𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐄 » avengers x reader

21. That's Not Me

Queens, New York

I was on the front row of the Stark Expo with the rest of the United States Air Force representatives, all of us in our service dress uniforms. The rest of the audience was beginning to settle down as the announcer revealed that Hammer was about to begin his presentation.

Rhodes was needed by Hammer on stage for the presentation so he wasn't with me. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this Expo at all. Deep down I felt as though we sold Tony out for a bunch of guns.

I hadn't spoken to Tony in two days, which isn't the longest we've gone without speaking, but in the current circumstances, it wasn't normal that he and I wouldn't call to check up on the other.

The last I ever really spoke to him we hooked up, and he said he was dying. As a friend, I feel as though I did him wrong, and morally I was struggling. For once I chose Lewis first and I'm already regretting it.

I tapped my fingers on my lap as I waited for Hammer's presentation to start. My cellphone buzzed in my pocket which I quickly checked to find that Lewis had texted me:

Lewis Dalton
How is NY?

Me
Dull. But I'll text u when the expo's over.

Stay safe. Love u <3

I sat staring at my phone wondering whether I should reply. I typed out: 'Love y—' before I felt someone brush past my back as they sat down. Out of curiosity, I turned around to find it was Pepper and Natalie.

"Pepper, hey!" I greeted her, but she completely blanked me. Natalie leaned forward and whispered to me, "She knows."

My heart dropped to my stomach. If Natalie was talking about what I thought she was talking about then Tony didn't keep his word. There's no other way they would have known as I kept my promise and didn't tell a soul. I would have nothing to gain from telling anyone and neither did he so I was confused.

"Knows about what?" I whispered back, my heart beating hard in my chest. Pepper turned to me, her face hard with hurt, "About you and Tony at the party..."

"What?" I tried to act clueless like it was a made-up rumor with no concrete evidence to back it up. "Don't act dumb, Y/N, your underwear was still in his room."

Shit. I had completely forgotten about that. I was way too quick to run from his room hoping not to get caught only to get caught in a more humiliating way.

I tried hard to think of a good excuse for my actions but the truth is, I could not. "Pepper, Tony loves you—"

"You say that, but is it true? Because if he did why hasn't he told me? Why is he hiring sexy assistants and why is he sleeping with you?!"

I froze. Emotions were running high and the tension was almost too much for me to bear. I never considered Pepper's feelings that night and I felt blameworthy for her feeling this way. I couldn't find anything else to say to fix this, "Pepper, I'm so sorry..."

Pepper turned to face the main stage of the pavilion, tears in her eyes, as Hammer danced out and began his presentation. I turned my body around, also to face the stage. My cellphone still displaying the half-typed-out text message I was about to send to Lewis. I hit the backspace and left him on read, focusing on Hammer.

"Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Thanks for coming," he started as the audience gave him a round of applause. I clap my hands lightly three times before placing them on my lap again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long, this country has had to place its brave men and women in harm's way, but then the Iron Man arrived, and we thought the days of losing lives were behind us. Sadly, that technology was kept out of reach. That's not fair. That's not right. And it's just too bad."