April Showers Prompt 12: Arrival (Iron Man)
Title: Arrival
Author: patriot_jackie
Prompt: Prompt 12 - Alien
Fandom: Iron Man
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tony Stark, Pepper, Happy; T/P if you squint
Genre: uhh… General?
Rating & Warnings: G
Word Count: 700 Words
Summary: Tony’s immediate return from captivity in Afghanistan, right after the impromptu press conference, feels a little strange.
It's odd, but he's entranced to see other cars on the road - even just to see the road. The billboards, the power lines, the grocery stores and malls. The people. Of course Tony had remembered about these things, but after months spent in a cave in the desert, a prisoner consumed by escape plans, existing in fear and hatred... Well, he hadn't anticipated returning would feel like this. Malibu feels exposed, too happy and bright, like an alternate reality. If he thinks about it, he supposes that really, it is.
After the press conference, Pepper had been there with more concerned inquiries, another argument about going to the hospital or whether she should arrange an appointment for him with a psychiatrist as Obi was already insisting. She had falls silent, however, at his rapt fascination.
The drive through the gates, up the private driveway of his estate is heady and curiously nerve wracking. His heart pounds in his ears, and he taps an indiscriminate beat on his chest piece to have something to do. They come nearer and nearer, and the cabin is still except for the feeling of her eyes watching him as he all but presses his face to the glass.
When his foot hits the familiar yet all too foreign concrete of his driveway, Tony tries not to feel too sentimental, too overwhelmed. He tries not to make more of it than he should.
He steps fully out of the car in a vivid haze, noticing the salty scent of the ocean, the distant splash of the tide upon the beach far below, the way the sunlight on this perfect summer day glints at him, caught and reflected by the many windows of his mansion. He's almost too preoccupied with the thought of what's inside to care about outside, so great is his anticipation to be home.
His hand reaches to input the entry passcode, but it already presents itself as open to him, so he twists the handle and pushes. Vaguely, he's aware that his driver and assistant trail far behind, but just near enough in case they're needed.
The cool voice of Jarvis greets him before he's even through the door. So genuinely glad is he to hear that voice again that he pauses in the foyer, needlessly pressing his hand over the control panel as he intones a casual greeting back, throat thick but voice deceptively relaxed.
Tony enters, casts his gaze around. Everything is exactly as he left it.
He longs to check every room all at once, however... All but skipping down the steps, he hardly recognizes the password he types on the window, barely remembers actually entering, doesn't notice the clicking heels behind him or that he’s left the door open.
The workshop is a strange sort of time capsule, a picture of himself three months ago. A completely different person... Several unfinished projects and plans remain exactly where he'd left then. Plans and theories for weapons he'll never complete, will instead destroy. Soon enough, new ideas will replace these old.
His eyes fall on the hot rod, still incomplete.
Relief flooding, he lets out a quiet sigh. Standing here, in this favorite place of his, at last he can believe he's made it. His pulse slows, tension easing from his posture. But turning slowly back to the doorway, he still feels things aren't quite right...
There. Happy and Pepper, at the foot of the stairs, waiting on him as ever before. As they had been waiting these last three months. He wants to ask them why, why they stayed when there was no discernible reason to hope. Why she especially so diligently remained, keeping things in order for a dead man. Yet in the face of Happy's sunglasses and Pepper's poorly concealed swipe at her eyes, he can't bring himself to raise the question, doesn’t think he’s ready for the answer.
So he claps his hands together and grins, saying something absurd and inappropriate. Happy chuckles, pulling off the shades while Pepper rolls her eyes, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. Her eyes settle on his, and it’s then, at last, he feels like he's finally home.
Author: patriot_jackie
Prompt: Prompt 12 - Alien
Fandom: Iron Man
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tony Stark, Pepper, Happy; T/P if you squint
Genre: uhh… General?
Rating & Warnings: G
Word Count: 700 Words
Summary: Tony’s immediate return from captivity in Afghanistan, right after the impromptu press conference, feels a little strange.
It's odd, but he's entranced to see other cars on the road - even just to see the road. The billboards, the power lines, the grocery stores and malls. The people. Of course Tony had remembered about these things, but after months spent in a cave in the desert, a prisoner consumed by escape plans, existing in fear and hatred... Well, he hadn't anticipated returning would feel like this. Malibu feels exposed, too happy and bright, like an alternate reality. If he thinks about it, he supposes that really, it is.
After the press conference, Pepper had been there with more concerned inquiries, another argument about going to the hospital or whether she should arrange an appointment for him with a psychiatrist as Obi was already insisting. She had falls silent, however, at his rapt fascination.
The drive through the gates, up the private driveway of his estate is heady and curiously nerve wracking. His heart pounds in his ears, and he taps an indiscriminate beat on his chest piece to have something to do. They come nearer and nearer, and the cabin is still except for the feeling of her eyes watching him as he all but presses his face to the glass.
When his foot hits the familiar yet all too foreign concrete of his driveway, Tony tries not to feel too sentimental, too overwhelmed. He tries not to make more of it than he should.
He steps fully out of the car in a vivid haze, noticing the salty scent of the ocean, the distant splash of the tide upon the beach far below, the way the sunlight on this perfect summer day glints at him, caught and reflected by the many windows of his mansion. He's almost too preoccupied with the thought of what's inside to care about outside, so great is his anticipation to be home.
His hand reaches to input the entry passcode, but it already presents itself as open to him, so he twists the handle and pushes. Vaguely, he's aware that his driver and assistant trail far behind, but just near enough in case they're needed.
The cool voice of Jarvis greets him before he's even through the door. So genuinely glad is he to hear that voice again that he pauses in the foyer, needlessly pressing his hand over the control panel as he intones a casual greeting back, throat thick but voice deceptively relaxed.
Tony enters, casts his gaze around. Everything is exactly as he left it.
He longs to check every room all at once, however... All but skipping down the steps, he hardly recognizes the password he types on the window, barely remembers actually entering, doesn't notice the clicking heels behind him or that he’s left the door open.
The workshop is a strange sort of time capsule, a picture of himself three months ago. A completely different person... Several unfinished projects and plans remain exactly where he'd left then. Plans and theories for weapons he'll never complete, will instead destroy. Soon enough, new ideas will replace these old.
His eyes fall on the hot rod, still incomplete.
Relief flooding, he lets out a quiet sigh. Standing here, in this favorite place of his, at last he can believe he's made it. His pulse slows, tension easing from his posture. But turning slowly back to the doorway, he still feels things aren't quite right...
There. Happy and Pepper, at the foot of the stairs, waiting on him as ever before. As they had been waiting these last three months. He wants to ask them why, why they stayed when there was no discernible reason to hope. Why she especially so diligently remained, keeping things in order for a dead man. Yet in the face of Happy's sunglasses and Pepper's poorly concealed swipe at her eyes, he can't bring himself to raise the question, doesn’t think he’s ready for the answer.
So he claps his hands together and grins, saying something absurd and inappropriate. Happy chuckles, pulling off the shades while Pepper rolls her eyes, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. Her eyes settle on his, and it’s then, at last, he feels like he's finally home.