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Pepper could count the times that Tony would sneak out of bed in the middle of the night. He probably thought she didn’t notice, but she did. Even then, she couldn’t blame him for it: His insomnia had only gotten worse months after the Battle of New York. Most mornings, Pepper would just find him down in the workshop, and sometimes she’d be able to coerce some food into him. Tony still refused to tell her what was bothering him, what demons he carried in his mind. But she also knew that he needed time; she’d be there for him when he was ready.
The skies were still a dark blue when Pepper stirred from her sleep. Buried in the covers, she reached for Tony’s hand, not entirely surprised to be met with emptiness and cold sheets. Pepper blinked awake, adjusting to the darkness lacking the familiar blue light of his Arc Reactor. The air was still, the night quiet; except for the faint sound of piano notes floating in from the first floor. Pepper turned to face the digital clock on her nightstand – it read 05:12 AM.
Deciding to see what Tony was up to, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, pulling on a robe before leaving their bedroom. As Pepper walked through the hallway and down the staircase, she recognized the tune of an old Charlie Chaplin song. A small smile appeared on her lips upon reaching the main room and seeing Tony sitting at the grand piano, humming along to the melody.
When he finally noticed her, his fingers slowed over the keys before stopping entirely. Tony sent her a lazy smile that reached his eyes. It sent a swell of warmth all over her. “Hi, honey,” he said softly, as if anything louder would break the peaceful silence.
“Don’t stop by my account,” she pushed playfully, padding over to the piano with her bare feet. Pepper sat on the bench beside him, tucking the robe closer.
Tony held her hand gingerly in his, pressing a long kiss to the back of it. “I didn’t wake you, did I?” the brunet mumbled against her skin.
She shook her head reassuringly. Turning her gaze over to the sleek, black piano, she noted, “I haven’t heard you play in a long time.”
“JARVIS is Vac-U-Forming and rendering something for me downstairs, and I, uh…” Tony pressed his lips into a thin line, wiggling his fingers. “I needed something to do with my hands.”
Pepper kissed his bare shoulder, resting her chin against him. Her eyes scanned over the profile of his face; the bridge of his nose, the curve of his lip, the Tony-esque facial hair that only he could really pull off. There were bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep that no amount of coffee could ever hide.
“Can you play me something?” Pepper asked, hoping to distract his mind from work for once. Off of his nod, she added, “That one Sinatra song I love.”
Tony’s lips quirked up and he gave that dashing half-smirk that sent Pepper’s heart soaring. He straightened up, saying, “Oh, honey, I’ll do you one better.” After rolling his shoulders, it was as if his fingers began dancing atop the black and white keys. The notes floated into the air, beautiful and familiar, raising goosebumps all over her skin.
Fly me to the moon / Let me play among the stars / Let me see what spring is like / On Jupiter and Mars
When Tony started to sing the first few lines of the song, Pepper’s face split into a grin. As cheesy as it may have sounded, she felt like she was falling in love with him all over again, the kind-hearted and carefree spirit that he was.
Fill my heart with song / And let me sing for ever more / You are all I long for / All I worship and adore
Pepper noticed the golden streaks of sun peaking over the horizon, coming in through the large windows and painting Tony’s short-cropped hair. He watched her from the corner of his eye when he wasn’t focused on playing, a ghost of a smile on his lips. A quiet chuckle passed her own lips as Tony started to sway, getting carried away with the music.
In other words, please be true / In other words, in other words / I love you
The last chords were played with a flourish, poignant and final. Tony let out a breath before turning to her again, carefully swinging a leg over the bench to face her entirely, lips pursed to hide a smile. They looked at one another in a calm silence, staring at each other as if having a quiet conversation. The light of dawn hit Tony’s eyes at just the perfect angle, highlighting the gorgeous caramel-browns of his irises.
The couple closed the short distance between them, meeting in a kiss that was chaste and sweet. Tony leaned up then to press his lips to Pepper’s forehead; she closed her eyes, reveling in the moment.
“Thank you,” Tony said simply.
Pepper pulled away to look at him curiously. “For doing what?”
His expression was sincere, the look in his eyes intense as he met her blue orbs. “Just for being here.”
She took his hands in hers, feeling his callouses and rough skin from years of working with his tools. Pepper got up from the bench, angling for the stairs. “Honey, come back to bed. Let’s sleep a couple more hours.”
Tony pushed himself to his feet, following her lead as she pulled him away from the piano. He looked like a puppy with sleep slowly seeping into his bones. “I could probably do that, quick shut-eye,” he said, almost like he was trying to convince himself.
Pepper had used the en suite bathroom as Tony crawled into bed begrudgingly, and she faintly heard him telling the AI to alert him whenever the renderings were finished. Returning to the room, she found him fast asleep on his side of the bed, completely out like a light and already snoring. The redhead stood at the foot of the bed and smiled to herself. “JARVIS? Can you turn off any alerts before twelve-thirty?” Pepper questioned, slipping under the covers.
“Of course, Ms. Potts.”
She scooted closer to Tony, careful not to jostle him as she cuddled to his front. Even in his sleep, he wrapped a protective arm around her, burying his face in her hair. She fell asleep to the sound of his breathing, the scent of him filling her lungs.
It was the most rested either of them had felt in a long time.
