[ 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. ]
no subject
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. ]