1693/Intervention

Intervention
Date of Scene:	16 May 2020
Location:	1693 Pepper's apartment, Upper West Side
Synopsis:	Once again, Cap saves the day.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Steve Rogers

---

Pepper Potts has posed:
The sun's set in the City, the streetlights are what illumines this part of town. The garish lights are left behind, and here, in the older section, things are actually quieting down.

Pepper's got the night off, or rather, she's taken it. No meetings in person tonight, no staying up later to finish that 'one more' report; no. Tony has been left behind to his own devices in the Penthouse, and she is home.

The apartment is tastefully furnished with both antiques and eclectic bits of art that seem to merge to form a decidedly unique and fun decoration theme. It's far from the steel and glass of work. Her couch has crocheted quilts tossed across the back; throwback to home in New England, no doubt. The coffee pot burbles away in the small but 'cozy' kitchen, the appliance tucked away due to lack of counter space.

Pepper herself is dressed casually; jeans, flats, sweatshirt to take off that bit of winter chill. Her hair is tossed back into a messy ponytail, and any makeup that she might have worn at work is gone. Two empty mugs sit on the table, as well as a small buttercake on a plate, butter knife to the side with two small plates.

She stands near the pot, back to the counter, her fingers entwined in front of him. "I really do appreciate this, Steve. I feel kind of silly coming to you as much as I do. But, I just think that you can get to him better than I can."

Steve Rogers has posed:
The missive came in at the end of the day, when Steve was leaving the Triskelion. He'd paused beside his motorcycle upon hearing the chime and looked at the phone, expression in practiced nonchalance. Nodding once, he'd then taken a route to the address listed rather than back to the mansion proper.

Now, seated at the kitchen table with attention on Pepper, he looks as if...well, he just arrived from work. His button-down in slate-blue is lighter than his charcoal-dark slacks and he has Oxfords on his feet -- must have been a proper meeting day rather than racketing around the office or out training the newer agents. These instances would have required combat boots.

"'m honored by your faith in me, Pepper. Not sure how much of that is true, but it gives me all the more hope that he does listen to me when I share my thoughts with him." Lifting a hand off his bicep from his lightly crossed arms, he then settles his hands atop one another and atop his belt buckle. His headshake is a small thing as he sighs, eyes briefly off towards the window nearby. "What've you seen lately?" he asks, attention moving back to Pepper.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper smiles and exhales softly, shaking her head. "You know how he can get. He latches on to something and doesn't let go." Which is one of his many charms, really. "He's pulled himself out, and I think the pendulum is swinging the other way."

Twisting about in order to pull the pot from the burner as it begins to make its empty sounds, Pepper carries the carafe back to the table only to set it down on a trivet before she sits down. She's a little tense, a little unsure how to continue, and it's evident in her hesitations.

"He's back to drinking. I've managed to get him back to bed, but the excess I haven't seen for.." a little while. "It's nice to have the old Tony back, but there are parts of this..?"

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Don't think you're wrong." Steve's quiet agreement floats over towards Pepper's turned back. He again looks away and out towards the window, brows gathering as he does the same with his thoughts. He better turns to face the table once his hostess returns with the filled coffee carafe. Eyes blue as the height of a midsummer day's sky rest on her with a patient attention as she finds her words.

His chin dips in a nod. "I agree. Recently spoke with Tony myself 'nd he was pleased to have a bottle of whiskey accessible while we talked over pizza."

The Captain falls silent, introspective, but not for long. "Offered him my connections that I have through Veteran's Affairs, people to talk to who aren't me -- who have a degree in saying the right things to help folks understand what they're doing to themselves 'nd why they're doing it." His smile is knowing if still a touch sad. "He pulled his normal route of deflection. Makes me think he's aware that he's falling back into bad habits, but there's been enough stress that he's feeling it's safer for him to drink than to open up in front of somebody."

Steve sighs. "Don't blame him. Nobody comes out of being kidnapped without some coping reaction."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper presses her lips together in a thin line before she leans lightly on the table, her forearms laying on the edge, hands slightly together. "I can understand a glass. I've even poured him one at the end of the day, or a glass of wine, or champagne. But, there's a drink and.. to the point where I have to pick him up and put him to bed." She puts out a hand only to shake her head, "No.. forget I said that. It's not fair. I. I just would love some help to know what to say."

The offer of a VA, and other potential help is met with a slightly sad expression, and her head shakes slightly. "I don't blame him." A soft chuff of breath escapes the woman, and her features soften, "I think he's doing pretty good, considering he's got that thing in the center of his chest, and survived his second kidnapping."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"There's doing good 'nd there's doing good." Sure, Steve. Even he seems to recognize that he was all but repeating himself but for the subtle difference in tones and smirks faintly. He glances down at the buttercake and then back up again.

"What 've learned over the years working with the VA 'nd with friends in the field is that denial's part of a coping mechanism. It's a way to keep at what feels comfortable, what feels safe, in a behavior. Folks can tell me they're fine 'nd sometimes they are -- sometimes they're not 'nd it's a deflection. I take a step back 'nd evaluate: what can I do to help then, if anything? If I can't, I figure somebody else can. There's always hope, even if things're dark. Just sometimes, folks forget this because they're overwhelmed."

In keeping with a steady conversation and even, calm presence, Steve reaches to then pour himself a cup of coffee. He then pours one for Pepper as well as he continues speaking.

"'s'not that it's not fair, what you said earlier. 's'what you observed in him. Seen it too myself. Biggest thing Tony needs to understand is that speaking to somebody about it isn't weakness. It's coming to the person having already carried a big stick long enough to beat your problems away 'nd realizing back-up's gonna help -- that somebody's on your side 'nd wants you to get better. As far as what you want to say...what've you said so far?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
"I just don't want to see him self-destruct. I can't watch that. I'm so tired of watching it." Pepper looks across the table, and she listens, honestly paying attention and those wheels are turning behind slightly wet green eyes. "And I sure don't want the world to see it." Which, knowing Tony, is entirely possible. "Give him this one thing in private."

Pepper pauses for a few heartbeats as the coffee is poured, and she murmurs a 'thanks' before pulling the mug a little closer to her. "I'm hoping that his present help pulls him out. Gives him something to focus on. I know he is looking at putting the suit on again, and it's very important to him.." But? "It puts him right back in the middle of it. As it is, I'm not sure how he sle-"

Sleeps. He doesn't sleep.

"Oh, Steve.."

Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve nods understanding, his gaze downfallen to the surface of his coffee. He can see the shine of oil atop it, indicative of its darker roast, and he sips at it now, savoring the taste. It's leaps and bounds better than the swill he used to drink while involved with the war and he's silently grateful for it.

"Might be that the best thing is for Tony to come back into the fold, into the presence of people who know him 'nd want the best for him. I can bet that your present will make a dent in his troubles. Got that way of being thoughtful about you." Observation and compliment both. "None of us sleep well when we've got a lot on our minds. Some nights I don't at all, so Tony's not alone in it if he's up later even than a night owl."

He gives Pepper a small, quiet smile, this supportive. "Think the best thing you can tell him is that you can see what's happening to him. You can see it 'nd you care 'nd you want to help him. Hardest thing about it is...they gotta reach out 'nd take your hand. Can't twist his arm."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Back to his friends that care," Pepper offers. "People that accept him for who he is?" Truths that she lives by, in terms of Tony. "There aren't that many people that he can be himself around."

It takes Pepper a moment to recognize that she's been given a compliment, and she smiles warmly, with no little gratitude as she lifts her mug finally to take her sip. "I just want him to be able to sleep." Sleep. "I think maybe once he gets more than an hour or two?"

Though, with that last suggestion, Pepper sits quite still in her chair before she finally releases a breath of air that she is holding. "I.." beat "I should. I know I've done it before, and I'll do it again. I just need to find the right time for it."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Don't feel bad about striking when the iron's hot," the Captain says with a spread of hand off his coffee mug. "Or setting time aside for speaking to him, if it's a matter of having the idea of it more cemented rather than spur of the moment. Better you do it first by yourself before you bring anybody else in. Too many folks in the room might make him less receptive."

Another deeper sip of coffee and Steve then nods. "But yes, back to folks who know 'nd care for him. Been quiet around the mansion without him racketing about -- 'nd you can tell him I said he rackets about, he'll laugh 'nd probably call me an old fogie for it."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper shakes her head, but there's a hint of relief in her shoulders, "I would never, ever talk to Tony about something like that in a room full of people. This is something that I'd only talk with you about, and that's only because he considers you a good friend." Which could be a bad reason for it, but..

"No one needs to know about this."

The coffee has been mostly ignored, and now it's time to take a sip of the cooled liquid. Pepper's laugh is softly airy and she bobs her head in a nod, "I'll tell him. But first, I'll tell him that it's been too quiet. That'll make him feel better, I think." Everyone likes to know they're missed in their absences.

A small hand releases the mug and reaches across the table to squeeze Steve's, and green eyes look to blue. "I appreciate this. And I know you won't tell him I talked to you about this." About him.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"'s'all on Tony whether or not he wants folks to know about it. I have no interest in fanning any flames." Steve nods curtly, his seal upon the privacy of the conversation at hand. He very, very gently returns the squeeze and then leans back into his chair, both hands now wrapped around the mug rested on the table.

"Do tell him we miss him though. 's'truth. Who'm I supposed to tell when one of the roomba robots eats one of my socks because he engineered 'em all to handle just about anything that household can create as a mess? Or when JARVIS says that my protocol wording isn't correct 'nd I've got to use something Tony made up?" Oh man, the wry smile there. History exists.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper nods before she laughs again; it's a light, quick sound as she pulls her hand back after the warm contact. "You know, I think Jarvis is doing it on purpose now." That smile shifts into something a little more playful, and wraps her hand back around the mug. "I warned Thor, but I'm not sure he believes me."

Settling in, now, Pepper //feels// better, moreso because there's a plan, a possible course of action that may help. That, and it's nice to have a shoulder.

"Now, about Janet.. I'm going to have to invite the two of you over for dinner..."

Steve Rogers has posed:
"If JARVIS is doing it, he'd better be fair 'nd do it to everybody, not just leave Tony out of the joke." It's an argument with no real ire behind it. Steve finishes the rest of his cooled coffee.

His eyebrows lift at the potential invitation. "Of course. Janet'd be thrilled to be invited to dinner. Just let us know the time 'nd date. Know you've got to be busy with your own work along with finalizing anything else needed for the show. Haven't seen Janet's eyes light up like that in a while, she's still thrilled about it," he reports, smiling enough to showcase dimples.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's smile is lighter, a touch brighter and most importantly, a lot more relaxed than what it was just a little while ago. "Jarvis has his own mind," she reminds quietly. "He was programmed that way."

Though, Pepper repeats her invitation, "Really.. I'd love to have you both. Whever you're both free. I know things can get busy, and it happens to all of us." Herself absolutely included. And there, Pepper's face lights up at the news, and her head bobs, "She deserves it. It was her work.."

Moments of conversation pass, the cake is shared soon enough, and decisions are made, both spoken and un-.