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

Chapter 7

Pepper quietly closed the door to Peter's room as she checked him and made sure he was all right and sleeping. Tonight evening was really magical. She had known for a long time that Peter was an absolute sweetheart, but today was the first time she had spent so much time with him. And it was amazing. She had to tell Tony how great a job he was doing as a parent.

She moved into the living room on the couch and opened the book she had brought with her. As soon as Peter fell asleep, she began to read, and now she had only a few pages to go. She checked the watch on her hand and sighed. The hands showed half-past eleven in the evening, and she began to feel tired. Maybe she should have told Tony not to be gone for so long. Unlike him, she had to work early tomorrow morning.

She didn't even notice that tiredness had won over her and she fell asleep until she was awakened by the sound coming from the hallway. She jumped to her feet, trying to calm her heart, which was now beating terribly fast.

"Shh, we must be quiet," Tony's voice came from the corridor. Pepper frowned slightly and headed for him hesitantly. She could tell just by the tone of his voice that something was wrong. Besides, he spoke in plural, but she was convinced he was alone.

"Tony, are you all right?" she asked cautiously as she approached the corridor. She peered in the door and this time her heartbeat stopped for a moment at the sight of him. Tony was sitting on the floor with a lamp beside him, which he seemed to have thrown into the floor when he came in, and it had caused a sound that woke her.

"Pepper! Everything is fine," he said, giving her a look. His eyes were slightly red. Pepper was in complete shock. He was drunk!

"Where's Mary?" she asked the question she was most interested in at the moment. The sight of drunk Tony surprised her, but why he came home alone?

"She left. I told her to leave and she exactly did that. Without blinking. She didn't hesitate for a moment. She didn't care what she left behind her. She just left," he explained, even though it didn't give Pepper a proper explanation.

"You know what? You don't have to tell me what happened, but we have to get you to bed," she finally decided, grabbing his arm to help him get up. Fortunately, Tony was still in a state to keep himself on his own feet. That was making her work a lot easier.

"I just don't know why she would do that," he murmured as she led him toward his bedroom.

"That makes two of us. I thought you loved her. Why would you tell her to leave?"

"Of course I love her! The question, however, is whether she ever loved me. Or if she loved Peter at all," he said, and Pepper paused for a moment. She didn't know if it wasn't just his drunken fictions. Otherwise, something terrible would have to happen at their dinner.

"You're exaggerating this, Tony. She may not have spent much time with him, but every mother likes her baby. And I can't imagine that there is someone who wouldn't love your son."

"You're too kind, Pepper. Be careful not to pay for it once," he murmured. Pepper didn't know what to say, so they continued in their way. This was not how she really imagined her evening. Sure, she might not have loved Mary too much, but she would never want Tony's family to fall apart. She knew how much he cared about his son and girlfriend.

"Which door?"

"The opposite Peter's room," he said, and let her help him come to his room. He was so tired. Tonight was supposed to be one of those they used to have at the beginning of their relationship. Mary was so beautiful and clever, and he always considered himself a lucky man that he was the man she had chosen. And in the end, it was just like that, she chose him. It wasn't because of the man he was. No, she chose him for his name.

"You should sleep. I'm sure everything will be better in the morning," she said gently as he collapsed into soft duvets.

"I'll give you some advice, Pepper. Never fall in love with anyone. You are too smart to be destroyed by a man," he murmured, slowly letting himself drift into the dreamland. Maybe there was something nice waiting for him. He wanted to regret having met Mary, but how could he when she gave him a son? His beloved child. With the last thought that he would never fall in love with anyone again, his fatigue finally caught up with him and he fell asleep.

Pepper stood there for a moment like a stake in the fence, watching him with so many questions in her eyes. She was in a situation where she didn't know what to do and she hated it. Pepper always knew what to do. She looked at the clock on the bedside table. Numbers she did not like at all glowed in red. Half-past two in the morning. With a sigh, she left his room and walked straight to the opposite room to make sure that little Stark was still asleep.

Then she walked back into the living room, where she paused to look between the couch that did not look most comfortable and the door. Tony was home. She could leave in peace. She could have had at least a couple of hours of sleep in her bed and went to work in the morning. Except that Pepper wouldn't have had a restful sleep if she left now, leaving father and son alone.

With her head full of overwhelming thoughts, she lay down on the couch and went to the dreamland too. She didn't know it yet, but this was the moment she signed a life contract like a member of the Stark family.