Air I Breathe

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sunday, December 29

"Do you want to call Lockheed and tell them that we can't finalize the numbers today because you'd rather I take the day off so that I can...do what exactly?" Tony asks from the kitchen table with his usual sarcasm.

Pepper puts the sponge in her hand down on the kitchen island and sighs. "Be with your family, Tony. It's Sunday!"

"I'm with my family right now," he argues, but he turns to wink and smile at Peter, who takes in another spoonful of Cheerios and smiles as he chews.

This isn't the first time Peter's witnessed this exact conversation, and he's sure it won't be the last.

"I'm just saying that it would be nice if you could let work go for a little while and relax. I swear, it's like the word isn't even in your vocabulary!"

"I did relax that one time, when I nearly had a psychotic breakdown? After New York?"

"What, you mean when you admitted you were a piping hot mess and later told me I'd find something to complain about even without the tinkering and the suits because I'd somehow convinced myself that being with you was the best option?"

Peter lifts his eyebrows and makes a mental note to never get on Pepper's bad side. "I'm just gonna..." he says, gesturing to the living room before placing his empty bowl and spoon in the sink.

"Ooh, right in the heart with that one," Tony says, rubbing his chest as he rises from his stool and goes to Pepper to make amends. He waits for Peter to be clear of the room before he says, "Hey," in the softest tone he can manage and brushes her hair so that a lock is secured behind her ear. "You know I have to work today because of Peter's appointment tomorrow morning."

"I just wish you'd let yourself rest." She tries to get her eyes to meet his, but he won't let her. "And you know what happens when you get like this."

"Like what?" he comments with a quick laugh, but Pepper knows that tone, squeezes his shoulder in reassurance that it's okay for him to open up.

"You've gotta let me in, Tony. You were in your lab until three in the morning. FRIDAY says you've downed two full pots of coffee in the last 24 hours alone. You promised me no more suits until 2020."

"It's not a suit," he says, shaking his head, and Pepper can see in his eyes as they meet that he's being honest with her.

"Then what on earth are you working on?!"

Tony looks toward the living room for a moment and rubs his chin, sniffles to keep the tears from building, and forces a small smile that fails. "I keep seeing that look on his face, begging me to fix it and help him breathe, and I don't think I can handle..." he admits, his face twisting as a lone tear slides down his cheek. He wipes it away and sniffles. "I'm scared we're gonna lose him, again, Pep. If he has another attack like that last one... I can't bear to lose him again."

"Hey, you said yourself last night that Peter's going to be just fine," she reminds him, her arms suddenly around his neck, forehead and nose against his.

"You heard me?" he asks, sniffling.

She nods. "I'm worried about him too, Tony, so is May, but he's doing infinitely better than he was a week ago. We've got this. Peter's got this."

Tony nods, as if persuading himself that Peter will be just fine. "Wanna keep him safe, you know?"

"Is this the part where you give your 'threat is imminent' speech?" she jokes quietly, and Tony grins. She wipes his tears and kisses his forehead, fixes the collar on his dress shirt and straightens his tie. "I know it's not easy being away from him right now. I'm sure May's feeling the same thing."