I feel your heartbeat ♥ All the time
Jan. 15th, 2017 07:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
It's been a year since... everything. Since their house blew up, since Extremis. Since Toni had officially lost her mind. She likes to think she's doing better, but there's no true litmus for something like that. She goes to her therapist once a week, as promised. It's still a struggle, but it's getting easier. Sometimes Pepper sits in with her and sometimes she's alone. Depending on the week, one or the other could be harder. Sometimes she doesn't talk the whole hour. Sometimes she doesn't let the doctor have a word in edgewise. Sometimes she cries -- that's the hardest for her, showing weakness in front of an authority figure; allowing herself to be helped. Maybe it's not making any difference, but she knows Pepper appreciates the effort.
There are two shiny suits in the lab, as promised, too. One that she's repairing now as the other stands idly by. She's working with the Avengers again, sort of. It's kind of on-again-off-again. And her remodeling efforts had been for naught, of course none of them wanted to stay here, what was she thinking? Except Bruce, when he bothers to come back from whatever third-world shithole he's in at any given time. Sometimes she gets along with Steve, but usually not. Things are tumultuous, but it's her version of normal and she feels like her head is at least above water again.
Pepper is back to work, solving world hunger and light fare like that. He does so much better at the helm than Toni ever did. It makes her proud, but with the tiniest bit of niggling jealousy she can't ever seem to shake. He seems happy -- fulfilled. She hears his oh-so familiar footfalls predictably right on time. Or really, five minutes early. It's their scheduled "reconnection" time, and she feels her heart speed up from his proximity alone, finding a stopping point as soon as she can so she can give him a look over. Handsome as ever, of course. And her in a threadbare Pinkfloyd tanktop and holey jeans, grease smeared across her cheek and safety goggles pinning her hair back that had fallen out of her bun. What a pair they make, as ever. Yin and yang.
There are two shiny suits in the lab, as promised, too. One that she's repairing now as the other stands idly by. She's working with the Avengers again, sort of. It's kind of on-again-off-again. And her remodeling efforts had been for naught, of course none of them wanted to stay here, what was she thinking? Except Bruce, when he bothers to come back from whatever third-world shithole he's in at any given time. Sometimes she gets along with Steve, but usually not. Things are tumultuous, but it's her version of normal and she feels like her head is at least above water again.
Pepper is back to work, solving world hunger and light fare like that. He does so much better at the helm than Toni ever did. It makes her proud, but with the tiniest bit of niggling jealousy she can't ever seem to shake. He seems happy -- fulfilled. She hears his oh-so familiar footfalls predictably right on time. Or really, five minutes early. It's their scheduled "reconnection" time, and she feels her heart speed up from his proximity alone, finding a stopping point as soon as she can so she can give him a look over. Handsome as ever, of course. And her in a threadbare Pinkfloyd tanktop and holey jeans, grease smeared across her cheek and safety goggles pinning her hair back that had fallen out of her bun. What a pair they make, as ever. Yin and yang.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 05:09 am (UTC)"I missed you today," she says suddenly as she pours another glass for herself and immediately takes a sip. "...Not that I don't always miss you. But, extra." She shrugs her bare shoulder before reaching over to drag up that side of her shirt, only just now noticing it had been like that the whole time.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 05:46 am (UTC)His eyes are drawn over to her bare shoulder with the shrug, his throat going a little dry just watching that patch of skin over the rim of his glass. He sips some wine to rectify the matter, feeling a small pang of disappointment when Toni fixes her shirt. Setting down his glass, he rolls some pasta around his fork and spears a bit of chicken with it.
"And extra, even?" he picks up the line of questioning a bit belatedly, smiling playfully. "Don't I feel special, now." He takes a beat to chew and swallow before supplying, "Probably a good thing then that I missed you, too. Extra."
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 05:54 am (UTC)She starts digging into her meal again, focusing on the pasta now and trying to stave off another flush threatening to take over her face. She wants to hate it when he puts her on the spot like that, but in this case she really did start it so she can't even be (fake) mad.
"What did you miss about me?" she implores innocently, chewing while she watches him, her belly tingling in a way that has nothing to do with the food -- though it really is delicious.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 06:06 am (UTC)"There isn't a single thing about you that I don't miss. Ever," he replies sweetly, matching Toni's innocent tone, finally glancing up with a playful gleam in his eyes as he pops a piece of chicken in his mouth.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 07:03 am (UTC)"And you liked that answer enough to start playing footsie with me, so it's definitely a winner."
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 09:11 am (UTC)"You are such a dork."
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 10:14 am (UTC)Pepper totes their plates back in the kitchen and rinses them out, popping them in the dishwasher. He doubts Toni's up for dessert, so he only plates one slice of the cheesecake he'd brought home; though he brings two forks with him to the table. "You can help me with this if you're up to it."
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 09:17 pm (UTC)"When did you have time to make this?" she asks, a bit incredulous. What's he doing? Something feels off, and she can't decide if she likes it or not. "You're making me nervous." It's blurted as he retakes his seat, leveling him with a surprisingly steady gaze.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 10:16 pm (UTC)He breaks off a piece of the cake with his fork and pops in into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. It's excellent, but he can't focus properly on just how good it is, suddenly concerned about Toni's mood. "I didn't make it, if that makes you feel any better. I picked it up on my way home."
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 10:22 pm (UTC)Her eyes narrow. It's probably nothing, she's overthinking things as always. "Funnier than usual," she amends a moment later, setting down her glass and picking up the second fork experimentally.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 11:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-17 11:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 12:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 01:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 01:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 09:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-18 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-19 01:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-19 01:17 pm (UTC)And no, he didn't mean the other way around.
no subject
Date: 2017-01-19 02:54 pm (UTC)Her eyes light on his after a long pause, shaking her head though she can't bring herself to actually dismiss his claim. "Okay, where is Ashton Kutcher hiding?"
no subject
Date: 2017-01-19 04:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-01-19 05:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: