Fic: You Complete Me, Tony/Pepper, PG-13
Title: You Complete Me
Pairing: Tony/Pepper
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 890
Summary: Written for this prompt - Pepperony, Tony does right by her for once.
“Tony! God, just - enough, alright? You just - you know what? I can’t keep doing this. I can’t. I’m done.”
The door closes quietly, of course, as Pepper leaves. Even after what was basically a shouting match, she's still much too classy to do something as dramatic as slamming the door behind her.
Somehow, though, that tiny click sounds as loud as a bomb going off.
Tony stands and stares for a long moment, and then grinds his teeth together and sinks down onto the couch behind him. Even after all these years, it's amazing how badly he's still able to fuck up where Pepper is concerned.
- - -
It's been almost three weeks, and Tony is almost ready to scratch off his own skin. For all that Jarvis is good company, Stark Tower is utterly empty without Pepper wandering the halls, smiling at him and generally holding Tony's entire world together.
"Sir."
"What is it, Jarvis."
"It may not be my place to say, but perhaps some kind of apology is in order."
Jarvis' voice is cool and calm, but there's a hint of reproach there, and Tony's only response is to bite down against a growl. If even his computer system is beginning to passive aggressively call him out on being a douchebag, then he knows that he has most definitely fucked up.
- - -
A few hours later, sitting alone with his drink and staring at the wall, it occurs to him that, this time, he might have actually pushed Pepper too far, and that she might never walk the halls of Stark Tower again. That she might never be there again to put him together when he’s done something stupid and torn himself apart. The thought feels like being punched in the lungs, and Tony closes his eyes as he curls up on the couch, reciting the periodic table in his head as he tries to not picture a world without Pepper in it.
- - -
The next morning finds him standing outside the door to Pepper’s hotel room.
Beyond a cursory text to inform him of her location and to tell him that she was alive, there hasn’t been any communication since the day she left, and Tony swallows hard as he knocks on the door. He doesn’t deserve Pepper - he never has - and when footsteps stop on the other side of the door, he has to shove his hands into his pockets to stop them from shaking. The five seconds it takes before the door opens feels like an eternity, and then Pepper is in front of him, looking as calm and collected and beautiful as always, and Tony has to take a deep breath before he speaks.
“Can I come in?”
“Why?”
“Just - come on. I need to talk to you.”
She stares at him for a second before stepping aside to let him pass, and by the time the door is closed and Tony is just standing there and Pepper is staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest, Tony’s already kicking himself for how much of a coward he is when it comes to this. He can take on terrorists without flinching, but apparently apologizing to his girlfriend is a lot more frightening than that.
“Well?”
He wants to come up with something clever. Something snarky, something witty. Wants to brush everything off and try to come at this from an angle that doesn’t feel so vulnerable. But Pepper’s eyes are red-rimmed, and Tony is actually going to lose her for good if he’s not careful, and that is just - not an option.
“I suck at this.”
“Tony -”
“No, really, I do. I know I do. God knows why you put up with me. I’m fucking obnoxious.”
“Tony -”
“And I thought about buying you property on the moon, you know, as an apology, or something, but then I figured you’d just chew me out for spending company money -”
“Tony -”
“You complete me. You always have. Please don’t leave me.”
He somehow gets the words out, and then promptly finds something to look at that isn’t Pepper. He doesn’t realize he’s chosen to focus on the carpet until Pepper’s long legs are blocking the view, and then there’s a hand under his chin and he’s being forced to look up into her concerned eyes.
“Are you high?”
“I - what? No, why would you -”
“Tony -”
“I mean it. And I’ll do better. And I’m sorry for being such a jerk, and I really don't need an arc reactor in a box, because you're living proof that I've got a heart, and I really cannot make it any clearer than that, and please, please for the love of god make me stop talking because all this discussion of feelings is going to give me hives and I really don’t want hives and -”
Warm lips are suddenly pressed against his, soft and slow and absolutely perfect, and Tony’s knees definitely do not wobble, thank you very much. By the time Pepper pulls him in closer, his hands on her waist and her palm pressed against his cheek, Tony can do nothing more than close his eyes and breathe, holding on tight as he concentrates on the feeling of Pepper’s heart beating against his chest.
Pairing: Tony/Pepper
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 890
Summary: Written for this prompt - Pepperony, Tony does right by her for once.
“Tony! God, just - enough, alright? You just - you know what? I can’t keep doing this. I can’t. I’m done.”
The door closes quietly, of course, as Pepper leaves. Even after what was basically a shouting match, she's still much too classy to do something as dramatic as slamming the door behind her.
Somehow, though, that tiny click sounds as loud as a bomb going off.
Tony stands and stares for a long moment, and then grinds his teeth together and sinks down onto the couch behind him. Even after all these years, it's amazing how badly he's still able to fuck up where Pepper is concerned.
- - -
It's been almost three weeks, and Tony is almost ready to scratch off his own skin. For all that Jarvis is good company, Stark Tower is utterly empty without Pepper wandering the halls, smiling at him and generally holding Tony's entire world together.
"Sir."
"What is it, Jarvis."
"It may not be my place to say, but perhaps some kind of apology is in order."
Jarvis' voice is cool and calm, but there's a hint of reproach there, and Tony's only response is to bite down against a growl. If even his computer system is beginning to passive aggressively call him out on being a douchebag, then he knows that he has most definitely fucked up.
- - -
A few hours later, sitting alone with his drink and staring at the wall, it occurs to him that, this time, he might have actually pushed Pepper too far, and that she might never walk the halls of Stark Tower again. That she might never be there again to put him together when he’s done something stupid and torn himself apart. The thought feels like being punched in the lungs, and Tony closes his eyes as he curls up on the couch, reciting the periodic table in his head as he tries to not picture a world without Pepper in it.
- - -
The next morning finds him standing outside the door to Pepper’s hotel room.
Beyond a cursory text to inform him of her location and to tell him that she was alive, there hasn’t been any communication since the day she left, and Tony swallows hard as he knocks on the door. He doesn’t deserve Pepper - he never has - and when footsteps stop on the other side of the door, he has to shove his hands into his pockets to stop them from shaking. The five seconds it takes before the door opens feels like an eternity, and then Pepper is in front of him, looking as calm and collected and beautiful as always, and Tony has to take a deep breath before he speaks.
“Can I come in?”
“Why?”
“Just - come on. I need to talk to you.”
She stares at him for a second before stepping aside to let him pass, and by the time the door is closed and Tony is just standing there and Pepper is staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest, Tony’s already kicking himself for how much of a coward he is when it comes to this. He can take on terrorists without flinching, but apparently apologizing to his girlfriend is a lot more frightening than that.
“Well?”
He wants to come up with something clever. Something snarky, something witty. Wants to brush everything off and try to come at this from an angle that doesn’t feel so vulnerable. But Pepper’s eyes are red-rimmed, and Tony is actually going to lose her for good if he’s not careful, and that is just - not an option.
“I suck at this.”
“Tony -”
“No, really, I do. I know I do. God knows why you put up with me. I’m fucking obnoxious.”
“Tony -”
“And I thought about buying you property on the moon, you know, as an apology, or something, but then I figured you’d just chew me out for spending company money -”
“Tony -”
“You complete me. You always have. Please don’t leave me.”
He somehow gets the words out, and then promptly finds something to look at that isn’t Pepper. He doesn’t realize he’s chosen to focus on the carpet until Pepper’s long legs are blocking the view, and then there’s a hand under his chin and he’s being forced to look up into her concerned eyes.
“Are you high?”
“I - what? No, why would you -”
“Tony -”
“I mean it. And I’ll do better. And I’m sorry for being such a jerk, and I really don't need an arc reactor in a box, because you're living proof that I've got a heart, and I really cannot make it any clearer than that, and please, please for the love of god make me stop talking because all this discussion of feelings is going to give me hives and I really don’t want hives and -”
Warm lips are suddenly pressed against his, soft and slow and absolutely perfect, and Tony’s knees definitely do not wobble, thank you very much. By the time Pepper pulls him in closer, his hands on her waist and her palm pressed against his cheek, Tony can do nothing more than close his eyes and breathe, holding on tight as he concentrates on the feeling of Pepper’s heart beating against his chest.