dear_mun | Likely spoilers in comments.

...whole lot of something happened. My counterpart seems to have missed it though. [sigh]

You might want them to keep missing it, to save you the headache of 'did they really just do that'.

[shrugs] I suppose Tony needed an ear to listen...just wish I'd been more with it.

How are you doing with all of this?

Don't worry, not everyone can listen 100% of the time.

As good as I could've hoped. Walking out of fire isn't my idea of a normal day.

[A smile flickers across his face] So you do have normal days? [Bruce has a hard time remembering his last normal day.]

I think that the abnormal happens so often now, that it just sort of blurs into normal. You sort of expect it.

So I suppose. After a while, it all starts to seem normal again.

Melting my Adidas into the carpet though, that's only happened once.

All that was accomplished was dragging my name through the mud.

That or hiking up your Google search hits.

Color me curious, but what does your Google search say about me?

The first few press results explain why you're not the only one who's pissed about the staging.

Which part?

All of it.

What- no, cmon, Pep, that was awesome.

Well. Some of it was. Like the time Rhodey rode across a firey explosion and the "my girlfriend didn't just save my ass, she totally could hand it to me on a platter" thing. That's hot, Pep. Like... 1000+ degrees hot.

Besides, I liked the whole... jumping from suit to suit thing I had going on there for a while. Maybe we should seriously consider looking into that again. And, almost forgot, last but certainly not least: you look absolutely banging in the suit. Maybe I should build you one, too.

As useful as the 'suit-jumping' was, waking up to 42 pinning me wasn't pleasant.

Hot? Tony---that's not funny.

[ She's going to pretend distract herself, yep. Tap away on that iPad, missy, but now she can't pretend to not smile. ]

I don't need a suit, and hopefully, I won't need one for a very long time.

[ SHE CAN'T DENY THAT IT WAS COOL, but she can deny the practicality. ]

Actually, Pepper, that's hilarious. And I told you I was sorry about that. 42 was my fault, I know, I know.

[ _{no don't look at your iPad Pepper look at Tonyyyy. he leans in close, looking at whatever it she's working on.} ]

Look- it was hard. It was hell, let's be honest. But we got through it, we both survived, and we came out on top. You actually came out kicking ass. We're only going up from here, babe. I told you I could fix it, I'm gonna fix it.

[ _{he swallows hard and shifts.} ]

But you and I both know you can't just walk away from a whole genetic overhaul, so... why don't we jump on it, yknow? [ _{he sounds like he's choosing his words very carefully.} ] Why don't we, you and I, take what we have now and run with it? Not just run- fly. I can build you a suit that uses what you have now. You and me, we can rule the world, Pep.

[ _{he's just brimming with boyish excitement. CMON, PEPPER. BE EXCITED.} ]

We have a whole world of possibilities staring us in the face here. Let's go crazy, come on.

Sorry is one thing, still having the occasional nightmare is another.

[ She does peer up from her email after a moment of literally, just listening. ]

And I get that. But I don't need a suit, Tony. We already agreed, however reluctantly, that we'd look at the genetic overhaul, but only to make sure I don't melt my shoes to the elliptical again, or burn you.

As exhilarating as saving your butt was, just because we can, doesn't mean we should, okay?

Yeah, well. What's a few more sleepless nights.

[ _{he wiggles his eyebrows at her in a lewd manner, as if that wasn't a depressing statement about his constant state of mind.} ]

Okay, okay, I'll ease up on the suit thing, but I'm telling you, Pep, you could be a superhero.

[ While particularly insensitive---she still smiles. Tony no stahp. You're breaking the srs face. ]

I couldn't. I'm the wildly conflicted girlfriend, who knows the true identity, who's a wreck, and is always worrying and yet---

[ Okay, iPad's gone down, and she's (albeit hesitantly) fixing his collar, or shirt, or just fixing something on him that was her job and in her mind, still is. ]

I'm proud.

I like that job description better, don't you?

You know, I really do, I love the whole "suffering widow" thing you're going for here, but everyone knows who I am, and I think you can really make a difference with me, Pep.

[ _{he holds his hands up.} ]

But, you know your strengths, you know what you want. Just ... don't go too heavy on "conflicted", because if you're not sure of what's going on, we're both screwed.

[ Fwoooo, the point. You missed it Stark. The whole point. She actually builds up the nerve to forgo the fear of burning him, to actually touch him; both hands, on either side of his face. ]

That's not what I mean.

You're---How do I say this.

You're the super hero out there. Helping people, rescuing the world from aliens---

I'm already a super hero, but not for them; for you. It could be when you come home, and you're tired, and there's a shareholder meeting you know you're not going to be there for, or there's a press conference, and you're not there because you're halfway across the world, mopping up some super---crazy's mess. I'm there.

Or it could be just when you can't sleep and you're---having a nightmare.

That's where I make a difference, okay?

[ You need a haircut mister, because she's gotta make sure that stray hair right there goes behind your ear. ]

And I only said conflicted because that's what you put in that job description. There's nowhere I'd rather be.

...

[ _{he fucked up, didn't he. he did. goddamnit he's gotta sleep sometime this week because he's getting really sloppy. he sighs heavily, smiling tiredly at her, and nods.} ]

Yeah. Yes. Of course. Sorry.

I just..

You know what, who cares what I think. You're right, Pep. Are you always right, or does that just come with the territory?

[ _{a beat.} ]

I'm not afraid, Pepper. You can touch me. It's okay, honest.

It sort of comes with the territory.

[ She hesitates to crack another smile, leaning juuuuust forward enough to lean on him. ]

Okay.

[ But I am. she thinks to herself. Oh well. That's not a very confident okay, but it's confident enough to take his hand. That'll work. For now. She hopes. There's another beat. ]

...You going to tell me about this underwater city they've got you trapped in, or were you planning on saving that for later?

Edited 2013-05-11 06:03 (UTC)

[ _{he squeezes her hand and smiles what he hopes is a reassuring smile, and looks away guiltily when she brings up Rapture.} ]

Oh. Uh, well. It's just a city, yknow. In the fifties. Underwater. Full of drugged up psychopaths trying to kill each other. No big deal. Everything's totally under control.

[ _{he runs a finger up her arm.} ] Nothing to worry about.

[ That's not a good smile, nope. ]

No big deal.

You'll have to excuse the blatant disbelief.

Excused.

[ _{he looks her over.} ]

So, out of wayward curiosity that definitely has nothing to do with this at all, have you ever wanted to see the bottom of the ocean?

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YOU FOUND ME DARN IT

LIKE I COULD RESIST

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could these two get any more deep fff breaking meta, lmk if not cool

sobs they're so cute. you're fine!

/GETS BACK TO THIS SUDDENLY

JUMPS