6067/Fake-Whiplash After-Math

Fake-Whiplash After-Math
Date of Scene:	28 April 2021
Location:	Stark Tower: Penthouse
Synopsis:	Pepper and Tony discuss the attack at the museum.
Cast of Characters:	Pepper Potts, Tony Stark

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Pepper Potts has posed:
The further away from the museum, the less 'together' Pepper's been able to keep things. Replays in her mind over and over again has her shaking. Her evening dress is ruined, her shoes are ruined, and she has scratches and cuts.

This isn't her experience, this doesn't happen to her!

The moment the pair hit the Penthouse and Tony gets to the bathroom to wash up a little first, Pepper's looking at herself in a mirror before she's ready to cast off the gown and the memory of the night. So, it's something of a 'half follow' to the bedroom for something else, anything else to wear. Digging through the drawers, she's not really //looking// so much as, well.. going through those motions.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony shed his shirt to the side, with some gingerness over one side. There's a slight hiss of intake of breath as Tony inserts one forearm under the water in the bathroom, for his right arm. He'd used it to block some of the nasty assault of whiplash - but that meant the nasty whip had sent harsh electrical gashes through where it had chewed up the older mark of armor. Most of that intake is drowned by the water sounds, though.

Light ribbons of red curl down through the water in a spiral into the sink as he carefully rotates the arm in the water. Tony's thoughts aren't on his arm necessarily, his eyes check it, but the dark browns follow Pepper's progress towards going to change her clothes, and his mouth moves as his jaw tightens.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Not that shirt, no.. not that one either.

Pepper's searching of the 'perfect' shirt is a touch more frenetic than Tony's cleaning up. She's not finding what she wants in a more blind search, and finally, instead of picking //something//, she falls back to the bed, perching on the edge, and staring at the dresser as if it indeed failed her.

At least she removes her shoes.

The sound of water coming from the bathroom has her turning her head, green eyes willing to see beyond, but most of the door obscures her view. It's not long that she can remain in one place, however, and she's back to searching her dresser. Finally.. finally she finds a well loved, well worn shirt by more touch and smell than anything that //looks// good. It's warm and comforting.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony washes his arm further, and deems more treatment of it unnecessary at the moment. He's in entirely good shape otherwise physically: after all, he'd had armor on, and all the attacks were focused for the most part on his right arm and wrist. So he's remarkably unmarked. The mark 4 held up fine except for that focused assault spot.

The Avenger comes into full view of Pepper now, hand towel lifted to pat his forearm, lifted with the hand curled up towards his center chest, which backlights it with the glow of the arc reactor in center chest.

Tony observes her shellshocked look and fumbling search for shirt. He hesitates - he nearly says something snarky, but then crosses instead to envelope her in a pull to his chest, guiding her face into his neck. It's protective, expressive, in action, not uncomfortable words filling the air.

But not to worry, she'll get some of those.

"Come here, you have battlefield debris in your hair," Tony teases, lifting his other hand to pull some plaster specks out of her hair near her shoulder.

Pepper Potts has posed:
When Tony does emerge from the bathroom, she's got her comfy shirt in her lap, the fabric held tightly in her grasp; she's only gotten as far as actually choosing it. She turns her face up to him and watches his exit from the bathroom, and to be able to actually look at him, to study him to do that initial check for injury goes a long way for her own bit of sanity.

It's really when he moves to hold her, to take her into his arms to just give her that moment of protection, the acknowledgment that they're both on the other side of something that has her breathing that long breath.

Moment there, and then the moment is filled with his softly joking tones that holds a great deal more affection than anyone (other than Pepper) would give him credit for. She breathes a quiet, barked laugh as she shakes her head, as he picks at particulate.

"Tony, I have no idea what that thing was.. itwasjustgoingafteryouandIcouldn'tletit.." and the words tumble out as she finds that release. She does have those cuts, scrapes from the exploding exhibits, but nothing that screams 'this needs medical attention'.

It all culminates, of course, to her asking, "Are you okay?"

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony looks baffled at her question, as if he didn't follow why on earth she would ask such a thing. "Always," Tony says simply, with a lift of shoulders and tilt of head. He's always okay!

"Some of it's just knowing where to stand," Tony deadpans, while letting the bit of grit fall away. Some Stark-roomba will get it later. "Which is a lot easier when you're in Iron man armor, I admit. I make things easy for myself."

Tony draws her back some to look her in the face. "Some possessed villain puppet wasn't going to get me -- at least not by hitting me directly. Could get to me by throwing /you/ out a window. We're going to have to work on getting you to not run at villains," Tony observes.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Does Pepper actually believe him at the moment? Even through her own irrational moments, she's looking to make sure he is //honestly// okay. "Tony, don't.." if he's not okay, she wants to know!

Still, she's going to have to at the moment in order to move forward, to move beyond. "It wasn't the right armor," she reminds. "Even I know that it was one of your old ones, and probably wasn't the best against.. that thing." The possessed villain puppet.. thing.

Pepper leans back, green eyes looking into those deep brown eyes of his and is once again comforted, the surge of words abating a little. That is until that last bit.

"Tony, I wasn't going to let you get hurt from something.. andandand.." In the moment of fight or flight, the evening-gowned Pepper took the opportunity to go after the whateveritwas that was hurting Tony. "I couldn't leave you." She half-smiles and looks down at her dress again, and exhales in a sigh, "Janet is going to kill me."

Tony Stark has posed:
"While I appreciate your willingness to bash some bad guy with a stick for me, it's entirely sexy of course, knowing you're safe is /better/." Tony isn't quite being reproachful, there isn't anger in the tone or even dismay. More of a muddled confusion within himself, too, over the whole thing. He isn't sure what he's feeling either, other than a bolt of tactile steel fear in his throat when he intercepted an assault that could have ended her.

It didn't, and he won't show his worry about things like that most of the time: so it's a buried thing. "I'm not about to lose any more family."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper still has something of a death grip on that shirt, and she at least has the courtesy to look a little self-conscious about the fact that she did, indeed, find a handy bit of something in order to help him. Still, she wouldn't have done anything differently.

She watches him now, and the feeling that her heart is about to pound of her chest has abated, leaving behind now the feeling that everything is okay. That everything will be okay. She laughs again at the calling of her attacking Tony's opponent as 'sexy', and she looks down at her hand holding the shirt before she looks back up at that handsome face. "I couldn't leave you," she repeats softly. "If there was something I could have done that I didn't, and you..."

Pepper shakes her head again, dispelling even the mere thought of losing him and her being able to at least try and prevent it. She's about to go further, but Tony says.. that. Any hint of defensiveness in terms of her action bleeds away as she blinkblinks and deflates, melting slowly back into him. "Oh, Tony.."

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony awkwardly releases a quick laugh and a lift and turn of his head: rapidly trying to bail out of these sudden deeper feels. 'Feels' like these were a little bit much, and he wasn't ready at the moment for it! He diffuses it quickly, as humor rises in to defend his own heart.

"Then I'd have to have Happy as my assistant, think of the terrifying situation that would be," Tony scoffs in mixed horror. "I'd have to go to meetings."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper presses her lips together, slowly regathering herself. She's a little emotional when it comes to Tony; always has had that touch of protectiveness with the balance of wanting him to do what he wants and needs to do. She knows him, knows how he works, and .. no, not always how he thinks. She hasn't yet been able to predict what he'll say or do.

And this? The depth that he'd suddenly attained, only to blow tanks, as it were, brings yet another sigh from her. Pepper chuckles now, feeling a great deal more herself than even moments before, "I think he would drive you nuts. It might be interesting, though." The softly executed laugh lingers in her smile, and finally she leans in to press a light kiss to his cheek, "Wouldn't want you to have to go to meetings."

Tony Stark has posed:
"It isn't /all/ meetings are bad. I like plenty of them." That's true, he likes the ones where he's presenting, where his charisma vibrates through the room and he makes a deal, brings something about that never would have existed without his strength of personality and genius to somehow make it possible. He's a creative visionary, and when meetings allow that part to shine, he's in the element.

Meetings about signing paperwork and lawyers debating details? That's where Tony suffers, and a perfectionist assistant becomes so important - to make those deals he set up actually happen on paper.

"Also, don't protect my feelings: I'd drive /him/ nuts. Possibly on purpose." Tony grins, cheeky, but the grin dissolves quickly and he turns into the kiss to return it more directly. "I'd also have to start dating again, wouldn't I? I think this is better all-around."

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Mmmhmm.."

There she is; Tony can bring her back to center like no one else can. Of course, she also has something of a calming, grounding influence on him.

Mostly. When he wants, that is.

"Then I'll make sure I schedule you for a couple more." Not really. This is her teasing him a little. He does shine in those presentation meetings; why should he be expected to close the deal, as it were? That's why he'd hired her initially, and now?

Pepper laughs again, the sound heralding that full release of stress, of the distress of the evening. It's a weary sound, but one that hints that everything will be okay; all is right with the world. "I think he'd really try to wrangle you and make sure you do everything 'right'." The smile is reflected through her eyes, and she adds, "I've almost given up there."

The kiss is turned around, and it's more than enough to have her melt into it slightly, and upon its completion, her brows rise at his words. "I think this is better all around," she agrees, searching his face for that certainty. Pepper is pretty secure in 'all this', but to see it on his face? In his words?

Priceless.