Bend Around the Wind by Scyllaya

Chapter 31: A Penny for Your Thoughts

Chapter Thirty-One

A penny for your thoughts

Andromeda Galaxy

Tumbla system

Open Space

Pepper. Pepper, Pepper, Pepper. He did not think about her much lately, which is... not at all and it suddenly made him feel very guilty. He avoided thinking about Earth and everything related to it as much as possible, not wanting to imagine how things were back home. Not wanting to think about how long he's been gone and how long it would still take him to get back home. He was not much for Greek epics, but this was a fucking Odyssey if there ever was one. Well, that guy had to slaughter a bunch of people who wanted his wife and kingdom when he got home. His "kingdom" was definitely safe. His will made it perfectly clear that in case of his death (or long-term disappearance like right now) most things went to Pepper. She would be the CEO and major shareholder of Stark Industries. She would also get the Malibu and New York mansions and everything that were inside them. Rhodey would get most of his cars and a few of his smaller estates while the Stark Tower was named as "Avengers Headquarters", if they kept the business and R&D floors running as Stark Industries property that is. He knew that he made sure that his suits were secure. JARVIS had dozens of protocols for times he was not there ever since the Afghanistan incident, his workshop was definitely closed off to most. The only one who could get to his suits would be Pepper herself and Tony knew she would not give them to SHIELD or the military, not even if Rhodey asked. She knew Tony wouldn't want that.

But the more he thought about how everything was alright, because he was prepared for his sudden death in advance, he couldn't help but accept that it also meant that everyone actually thought him dead. That was not a pleasant thought. Pepper was still in the hospital the night he was taken and Tony just couldn't think about how it must've been like for her to wake up the next morning to the news that Tony was gone. How much time passed? A year? Maybe two already? It was possible. Too long, that was for sure.

Now he made himself think about her, because he had to. He had to remind himself that she was still there, at home, running Tony's firm, protecting what was his. He had to remember her. He couldn't just stop thinking about her just because it made things easier, it would not be fair. He had to keep her in mind.

He did not need to use any of the new maps so far, he didn't even check them over yet, because this System was still covered in the ship's database. So he decided to fix his suit and work on whatever mistake caused his boot to fry mid-flight first. Working on his stuff always made it easier to think. Plus Loki and Juyu were still glaring at one another all the time so Tony was not too keen to be in the same room as the two of them. Juyu rarely came into his workshop, so it was a safe place.

'Stark,' he heard and looked up to see Loki walking inside. No, it was a strut. Loki always walked with a certain rhythm in his step, light and balanced, like a dancer or a martial artist. It was probably the latter, but Tony was sure he could dance too, nobody had so very coordinated limbs just from fighting.

'What can I do you for, cupcake?' he asked, then mentally winced. He had a really bad nicknaming streak in the past few days, but he totally blamed Loki for it. But he didn't know why he kept thinking of desserts.

Loki was as impressed by the moniker as usual, but he did not voice his disapproval, again as per usual.

'Oh you need not do anything,' Loki said. 'I merely wanted to show you something.'

Tony raised a curios eyebrow and watched as Loki strolled closer in his usual leather-pants loose shirt combo until he was standing right next to him. Pepper, he really needed to think more about Pepper.