Chapter Text
“Nat! Natasha!”
Pepper turned from reading a book to Tony who suddenly stirred and screamed beside her on the bed.
“Tony,” she started shaking his arm. “Hey, wake up…”
His eyes opened then looked at her; his breathing was heavy.
She lightly wiped her hand over on his forehead then brushed his hair with her fingers. She noticed that he was also sweating cold. “Calm down, it was just a nightmare. You’re okay,” she tried to pacify him.
Her boyfriend sat up, both arms almost hugging his knees to his chest.
“What is it?” she closed the book and placed it on the bedside table, focusing her attention to him.
Tony’s eyes were now staring forward blankly. “I saw them. Dead.”
“Who?”
“The team… They’re all dead, because of me…” he dropped his head to his knees, hiding his face from her. “I couldn’t do anything about it.”
“Hey, no, your team’s fine.” Pepper ran her hand on his back, rubbing gently. “It was just a dream.”
It took a while before he looked up to her again.
“I… I’m sorry, Pep. You should go back to sleep.”
She did not say anymore that she hasn’t slept yet; it was one of the rare nights that he went to bed ahead of her.
“You should, too.”
Tony sighed and forced a smile. “I’ll stay up for a while.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “Thanks.”
She curled up on her side of the bed, but could not sleep too, even when she felt Tony lied down beside her. After almost half an hour, she felt him got up again. She peeked to see where he was heading, thinking that he might go back to the workshop and spend the night there again with his projects.
He did not though. Instead, he just walked to the glass door overlooking the city with his phone on hand. A few minutes later, he was already on the phone talking with the woman whose name he was screaming earlier in his sleep.
“Nat? Hey… Hi. I was just checking if…”
Pepper barely heard anything more as he walked out of the room to the balcony. She opted to think that Tony would check up with the rest of the team, too.
>>>>>
“JARVIS, where's Tony?” Pepper inquired from Tony’s virtual butler as she entered his penthouse, coming from SI.
“Sir is on the way to the kitchen from the workshop. He is with Ms. Romanoff.” Jarvis promptly responded.
Her eyebrows furrowed. She was not informed that he accepted a work-related meeting at home or that he was seeing the woman this day. “Natasha is here?”
“Yes, Ms. Potts. Ms. Romanoff was called by Sir to come over and she arrived approximately 30 minutes ago.”
She proceeded to their area as informed by JARVIS and before she could get to the kitchen, she stopped as she overheard the on-going conversation.
“It's my second update in three months. You spoil me.”
Pepper recognized Natasha’s voice.
“One step ahead of the rest, so please don't brag yet.” Tony replied. It sounded like he was moving around, preparing food or something.
“Seriously... thanks, Tony.”
“No biggie. Coffee? If you aren't in a hurry.”
“I can stay for a cup.”
“Again, you're getting ahead of everyone else. Nobody in the team has tasted this special brew by yours truly.”
Pepper could almost hear smile from her boyfriend’s tone.
“You flatter me so much for a day.”
“Why not? You're my favourite Russian.”
“Oh, we both know I am not. The actual ones are bottled, lined up at your bar.” Natasha chuckled.
A mug clinked against the marble counter. “Here you go, darling.”
And Pepper knew, Tony was not joking at all. The redhead spy was his favourite Russian… probably favourite Avenger, too.
>>>>>
“You are -” Pepper started when Tony appeared by the door of the VIP area.
“Late for the call time,” the genius billionaire continued. “Of course. It’s not me if I’m not late.”
She just smirked with pure sarcasm.
“I made it! I’m here, Pep. That’s what matters.” He approached her and gave her a kiss on both cheeks.
She crossed her arms to her chest and tried her CEO tone that worked for him sometimes. “Tony, may I just remind you that these are Stark Industries apprentices. Everything we do from this day onwards that will be visible to those 50, top-of-their-class, students will either make or break their belief of the organization. For a hundredth time, I am telling you: please don’t screw this up.”
“Agreed. So, let’s go and get this significant activity started.” He smiled his most Tony Stark smile, closed lip, eyes covered with dark glasses, as he offered his arm to her.
Pepper just shook her head while they walked out to the corridor which will lead to the conference hall. Technically, they were still on-time for the start of the program; she was just worried that Tony would not make it to this event. Lately, especially after their break-up, he has been very much occupied with either saving the world being Iron Man or developing his suits plus his teammates' weapons.
She was missing him, yes, but the decision to separate - permanently this time - was theirs both. It was for the best. It was to make sure that their priorities will be attended to. It was to keep their sanity. It was to avoid hurting each other all the more.
Her random musing was interrupted when Tony's secure line rang.
"Cap. Where? Send me the coordinates. I’m going."
Those were the only things she heard as his face spelled instant worry.
"Tony…"
"Pep, I’m really, really sorry. I have to go."
Pepper felt her heart sunk in her chest. "What is it this time? And where are you going?"
"Natasha’s been compromised. I… we need to send her back up."
Her expression probably turned grimmer upon hearing the woman's name. But as she stared at her ex-boyfriend's face, anxiety was etched on it, like he could literally fly out of there in seconds even if she did not respond.
"Go." That was all she managed to say. She knew nothing, and no one, can stop him at this point.
"I’ll make it up -"
"Don't promise anything. Just go now, Tony."
True enough, he was gone in seconds.
>>>>>
“Mr. Stark?”
Pepper saw how Tony’s face lit up when he recognized the two people by his hospital suite’s door.
“Hey, Pete.” He greeted as Peter approached him, followed by Natasha. “Tash.”
“Hi, Ms. Potts.” The young man politely acknowledged her presence beside his mentor.
“Hello, Peter, Nat,” she greeted back, too.
Natasha smiled at her.
“I should leave you for now. Also need to respond to some work mails.” Pepper turned to their patient to say goodbye. “Tony.”
“Go ahead, Pep. I already kept you long enough here.” He reached out to grip her hand lightly. “Thanks.”
She stepped to the other side of the suite to gather her things on the couch and table then stuff them in her tote bag. Against the thin wall which divided the area into two, she could still hear their interaction.
“Good to see you, buddy.”
“Ms. Romanoff fetched me after class.”
“I knew he would want to see you so, instead of calling to let him know what happened, I went to pick him up instead.”
“How are you feeling?” Peter checked up.
“Nothing serious. I should be out of here since yesterday if not for some overreacting Avengers.”
“Shut up, Stark.”
Tony chuckled. “See? That's exactly what I mean. They don’t even listen to me!”
“Oh please.”
Pepper could just imagine Natasha rolling her eyes.
“You hungry? I can have food delivered here. Name what you want.” Tony offered.
“We already stopped by somewhere.”
“Yep! Burger King!” Peter exclaimed.
“Come on... That's not fair.”
Of course, the billionaire had to overreact. She just shook her head.
“Hold it! We got you a cheeseburger, too!”
Natasha made a sound of disapproval. “Peter, I told you we need to check with the doctor first if he can eat greasy food before you take that out.”
“Oh... Yeah. Sorry, I got excited.”
“There's no turning back now, Spiderling. Hand that over to me.”
“Tony.” The spy rebutted again. “You are under medication.”
“Nobody will know. Right?”
Pepper managed to peek at them as she made her way to exit, seeing Tony bit stubbornly on the cheeseburger.
“Seriously, I’m feeling way much better now having this and seeing my favourite spiders – ouch!”
She closed the door as Natasha hit Tony with a throw pillow. In her head, she could not deny how the three looked much like a family.
>>>>>
It was Tony’s birthday and he opted to hold a charity gala instead of his usual extravagant party.
As Pepper watched him interact with the other Avengers, she realized how much this man has changed from being a self-centred bastard to a selfless hero, and she was more than glad to see that transformation.
Except that she also noticed how his eyes longingly glanced towards Natasha’s way from time to time…
The female Avenger seemed to be avoiding Tony. From afar, she sensed how the two naturally gravitated to each other, but for some reason, Natasha would suddenly move away.
She decided that it was time to ask, and she opted to go to Tony as she still has not developed a closer relationship with the Russian throughout the years.
“Tony, are you okay?” She asked after discreetly pulling him to a corner with less people.
“Yeah, of course. Why would I not be okay?”
Pepper noted how he just forced a smile before drinking from his glass of whisky.
“Because of Nat.”
There was a pause before he attempted to deny her observation. “Pep –“
“I’ve been watching you two.”
He sighed heavily and looked down on the remaining ice in his glass.
“She… she turned me down.”
Did she mishear him?
“She… what?”
“Yeah.” Tony nodded still avoiding her eyes. “Just this week. She said she cannot do it.”
“W-why?”
“She cannot do it to you.”
“Are you serious?”
Why, she never expected that!
“Yep. Cannot joke about this.” He forced a smile again and exchanged his empty glass with another from the server who passed by.
The thought rendered Pepper quiet for a few moments. Tony then realized that he made a mistake of telling the matter to her upfront.
“No. Sorry, Pep. I shouldn’t have –”
“I… It’s been months… We’re fine.” She verbalized.
“But, you know, I can’t force it to her if she’s not comfortable. I get it.”
“Tony, no. It should not be the case. We’re long over us, and you deserve to move on.” She emphasized. “I see how much you have always cared for each other. You love her, and I believe she feels the same.”
He shook his head and smiled bitterly. Typical Anthony Edward Stark who did not believe that he deserved to be happy, too…
And she needed to do something about it.