sixwordstories | (no subject)

[Sighs tossing the file to the coffee table rubbing her temples] not unless you have coffee or about twenty aspirin Tony.

[Though really she should go to bed. Twenty hours straight trying to sort things out does not a happy Pepper make.]

No, go away, Tony.

[Tony doesn't go away he just hovers and smiles.]

Awww come on Wade you don't want to be buddy, buddy. now?

[Tony grins and holds out a coffee cup and a white bag.]

Mocha Latte two sugars and a blueberry bran muffin warmed for 30 seconds. You're welcome.

You're a life saver. [She scoots over a little to let him sit next to her, kissing his cheek.]

I'm starting to see why your new acquisition was failing though. The guy's brilliant, but he has everything jumbled together.

You know us genius' all flash but paperwork bores us. Octavius will make all the dragging through paper work worth it though.

Which leaves it to your PAs and he doesn't have one. [She wonders briefly if Janet has to deal with this all the time with Hank, then shakes her head.]

I'll try to finish making sense of it later. [Because really much needed coffee break!]

[Tony hands over the coffee and muffin settling on the couch beside Pepper.]

Have your snack and then I'll give you hugs to say thank you, sound good?

Only if you don't mind me falling asleep if the coffee doesn't kick in at all. [She actually leans against him holding the coffee in both hands.]

Hey how many times have you been my pillow...go ahead and crash if you need to.

More than I can count. [She grinned snuggling up more against him sipping at the coffee, and nibbling a little at the muffin. She did reach over to hand him the TV remote in case he didn't want to watch the business news she had been listening to] Nothing too loud okay?

That...depends on if you're offering.

[Says the girls obviously having trouble with the set of metal gloves she's wearing; they extend to her elbows, and, well...have you ever tried to reach the outside of your own elbow with a tool and be able to apply any sort of torque? It's not one of the easier things to do.]

[Tony nods.]

Of course I am, I'm the king of metal gloves duh. Come here and let me fix those for you.

Yeah, these...are not like yours. [She's still eyeing you, though she does hand over the hex screwdriver in her other hand.]

I just need a few plates tightened.

[He flips it from the news, where some damn pundit is complaining about Hydra and taxes to a nature documentary on the BBC, He turns the sound down and kisses Pepper's hair.]

Look cute polar bears, you like those right?

[Taking the screwdriver, Tony grins and whistles over a robot arm that chirps and bobs happily.]

Hey metal moron hold this lovely lady's arm still for me would you while I tighten her up.

Noriko.

My name is Noriko, and is that thing gonna tear my arm off or what? [She's eyeing DUM-E very, very suspiciously.]

[ The look on his face isn't exactly a sneer, but it would be hard to call it anything else. What sounds like hydraulics whine withing the confines of their metal cage, the arm itself nearly rippling with the movement.

His gaze returns back to the window, as if he was going to ignore Stark all together-- one could easily surmise he wasn't exactly adjusting to this 'life' so well. ]

It's fine.

[Tony counts to ten in his head used to Steve being a stubborn bastard when it comes to asking for help. He stands looking out the window for a long time before commenting.]

That arm doesn't sound fine just saying. It would take five minutes for me to look it over.

[ He knows there's some truth to Stark's words, that he can hear the gears grinding, the power lost, he hasn't been back-- hasn't been repaired since the last major scuffle. Yet the idea of someone prying his arm open, sinking into it with tools and hands and all sorts of unfamiliarity. It's strangely intimate, he's not sure if he'd have that or simply allow his arm to wear itself out-- a dead limb once again. He can feel it, knows those phantom pains.

Turning he takes a long moment to consider Tony with that unwavering stare. ] Steve trusts you. [ It's less a question and more a statement, though that little note of inflection at the end might not go unnoticed. ]

[Tony nods understanding the question better then Bucky might think he does. He can't resist being well him in his reply though.]

Like father like son I guess.

Howard. [ There's a small note of familiarity there; he'd been around too, he thinks. The name settles well on his tongue, a time and place he can only recall in a hazy mess that gives him nightly headaches. Someone better known to Steve than him, but isn't everyone? ]

No flying cars yet, though. [ It's not exactly a jab, a little slip of Bucky in the mess that was his mind now. ]

Yes but you're not getting me a stuffed one Tony, or even a real one. [She chuckles a little.]

Or at least not a huge one.

Not from you. [He's banged up, though. Someone needs to sit him down and look him over.]

That's a no which I'm totally going to ignore, sit down kid.

[Tony points at his worktable chair next to Dum-E.]

Or I'll make you.

Yeah never doing that again I promise.

[Tony smiles sadly and nods.]

Howard....yeah finally got married and had a kid. Shocked the hell out of Steve.

As for the flying car it took me a year or two but I got it working. Gave her away to a friend as a birthday present.

[Tony manages to look even sadder at the thought of Phil.]

Tony and this guy is Dum-E he's harmless unless you are on fire then he'll hose you down before you can say no.

[He pats the robot gently and it carefully lowers itself to grab the metal arm in a soft grip.]

[He takes one look at the robot and nearly panics.]

No. You're not my handler. I don't have to listen to you.

Luckily, I am rarely on fire. ...Will he hose me down for electricity?

Should I worry what you're planning for next year? [She's already bought his gift, and no he can't know about it because she hid it in her office.]

[ He can vaguely remember that day, when the world was so different, flying cars seemed like half-magic to him. Now he had an arm entirely composed of machinery. ]

Interesting. [ He drawls, but it isn't entirely dismissive but more thoughtful. ]

Steve trusts you. [ Another statement, giving more than he should. Bucky isn't good at trust. ]

He does and I'm not asking you to do the same right now, but that damaged arm isn't going to do you any good unless I fix it.

No of course not. I actually have a very nice gift picked out...normal sized too.

That so? [She giggled] Maybe you are learning then.

I also may have snuck a peek at what I "bought" you in past years. You really kept a list of those?

That list wasn't for anyone else to see. [Yes she's pouting a little] It should have stayed locked, and only kept it as a reminder Tony. To see how well you paid attention. [Okay so maybe she kept it for her personal reasons]

And believe me I do. That blue dress is still my favorite gift ever.

That one is still one of the best. Blue is a good color.

Should I send you the list of things I'm debating buying for myself too? You might get ideas.

You know what send it to Jarvis I need some more gift ideas that won't get me slapped.

You do know I slapped you for a different reason right? I was a little upset at everything... [It was just easier to sum it up with the bunny, and she did regret it when she thought he was dead!]

I know......and I'm sorry for everything that happened. I should have gotten help.

And if you had, who would have made it in time? All of you were spread thin at the time, besides we're both safe. It's good.

I put you at risk and that wasn't fair Pepper....you could have died twice and I would have never forgiven myself.

And you can every time you put that suit on. I survived... Had enough of being the action hero for a life time. I'll stick to the background and deal with the reporters who think it's ethical to make stuff up and avoid watching the news because I don't want to watch you get hurt.

Behind every man is a kick ass woman who loves fondue.....my dad always believed that and I agree with him.

[She laughs] As long as there aren't strawberries. [Hey chocolate and fruit are a wonderful combination!] And that's probably one of the first times you've mentioned him in context that wasn't all science. I should mark that on the calender.

Steve has been telling me stories about him, stories about how brave he was and how much Steve and Peggy meant to him. I'm starting to see him through new eyes now.

That's great though right?