fic: Right Now
Chapter 3: The Secret Ingredient
---
She scared the hell out of him when she left with such hurry last night. Five minutes after her depart he quickly walked and searched through all the papers he found on the living room table. Business related. Shipment contracts.
The adrenaline rushed through his veins as his searching didn’t match any result. His breathing increased and he needed to stop before he was going to do something stupid.
“Jarvis?” He asked in a low tone.
“Yes sir?”
“What happened before - before…?”
The AI’s reply came quickly.
“Miss Potts was working on her laptop before she found a note hidden through a pile of papers.”
Everything else Jarvis was saying turned into a meaningless fog as Tony’s mind worked at its full capacity. A note. A hidden note. By whom?
After a minute or two, Tony opened his eyes and stood up, going in his bedroom.
“Lock down everything after I leave. If something happens apply protocol 7821 and then call me.”
---
Ten minutes after, Tony’s Audi roared through the streets of Los Angeles. Behind him were some very intriguing reporters with their cars and as it if this was planned before, they knew better where he was heading to.
He parked his car near the entrance, got out and ran quickly into the building not wanting to deal with the crazy crowd behind him.
---
He knew better he shouldn’t have lied Pepper about that party… okay, those parties.
Tony didn’t go at none of those even if he planned to. He simply couldn’t motivate him good enough to go there alone and worse, without Pepper near him. Those investors drove him nuts in seconds and of course there were many women who looked for him. If he didn’t know it better he would’ve accepted one of those offers because heck, it’s been almost a year since his return from Afghanistan and he didn’t even touch one. Literally.
So he didn’t go and he still lied to her.
“Fuck.” He swore as he didn’t find anything there at all.
---
The most coherent thought was to go at her and apologize sincerely. Tony didn’t know any other method so he drove until he reached her apartment in the other part of LA.
He knocked at the door and waited for maybe a minute but when she opened his mouth fell.
She still had tears in her eyes, on her cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy.
“What could you possibly need anymore?” Pepper asked in an irritated tone.
He stared at her and sighed.
“I don’t know what I have done. Please, tell me why you are so upset on me.” Tony pleaded.
“Like you wouldn’t know.”
Pepper held back another series of tears when she saw Tony so defeated. He’s at your mercy. She thought dryly.
“No. I actually do not.”
“I thought you had changed.”
His mouth fell once again and when he closed his eyes Pepper shouted the door in his face.
“Pepper…” He said as his knees buckled and fell onto the concrete.
---
He hadn’t been so confused his whole life. Tony like a genius he is knew everything but when it came to Pepper he knew nothing. He couldn’t read her mind and even if he tried hardly, she would grope her face under that mask she usually wore when they were together.
She didn’t understand him either. Before leaving at her parents, everything was OK but when she came and found that silly secretary asking for his cell-phone number the bells rang in her head.
I will not quit. This is my job. He’s still my boss and nothing will change that.
---
The next morning, Pepper was getting ready to leave for her office where she planned on staying until the noon and then maybe go out, somewhere in the city. It’s been too long that she even couldn’t remember the last time she’s been at a restaurant or at least a café or something like that.
She opened the door as she took her briefcase with the other hand, but when she stepped outside she saw Tony standing on the floor, looking at her. He didn’t change. Tony was wearing the same designer clothes as last night and he had his hair all messed-up.
“Why are you still here?” She asked him in a high tone.
“I don’t know what I have done…”
Pepper stood there too surprised he was still here so when she actually had her control back, she got the note from her pocket and threw it in his face.
A moment later, she was speeding down the stairs, leaving Tony with the note behind.
---
She scared the hell out of him when she left with such hurry last night. Five minutes after her depart he quickly walked and searched through all the papers he found on the living room table. Business related. Shipment contracts.
The adrenaline rushed through his veins as his searching didn’t match any result. His breathing increased and he needed to stop before he was going to do something stupid.
“Jarvis?” He asked in a low tone.
“Yes sir?”
“What happened before - before…?”
The AI’s reply came quickly.
“Miss Potts was working on her laptop before she found a note hidden through a pile of papers.”
Everything else Jarvis was saying turned into a meaningless fog as Tony’s mind worked at its full capacity. A note. A hidden note. By whom?
After a minute or two, Tony opened his eyes and stood up, going in his bedroom.
“Lock down everything after I leave. If something happens apply protocol 7821 and then call me.”
---
Ten minutes after, Tony’s Audi roared through the streets of Los Angeles. Behind him were some very intriguing reporters with their cars and as it if this was planned before, they knew better where he was heading to.
He parked his car near the entrance, got out and ran quickly into the building not wanting to deal with the crazy crowd behind him.
---
He knew better he shouldn’t have lied Pepper about that party… okay, those parties.
Tony didn’t go at none of those even if he planned to. He simply couldn’t motivate him good enough to go there alone and worse, without Pepper near him. Those investors drove him nuts in seconds and of course there were many women who looked for him. If he didn’t know it better he would’ve accepted one of those offers because heck, it’s been almost a year since his return from Afghanistan and he didn’t even touch one. Literally.
So he didn’t go and he still lied to her.
“Fuck.” He swore as he didn’t find anything there at all.
---
The most coherent thought was to go at her and apologize sincerely. Tony didn’t know any other method so he drove until he reached her apartment in the other part of LA.
He knocked at the door and waited for maybe a minute but when she opened his mouth fell.
She still had tears in her eyes, on her cheeks and her eyes were red and puffy.
“What could you possibly need anymore?” Pepper asked in an irritated tone.
He stared at her and sighed.
“I don’t know what I have done. Please, tell me why you are so upset on me.” Tony pleaded.
“Like you wouldn’t know.”
Pepper held back another series of tears when she saw Tony so defeated. He’s at your mercy. She thought dryly.
“No. I actually do not.”
“I thought you had changed.”
His mouth fell once again and when he closed his eyes Pepper shouted the door in his face.
“Pepper…” He said as his knees buckled and fell onto the concrete.
---
He hadn’t been so confused his whole life. Tony like a genius he is knew everything but when it came to Pepper he knew nothing. He couldn’t read her mind and even if he tried hardly, she would grope her face under that mask she usually wore when they were together.
She didn’t understand him either. Before leaving at her parents, everything was OK but when she came and found that silly secretary asking for his cell-phone number the bells rang in her head.
I will not quit. This is my job. He’s still my boss and nothing will change that.
---
The next morning, Pepper was getting ready to leave for her office where she planned on staying until the noon and then maybe go out, somewhere in the city. It’s been too long that she even couldn’t remember the last time she’s been at a restaurant or at least a café or something like that.
She opened the door as she took her briefcase with the other hand, but when she stepped outside she saw Tony standing on the floor, looking at her. He didn’t change. Tony was wearing the same designer clothes as last night and he had his hair all messed-up.
“Why are you still here?” She asked him in a high tone.
“I don’t know what I have done…”
Pepper stood there too surprised he was still here so when she actually had her control back, she got the note from her pocket and threw it in his face.
A moment later, she was speeding down the stairs, leaving Tony with the note behind.