fic: Charming Possibilities
Charming Possibilities - Part Seven
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Warning: Angst
Part Seven
Seven months later…
“Are you really deaf?”
When Tony didn’t respond, Rhodey walked over to him and patted his shoulder gently.
“I’m not deaf, platypus, I’m not listening. It’s a difference.”
“Okay…” Rhodey trailed off and sat down on the couch next to Tony. “How’s it like?” He asked finally.
“How’s it like what?”
Tony passed his hands through his hair and stared forward at the mess that was his workshop.
“You know…”
Tony turned around to look at his friend. He hadn’t expected the laid arm on his back as an assurance.
“It’s… uh… fitting, I guess.”
The response caught Rhodey off guard. He didn’t think that his friend would blame himself for what happened, even though it wasn’t his fault. Not entirely, at least.
“Hey, listen. We’d better start preparing for tonight’s benefit. You’re coming, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” Tony mumbled and closed his eyes.
---
It had been a month since their wedding, but somehow it felt more than that. It felt like ten years had passed. She didn’t know why she felt that way, but without no doubt it was Tony’s fault. She had been reluctant to send him the invitation for the wedding, but Sean had insisted.
She had hoped until the last second that he would show up, but he hadn’t. Her heart ached in more than one way when Sean had pushed the ring onto her third finger.
They returned home from their honeymoon in New Zeeland earlier that day and she was exhausted. The whole month was in fact, very boring.
“I’ll be in the kitchen, honey. I have to make some calls.” Sean shouted from their bedroom.
Exhausted and grumpy, she didn’t want to respond so she settled into an armchair and stared out the window. Their new apartment was located into the heart of Los Angeles. From the eleventh floor she could easily see the crowded streets below.
A flash of red and gold caught her attention and she stood up wearily. She searched the sky, but it wasn’t there. She looked down and froze when she heard a knock at the door.
“I don’t mean to interrupt or anything, but you’re needed at the company, Mrs. Williams.”
Pepper looked at the man wearing a business suit and realized that he was a SI employee. She hadn’t used to be called Mrs. Williams just yet, but she paid no mind.
“Give me five minutes.” She responded and headed towards the bathroom.
---
“There’s something wrong with him.” Ralph said.
“Who’s ‘him’?” Pepper asked as they walked into the elevator.
“Mr. Stark. He’s been yelling at the PR department for an hour and then he said something like ‘I will watch you very carefully. All of you.’ In my opinion he sounded really drunk.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Pepper whispered more to herself as the elevator came to a stop.
“I can’t believe you don’t know how to make a fucking coffee, you moron!” She stopped abruptly when she noticed Tony eyeing her PA with a death glare.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark. Please give me that back and I’ll make you another one.”
“I don’t need another one! I thought you knew how I liked my coffee!” Tony snorted when he saw the woman opening her mouth and closing it every five seconds.
“You know what? You’re fired!” He spat with venom.
Pepper’s eyes widened as she witnessed the whole scene. She couldn’t believe the Tony who was standing in front of her.
“Y-you can’t fire me. You’re not my boss.”
“Hell, yeah I can. I own this fucking company, so don’t give me all this bullshit about rights. I have every fucking right to fire you and I just fuckin’ did.”
He didn’t seem to notice Pepper who was standing just a few inches away from him. She was practically fuming with nerves. Everyone else in the office stopped working just to watch the scene.
Pepper cleared her throat behind him and waited for him to turn around. She didn’t expect the agonizing despair on his face when he turned to face her.
“I thought you wouldn’t come here until next week!” He mumbled and cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward.
“If you hadn’t created this circus I wouldn’t have come. Follow me.” She sounded angry and for a moment he hesitated.
He followed her silently into her office, his steps slow and calculated. He cleared his throat for maybe three times more until he closed the door after him. Pepper kept her back towards him because she was so angry at him. How could he show up this drunk and fire my assistant, she wondered.
“I’m gone for a month and this is what I find when I come back.” She mutters in a tight voice. “Do you have any idea how mad I am at you right now?”
Tony bit his lip and threw his hands into his pockets sheepishly. He hadn’t even thought that she might find him like this…
“You don’t.” She explained him. “What does it take for you to stop drinking, Tony? Isn’t enough that you put your life in danger every time you put on that suit? Or do you need to make me worry even more because you like, no, I refrain. You love to get drunk. Tell me.”
“Nothing would make me stop drinking, Potts, and you know that very well.”
Pepper swallowed hard when she heard him call her ‘Potts’, even though it wasn’t her name anymore.
“You should really see a doctor. I don’t think you realize that you put your life in danger anytime you have a glass of scotch.”
“Why would I care about my life? It is screwed. I know that. You think I don’t? Well, don’t judge me, Potts. You don’t have that right.”
“You’re right. I don’t. But I do care about you and I wouldn’t forgive myself if something happened and I could have prevented it.”
She heard his harsh breathing and she felt waves of angriness radiating from his body.
“How was your honeymoon, honey? Did you have a great time with your husband? Oh, wait. Did you like it when he screwed you nice and easy? Huh? I bet you did.”
Pepper closed her eyes tightly and fought harder than ever not to turn around and slap him. She knew why he was acting like that, but after he’d told her that he loved her she had hoped that he would forget her and move on. But apparently he hadn’t.
“Your attitude doesn’t surprise me.” She told him matter-of-factly. “But I’ll appreciate it if you’d be more respectful next time.”
“I don’t know about you, but it gets easier from one day to another.” He muttered absently while playing with the end of his light-blue tie.
Her chest began to burn when she heard those words. She didn’t want to admit, but she didn’t want him to move on. She wanted him to love her, even though they couldn’t be together.
“Time heals everything, doesn’t it, Pepper?” He asked and came closer to her until she could feel his breath tickling the back of her neck.
“Of course it does.” She croaked out.
“I’ll only have to wait a little bit more.” He said and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
He squeezed her briefly, enjoying the feel of her before stepping away from her entirely.
“By the way, tell’er she’s not fired. I was just kidding.” He told her with a wink. “I’m leaving.”
Pepper waited patiently until he was out the door until she collapsed against the couch. Her heart was slowly, but securely shattering in thousands of little pieces.
“Goddammit, Tony.” She muttered.
---
It seems like Tony’s moving on and it won’t be an easy journey. Do you think she will be able to move on, as well? My muse will continue working if I get comments!