"I'm going to see if Beck's all right," he heard her say, accusatory and fierce and loyal and defensive. Authoritative footsteps followed her statement, combat boots loud on the hardwood floors. He followed her through the compound to Training Room S, listening to her talk with F.R.I.D.A.Y. like the fact that he had a near-sentient computer program was no big deal. Her footsteps stopped. He waited to hear the door, but he didn't. He peered around the corner.
She was standing at the door, hand on the knob, head bowed, shoulders slumped. Vulnerable, concerned. A pang of sorrow ran through him—what had she gone through in life to be wearing that adult weariness already?
She lifted her head. Squaring her shoulders. Taking a deep breath. Something in Tony's chest twisted, aching. If she had to steel herself to talk to her friend the same way he had to in order to talk to the press . . .
He turned on his heel and retraced his steps to the entertainment room. Everyone was still talking, but most conversations ceased as he stopped in the doorway.
"Pepper," he said.
"Yes?" She lifted her eyebrows.
He thought about how hard Marley had flinched, back in the lab when he'd thought she was joking. When she'd bluntly told him the truth, outright, then and there, and he'd put his hand down on the desk barely hard enough to make a sound. Not nearly hard enough to warrant a flinch.
"Can we talk?"
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Resilience | ✔
Fanfiction'You're my father,' she said bluntly, and immediately wanted to jump out the window. || started july '18, completed july '20
