Fic: In Another's Eyes (Chapter Eleven)
Title: In Another’s Eyes
Fandom: The Avengers (AU-Cinematic Universe)
Characters: Antonia “Toni” Stark, Steve Rogers, others.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Toni/Steve
Warnings: Mentions of Non-Con, bondage
Summary: A stalker is targeting Toni, which skews how she sees herself and how she allows others to see her.
Author's Notes: I really need a specific icon for this story...
( Chapter One) ( Chapter Two) ( Chapter Three) ( Chapter Four) ( Chapter Five) ( Chapter Six) ( Chapter Seven) ( Chapter Eight) ( Chapter Nine) ( Chapter Ten)
Chapter Eleven
Toni was surprised at how easily she was able to get Natasha to drive her to SHIELD to meet Pepper. She’s was also (pleasantly) surprised that Pepper actually did have coffee and ice cream-Ben and Jerry’s; Dublin Mud Slide for Toni, Chocolate Fudge Brownie for Pepper-waiting when Toni arrived at the penthouse. Toni liked the penthouse, but it didn’t have a workshop and wasn’t a good place for Toni to stay long term. It was good for days like today, when she needed to unwind… when she needed to have a talk with her best girlfriend. She hadn’t talked to Pepper since the first kidnapping and therefore hadn’t told her about the stalker; Toni didn’t want to worry her, have her rush out here when she had so much else on her mind.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, taking the cup of coffee Pepper handed to her as she sat down. “Had to reassure Cap that I wasn’t running off to have a ‘tryst’ with you.”
“A tryst?” Pepper asked. “He said that, really?”
“Really.” Toni sipped the coffee, smiling a little. “After I got it through to him that I just needed BFF time, I had to promise that Natasha would kill anyone that even looked at me the wrong way. I’ve had an interesting morning.”
“Sounds like it…” They were silent for a second.
“I really have to worry more about him running off on me,” Toni said definitively.
“Oh?” Pepper handed her a spoon, using her own to dive into her pint of ice cream. “Why’s that?”
“He’ll find a hooker with a heart of gold and forget about me. Or he’ll find himself, but with girl bits…”
“I doubt that. With the types of girls who will be throwing themselves at him?” She took a bite of her ice cream, savoring the flavor for a moment. “Do you really want to leave him to those wolves?”
“Oh god,” Toni replied, her mouth full of coffee fudge swirl. “He’d never survive.”
“Exactly.” Pepper watched Toni poke at her ice cream, dunking a spoonful into her hot coffee and eating it. “What’s going on?”
“I have a stalker,” Toni said, as if she was telling Pepper it would snow tomorrow. “First he kidnaps me on my run in the park, feels me up and leaves me. Then, after Fury freaks out and assigns Cap as my bodyguard, he catches me alone and throws me into the pool…” She pushed the ice cream and coffee aside, crossing her arms on the table and resting her head on them. “He got into my backyard, Pep, and I don’t know how…” Pepper moved her chair closer, resting an arm around Toni’s shoulder.
“We need better security then…” Toni shook her head.
“I’ve got the Avengers living with me now, moved in just after… I don’t think I can get much more secure than that.” She sighed. “So, I shut myself in the lab and built rocket boots and started an Iron Man suit for Cap and I sent you flowers, did you get the flowers? I'm really trying to remember things, I want to say it was your birthday or some other important day, tell me I was close for once?”
“I got the flowers,” Pepper assured her. “Not my birthday, but it was nice to get them anyway.” Toni sighed again.
“At least it wasn’t strawberries, I suppose…” She told Pepper the rest of the story; getting Steve to fight her in the workout room, the kiss, the near sex experience… “We were close, Pep,” she said. “We were so, so close… and I couldn’t do it.” Pepper moved her other hand to take Toni’s, squeezing gently.
“The scars?” Toni nodded.
“I don’t think I would have even shown you the scars if I could have helped it. You cheated though…”
“I did…” When they were dating, Pepper had sneaked into the shower with Toni, who freaked and ran out; it took her another week before Toni could explain without freaking out. Pepper knew of the scars, and that they came from Afghanistan; she did not know the exact circumstances and if Toni had it her way, she never would. That night was the only time Pepper had seen Toni naked.
“Is that why we didn’t work?” Toni asked softly. “Because I couldn’t…”
“Oh sweetie.” Pepper wrapped her arms around Toni, smoothing her hair and holding her tight. She had wondered if this was bothering her; the breakup had been mutual, they were still and always would be friends, but Pepper could tell something about it was eating away at Toni. So much so, that Toni left Malibu and headquartered herself in New York. “That’s not it at all, we just…” She sighed, kissing the side of Toni’s head. “It wasn’t as good of a fit as we thought. And we tried, we both tried hard… too hard. Sometimes things just don’t work, and us together was one of them.” Toni moved slightly to hug Pepper, shaking as she cried softly.
“This would be easier if you had someone,” Toni said after a moment, wiping her eyes but not moving to leave Pepper’s embrace. “I feel bad, leaving you there alone, I don’t like it…” Pepper broke the hug, looking into Toni’s eyes. “I mean… I’ve gotten saddled with a maniacal Norse god-he’s my favorite, by far-two ninjas, a green rage monster who I have to sing ‘Soft Kitty” to at least once a week and Captain Fucking America… and you’re in Malibu. Alone. And I don’t like it.” Pepper smoothed her hair, smiling tenderly.
“Natasha’s been back and forth helping me out,” she said. “And I’ve been working a lot more in New York lately, we might as well just move the rest of the office out here.”
“I’d be more likely to get to meetings,” Toni admitted. Pepper could see on her face that she was rewinding the conversation in her head, replaying something she thought she’d missed. “Wait, you and Natasha?” Pepper’s eyes widened slightly as she took a large bite of her ice cream. “Clint said she’s been running off somewhere, coming back really relaxed…”
“Yeah…” There was silence; Pepper looked up at Toni and saw that her face had changed. Her face was serious. She didn’t wear that face often. “What?”
“Are you happy?” Pepper blushed a little, sipping her coffee before nodding.
“Yes… yes, I am.”
“Good.”
“Are you alright with that? I didn’t want to make it real, because you work together…”
“You’re not going to try to give me details are you?” Pepper laughed.
“No, no details,” she promised.
“What about double dates? I’m not cool with double dates, Pepper.”
“No double dates either.”
“Then I’m totally alright.” Toni smiled, leaning over and kissing Pepper on the cheek. “You’re happy. I’m happy that you’re happy. You know that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She bit her bottom lip. “I feel like I should threaten Natasha… like if she hurts you or something, I’ll kill her.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t stand a chance…”
“What about you?” Pepper asked. Toni took a swig of her coffee.
“What about me?”
“Are you happy, with Steve? When you’re not freaking out?” A small smile curled Toni’s lips.
“Yeah? You know me, Pep, Steve Rogers has had my heart since I was a kid…” Pepper nodded. “And now he’s here. He doesn’t treat me like I’m lesser than him because I’m a girl, he makes me laugh.” She swirled her cup around, watching a small coffee whirlpool form. “He is cuddly.”
“Steve is cuddly?” Pepper asked, holding back a laugh.
“You wouldn’t think that, but yeah he is…” She chuckled a little. “And last night, when I kept saying we didn’t have to have sex if he didn’t want it… he was ready, Pep, god was he ready… but wasn’t, and that was okay…” Pepper squeezed her hand. “…He tells me to shut up, Pepper.”
“Good, you need that.”
“I know, right?” Toni looked at Pepper, a worried look on her face. “I’m scared, Pepper…”
“I know, sweetie. But I don’t think you have to be.”
“I don’t?”
“No; one, he’s already proven that he’s willing to go as slow as you want. Two, you don’t have to show him anything you don’t want him to see…”
“He’s seen just about everything; I was topless last night…”
“And three, he’s not the type to be bothered by a few scars. He didn’t run out screaming last night, did he?” Toni shook her head. “So what’s the problem?”
“I…” Toni sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve never been in love like this… I mean, god, I love you, Pepper, you know that. You’re the best and I don’t deserve you, but this…” She looked around suddenly. “Are you staying here while you’re in New York? Does it need to be cleaned, I can have the place cleaned…”
“I had people over yesterday to clean it. You paid for it.”
“Good… anything else I can pay for? I’m asking now, that’s an improvement, right?”
“That is an improvement, yes. I’ll let you know if you need to pay for anything else.”
“Good… I’ve stopped drinking.”
“I’m glad.”
“…I’m stalling.” Pepper smiled, giving her hand another squeeze.
“I know. Go talk to him?”
“I don’t know what to say,” Toni admitted. “He already knows everything…”
“Just talk to him. He might surprise you.” Toni nodded.
“We… we’re still okay?” Pepper laughed, giving her a hug.
“We’ll always be okay, Toni,” she promised. “Always.”
Fandom: The Avengers (AU-Cinematic Universe)
Characters: Antonia “Toni” Stark, Steve Rogers, others.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Toni/Steve
Warnings: Mentions of Non-Con, bondage
Summary: A stalker is targeting Toni, which skews how she sees herself and how she allows others to see her.
Author's Notes: I really need a specific icon for this story...
( Chapter One) ( Chapter Two) ( Chapter Three) ( Chapter Four) ( Chapter Five) ( Chapter Six) ( Chapter Seven) ( Chapter Eight) ( Chapter Nine) ( Chapter Ten)
Chapter Eleven
Toni was surprised at how easily she was able to get Natasha to drive her to SHIELD to meet Pepper. She’s was also (pleasantly) surprised that Pepper actually did have coffee and ice cream-Ben and Jerry’s; Dublin Mud Slide for Toni, Chocolate Fudge Brownie for Pepper-waiting when Toni arrived at the penthouse. Toni liked the penthouse, but it didn’t have a workshop and wasn’t a good place for Toni to stay long term. It was good for days like today, when she needed to unwind… when she needed to have a talk with her best girlfriend. She hadn’t talked to Pepper since the first kidnapping and therefore hadn’t told her about the stalker; Toni didn’t want to worry her, have her rush out here when she had so much else on her mind.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, taking the cup of coffee Pepper handed to her as she sat down. “Had to reassure Cap that I wasn’t running off to have a ‘tryst’ with you.”
“A tryst?” Pepper asked. “He said that, really?”
“Really.” Toni sipped the coffee, smiling a little. “After I got it through to him that I just needed BFF time, I had to promise that Natasha would kill anyone that even looked at me the wrong way. I’ve had an interesting morning.”
“Sounds like it…” They were silent for a second.
“I really have to worry more about him running off on me,” Toni said definitively.
“Oh?” Pepper handed her a spoon, using her own to dive into her pint of ice cream. “Why’s that?”
“He’ll find a hooker with a heart of gold and forget about me. Or he’ll find himself, but with girl bits…”
“I doubt that. With the types of girls who will be throwing themselves at him?” She took a bite of her ice cream, savoring the flavor for a moment. “Do you really want to leave him to those wolves?”
“Oh god,” Toni replied, her mouth full of coffee fudge swirl. “He’d never survive.”
“Exactly.” Pepper watched Toni poke at her ice cream, dunking a spoonful into her hot coffee and eating it. “What’s going on?”
“I have a stalker,” Toni said, as if she was telling Pepper it would snow tomorrow. “First he kidnaps me on my run in the park, feels me up and leaves me. Then, after Fury freaks out and assigns Cap as my bodyguard, he catches me alone and throws me into the pool…” She pushed the ice cream and coffee aside, crossing her arms on the table and resting her head on them. “He got into my backyard, Pep, and I don’t know how…” Pepper moved her chair closer, resting an arm around Toni’s shoulder.
“We need better security then…” Toni shook her head.
“I’ve got the Avengers living with me now, moved in just after… I don’t think I can get much more secure than that.” She sighed. “So, I shut myself in the lab and built rocket boots and started an Iron Man suit for Cap and I sent you flowers, did you get the flowers? I'm really trying to remember things, I want to say it was your birthday or some other important day, tell me I was close for once?”
“I got the flowers,” Pepper assured her. “Not my birthday, but it was nice to get them anyway.” Toni sighed again.
“At least it wasn’t strawberries, I suppose…” She told Pepper the rest of the story; getting Steve to fight her in the workout room, the kiss, the near sex experience… “We were close, Pep,” she said. “We were so, so close… and I couldn’t do it.” Pepper moved her other hand to take Toni’s, squeezing gently.
“The scars?” Toni nodded.
“I don’t think I would have even shown you the scars if I could have helped it. You cheated though…”
“I did…” When they were dating, Pepper had sneaked into the shower with Toni, who freaked and ran out; it took her another week before Toni could explain without freaking out. Pepper knew of the scars, and that they came from Afghanistan; she did not know the exact circumstances and if Toni had it her way, she never would. That night was the only time Pepper had seen Toni naked.
“Is that why we didn’t work?” Toni asked softly. “Because I couldn’t…”
“Oh sweetie.” Pepper wrapped her arms around Toni, smoothing her hair and holding her tight. She had wondered if this was bothering her; the breakup had been mutual, they were still and always would be friends, but Pepper could tell something about it was eating away at Toni. So much so, that Toni left Malibu and headquartered herself in New York. “That’s not it at all, we just…” She sighed, kissing the side of Toni’s head. “It wasn’t as good of a fit as we thought. And we tried, we both tried hard… too hard. Sometimes things just don’t work, and us together was one of them.” Toni moved slightly to hug Pepper, shaking as she cried softly.
“This would be easier if you had someone,” Toni said after a moment, wiping her eyes but not moving to leave Pepper’s embrace. “I feel bad, leaving you there alone, I don’t like it…” Pepper broke the hug, looking into Toni’s eyes. “I mean… I’ve gotten saddled with a maniacal Norse god-he’s my favorite, by far-two ninjas, a green rage monster who I have to sing ‘Soft Kitty” to at least once a week and Captain Fucking America… and you’re in Malibu. Alone. And I don’t like it.” Pepper smoothed her hair, smiling tenderly.
“Natasha’s been back and forth helping me out,” she said. “And I’ve been working a lot more in New York lately, we might as well just move the rest of the office out here.”
“I’d be more likely to get to meetings,” Toni admitted. Pepper could see on her face that she was rewinding the conversation in her head, replaying something she thought she’d missed. “Wait, you and Natasha?” Pepper’s eyes widened slightly as she took a large bite of her ice cream. “Clint said she’s been running off somewhere, coming back really relaxed…”
“Yeah…” There was silence; Pepper looked up at Toni and saw that her face had changed. Her face was serious. She didn’t wear that face often. “What?”
“Are you happy?” Pepper blushed a little, sipping her coffee before nodding.
“Yes… yes, I am.”
“Good.”
“Are you alright with that? I didn’t want to make it real, because you work together…”
“You’re not going to try to give me details are you?” Pepper laughed.
“No, no details,” she promised.
“What about double dates? I’m not cool with double dates, Pepper.”
“No double dates either.”
“Then I’m totally alright.” Toni smiled, leaning over and kissing Pepper on the cheek. “You’re happy. I’m happy that you’re happy. You know that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She bit her bottom lip. “I feel like I should threaten Natasha… like if she hurts you or something, I’ll kill her.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t stand a chance…”
“What about you?” Pepper asked. Toni took a swig of her coffee.
“What about me?”
“Are you happy, with Steve? When you’re not freaking out?” A small smile curled Toni’s lips.
“Yeah? You know me, Pep, Steve Rogers has had my heart since I was a kid…” Pepper nodded. “And now he’s here. He doesn’t treat me like I’m lesser than him because I’m a girl, he makes me laugh.” She swirled her cup around, watching a small coffee whirlpool form. “He is cuddly.”
“Steve is cuddly?” Pepper asked, holding back a laugh.
“You wouldn’t think that, but yeah he is…” She chuckled a little. “And last night, when I kept saying we didn’t have to have sex if he didn’t want it… he was ready, Pep, god was he ready… but wasn’t, and that was okay…” Pepper squeezed her hand. “…He tells me to shut up, Pepper.”
“Good, you need that.”
“I know, right?” Toni looked at Pepper, a worried look on her face. “I’m scared, Pepper…”
“I know, sweetie. But I don’t think you have to be.”
“I don’t?”
“No; one, he’s already proven that he’s willing to go as slow as you want. Two, you don’t have to show him anything you don’t want him to see…”
“He’s seen just about everything; I was topless last night…”
“And three, he’s not the type to be bothered by a few scars. He didn’t run out screaming last night, did he?” Toni shook her head. “So what’s the problem?”
“I…” Toni sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve never been in love like this… I mean, god, I love you, Pepper, you know that. You’re the best and I don’t deserve you, but this…” She looked around suddenly. “Are you staying here while you’re in New York? Does it need to be cleaned, I can have the place cleaned…”
“I had people over yesterday to clean it. You paid for it.”
“Good… anything else I can pay for? I’m asking now, that’s an improvement, right?”
“That is an improvement, yes. I’ll let you know if you need to pay for anything else.”
“Good… I’ve stopped drinking.”
“I’m glad.”
“…I’m stalling.” Pepper smiled, giving her hand another squeeze.
“I know. Go talk to him?”
“I don’t know what to say,” Toni admitted. “He already knows everything…”
“Just talk to him. He might surprise you.” Toni nodded.
“We… we’re still okay?” Pepper laughed, giving her a hug.
“We’ll always be okay, Toni,” she promised. “Always.”