Without you (Tony Stark - Pepperony)

Chapter 4 - Soul Mates

The nurses began giving Tony sponge bath as he lay there on the hospital bed in his comatose state, under Pepper's careful supervision. She had promised to stay by him the whole, she owed Tony that much at least. It had been an entire week since the car accident and Tony's situation still had not changed. He constantly needed the support of the life support machine and the medication being pumped in through the IV.

He looked weak and still near dead. His arc reactor constantly shining it's bright blue light resembled a beacon of hope that Tony would survive this. Even if the light did seem to start to flicker out at times.

"Oh Tony.." Pepper sighed, combing and styling her boss' towel dried hair, making him look his best as he always did. "Everyone really misses you and Rhodey will be coming to visit tomorrow." she had no idea if Tony could hear her or if her words were falling on deaf ears, but she was trying anything in her power to bring Tony back.

"And I know you usually don't care about things like this but the company on your behalf has been successful in suing Justin Hammer for breach of patent rights..." every weapons manufacturer was in competition with Stark Industries even though Tony had shut down his company's weapons development.

It was awful having to see Tony like this, not knowing for certain when or if he would wake up. "Tony please...the doctors are saying there's a low chance of you making it past this hurdle.." Pepper's eyes began to well up as she started neatening Tony's signature goatee, careful of the bruises and stitches covering his beautiful face. "But I believe you are strong enough.. please prove them wrong.. please do that for me Tony.." How she wished the day would come soon, where he would be looking back at her with his brown eyes that were always so full of life. She missed him, his eyes, the way he smiled, his voice. Everything.

"Oh come on Pep, there is nothing wrong with the way you look.. just because you're big doesn't mean you're not beautiful to me!" Tony insisted as Pepper was getting ready for work. He had made a small remark, meaning no offence whatsoever, about her size only for her to head back into the bedroom. Slamming the door on him before he could have a chance to step in after her. Tony knew the warning signs, she really was angry with him now but he couldn't get his head around how his fiance could blow a single sentence well out of proportion. "You're still my sexy Peppy," he added sweetly, trying the door handle.

Pepper rolled her eyes at the nickname, "Don't call me that," she remarked, annoyed. She was usually one who stayed more or less composed at most times but lately she would just be hit with waves of mood swings. Being four months pregnant now did that to her. She had been Tony's fiance for the most of the last three months and she loved him more than ever, even if her hormones did erupt her temper. But he had taken each outburst so well.

"Then would you come out of the room so that we can hug it out?" Tony suggested, leaning against the door, shifting away a little as it opened and Pepper walked it past him.

It was clear she was still largely unamused. "I don't think you want to hug a whale," she commented, picking up her bag and files for the meeting later that morning.

"You're not a whale Pep, even if you were you would be the only one I have eyes for," Tony was trying his best to try to get his future wife to shine a smile his way.

And his words were undoubtedlty getting to her as Pepper looked away to hide the blush creeping up her cheeks, "Not funny Anthony, making fun of the fat girl." she narrowed her eyes, warning Tony to watch the next words that came out of his mouth.

"HoneyPott you're not fat you're pregnant, there's a difference," Tony corrected as he crouched down in front of Pepper stroking her stomach lovingly as he looked up to her before resting his head against her stomach."And the princess agrees don't you?"