Learn to Love Again

An Awkward Reunion

Pepper didn't move a muscle. She felt frozen. Frozen in time. All the memories flooding back to her from looking in his chocolate-coated eyes. She heard Sam leading Morgan and the kids inside but she couldn't conjure up a thank you. She finally blinked away her eyes focused on anywhere but on him.

"We brought alc-!!!" Valkeries shouts were cut off as she and Carol saw the amount of distress the room was in.

"This was a bad moment to walk in Val," Carol muttered her eyes glancing over Pepper and Tony.

"I set the kids up with Barney," Sam announced walking back outside.

Bucky raised an amused eyebrow at him "Barney? Barney! Really Sam there not that little."

Sam huffed "Fine then you pick out what to put on!" Sam and Bucky disappeared once more grateful to get away from whatever the heck was happening outside. Tony cleared his throat making his way over to Rhodey the pair awkwardly began to grill. Silence settled amongst them once more.

"So um Thor." Steve spoke desperately trying to keep the conversation rolling "How's Loki doing?" Loki, Thor's younger brother, was the most annoying, self-centered, brat there ever was. Yet somehow Thor always managed to have a soft spot for his brother. He saw him in a way no one else was able to. A grin spread across Thor's face

"He's doing well! He's living in Colorado currently in a gorgeous mountain town. He has a girlfriend now too Sylvie I believe her name is." This truly made Pepper smile. Even though Loki was definitely wasn't her favorite person she really saw how much everyone really was growing into older more mature adults. No one missed the way Valkerie and Carol snuggled up to each other or their kisses on the lips. It was also quite clear that something was brewing between Sam and Bucky. Whether Pepper believed it or not the once immature teens were all gone. "How is your younger sister doing Natasha?" Thor asked politely turning to Natasha who sat between Steve and Pepper.

"She's good." Natasha spoke her eyes flickering to Tony and Pepper "She's all over the place now but she's dating Kate Bishop." The group gasped.

"I fucking knew it!" Clint shouted, "I knew Katie was hiding something!"

"Language," Steve muttered receiving laughs from the group. For a second Pepper forgot Tony was there. Everything felt so free and relaxed. Then reality came crashing down. Hitting her like a hard slap to the face.

"I'm going to go check on Morgan." She announced slipping out of the room Natasha in tow.

"How are um Pepper and Morgan doing?" Tony asked glancing at his friends.

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Steve asked in return his blue eyes shining with what Tony suspected was sadness.

"Forget it," Tony muttered turning back to the grill. The group conversed for a little bit. Apparently, Wanda and Vision were living in the suburbs and had two kids, Scott and Hope moved to a nice little farmhouse near Clint and Lauras with Cassie and the new editions the twins Janet and Hank. Gamora and Peter were traveling the world. But if Tony was benign honest he really didn't care. All he cared about were his ex-wife and daughter. The ones he'd been so stupid to throw away. He knew his friends loved him but he didn't miss the way they were so disappointed in him.

'He had a family.' Steve had said sourly to Bucky when he thought Tony wasn't listening 'and he threw it all away.' Tony wanted to be mad at Steve for that. But he really couldn't. He knew he deserved that. He hadn't seen Pepper since court. He'd be lying if he said he didn't look at photos of her each day. Rhodey would send him pictures of Morgan sometimes but it was becoming less and less frequent. Natasha who had once really viewed him as an older brother now looked at him with a shield of disappointment. Like she'd expected so much more from him. But the truth was Tony Stark could never change. Sam and Bucky came back out laughing about something with Natasha and Pepper. God Pepper was gorgeous. She looked tired more worn out. Probably thanks to him. But she was more beautiful than he'd remembered. Her bright blue eyes shined in the sun as the smile he adored flashed on her cheeks. Her freckles splattered perfectly across her rosy cheeks. Her strawberry blonde hair bounced in a ponytail. The kids ran out from behind. Clint's kids who he couldn't remember the names of. And then he gasped. Maguna.