greatexpectations | I trained myself to give up on the past

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I trained myself to give up on the past

The situation with AIM was bad enough. He didn't even hear about it until a week after the fact, Steve was (suspiciously) busy with his work at SHIELD. Much of it was additional training in just about everything imaginable (computers, fighting, everything a modern soldier needs to know in order to be effective in the field would be the short of it) but, of course the field tests just happened to take place during that mess. He's cleared by the time news of Tony's surgery comes up. It would be a lie to say he isn't tempted to say it's none of his business and call it a day. Tony clearly doesn't need him if the situation with the Mandarin is any indication. Major surgery applies even more so.

Something nags at him to at least try so on a whim he goes for it. He takes a few sick days and heads out to the hospital where Natasha says he's recovering. Truth be told, he doesn't know what he's doing. It couldn't be more clear when he actually gets there. How exactly is he going to get into a hospital holding a celebrity? No one in their right mind will buy his ID is real. He's not sure it's wise to break in given what Tony has been through lately. Eventually it dawns on him he still has the man's card from after the Battle of New York.

He frantically punches in numbers into his new cell and waits the phone to ring. Hopefully the number still works after all these months.

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He begins to fight through the haze when he hears Pepper's arrival, registering her shoes and the scent of food when she comes into the room. It still takes him a few moments to wake properly however, battling himself for consciousness though a smile tugs at his lips at their introduction. Why had they waited so long for this?

"Cap made me pie," is the first thing he says when his eyes snap open at long last, shooting Pepper an impossibly grateful look. "Thank you, baby."

Steve has no way of knowing the heels equals Pepper Potts. The ceasing outside the door is enough indication that he should stop what he's doing. He's on his feet by the time she steps inside. Steve wastes no time crossing over to her and offering his hand. "We haven't. Steve Rogers. I fought with Mr. Stark in New York." He glances back at Tony's introduction. He can't help smiling in amusement. "I also bake pies."

"Pepper Potts. I tell Mr. Stark what to do and how to do it," she cracks with a crooked smile, a joke and decidedly not as she shakes Steve's hand. She chuckles a little at the addition, moving to Tony's side to run the backs of her fingers gently down his cheek at his gratefulness, her smile softening in return. You're welcome, it conveys wordlessly, before she picks up the bed controls and elevates the head of Tony's bed just a bit so it's easier for him to eat.

"SHIELD doesn't keep you too busy then, Mr. Rogers, or is this a special pie occasion?" she asks with a small smile.

All the formalities floating through the air have him rolling his eyes, even if he just ends up closing them at the light touch. He should remember the bed does that and stop trying to move so much, but it's nearly impossible for him as it is. "It's true," he chirps cheerfully. "She's the boss of me." He grabs for the bag in her hand.

"Milkshake?" he asks hopefully before turning to Steve. "I'm the special pie occasion... apparently." It's still weird for him, but he's grateful for that too.

Edited (whoops) 2016-03-25 23:32 (UTC)

He shakes his head fondly at Tony's addition, heading back for the chair he was sitting on before. "Mr. Stark is right. He is the special pie occasion." He retakes his seat and looks back to Pepper. "If I had known his boss was coming, I would have made two." Just because he's got a rocky relationship with his boss doesn't mean Tony has to as well.

"A small one," Pepper agrees, nodding toward the bag. She laughs lightly at Steve's comment, grinning. "Thank you, but I think one is plenty. Tony would only steal most of it anyway and I'd end up having to wheel him out of here by the time he's released."

No, recovering from major surgery doesn't shield Tony from Pepper's fond teasing, sorry.

"Wow," he clips dryly, pulling out his shake and a burger before passing the bag Steve's way. He takes a long sip through the straw before rejoining. "I resemble that remark." Because like, yeah they all know he doesn't do well being sedentary... ever.

His eyes flash on Steve, shaking his head. "Every time you call me Mr. Stark I'm pretty sure my father rolls over in his grave, just saying." He takes a bite and closes his eyes, allowing the taste to take him back to that car ride with Pepper and Happy so many years ago. Cheeseburger first. So many things have changed... just as many have remained the same.

"Well I'd hate to make your job harder." Steve quips back at her. He grabs a cheeseburger out of the bag for himself. Tony's comment catches him before he can unwrap. He frowns at the mention of Howard, but doesn't get upset over it. Tony has a point. That's exactly what he called his father.

He gives it a moment's thought before presenting a solution. "Just Stark then?" Granted it's not a very good one, but he's trying.

Pepper's lips quirk at Steve's rejoinder, chuckling a little at Tony's wry affront as she perches on the edge of the bed, patting his leg in a there, there gesture.

"How about just Tony?" Pepper suggests a beat after Steve, with a small smile.

"What she said," he manages around a mouthful, near constantly disturbed by Steve's penchant for distancing everyone. He thinks he's starting to get it now that they're meeting on a personal level, however, and he can find no real reason to find affront in the man's fumbling. He smiles at the pat to his knee before rearranging himself slightly so he can look at both of them and eat at the same time. "We've shwarma'd together. That's totally first name status."

The sad thing is he doesn't even realize he's doing it. Steve looks uncomfortable for a second before conceding the point. "Okay, Tony." It makes him nervous to say it in all honesty. He tries to move past that with what else? Another quip. "But that means Steve is now on the table so I expect a lot less ice puns." He unwraps his burger and starts eating. He doubts that will change anything, but he had to try.

Pepper gives Tony a look at Steve's ice pun mention, a hint of dry reproach in her tone as she speaks. "You've been your old, charming self, I see." Turning toward Steve with another polite smile, she asks, "So, how long are you in town for?"

He tips his head and shrugs a shoulder at Pepper's observation. There's no use denying it, he knows he says things just to get a reaction and so do Steve and Pepper. "He said not long. Fury keeps him busy." His eyes flash on Steve's, curious but also... guarded. He doesn't want to give away just how much it means to him that Steve is here at all, and he expects him to up and leave the second he gets the chance anyway. But it was still nice that he even made the effort.

Steve glances back at Tony before confirming as much for Pepper. "I'm cleared for two more days of leave. I don't have the most steady hours, but Fury likes to have me where he can see me." He shrugs. Steve should sound more upset about the fact he knows people are spying on him at all times for Fury, but he seems more resigned to it than anything. This is his life. If he knew the extent Fury had gone to all bets would be off.

Pepper frowns a little at Steve's explanation and the way he seems so unconcerned about being watched so closely. She understands Fury probably considers him SHIELD's greatest asset (and they're likely right) and thus needing to be kept a near constant eye on, but the approach smacks so... militant to Pepper. Like Steve's a possession and not a person. There's something unsettling about it she can't quite put her finger on.

"Well, you should stay at the Tower while you're here," she says. "Please; I-- we insist." She corrects herself, glancing at Tony with a smile and gently grasping his knee.

He immediately covers her hand with his and nods. She always says the things he doesn't know how to. "Yeah. I should be getting out of here soon. Or, I mean... Yeah." Dumb. He ducks his head, his burger still half eaten in his free hand.

Steve looks taken back by the offer, ducking his head as well. He knows he can't reject it even if that is his gut instinct. "Thank you. I can help out until they call me back in." He says it as if he needs to justify their offer somehow. It's mostly to himself. He never knows how to handle generosity.

Truthfully, Pepper had been counting on Steve's sense of chivalry, betting on him being a little less likely to turn down the offer if it comes from her. "Perfect," she smiles, pleased, not about to quibble on Steve's offer if it makes him feel more at ease. Squeezing Tony's knee gently, she turns her head toward him and picks up the thread of his earlier comment. "Tomorrow, actually, if everything pans out. I spoke to the doctor earlier."

"Oh, thank god." He laughs breathily in her direction, relieved. Then he waves the wrapper he's still holding onto at Steve. "You want the rest of this?"

"Yes." Steve answers immediately, not even hesitating a second to take it from the other man. His face redden a little once he realizes what he's done. He'd been carefully rationing his cheeseburger beforehand to make it less obvious how hungry he was. So much for that. "I eat a lot more than most folks. Part of the condition." He explains as he finishes off the first cheeseburger.

Pepper laughs a little, shaking her head as if to dismiss Steve's self-consciousness. "Tony warned me. There's another burger in the bag, it's all yours if you want it." Always prepared. She doesn't know any other way of operating, okay.

He nods, Pepper stealing the words from his mouth as he hands the bag over too, actions ginger and minute to avoid pulling his chest. "I hate this morphine. Can you talk to someone about taking it out?" It's making him sleepy and he wants to visit. He knows he should be more focused on recovering etc but Steve just got here and he already feels like he might nod off again. "I'm totes jealous b-t-w. What I wouldn't give to have a metabolism like yours." His hates him, more often than not. And the meds are giving him even less appetite than usual.

"Thank you, ma'am." He's accepting the bag from Tony. Since he's got the go ahead, he'll just eat normally which translates to very politely inhaling his food. He smiles in amusement at Tony's jealousy and quips between bites. "It keeps my local supermarket in business."

He looks from the meds to Tony and adds carefully, "You sure you want off that stuff? Not that I'm one to talk, but I think that's going to really sting once you're off them." He cants his head towards his chest.

Pepper's lips quirk at the ma'am, suggesting with some amusement of her own, "If you can learn to call Tony by his first name, you should try the same with me."

She shares Steve's concern with the medicine, a light frown knitting at her brows as she considers Tony's request. She knows how much he hates the way the morphine makes him drowsy, but he probably shouldn't be off it entirely just yet. She slips off the bed anyway, compromising, "I'll check and see if they can lower the dosage a little, okay?"

"What's wrong with 'ma'am?'" he questions, mustering up a tiny inkling of unserious jealousy despite his apparent exhaustion. "I had to call you Ms. Potts for nine years." Come on!!!!

But then she's saying words he does want to hear and he concedes rather easily with a tiny sigh, squeezing her hand before she can disappear. "Thanks, honey."

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