The Devil With The Face of an Angel | Irondad, pepperony

Chapter 36

"I'm home!" Peter shouted from the hall, taking off his shoes quickly. He was in a much better mood than he was in the morning. Dad and he turned out to be really unnecessarily worried. It was nothing, everything was fine. He was almost jumping instead of walking. He was sure that when Pepper and Tony talked, everything would turn for the better. Then all that remained was to put the team together again...

"Are you home?" Tony frowned, standing in the living room with a huge bouquet of tulips in his hand. Peter grinned at him.

"Yes, I said that. Wow, Dad, you didn't have to buy me a welcome flower!" He was really in a cheerful mood.

"I thought Mom was with you," Tony growled, a deep wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. Did Pepper want to avoid him? He bowed his hand with the bouquet.

"I also thought she would go home with me, but she still has to do something at work. She says that's it a madhouse there right now," Peter chuckled, his eyes just shining. "I don't have any homework, can I go to the workshop for a while?"

"Of course," Tony said, taken aback, wheels in his head were spinning at full speed. This didn't seem right to him. Pepper had been... different lately.

"All right, great. Mom's coming to dinner. I thought we could go somewhere, but it would probably be better if we ordered food and stayed at home, don't you think? We can watch a movie and then play something. Spend some time as a family again," Peter suggested, and he could see how excited he was about the idea. Tony was worried, but he tried not to show it, so he tried to give him a sincere smile.

"It's a good idea, your mom will definitely like it. Listen, Peter, I'll stop by Pepper's at work, okay? I'll help her with something there and then we'll come home in the evening. I'll let you know when we leave the company, okay?" he said to Peter because he had an unpleasant feeling. He needed to go see Pepper and talk to her properly.

"Sure thing. Take her home soon so she doesn't fall asleep again. I almost don't know what my mom looks like anymore," Peter joked, then headed for the workshop with a soft hum. Tony stared at him for a moment, then gripped the bouquet tightly and walked into the hall to put on his shoes and went to see Pepper. This must be resolved.

•••

Tony was panicking. Pepper was not at work, he even found signed papers where she handed over her function to the company's board. The truth finally fell on him; slowly but surely she cut herself off their lives.

And he couldn't let that happen. Now he needed her more than ever.

"Come on!" he growled, glancing angrily at the traffic light on which was glowing the red light. This was really on purpose. He hurried, the slow idiots driving in front of him, and whenever he finally stepped on it, a traffic light was waiting for him. He'll take a helicopter next time. Or an Iron Man suit, he grabs Pepper in his arms as he did back then and takes her to the sky. It strikes midnight and fireworks light upon the sky. And he will ask her to marry him and hope she would say yes.

He was disturbed by the sound of a car's klaxon. He winced. It was already green. He stepped on the gas pedal and turned onto a side street. Just a little longer and he'll be at Pepper's. He won't leave until she explains everything to him. He won't leave until they reconcile and she returns home with him. He couldn't let her just leave. That didn't work.

He didn't park too straight, but he didn't care. He grabbed a bouquet of tulips lying in the passenger seat and jumped out of the car. He crossed the street with a quick step and ran up the stairs. His heart was pounding so hard and loudly that he was afraid it might jump out of his chest. As he approached Pepper's apartment, he mentally prepared what he would tell her. Well, but... his head was kind of empty.

He stopped in front of the dark door and took a deep breath. He was really anxious. He had never been so scared in his life. Maybe only when he saw Peter injured lying on the ground.

He pressed the doorbell and waited. Oh my God. He felt like he had been standing here for hours waiting, but it was only a few seconds.

And then the door swung open a little, and Pepper's crying face peered out. His heart tightened anxiously at the sight.

"Tony, what are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice. "Please go home. Go home and forget about everything."

"How could I forget everything? These were the best years of my life with you by my side. I can't just forget about you, Pepper. I need you, and so does Peter," he told her urgently with a plea in his eyes. Pepper closed her eyes. "Love, I beg you. I'll go home, but only with you. I am not getting out of here without you."

"Tony," she cried. "Don't make it harder for me. I have to leave. I was just... a patch. And now is the time when the wounds have healed."

"Honey, what are you talking about?" Tony was terrified. He didn't understand it at all. He leaned against the door, but Pepper held them tight and he didn't want to hurt her, so he didn't get inside. "Have I ever given you a reason to think that? Pepper, you are the most amazing woman in the galaxy. When will you finally understand that? I've never loved anyone as much as you. I need you, Pepper. Without you and Peter, my life has no meaning. Where would I be now if you didn't help me then?"

"I really beg you, Tony: go home. It will be better for everyone like this, believe me. It has to be this way. Tell Peter I had to go somewhere urgently. And forget about me. He will also forget. And then everything will be the same." Tears streamed down her cheeks, and what she said caused her and Tony incredibly pain.

"Damn it, Pepper, what's that supposed to mean?! I will never leave you and I will definitely not allow you to leave! If you left us, it would never be the same again. And neither I nor Peter could ever forget about you. Pepper, come back with me. Come home, please. Whatever happens, we'll work it out. I promise." He was not far from tears either. He could not lose the woman he loved so much and with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life! "Tell me what to do to get you back. To help you. Pepper..."

"You have to leave, Tony."

"No!"

"It's over! I'm breaking up with you!" she shouted, and then they both stopped. Pepper took a deep breath to keep herself from hysterical crying. "That's it. I am breaking up with you. And now go. Go home to your family."

"You're our family, Pepper," Tony said brokenly. "I can't live without you. Pepper, love. You can't do this. You can't. If you don't love me, come back for Peter at least." Tony was crying now too.

"No, Tony. Every journey ends once. And ours is ending here." I'll never forget you. I'll never stop loving you. I'll never really leave.

"Pepper, wait—" But then she slammed the door in front of him as if closing the gates of the past and turning her back on her so she could look to the future - where neither Tony nor Peter would be.

He could ring, knock, beg, and sob as he wanted, but Pepper didn't open. She sat on the ground leaning against the wall, crying until her heart sank. This was destroying her. And Tony too.

After a while, completely numb and disbelieving, he gave up. Confused, he looked at the tulips in his hand and then placed them gently in front of the door. He wiped away his tears.

You won't lose what belongs to you. But what doesn't belong to you won't hold it.

Miss Potts... Stark never gives up.