[The silence stretches on longer than it should for such a simple question, but maybe it isn't as easy a thing to answer as even Pepper might suspect. She'd assumed based on the state of the lab, and Bruce's presence in it, that there has to be some project in the making amongst the mess. But what if that's really all there is, because even the work hadn't been distraction enough from his overwhelming grief? Tony and Bruce had been close collaborators. Maybe being in this lab for him stood as something like being in her own bedroom for Pepper.
Without Tony there to fill up the room, places simply got too quiet. Too empty.
In the end, he admits it to her. Maybe not the whole truth, but he also doesn't hide that new level in the pit where he's fallen. If nothing else, Pepper can be glad for that.]
Working, mostly. It's amazing that multi-billion dollar companies don't take days off. [Although they had on the day of Tony's funeral; Pepper shut down the entire workforce, upper level executive to mailroom intern. All paid, all free to do whatever they wanted except show up at a Stark building expecting to labor. Her advisers called it an emotional, ridiculous move, twenty-four hours of stillness that could sink Stark Industries.
She didn't care. She needed one day, just one, where someone wouldn't look to her for answers when she had been in tears.
Since then, she's been doing her best to fill the gaps, not just for that period of stillness, but for the obvious absence. Could Stark Industries survive without a Stark at the helm, or even behind the scenes? Pepper would make damn sure it did, even if it killed her. Tony trusted her with his legacy, more than anyone.
It's you, he'd said once upon a time. It's always been you..]
Since you are free, I was wondering if I could throw a few things your way. [Her shoes safely set aside, Pepper stands up, business attire and bare feet, neglecting their efforts to pad across the cool floor towards him.] And compensation for working on them, of course. There are some projects where I need a scientific mind to turn concept into reality, as it were.
no subject
Without Tony there to fill up the room, places simply got too quiet. Too empty.
In the end, he admits it to her. Maybe not the whole truth, but he also doesn't hide that new level in the pit where he's fallen. If nothing else, Pepper can be glad for that.]
Working, mostly. It's amazing that multi-billion dollar companies don't take days off. [Although they had on the day of Tony's funeral; Pepper shut down the entire workforce, upper level executive to mailroom intern. All paid, all free to do whatever they wanted except show up at a Stark building expecting to labor. Her advisers called it an emotional, ridiculous move, twenty-four hours of stillness that could sink Stark Industries.
She didn't care. She needed one day, just one, where someone wouldn't look to her for answers when she had been in tears.
Since then, she's been doing her best to fill the gaps, not just for that period of stillness, but for the obvious absence. Could Stark Industries survive without a Stark at the helm, or even behind the scenes? Pepper would make damn sure it did, even if it killed her. Tony trusted her with his legacy, more than anyone.
It's you, he'd said once upon a time. It's always been you..]
Since you are free, I was wondering if I could throw a few things your way. [Her shoes safely set aside, Pepper stands up, business attire and bare feet, neglecting their efforts to pad across the cool floor towards him.] And compensation for working on them, of course. There are some projects where I need a scientific mind to turn concept into reality, as it were.