Protector of the Future

Closed blog for UWS

[marvelphase]

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) dir. Russo Brothers

[cannedgenius]

mspxpotts‌:

Pepper closed her eyes at the kiss to the top of her head, her cheek resting against Tony’s shoulder. A light snort fell from her lips as he spoke, and she tilted her head to look up at him. “Opening up is hard for me, too,” she said. She smiled softly. “But I’m not very good at giving up, especially when I really want something – and I want you. I want us.” She offered him another soft smile. “I know you try,” she promised him. The question had been whether it was enough for her – if it was enough for her to balance the risks and pitfalls of this life with being with him, or if it would be too difficult. 

She had needed the break to figure it out, but it had been hard for her, too. She’d missed Tony, for one thing – though they had continued to work together, the closeness that had always been between them, which had only been enhanced by a romantic relationship, was gone. And she couldn’t deny that she was in no way made for the average 9-5 life, as average and 9-5 as your life could be when you were the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. It was also important to her that she was able to help Tony, to help Iron Man, because that meant helping the world. And that was what she’d always wanted to do.

“It’s not just yours,” she told him, looking up at him. “You aren’t alone. I know…” She paused, searching for the right words. “I know the situation has drastically altered, to say the least, but you still have friends and people to help you shoulder this burden. You have me and Rhodey, for one thing.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “At the very least, you can always talk to me, about anything.” She pressed closer to him as he rubbed his hand over his face, her arms wrapping around him comfortingly. 

She nodded as he spoke about the Accords. She did agree with him, although she couldn’t deny that the Accords made her uneasy. “I do think something needs to be done, not just to regain public trust but, like you said, for some accountability. But the government having their hands in each and every pie worries me. Those in power need to be held accountable, too, or we’ve just replaced one problem with a different one – and a bigger one.” She nodded. She, of course, was familiar with his contingency plans. She knew she featured in more than a few of them.

She smiled at the kiss. “No, it wasn’t too much,” she assured him. “I don’t want you to dial back, especially not if it helps you to talk to me.” She gave a soft laugh as he spoke, shaking her head. “No, this will do,” she murmured, leaning up to cradle his cheek in one hand, turning his face to kiss his mouth. 

Tony felt a sense of relief at her admissions.  He had never seen a shrink, but just some reading he’d done made him think his issues were related to the relationship he had with his parents.  It was hard for him to let people get close to him and it was easy for them to hurt him when he did let them in.  The fact she wanted them allowed him to relax.  “I want us, too,” he said.  “No question that I want you.”

Tony knew she had a point.  His logical mind had no problem admitting that.  The problem was that it wasn’t about everything his logical mind knew, it was about how the things he saw made him feel.  “Even before the situation changed I was dealing with this myself,” he said.  “Or at least I felt like I was.  I would try to talk about it and the team went from half listening to telling me they were tired of hearing it.  Bruce and Rhodey were better about it, but I think for the most part they were just trying to keep me from going completely off the rails.”  He ran a hand through his hair because even getting close to talking about one particular thing made him jumpy.  The feeling of her pressing closer and putting her arms around him was enough to make that jittery feeling settle down.  He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.  “I know, I just don’t want to put this weight on you and I really don’t want you to look at me like I’m insane.”  The latter was probably one of his biggest fears.  That she would think he was crazy, too crazy to be around.

He nodded as she spoke.  It was nice to be able to have a calm discussion about this.  “I agree with you,” he said.  “People need to be held accountable on every level.  I looked at the situation and ran several probability outcomes.  I determined that the best possible outcome for the most people was to agree to abide by them.  It is far easier to show how flawed they are if I am abiding by them.  It also gains me some public trust so if I present an alternative they are more likely to listen.”  He hugged her gently.  “If things go south, I want to make sure that you aren’t caught up in something.”  They had been a team for a very long time and even when they were having problems, he still did what he could to protect her.

He didn’t know what was better, the assurance or the soft sound of her laugh.  When she put her hand on his cheek and turned his face to kiss him, Tony felt better than he had in a very long time.  Kissing her this time didn’t feel as wildly hopeful as it had earlier.  It felt like coming home.  All of the times he’d gone out to fight and he’d come home to her, there was this feeling that he could never describe.  That’s what this kiss felt like.

[cannedgenius]

slvicshdow‌:

A PLETHORA OF RESPONSES    spring to mind, none particularly necessary or useful. The drain on her own time for some petulant need to assert control over a situation that had already spiraled does little more than cause slight annoyance    (    and, of course, only make her late for what follows on her docket… thrilling a long list of Tom Ford suits    ). She offers, politely,    “    I’m sure whatever you build over it will be stunning.    ”    

Camaraderie drained leaves behind a tapped well of familiarity. Mourning comes later when her feet are aching and a bundle of night sky fur is well nuzzled into her cheek. For now, things stay professional. Cool.    “    Is there anything else you need, Tony?    ”    

Tony gave her a suspicious look.  That kind of complimentary observation was often followed by some kind of request.  It was how his life was and though his guard was already up it put him on edge.  “No idea what I will build,” he said.  “I will have to take some time to really figure out what will piss him off the most.”

He glanced down at his tablet and saw a few email notices had popped up.  “Nope,” he said unlocking the tablet.  “I have plenty of scotch at home.”  He turned as he opened up one of the emails and began reading it.  

[captainhandsomes]

Tony Stark + coffee ☕

[cannedgenius]

mspxpotts‌:

Pepper bit her lip as she watched Tony’s eyes go distant, knowing that he was turning everything ver in his mind. She laced her fingers together in her lap and waited, the only sign of her anxiety at the wait being the way her bare foot was tapping softly against the floor. She knew she just had to wait until he came to whatever conclusions he would reach, but she thought she would burst in the meantime. 

Finally, he spoke and she nodded. “Okay.” When he returned, Pepper’s eyebrows drew together in confusion at the sight of the unmistakable shield. Her lower lip caught between her teeth again as he brought up his father. If Howard was present in a conversation, that wasn’t a good sign. Especially not, at least in light of recent events, when it included Steve. 

Everyone knew about the Accords and she had been aware that they had created a schism within the Avengers, but what Tony was telling her made her blood run cold. Tony didn’t talk about his parents very much at all, let alone their deaths, but the passing of people like Howard and Maria Stark had been recorded in the news annals of the time. To find out it had been murder rather than a car accident was shocking enough – her hand pressed to her lips as her eyes widened, her heart sinking. As Tony went on, Pepper couldn’t do anything but stare at him, dumbstruck with horror. She couldn’t help but review the fact that she hadn’t been there, that she had inadvertently pulled away from Tony when he needed her the most. It had been the right thing for her, but that didn’t make it an easier pill to swallow when she looked at it from this context. 

After everything Tony had just told her, it took her a moment to bring her mind back to the present and the request she had made. “Of course,” she said, nodding. Her voice trembled a little, and she cleared her throat. “I understand. I’ll follow whatever training exercises you think are best.” 

She paused, and then closed the distance between them on the couch, nudging his arm so that he would put it around her, tucking her head against his shoulder. She knew this situation in Siberia was why – or at least part of why – he had been drinking more and sleeping less lately. “I’m here,” she said simply. She looked up at him. “Provided you still want me to be.” Judging by the fact that he’d kissed her in the office, she was pretty sure he did. But Pepper liked words and actions, not guesses. 

Tony nodded absently at her response to his requirements when it came to the suit. Whatever red tape they’d have to deal with when it came to the Accords was separate from his requirements. He wanted to make sure she knew that.

The feeling of a familiar nudge made him smile softly and he put his arm around her. When she said she was there, the weight he had been carrying felt a little lighter. “Course I do,” he said softly placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I will always want you around. I know I’m not very good at opening up, okay that’s an understatement I suck at it, but you are the only person in my life I know I can trust and the only time I get a moment of peace is when I’m around you. I know that I’m a mess. It probably doesn’t seem like it, but I do try.” He wasn’t sure why she questioned whether or not he wanted her around. Taking a break wasn’t easy for him, but he understood why she needed one.

He ran his hand up and down her arm in a type of soothing motion. “There are so many things going on in my head. I feel like it’s my responsibility to figure out how to protect the world from anything that could come at us from any other place in the universe. What scares me is that I don’t know that I can do it,” he said. “The whole thing in New York was just—” he broke off and rubbed his face with his free hand. “We got lucky. I saw the entire army that was coming for us and it would have crushed us. We were so unprepared.”

He swallowed hard and kissed the top of her head again to pause so he could steady himself. “The Accords are a complication. I understand that the people affected by our fights are afraid and angry. I get that. They want someone to blame and the bad guys are generally not around. At the same time, us heroes haven’t been perfect. There needs to be some transparency and accountability,” he said. “The Accords aren’t the way to do it, but they are the law. There are severe problems with them, but we need to regain the public’s trust. I don’t think that the best way to do that is to tell them we won’t follow the law then remind them that they can’t make us. I have several contingency plans that provide for the people that I employ personally and make sure all my responsibilities are covered if anything should happen.” He’d been under a great deal of stress and pressure managing all the things he was trying to deal with and just being able to talk about it was a relief.

He kissed the top of her head again. “Was that too much?” he asked. “Should I dial back the sharing to keep from scaring you away? Cause I want you here, I do. I’ll beg if you want. I’ll kneel down in my suit on the muddy ground or in public if that does it for you.” He was smiling a little.

[starkked]

#mood

[wadey-wilson]

# the man who saved the universe

[dailymarvelcu]

#i understood that reference

[tonydaily]

No, it wasn’t.

[cannedgenius]

❛ So that’s like getting crowned prom king at home school. ❜

@bahrnes

Tony frowned as he considered the analogy. True there was a very small number of people on his end of the Bell curve and of those few had his abilities in engineering, but that didn’t make his accomplishment less valid.

“It was a competition and I was 16 when I won it,” he said. “And let me point out that the robot I built is still functioning.” There was a reason that DUM-E was his special boy. The first one is always the most special. He also helped Tony prove his professor wrong which was a bonus.

[cannedgenius]

mspxpotts‌:

Pepper cupped his cheek when he just nodded, knowing him well enough to at least hazard a guess as to what he was thinking – or rather, what he was worrying about. “It’s fine,” she told him. “Don’t worry.” She didn’t want to say they were getting back together before they had this conversation, but it was what she wanted. But Pepper also knew she had to look after herself and her well-being – emotional and mental as well as physical. She needed to ascertain some things about this relationship before she committed herself to it.

She had one idea in mind already, one she wasn’t entirely sure Tony would respond positively toward. She wanted her own suit. She didn’t want to be left behind anymore. She was just as capable as Tony, as any man, when it came to doing her part to save the world. Pepper had never been the type of person to sit idly by when she could be making a difference, and she certainly wasn’t the Rapunzel-esque figure who waited by the window for a prince to save her. She wouldn’t be left behind anymore. On way or another, she was going to be a part of these patrols or whatever they were calling them following Iron Man and Captain America’s messy divorce. If Tony wouldn’t make her a suit, she’d find another way. 

She snorted softly as he spoke. “That depends on what you’re doing with your tongue and where,” she responded, smiling back at him. 

“No, I’m ready,” she said. She didn’t say anything as she watched him chug the beer, though she couldn’t help but wonder how on earth anyone could chug beer, given that it was barely above the line for disgusting. She could manage a sip or two before her stomach reminded her that she wasn’t a twenty-two year old frat boy. 

She led the way to the private elevator, her hand flicking out to press the button. True to form, the car was waiting where it always was, the driver appearing like a genie to open the door for her. “Ms. Potts,” he said, nodding respectfully, but she thought he detected a smile in his voice. She was quiet on the drive, though when Tony got into the car, she slid over to be closer to him, trying still to dispel any worries he might have about their conversation. 

When they were finally back at Stark Tower – home – she kicked off her shoes and sat on the couch. “Sit with me,” she said, holding out her hand to draw him to the couch. She paused then, trying to gather her words. “Tony, I love you,” she said finally. “I hope you know that. And I want to be with you. But I’m scared I’m going to lose you – not just because of Iron Man and the dangers of doing what you do, but because you act like you’re still alone. And you’re not. You pull away from me, you pull away from everyone, and you make me feel like…” She paused. “Like it doesn’t matter that I’m here. I know I can’t just waltz in and fix everything, that’s not how it works. You need to work through your issues and that’s obviously okay.” Another pause. “But if you’re with me, you need to be with me. Don’t keep pushing me away. I deserve better than that.”

She paused once more. “And I want my own suit,” she added. She hadn’t meant for that to come out like an afterthought. “I want to go out with you when you get a call or however the hell it works. You’re not leaving me here alone to wait for you anymore.”

Tony knew her reassurance was meant to be comforting and in a small way it was. Telling him not to worry was like telling water to stop being wet. He could manage, keep it together for awhile, but inside he felt like he was barely holding on. That didn’t stop him from smirking when she responded to his tongue comment.

He followed her out of the building with his mind racing and his stomach twisting. Getting into the car was strange. It was something so familiar, but it had been awhile since they’d ridden home together. Having her close to him was nice. It helped him to stay in the present. Though his mind kept drifting to the black and white image of a car crash. It wasn’t a good time to go back there. Not now, not when they needed to talk.

Watching her kick her shoes off was another familiar sight. On auto pilot he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt. He sat down on the couch and braced himself for what was to come. It was hard to hear things from her point of view. He could explain his behavior, that wouldn’t be any comfort to her. Growing up how he had then going straight into the cutthroat world of business meant that he’d learned it was dangerous to show weakness. The hint of it was like blood in the water and the sharks were just waiting to begin a feeding frenzy.

Then she asked for her own suit and he thought his heart would stop. There was no question in his mind that she would be highly capable in the field, that wasn’t the issue. Pepper was hardcore, she could do anything. He didn’t know if he could handle it if anything went wrong. Rhodey’s injuries where hard enough for him to live with, if Pepper was injured he wasn’t sure he would manage as well.

He stared off into the middle distance for a moment thinking it all over. It wasn’t unusual for him to that when he had something big to think over. People who knew him knew not to bother him when he was thinking and would often prevent others from bothering him. “Okay,” he said finally. “Just let me go get something, I will be right back.”

He moved quickly heading down to his lab and in a few minutes he returned carrying two items. One was one of his many tablets which he set on the couch, the other was a large circular shield that he set on the coffee table. Then he sat down next to her. “My father made this shield,” he said. “I can’t remember a time when my father wasn’t telling stories about Captain America. I could probably recite them all from memory. He was proud of everything he’d done working with Rogers during the war. My father never stopped looking for him, never stopped hoping he would find him.”

He paused briefly before he continued. “When Rogers and I disagreed about the Accords many of our conflicts were public, but the last one wasn’t,” he said. “I haven’t talked to anyone about it. I thought to show you I was letting you in that this would be the way to do it. After our fight in Germany, I caught up with them in Siberia. There was a facility there and I was shown a video. I knew the road, but it took a moment for what I was seeing to sink in. I saw a car crash then I heard a voice I haven’t heard for 20 years, my father’s. He was crawling out of the car then begging the man he saw to help my mother who was trapped in the passenger seat. Instead, the man beat him to death and shoved him back into the driver’s seat. Then he walked over and strangled my mother. The man’s face was finally shown, it was Steve’s buddy. What was even worse was that Steve knew he’d done this, he tried to bullshit the first time I asked then he admitted it. This man that my father idolized was more than willing to cover up his murder. I found out later that Barnes had been subject to severe brainwashing and had no choice in his actions. The rage I felt initially towards him is no longer present. I am not so forgiving when it comes to Rogers.” He reached out to touch the shield. “I have this because my father made this and I told Rogers that he didn’t deserve it anymore.”

He took a deep breath an let it out before he reached for his tablet. “There is no question of whether or not I trust you with a suit. There’s no question of how capable you are. I want you to know that I will build you a suit, but because of the situation that caused Rhodey’s accident I am working on fine tuning his upgrade that I will include on your suit,” he said. “And you’re going to go through some training programs before you take her out in the field.”

[lokiphobe]

tony + the cute little snapping thing he does sometimes

[cannedgenius]

usedshield‌:

The question was STARTLING to Steve — his views, his goals had always been clear. Even now, even with time and space between them, that had not changed. Steve had been hunting down HYDRA for longer than he’d been in this century, that was for damn sure. ( He was more aware than most what would happen should HYDRA remain unchecked. ) His voice hardened, his gaze shifted. 

“They’re not friends, Tony.” 

There was A CHALLENGE there: if you have something to say, say it now, don’t hide from it, face it, face me. And he almost left it at that. He could have turned around and slipped from the warehouse; he did not doubt this. He did not. Instead, Steve let the chance slip by — this, he was convinced, was more important. It was HIS MISSION, after all. 

“I’m guessing we’re here for the same thing then.” He let his voice soften, let their mutual concerns rest between them. “Are you going to let me CONTINUE here, or are we going to have a problem?” 

Tony detected an edge in Steve’s voice and couldn’t care less. Maybe the guy was insulted that Tony could possibly think he might be involved with these scumbags. That was the problem with lies, hypocrisy, and betrayal they tended to have horrible side effects. Tony had no idea who Steve was anymore. FRIDAY was the only reason he could trust Steve’s statements.  If the edge meant Steve wanted something, as far as Tony was concerned the guy could shove it up his ass.  Tony would decline out of spite.

“I am here to see if there was anything left behind that might give me a decent lead on these guys so I can destroy the modified alien weapons they’re trading in and take down the entire operation,” he said. “Stay out of the way of that and there won’t be a problem.”

“Boss, detecting something in the wall behind the bookshelf to your left,” FRIDAY said.

Tony turned and viewed the image on the HUD. It was difficult to tell what exactly was in the space, but if it hadn’t been detected yet it was possible it was important. He pushed the heavy shelf aside with one hand and saw the poorly concealed panel in the wall.

When he removed the panel what he saw looked like pay dirt. “Be ready for anything,” he warned. “Someone could come looking for this stuff while we’re here.”  FRIDAY was watching Tony’s back so the warning cost him nothing and it gained him nothing either.

[cfbartcn]

continued ❱

Clint tosses Tony a wry look as he absentmindedly fiddles with the bottle cap from his bottle of beer, equal parts AMUSED & IRRITATED.  ( Being thought of as unintelligent or somehow UNEQUAL is always going to stick in his craw, even when said IN JEST.  It’s one of his WEAK SPOTS. )  Still, there’s HUMOR injected into his tone when he continues.

❝ I know it’s difficult for you & it’s asking a lot, but try NOT TO BE A DICKHEAD if you can help it. ❞  He takes a sip of his beer before snapping the bottle cap across the room & directly into the trashcan.

❝ Y’ really think you’re the only one sitting at this table that’s capable of advanced physics on the fly ?  SPOILERS: you aren’t. ❞  His lips push out in an exaggerated pout.  ❝ Next time I need a lift, I’M ASKING THOR.  I bet he smells like sunshine, too. ❞

@cannedgenius !!

[cannedgenius]

Tony had his own way of interacting with people that he was working around. It generally included all sorts of varying degrees of friendly antagonism. Of course if he thought someone wasn’t worth his time, he just ignored them.

He found Clint to be highly capable at what he did. Capable enough the guy stood shoulder to shoulder with guys with superpowers. Which meant Tony felt the rather childish urge to poke at him. “You remember all the times we’ve met before, right?” he asked. “You’re making me wonder because if you remembered those encounters you’d remember my rather sparkling personality and my observation skills.”

Tony raised an eyebrow and looked at Clint. “Oh no,” he said in a flat, monotone voice. “I am no longer going to be called when you need a ride. However will I cope?”

[cannedgenius]

exposed-likeanerve‌:

     ┉ Belatedly, Bruce realized that new had to be a relative term. More likely than not, FRIDAY had been around since…well. Probably since he left, or a little before. Not exactly the foot he’d been hoping to start out on, but it was too late for that.  ❝ I figured, ❞ he said quietly. He’d never exactly been a fan of being observed, not with everything that tended to come along with someone watching him. He still didn’t enjoy it, but Tony’s technological marvels hadn’t ratted him out to anyone except for their creator yet. It was a data set that he was, for the moment, willing to trust.

     ┉  He wasn’t all that hungry, but his careful inspection of the centrifuge’s rotor revealed that it was in perfect condition, and he needed something to do with his hands, something that worked as a distraction. ❝ You know, tea really isn’t that complicated, ❞ he pointed out.  ❝ It’s just chemistry. But…yeah. Tea would be nice. ❞ The ritual, soothing and familiar, of preparing it would be nicer still. Keeping calm might not be the secret to his control, but it didn’t hurt.

     ┉  ❝ I don’t know, I have missed this centrifuge, ❞ he teased back, closing the lid and carefully replacing the little rubber duck, green with a recycling symbol on its chest, on its lid. He’d spotted it tucked behind the machine - he must have forgotten to move it back to where it belonged, that last day in the Tower.  ❝ It’s much less particular than some of the others I’ve worked with. ❞ He didn’t really remember which school had left him in the habit of keeping his machines happy, but it was the harmless, normal kind of eccentric, so he’d never really worked to break it, when he had a stable lab to work in. Besides, busy machines with their tiny collections of brightly-colored offerings featured prominently in his good memories, few as they were.

Tony was very specific when he programmed his electronic assistants. They were his and they did what he told them to do. He wasn’t about to let anyone that he didn’t trust have access to the information they could collect. Which meant Pepper was the only other person who had close to the kind of access he did. “Just wanted to make sure you knew,” he said.

Tony gave a one armed shrug. “I’ve heard the same thing about cooking,” he said. “I’m not any good at that either. I prefer my chemistry in a lab setting. Beakers, flasks, graduated cylinders, you know all that stuff that makes us science geeks feel at home.”

If there was one thing Tony understood deeply it was projecting human traits onto machines. His boys seemed a lot more human to him than their programming allowed for and Tony figured that it was his own mind that filled that gap. Though that didn’t explain JARVIS’s last actions protecting nuclear codes. Not something he needed to think about right now. “It’ll be here waiting for you so don’t worry about that,” he said. It might have been his imagination, but he felt like this was more about a centrifuge.

“Let’s go where you can make your tea and I can get some coffee,” he said. “Then you can let me know what you need and how I can help.” There was no question that he would help Bruce, Accords or no Accords. Bruce didn’t have to ask. If he ever needed anything Tony would help him. There were only a few people that Tony had that kind of policy with and it was for life.

[henrysfox]

big mood

[slvicshdow]

❝ 'Mad Puppeteering and Dark Comedy’, title of my sex tape. ❞

MEETINGS WITH THUNDERBOLT ROSS    so often require an immediate appointment with a masseuse. His particular vision doing more to cause a knot of tension between her shoulder blades than any exercise in combat could manage. His more punchy lines linger in the room like his aftershave. 

Never one to let opportunity left by the wayside, Tony’s comment calls upon a certain familiarity she has exiled. Instead amusement stays in her own volley,    “    That’s odd    ——-    Fury just called it ‘ uneventful ’.    ”

@cannedgenius

[cannedgenius]

Tony despised Ross on a cellular level and he knew the feeling was mutual. That made working together about as fun as dental surgery without anesthesia, but it wasn’t as if he had much of a choice when it came to these arrangements. Ross wasn’t the only person he had issues with at that moment.

His comment was just an automatic response. There was nothing about it that was meant to be friendly or familiar. Just part of the current role he was putting on.  The last thing he wanted to do at the moment was prolong this farce.

“Good talk,” he said picking up his tablet. “I look forward to being late to the next one. Maybe I’ll demolish another place he likes just to see how mad I can make him.”