I'm prepared for this ✫ I never shoot to miss

[letmetakeaselfie]

I've been here before
But always hit the floor
I've spent a lifetime running
And I always get away
But with you I'm feeling something
That makes me want to stay

Tony's heart is still beating fast, though it's been nearly an hour since his house was destroyed (yet again) by supervillains. Why his house? Why is it always him? He's not really feeling sorry for himself though, because for as much as he criticizes Fury, his plan really worked this time. His face-plate flips up as he pries off the left arm of his suit, indented dangerously close by one of those feisty Doom-bots. He flashes a wan smile over at Pepper, similarly battleworn. They really do work extraordinarily well together, he can't believe how he'd ever dismissed being partners before.

"Thanks for saving me - again." She really was good at that, and without her he'd most certainly not be standing right now. Though, yes, he is still lamenting his poor house. Oh well, easier repaired than he would be, probably.

Comments

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Yes, dear!" he calls brightly through the door as he haphazardly strips and jumps into the scalding hot spray. He pays no mind to the protest of his skin as it turns bright red in attempts to communicate its discomfort to Tony. Despite his eagerness to get in, he doesn't feel the need to linger overly. Once he's run the little hotel soap cursorily over himself and through his hair, he feels satisfied, leaving the shampoo and conditioner untouched for Pepper in his wake. Similarly slap-dash, he runs a towel over his body as he steps out carelessly, dripping just about everywhere. He throws his clothes in the hamper and grimaces when he hears the little tinkle of glass as it hits itself. He also finds a piece in his side embedded shallowly that he unceremoniously pulls out and sighs, the blood it had been holding in trickling stubbornly down now.

He attempts to stave the flow with some toilet paper as he looks through cabinets for a band-aid or some gauze or even tape. Bare shelves stare back at him and he decides he really couldn't care any less, pulling his boxers onto his still slick skin, locating a hospital robe and pulling it over his shoulders -- all in his typical manic fashion before exiting the steam-filled room with a loud knock into the door. Switching demeanor almost instantly, Tony makes his way to the side of the bed and watches her with a touch of uncertainty in his gaze.

"I even left you some hot water." See how considerate!!

[efficacy]

Pepper had been dozing lightly, lulled by the sound of water and the soft sheets beneath her. Blinking her eyes open at the sound of the bathroom door opening, she lifts her head to peer up at Tony with a soft smile. He looks better; like he's only made brief use of a towel, but better. "Gee, thanks," she chuckles as she pushes herself up and off the bed with a sigh. "With any luck, our food should be here soon. I'll freshen up in the meanwhile."

After a quick detour to her bag for clothes, Pepper takes her turn and disappears into the bathroom, wishing she could soak in that tub for a while; but she's hungry and liable to fall asleep in a bath. Shedding her clothes, she steps under the hot spray without looking too closely into the large mirrors over the sinks, knowing she's already sporting handsome bruises on her pale skin.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Once she's gone, he easily takes her place on the bed, basking in her scent left behind. He ends up dozing a bit himself, head lolled back against the pillow on what he's come to think of as "Pepper's side" of the bed. He's soaking a bit of a damp spot in the bedspread, but he's too tired to notice or care, only getting up again when Room Service comes knocking.

He tips the young man and talks with him quietly for a minute or two, thanking him as he acquires a band-aid and affixing it to the spot below his ribcage that had been still bleeding when he came in. With Pepper still in the bathroom, he rolls the cart up against the bed and climbs back in, starting in on the wine first, obviously.

[efficacy]

The hot water feels divine on her sore muscles, but she goes through shampooing and conditioning her hair as quickly as she can, hearing muffled talk from the other room as their food arrives as she finishes rinsing off. Stepping out of the stall, she runs the towel over herself before wrapping it around her wet hair, flipping the tail of it behind her. She pulls on clean underwear and grabs a fluffy robe off the hook, not bothering with other clothing yet with her skin still a bit damp. Instead she wraps the robe around her body closely and ties the sash about her waist firmly before stepping out, smiling as she pads closer to the bed.

"Smells good," she says, feeling her belly growl a little. "Did they get us our ice cream? I did have to namedrop for that."

[letmetakeaselfie]

"There's ice cream?" His eyes light up like a little kid on the first day of summer, though when he lifts his gaze up to meet hers it's even brighter. Like somehow his true reward is just seeing her, now. Tony chuckles lightly at her admittance, though he's already lifting up all the dishes until he finds the ice cream. "...I'm prioritizing this so it doesn't melt." And not for any other reason!! Almost immediately, he drips some on his chest and makes a face. That's what he gets for not closing his robe like a civilized person.

[efficacy]

"Very practical," Pepper settles on saying, wryly amused, though the logic cannot be denied. That bright-eyed look he gives her shakes her composure just a little, but she masks it by busying herself with perching on the edge of the bed and rearranging her robe so she's not parting over her thighs too much as she crosses her legs and reaches for her own ice cream.

Her throat goes a little dry as her gaze is drawn to those splotches of melty ice cream on his chest, and it suddenly really dawns on her that she's seeing more of his bare skin than she ever has. Swallowing, she quickly shifts her gaze to her own cup. "Ice cream as an appetizer is a thing more places should go for," she quips with a small smile, striving to sound light and breezy as she scoops a bit onto a spoon; it's just regular vanilla bean, but it hits the spot regardless.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He wipes the spots away with the back of his hand without losing rhythm with his own ice cream, or noticing Pepper's predicament. He hasn't stopped to think about how comfortable he is around her now or the fact that he would never have exposed the arc reactor to her before this little social experiment. "I'm pretty sure you mean 'everywhere.'" As much as he would usually wish for cookie dough, this is really hitting the spot right now, as evidenced by how quickly he finishes his bowl and scoops back up his glass of wine, sitting up and folding his legs underneath him. He needs a minute to recover before starting in on his burger, so instead he's taking to watching her quietly as he often does these days.

[efficacy]

"Clearly," she returns on a little laugh, scooping up the last of her ice cream from the small cup and setting it aside. She feels his eyes on her but it's less bothersome these days, less likely to make her self-conscious than it is to comfort her. It's odd, but she doesn't examine it closer, instead following suit and sampling the wine with a quiet hum of satisfaction. "Quite nice," she deems, uncovering her tray and picking up a thick potato wedge off her plate to munch on with a happy little sigh. They've earned all the carbs tonight.

[letmetakeaselfie]

"Yeah," he agrees, reluctantly turning to his meal at last. "It is." Moreso, maybe, the company. It's times like this that he stresses over what it will be like when this charade is done. He'll have to navigate doing everything alone all over again and that seems terribly... well, lonely. With a light sigh, he starts munching on his fries as well, staring a bit listlessly into space as he dips them in ketchup and sets his empty wine glass down in favor of the burger. He's not as hungry as he thought he was, but it's still satisfying, and they've certainly earned it, but he can't stop his brain from turning over and over -- or from worrying about that big picture window behind them.

[efficacy]

She spares a sweet little smile his way before focusing fully on her meal. For a moment there's just silence as both of them dig in, Pepper making a more decent dent into her burger than she'd expected in contrast to Tony. She sips on her wine as her brow furrows a little; she's learned to decipher Tony's silences by now, knowing the difference between an easy, comfortable one and the quietness that comes over him when he's obsessing or thinking hard about something. Not that such seriousness isn't warranted, they've had a rough night and Tony's property is being the ultimate price for it.

"Hey." She touches a hand softly to his bare knee, a hint of gentle concern bleeding in her voice as she asks quietly, "Are you okay?"

[letmetakeaselfie]

He starts a little at her touch, the muscles in his tummy tightening reflexively as his eyes jump to meet hers. Of course he's not okay, but she's the last person he wants to take out his frustration on. Slowly, though he's sure his expression betrays him, he nods a careful but silent 'yes.'

"Do you want to help me move the armoire in front of the window?" It's very serious and very earnest, said with a vulnerability he doesn't use around just anyone. And if she says 'no' he'll just try to move it by himself tbh. It isn't rational and a silly piece of hotel furniture isn't going to protect them, but he can't deal with sleeping next to all that glass tonight.

[efficacy]

She realizes the moment the question is out of her mouth it was a poor choice of words. Who would be okay after everything that had happened? She drops her hand, mentally kicking herself a little. The question she receives in return catches her off guard, surprised and a bit baffled too, but only for a second. The vulnerability so evident on his face breaks her heart, knowing it takes a lot for him to show such an emotion to anybody; telling her just how perturbed he is. She couldn't possibly refuse, as irrational as the request is.

"Of course," she says quietly, nodding, setting aside her wine and getting up on her feet.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He lets go of a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and moves to get up after her. Gratitude passes over his expression warmly as he brushes by her to one side of the cabinet, briefly opening it to make sure there's nothing inside. "Thanks," he says softly as he prepares to lift up his side.

[efficacy]

She nods again with a quick, small smile, taking up the opposite end of the cabinet and finding a good grip on the piece. "Ready?" The thing is a little heavier than it looks and their progress is a bit staggering, but they get the cabinet in front of the window eventually. Pepper rubs her slightly aching palms once they're done, noting belatedly her robe gapes a bit too much thanks to the activity, the vee of the neckline dipping down to the valley between her breasts. "Um, let's draw the curtains while we're at it," she says, hurrying to close the front of her robe properly and nodding at the dark, heavy curtains hanging on either side of the window.

[letmetakeaselfie]

The only thing he can focus on is this task, as usual his attention drawn to a laserlike focus. Once done, he too wipes off his palms and steps aside to examine their progress. "Good idea," he agrees easily, though when he looks up his throat immediately goes dry. She has no right being so gorgeous, but he gets himself in check long enough to reach by her and grab either side of the curtains, pulling them snugly across the window. When he draws back again he finds himself once more in her orbit, simultaneously comforted and excited by the proximity.

[efficacy]

With the view of cityscape below blocked, it feels immediately more intimate in the room; just the two of them in this limited space. Silence descends over them as Tony returns to her side -- Pepper gives a smile, small and warm but a little uncertain too, one hand still clutching the lapels of her robe together at her throat. She's suddenly not sure what to say, both of them caught in this moment. A beat passes and she clears her throat gently.

"I'm going to..." she trails off, motioning a bit toward the bathroom with her free hand. "Be right back." Stopping by her bag to pick up something to sleep in, she retreats into the small room, the air there still humid from their showers. A moment later, the whir of the hotel hairdryer can be heard through the door.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He holds his breath until she finishes her sentence, finding himself nodding though it is far from necessary. Once she's out of earshot he sighs and moves over to his own bag to retrieve a t-shirt. As he hangs up his robe, he has to make a face at the red stain he'd made on the inside, patting his all but useless bandaid to make sure it's still on before pulling on a ratty Eagles shirt and making his way back to bed. He doesn't have the energy to wait for her to get out so he can go through his own routine, instead opting to slip under the covers on "his" side and stare up at the ceiling, uncharacteristically still and quiet.

[efficacy]

To Pepper's dismay, most of her toiletries are still taking up space in Tony's bathroom back at the tower -- she hadn't had the state of mind to think of grabbing them before leaving. Neither is she completely happy with the choices of sleepwear left in her bag, but the things she'd been wearing when the attack happened are now hopelessly wrinkled and dirtied. Finishing drying her hair, she desperately wishes she had a proper brush on her, running her fingers through the worst tangles and smoothing down the strands; it's not all that bad, thankfully. With a slight wince, she slips on the snug tank top and cotton shorts -- very comfortable, but she would have preferred something that covered a bit more. Oh, well. It's not like Tony hasn't seen women in less, before, and she's just too tired to care now. Stepping out of the bathroom, Pepper can't help but smile just a little at the sight of Tony already in bed.

"Tired?" she asks sympathetically, grabbing the cart of food and wheeling it out of the door and into the hallway. She'd rather not attempt sleep with the sweet smell of stale fries next to her.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He smiles up at her, watching as she wheels out their cart and comes back carefully -- just in case. It's neurotic but it's not like he minds keeping such close tabs on her so he gives himself a pass for that much.

"Exhausted." Too exhausted to sleep, probably, but he won't bother her with that. She must be just as tired.

[efficacy]

She closes the door and latches the chain for good measure too, something she wouldn't normally bother with but with Tony so clearly on edge about these things, she figures it might not go amiss.

"Me, too," she agrees on a sigh, flicking off the main light so only the bedside lamps remain lit, grabbing them each a complimentary bottle of water before trudging over to her side of the bed, placing one bottle on her nightstand and giving the other to Tony as she climbs in, slipping her bare legs under the covers.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Nodding in thanks, he pops the bottle, untouched onto his nightstand and shuts out his light. When he lays back down it's facing towards her, one hand tucked under his pillow. "Comfy?" he asks, barely audible even in the quiet room.

[efficacy]

Pepper flicks off her own light and flops down on her back, closing her eyes as her head hits the pillow, one hand on her belly and the other lying next to her head, palm upward. She pulls in a deep breath and releases it slowly in a long sigh. "Mmhmm," she hums in contented agreement with a tiny smile playing about the corner of her lips. The blue-white light from Tony's reactor penetrates through her closed lids some, but it's long since stopped bothering her; if anything, it's kind of comforting.

[letmetakeaselfie]

He's grateful for the reactor, studying her features in the darkness. It always puts him at ease when she finally allows herself to relax, knowing so often that they're both running on fumes. The wine is making his mind a little hazy, but it isn't enough to stop it from turning over; from obsessing. He tries not to let it bother him, tracing each familiar inch of her face with his gaze. Almost a full thirty seconds pass before he blurts something out in a characteristic fashion -- taking himself aback, but letting it hang in the air as before, not daring to take it back. "Can I hold you?"

[efficacy]

Sleep is beginning to creep about the edges of her consciousness, but she's still aware of his gaze. That used to make her self-conscious too, how he'd study her face like this when they went to bed, but no longer. At the question, she opens her eyes slowly and tips her head to look over at him a bit sleepily, lids fluttering a little at the reactor's light. She thinks he probably didn't mean to say that, but at the same time she can't really deny in her sleepy state that it would be nice to be held. They were liable to end up cuddling sometime during the night regardless. "Okay," she murmurs with a tiny nod, waiting for him to make the first move.

[letmetakeaselfie]

Tony almost didn't expect her to answer, and he takes in a sharp breath when she does. Not pausing to think it over, he scoots his way closer, his heart hammering loudly by the time he's in her space. Catching her eyes from this distance is so much more intimate, but he reasons to himself in the same way that they'll end up this close whenever he falls asleep anyway. Tentatively despite the mental coaching, he reaches out for her side, gently gripping her side before the other arm wraps around her securely. Just like that, it's like a weight has been lifted off his chest and like his world is right side up again. He presses his face against her shoulder and holds a little tighter, trying to mimic the position they end up in by morning by also tangling their legs.