Ripples in the Water (Marvel)- Fox/Lady

FoxWriter

FoxWriter

Cluster
Joined
Jan 20, 2011
Location
in the realm of lust and seduction
“I never got to say goodbye to my father. There's questions I would've asked him. I would've asked him how he felt about what his company did, if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the newsreels. I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability.” “Mr. Stark! What happened over there?” “I had my eyes opened. I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries.” Steve rogers watched the report on the TV through a shop window. It was a piss poor miserable day and he was drenched head to toe in wet, cold rain that smelled faintly of sewage. Though, maybe that was just leaking up from the sewers. It was hard to be sure considering everything stank of it. He was sure the lovely Shield agents where out of their mind by now. He had been walking nearly nonstop for three days now. Just, walking. He went to various places like Bryant Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Washington Square Park, the High Line, SoHo, Central Park, Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and had even stopped by Stark Tower, his original destination but he never went in. it had been about a week since Tony had been kidnapped by now and Steve just wasn't sure about him. Or if he would be willing to take in a man who had lost everything and really aught to be dead.

He was getting tired again, and hungry and he sighed and fingered the card in his pocket. The one named Natalia had given it to him. Said it would give him money. It hadn't taken him long, watching other people doing it, to find out how to work an ATM. He had watched on day, covered up and hidden not twenty minutes after he used the card the place had been swarming with shield Agents. He'd have to move on quickly. Instead of using the card though, he walked into Stark Tower before he mad the decision to do so. If Tony Stark had the sense to stop making weapons when they started falling into enemy hands then he supposed Tony could be trusted, for now. He blinked when a young woman asked if she could help him and Steve realized he looked an urchin. “uhm. Yes. Uhm, Steve Rogers to see Tony Stark?” “do you have an appointment?” “no Ma'am. This was a bit last minute. I'm not sure he'd know me. I used to... well, my Da used to know his Da.” he got funny looks, when he said he knew people who where long dead. “my Car broke down and I've spent the last three days hiking it because I'm a bit of a grizzler. No one picks up hitchhiking grizzlers but cops and I doubt they'd bring me here.” that got a smile out of her and she paged Jarvis and informed him of the 'nice young man' and his name and Jarvis scanned Steve's face and ran a background check, not that Steve was at all aware. He had no idea Jarvis even existed and even if he did he wasn't too used to computers yet. Hell the phones still sort of threw him for a loop.

~~**~~

Tony Stark was working o something for his new flight suit while half listening to Pepper yell at him for, something. He forgot what, probably something to do with all the people making fun of him for getting kidnapped and tortured and shutting down his weapons division. “I'm not saying I'm going to stop helping the troops Pep.” Tony interrupted her suddenly, even if he wasn't sure that was what they where, er, talking about. “I'm saying I'm not going to make weapons. I have other things that would help more. Like tank armor upgrades, new light weight rescue helicopters, stealth suits, body armor and I've been working on an imitation X-ray as well as advanced thermals and night vision.” he admitted. He'd been working on a medical too but he didn't know enough about medicine to get around to it and the science was too vast and... squishy, for him to learn it in a few days the way he normally did. It would take him years to learn everything he needed to start playing with medicine and the human body. It would be much better to find someone like Bruce Banner. He had tried it with Betty Ross but they, er, hadn't gotten along. Oh it was fine, they where good friends now, so long as they didn't have to work together ever, ever again. She had suggested Bruce to him but no one knew where the giant green rage monster with the beautiful, beautiful brain was so that project was on hold.

“Sir.” Jarvis spoke up suddenly, startling Tony because Jay never interrupted when Pepper was yelling at him unless it was something big. “There is a man in your lobby looking to be in dire straights. He has no current background information but his facial recognition scan provided a 99.2% Match to Steve Rogers, the Late Captain America. Considering the reports that a government faction has found Captain Rogers encased in a naturally formed cryogenics and was able to revive him, I find the chances that this is Captain Rogers to be 87.6% possible.” Jarvis reported and Tony spun to face the screen where Steve Rogers, looking miserable and like a drowned street rat was sitting in a chair, waiting to see if Tony would let him in. Tony swallowed and looked at Pepper because he had no idea what to do. Rogers had been his childhood idol. But everyone had said that Rogers had liked his father and Tony hated his father and was terrified his father would be right and that he would be a disappointment to the good Captain. He looked at Pepper because he knew she'd know the right thing to do. Not just for Captain Rogers, but for Tony as well.
 
“Stopping making weapons will stop helping them tony.”Pepper scowled looking annoyed, angry with him because she had no idea how to handle this new tony, the one she’d known before was gone, burned away under the heat of a Afghanistan sun. So she was struggling to figure out how to help him, to communicate with him again. Startling when he interrupted she frowned a little, watching him. “T-”She started her voice softer, stopping when Jarvis interrupted, frowning a little. “What?”she sputtered a little at the information, frowning at the screen. Staring hard as she considered what to do. She could handle this. Growling a little to herself she sighed, pointing a finger at Tony. “You go shower and clean up. No matter how you’re feeling, you’re not meeting the Captain covered in grease and oil. You’d regret it later. I’ll go talk to the man, and see him up to the penthouse.”She said heading for the door. Not about to admit that she was going to threaten the good captain to be on good behavior, because she was going to be watching.

“Captain Rogers, you look miserable. Come, I have some clothes and food for you before Tony comes upstairs.”She said tilting her head, smirking slightly. “Welcome to Stark Towers, Captain. I’m Virginia Potts, though Tony calls me Pepper.”She said holding out a hand for him to shake.
 
Tony shook his head. "they have other people to make weapons for them." Tony stated simply before he offered her a small smile. he knew the softer tone meant he had won. yes! Tony 3 Pepper 678. he was catching up! he stared at the screen, a little stunned by the shape the good captain was in. he looked like he'd been living on the streets. "huh?" he asked, blinking at her before looking down at himself. oh, yeah, he looked a bit like shit himself. shower would be good, and coffee. he'd really like a shot of something hard but he didn't want to meet the good captain even a little bit tipsy, that and the thought f drinking made him feel sick. "Thanks Pep. i don't know what i'd do without you." he admitted, kissing her cheek before heading up to take a shower before pausing, looking at her. "what should i wear?!" he asked, looking a bit freaked out.

"Oh!" Steve startled and blinked owlishly at her, he'd been dozing in the chair. "Oh! uhm, sorry. yes, thank you!" he stuttered, hauling himself up. "I'm sorry for this last minute thing, i... i don't have many options and Mr. Stark is the only name i recognize that i could find, so... I hope I'm not interrupting anything." he admitted, looking very contrite before he smiled. "oh, I've heard of you." he admitted, shaking her hand. "They say that your the only reason Mr. Stark manages to be a functional adult. he's lucky to have you, even if I'm not sure that he's really that bad." he was that bad, but Steve's faith in Tony was a breath of fresh air at least. "would you have a preference for how i address you Ma'am?" he asked her, his head tilted because he was still used to needing to call women by proper names, using a girls nickname back when he was a kid without permission could have you shunned by the entire female population.
 
“True.”Pepper sighed quietly before snorting amused at his distraction, before smiling at him. “You’d have died or killed yourself by now, surely.”Pepper said before rolling her eyes. “Jeans and a t-shirt, Tony. Casual workshop clothes if you want. Just make sure they’re clean.”She ordered.

“You’re welcome.”pepper said wincing a little as she realized he had been napping before smiling slightly. “It’s fine. Though odd, Tony’s usually around most days. And while interrupting, it’s not that huge. He thinks sleep and food interrupt work days to.”Pepper said before tensing, thinking about it. “Don’t call him Mr. Stark, he’s tony.”She ordered staring at him as they stepped into the elevator, smothering a laugh. While it was a breath of fresh air, the man was in for a shock if he thought tony would act like that. “Pepper is fine, Captain.”Pepper said smiling slightly as she showed him into the penthouse, moving to get the clothes for him, before handing him the t-shirt and jeans. “While they’ll be tight, since they’re tony’s, they should fit well enough.”
 
"well. yeah. probobly. it was a theoretical question!" he complained, rolling his eyes before grinning. "you got it!" he agreed, bouncing away.

"well i probobly wouldn't have come here at all but for the news." he admitted. "i was, i didn't know where to go but i was worried about how Tony might be and... it was stupid but nothing in this century makes sense and i was a bit scared." he admitted before he looked mortified. "He doesn't eat?" that was horrible! "oh... yeah, sure no problem." he agreed. "i can call him Tony." he agreed, smiling. "but only if he calls me Steve, being called Mr. Rogers makes me feel old and Captain just makes me feel tired." he admitted, smiling at her. "please, call me Steve too." he offered, following her like a lost lamb, blinking at the clothes. "thank you, it's fine. nothing fits right anymore." he admitted. "i'm a lot bigger than most guys are and Shield wasn't too interested in filling out my closet." he admitted, stripping off his shirt, halfway oblivious to the fact that Pepper was there. he was used to getting dressed and undressed around women, between his dancing monkey days and Peggy he was more used to women than he was to men, being honest. he was soon dressed in clean, if very tight clothes and he sighed when he couldn't get the button on his pants fasted but they where better than being wet and cold and he could get money from the ATM and buy new clothes later. "well that's a sight." Tony said as he stepped out of the elevator. "Pepper, i know the man is sexy but trying to squeeze him to death like that for a good look at what he's hiding under there is a bit too far don't you think?" Tony asked, teasing Pepper, startled when Steve made a strangled sort of sound that sounded like a mix of someone dying of mortification and someone trying not to laugh, his face beat red even as he held a hand over his mouth to hide the grin. Tony had to grin wildly because he was going to have FUN with Rogers after THAT reaction!
 
"Ah. Well. Everyone's worried how tony's doing. More then normal really."pepper said with a slight smile at the thought of her boss. He'dscared her badly, and she was still worried for him, but treating him like normal would probably do him more good thrn anything else."okay, steve is is."she agreed with a smile."well, we'll se about getting you some clothes that fit. I'm sure tony would be more then willing to get something."she promised as she stared at him, going red at tony's teasing before making a face."no not really, considering what he's packing under the belt is world's better then what you have, I thought you should see how a healthy and we'll fed man looks. I msan, you might someday look this good if you ate."she said well ware she was making things worse
 
he shook his head. "no, not.. that." he admitted, hesitating. "don't tell Tony but i really couldn't stand his father, i was worried he was going to be just like Howard." he admitted. "from what little i was able to find out about Tony, hes about as far from Howard as a man could get." he admitted with a smile. "to be honest, i know a lot of people are angry with him for stopping the weapons manufacturing but i happen to think it was the best thing he could have done. Soldiers don't need better weapons, they need better supplies, more food, better protection, better Intel and sure, better weapon might help, so long as the other side doesn't get their hands on those weapons too." he admitted, shrugging. "i can see what Mr S... Tony, i trying to do and i think he's a greater person for it." he admitted before shrugging. "i have a card that gives me money, i was just more focused on food than i was clothes, especially since i was sleeping in the park. clothes didn't seam too important." he admitted. "i can get clothes later." he assured her. "i just have to be careful because everytime i use the card agents are soon swarming the place. it's annoying." he admitted with a huff before going even more red when Pepper commented and he covered the groin area as if worried that she might still be looking. "hey, hey! no! not!" Tony complained before looking at Steve, really looking him over. "okay so he probably is bigger than me, but size doesn't matter! Gwen said so!" he stated with a sniff, Steve blinking, wondering who Gwen was and why she had first hand encounters with Tony's cock when 'everyone' knew Ton was with Pepper. "I'm not exactly well fed Ma'am." Steve admitted with a chuckle. "considering i need about six to eight times the amount a normal person needs, i never seam to get enough to eat." he admitted with a shrug. "although, with things like Big macs and whoppers that is a hell of a lot easier now than it was back in the nineteen forties." he admitted. "not the best nutrition wise, but it certainly helps me to feel full if i eat enough of them."
 
"Well, then you two should get along smashingly. Just don't talk about howard unless he brings it up. Otherwise I might have to hurt you for upsetting him."she warned before nodding."indeed. And as annoyed as I am with hin for doing this, making things harder, I think in the long run hell be better for it."pepper smiled because she knew steve was right. Tony had said as much. Better intel, better supplies, not weapons would make the difference."well. I can assure you though if you let tony get them for you, shieldwon't find you until your ready to be found. They'll just think it's him, being him and buying things."she said looking vaguely annoyed that he'd felt so caged by shield that sleeping in the park had been a better option to him.grinning as she looked away from steve she smirked a little."I'm sure gwen just being nice."she said smirking at tony before pointing a finger at steve."don't encourage him. I have enough problems getting him to eat without you telling him your not well fed and still look amazing. With my luck, his next excuse would be 'cap said it was fine.'"
 
He nodded. "i'll be sure to make sure the man's name never even crosses my mind, though i wonder about how you'd hurt me." he admitted with a chuckle. "i'm sure it would be very creative." he admitted before smiling at her. "i'm sure it will all turn out okay. Tony' a genius right? like a real genius? he'll make it be okay if he has to." he admitted. "well, that's true." Steve admitted. "granted, they haven't found me in three days so i doubt they could. they just don't have the kind of training i do. it's kind of... pathetic actually." he admitted. "they're so hung up on me not knowing anything about this century that they forget basic things like the fact that i snuck into nazi camps and killed guards without being detected." he admitted, rolling his eyes. "might as well call this a training exercise." he admitted with a chuckle. "i'm sure she's not! Gwen would never lie to my face like that!" Tony huffed eve if he was grinning because she so totally would lie to his face if she wanted to. and had actually. often. "oh, i'm not encouraging him. if i could do nothing but eat all day i'd so do it." Steve admitted before looking at Tony. "you are rather thin. you should probobly pack on some weight." he admitted, Tony sulking because he didn't want anymore weight. though, more muscles would be nice. "I'll think about it." Tony huffed, annoyed because everyone took peppers side. he just didn't have time to eat! Steve just smiled, he liked Tony already. he was nothing like Howard.
 
"It would be creative and painful, and make Zola pale in comparison."pepper said lookING up at him with that smirk that said she could and would hurt him badly if he in any way shape or form hurt tony she'd make good on the promise."yea he's a genius. Though sometimes that's more of a curse thrn blessing."pepper said before wincing.that's true. They were probably using technology to track your card, instead of actively searching for you, so just be careful when you do go out....and maybe you can give them some training."she looked amused."she totally wouls."pepper said looking amused."see?listen to steve tony, eat more."pepper ordered."you know gwen would like you to gain some weight to."though she knew he hadn't seen her since he'd gotten back, and she was worried about that. Scared he'd turn away from her.
 
Steve recoiled away from her so fast he almost fell over when she said that name. Zola, that sick twisted Fiend. Steve was hissing out, fear and rage in his voice, acting out because he didn't have time to control himself. "Don't ever say that name!" he had been captured by Zola once, only for an hour. it was an hour he had barely survived even with the serum and Bucky had once had his own horror stories to tell. "...s..sorry. that was... automatic." he admitted, swallowing thickly. granted, Tony had done the same thing when Phil Coulson had said the name Raza so she'd at least be familiar with the reaction of someone so traumatized by a person that even uttering the name brought up hellish waking nightmares and made a man react without thinking to protect himself from a danger that was no longer there. Steve at least had tried to flee instead of trying to strangle or fight the way Tony had. "well, to be fair I've never really met a genius so i wouldn't know." Steve admitted. ooh, sick burn on Howard. "honestly if they think me so stupid I'm surprised they even thought to watch the card. after all, if i can't work a cellphone why should i be able to work an ATM? the lack of common sense these days is rather astounding." he admitted before he smirked. "maybe i'll play 'Where's Waldo' with them?" he mused. "that would be fun." he admitted with a chuckle. "i could even get a red striped shirt and a pompom hat just to rub salt in it." he admitted with a snigger. well, Steve was a lot more devious than the stories seamed to say he was. "...you think she would?" Tony asked, already turning the idea around in his head. he really liked Gwen, so if she liked him more if he had a bit of body to him he'd totally go for it. "Hey Jay? order some Pizza would you?" Tony asked. "the usual for me and Pepper, and whatever Rogers wants." "oh, no i don't think..." Steve quailed under Tony's look. "order." "P...Pepperoni..." "excellent! Twelve extra large pepperonis for Steve." "but that's expensive!" "is it?" Tony asked, blinking a little. "Y..Yes!" "huh, forgot you grew up poor." Tony admitted. "it's fine." he promised Steve. "i could buy the moon and it would barely dent my accounts." "...is he exaggerating? no one can have that much money." Steve said to pepper with a scowl. no, Tony wasn't exaggerating. and every month he donated millions to various organizations, mostly to help Vets and children.
 
Pepper yelped startled at his reaction, tensing even as she balanced carefully, preparing to run away or fight him off depending on what happening, swallowing thickly. “Sorry. I wont. Ever again.”She promised eyes wide before shaking her head. “I should have known better, I’m sorry Captain.”She swallowed hard. “I’ve been dealing with tony these past few weeks, I apologize for not thinking, Steve.”She said looking pained as she watched him. Before snorting amused at the insult to howard, oh him and tony were going to get along like a house on fire. “True. Though I’m sure some of them are intelligent enough to think of everything.”She said thinking about Agent coulson and him trying to get a meeting with tony. Him, she could see thinking of everything. “....You should ask tony to help. He’d love playing where’s waldo.”She smiled amused, because well, if she couldn’t stop them from acting out, she could at least enjoy the fun. “I do. But you should call her.”Pepper suggested, well aware tony wouldn’t. Even if she’d been trying to get him to do it since he got back. “No, he’s not exaggerating. I think he even has a plot of land to be buried up there, should he ever accidently kill himself or something in the lab.”
 
"it's, it's fine." Steve said, clearing his throat and trying to regain his senses. "i just, people seam to think that just because it's been seventy years for them... a lot of people in Shield kept asking... the name just..." he shook his head because he couldn't really begin to explain. "has Tony had a similar reaction?" he wondered, wincing. "of course he has, how crass of me." he muttered. "i at least had training to sort of help. Tony was literally a civilian." he muttered before smiling at her. "really. it's okay, you didn't mean any harm. to you it's just a backwater name from history. you couldn't have known." Steve admitted. "well, no. the one, Phil. he's a real decent sort though i haven't actually talked to him personally, he's a damn clever sort. and the other one, red head, she's damn smart, not a desk worker like most of these poor sots." he admitted with a smile. "Coulson is one of them that i think i could actually like, you know. he actually arranged for me to get some stuff. books mostly, about history and stuff." he admitted before grinning a little. "maybe i will. from what i've heard of Tony, he's a lot like Bucky." he admitted, his throat closing in, making him crack the name like a teen in the height of puberty. he was entirely unaware f the huge compliment he had just payed Tony. no idea what the name James Barnes meant to people these days. a legend, a hero, a martyr. almost as vaulted as Captain America. "...i can't call her. i'll hurt her." Tony protested because that was he was scared of the most. in a flashback he had attacked Pepper and had left serious bruises on her arms where he had gripped her too tightly and left a nasty bump on her head from slamming her into the ground. he didn't actually remember it, but he had made Jarvis show him the video. he was terrified, so terrified of hurting her again or hurting Gwen that he kept pushing them away. "...he has a plot f land on the moon... so he can be buried there when he dies... that settles it. everyone on in this Era is out of their minds insane." Steve declared. "but I'm getting Pizza so i guess i don't mind." that set Tony off, making him laugh and laugh because it was so, so true.
 
“yes, it’s not even been a month for you has it? I’m so sorry captain...”She said looking upset at having upset him before smiling quietly, wincing. “Yes/...though he’s been more violent in his reactions, trying to fight whoever is with him off. It’s been....a bad time the last few weeks.”Pepper said offering a small smile before snorting. “He seems to be. Though he keeps wanting to talk to tony, and tony’s not ready to talk to anyone...>”She sighed thinking about it, “well, maybe he would be good for him to eventually talk to....I’m sure you apperciated it.”She smiled at the idea of phil getting him the stuff before her eyes widened. “He tries. Sometimes to live up to you guys.”Pepper said surprised at the man’s compliment, resting a hand on his arm, squeezing a little. Trying to offer comfort before sighing, eyeing tony before smirking. Knowing she was about to throw steve under the bus, but....”Call her. Have Steve sit in with you if you’re afraid to hurt her. I mean, if anyone could stop you, it’s Captain America. But you wont hurt her.”Pepper sighed softly. “Yes he does. Though for tony, it’s not that odd to think about.”she said snickering at steve’s words before smiling. “Yes, pizza is worth the weirdness. Though if you think this is weird, this doesn’t even start on the tony weirdness and insanity.”
 
he smiled sadly at her. "counting the time before i crashed the ship? it's been two weeks and three days." he admitted. "it might be longer but i wasn't conscience for those so i don't think they count." he admitted with a sigh. "it's nothing you need to feel sorry about Pepper." he assured her with a smile. "it hurts, it's hard but it's better dealing with it now than if i was dealing with it back in the forties. did you know that people who are depressed used to be locked up in hospitals when i was a kid? incurably insane they said. and PTSD wasn't, uh, invented? discovered? back then, which is what me and Tony have i think." he admitted. "Tony get violent?" that was worrying, but Steve could guess why. Tony wasn't used to being out of control and so fought violently against what he perceived as a threat against him. whereas Steve was all too familiar with being out of control and simply fought to flee. "do you think i culd help in any way?" he asked, worried about Tony, though he hadn't even met the man yet really. "well. as amazing as he seams to be he's still an Agent after all." Steve pointed out. "they want what Tony knows and they'll hound him until they get it." he admitted. "i ended up writing everything down in a journal and shoved it into the guy who came in, they said he was a therapist but i call bullshit, they didn't bother me after that. maybe it would help Tony if he wrote it down? made me feel a little bit better." he looked confused. "why on earth would anyone want to live up to me? i pretty much tried to kill myself. he'd be better off finding a better roll model." he admitted.

"huh?" Steve asked, confused, Tony wincing as he looked away. "she won't want me anymore." Tony said softly, touching his chest and for the first time Steve noticed a faint glow. "Tony. you can't live the rest of your life being afraid." Steve said suddenly. "is this person, Gwen, important to you?" Tony hesitated and then nodded. "then call her. if she cares about you as much as you obviously care about her, then it won't matter." "..you think so?" Tony asked softly, swallowing before looking around, as if trying to find courage before sighing. "Jay? invite Gwen over would you buddy?" "...whose he talking to anyway?" Steve asked pepper. "like, is he insane or is there an invisible butler or something?" he asked before shrugging. "he's not half as odd as some of the Commandos where." he admitted with a grin. "so, who exactly did i just convince Tony to invite over?" Steve wondered. the only reason why he'd done it was because he knew people in states like his, and thus Tony's, should have support from friends and family. he didn't have any friends or family, so at least he could help Tony.
 
Ah. Okay then.”Pepper said smiling at him before wincing a little. What little she knew of tony’s childhood that he’d actually said, instead of having made her guess about, she knew howard had threatened his eccentric, different, amazing son with being locked up. “I know. And probably. It would make sense. Both of you have been traumatized. And he does. Though he’s not....he doesn’t know how to fight, not really. So he’s violent, but it’s not...horrible. Even as much as he feels bad about hurting me, the worst he managed to do is bruise my arms were he grabbed me. It wasn’t....”She shrugged because she couldn’t figure out how to explain it. “It wasn’t as dangerous as it could have been if he’d been aware of how to really fight.. He hates not being in control, and this is making him so very out of control.”Pepper smiled slightly before nodding. “You could. Probably one of the few people who could help him, and not have him fight every step of the way.”She said before thinking about it. Nodding a little. “I’ll have him do that. Wriing it down would probably help.”She said before snorting. “Because he lived with howard stark.”She said which really did explain why tony had steve and bucky as role models.

“Steve’s more then enough of a chaperon to keep you from hurting her.”Pepper said before wincing, sighing quietly. “I doubt that, tony. If I can handle changing it, then she can handle seeing it.”Pepper encouraged a little before looking at steve, looking pleased that he’d managed to convince him .”Of course Sir. I will ask her right away.”Jarvis said sounding pleased. “Invisble butler sort of. It’s a computer program, artifical intelligence that he made when he was younger. Mostly, Jarvis is the person who looks after him the most.”Pepper smiled before laughing a little at his words, watching tony, “Sir?Ms. Wilde said she will be here this evening as soon as she can.” “Hey tony, why don’t you head back to the lab, till then? Otherwise you’ll go a little insane waiting for her.”Pepper said smiling at tony, before looking at steve. “His secret girlfriend.”
 
Steve nodded. "yeah but your missing the point here Pepper." Steve said, pausing to look at her very seriously. "it doesn't matter that h can't fight, doesn't know how. he could have punched you, gotten in a lucky hit or strangled you. those aren't the points either though, do you know what the point that Tony is all hung up on?" he asked, staring at her. "the point is that he hurt you and he knows it and that's eating him up with guilt because your one of the few people he actually cares about, and hurting you is the most horrible thing he could do in his mind. because of these, he's very much terrified he'll do it again." he admitted. "especially if you fought back, because he knows he can hurt you even if you try to stop him then." he admitted. "of course it's just as bad if you didn't fight back for a whole other reason." Damn, Steve really put a lot of thought into things like this. "i'll start writing stuff down too. if he sees me doing it, he might be more willing to do it himself." he paused to shudder. "ugh. that man. i feel defiled." Steve muttered, a little horrified that Howard had obsessed so much over him and James that Tony vaulted them as the heroes that they where not.

"i can tie you up in a pretzel to prove it if you like, i bet your limber enough." Steve admitted, Tony snorting. "no Thanks Big Guy, i think i'm good." he admitted with a chuckle. "yeah, thanks Jay." he said, amused when Steve jumped, flinched and then looked around for the voice that had come from nowhere before he gaped at them. "he's... a computer?" he asked, looking amazed. "it's, uh, it's a pleasure to meet you Jarvis." Steve said, deciding to be polite, Tony looking very happy that Steve wasn't ignoring Jarvis like most people did when they found out he was a computer. "Thanks Jay!" he said before shaking his head at Pepper. "no way, Captain needs clothes." "god, you make me sound so, ugh please, just Steve." "Captain Steve needs clothes. he can't meet Gwen dressed like that, she'll never want my finely sculpted old man body if she sees him like that." he admitted. "Jarvis? where's my wallet?" Tony wondered. "and my shoes?" "...okay yu know that thing i said about being sure Tony wasn't as helpless as people think?" Steve asked, grinning at Pepper. "i take that back, he's about as bad as a kid." "seriously! someone!? where are my shoes?!"
 
Pepper frowned, wincing a little. “Oh....I hadn’t considered that. Dammit...”She sighed frustrated because she had no good way to help tony, make him feel better. “I did fight back, it was hard....”Pepper sighed quietly because she had no idea how to help him. Nodding. “That’d probably be helpful. Hopefully he’ll write.”She smiled before snorting. “You should.”she said giggling a little.

“He probably is limber enough, considering some of the compromising positions I’ve caught him in.”Pepper teased looking amused. “Yes, he’s a computer. And he runs the house. If you’re here, and you need something, you can always ask Jarvis if we’re not here.”pepper said. “It is very good to meet you to, Captain.”Jarvis said sounding pleased himself. “You are nearly 5 years older then her, she’s well aware your old, and still wants you. I doubt even teh captain could convince her to see someone else.”Pepper snickered a little. Before nodding at steve’s words. “He is as bad as a kid. And your wallet is on the kitchen table, and your shoes are in your bedroom.”
 
he nodded. "there are ways to make him feel better." Steve admitted with a smile. "i'll teach you some self defense so you can fight him off if there is a next time. that will make Tony feel better. start carrying mace or a tazer. dropping him will be a lot better for him, mentally, than letting hi hurt you and it will offer him a sense of comfort and control." he admitted. "i know its as hard for you as it is for Tony, you should consider finding someone to talk to, someone who understands. a VA hospital will have a support group for friends and family members helping with PTSD. i went to one, it was nice." he admitted. "people who had the same problems as me talking about it, helping each other. i'd take Tony but i doubt he's ready for that." he admitted. "i think writing will help him most right now." he admitted with a smile.

"...really? you walked in on him...." "of course she has. i have no modesty and she has no shame or sense of personal privacy." Tony admitted, making Steve flush a little. "oh." he smiled a little. "i don't know much about computers, but this seams really cool." he admitted, smiling at the ceiling. "i'll be sure to, thanks Jarvis." Steve said before chuckling at Tony as the man rushed about like a child. "Yes!" Tony said, skipping off to get his things before skipping back, beaming at them. "lt's go shopping!" "...i'm going to regret this, aren't i?" Steve asked Pepper, looking a bit stricken now. he was right, he regretted it. Tony didn't let him rest once for four hours while they bought him every single thing he would ever need. from socks and underwear to six, SIX, form fitted suits. Steve was about read to collapse but Pizza was there, somehow still hot and he ate six of the extra large pepperoni's and felt better. he had forgotten all about the mysterious visitor and was now staring at her, flushing hard because he was in nothing but a pair of pants, his chest fully bare as he stuffed his face. "Uh... hello..."
 
“That would be good. He’s tried teaching me some, and happy to, but neither really have the patience for teaching. I’m sure you do.and I have a tazer, a specially stark tech one that has way more then what it needs, but it works and will make him feel better.”She said smiling a little before tilting her head, nodding a little. “You know, you might be right. I’ll have to find someone....and you’re right. Tony wont want to talk to others.”

“Well, I used to have shame and sense of personal space, until my boss started not following directions or showing up to work. Dragging him out of weird shit, sorta cured me of that.”Pepper said before nodding, “It is very cool.”She agreed looking amused as she watched tony, before smirking. “Probably. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have clothes by the end of the trip.”She said laughing a little.

Gwen paused as she walked into the room, tilting her head as she considered the scene in front of her. “Tony....did you forget to tell me you started dating men again?”Gwen said her blond hair tied back into a messy bun, blue green eyes considering the scene, tall and lithe, with high tight breasts, slender hips, and as she brushed her bangs out of her face, the edge of a tattoo peeked out from her shirt sleeve. Looking for once, awkward and out of sorts in tony’s company, having no idea how to approach or be with him agian, much less tell him everything that had been happening since he’d been gone.
 
he smiled a little. "i like to teach." he admitted before nodding. "good and you have to promise that you'll use it if i ever get violent." he ordered. "i don't normally but sometimes certain memories..." he shrugged. "i'd feel better knowing you'll use that fancy tazer on me if you have to." he admitted with a smile before nodding. "well don't get used to it, i'm actually rarely right." he admitted with an impish grin.

"Ah well, must have been the boss before me." Tony said, waving his hand as if he didn't care who it had been, even if he knew he had been the only boss Pepper had ever had. "you haven't dragged me out of anything weird since i started dating Gwen." he admitted simply, Steve chuckling a little before looking at Pepper. "i thought, i mean all the rumors... everyone seams to think you and Tony..." he was blushing furiously.

"uh... dating men?" Steve asked, looking startled. "is that allowed?" "course it is!" Tony admitted before shrugging at Gwen. "he's captain America, of course i have devised nefarious schemes to get him into bed with us." "uuuuuh...." Steve couldn't tell if Tony was joking or not. "Steve this is my girlfriend, or... at least she was before i was kidnapped and mutilated. Gwen this is Steve Rogers, Captain America who seams to be a prude." "not a prude just... when i was growing up dating other guys could lead to a man getting beat t death." Steve admitted. "i'm still getting used to things. honestly i think it's swell. one of my friends, Gabby was Gay. we tended to cover for him." Steve admitted, offering her his hand. "it's nice to meet you Gwen."
 
“I will. I promise.”Pepper said smiling slightly before snorting amused at his words. “Yea, sure. That’s who it was.”Pepper added rolling her eyes at tony, before smiling wider. “Well, that’s cause Gwen’s well behaved. And I know they do. We let everyone believe that, since they prefer having a private life, easier to do if everyone doesn’t know about Gwen.”

“Yes it is. Espeically if it’s such a good looking man.”Gwen said absently looking amused as she crossed the room, moving to sit down on the couch next to tony, tilting her head a little. “I’m not sure if your teasing or not.”She muttered before wincing a little at tony’s words, wondering if they were still dating. Maybe they weren’t? “Ah. Well, there are some things better about this world then what you left behind. Hello.”Gwen said smiling a little at steve shaking his hand before snagging a slice of pizza for herself, not sure why she was there, if tony was ready to talk or not, but willing to do what he wanted.
 
Tony smirked a little. "that's totally who it was." he stated with a smirk before snorting. "Gwen, well behaved? your mad." he teased with a laugh. "oh. that, doesn't make any sense at all..." Steve admitted, looking more than a bit baffled. "is she like, homely or something?" "no man, i'm a rich playboy with his face plastered in the newspapers almost everyday, if she came out as Ton Stark's long term girlfriend the press, the public and the hoards of insane fans thinking they have a right to me would rip her to shreds." "ah. that makes a lot more sense." Steve agreed. "i thought it was weird a guy like you would hide a woman but i couldn't figure out how." Tony frowned, uncertain if he should be insulted. "a guy like me?" "yeah, you know, decent and good and stuff." ah, a compliment then. Steve really needed to work on his people skills. or Tony did, probobly a bit of both really.

Tony nodded with a grin. "he's be a sexy option for a threesome right?" he asked with a grin before he grimaced and looked down because he wasn't sure if he was joking either. "thre are lots of things better. no Polio and limited TB is one of the best. no segregation is amazing too." he admitted. "although, i wish someone had told me that the word... uh... the N word? was an insult before i actually used it and got my nose broken. Fury was not happy even after the misunderstanding was cleared up." Steve admitted. "i didn't know that a healthy middle aged black man could be a commander at the time so... yeah it was a bad misunderstanding." Steve admitted sheepishly. Tony snickered because he could picture Rhodey's reaction if Steve had said something like that to his face. "Hey, hey! that ones mine! i licked it!" Tony whined, smiling at her because he really wanted to still date her. "...you licked my Pizza?" Steve asked, horrified. "i lick all Pizza." Tony admitted, Steve looking a little dismayed. "i ate six of those." "and they all had my spit on it." "That's disgusting and i'm still not sure if your joking." "indirect kiss." "indi... what?!" Steve asked, looking even more baffled. Tony just started giggling a sound that Pepper and Gwen recognized. it was Tony's 'i'm freaking out and trying to hide it by being a shit head.' giggle.
 
“Well, she’s better behaved then you.”Pepper snickered a little before smiling at steve’s confusion. “Not to mention her own career as a novelist would probably be over, at least the unbiased part of it, since either people would stop buying it because she’s his girlfriend, or buy it only because she is his girlfriend.”Pepper said before bristling a little, ready to defend tony before smiling slightly. They both needed to work on their social skills.

“He would.”Gwen agreed, though she was half wondering if tony was trying to pass her off onto someone else. Was this the nice way of breaking up with her? “Ah. Yea, that would be a bad misunderstanding. But I wouldn’t take it to heart, Fury’s pissed off with most people, at all times of the day.”Pepper said looking amused. “It’s mine now.”Gwen said staring at tony, before looking at the pizza. “....Don’t worry about it. He didn’t lick it all. He’s just being a ass.”Pepper said after a moment, pointing at the other two. “You two go away. Go talk or whatever you two do alone.”Pepper ordered watching the two, trying to figure out what was different about the woman, and hoping tony would get her to talk. “Tones?”Gwen muttered looking at him, tilting her head a little. Not sure what he wanted, or would be best, but willing to do what he wanted.
 
"well... yeah that's true." "isn't everyone more well behaved than Tony?" "No! super-villains are worse behaved than me!" Ton protested and Steve snorted because that wasn't exactly proving Steve wrong. "oh a novelist!" Steve said, perking up. Steve was a huge bibliophile. he voraciously read any written word he could get his hands on. provided they weren't math books anyway, those made his head hurt. getting to meet an actual writer would be swell. "oh yeah, i can see that happening. her sales would either rise rapidly and drop harshly and she would no longer be seen for herself, just as an extension of Tony. we used to have that problem with me and Peggy. used to really piss Peg off. specially as we where never actually a couple. she was a wee bit too strong willed for me." Steve admitted. "i'd like a woman whose my equal, not my better." he admitted with a smile. "she was a woman though." he admitted. "if she hadn't been so mean to me, i fancy i would have loved her." Peggy had been mean to Steve? Howard had never mentioned that.

"yeah, sorry no. i get stage fright." Steve lied, flushing harder as Tony laughed. "i love making him blush, he's adorable!" he informed Gwen. "don't worry. i won't sleep with him." he promised with a smile at Gwen, looking strained and nervous and a little bit scared. "yeah well... he didn't have to punch me." Steve sulked before shaking his head as he chewed on his Pizza. he'd eaten worse than licked Pizza. "i'm not an ass! i have an ass, a very nice ass." "how can you tell?" Steve wondered, looking amused before watching Tony sigh and headed over to Gwen, looking more and more worried before looking at Pepper, voice soft, traumatized. "what if i hurt her?" "here Gwen." Steve said, handing her the Tazer that Ton had given him. "if he looses control, goes into a flashback and attacks you, use it on him. it will make Tony feel better." Steve explained in a hushed voice so Tony wouldn't hear them. "he's terrified of hurting you, he's also terrified your going to reject him so just, try to be gentle if you can." he suggested before walking away, Tony swallowing thickly as he realized Gwen had the tazer but actually relaxing. "hey Gwen. sorry i didn't call. i... i've been sick..." Tony muttered. well that was one way of putting it. "i..i'm not the same as i was Gwen. i'm n...not the same."
 
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