Days spent with you never really have an ending...

[Genkai]

Days spent with you never really have an ending...

{ a T o n y & P e p p e r story brought to you by Genkai & Jaxine }

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There had been a crash.

There had been a crash on the freeway.

There had been a crash on the freeway on the way to Tony's place.

There had been a crash on the freeway on the way to Tony's place and Pepper was late.

There had been a crash on the freeway on the way to Tony's place and Pepper was late while Tony was in his workshop, tinkering with his toys.

There had been a crash on the freeway on the way to Tony's place and Pepper was late while Tony was in his workshop, tinkering with his toys and it took him three hours to notice Pepper's absence because she hadn't brought him his coffee like she said she would.

There had been a crash and after four hours, Rhodey came over to tell Tony that Pepper was four hours late.

There had been a crash and after four hours, Rhodey came over to tell Tony that Pepper was four hours late and that she was in that crash and was never coming back again. There was no coffee, but luckily Tony had a large supply of liquor to tide him over.

That was two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago Pepper was around, two weeks ago Pepper had woken up as she usually did. It was early, the sun wasn't even up yet. She headed out the door and into the main branch of Stark Industries which was now becoming Stark International, slowly but surely. With her as CEO and the Stark Expo incident behind them, she was really to move the company forward into a better light. But Pepper couldn't help but notice her own batteries were slowly being drained. Perhaps it had a little something to do with having a few excessive near death experiences. Or perhaps it had a little something to do with the fact that her work often lead her to emotional breakdowns. That her work was going to give her cancer, a heart attack, a stroke, anything stress related that could kill her was surely something she would see in her near future. Maybe the tipping point was two months ago when Hammer and Tony went head to head as Hammer had pulled in some evil bad guy to do Tony end, which had resulted in the ego stroking Stark Expo to pretty much be reduced to rubble. She had to help rebuild it while Tony still never apologized for not telling her that he was dying. Or maybe the tipping point was a month ago when Pepper got her annual postcard in the mail from her old high school, informing her another reunion was upon them. Did she have time to catch with old flames and friends from her past? Hell no, of course not.

That notion was insane so of course she tossed it aside and went about her usual day. The redhead got Tony's coffee and acted as personal assistant as well as chief executive officer as he refused to replace Pepper after the whole undercover SHIELD incident. While Pepper knew no one could really replace her in Tony's life, she did wish he would help out more now that they were sort of dating. And by sort of dating, it meant they would awkwardly tiptoe around one another because Pepper didn't want to bite the bullet and straighten things out and Tony was clearly too cowardly and inexperienced to solidify their relationship with a conversation, let alone asking her out on a simple date where work wouldn't be discussed. At the very least, she hoped that he would become co-CEO and learn how to run his own company but whenever she started to bring it up or the fact that she needed, deserved a vacation, he would just go down to the lab and tune her out with loud ACDC music. Of course Pepper Potts had to the mother to the insolent Tony Stark so she just kept working, slowly about to burn out. Rhodey did notice whenever he and Pepper met up for drinks to vent about their friend Tony. Rhodey advised that she just up and leave, take a break but Pepper kept shooting down his idea, saying she could never really just leave Tony.

Then it was the dark skinned male's job to remind Pepper that Tony needed to appreciate her more often and that she needed to do something drastic. His words stayed within her devious little head as she would hug him goodbye and head back to her apartment which saw more of the mailmen then it did herself. Pepper was busy so much that she usually spent her days in her office in LA or with Tony in Malibu that her little apartment in west LA was often ignored and some nights she would come back and not even recognize the layout of said apartment. Her parents were of course worried about their hard working daughter who usually called every week or so but when the calls started to string out longer and longer apart, they knew something was going wrong. Their little girl, the one who they knew would do so much good in the world, was slowly killing herself. She was dying for the man she had worked for, for decades. He took advantage of her and barely knew her outside of work while Pepper knew everything about Tony inside and out. It was highly likely, safe to bet in fact, that if Pepper asked Tony if he knew the mascot of her high school, that he wouldn't know unless he attempted to Google it. How could they be friends if he didn't know her birthday or that she was allergic to strawberries?

So two weeks prior to her death, Pepper Potts made preparations to move back home. She swore her parents to keep it a secret if they wanted their little girl back. She didn't tell Rhodey because she was sure if he ever got drunk, he would slip and tell Tony about the whole lie. It was an elaborate lie too. Pepper Potts was planning to fake her own death to finally do what she couldn't do: quit. She wouldn't quit, she couldn't. And Tony would never fire her, he was a genius remember? So she had to do something that couldn't be undone: she would kill herself. Pepper already found a cute little cottage in the outskirts of the small town of New Haven, Connecticut where she was born and raised. Then she made plans for an explosion to occur. It was a tricky angle to work but there would a timed explosion due to a truck and several other key components. As the event itself drew closer, she tried to look for signs that would make her reconsider, back out of her crazy scheme to finally get some peace and quiet. She could recall approaching Tony as she pulled out the menus for their usual Chinese take out place and asked if they could just do something new, like go out to a movie but Tony dismissed the idea and said he could watch any movie from the comfort of his home. He wasn't as smart as he thought he was. A day or two later, Pepper suggested that she and Tony go get coffee in the park like normal people but he said he wanted the usual coffee she got in LA.

Men hated change but Tony was impossible.

While he wasn't really exhibiting any signs of change, she still couldn't help but find herself uneasy as she sat on his couch the night before he would never see her again. Pepper and Tony had ordered take out, as usual and she was ready to go since Tony had been fed and was working. She slowly went down to his lab and just stood outside the glass door, watching him work in his tee shirt and jeans. Being Tony Stark, he could wear a trash bag, a tux, or a plain tank top and he'd look stunning but she loved him best when he was working alone in his shop. He would always let his guard down around her. She knew the real him and loved him for it. He was selfish and childish and insecure and lonely and demanding and the public had no idea. He would step on stage or put on his Iron Man suit and become someone else, someone who he thought was better. The truth was, while Pepper liked Iron Man, she also hated him. Iron Man put Tony Stark's life in danger. Iron Man may have saved Tony when he had nothing but a cave's darkness but Pepper wanted Tony back, changed or not. She missed him, she hated seeing him fly off to save the day. And sadly enough as she was watching him work, she didn't even get to say goodbye before JARVIS informed him that there was an attack happening up in the northern part of California so he took off. "Uh Tony-" She began to say as he had finished suiting up but he just flew off saying he had to go. So did she. And that's what she did. Pepper headed back up the stairs and didn't make it to the top one before she sat down and cried.

She cried for the wasted years. She cried for missing and worrying about him so much when he was missing in Afghanistan. She cried for her parents and for her friends and Rhodey. But most of all she cried because she hated herself for falling in love with such a jerk who had a heart of gold and didn't even realize it before it was too late. Had she mentioned a Will and Trust before, it would have simply tipped Tony off that something was up. So she did her best to shut her mouth and do her work. So she finally headed home and parked her car. She stared at her apartment complex and took out her phone and just headed up to her place to get one last night of restless sleep. Tomorrow would be the start of a new life, a new peaceful life. The next morning, Pepper got up and everything seemed more vibrant, clearer. She got dressed and grabbed some spare clothes she would put on the scene and headed down to her car, her so called casket for the time being. She sent Tony a short text, telling him she was on her way with coffee. It was likely he wouldn't get it till he woke up later in the day. Then again it was also likely he hadn't slept and had just worked through the night. Pepper forced herself not to care and to just drive. So at exactly 7:39 A.M a crash occurred on the freeway and everything erupted in flames. Her car was in the heart of it and she had plans to escape.

Once she did, she got on a plane and put on her wig. She would have to be disguised for the time being until she made it out to her small town. Sure, people there knew her but no one would make a fuss about it. It was highly unlikely that the news from LA would even reach the other side of the nation. She boarded the plane, economy class, and cradled her phone in her hands. Perhaps it was wrong for her to keep it instead of leave it at the site of the explosion but she couldn't do it. It was the last tie that connected her to her old life, the only life she seemed to inhabit. After the plane landed, she took a taxi out to her new cottage and decided to not get a new car and instead she decided she could just walk everywhere until she got a moped or bike. She bought new furniture and got some from her old home thanks to her parents and for the rest of the day, she just spent time laying on the grass in the park, trying not to think about the mistake she had just committed. That night she ate out with her parents and she wasn't interrupted with a call from her annoying boss. She headed home and went to sleep and for once in several years, she finally got to enjoy what it felt like to sleep in. Of course for her, sleeping in meant she woke up at 8:30 instead of 6:30.

Baby steps.

As she was grocery shopping at the local corner market, she could have sworn she had heard her blackberry ring but she didn't dare look at it. She checked out and headed home. She wanted to Google herself but didn't. She couldn't go back, if she looked, she would go back and that couldn't happen. It shouldn't happen. So Pepper went back into town for lunch and heard some people talking about a CEO who was killed yesterday and that Tony Stark was inconsolable and that the funeral would be within the next week. Pepper stopped in her tracks and felt the air being squeezed out of her lungs. She turned around and started to run back to her cottage. This was a mistake, she missed Tony and she just left him. How could she be so cruel? When she reached the door, she didn't turn the handle, didn't run up and call the airport. Instead she let out a sob and just headed back toward her restaurant of choice. When she got there, the diner was full and she had to make do with sitting at a table with a complete strange. He was blond, had blue eyes much like her own. Except his contained slight confusion but joy, unlike hers which held more confusion and sadness. "Hey." She slipped in the booth across from him. "Everywhere else is full." Pepper apologized lightly and grabbed the menu the busy waitress handed it. "I don't miss that." Pepper muttered, not sure if she believed herself. "I mean, the busy workload-I just um...I just quit my job and now I have no idea what to do with myself." She started to ramble to the male.

"Do I go to a new job or just...what?" She shook her head and looked back her menu. "I feel so lost...you know?" She sighed pitifully.

[Jaxine]

If only he’d known that Pepper Potts would never be returning, Tony Stark would have made that last day of being together the best in the world. But he didn’t know, he wasn’t aware that something grave would happen, no, he was doing what he did best; tinkering with his gadgets. Tony Stark had many flaws, but his biggest was how ‘oblivious’ he was to the needs of his partner, the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts. For years, he would belittle her, barely pay attention to her, and was all around one of the worst bosses in the world. Though he did have his moments where he was generous, caring, though lately they hadn’t happened too often, and Pepper Potts was feeling the strain.

Tony Stark had been hard at work in his lab, making renovations on his Iron Man suit when he’d received the text message from Pepper. “Mr. Stark” sounded the computer voice of JARVIS. Speaking the time of the text message and reading the message itself, Tony had been listening to ACDC early that morning to get him pumped and focused on his tinkering, so much that he barely paid mind to JARVIS’ message. He’d only picked up on ‘Potts, Coffee’ that was pretty much all he’d heard. The hours had passed, Tony still hard at work, after the last ‘saving’ in the city he needed the suit to be even better than before, it had taken quite the beating and even though it worked perfectly fine, that wasn’t ‘fine’ for the super hero, he had an image to keep up in the media.

“Sir, James Rhodes is here to see you” was the voice of JARVIS. Pulling from his work, Tony pulled off his glasses and lifted his gaze to the clock on the wall “four in the evening already?....” But where was Pepper? Had it really been that long? “JARVIS, Time” the computer voice was heard “It’s 4:39pm” Tony slowly looked to the door of his laboratory “Did Ms. Potts arrive earlier, JARVIS?” came Tony’s question his voice barely even audible as he could feel worry beginning to set into his body. “No, Mr. Stark” Tony’s mouth was dry at this point, all noise around him had deafened out all he could hear was the thumping of his heart. ’Where is Pepper? … Is she okay?’

By the time Rhodey reached the bottom of the stairs, JARVIS allowed him access, when the man neared he could see a haze of cloud in Tony’s eyes, he was already concluding that something bad had happened to Pepper. “Tony” but Mr. Stark was in a haze as his mind wasn’t stopping, not even once. The man stepped toward Tony Stark and placed a hand on his shoulder, but got no response, not even a shake. Tony’s mind had finally stopped, enough for him to breathe, the cloud slowly dispersing from the surface of his eyes, only then did his pupils focus on the man before him gulping he finally spoke “Where is Pepper?” his voice dry, it lingered with pain, pain that had taken over the hue of his brown eyes. How was Rhodey to tell him, that the irreplaceable Pepper Potts had been in an accident and didn’t survive? “We need to talk...” were Rhodey’s words as he moved Tony to a chair to sit him down.

It was in vain however for the genius was on his feet at the moment of the news “No!! … not Pepper Potts, not her, it had to of been someone else!” He wasn’t going to believe it, he couldn’t believe it. “I’ll.. go looking, I’ll take my suit right now. JARVIS!!” but Rhodey placed a firm hand on his shoulder “Tony!” those hurt brown eyes turned to look at the man who had a hold on him “She’s gone…” why was Tony Stark accepting that answer? “NO!! SHE CAN’T BE!” he yanked his arm away “JARVIS THE SUIT NOW!” the doors slowly opened to reveal the polished Iron Man suit, Tony head on over but Rhodey stopped him again “There is nothing left to search, Tony, she’s gone. You’re only making this harder on yourself” out of anger, pure anger, did Tony shove the man away “Get out…” Rhodey was about to protest but Tony shouted “OUT!” the man knew that Tony Stark needed time to sulk and accept what had happened. Leaving him alone, Tony fell to his knees in front of the suit, hunching over on his hands he began to sob, slamming a fist into the floor repeatedly. Standing outside of the laboratory door, for the first time ever, James Rhodes saw Tony Stark break down. With a shake of his head, the man left, unsure how he could console his friend.

The next morning, Tony’s Stark’s phone was ringing off the hook, emails were flooding his inbox, visitors and media were trying to get a hold of him. But Tony Stark wasn’t in, physically yes, but not mentally, and even more so emotionally. Rhodey had stopped by but Tony had JARVIS put the premises on lock down, no one was able to enter, not even if they knew the passcode to get in. Which no one other than Pepper Potts knew the lock down passcode to enter, but now? She was gone, there was no more ‘Good Mornings’ no more ‘looks’ given to him for his stubbornness, no more smiles from her, no more laughs. Tony’s world had come crashing down and was now rubble at his feet. How was he to go on? Pepper was everything to him, irreplaceable, and now? She was gone, forever.

Across the states in the small town, Steve Rogers was hoping to get some relaxing time away from crime fighting. Somewhere he wasn’t well known as a hero, but as a person. He’d only just arrived that day, and to his shock, there was some news buzzing about of a CEO having been in an accident and passed the day before. He’d heard about it on the news before he left the last big city he was in earlier that morning but to hear it here? In this little town? It sure got around fast, though the identity of the CEO hadn’t been identified, at least to the townsfolk here and Steve hadn’t paid too much attention to the name of the woman who was killed. Steve had seen so much death in the past; he didn’t want to be around it and needed a break. Which was one of the reasons why he chose to explore this small town, parking his bike at the restaurant; Steve headed in and was seated. For being a small town, the place was getting packed, then again it was lunch time, and he had to expect that.

It got to the point where he was going to have to share his table; he didn’t mind of course, he’d enjoy any company at this point. He’d been on his own and alone for several months with no real stable contact with anyone. But the woman who was seated in front of him, he gave her a smile and a nod “Hello there, Miss” he took up a menu when it was handed to him, he then heard the woman apologize and shook his head “No worries, I enjoy the company, it’s better than eating alone” his blue eyes moved from the menu to the woman before him, she began to ramble on and on which amused the blonde male and soon a calm and gentle smile spread across his lips as he listened to her and soon a chuckle followed. “You seem a bit stressed out right now, something has your feathers ruffled, hm?” he slowly closed his menu and set it down upon the table “Well if you ask me, I’d say take a step back from your life and breathe. Get a good look at your surroundings, at what has happened and with a clear mind, figure out and plan your next move” he smiled up to the waitress as she neared with a notepad and a pen “A coca cola please and I’ll have a cheese burger with some seasoned fries. Oh and put the young ladies order on the tab as well” he glanced to Pepper and smiled “Lunch is on me” once the waitress grabbed Pepper’s order she disappeared leaving the two alone “I’m Steve Rogers” he extended his hand out to her.

[Genkai]

While she wasn't one to just openly bear her soul to someone else, the closeness of home made her open up just a little bit. Pepper just hadn't expected him to respond to her awkward slightly crazy mumblings. But then again, this was a small town and people actually cared. That would take some getting used to. "Something, is putting it lightly." More like someone, at the moment at least. His next nugget of advice took her by surprise. Most males couldn't properly construct a well thought out piece of advice but this one seemed very stable, not at all insane or insensitive. 'Must be gay.' She off handedly thought with some hints of disappointment. "You're right." She replied to him. he sounded like someone who was in the army, by the looks of it, he must be on leave or something. If he didn't have dog tags, he probably was into professional sports or something active like that. "Starting over isn't going to be easy though." Pepper shrugged, but she had tackled the task of running Tony Stark's life, anything was possible after that right? As the male finished his order and mentioned adding her food to his tab, she quickly looked to him in quite a bit of shock. When was the last time a man offered to buy her dinner? Somewhere decades in the past. Not to mention, she had plenty of money, so much that she had no idea what to do with most of it, well maybe donate it to a foundation to help fix Tony's messes in the city.

"You really don't have to do that." Pepper told him, pretty flattered. "I'll have the same, thanks." She told the waitress who left, then she shook his hand. "I'm..." She hadn't considered the possibility of meeting someone. Here, she had on a light blond wig, which maybe should have been brunette or black, but oh well. "I'm Virgina, Virgina Anderson." Anderson was the last name of her first best friend, so she was sure Nicole wouldn't mind her burrowing it for now. "I used to live here as a girl and now I'm back for however long I can stay." Pepper said, keeping that part honest. She wasn't one for lying but she didn't have a choice, couldn't complain as she knew what she would be getting into once she was caught in the explosion. Since Steve was treating her to lunch, she decided she could treat him to ice cream. It was the very least she could do for such a nice guy with very very striking blue eyes, much like her own. Pepper forced herself to stop staring at him. What else could she say to the man without coming off as someone interviewing another? Pepper hadn't really done much outside of her job so she hadn't had much social experience, which made her glad that she got out when she did. Pepper wanted a family, she wanted a job that made a different, she just wanted to be happy and with Tony pulling her strings for so long, she had become too complacent.

Too unhappy.

Were there glimmers of hope, of change, of something more than their tricky professional-friendship relationship? Pepper was exhausted just thinking about it. Here she was, eating lunch across from a very handsome, possibly gay (she didn't judge), nice guy and she kept thinking about her boss? Pepper was whipped beyond repair. 'Stop this, just relax and don't over think it.' She told herself. Their cokes arrived and Pepper smiled to the waitress in thanks and tore the paper off of her straw and put it into her drink. "So what brings you here of all places?" She asked him. It wasn't a popular town though that didn't mean it was off the radar entirely. It was one of those places right in the middle of being a town and a city, but of course it lingered more toward the "town" aspect. She took a sip from her soda and the place started to pick up in volume, making it a bit tough to hear and talk. "Hold on." Pepper said and walked over to one of the waitress and asked for some to-go packaging so they could sit someplace else. All the outside seating was taken but Pepper had the park in mind. The waitress waved a hand and said they could take their food as is and bring it back whenever. That was the small folk charm and trust for you. She came back with the food and tab and paid for it herself. He could owe her ice cream if she wanted but he was so nice to her already, she wanted to pay.

"Come on." She told him and headed out into the sunlight. He could grab the drinks while she carried their food. If she remembered correctly, the park had some picnic tables they could use and it was only a block from the diner, across the street. Pepper found them a table and sat down, placing their food down. "I just didn't really think being in that mess was really healthy." She told him and gestured for him to join her. Maybe it was the controlling part of her personality which governed Tony's daily events (though usually he ignored them anyway) but she wanted a more intimate setting if she and mister Steve Rogers were going to get along. It was then it hit her, the name, why it rang a bell. When she and Black Widow were talking a few weeks ago, she mentioned something about a Steve Rogers who had just woken up after a long coma or something. Of course not much else beside that had been mentioned. Pepper was intrigued but not really so much about the coma, as she was about the nice guy sitting in front of her. But of course she decided it must only be fair that she gave a little before she could actually get a little. "Well," She picked up a fry and bite into it. "this job I just quit was pretty demanding, I had zero time for myself and now that I do have time for myself, I don't know what I even like doing, isn't that crazy?" How could her job isolate herself so much that she felt lost when she was finally alone. "So I thought coming here would give me back some kind of guiding light."

Picking up her glass, she took a sip of her soda and bit down on the straw gently, but not enough to mess with the shape and use. "So maybe I should get a small job here at the newspaper or something I really don't know." Pepper sighed, feeling pretty lost at the moment, which was a very foreign feeling for her to experience. "But that's for me to figure it out, and I will." She said more clearly. "What about you?" She asked Steve, wondering what brought him to New Heaven. Part of her wanted to ask something else or at least clarify her question but ultimately she decided not to, as she didn't think it was necessary. The day around them was a nice one, more slow paced than the chaos painted around them back in the diner only a stone's throw away. She took another sip of her drink and set it aside. Her stomach had protested too much to ignore the burger staring back at her, almost begging to be eaten. L.A. had a lot of good places to eat but the diner was a great place to go as a kid. She picked up the burger and took a bite. It tasted like home, something wonderful and familiar. She set it down and wiped her mouth. "Oh by the way, you can treat us to dessert if you'd want." She mentioned, since she paid for the meal he intended to pay for, which she didn't intend to brush off or undermine.

'This is nice.' She found herself thinking, the first more or less, normal, sane thought she had had upon arriving home.

The ability to breathe one more was coming back, filling her lungs with a new outlook on life. Life wasn't just paperwork, meetings and coffee runs anymore. It could be anything she wanted, really. It was just a real true shame that it had to come to this, that she had to permanently cut Tony out of her life. This choice would remain her for the rest of her life, she would have to be someone else from now on. It was a hard life to lead but not as hard as the one she left. Did she miss her job? In small ways. Like when she would smell coffee early in the morning and the man would give her "the usual" without a word. She would miss planning things and being the only one Tony trusted with certain facts about him. She wouldn't miss patching him up after rough battles. And she wouldn't miss the looks of love she happened to accidentally throw his way when his back was turned to her. Part of her would miss how he smelled when he was working away on a car or his stupid Iron Man suit. Pepper shook her head a little, her sleek thin blond hair waving a bit. The silence swayed in the breeze for a moment and then a flyer taped to a light post caught her eye. It said something about a pie festival coming up. She did love pie. As a kid, she won a pie eating contest and wondered vaguely if she still had it in her. "Hey Steve, how long are you gonna be in town for?" Pepper questioned.

"I'm asking since there's a festival coming up within the next few days, we should check it out." She said before she could think about it. It sounded like a date! She didn't mean for it to. "I mean, it sounds like fun and who doesn't like fun?" She asked, though if her ex-boss were around, he'd say she didn't like fun but that was only because she always had to be the adult in their dynamic.

[Jaxine]

Those blue eyes remained focused on Pepper as she spoke, a kind smile upon his lips, he was actually quite comfortable which was rare for him in big crowds when not ‘on the job’. His past at times would haunt him, remembering how he felt when he was with Bucky, always felt like a third wheel or just not being able to fit in. But now? He couldn’t think like that, he had so much happen to him so much that worked for him, in his favor? He wasn’t sure how to word it but he just knew he had to be grateful for what he had, what he was given and so far, still being alive, seeing the world a new was something he didn’t expect, but he was grateful he was alive. Though his friends and family were long since passed, he was glad to still be alive and from what Nick Fury told him, it seemed he’d be able to help out again, in due time of course.

Sitting across from this breath taking blonde female, Steve Rogers at this moment considered himself quite lucky. Given his past, he was never really the ladies’ man, that was all Bucky. But there was something about this woman he didn’t feel like his usual shy self, perhaps it was because he knew he was helping her by being there? Listening? He wasn’t really sure how to describe it, but that’s how he felt. Sitting there he listened to her speak and gave a nod “Starting over is never really easy, and will take time of course, but sometimes a fresh start is what really makes us see what we’ve been missing out on” he gave her a smile. As she spoke of him not having to pay for her meal, Steve gave a kind smile “I know I don’t need to Miss but it’s something I want to do” Shaking her hand he smiled at her name “Well then, Miss Virginia, it’s a pleasure to meet you and enjoy lunch with you” when she spoke about living there previously, Steve gave a chuckle “Well I’m more than certain this place has brought back some wonderful memories for you, which is a plus of starting over”

When her question came up as to what brought him to the small town, Steve leaned back in his chair, when the drinks were brought he grabbed his straw and gently tapped it against the table, unwrapping it fully and putting it in his drink. He wasn’t really certain as to how to answer her question, taking a small sip from his drink he glanced around for a moment before his blue eyes met hers once more “A change, I suppose that’s the real reason, I’m not used to big cities, or loud areas” by that point he was more than certain that his entire answer to her question had been drowned out by the volume of the place, he barely even heard her say ‘hold on’ when she was getting up. His eyes moved with her as he saw her talking to a waitress then paying for their meal, what was this little lady up do? He chuckled and shook his head, he took a drink of his soda and watched her as she returned with the containers of food then spoke to him and headed off walking. A woman who took control, he wasn’t sure why but something about the ordeal got him to smile.

Taking up the drinks, Steve headed out after her, walking with her out of the restaurant and across the street. Placing the drinks down on the table, when she motioned for him to join her, Steve took a seat across from her once again, and then took a fry while looking to Pepper as she spoke “I think you’re right about that, loud areas… not my comfort zone” he chuckled and took a drink of his soda before bringing his gaze back to her when she spoke about the job she’d recently just quit. “A job that chaotic to me and my opinion isn’t really worth it. Sure I’m sure the pay was good but if it’s taxing to your health and your personal life? It really isn’t worth it, unless there are some... emotional ties to it, personal ties in a way” why oh why did his mind have to travel to the past and think about Peggy Carter when he said that? “Being in a familiar place, a familiar setting is always a good start” he said to her after shaking the thoughts of the past from his mind. As she spoke about what she could do, Steve took a fry at a time and ate them while listening, sipping his soda as he gave a nod “Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, Virginia. As for me? I chose this place since it was the closest setting and atmosphere wise... to where I grew up. I can’t really return there… holds too many painful memories at this point in time” he gave a slight shrug.

Taking up his burger he took a bite, enjoying the taste, it actually tasted ‘homemade’ not like that fast food stuff, this was real food to him as he took another bite, listening to her as he chewed and chuckled after taking a drink of his soda to wash down the bit of food “Paying for dessert is fine by me, but you still owe me a lunch or perhaps a dinner to pay for” he gave her a charming smile. “Only then we can call it even” Taking up a few more fries he ate them, silence had come over them at this point but it was a nice quiet moment. Steve’s eyes moved around the scenery, taking in the small town for what he could make out. It was a calm, peaceful area, something that reminded him so much of home. He felt comfortable here, he knew Nick Fury woke him up for a reason, he only wished he could have been told that reason and given an option of whether he wanted to be woken up or not. But now, sitting across from ‘Virginia’ Steve was enjoying his time here in the ‘new world’ he figured getting used to everything was going to take time, but why rush it? Just enjoy it.

Her voice brought him out of his thoughts and back to her as she questioned his stay there “I’m not sure, after today I think I’ll be staying awhile” he smiled, taking another drink of his soda. When she spoke of a festival, Steve gave an expression of interest and nodded “Well that sounds like a great idea, going to a festival, I haven’t been to one in many years” hearing her struggle a bit with her words he gave a light laugh and reached out placing a hand upon hers gently, looking into her blue eyes “Some fun would be great, I’ll go with you to the festival” he smiled and removed his hand, returning to finishing up what food was left in his container, taking a drink of his soda “Maybe perhaps either before or after the festival you could take me around town? I’ve never been here and would like to get familiarized with the area, if you don’t mind that is, Virginia” he took a drink of his soda and allowed his eyes to wander the area once more.

[Genkai]

Before the noise poured down on them, she had managed to catch the gist of what he had replied before they relocated to a better, more subdued location. He responded to her job comment and said that even if the pay had been worth the trouble, it wasn't good if it took a tax on herself. He had a point but it was complicated, very complicated. Then he mentioned emotional ties and she thankfully didn't choke on anything. "Emotional ties? I have none of those." She smiled. How could she have emotional ties to a man who was so childish and narrow minded? She didn't, she couldn't. Impossible. Before things became awkward between them, Steve mentioned how nice it was to be in a familiar setting. She nodded though couldn't help but wonder about his past, it seemed rather cloudy and it wasn't as if she could just ask him about it. For now, she wouldn't bring it up, knowing if he was somehow tied to SHIELD, that it wasn't her place to ask anything. It was good that he decided to stay, she knew the town was a good place, it was already doing her some good and from the sounds of it, Steve felt the same way. He would be good company for her, should he want to indulge her but from the sounds of it, they were both a bit lost so to speak, just mulling around...looking for new purpose.

"We have a deal." She said as he said he could pay for dessert and that she owed him another meal that he could treat her to. It was strange to find that chivalry hadn't been extinct. Pepper was quite impressed and already found herself relaxing, a feeling that she had almost forgotten about. If she knew more about him, she would have tried to offer more help in that area. Again, Pepper wouldn't pry and instead looked to him when he placed his hands on hers. That was unexpected. "Oh well thank you." Pepper smiled to him as he agreed to go with her to the festival. Considering how much she had to twist Tony's arm to make him appear at a simple banquet or ceremony, this was a gust of fresh air. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if he was just messing with her, if Steve was just pulling her leg. She and Tony had countless fights about the simplest of things, from his wardrobe (which he finally gave in let her handle) to how much he drank to even his public appearances, at which she just threw her hands up in annoyance and just went in his place because Tony Stark always got his way. And yet here was nice, cute guy agreeing to go to some quaint little festival somewhere after having just met her,

Pepper couldn't help but feel a bit thrown for a loop. Had working around Tony really made her out into a cynic who had little expectations when it came to people's overall decent qualities? Even if she had her usual standards at the moment, Pepper was sure she would still be blown away by how great Steve was. Could she help it if she compared him to the last guy she had to deal with? No, she couldn't. He removed his hand and then suggested she could show him around town sometime too. "Oh yes, of course." Pepper nodded and started to eat again as well. "I'd be happy to show you around." Pepper told him, she was also interested to see how the town had changed. She could stop by the local high school and check out some other areas, but as far as she could recall, there wasn't a lot of high points like L.A. Pepper finished her food, or what she could and decided the rest could be taken home to eat, speaking of which, "So considering it's a bit busy around here over the next few days, do you know where you're staying?" Pepper inquired. Since there were only two hotels and one tiny motel, she wasn't sure the likelihood of Steve finding a place in town, she considered herself lucky for snagging a cute little cottage when she did rather than fiddling with renting a room and such.

She took a sip of her drink until it was mostly just melting ice cubes and thought about it, 'I don't know if I should offer room to a total and complete...attractive stranger.' Pepper thought. 'But still, he seems unsuspecting and I do know some self defense...' She could laugh at herself, she knew she probably wouldn't be able to do much if Steve turned out to be some maniac. Now she seemed to be psyching herself out. Before she could logically come up with another Tony-solution, she opened her mouth. "If you...need a place to crash for a few days until things settle down...you could um, stay with me..." Now she was sure she sounded like a total air-headed idiot. What person invited a stranger into their own home? Well maybe that was the trust of being in New Haven again speaking on her own behalf? "I don't mean anything weird by it and I don't really offer this to everyone I meet." She smiled slightly and waved her hands. Pepper wanted to shut up so she just closed her mouth and looked back over at the diner, thinking they could just put their glasses back on one of the outside tables and head back to her place. In her mind, she could see Tony lecturing her on how stupid she was being but she really needed some company and Steve seemed like he did as well. So until she got a clue that he couldn't be trusted, she didn't mind giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Since she had just gotten her cottage set up, she began to think about how things would work if Steve even took her up on her outrageous offer. She had a large room and bathroom and office on the second level. On the first level she had a small guest room, half bathroom, living room joined with a kitchen area. She supposed Steve could have the guestroom or living room, whichever he wanted. She also figured she could show him around the next day, should he want to still get a tour from someone who might appear to have lost her marbles. In the back of Pepper's mind, she knew she should probably inform her parents about her new...er acquaintance. It was only right, even if she wouldn't see Steve a lot since they did have their own lives to attend to. The people over at the diner began to fill out as the lunch hour started to slow down. She was sure some of the people were tourists and not just locals. When she did get back to her cottage, she would have to do some research on some other going ons in the area. Before she could take back her offer, her phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" It was her mother, asking for her. She sighed and hung up and looked to Steve. "Sorry I kind of have to go but if you do need a place to stay, I don't mind some company." She took out a pen and grabbed Steve's hand and wrote down her address. "It's a little yellow cottage, you can't really miss it." Pepper stood up.

"Otherwise, I'm sure I'll see you around." Pepper smiled and headed off toward her parents' house. Pepper went over to her old house in the opposite side of town and managed to help her mother with some things around the house but Pepper had an idea that her mother was just surprised that she was home and wanted to make sure it wasn't some fluke. By dusk, she got her father to drop her back at her cottage and she headed inside and set her things down. After being out in the town, it was hard to come back to the quiet emptiness. 'I wonder how Tony is...' She sighed and went into the kitchen to explore the abundance of groceries she had purchased. She opened a bottle of red wine and poured herself a glass, deciding she could make a simple pasta dish for dinner in an hour or so. The blond slipped off her shoes and took a seat on the couch and turned on the tv. The first thing she saw was the national news channel and she quickly changed it, not wanting to hear about anything dramatic. She found a channel with some rerun of some black and white movie staring Cary Grant, who could say no to that? Pepper took a sip of wine and rested her head back. It seemed whenever she had time alone, quiet time alone, she kept thinking about one idiot in particular. She needed to do something.