arcreact | ( savrou ) ic contact

[ It's absolutely unfair, and that it comes from Pepper at all sends a pang through him like some kind of electric shock.

He already feels guilty for transgressions not yet committed, because this damn place - it may not be as bad as it was aboard the Moira, the danger may be more spread out, but he's been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Hawke's haunt on the slaver planet and Elena's death just confirm it. They may be playing house well enough for now, but they'll never really be safe, not until they get home.

Except, not even there.

His fingers trace absent-minded circles in the small of her back while they both dutifully ignore that reality. ]

Cross my electromagnetic heart.

[ She knows he can't make promises like that; he knows he can't make promises like that. But Pepper had been his reason to keep fighting even before she'd arrived, so there's no reason to pretend otherwise now. If there's anyone he'd try for, it's her. ]

[ Deep down Pepper knew all too well how unsustainable this little charade was -- yesterday kind of brought it home in the worst possible way. But for a moment, it had been nice to believe maybe, just maybe, they could have a shot at the so-called normal life. That she didn't have to fear something terrible happening, something going awfully wrong, all day and all night.

That illusion has been shattered, but she's still more inclined to take Tony's lie -- because that's what it is at its heart, even if it's well-meant -- than face the reality that implies next time some calamity happens, it could be Tony on the line of fire. (That's more unbearable to her than thinking about something bad happening to Pepper herself.)

She nods slightly into his shoulder, her frame going lax against his body for a moment as if his promise takes some invisible weight off her shoulders. ]

I'm gonna hold you to that.

[ Oh, would she ever. Pulling her head up finally, she palms the side of his face gently and leans in to press her lips to his in a soft kiss, closing her eyes and letting the contact linger. ]

Come to bed, [ she urges softly once the kiss breaks, giving a tiniest smile and finding his hand with hers to tangle their fingers, tugging slightly to get him on the move. ]

[ Though Tony and Hawke get on like a house on fire, that doesn't mean Tony claims to understand half of what goes on in Hawke's head.

That sort of becomes obvious again, while he listens to her ramble.

At first he assumes this is a diversion tactic, though certainly more elaborate than her usual. She could exclaim about the shitty alien weather or insult something Tony said three days ago if she wanted a quick out from his prying questions, but her story starts dragging on too long and too solemn for that to be the reason. She doesn't even bother to look at him while she does it. It's not normal.

So he doesn't interject or ask where this is going - just shuts up and listens, until she gets to the end and it seems the sad tale might be leading into something more. ]

Sounds about right. [ He watches her fingers in the dirt rather than her, lest she feel like a bug that's being pinned to a velvet sheet. ] Depending on how benevolent your oppressing overlords are, of course.

[Hawke is quiet for a few seconds. Which is unusual because it seems like the perfect place to toss back some kind of quip or insult. And she wishes she had one. But right now she's sort of in shock at the extent to which she just spilled her guts to him. Hawke doesn't do that. Her heart is held so close to her chest that sometimes even she doesn't know how to let her guard drop.

She feels... tired. Like she had thought maybe telling the truth, even if it had been nonsensical and round about, would relieve some of the anxiety tearing at her chest. Like the relief you get from nausea after vomiting. Unpleasant but ultimately better. Instead she just feels tired, numb, like when you have a bad case of the flu.

Hawke sighs and finally looks back up at him.]

Death is generally pretty brutal. Or at least that's probably why it has such a bad reputation.

[ He doesn't get it at first. It seems like a pretty generic statement, all things considered, but then why- ]

[ I suppose I did rebel.

But here's the thing about rebellions. They either succeed. Or are quashed. Brutally.

Death is generally pretty brutal.

He may be dense in a lot of places that matter, but he's never once been accused of being stupid. ]

[ He's on his feet before he really registers what he's doing or why. ]

No.

[ Everyone has a home to return to. That's what he's hyper-focused on these long months, desperately trying to unravel the secrets of the Ingress, constantly motivated by that distant possibility that they'll someday be returned to where they came from.

He's never thought too hard about what it would be like to part ways, or what might happen if someone didn't have somewhere to return - couldn't return. How do you live if you know you're already dead?

It's insane. ]

Forget it. Fuck that.

[Hawke blinks up at him like she can't imagine what's got him so upset. The idea that he's so indignant at her situation doesn't really register. Most people don't really get concerned over her as much as what she can do for him.

With raised eyebrows she cocks her head.]

Language. And yes, I've been trying to forget but it hasn't exactly been working. In case you haven't noticed we're sitting in the middle of nowhere in the dark.

[ Tony doesn't respond right away, because he's too busy pacing. Hawke might recognize it from those long afternoons spent pretending to be his body guard down in engineering, because it's the same kind of pacing he did when he was on the cusp of some breakthrough or other and felt compelled to chase it with perpetual motion.

This continues for a while before he stops in front of her, with comical abruptness. ]

How do you feel about a city loft? Kind of pricey, though it's not like you'd be paying for it, so whatever. Open bar, too, if you're willing to bartend for yourself, and the house is pretty good at taking care of the nitty-gritty like coffee-making and laundry. Unless it's dry cleaning, but I seriously doubt you own anything that requires dry cleaning, so that's not really a thing. Forget I mentioned it.

Oh, and the hot tub. I nearly forgot. It's got a color-changing LED strobe lining, that seems like exactly the kind of thing that'd entertain you.

[ Feel free to stop him anytime, otherwise he'll just keep anxiously babbling. ]

[Hawke DEFINITELY recognizes it and knows that there's no point in trying to interrupt him when he gets like this so she just watches, her eyes trailing behind his feet. That is until watching him pace gets slightly nauseating and she opens her mouth to quip just as he unleashes his torrent of thoughts on her.]

...You just said a lot of words very fast that I wouldn't make any sense if you said them slower because I don't know what any of that it is. Except the bar. I'd never say no to an open bar.

[It's a bit endearing.]

Edited 2017-06-26 16:05 (UTC)

[ Words can't do his fancy hot tub justice, so it's best to leave that one a mystery. He's a little too rattled to pick up that typical bait, anyway. ]

Great, it's all settled then. Thirty-second floor is all yours, I'll order double the housekeeping. Just keep the explosions relatively contained and we'll be problem-free. Bet you'll love New York pizza, too.

[ And as far as he's concerned - it is settled. Go back to a world where all that awaits you is death? Absolutely not. It's beyond outrageous, and he wouldn't wish it on (most) anyone - but especially not Hawke. "Dead" and "Hawke" are two concepts so far removed that putting them together makes no sense at all. ]

That's-

[She has a joke here. Right? Because it sounds like Tony is asking her to come with him back to his world of tall buildings and people who fly around in suits and there's cars everywhere. Or at least that's what she makes of New York from what he's said.

But that's crazy. Not only the idea of leaving her own behind but the idea that he would want her to come with him. To disrupt the life that he desperately wants to get back to.]

You want me... to come back with you... and live in your house? Am I putting the pieces together correctly? Sorry, I'm still learning how to speak "Tony Stark". But that's what it sounds like you're saying.

[ He returns the kiss in kind, something in his chest seeming to tightening even as Pepper relaxes. It's not as simple as Tony being in danger, and Pepper being safe; Pepper is always in danger. She's in danger back home, weeks or months from going through an ordeal Tony has only heard secondhand from Bruce. She's in danger here, as much as any of them are, as much as Elena was - and there's only so much Tony can do to protect her, short of bundling her into this house and urging her to never leave.

Also not an option, for either of them.

So he holds on as long as he can, and ignores the slight swoop of disappointment when she pulls away (but that's always there, every time, totally normal). He gives her fingers a squeeze as they tangle with his and follows her from the workshop, through the dark and quiet house (too quiet, eerily quiet, like a funeral shroud has been dropped over the entire thing), and into their shared room.

As they cross the threshold, he thinks idly about how he really hasn't spent much time in here, and how maybe he should fix that. ]

What time is it?

[ He thinks to ask only after the door is shut behind them, and he's left to wonder how long Pepper has stayed up waiting for him. ]

[ It feels a little selfish again, but Pepper can't help but be slightly relieved when the door shuts softly in their wake, closing them into this private bubble for a while; shutting out the oppressive sadness permeating the whole house. Not that either of them can truly forget the circumstances, even so.

Since she's the one who's mostly been using their room, not to mention more interested in interior design in general, their room is all Pepper decor-wise; done in a neat and elegant contemporary style with mostly neutral shades of white, black and grey -- but livened up with pops of calming blue. Pepper toes off her slippers as she checks the bedside clock for the time. ]

Going past midnight, now.

[ Early for Tony, late for her, in other words. The covers of their king-sized bed are already turned down and rumpled on Pepper's side, betraying the fact that she'd uselessly tried to go to bed once already tonight. Ziggy the space piggy is sleeping on the floor on Pepper's side of the bed, snuggled up to a blanket in what looks to be a small dog bed -- she'd make introductions soon. ]

Far too late for old ladies like me, [ she jokes wanly while shrugging off her fluffy robe, her pj's consisting simply of a pilfered t-shirt of Tony's that hangs down to mid-thigh, far too large on her slender frame. ]

so im in jail and this is my one tab uses so.

im in jail. feed kitty. also remember u have word limits on lectures and i have 5 min

Edited 2017-06-27 22:09 (UTC)

[ He's awake because Of Course He Is ]

pal we only have ONE RULE

[ — Wait ]

what the hell
did you finally get arrested for indecent public exposure

[ Tony toes off his work boots and leaves them next to the door before working his way around the bed, headed for the closet. Something about the mundane action makes him realizes he's as exhausted as the rest of them, even if it isn't quite "bedtime" by his standards. The emotional toll has been far heavier than the most strenuous physical labor. ]

Pep, if you're an old lady then you'd better pony up your secret to immortality —

[ He gives her a pointed (salacious) look over his shoulder as he says it, and the up-and-down he's giving her is probably the only reason he spots the odd bundle on the floor. He stops abruptly, blinking a few times like he might just be imagining things. Wouldn't be the first time. ]

Uh... Do we have a dog and I didn't notice?

if only

then at least the person who saw my tits would have left with a positive

well, naturally

is this a courtesy call or a request for somebody to post bail

its definitely both so i only have to write one text

[ Pepper smirks at that look as she puts away her robe, tossing him a playful wink in return. It's always a little flattering to get glances like that from him, even though there's certainly nothing she has that he hasn't seen numerous times before.

At the question, she bites her lip and turns to look over to the bundle in question. Ah, yes. This would be interesting. ]

Umm, well not... exactly.

[ She pads over to the pet bed and stoops down to gently scoop up the tiny creature in it, cuddling it carefully against her chest. As she turns around and steps closer to Tony, he too can see what exactly it is; a pink-and-black piglet, over half the size smaller than Elena's cat. ]

Tony, this is Ziggy. He's a teacup pig. [ Obviously. She pets his little head gently, rubbing with a finger behind one ear; the sleepy little pig seems to like it, judging by the contented, soft grunting sounds he emits, closing his eyes happily. Pepper grins. ]

Isn't he adorable? [ To the pig; ] Yes, you are.

Yes? Obviously. What, just let you walk back to your doom in medieval dragon land when you could be sipping whiskey in a penthouse instead?

[ Obviously he thought this was clear as day. ]

[She gets to her feet too, finally. A little shaky, a comparison of an overly leggy baby deer isn't exactly far off. But she makes her way over to him, standing right in front of him to prevent him from pacing any further.

For a brief moment she looks hard at his face, as if trying to search out some sort of lie or catch. Finding none, she looks at his shoes and then back at up at him.]

This isn't a weird fetish thing, is it? I don't have to sleep on the end of your bed like a dog or anything. Or engage in any funny business. Not that Pepper isn't attractive and I couldn't pleasure her, but it just wouldn't be right.

[This is your chance to say no, Tony. She's waiting for it.]

First, if you talk about pleasuring Pepper again, I'm gonna have to toss you in a hexagonal crater.

Second, no. I've never engaged in funny business in my entire life.

[ Which is a blatant goddamn lie, but it doesn't matter, because Hawke will take his meaning anyway. He just looks back at her without a hint of doubt in his expression. ]

( savrou ) ic contact

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text to [@hawke if it's 4am and you're about to send a message, DON'T]

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