manage here. Would you send my PA up?"
"Sure thing."
When they were alone, Tony said, "You don't have to stay. I know you have plenty on your plate."
"As if I would leave now," she said, locating a pair of cotton pants in a drawer and tossing them his direction. "Besides, if I leave, you'd lose a third of your allowed visitors."
"I'm sure Nat could be subbed in. She was with me and Rhodey at the hospital," he said, carelessly throwing his trousers on the bed.
"Would she cuddle with you?"
"No, and I don't think I'd want her to."
"Well, there you have it. I'm staying." She held up a t-shirt questioningly.
He shrugged and caught it one-handed when she threw it at him.
"Sit," Pepper said, pointing to the edge of the bed. He obeyed and she embraced him, guiding his head to rest against her chest. She lightly scratched his scalp with her fingernails while her other hand rested flat against his back between his shoulder blades.
He sighed and rested his hands lightly on her lower back.
"How are you doing with all of this?"
"I feel old," he said plaintively.
"You aren't even fifty yet."
"Tell that to my heart."
"And your hair. You've got more grey than I remember."
"See? I'm old."
"That could also be from stress," she said gently.
He humphed.
There was a brief knock at the bedroom door. "Come in," Pepper called without turning around, though she took a slight step backwards. Tony took it as his cue to let go of her and sit upright in preparation for what was coming.
"Delivery." Sam escorted one of the medical staff into the room. Pepper moved to stand beside Tony rather than in front of him.
"Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts," the young man greeted them as he set the machine and its wires onto the bed next to Tony. "Thank you for removing your shirt. I'm going to apply the electrodes and electrical tape to keep everything in place. The monitor can be clipped to a belt or put into a pocket, but we also have a strap for it to be worn, if you'd prefer that."
"The clip should be fine," Tony said as the technician swabbed various areas of his skin with alcohol pads. The electrodes were attached in fairly quick succession, seven in all, their wires taped into place and plugged into the hand-sized monitor. The technician pressed a few buttons, the monitor beeped obligingly, and he handed the monitor to Tony.
"Don't shower or swim and avoid magnets while wearing it. You should keep a log of your activities so the doctor can match the readings to what you were doing. Any questions?"
"No, I think I'm good," Tony replied.
"Let us know if you have any problems. Have a good day, Mr. Stark." The technician nodded to Pepper and Sam on his way out.
Sam also headed for the door. "I'll leave you alone. Can I get you anything?"
"Thanks Sam, we're all right," Pepper said. "I'll let you and Rhodey know if we need anything else."
"Anytime." The door closed behind him.
Tony pulled on the t-shirt so at least he didn't have to acknowledge the wires on his chest. Pepper rested a hand on his shoulder but didn't say anything. There were three light taps at the door.
"That's Katie," Pepper said with a sigh. "I need to go tell her what's up. Will you be all right for a few minutes?"
"I'm not going anywhere," he said wearily.
She stepped out into the hallway. Tony sat motionlessly for several minutes, his shoulders hunched and his head hanging. The monitor sat innocently in his hands and, for a moment, he thought maybe he could just mimic it for his suit. But having leads hooked up to his skin wouldn't be possible and he wasn't sure he could come up with a way to get the same readings without them.
He sighed and flopped backwards onto the bed, pulling up his legs and rolling onto his side. There he just kind of . . . existed . . . until Pepper returned. The mattress sank behind him as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm curious why you decided to tell me you love me when you were having that episode," she said, her hand warm on his hip.
"Because I do," he said. "And also better safe than sorry. I've had more than my fair share of brushes with death."
"Yes, I've noticed."
He shrugged. "So I wanted to make sure you knew."
"Tony," she said, and sighed. "I love you too, you ridiculous man." Another pause. "I'm wondering if it might not be better for you to be somewhere that isn't here for a while. I know you care a lot about the Avengers but it really seems like they're going to be the end of you, and I can't stand for that."
He turned toward her slightly. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I think you'd recover better if you weren't here. New York, Malibu, anywhere would be better than staying here with these people who are stressing you out."
"No can do. There are things I still have to do here."
"You've been forbidden to work for at least a month."
"The team is carrying on in my stead, which is easier if I'm here to answer questions. And I don't want to leave Rhodey."
"He could come with us."
"He'd miss everyone."
"You're impossible," Pepper said with irritation.
"You love me that way."
"Heaven help me."
They fell into a comfortable silence. After a while Pepper said, "I'm getting hungry. Would you like me to call Rhodey to come sit with you while I go find out about dinner?"
"I'm not a child," Tony said sullenly. "I don't need to be watched every second."
Pepper laughed at him. "You say as you pout like a child. I'll be back."
A short time later, she received a discreet update from Friday that Tony had fallen asleep. "Let me know if he wakes or seems to be having a nightmare," she requested.
"Yes, Ms. Potts."
When Pepper hadn't heard from Friday after three hours, she quietly excused herself from the lively conversation about just what the others wanted to do to Secretary Ross and went down the stairs for a bit of privacy. "Friday, is he sleeping?"
"Yes, Ms. Potts."
"You're sure he's still breathing?"
Rather than dignify that question with a response, Friday said, "The video feed is displayed on your phone."
Pulling out out her phone, she watched Tony carefully. He hadn't moved from his earlier position, but she could see the slow movement of his ribcage as he breathed. "Thank you, Friday."
She returned upstairs in time to overhear something about being hung, drawn, and quartered and she shuddered. Sometimes she did not understand Tony's need to be around these people. How Laura could put up with it she didn't know.
Tony was still sleeping when Pepper headed to bed after ten o'clock. She took a few snacks and an energy drink with her to the bedroom in case Tony woke hungry; he'd missed dinner, after all, and hadn't eaten much at lunch. He had rolled over at some point, leaving the little monitor behind him and all its wires draped over his side. She clipped the monitor to his waistband and tucked the wires under his shirt to try to keep them out of the way.
After she'd changed she realized that Tony was angled across the bed in such a way that she could not try to sleep in her previous spot without kicking him in the head. Well, there was no harm in sleeping a different direction for the night; the bed was certainly large enough. She found an extra blanket in the closet and moved her pillow to a spot next to Tony, then climbed onto the bed and draped the blanket over them both.