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Ripples in the Water (Marvel)- Fox/Lady

“Well....okay. You may be right.”Pepper snickered before nodding. “She writes fiction novels. When she gets here, she’ll probably have ideas of what you should read, or what. I heard you loved books. She’d make some good choices.”pepper said smiling, before nodding. “Yes, it would definitely annoy Gwen.”Pepper said raising a eyebrow though, curious about their relationship, but not questioning steve just yet. There’d be time later.

“He is adorable.”Gwen agreed snickering a little. “Tony, apologize. You didn’t have to hit him.”Gwen said rolling her eyes a little, trying to be calm. “You have a nice ass, and you are a ass. Calm down, you’re getting worked up.”Gwen said softly, looking worried for him, before looking at steve as she took the tazer. “You wont. I’ll use this if I need to.”she said not liking the idea, but she’d protect them both. Watching the other, before wincing a little. “I’m not either....the last three months....”She trailed off, biting her lip, looking anxious herself. “Something happened while you were gone....”She swallowed hard, better to get him to focus on something besides himself, and if he was going to freak out, well she’d better know how. Raising her hands in a cupped motion in front of her, she concentrated, swallowing hard as a map formed above her hands, looking so real and solid that it would take trying to touch it to realize it wasn’t real, simple illusion. “....I...I developed a talent. I can make things, Tones...”
 
Steve grinned a little. "i do love books. i read pretty much anything available... although, uh, don't read that new book Fifty Shades. it's..." he flushed hard and looked around before leaning in as if it was a secrete. "it's a 'dirty' book." he whispered, making Tony crack up laughing all over again. "...i said something old, didn't i?" Steve asked with a sigh, Tony just cracking up even more.

"I didn't hit him!" Tony protested, Steve laughing. "no, not Tony, Fury! Fury punched me in the nose." Steve explained with a chuckle. "i'm sorry, i'm calm! i'm cool! awesome, totally." Tony stammered, Steve smiling at her. "i know you don't like it, it's mostly just a mental safety. it makes him feel less of a threat." he explained to her with a smile. "the last three months sucked." Tony whispered before blinking at her. "did... uhm. did you find someone else?" he asked nervously before his eyes widened a little as he gaped at the map in her hands and for a moment Steve was worried Ton was going to flip his lid. and then Tony did flip his lid. "That's, that's so COOL!" Tony gasped before babbling away about what little he knew about mutant abilities. well, he thought it was a little, it was still more than most people could understand. "can you make other things! make butterflies!" Tony ordered, bouncing like a small child. "can you make butterflies or is it only non-animated things!? we have to test this! this is cool! you could be like, the greatest sorceress of illusion ever!!!" he gasped. "you could make monsters, and storms, and they wouldn't be real but i bet you could make them 'Feel' Real! like... like... if you had a hose you could make someone thing they where at the beach! or... or... or..." "is he okay?" Steve asked, blinking. this was just what Ton got like when he was really excited about something. clearly Gwen didn't have to worry about him being upset.
 
“You did, but it’s adorable. Just don’t go reading books tony suggests. Since that was your reaction, you’ll probably be subjected to reading more ‘dirty’ books, since it amused him.”she warned looking amused.

“Well, then. I can deal with that.”Gwen said relaxing a little, even more worried about tony now. Worried about how he was going to be now, and how she could help him. Wincing a little she shook her head, “N-no IU didn’t mean anyone.”She said before staring at Tony, tense before relaxing, swallowing hard as she realized the other was goign to be okay. Relaxing as she snorted, closing her hands into fists for a moment before opening them again, the butterfly that raised from her hands a butterfly raising from her hands. Though calling it a butterfly was a injustice. It’s body was a pumpkin orange, it’s wings a unlikely blend of sky blue, sun yellow, and spring grass green. It was a huge fantastical thing, and something familiar. A butterfly pulled straight from the pages of her newest novel. For a author, used to creating worlds, this was like a dream come true. Even if she had feared his reaction, she’d been excited. “I can make about anything I want, though some things are harder then others.”gwen said stuttering a little at tony’s reaction, because the one other person she’d shown had nearly killed her for it, so she’d been expecting bad things. “Yea. He’s just getting hyper and excited. He’ll be okay.”Pepper sighed quietly, because she worried about the crash later, but at the moment, he was okay.
 
he snorted. "i think that's probobly a good idea." he admitted with a chuckle.

Steve nodded to her with a smile. "it'll be okay. he has lots of people who can help and i know a lot of stuff from my own experiences. we can sit down and talk about how to help Tony sometime with Pepper if you want." he offered. "oh. oh good because i really don't want us to break up... I'm selfish that way." he admitted, looking more relaxed now. "oooh!" Tony breathed, his eyes glittering. "it's from your new Novel! i read it last night! best ever." he admitted, cupping his hand and lifting them so it looked like the butterfly in his hands. "this is the coolest thing ever." he breathed before beaming at her before he paused, looking worried. "Gwen? what is it? what's wrong?" he asked, biting his lip because he knew her well enough to know that something else was bothering her. "Gwen... seriously, i know I'm a dick and i knw i'm an ass but i really do love you." he admitted softly. "has someone hurt you?"
 
Gwen smiled a little, looking relieved at steve's offer, knowing how tony felt about the good captain, she was glad to see that steve was willing to help him."I'd like that."she said before grinning at tony."you are. And I'm to selfish to let you shove me away....we'll just have to figure out how to fix each other."she smiled slightly before blushing at his praise. American craftsman was her newest tale of magic and spy work, was something new for her, to tell a spy novel set in a near fantasy world version of our world. "Your just saying that."she muttered blushing and squirming a little, wanting so much to believe he really did like the novel. And for the most part she believed it."I'm glad you like it..."she said looking away from him as she closed her hand, the illusion fading as she swallowed."I know you do..."she muttered well aware when she told him, he'd freak. So she was delaying some.
 
Steve nodded. "i'm going to the V.A. tomorrow too if you want to go with me?" he offered with a smile. "they have a friends and family session there too and you can get some help learning how to cope, as well as how to help Tony." he admitted. "i'm making Pepper go too." he admitted with a smile.

"You don't need fixing. your not broken." he promised her with a smile before smiling sheepishly. "knew what i was doing from the get go didn't you?" he asked, pouting at her with a chuckle. "American Craftsmen was brilliant! I absolutely loved the ending! i could never have guessed that Andrew was the Crime Lord!" he gushed, bouncing a little and Steve gasped, dismayed. "you. you 'i]spoiled[/i]' it Tony!" he cried, dismayed. "i haven't read it yet!" "oh! sorry Steve." Tony said, looking very sorry indeed. of course he did, Tony hated spoilers. "...Gwen. seriously, tell me who hurt you. they might very well be hurting other people too and we have to stop them before someone else gets hurt, bad." he knew he was aiming low, he also knew that she'd likely not tell him unless he pointed out that whoever had hurt her, was likely to hurt other people as well.
 
"Yes I'd like that."gwen said smiling a little. Tilting her head at tony a little."well, then we'll still be together. And yes, of course. No matter what you believe tones, your not a super spy. It was easy enough to figure it out, even if it hurtyou were pushing me away."she sighed quietly before wincing. "Tony, you kno2 better thrn that. And I'm sorry steve, he shouldn't have said anything. But if it makes you feel better, it's a minor fact in the story, not the whole story. There's other surprises. And I'm not just saying thst cause I want you to read my book."she looked amused before wincing at tony's words, giving him that annoyed look even if she knew he was probably right.".....my stepfather was not overly happy when this talent started over thanksgiving dinner....I was upset and anxious over you, and well...it happened over dinner."she sighed a little
 
"i'd like that." he admitted with a smile before sulking. "i am totally a super spy, your just better at being a spy than i am that's all." he huffed, sulking a little before sighing. "i missed you." he admitted softly. "sometimes... when it was dark and quiet, i'd think of you and it would make me feel brave." he admitted softly. it was the closest he had ever come to talking about what had happened. getting Gwen there really had helped. "i'm sorry! i didn't know he was listening!" Tony whined. "i wasn't, not until you started talking about the book. i can't help it!" Steve protested, shaking his head before smiling at her. "i'd love to read your book, and any others that you might recommend. i adore books." he admitted before wondering if maybe he was going to have to go beat someone up? nah, Tony seamed to have it handled. "....your stepfather is a fucking Ass." Tony growled before sighing. "i won't do anything, i know that would only upset you, but i will have him watched and if he tries to hurt anyone i'll make sure he knows that i know by calling the police." he promised, staring at her. "it's a bit late for you to be displaying new powers though isn't it?" he asked, a bit worried. "maybe we should have you checked out by a doctor, maybe you have a thyroid imbalance or something that was repressing the gene before now, i don't want you getting sick." he admitted, fussing over her even worse than he normally did. "i hate letting him get away with it but if i raise issue he'll drag it through the courts and they won't be fair with you being a mutant." "sorry, mutant?" Steve asked, looking confused, Tony hesitating. "it's... uhm..." oh boy, how to explain to a man who could very well be bigoted? Tony didn't want to believe Rogers was a bigot of course but realistically speaking he was from the twenty's and frties and things like tolerance weren't very big back then.
 
“You are totally not a super spy. And you better not forget I’m better.”She huffed a little before blushing a little at his words, leaning into him a little. “Well, I’m glad one of us was brave. I was just scared for you.”She said quietly, trying to figure out how to help him the most, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. “Well, we’ll try to refrain from ruining any more of the book. And I’ll think of a few books for you.”She said before sighing, looking at tony. Nodding a little. “He is. And it would. Thank you tony.”She said staring down, shrugging a little. “Yea, it is. I mean, I’ve heard of some delayed reactions in mutants, but not this late. I just turned 23.”She said wincing a little as he fussed over her before wincing, there were other reasons she didn’t want to take it to court beyond simply that, but the less tony guessed just yet, the better. Otherwise he’d have a meltdown some. Glancing at steve she frowned a little, raising her hands, creating a replica of steve’s shield in her hands, looking at him. “Yes, mutant. It’s....a genetic thing to be able to do this. There’s others. More then most would know, actually. But they’re not well liked.....it’s much like how black people were treated in your original era.”
 
Tony smiled at her a little. "i was scared too." he admitted softly. "for a while there, i really thought i was never going to see you again. i love you." he whispered, resisting the urge to cry. it would only mean that he'd completely break down and he was ready for that yet. he smiled, leaning into the hand in his hair and he sighed a little, relaxing. "It's okay, Bucky, my friend from... Before, he loved to get to the books before me and ruin the ending because he was a dick and liked to see me in a rage." he admitted, rolling his eyes. "i still enjoy the books even if the endings are ruined." he admitted with a smile. "i know. the oldest mutant recorded was nineteen." he admitted. "it usually hits during puberty and i KNOW you've been 'puberty' since you where twelve." he admitted, pondering that, Steve choking on a laugh because it was adorable how Tony had easily avoided the subject of what happened to women in 'puberty'. "oh. so it's not Tech?" Steve asked, moving over to the other and poked at the shield, his head tilted. "huh, that's really cool. how does it work? i mean, like..." "no one is actually sure." Tony admitted. "each mutation is different and it's nearly impossible to scientifically explain how they do they things they do, well. so far. people are looking into it but Mutants are still people so they can't legally experiment on the mutants, thank god." "so in other words, i fought in a war that segregated, tortured, hated and experimented on people for absolutely no reason." Steve grumble. "nothings changed at all, they just found a new people to hate and fear and hurt." he grumbled, shaking his head before he smiled at her. "Tony and i will protect you. anyone hurts you and they'll be facing my fists." he promised.
 
“I love you to. We’ll be okay. I’ll help you.”She muttered leaning into him, sighign quietly as she stroked his hair, smiling as he he leaned into her hand, laughing a little. “Well, at least you’ll know how to handle it, when tony gets excited and accidently ruins things.’Pepper said looking amused before choking on a laugh at tony’s words. “You’re adorable, tones. And yes, it’s been that long. I’ll make a doctor’s appointment, see if they can tell me anything.”She said before shaking her head at steve’s words. “No, it’s not. Though Toy probably could make something similiar.” “Probably, but this is way cooler.”Pepper said looking amused as steve’s finger passed through the shield, before wincing a little at steve’s words.”You stopped one people from being hurt. Just means we’ll have to figure out how to help these ones. And it’s not nearly as bad as it could have been before. Yes, it’s bad how they’re treated, but they’re not outright killed...well, not as many anyways, as it would have been in the 40s.”Pepper said with a wince. “Well, that’s heartening to consider. At least you can throw a punch, tony here nearly falls on his ass when he does.”Gwen teased at her boyfriend.
 
"okay." Tony sighed, snuggling into her with a smile. "yeah, especially since i doubt Tony would do it on purpose." Steve admitted with a smile. "it's a lot easier to forgive someone when it's an accident then when they're being a dick." Steve admitted with a smile. "i...i don't think you should go to a doctor though, if they find out your a mutant..." he shook his head. "but you have to get looked at... god i don't... oh! oh i know. we'll just go down to D.C. and talk to Professor Xavier, he'll have a doctor we can trust." Tony said, smacking himself in the forehead. Tony had a sort of, complicated, relationship with Xavier who didn't like that Tony made weapons but appreciated all of the extremely complicated tech Tony made for them to help with the young mutants and he had even fixed Cerebro once. with Tony no longer making weapons, Xavier would more than likely be more than happy to give them a hand. especially for a newly developed mutant. "this is cooler." Steve agreed before looking at Pepper. "if your trying to make me feel better it's not working." he informed her before snickering when Tony squalled a protest because he was very good at boxing thank you very much! he was just a little bit clumsy sometimes!
 
“Yea, he wouldn’t do it on purpose. He just gets excited. He’s like a kid like that. It’s about amusing and adorable.”Gwen teased a little looking at tony, before sighing, shaking her head. “I know....I’ve mostly just stayed at home, cause while I have control...sometimes if I get excited and thinking about it, I make things without meaning to. I didn’t want to freak anyone out.”She sighed softly, before looking thoughtful at that nodding. “Yes. We’ll do that. When you want to.”She said eyeing tony, willing to travel with him whenever he wanted and felt safe enough to travel. “Well, I was.”Pepper said making a face, snorting at tony’s protest. “You can. Sometimes. When you’re not exhausted. And speaking of being tired, you should get some sleep tony.”
 
"he is a bit like a little kid." Steve agreed with a smile. "hey! hey! three against one! unfair!" he whined before shaking his head. "you shouldn't have to stay locked up in your room just because people get upset." he grumbled before smiling at her. "well. i was trying to get you to move in with me right? you'd have the run of the tower here if you want?" he offered. "i'll even send Happy t go get your stuff so you don't have to have a run in with that asshole." he offered before blanching a little at the idea of going outside where there where people. "oh. uh, maybe Pepper could take you? it would be inappropriate of me to be there while your in a doctors office anyway right?" he asked, looking very torn because he wanted her looked at right away in case she was sick, but he was terrified of leaving the safety of his house. especially since he hadn't finished Iron Man yet and he just, there where people and he was scared. "i'm not tired. i... you have to... i need to tell you... i'm...." he swallowed thickly and closed his eyes before he started opening his shirt and looked away from her as he revealed the Arc reactor. terrified of her reaction.
 
“It’s fair when you make it so hard to look after you. We have to have teams to bully you into listening to us.”Pepper said looking amused as she looked at him, glad tony was relaxing enough to have this moment. Maybe he’d let her help him now? “Well you were. Though....are you sure you want to?I mean, wont things be be worse if I’m actually living here?”Gwen said looking at tony, worried about him, biting her lip before nodding slightly. “If you’re sure....yea. Happy can get my stuff.”She said before looking worried about him, gently resting a hand on his arm. “Yea, I’ll go with Gwen. I’ll look after her. Maybe take Steve here as a guard.”Pepper said knowing tony would feel better with the extra security. “you can tell me anything...”Gwen said looking worried about him, before her eyes went wide, looking down at the arc reactor, not freaking out, but looking shocked, raising a hand to touch before stopping, looking up at tony. “What....how...?”She stuttered a little, looking both worried and upset, for him. Not because it scared her what it could be.
 
"Do not! it's my house! you all have to be on my side!" he complained. "i don't recall that being how it worked." Steve admitted. "i do want you to." he admitted. "i... i feel better with you here." he admitted to her. "and i know... i know it would get more dangerous for you, the risk of people finding out will increase but... but i don't... i don't want you to leave." he whispered, watching her. "we'll think of something if people find out but... but..." he shook his head, unable to give words to what he was feeling. "yeah. Jarvis? tell Happy to steal all of Gwen's stuff." he ordered. "use that exact word, steal. i wanna see if he goes all sneaky." Tony had 'stolen' all her stuff before as a prank once and Happy had pulled it off expertly. "i'd be happy to guard her." Steve promised, Tony relaxing at the promise that she'd be safe if he couldn't bring himself to go. "it's a high powered electromagnet that captures the shrapnel in my chest preventing it from reaching my heart." "fuck..." Steve whispered. "oh god... there where guys, in the war who... we used to call them the walking dead..." Steve whispered, more to himself than anything else. "i can never remove it." Tony admitted, swallowing thickly. "i am always going to glow in the dark and i know that wigs you out but i'm hoping you'll get used to it?" h asked hopefully because she was his whole world.
 
“No, I’m sure that’s not how it works.”Pepper agreed looking amused. “Oh. Good. I feel better being here to...and I really don’t want to leave either. I mean, it’ll be a mess for us both if people find out but...”She shrugged struggling with the words herself, shrugging before snorting. Shaking her head at tony’s words. “He’s totally going to go sneaky.”He said rolling her eyes a little before smiling at steve’s words. “See, well protected tones.”She muttered. “....Is...you...”Gwen stuttered eyes wide as she considered what he was telling her, before throwing herself at him, burying her face against his neck as she cried. Knowing she nearly lost him, it hurt, badly. “Oh tony, I’m so sorry.”She sniffled clinging to him and not being budged no matter what he tried, she needed to hold him. “I’m sure I can.”
 
"that is so how it works!" he whined before beaming at Gwen, glad that she felt the same way even if they couldn't actually voice those feelings. "i know. it's going to be epic." Tony agreed with a grin. "Happy could be a super spy if he wanted i bet." he admitted before smiling gratefully at Steve. he'd never once imagined he'd like his childhood hero so much, or that his hero would actually like him. "it's okay. i'm perfectly safe now." he promised Gwen. "this battery can keep me running for three lifetimes." he admitted, smiling at her even as he snuggled into her softness and her warmth. he had missed this so much, not so much the sex, he couldn't even half consider having sex at the moment, but the warmth of another human being and the pleasure of a touch that didn't hurt. it was a long moment before Steve realized Ton had fallen asleep in her arms, exhausted from nightmares and fear and trauma, this was the first time he'd felt safe enough to willingly close his eyes since before he'd been kidnapped.
 
"Is not." "Well he'd be a better super spy then you."gwen snickered a little shaking her head, because he amused her most of the time. And she was glad this meeting with steve was going as well as he'd hoped. It was good to see tony so happy, not realizing she was part of why he was happy."b-but your...okay. You're okay.we're okay."gwen muttered sniffling a little. "He's asleep..."pepper looked startled and amazed before looking at steve."would it be better to move him to bed, or let them both just stay there?"
 
"he would not! I'm the ultimate in stealth and stuff!" he complained with a grin because it was so, so not true. "is this the first tie he's slept since he came back?" Steve asked softly. he hadn't slept very well either, but he was a lot more equipped to handle long bouts of sleeplessness than Tony was. "as long as she's comfortable, it would be better to let him sleep. if we move him we run the risk of him waking up in a panic." he admitted before grimacing. "he's going to be sore sleeping like that though so some reordering of body parts might be in order." he admitted, smiling at Gwen. "if your okay with this?" he asked her because she had to be okay with this too of course.
 
“You are not.”Gwen snickered looking amused before looking worriedly at pepper. “Yes it is. He might have napped when he crashed hard, but....yes. I think it’s the first time he’s willignly fallen asleep in weeks, maybe months.”Pepper said looking worried and upset, before nodding. “okay then.” “It’s fine.Get us a blanket and some pillows, and we’ll lay both us down.”Gwen smiled as pepper got them the blankets and pillows, shifting to get comfy.
 
"totally am." Tony said with a grin before passing out completely. he fussed a little bit when he was shifted around but was too tired to actually wake up so Steve was able to get them positioned comfortably so Tony could get some sleep for once. "your really good with him." Steve admitted with a smile. "it's good he has you, friends and family are important in times like this." he admitted with a smile. he was a bit sad, but he was great at hiding emotions like that. he didn't have any friends or family left to help him, though he really liked Tony and hoped they could be friends sometime. "uh. are you going to be okay if we leave? i'm wiped, sleeping in the park kind of sucks." he admitted with a smile. "Tony said i could borrow a room until i felt a little more steady on my feet." well, he'd said 'rooms' but Steve wasn't sure it Tony meant it had it's own bathroom or what. All Steve knew was that it had been a very emotional week and three days on the run and then the upheaval of today... well, he was tired enough to sleep on the pavement if he had to.
 
“I try. He doesn’t always make it easy, but remembering he’s like a kid sometimes with being open and easily hurt makes it easier.”She muttered blushing a little at the praise, before nodding. “They are. And we’re here for him.” “and you. We’re not alot, and he might be insane, but I doubt tony’ll like letting you out of the tower. He’ll probably ask you to stay to.”Pepper smiled at steve, tilting her head a little. “Yea I’ll be okay. Jarvis can call you guys if I need anything.”Gwen said smiling tiredly herself, settling in to rest. “Yea, it sucks. Just call, Gwen. I’ll be around.”Pepper said smiling as she nudged steve, “Come on, I’ll show you to the guest rooms.”She said, even knowing tony would probably give him his own apartment, for the moment she was going to leave him in the rooms in the penthouse, close to them for the moment, in case he needed anything. Gesturing to the bedrooms down the hall she smiled. “Those are my and tony’s room, and this one’s yours. So if you need anything, just knock on my door okay? Tony’ll probably sleep for hours for now, but I have some work to do. So I’ll be up for awhile.”
 
Steve smiled a little. "he is a bit like a kid. it's cute." he admitted. "he has a very good mask but once he trusts you it all comes down and you get to see the sweet man he really is." Steve agreed. Howard had never been like that. oh he had a mask, but it was the reverse, once it came off you got to see how cruel and sadistic he was. Steve looked a little bit startled at being included so suddenly, it was almost sad to see him so surprised. like he had forgotten that people could be nice. "i think that would be swell. i don't exactly have a home to go to." he admitted with a smile and a shrug. "i think i would like it here." he admitted. "Thank you." Steve said, following Pepper, tears burning at his eyes because this was the nicest anyone but his mother and James had ever been to him. even after he became Captain America, his friends had been kind but they would never have taken him in as a complete stranger, given him food and clothes and a place to sleep the way Tony and Pepper had. the way James had. "oh. i don't... isn't this too close?" he asked, looking a bit worried about taking up space they might need even as he moved into the room, gaping at it. "there must be some kind of mistake, this is an entire apartment not a guest room." he protested, looking around at the most luxurious living area he'd ever been in. hell, the living room alone was two times bigger than his little hole at Shield, and don't even get him started on the little hovel he'd shared with James before the war.
 
"Yes. Exactly. It's adorable."pepper said looking amused tilting her head a little as she smiled sadly. It was painful to see him so surprised. "Well, you'll have a place to here. Only time you'd have to leave, is when you want to. Tonyll never kick you out."pepper promised."you're welcome."she said tilting her head a little. "Nah. It really isnt. Tony trusts you, so having you close will make him feel safer."she said before watching him look around."no, it's a guest rooms. Though it'll be your rooms if you want them."
 
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