encompass | ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴘᴏsᴛ 2018+2019 ( ɢᴇɴ + sᴍᴜᴛ )

[ Pepper closes her eyes at the gentle touch, simply enjoying it for a moment. God, she's tired-- how can she be this tired when she's presumably been sleeping since... however long it's been.

His quip about the vodka draws a little hum of wan amusement under her breath, and she opens her eyes and smiles slightly before sipping from the cup Tony helps her with. She can only manage a few sips, but it's enough; just to get her mouth and throat wet, ridding her of the dry rasp in her voice. ]

Maybe a little later.

[ A belated answer, and she has to close her eyes again for a brief moment, sighing through her nose. Probably in this situation "what happened?" is the most pertinent question, but Pepper can remember enough. Even if not specifics. But whether it was a deliberate attack on her person, some random nutjob with a bad day, an attempt to get to Tony through her, or something else entirely; she knows that someone took a shot at her.

And that probably, she's lucky to be awake now. ]

How long have I been here? [ She flutters her eyes open a crack. Most importantly; ] When can I go home?

[ he puts the little plastic cup down and shifts his attention to her, one hand caressing her forehead, the other resting above hers. ]

About two days. It might take a little longer, honey.

[ it's a role-reversal and so he allows himself a small, fond smile. ]

Remember rule #18? always listen to your doctors.

[ she quotes that one at him maybe a hundred times. he never listened but a part of him hopes Pepper would be a better patient than he was. ]

[ She smiles at the reminder too, even if tiredly, in spite of it all amused by the reversal of their usual roles. ]

That's rule fifteen, [ she corrects softly, lips twitching a little. You'd think something so obvious would be higher up on the list still, but not when it came to one Tony Stark. Miraculously, there are other even more obvious things more important than that, Pepper has discovered along the years.

She intends to at least attempt to be a better patient, but the truth is she can be every bit as stubborn as Tony, especially when kept from her work. ]

So, what do the doctors say? Is there... damage? [ Beyond the obvious. ]

Is it? I could swear fifteen was about me quitting red meat.

[ he shakes his head, presses a soft kiss to her palm. All his sarcasm fades, leaving worry and care and an anxious sort of guilt. the latter he puts away in favor of her peace of mind. She needs her rest; she won't get it if Tony falls to pieces. ]

I got Dr. Cho here. She was ready to say no but then she heard it's you and she actually likes you.

[ he smiles. ]

She made sure there's no damage. You'll have a seriously hot scar, though. I mean it, I'm already into it.

[ Pepper merely shakes her head a little with a small smile, too weary to point out he got the two mixed up. It hardly matters.

The prickle of concern she'd felt earlier eases at his explanation, mollified by a lot to hear about Dr. Cho's involvement. The bit about the scar garners him a brief chuckle, knowing he's trying to put her at ease and doing her best to appreciate it despite the pain and disorientation. ]

I guess that's something, since you're the one who has to look at it more. [ Perhaps a bit morbid, but she doesn't really have the presence of mind to notice, her eyelids drooping under the haze of medication. ]

Shame about my speech... [ Her words slur just a little as she struggles to keep awake, but her eyes slip shut despite her best efforts. ] It was a really good one.

It really was.

[ he listened to it several times, offered his own corrections ( both as a jest and then very seriously ) and she's right, it really is a good speech. One of her better ones, he hates that it got spoiled for her. ]

You'll give it another time.

[ he shifts ar her side, making himself comfortable. ]

Get some Z's.

'M not tired... [ she insists mulishly with a frown, a knee-jerk reaction even though she's already falling asleep mid-sentence. She nods off into dreamless, medicated sleep barely a second later.

Pepper has no idea how long she sleeps this time around, but when she next wakes up -- slowly as ever -- she's feeling a lot less discombobulated. Still a bit groggy and in noticeable pain, but honestly she'll take it over feeling like her whole head is stuffed with cotton.

Tony is still there, right next to her. It makes Pepper smile a little, but now she's also more coherent and able to grasp onto the fact that he looks terrible. Predictably, but still. Gingerly, she finds his hand with hers. ]

Hey. Are you okay?

[ It's soft with concern-- like it wasn't her that had gotten shot. ]

[ Rhodey comes by, Bruce does too. When both fail to get him to leave her side, they go for the big guns and ask Happy to bring Parker from Queens. The kid brings balloons and a little Spiderman action figure that holds a little GET WELL sign.

Tony thinks the kid is hopeless but that's when he goes to take a shower, letting the kid do his homework by Pepper's bed. He eats a slice of pizza and then he's back. After this, he doesn't leave again.

He doesn't sleep, either. Sleep brings a flash of horrible images, a gun shot, Pepper crumbling at the backseat of a car, Pepper's pretty suit jacket stained red.

And through it all, when she wakes up eighteen hours after their last conversation, she worries for him. It's such a Pepper thing, to worry for everyone else but herself, even when she's terribly wounded, to be sweet and overwhelmingly kind to Tony when he's the one who put her there, who put her through so much since they've met. ]

Yeah.

[ he says, even though he knows she won't believe it. He's never been good at sparing Pepper; this time, he tries. He shakes his head and points at the balloons and the Spiderman action figure. ]

Kid got you presents.

[ True enough, Pepper does not believe it for one minute and that disbelief flickers in her eyes for a moment. She knows all too intimately how Tony looks after several sleepless nights. Hell, right now anybody with eyes could. But she can't find it in herself to be upset, knowing if the roles were reversed she would be in the exact same shape. But she can be sorry to have worried him so, unwittingly as though it was, her expression softening with wordless empathy. She squeezes his hand gently.

She turns her head slowly against the pillow to glance at the brightly colored balloons, the action figure pulling a breathy huff of a chuckle out of her. ]

Oh-- that's sweet.

[ The smile lingers on her lips for a moment longer as she looks back at Tony, sighing a little. ]

How long was I out this time?

[ She dreads the answer a little bit. Already, she thinking of the handful of deadlines on various projects she's probably missed already. ]

Eighteen hours and don't you frown at me, I know what you're thinking. You get a certain look when you're going over the schedule in your head, you know.

[ distant and calculating or in this case, concerned. ]

Hill is taking care of things. You've never taken a sick day since we've met. Seriously, honey. You need to rest. I know that soon enough you'll be working for bed, give me a few days before you make this place into an office.

[ his cups her cheek and leans down to kiss her, soft and consistent, as if he wants to remind himself she's still there. ]

Take a few days off. Watch horrible day-time tv, you'll love it. Judge Judy is on.

[ Pepper blinks rapidly a few times, eyes darting to and fro for a fraction of a moment at his immediate and accurate call-out. She opens her mouth to deny the accusation, but closes it almost straight away. She'd already given herself up anyway with her unguarded reaction-- there has never been a worse liar in the whole world than Pepper Potts.

Still, the consternation does not leave her face. Intellectually she knows Tony is right. And she does trust Hill enough to manage things in her absence. But doing nothing all day? Has never been her M.O. ever. How did people do that? She opens her mouth again to say something, but Tony beats her to it and forestalls any objections with a kiss. She closes her eyes and kisses back softly, unconsciously mimicking him and gently palming the side of his face.

Forced to admit defeat, Pepper sighs and smiles wanly and ruefully. ]

...So you're definitely not gonna smuggle me a tablet in here, huh?

Uh, no. We're going to make this into a fun thing. You always said we need to spend more quality time together.

[ and tony isn't leaving her side, not for a second so they really might as well. He takes a seat on the bed, lightly pressed against her good side. ]

We're going to find out all about the wonders of day-time tv, it'll be really fun.

[ he turns it on and makes a happy sound. ]

see? law and order. You love lawyers.

[ he smiles. he knows she hates most of them. ]

I'm not sure this was what I had in mind when I said that...

[ But Pepper smiles a little helplessly, fondly. He's trying, and partly to soothe his own anxiety over her injury, she understands that. Even if she wanted to, she's hardly in any position to do much to object to this plan.

She makes a dry, derisive noise from her throat and makes a face in response. ]

Yeah. About as much as reporters and paparazzi.

[ So, not... at all. Gingerly and carefully, she scoots a little to the side to make Tony more room on the bed, wincing only a bit. ]

Lay down with me. I can't handle you perched there, hovering.

[ Good thing they're filthy rich and can throw money at people to get private rooms with larger, comfier beds. Still a hospital bed, but regardless. ]

Honey -

[ he's about to say something. Maybe tell her that she's been hovering around him since the day he hired her, making notes about his behavior and his eating habits and his lack of sleep and the fact that he can't get himself to buy her a normal present for Valentine's Day ( he still thinks that bunny was awesome).

Or maybe he wants to protest, to suggest he's lost his right to be that close to her. This is all his doing, she shouldn't be so kind.

In the end, he says nothing, simply slips out of his shoes and into bed, taking his place by her side. ]

you can handle me like this?

Tony.

[ She returns with some weight of her own, well able to read the conflict written across his expression. The man always did wear his heart on his sleeve; or maybe that was just around her. If she knew about his self-blame, though -- or rather, his thoughts about lost rights to her closeness -- she'd probably try to slap him for being ridiculous.

As it is, she only ends up smiling slightly to herself when he complies and tips her head against his shoulder, sighing. ]

Mm-hmm. It'll do.

[ Which translates to a high praise in Pepper-speak. ]

Are we really gonna watch trash tv all day?

There are trash movies too. Or we can go your way and watch quality French cinema. Which we can totally do, I'll keep my comments to myself. And my hands, absolutely my hands.

[ though he can't help but touching her, keeping their fingers entwined, his body close to hers. ]

I'll get you dinner. Whatever you want. we'll order in.

[ Pepper breathes the faintest chuckle, fondness evident in the soft sound. ] Wow. That's a big promise.

[ The comments, she means. She's used to Tony's tactile ways by now, and hardly minds them-- usually. But certainly not now, equally keen on the comfort of it, her thumb stroking his as their fingers tangle and hold; she squeezes once, gently. A reminder and a reassurance both. ]

Sounds nice. [ All of it. She sighs a little, oddly content considering she's in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound. ]

Maybe a bit of both movies... I wouldn't want you to strain yourself overly, behaving.

I'll be fine. I'll behave more. I promise. I'll really swear off dairy, and red meat and I'll go to pottery barn with you and to the theater and I'll stay after intermission.

[ he'll make her any promise her just now, worried as he is, grateful as he is to have her back. ]

I'll have those awful shakes you buy from whole foods and the organic blueberries. Whatever you want, you got it.

Tony... shh.

[ She shushes him softly when his words begin to spill out more rapidly, recognizing that anxious edge creeping into his voice. She squeezes his hand a bit more tightly, tipping her head to kiss his shoulder. ]

It's okay-- everything will be okay. [ I'm okay, she leaves unsaid, but it can be heard in there regardless. ]

It was my fault.

[ He finally says, pulse picking up, anxiety latching om as he finally unburdens the thoughts that have been plaguing him for several days now, hand clutched in hers. ]

I totaled our house and I left you to deal with it and I got you shot, I wasn't fast enough. I could have gotten you killed. It happened because of me, my mistakes, my legacy and you're still paying the price.

No.

[ She denies sharply, inhaling a small gasp as the vehement huff causes muscles to contract and pain to lance through her side. She pinches her lips for a moment, but her righteous indignation burns brighter than the physical pain, and she forges on. ]

No, it isn't. Don't you say that, Tony. [ She clings tighter to his hand, fingers shaking a little. ]

It was not your fault, it was his. You can't blame yourself for the actions of some lunatic.

ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴘᴏsᴛ 2018+2019 ( ɢᴇɴ + sᴍᴜᴛ )

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