If They Knew All About You

No Rest

The sun was burning down from a cloudless sky. Tony didn't mind the heat though. If anything it felt like the bright Californian sun was giving him the boost he had needed, loading all his drained energy reserves with warm strength.

He had to be dreaming. There was something about the calm, the weightlessness of his body that just felt too good to be real. There was also the sight in front of him, that had to be fake. It was fake. He knew it was impossible but the idea that it could be real... it was just too damn perfect for him to care if this was a fever dream. Pepper, perched on a bright red blow-up chair, floating in the pool, legs lazily dangling into the water. Right next to her, swimming and diving like a little dolphin, was the most perfect little boy anyone could ask for. His nose still a little white from all the sunblock, he chased through the water after whatever little toy Pepper threw out for him to dive after.

Tony had the perfect spot, chilling at the side of the pool underneath the huge canvas awning, just watching the two people he loved most in the world.

It wasn't real. It was so obvious to him even as his lips seemed to be frozen in an ever-present smile. Not just because he had never seen Pepper sitting in a ridiculous pool chair like that before, but because that pool was gone. Bombed to pieces like the rest of his mansion in Malibu. And that little boy splashing around in the water? He was an impossible sight.

Aiden looked just like he had in that picture that Tony had found in the kid's desk drawer. Maybe a little older. 5 or 6 years old, round cheeks, that boyish grin when he went to dive after the rainbow-colored little fish toy as it sank to the bottom of the pool. Pepper giggled when his head popped out of the water, spraying her with droplets of cool water.

"I win!" He handed her the little fish, eyes shining with joy.

Pepper laughed. "Fine, you win."

"Again! Let's go again!"

"I don't know, Addy." She leaned back in the chair, fanning herself with the toy. "Maybe it's time for a break. Some lunch?"

"But... is too soon," his voice almost a bit shocked. Even though the little boy had his back turned towards Tony, he could still see that pleading puppy-dog look on the kid's face right in front of him.

Pepper sighed dramatically. "Your lips are turning blue. Maybe in the afternoon—"

"But... but, no..." His mouth was round, open eyes pleading as he turned to Tony for support. A splash behind him startled the boy. "Hey!"

"Oops. Oh no..." Pepper's face was a mask of innocence. "Where did it go? Who could find it now?"

"Daad!" The boy was giggling though, jumping after the toy, having Tony's girl laugh as she tried to avoid the splash of water. "Pep's cheating!"

It wasn't real.

A part of him didn't care. A part of him was all too happy to just sit there and watch, get lost in the life that was right there. The life that had been supposed to be his.

A moment later, his eyes fluttered, not opening all the way, just cracked as little as possible. There was a low glow of light around him, the room quiet until...

"Tony?"

There was a hand on his thigh and on instinct he shrunk a little into himself, almost like his body was physically trying to hold onto that picture-perfect life that was slipping through his fingers with every millisecond that awareness of the here and now came back to him. His arm tightened around the torso of the boy that still lay close to him, his head resting on Tony's chest.

"Honey, come on, wake up..."

Tony blinked a couple of times till his eyes turned to his left. Pepper had a hand on his leg, had been shaking him just enough to wake him. At some point, he must have fallen asleep, had slid down the back of the couch until only his head was cushioned against the back at an angle that couldn't be healthy for his neck, certainly not at his age. He pressed his eyes shut taking stock of all the different body cramps that were painfully waking up along with his mind.