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"And he offered to help you, just like that?" Pepper Potts's voice rang through (Y/N)'s ears, her blonde hair bouncing from the abrupt movement she made while leaning forward on the table.
Time had gone by in Malibu, and (Y/N) was proud to admit that there had been an improvement in the restoring of her memories. Although half of them were still unknown, she was relieved that she could now remember all those moments that were erased a long time ago. The routine was always the same, but there were days where Tony would just forget his main objective and stay under in the workshop for hours while (Y/N) tried to entertain herself in the luxurious but empty mansion.
Which lead to the next point, when Pepper first found out that (Y/N) was back (due to Happy and his awkward ways of making conversation), she thought it was a good idea to free her from the four walls surrounding her in the mansion and take her outside for her to enjoy her time in the city. Now that Pepper knew of (Y/N)'s true background, they both took the liberty to start over and know everything about each other to bloom a new relationship.
Now, she and (Y/N) were enjoying a nice and quiet lunch in a fancy restaurant downtown, where the clicking noises of wine glasses were too loud, people chattering out more than they should, and waiters passing by their table with filled trays that had other clients. Everything was too overwhelming for (Y/N), but she tried to put all of her focus on the blonde in front of her instead.
"Yeah, it took me by surprise too," (Y/N) replied to her previous question. Pepper took her glass of red wine to her glossed lips and drank down a gulp before she answered back.
"Well, at least he has something else in his mind than those damn suits," Pepper said with a hint of sarcasm and annoyance on her tone. Now that she was CEO of Stark Industries, every now and then she had to turn to him for a second opinion or his thoughts on a topic, but his excuse was always the same.
(Y/N) couldn't say she agreed though. Tony was busying himself in the workshop the majority of the time to avoid sleep, and she could not blame him for it. Months had gone by after the 'Battle of New York' as people called it, and there were certain and different ways they've used to deal with the side effects.
"Can't be too sure about that," (Y/N) voiced her thoughts, and Pepper's eyes softened from across the table. "It's not like I can't blame him, though."
Pepper smacked her glossed lips, figuring out what to say. "Look, I understand what you're dealing with. I saw it from the TV. What you two saw was absolutely terrifying."
(Y/N) wanted to say that wasn't too reassuring to say. She groaned into her hands. "It's just. . .this shouldn't phase me as much as it does."
"We think we'll react a certain way to something, but in the end we have a totally different reaction to it," Pepper spoke up, her nails clicking on the table.
(Y/N) thought her words through, when she didn't receive a quick answer, Pepper continued. "Listen, if you want to, you can talk to this therapist I've been seeing for a while now."
She handed (Y/N) a flash card with the name of the therapist on it and the location, but she frowned at this. "I don't think it's necessary, Pepper."
"I'm saying it can help you," Pepper offered warmly. "I'm not forcing you or anything. Think it through."
(Y/N) smiled in a relaxed way for the first time in a period of a week, sudden tension in her shoulders dropping. "Thank you."
Pepper returned the gesture before raising her eyebrows. "Should we order the check?"
After paying the check (which Pepper insisted on paying), they were guided to the exit by two members of the restaurant's staff, who made sure neither of them were bothered by any sort of press or any distractions. Once Happy Hogan, the newly made Head of Security of Stark Industries, spotted them by his spot on the parking lot, he ran his way over.
It seemed like his behavior was her final straw. (Y/N) laughed from her left. "Happy's been on edge all day since I met up with Killian."
(Y/N) tried to recall what Pepper had told her about this Aldrich Killian; he had visited her at the office and talked about some sort of project of his, one that he wanted her to be a part of. She wasn't quite sure why Happy was acting weirder than usual, but the uncomfortable way Pepper described him, she had some sort of clue.
"Car's ready, if you're ready to go," Happy told the two once he got close enough, the car keys dangling from his fingers.
Pepper looked at (Y/N) before answering back to him, checking if she was okay with the decision. When she nodded in response, the blonde looked back at him. "Sure."
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The ride back to the Stark mansion was something (Y/N) could ever quite get used to, especially the way the car had to go uphill to arrive at the cliff side and park near the entrance. The lights from the outside were already on since dawn was setting in the sky, and the statue plastered in the center of the entrance still stood glowing as ever. The car parked on the side and (Y/N) was about to exit the car when she saw that the other two people in the car were staring at something else.
That's when she saw it. A stuffed bunny was placed in the side of the house, as if it was waiting for it to be recognized and admired to whomever passed by. It was light brown with pink king ears and simple black eyes, but the thing that caught her eye the most was the red ribbon tied in its neck that had a sign that said 'Merry Christmas' in green lettering.
Pepper looked back at (Y/N) with a teasing grin. "Good luck."
(Y/N) shot her an annoyed yet playful look, and she shut the door closed of the car and watched it roll away. She had many questions about the stuffed bunny, but she sucked it all in and stepped inside the house without hesitation.
She realized it was empty but decided to speak up in case he was listening or hiding around the corner. "Sorry I'm late. Pepper and I β Okay then."
She was caught off guard once again and saw how Tony's new and upgraded suit had with a leg crossed in the couch, comfortably laying back as it was waiting for her to come home all this time.
(Y/N) didn't know if he was under the mask or not. "Is this going to be of usual occurrence? 'Cause if it is I'm not sure how much of it I can handle."
She walked closer to the couch and the suited figure got itself up from his seat. "What is that one called? Mark 41?"
"Uh, yeah?" his voice cut in. "Something like that. You know, everybody needs a hobby."
(Y/N) sat down on the armchair and saw how two glasses of wine were served in the coffee table. She saw the stockings that she'd decorated a few days ago hanging from the chimney and watched the way he was now making his way to her.
"And that includes wearing your hobby in the living room?"
"Just breaking it in," he said. "You know, it's always a little pinchy in the gooey bag at first, so β "
She couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips at his words. He decided to change the subject. "Well, hey, did you see your Christmas present?"
"I did, yes," (Y/N) replied as the suit moved to stand behind the armchair. "It's not like I couldn't miss that in the entrance. Is it going to fit through the door?"
(Y/N)'s eyes trailed to the colored pages in the coffee table and read through them, the majority of them being letters or drawings from children to Tony, all of them being in red and yellow. Two or three had her in the drawing, the handwriting and more defined drawings indicating that they were from older kids and the names at the bottom told her they were from girls.
"Well, actually, it's a good question," he spoke again. "I got a team of guys coming tomorrow. They're gonna blow out that wall."
"Okay."
"So, uh. . ." he got closer and his metal hands hovered over her shoulders. "You seem tense. Everything went well on your field trip? Good day?"
(Y/N) didn't get to answer since he was still firing more questions. His hands touched and rubbed her shoulders, which helped in diffusing some of the remaining anxiety she had from her late talk with Pepper.
"Ooh, shoulders, a little knotty," he muttered before continuing. "I don't wanna harp on this, but did you like the custom rabbit?"
"Did I like it? Maybe, yeah."
"Nailed it, right?"
"I appreciate the effort very much," (Y/N) stood up from the armchair and gave him a smile. The suit lowered the helmet down enough to make eye contact with her. "It makes me feel bad since I didn't get you anything."
"Christmas is days away, you still have time to get me something," he reminded her. "Although, I'm very picky, so I should hand you a list."
"Noted," she chuckled before looking at the helmet up and down. "Can you open the helmet now, it's making me uncomfortable having to stare at a metal face."
"Are you saying I make you uncomfortable? That's not very nice."
"You know what I mean."
"No, I don't, please imply," he edged on, his usual cocky tone dripping in his voice. "Are you saying you'd rather stare at my face? You're making me blush β "
(Y/N) rolled her eyes at his words and cut him off. "Forget it, I'll run down to the garage and find a crowbar to break your helmet."
"Crowbar, yeah, you do that," he teased before he realized where she was going. "Oh! Except there's been a β radiation leak."
(Y/N) began making her way to the stairs that led to the garage, where Tony surely would be, avoiding sleep and her scolding words as always.
"Nothing I haven't encountered before."
"That's risky."
(Y/N) grabbed onto the railing of the staircase and made her way downstairs, hoping off a couple of steps to make her way down faster and see what he's been doing ever since she left in the afternoon. The garage looked the same as it always did, but now she saw Tony's figure moving up and down as he held his weight by a bar.
He was muttering words under his breath that she couldn't quite hear, but she saw the device that was in his temples and how it was activated. (Y/N) heard the loud clanking noise of the suit walking down the staircase just like her, and she tried to ignore it as she walked by the glass door and stepped into the workshop.
"Busted," Tony muttered and jumped off the bar to look back at her.
DUM-E moved to (Y/N)'s side and held a plate of fruit up to her sight, but she dismissed it and barely patted the machine in the top part like a dog before walking forward.
"This is a new level of lame."
"Sorry."
"You ate without me already?" (Y/N) saw the empty plate by the side and she crossed her arms. It was a newly made tradition by them to eat together to remember the 'good old days', so she was pretty offended. "Again?"
Tony looked back at the suit behind her. "He was just β "
"You mean you."
"Well, yeah, I just mean we were just hosting you. . ." A scoff left (Y/N)'s lips. "While I finished up a little work."
"And yes, I had a quick bite. I didn't know if you were coming home of you were having drinks with Pepper Potts."
The suit beside her gave (Y/N) some sort of questioning glance, and she frowned at the fact that the look was somewhat accusing. "What?"
"What?"
"What, are you spying on me? Thinking I'll replace you with Pepper or what?"
"I was just concerned."
"No, you're jealous, admit it."
"I am not."
"I'm going to bed," (Y/N) dismissed this and whirled on her heel, silently wishing that today she got lucky and she'll finally get a whole night without any night discomforts.
"Hold on," he called on her. "Come on. (Y/N)?"
Tony sighed and raised his hands in defeat. "Hey! I admit it! My fault. Sorry."
He dropped his hands and (Y/N) looked back at him with a questioning look. She haven't noticed the bandage on his right hand and a new concern washed all over her.
"I'm a piping hot mess," he crossed his arms. "It's been going on for a while. I haven't said anything. Nothing's been the same since New York, and I think you'll understand that more than anybody."
(Y/N) took a step forward. "I do understand."
"You experience things and then they're over, and you still can't explain them. Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I'm just a man in a can."
Tony moved from his spot and took a hesitant step closer to her.Β "The only reason I haven't cracked up is probably because you moved in. I'm lucky. But, (Y/N), I can't sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker. I. . .threat is imminent."
He put his weight in a table and held onto the sides, Tony's eyes never leaving hers. "And I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without," his fingers gestured towards her. "That's you."
(Y/N)'s eyes softened at this revelation, taking another step closer and trying to say something to him, but he continued. "The only reason I haven't lost my sanity is because I found you again, you're breathing right next to me."
"And my suits, they're, uh. . ." he let out a shaky breath. "They're part of me."
(Y/N) stayed silent and taking small steps towards Tony, which was driving him off the edge because of the silence. He didn't know what was going on inside her head, and he wasn't sure if what he was going to say was good or bad.
"Say something, please," he begged. "I'm losing it here. Say something, yell at me, tell me I'm being stupid, or that β "
(Y/N) got close enough to cradle Tony's face in her hands, her thumbs rubbing up and down the facial hair that he wanted to grow out. Since he was leaning on a table, he was now shorter than her and she carefully placed his head on her chest, feeling his warm breath in her neck.
She pulled away enough to look at him in the eye before speaking. "I want to help you," she whispered. "But only if you allow me to."
"I will," he replied just as softly.
(Y/N) hummed in appreciation. "It's getting late. Let's go upstairs to bed."
"Yes, ma'am."
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