Struck (by the Truth)
“Stephen is a great friend but we are not a thing,” he repeated, trying to sound more convincing. Convincing to whom? It’s not like he had anything to prove to him. “And that’s no excuse. Yes, I…,” he hesitated, “…I loved you, okay?”
“I know, but I…”
“No, you listen! I loved you, yes. I grew up listening stories about you from my father and then I met you and you proved to be just as I expected, all perfect and heroic to the point it was annoying. Or so it should have been. I barely noticed that we were becoming friends and even less that I was falling for you. You never returned my feelings, of course, and eventually I accepted that and thought that we could still be good friends, but after what happened in Siberia, I knew that I had to let you go for good,” he took a breath, “and I did. So no, I didn’t get over you because I meet someone else, I simply did.”
“I’m so-,” Tony stopped him with a gesture.
“You can be sorry for a lot of things, but not this,” Tony decreed. “In any case, you can feel sorry for yourself for missing the chance to be with Tony Stark, but that's it,” he added with a smile that Steve returned.
“So we are good?”
“What do you think, gramps?”
And it was true, after that brief talk they shared, he wasn’t bitter towards Steve anymore. He felt lighter even. But that didn’t mean that he liked the idea of having a wedding planner walking around the compound as if she owned the place.
“I’m just saying, they could have meet at a coffee shop or something like that,” he stated while Pepper patiently listened to him.
“And I think I’ve already told you that I agree with you, this is totally unprofessional,” said Pepper.
“Exactly, and if you choose a coffee shop you are being professional, right?” Pepper sighed.
“Is this about Stephen’s meeting with his… friend?”
“Ex-Hogwarts professor” he clarified, because that was what Stephen told him when that morning he received a call from Wong announcing that said person came to the Sanctum looking for him. He decided to accompany him to the coffee shop where they agreed to meet, if anything to get a rest from Miss Mydma comments about what kind of light would be better for Steve’s eyes. But, then, what does he find? That said professor wasn’t an old bearded man in robes but instead a pretty young one… and fairly handsome too!
“Right. ‘Ex-Hogwarts professor’… I don’t see why you are so stressed about that.”
“I’m not stressed, I just feel that I have been lied by all those movies…”
“Right. So, is that it?”
Well, there was also the fact that Stephen was acting weird that day, or weirder than usual. He seemed nervous and a little too eager of getting rid of him and get to his meeting with said professor. But when he mentioned it to Pepper, expecting some kind of logical explanation from her, all he got was a: “Maybe it’s a date,” followed by a laughter at his expense because, apparently, he had a “horrified expression”.
“I’m not horrified, if anything, I consider your suggestion to be extremely unethical,” he replied theatrically.
“Aha, and since when do you care about that kind of stuff?”
“I don’t, but I’m sure that Stephen does,” he clarified, only to receive a raised eyebrow. “What?”
“Why don’t you simply admit that it bothers you?”
“And why would it bother me?”
“Good question, why do you think?” touché.
“Because you’re crazy?” he tried but all he got was an unamused look.
“It would be easier if you just admit it,” Pepper pointed out.
“I admit I don’t have any idea of what you are talking about,” okay, maybe he was being a little bit stubborn, but he didn’t like Pepper taking for granted things he didn’t know for sure. Truth to be told, it wasn’t the first time he had considered that his appreciation towards Stephen could lead to something more, but he also appreciated their growing friendship and wasn’t really in the mood of ruining it just yet. “Okay, maybe… that Mordo guy gives me a bad feeling,” that was also true, but apparently Pepper didn’t appreciate his answer because she snorted.
“Are you seriously telling me you’re jealous of someone Stephen hasn’t seen in years?”
“Yes? No, I’m not jealous, don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. “In any case, I’m worried. There’s something fishy about the guy, I just can’t pinpoint what exactly.” What if he was behind Stephen’s weird behavior?
“Tony,” Pepper called, putting a hand on his shoulder, “what are you so afraid of-?” she began asking, but then interrupted herself: “Is it because of what happened with Rogers? Because, need I remind you, what he did was a terrible mistake and I’m quite certain Stephen wouldn’t commit the same mistake if he knows what is best for him.”
“That almost sounds like a threat”, he joked.
“Oh, it is,” she laughed. “Although I don’t think it’s necessary for this particular case.”
“What do you mean?” Pepper watched him for a moment, and after assessing that he definitely wasn’t going to get it, decided that enough was enough.
“He already likes you.”
“You think?” She huffed.
“Look, let me show you,” Pepper said taking her phone to call a number and put it on speaker. “Hey, Rhodey.”
“Hey, Pepper, now it’s not the best time-” he began to say, the explosions the background being a proof that he wasn’t joking.
“How does Stephen feel about Tony?” Pepper asked without missing a beat.
“He probably already has a draft of their marriage vows,” Rhodey responded with incredible seriousness.
“What?” Tony asked stunned.
“Oh, Tony is here, great!” Rhodey said recognizing his voice. “Let me make it clearer then, he wants to tap that ass,” he declared, and then he hanged.
“There you go.” Pepper smiled.
“How long?”
“Long enough,” was her simple answer. “The real question is: are you going to do something about it?”