can't you hear the horses cause here they come ♦

[letmetakeaselfie]

It's only after all the commotion has died down that Tony realizes his mistake. He should have gone to Pepper first. Surely she must have heard of his heroics by now, bravely coming to the aid of the king and snuffing out a wave of Schmidt's men single-handedly. He's still not sure how they believe he did it without magic, but Steve is a magnificent storyteller. Which isn't to say he's lied, because he hasn't, only omitted certain key details.

Night falls and he goes to the only place he knows where to find her: their clearing in the woods. The carnage from the attack has been cleared already, but there are still two large oak trees down, one of which intersects their area so that one would have to climb it to get through. He hops over smoothly, relief shining as his eyes lay on her at last.

"Pepper." That one word holds so much gratitude and warmth. He's glad to be out of the mob, though on top of his usual tunic and scarf is now a piece of chainmail and at his belt is a broadsword gifted to him in a somewhat over-the-top knighting ceremony (yes, even for him.) He isn't sure if she's angry, so he hangs back rather than reaching for her immediately though he truly wants nothing else.

When all you got to keep is strong ▾

[letmetakeaselfie]

The next village has a railroad which is a huge relief. The mail he sends back to Pepper will reach her twice as quickly and he won't have to worry about it getting lost. That also means their sleeping accommodations are a bit less... outdoors. Which is a nice shift after how many mosquito bites he's suffered. He also thinks he's coming down with a little cold or something, feeling a chill though the air is warm for the mountains this time of year.

When he sees her standing there on the tracks he assumes it's some sort of mirage, or merely the wishful dreaming of his overactive imagination. But no, Pepper Potts is standing not twenty feet from him, as though she belongs. His heart is pounding doubletime by the time he reaches her, grabbing both her hands as his eyes greedily drink her in.

"What are you doing here?" The question is blunt, but his tone betrays him, beyond relieved and happy to see her. Before waiting for an answer, he uses his grip on her gloved hands to bring her in for a tight embrace. One probably far too intimate for a rail platform, but he hardly cares just now.