Hi Hi Hi! Do you remember that we have meetings scheduled at the beginning of the month? On the 3rd, we will have the prologue of 'Hearts and Scalpels,' and on the 6th, the first chapter of 'Guilty as Sin?'. See you soon!
It was obvious that Tony should have anticipated that Pepper wanting to kill him wouldn't be just a joke. Why did he think it would be worth the risk anyway? Oh, right, because she was right. He simply didn't know how to say 'no' to his daughters. Now, it was the first time since they returned from their park outing that the dark-haired man was alone with his ex-girlfriend. They had just finished dinner, and while the adults remained in the kitchen, Erin and Iris were in the living room, busy trying to decide on the new pet's name.
"I can't believe you did this..." She began, cutting him off before he could even attempt to argue.
"Pep..."
"Don't Pep me! You didn't think to ask me first?" The redhead questioned, her serious tone reflected in her gaze.
The man lowered his head for a moment, feeling the weight of guilt. "I wanted to, Pep. I swear, but you had to see how the girls looked at me."
"They're only 4 years old, Anthony. You can't let them have their way all the time," she sighed in frustration.
"I know that, and it may be hard for you to believe, but I don't let them."
"Really? You took them to the zoo and came back with a dog," the woman almost shouted, her voice echoing through the kitchen.
"It wasn't just for them, but for you too," he sighed, trying to explain. "I wouldn't have caved, I swear, but I remembered how you always said you wanted to have a dog but couldn't because of the company's inflexible hours."
Pepper crossed her arms, eyes sparking with disbelief. "So now it's my fault?" That was the worst excuse of all.
"God, Pepper, no," Tony quickly said, his hands opening in a gesture of appeasement. "Look, I understand you're upset, but I didn't make this decision to exclude you."
"Really? Because that's exactly how it seems."
"Hey, I just wanted to provide something you couldn't have before, because of me. Directly or indirectly, we both know you never had time for many things because of me."
"How kind," she said sarcastically.
"Why is it so hard for you to believe that I always make my decisions thinking of you?"
"And what would you have told the girls if I had said no? You'd be the cool dad who adopts the dog and I'd be the mean mom who always says no to everything?"
"They respect you too much to think that way. I respect you too much to let them think that way," the dark-haired manaired man approached Potts, who remained leaning against the kitchen sink. "You can ask them if you're doubting me. One of the conditions for adoption was that, since I didn't talk to you before, he would have to stay with me in the United States."
"They would never accept him being so far away."
"But they did," Tony said, holding her hand and making gentle circular motions, knowing it calmed her.
"And what about the responsibilities? Do you think it's easy to take care of two kids who are half your genes and a dog?" Pepper asked quietly, her mind conflicted by his proximity.
"Erin and Iris agreed to help with everything. They know if they don't take care of him, we'll have to find another family for the dog," Stark paused. "Besides, Laurel offered to help with anything we need," he said without thinking.
"So there is a pretty woman involved..." The redhead laughed nervously, immediately pulling away from him. "I should have known."
"She wasn't even that pretty," he tried to fix it, not very successfully.
"Incredible. You are incredible, Anthony. You haven't changed at all," the woman said, not even sure why it bothered her so much.
"That's not fair, Pep. My decision had nothing to do with her, I swear."
"If you say 'I swear' again, I will grab the first thing I find and throw it at your head," she threatened.
"All this because you're jealous? I thought we agreed we were only together for the girls. That there were no more feelings between us," the dark-haired man provoked, repeating her words.
"But there is a feeling, Anthony, and it's called anger."
"You look so beautiful when you're angry," he moved closer again, while his ex-girlfriend grabbed one of the glass jars from the counter. "Like an avenging angel."
"Mom!" Iris ran into the kitchen excitedly. "Are you two fighting?" The girl stopped and asked seriously, analyzing her parents.
"No," Tony answered quickly.
"Yes," Pepper answered over him, ignoring him.
"I'm confused... But can you finish this later? Erin and I want you to come to the living room so we can tell you the name we chose."
"Can't you do this now?" Pepper asked. "Mommy really wants to kill daddy."
"Mom!" The little girl scolded, shocked.
"See? You're going to traumatize our daughters," Tony joked. "Come on, my angel, we need to defend me from your mom." He took Iris's hand and walked back to the living room with her.
"Now you'll have to buy her many pairs of shoes. That's the only thing that will make mom not want to kill you," the little girl commented, amused.
"I heard that," Pepper said right behind them.
"Can you buy a pair for me to give to her too?" the younger one asked quietly, making Tony laugh.
"Of course," he assured her, wondering how his daughter had learned that trick.
"Are you ready?" Erin asked as soon as she saw her sister return with their parents.
"For such an important announcement? Of course," Pepper said as she sat on the sofa, and the puppy immediately jumped into her lap.
"See? He already loves you," Tony remarked, making his ex-girlfriend roll her eyes.
"His name is..."
"Rocky," the twins said in unison.
"We thought about naming him after Uncle Tony, but that would be confusing, right? Two Tonys in the same place..." Erin said, making her mom laugh.
"You know, I don't think so. Maybe we can adopt another one, and then you can call him that."
"Really?" The child didn't catch the irony.
"No," Stark quickly ended that conversation. "Our agreement was just one... But maybe, when you get a little older, we can adopt a female, and then we'll have another Pepper in the family," he teased.
"Or Laurel..." she countered, making Tony laugh. It was jealousy, after all.
And so, the two spent the rest of the night teasing each other and spending time with their daughters and the new pet. The adults ended the night so exhausted they forgot about the argument they were having just moments before. In fact, the topics of "Rocky" and "Laurel" were forgotten in the following weeks, not only because the puppy was truly attached to the eldest and she to him, but because another subject arose: the return to the United States. In less than five days, it would be Tony's birthday, and he wanted the girls to be there. Pepper was still hesitant about returning to the country, as it meant reliving everything they had gone through, and she was concerned about the media attention. She knew the questions, insinuations, and pressures wouldn't fall just on her, but on the daughters as well.
"Tony, I'm not sure," Pepper said, biting her lower lip, her worry evident even if he couldn't see it. "I know it's your first birthday since finding out about the girls, and you want them to be there. I know you all deserve to share this moment, and I want that for you, but I can't help but think about the media scrutiny. They're so little. I don't want our story to become a scandal."
"Our story?"
"You know what I mean."
"Pep, I don't want them to be the center of media attention either. I want Erin and Iris to have their privacy respected," Tony said calmly. "I can't promise they won't talk about them, but I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen, okay?"
"I don't know, Tony. There's still your party, and..."
"You don't have to worry about that," he interrupted her gently. "I've already promised it won't be anything big. It'll be a simple gathering, fewer than 15 people. No reporters, paparazzi, or anything like that. Just our closest friends," Stark assured her, his tone sincere and full of hope.
Tony was a great father to the twins and deserved to have a special birthday. Pepper knew this. She still had doubts about bringing the girls to New York, but the girls were so excited about the possibility that she finally gave in. So, on May 27th, the day before his birthday, she and the kids landed in the famous Big Apple. As soon as the private jet's door opened, she saw that he was already waiting for them. As always, Tony was standing, leaning against one of his luxurious cars, with his casual look and charming smile. As soon as the little girls saw him, they ran to hug him, and moments later, the woman did the same, though more timidly. After helping with the luggage and getting everyone settled in the car, Tony started driving to his house. While he drove, he made sure to talk to his daughters about the city that never sleeps. It was the girls' first time there, and they were enchanted by the stories they heard. Pepper was still tense about being back in the United States after so long, so she just watched the familiar scenery pass by through the window. Although she recognized that they were heading to Columbus Circle, the route was not the same as the one they used to take to Stark Tower. She thought about commenting on it, but with so many things having changed over the years, she chose to remain silent.
Tony drove for a few more minutes, and soon they arrived at their new destination: a modern building with a mirrored facade that reminded her of their old home, but a bit smaller. He pulled into the underground garage, parked the car alongside his collection, and led the three women to the private elevator. As the lights indicated the floors they passed, Stark explained to Pepper that the place had almost the same layout as the tower they had planned together. When asked why he moved, he explained how the old building had also become the Avengers' headquarters, so he preferred to create another place to live. When they reached the desired floor and the elevator doors opened, Pepper noticed that the decor reminded her a lot of the old Tower and the Malibu mansion. It had Tony's touch... and hers.
The living room was done in light colors, with a large white sofa, a coffee table, a huge television, and a piano in the corner. There were few decorative items, but most of them were familiar to her. The large floor-to-ceiling glass windows gave them a privileged view of Central Park. He showed them the rest of the rooms. The twins were fascinated by the size of the house and the number of things they could do there. Even the redhead, who had spent years alongside Tony's extravagance, was surprised by the new additions. At the end of the tour, however, the girls noticed that their father had left one place out. They thought it had been an accident, but it was intentional. The adults hadn't yet discussed how close the girls could get to Iron Man, so Tony opted to skip that part of the tour. Seeing the girls' restlessness about his decision and driven by her own curiosity, Pepper suggested that maybe it would be a good idea to visit his workshop and creative space. Tony immediately brightened up and led the three back to the elevator. He typed in his password, and Pepper smiled when she realized it was still the same: the date they met.
As soon as the workshop door opened, a robotic voice echoed through the room.
"Welcome back, boss!"
"Who said that?" Erin asked, looking around.
"That was F.R.I.D.A.Y.," Tony replied.
"F.R.I.D.A.Y?" the older Potts girl questioned. "What about J.A.R.V.I.S.?"
"Who's Friday and who's Jarvis?" Iris asked, confused. She hated when her parents talked like they were the only ones there.
"Remind me to tell you later; it's a long story," Stark said, turning to his ex-girlfriend. "As for F.R.I.D.A.Y, she's an artificial intelligence. It's a device that, like us humans, can make decisions, solve problems... They are super intelligent and can do many things," he explained to his daughter.
"You created her?" Erin's eyes were wide with amazement.
"Yep," Tony confirmed.
"And she can do everything you ask?" Iris showed even more curiosity.
"Basically."
"That's so cool," both children said in unison.
The dark-haired man led them through the workshop, showing various inventions and ongoing projects. He pointed to a table where several disassembled armor pieces were laid out, explaining some of the processes he used to develop them. The twins were truly interested, wanting to know if they could really fly, what powers they had, and a host of other curiosities. As Stark shared his world with his daughters, the redhead observed their engagement in Iron Man's universe. When Iris asked her father if he could build her an armor to fly alongside him, Pepper swallowed hard, fearing that the girls might become too enchanted by this side of his life. Fortunately, Tony reassured her, saying she was still too young for that, closing the subject for now. They still had many years ahead to deal with such issues.
The four spent some more time exploring the workshop. The dark-haired man showed the girls various digital projects of the armors, and they enjoyed watching videos he had recorded, fascinated by what they saw. After a long day filled with discoveries, the children ended up falling asleep in the afternoon, giving the ex-couple an opportunity to talk and catch up on the lost years of their lives. Although they were enjoying this time together, Stark already had plans for the evening, plans that, unfortunately, did not include her.