A mile in my shoes

Chapter 16

Pepper remained quiet for a long time. Her expression was thoughtful at first, analytical just like when she was preparing a deal, but it was soon replaced by pure horror. Her eyes turned wild, and her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. Laura and Tony watched her with concern, unsure what to do or say. Asking a question could completely trigger her into a full panic attack. Clearly, something had happened to her personally as a result of the body swap, and whatever was transpiring within her would likely have dire consequences for them all.

Tony approached her slowly and deliberately so as not to scare her any further than she already was. They weren't a couple anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her go through any kind of pain. It was in his nature to help, especially those close to him. Pepper started chanting a litany of nos. Whatever had happened had clearly shaken her to her core. Pepper was a strong, resilient woman. She had a strong will and nerves of steel. Tony had promoted her to CEO not only because he was dying at the time, but also because he believed she had the capacity to face and overcome any obstacle that life presented. Despite all that, Pepper was breaking down right in front of them.

Tony finally settled on the sofa, close enough to Pepper but far enough away not to invade her space. He wanted to be available to support her if needed, but he also understood the importance of respecting her boundaries. He wanted to comfort her but he was uncertain of how to do so. He had never been particularly adept at handling emotions and dealing with them. Being around Laura and the kids was changing all that, but it would take some time. Despite this, he reached out and lightly touched her hand. Pepper flinched, as if the gesture had jolted her awake from some nightmare of her own awake mind. Tony squeezed her hand a little anyway, just to let her know he was there for her.

"Were you the one on the flight? When we...?" She asked Tony, barely raising her voice above a whisper.

If Clint had been in front of him at that moment, Tony would have killed him on the spot. It didn't take a genius to understand the implications of her question. Despite his reputation as a playboy, Tony had never attempted to convince Pepper to be part of the mile high club. Their trips were always very business-oriented, especially on her part. He would never do that to her. Pepper was a very private person. Even on a private Stark Industries jet, the space was relatively narrow where conversations could be overheard by the pilots and flight attendants, conversations or more. Clint had not given that much thought. Perhaps he knew and he didn't really care. The fact that Pepper had no reason to think that this was the Tony Stark she knew was unimportant to him. Only his own pleasure.

The archer had been with many women during the body swap. While Clint was messing with his body, Tony Stark had been making headlines with his supposed return to his old womanising ways. Countless women were falling for the rule, thinking they were getting closer to the genius. In truth, this was rape. There was no other way to describe the kind of behaviour Clint was engaging in. Tony didn't really care about his reputation. People would think the worst of him whatever he did anyway. He was livid at the thought of what Clint had done.

Tony suddenly felt really dirty. He wanted to take a shower or ten. Clint had used and abused his body against Tony's will. The genius had no intention of making the ordeal about himself. In all honesty, he would have preferred not to know what the body swap really meant for him. He was feeling guilty because he wanted to remember Laura and the kids and keep them in his life. His actions had inadvertently caused pain to people. He now had to pay for it. Not only him, but Pepper as well.

Tony's thoughts were filled with concern for Pepper. How could he explain doing that to her? He knew that she was suffering from the violations, physical and emotional, realising she had been intimate with someone she believed to be Tony. His heart ached at the thought of what she must be going through. Her and all the other victims of Clint. He promised himself he would do everything in his power to make things right for them.