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Pepper is alone in her office when a portal opens and Doctor Strange steps through.
His expression is neutral, perhaps even slightly pleasant, but despite that Pepper can’t help wondering if this is the fallout from James’ evening with Tony two days ago. Her heart rate picks up, but she puts on her best board meeting smile and turns away from her computer. “Doctor Strange. Has my assistant missed an appointment? You aren’t on my calendar.”
“I checked your calendar, you’re not busy,” he says, seating himself across the desk from her. His Cloak twitches out of the way to allow him to sit smoothly without his hands ever approaching it.
Pepper’s smile never falters. “I’m not Tony,” she says. “I don’t find the invasion of privacy charming, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t portal into my space without asking.”
Strange is silent for a moment. “Of course,” he says eventually. “My apologies. Would you prefer I return later? With an appointment, of course.”
“No, I’ll make an exception today, since we hadn’t established boundaries yet,” Pepper says. Her heart is still racing. “But I expect them to be respected in the future. What can I do for you?”
“Actually, I’m here to reassure you,” Strange says seriously.
“Me?” Pepper can’t help the small laugh that escapes her. “About what?”
“That I have no intention of interfering in your friendship with Tony. Or that of James’ Rhodes.”
Pepper’s professional smile cools a little. “And what makes you think I need reassurance on that front?”
“The other night, Colonel Rhodes told Tony he was worried I wouldn’t want Tony to see him,” Strange explains. “It seems likely that you share that worry, and while Tony has somewhat allayed Colonel Rhodes’ concern, I thought that you might prefer to hear it from the horses’ mouth. So to speak.”
He’s not wrong, but he’s also making Pepper wonder if Tony told him about that conversation or if he just listened in. Pepper considers Strange for a long moment. “I need more than that,” she says. “Tony is too important to me and you’re too much of an unknown quantity to just take your word for it.”
Strange nods like he expected that. “May I take it as a given that you accept that my devotion to Tony is genuine?” When Pepper hesitates, Strange’s mouth takes on a wry tilt. “Whether or not you consider it healthy.” Pepper waves for him to go on. Strange spreads his hands. “Let me put it this way: Tony’s friendships with you and Colonel Rhodes are fundamental to who he is as a person. I am very fond of who Tony is as a person, and therefore I am very protective of his friendships with you.”
Pepper studies Strange for a long moment. He meets her gaze steadily. Pepper’s always been a good judge of people, and she has to admit he seems sincere. That said, his explanation raises a whole host of other concerns. What would he do if he felt Tony’s fundamental friendships were being threatened? What would constitute a threat? What about relationships that he doesn’t consider fundamental? What about other things that could affect who Tony is as a person?
Unfortunately, those things are too broad or too speculative to address to any helpful degree. Pepper chooses the one that has kept her up a few nights instead: “You don’t find his past relationship with me threatening?”
Strange chuckles and folds his hands together. “Quite the contrary. The nature of your romance with Tony and the manner of its dissolution contributed significantly to his interest in my style of relationship.”
Pepper can’t help but wonder, uneasily, if she should feel guilty about that. She knows that she’s not responsible for Tony, that he’s a grown man capable of making his own choices, but she’s also spent a long time taking care of him, professional and personally, and the idea that she left him vulnerable to Strange’s obsession… “And what happens,” she asks aloud, “if Tony decides that he’s not interested in your style of relationship anymore?”
“I don’t think that’s likely.” There’s something oddly certain about the way Strange says that. The feeling is only heightened by the way he smiles. “And he’ll have you and Colonel Rhodes regardless, won’t he?” Strange pushes back his chair and stands.
“Of course,” Pepper says, automatically rising to her feet as well. She needs to follow up with some type of parting comment, but nothing seems appropriate. Strange’s professed purpose aside, she isn’t feeling particularly reassured. This wasn’t their first meeting, and even if it had been, it wasn’t exactly nice. Ultimately, Pepper settles for a generic, “Thank you for coming by.”
“I’ll be sure to make an appointment next time,” Strange says.
Pepper doesn’t feel at all as if she won anything there.
From the set of Strange’s shoulders and the look in his eye as he steps through another portal, he knows it.