2013-01-18 ...With A Single Step

ron Man has been noted and discussed numerous times. It made news when, a few days ago, he turned up at the Themysciran Embassy for their women's benefit. Just as suddenly he was noted for being there, he was gone again, and hasn't resurfaced since. It's a sign, though. He's got Pepper with him, and carrying a bag and a box with him. He brought Thai..and something else. The only warning Selina has is the doorman buzzing up to her room asking if it's okay to send them up. Now they stand in an elevator, with cheesy elevator muzak being piped in, going up to her floor.
The news from the front desk has Selina baffled. After their last meeting she had assumed Tony and Pepper both wanted nothing to do with her. Not that she has been exactly easily to get a hold of herself, lately. Between the kidnapping and then having to prepare for the event she held on New Year's Eve and playing catch up with work she has pretty much been kept too busy for words. Waiting for the others to come up to the top floor and her door, Selina goes and puts a pot of coffee on.
Pepper Potts stands next to Tony in the elevator, resisting the urge to reach over and take either the bag or the box from him. She opens her mouth to offer to take something off of his hands, but then stops herself. Again. She's trying. Really. Maybe checking for emails will be enough of a distraction. She pulls her phone to look at it for a moment before returning it to her bag.
*Ding!*
The elevator doors open and Tony takes a couple of tentative steps inside, just enough to allow him and Pepper to disembark without getting closed back in the elevator. He doesn't call out, he doesn't say anything yet. He looks around quietly, as if hoping to find Selina before he has to speak just yet. He glances over his shoulder at Pepper, then back to take in the Penthouse.
The elevator actually openes into a hallway first as there's several homes up on the penthouse level, but Tony and Pepper will find the door has been left ajar once they get out, Selina's way of inviting them in while she's puttering around in the kitchen. The doors sliding open can be heard so she knows they have arrived at least. Surprises are not a good thing, right now.
Pepper Potts steps out of the elevator just after Tony, and sees the door is ajar almost immediately. Touching the elbow of his sleeve briefly to get his attention, she starts toward the door, pausing to knock on it lightly. "Ms. Kyle?"
Tony Stark follows Pepper, still quiet. He doesn't look nervous, per se, but he does look apprehensive. There's a haunted look about him in general. He's dressed casually: Jeans, flat grey T-shirt with the familiar glow in the chest, leather racing jacket over that. Sneakers. Hair is mussed but more like he's been running a hand through it too often than not been combed at all. He clears his throat a little, to let Selina know he's with her.
"Hey, come in," comes Selina's voice from somewhere not in the immediate vicinity of the door but she won't be hard to find since the kitchen is right off of the living room proper. When Tony announces himself she turns to face him, her eyes lifting to meet his. "You look quite a bit better..." Pausing, she looks at him for a bit longer and then over to Pepper once she is able to come in. "How are you both?"
Pepper Potts pushes the door open and steps in ahead of Tony, then gently closes the door behind them both. She smiles her hello to Selina but stays quiet for the moment. This is Tony's play, she's just here for moral support. Or something like that.
Tony Stark looks around a little bit. Okay, here we go..."So uh, yeah.." he says haltingly at first, "So um. I don't do so good with this kind of thing.." he says looking around again, and then back down. "I've always been good on a test range, or a proving ground, or a board room. I've never been real great in a living room." he says, slowly finding the words and the road he wants to take to say what he feels he needs to say. This is almost as uncomfortable to watch as it is for him to do.
While Tony talks Selina busies herself; just in time for the coffee maker to gurgle, signalling that it's done brewing, she goes about setting out three mugs and a small bowl of sugar as well as a small container of half-and-half. "What are you trying to say," she asks once she's sure Tony's done, Selina not wanting to make anything worse on him as she can see how difficult it already is on him. "Help yourselves to the coffee," she adds.
Pepper Potts decides to take at least some pity on Tony, stepping forward to take the bag from his hands and leaving the box for him to fidget with. She sets the bag on the counter by the coffee mugs then reaches to fill one cup presumably for Tony, though she doesn't return to where he's standing. It's up to him to move past the doorway and commit himself to this, though when she turns to look at him as well, it's with a small encouraging nod. You can do this.
Tony Stark nods to Pepper when she takes the bag from him, and he fidgets with the box. It's a plain brown paper wrapped thing with twine around it. When he speaks it's like a machine gun, as if he doesn't say everything right here right now he may never say it, "Look - what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. You were just trying to be a real friend, be concerned, and I acted like a petulant child and you didn't deserve that and so I'm sorry."
The apology immediately cause Selina to sigh, a sound of someone who is exhaling after holding their breath until just about to pass out. "I am sorry too, Tony. I should have handled it differently. I really fouled it up." She looks at the item he's been fidgeting with but doesn't ask what it is, yet, leaving that alone for now. "And I owe you both an explaination." Pausing, she goes to pour herself some coffee, leaving it unsweetened but lightened with some of the cream. "My father was an alcoholic," she semi-whispers with a hitch to her voice, "and he was mean and abusive towards our mother who eventually killed herself as a result of that abuse. My sister and I were seperated as kids several years later because he managed to drink himself to death..."
Pepper Potts continues to stand quietly, understanding how much effort it must have taken Selina to admit what she just did and knowing that Tony is the one that needs to respond. She'd kind of guess something vaguely along those lines on her own, considering how strongly the taller woman had reacted at the time. So, to have something to do and to give Tony time to process the return apology, she starts unpacking the Thai food from the bag. Seems like she managed to keep the takeout to the simpler items like pad thai.
Tony Stark shakes his head, "No, no Selina..you acted right there." is how he begins his response. "You didn't want to see history repeat itself, and I get that. It's why I'm here. Why I brought you this." he says, giving the box a little wave. "I can't say I understand, because my dad was gone before I really got to know what skeletons were in his pocket. But I get it. I'm sorry I scared you, and I'm sorry I made you look into the past." he says a little more slowly, choosing his words rather than just translating what's in his heart right now.
"You should also apologize for hurting my first with your fist," Selina teases while taking the box, the coffee she hasn't even started to drink set down. "I owe you an apology as well, Pepper. I shouldn't have left you like I did. You asked for my help and I dropped the ball." Frowning at herself, the twine and paper are first plucked at only to then be pulled away from the box they have been drawn around.
Pepper Potts finally does speak up. "It's all right, Selina. You need to not be there for your own peace of mind, and I would have felt worse about it if you'd forced yourself to stay. Besides, I think we're on the right track now." She finally carries the coffee cup over to Tony, holding it for him to take and offering him a questioning but not demanding look. Right track, yes?
Tony Stark accepts the coffee and smiles very very softly at Pepper and nods in the most imperceptible way. On the right trak, yes. Definitely. "Yeah well," he says, clearing his throat a bit, "That's just what you get for drinking a defenseless inebriate." he gives Selina a bit of a shrug there.
The necklace that's inside the box is lifted from it once it's opened, the little disc of metal protected by lucite given careful consideration. Takes a second but she soon blinks and looks at Tony as if surprised. "Is this..." There's an assumption that the red metal /might/ be from one of the Iron Man suits he wears but she doesn't want to come right out and ask it. Let him explain what it is he just gifted her with. What she does allow herself to do is hug him and give him a peck on his cheek and then Pepper's given a hug as well, if she allows.
Pepper Potts is perfectly okay with hugs when it's appropriate, and this is an ideal time for a hug. Returning Selina's hug briefly, she tilts her head to look at the necklace also. She blinks in surprise as her eyebrows going up, as the bit of metal sure looks to HER like a piece of the Iron Man armor. Tony is offered yet another glance and hint of a smile. Excellent choice for sparkly, far more meaningful than some expensive bauble from a store, though she can't help but wonder when he took the time to make the medallion. Probably when she was busy trying to keep Dummy from 'helping' clean.
Tony Stark simply nods when Selina asks him, "Yeah, it is." he says softly. "Uh, I can't exactly recycle the parts that gets chewed up in a fight. So I decided to start doing something useful with them. "That was part of one of the chestpieces from the Mark Five configuration." he say. "I don't intend on making many. These are for people I consider in my circle." he runs a hand through his hair.
Selina puts the necklace around her neck, the pendant allowed to hang over the shirt she is wearing. "It means a lot to me. Thank you." The smell of food finally gets Selina's notice and she smiles, that coinciding with the growling of her stomach. "Let me get some plates and fork. And... well, maybe coffee won't go so well with what you guys brought. I have some good sparkling water..."
Pepper Potts smiles and can't help but chuckle faintly as Selina's stomach decides the Thai's been ignored long enough. "I hope pad thai is all right. I made sure that we got one mild order and one spicy." She steps back over to finish unpacking the food -- somehow while it's a lot, it's not the WAAAY too much that Tony can sometimes order without thinking. The bag the food came in gets folded neatly and set out of the way.
Tony Stark nods, "I'll just stick with the coffee, if that's alright." he says, "And I'm glad you like the pendant. It was the only think I could think of to say both that I didn't mean to treat you the way I did, and that you're one of the few real friends I have." he glances over to Pepper and smiles softly again, "Thanks for coming through again, Pepper." he says gently.
"Are you kidding, Pepper? I love to live dangerously. Bring on the spicy." Selina turns to look at Tony from over her shoulder and nods, conveying her understanding of the gift. "Thanks. I really appreciate that." And it's left right at that as she's now getting plates and silverware.
Pepper Potts looks over at Tony when he admits that he's not planning on eating. Again with the silent question. Are you sure? There's no disapproval in her expression, simply the same concern she's always shown at his inconsistent eating habits. To Selina she replies, "Oh, good. I freely admit to being a complete wimp about spicy food."
Tony Stark hmms at that, "I think I'll pair the coffee up with some of the spicy, after all. I mean, what's the worst that's gonna happen right?" he smiles to Selina first, then to Pepper. His bearing is a little lighter, shoulders slightly less sagging now that he's gotten the most difficult part of things out of the way.
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