Flowergirl |L. Laufeyson|

Chapter Twelve

Tony and Zoë stood outside for some more time, until the mortal suggested they went back inside. As he claimed, it was time for breakfast.

The two made their way to the kitchen, and Pepper met them halfway there. She greeted Tony with a kiss on the cheek, and after sending a smile to the Asgardian, the company of three continued walking to their desired destination.

"I did not hear you leaving the bed," Pepper said conversationally as she looked up at the man.

"That's because I did not want to wake you up," he replied.

The woman hummed in response but said nothing else. The three made their way to the kitchen, only to see that everyone else was there as well. Zoë instantly felt uneasy, as the moment she entered the room, every pair of eyes seemed to focus on her, almost as if Pepper and Tony were not right next to her.

Fixing her gaze on the floor, she grabbed an apple and sat down just next to Bruce. The doctor just seemed more friendly than everyone else. As expected, Bruce sent her a small smile she returned almost immediately. She tried to ignore the glare Natasha was sending her and bit into her apple.

"Where is everybody else?" Tony asked after some time of silence, his question aimed at Rhodey.

"They vanished," he replied, as Bruce looked up at the billionaire.

"What happened to the doctor? And that small guy?"

Tony looked away, his jaw clenching. Everyone in the room seemed to have stopped breathing as they waited for his reply. But it was obvious that the mortal did need some time to compose himself. Pepper placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes full of worry, and her touch seemed to do the trick as he blinked.

"They vanished." They all remained quiet, as Tony for once was not his sarcastic self. "The kid vanished in my arms," he muttered, and Zoë looked up just in time to see his eyes glistening with tears before he turned away.

Once again, no one spoke. The only sound that could be heard in the room was the breathing of those inside and the sound of the apple being squished as Zoë bit into it. As the tension in the room almost got unbearable, Pepper cleared her throat.

"Zoë, would you like to have a game of chess with me?"

Tony looked between his soon-to-be wife and his gardener with some amusement clear on his features. The tiniest of smiles curved on his lips. "Am I losing my hearing? Did you ask to play chess with her?"

"Well, you might be surprised, but Zoë and I did play chess while you were gone," Pepper informed him, a proud smile on her lips. Tony glanced at his gardener for assurance, and the blonde smiled before nodding.

"Once," she mouthed.

"In that case, I would be pleased to watch your game. Flowergirl, I am counting on you."

"Well, honey, that's just harsh."

For the duration of the morning, Zoë and Pepper played chess, with Tony watching them from some distance away. The two women would go back and forth, chatting about things of little importance, and the man would often pipe in and say something that would either bring both of them to scowl at him, or make both of them burst out laughing. It was safe to say, that their morning had been pleasant.

At some point, they were joined by Bruce, who apparently, did not have anything else to do, and had decided to watch the game. However, it seemed like he was unable to just not pick sides. As he noticed that Pepper was losing, he started advising her, and soon enough, Bruce and Pepper started working together. And as for Tony: he had said that he was counting on his gardener, he could not just let her be.