[ Equally content, Pepper lays her head on his shoulder for a moment and simply savors the feel of him, safe and sound, comforted by the way he wraps his arm about her. She would be perfectly happy to never move again, were it possible. Inhaling deeply of his scent, she slowly lifts her head up again, meeting his eyes solemnly. ]
I was hoping you'd say that.
[ That holds true for both of those statements, really. They'd built their life together out of the ashes of so much destruction five years ago, moving on because there was no other alternative. They had gotten their second (actually, probably fifth or sixth) chance. But Pepper knew Tony never stopped thinking about Peter during those five years. She remembers every time he'd startled awake from a nightmare, reliving Titan in his dreams, and how powerless he'd felt afterward. How her heart broke for him every single time. When he'd approached her that night after tucking Morgan to bed, revealed to her he'd cracked the issue with the quantum travel... Pepper had known. If he'd scrapped the idea and tried to forget he ever had it, he would have never found rest again.
Ten years earlier, she'd vowed to quit rather than to watch Tony get himself killed being Iron Man. Now, she could have done nothing else but encourage him to follow through, knowing the cost would be unbearable if he didn't-- all the while also knowing the cost might still be too high if he did.
Pepper lifts her hand to gently stroke her palm over his hair, a smallest of fond smiles coming back to her lips for a brief moment. She adores those gray hairs so much-- she never thought they'd make it far enough for Tony to grow them in the first place. Here they are now, and he's beaten impossible odds yet again. It's time they made this instance the last, for several reasons. ]
Safe because of you, Tony. You've done more than enough, more than anyone else ever could. It's time to leave the rest to the others.
[ Pepper can see it in his eyes; he knows it as well as she does. And, she thinks, he might even be content with the decision this time around. Her smile grows a little, turns warmer; the way it always does when she thinks of Morgan, specifically. ]
Besides... you'll have your hands full right here. Morgan's been making some noise about a tree house. Apparently she's ready to upgrade from the forts.
[ A softest chuckle follows, and she tips her head a little, sighing in contentment. ] I swear, that child gets more like you every day.
right, they're so perfect ❤️
I was hoping you'd say that.
[ That holds true for both of those statements, really. They'd built their life together out of the ashes of so much destruction five years ago, moving on because there was no other alternative. They had gotten their second (actually, probably fifth or sixth) chance. But Pepper knew Tony never stopped thinking about Peter during those five years. She remembers every time he'd startled awake from a nightmare, reliving Titan in his dreams, and how powerless he'd felt afterward. How her heart broke for him every single time. When he'd approached her that night after tucking Morgan to bed, revealed to her he'd cracked the issue with the quantum travel... Pepper had known. If he'd scrapped the idea and tried to forget he ever had it, he would have never found rest again.
Ten years earlier, she'd vowed to quit rather than to watch Tony get himself killed being Iron Man. Now, she could have done nothing else but encourage him to follow through, knowing the cost would be unbearable if he didn't-- all the while also knowing the cost might still be too high if he did.
Pepper lifts her hand to gently stroke her palm over his hair, a smallest of fond smiles coming back to her lips for a brief moment. She adores those gray hairs so much-- she never thought they'd make it far enough for Tony to grow them in the first place. Here they are now, and he's beaten impossible odds yet again. It's time they made this instance the last, for several reasons. ]
Safe because of you, Tony. You've done more than enough, more than anyone else ever could. It's time to leave the rest to the others.
[ Pepper can see it in his eyes; he knows it as well as she does. And, she thinks, he might even be content with the decision this time around. Her smile grows a little, turns warmer; the way it always does when she thinks of Morgan, specifically. ]
Besides... you'll have your hands full right here. Morgan's been making some noise about a tree house. Apparently she's ready to upgrade from the forts.
[ A softest chuckle follows, and she tips her head a little, sighing in contentment. ] I swear, that child gets more like you every day.