( from here )

[ it's easy to get comfortable with tony because of course it is, years of practice lends to finding a comfy position without any effort needed, foot trapped and her body curled up along his side. she does sit up though, kind of, when he asks her that. her chin is on his chest. and then she's wiggling enough so that yes, she's still basically laying on top of him, but she can actually look at him properly. and then she's- squinting? sort of.

the light of the reactor is just bright enough to be annoying again. she definitely got used to it not being there anymore, got used to resting her hand over the spot where it was and lightly tracing her fingers around the circle of the skin graft there. but- ]

Right before we showed up here. Before you left with that- that Dr. Stephen Strange. [ she sounds half amused, half if I ever get to meet that man I'm going to give him a piece of my mind ] We were going to go out to dinner. But instead, you and Spider-Man got on that insane ship. [ she shakes her head, a tiny bit, squeezes her eyes shut ] I would much rather be home than here, but at least you're right here with me. [ her eyes blink open again, wide and too-concerned considering they're literally laying in bed together right now he's obviously not in any kind of trouble ] I don't know how this is even possible, but I don't need to know how.

[ she's getting anxious though, thinking about it. he's fussing with her ring and she's tapping on his arc reactor. that damn arc reactor. that's always a good way to redirect her train of thought - putting tony on the spot ]

You told me this was just a housing unit. It certainly doesn't feel like just a housing unit.

Edited 2019-03-26 12:30 am (UTC)

[ Pepper's weight is welcome, warm and cozy against the slight chill in the air. She's radiant to his eyes, her hair sex-mussed as a lion's mane of ginger-gold down her naked back. Sore as he is, Tony feels that familiar flicker of desire curling low in his belly, tempted again to roll her onto her back and make up for that week they've been apart.

Then she drops that. ]

Uh. Wow, that's. That's a lot.

[ It's a rare event that Tony is speechless, but what else is there to say? Pepper has never, not once, lied to him– starting now wouldn't make a lick of sense, not when she looks so serious, so concerned. And that, honestly, smothers any hint of desire, replacing it with a cold knot of fear.

Fumbling a bit for a response, he casts around the small room as if the answers might present themselves, and settles at last on... her hand? No, the ring he's been playing with for the past minute, the thing that's been so out of keeping with what he knows as true, as right. Tony brings her hand down and his other over to meet it, all his interest on the ring and he knows it, knows the bright stone and the gold band, remembering the way it seemed to glow like fire on his mother's hand and so fascinated him as a child, and he's damn sure he remembers the day he snuck off to fetch it from a safe deposit box, head full of wild ideas, pressing secrecy on Happy "just until the right moment".

He wants to answer her, he really does, but it's a little hard to hear her for the suddenly loud drumming of his heart in his ears, the tightness in his chest. Tony lets go a small noise of disbelief and honest, quiet joy, and regrets it all the same because that's air he can't quite seem to get back for the moment... ]

...Pepper.

[ You're not freaking out, you're not freaking out, think! Think think think– ]

What. Um. What year is it?

[ oh. oh. she doesn't realize she's said something wrong at first, because of course she doesn't. how could she know? but tony's got that look on his face and she knows that look, knows to sit up to give him a little bit of space while still laying down close. she moves to his side again instead of stretched on top of him, propping herself up on her forearm. he's staring at her ring and she doesn't move her hand away, doesn't want to make it seem like she'd want to hide it from him or- something. who knows? ]

It's 2018.

[ she doesn't not want to answer him, but her voice is a little quieter. it's a thinky-voice, for sure. she's trying to think. the representative from the city was pretty accommodating, answering her questions when she first arrived. people came from different universes - different worlds, different times. they explained that there would be people from the future here, and people who wouldn't know what a cellphone was if you showed it to them. but she didn't honestly think...

but it makes sense. in a way. at least, in this exact context. he's looking at her ring because he knows it, but he doesn't know why it's there, on her finger. and his arc reactor- that hasn't been there in years, for her. five, at least. at least.

she sits up a little more, leaning on her hand, dragging the sheet up with her because this- it's a lot. yeah. so she sits up, reaches for his hand. if he's having a panic attack, she'd rather catch it before it gets bad. this isn't new to her, that much is obvious. it would have been back when he's from, but not now, not at this point, for her. ]

It's okay, Tony. Look at me? [ her voice is calm, steady. it's easy to ignore her own racing thoughts when she needs to focus on his, on making sure he doesn't get caught in that wave of panic. her fingers squeeze around his. ] We can figure this out. What year is it for you? [ it can't be.. that long ago. he looks younger, maybe, now that she's really looking for signs, but not that much younger. his hair looks a little different? but it's all messed now anyway. ah. ]

Oh. Twenty...eighteen? Oh. Okay.

[ ...no, not okay, not cool or fine, either. Lying down is suddenly such a bad idea, isn't it, and so he moves, dropping her hand and pushing himself up from the mattress. Seated is a bit better, although honestly he'd like to go farther, just to the edge of the bed maybe, maybe...

Pepper sounds as if she's speaking at a distance, not right beside him, urging him to look at her and he can't yet because none of this is her fault, he just needs to catch his breath, that's all. They gave him the same spiel when he got here; he's met other people from their world that are out of their own time, none of this should be startling. Tony squeezes her fingers when they slide over his again, grateful for the life preserver sensation of her warm grip. ]

I'm fine, honey, I'm– it's... so you're. Five years ahead, that's–

[ He blows a hard breath out in frustration, and takes another one in, dropping his head to press her knuckles to his sweaty brow.

It's just them in this little room, she's safe and he's safe, and there's nothing but the cool, slightly musty air between them, the wrap of thin sheets across his legs and feet. Breathing slow, finding his center in Pepper's soft skin and reassuring presence, Tony tempers down the sharp, bitter edge of that panic until he can look up again, and move to gather her in his arms. ]

It's 2013. New Year's is, what, in a couple days? We just got Extremis squared away and the consultation with Dr. Wu scheduled. Reactor's coming out in a couple weeks.

[ it doesn't take her long to track back through their timeline, of course it doesn't. especially with something like his surgery being the point of reference. so important. so, so nerve wracking. but anyway, he gives her the oh. okay. in the tune of THIS IS SO NOT OKAY that she's familiar with, and she keeps that hold on his hand, reassuring maybe, for both him and herself. this is so not okay for her either.

the last five years were- kind of a hot mess. but an important hot mess. to her, for sure. for both of them. it's hard trying to wrap her head around him just not... knowing.

but she's more focused on him, for now, because that's what she's good at. she's gotten way better at looking out for and standing up for herself, but looking out for tony is basically ingrained in her bones at this point. and she wouldn't have it any other way. ]

Good, okay. I know exactly when you're talking about. Five years, that's- [ INSANE ] -manageable. [ omg pepper ] I mean, you were right. Things have never really been okay. [ this is pepper trying to lighten the mood, distract him maybe ] Some things were difficult. But then some things were incredible. More than some things. Clearly. [ she wiggles her fingers against his - hello, ring - then leans in to kiss his shoulder, lingering there for a moment before she straightens up again ] I don't mind filling you in on what you've missed. We've figured it out already, I know we can figure it all out again. [ their relationship, yeah. what they need from each other, what they appreciate and what they needed to work on. she's so damn confident in what they have now, thank god, because otherwise she'd be really freaking out ]

[ There's just no real right way to ask this, he feels terrible for asking even though he knows it's not his fault, but it still feels like it is, but it's not–

Tony takes another stilling breath, pressing his mouth to her fingers again. ]

Pepper. Are we. [ God, this is so important and it sticks in his throat. Time is a gulf between them, but the lightness in her voice closes a little of that distance, and eases the unexpected tide of emotion that seems to want to suffocate him. His eyes are too bright, but there's wonder in his voice again, a quiet happiness he's not so sure he deserves, ]

When did we tie the knot?

[ she already knows the question before he asks it, shakes her head just this tiny bit during that pause before he figures out how he wants to ask. she can't help her small smile, how she moves closer so she can physically comfort him a little better, maybe. like more contact will close that distance put between them by a few years' difference. ]

We haven't yet. You haven't missed that. [ she looks down at her hand in his, at the ring ] The engagement was- rushed. We had talked about our future together, but I don't think it was actually in your agenda to ask me when you did. We had a room full of press and needed an announcement. You got down on one knee after we told the world we were engaged. It was a weird day. But also kind of perfect.

[ she leans in to kiss him, slow and soft. relax, relax, relax. ]

We still haven't picked a date.