When Howard and Maria finally returned it was New Year’s Eve. The snow was nothing more than a white dusting over the city but the air was still bitterly cold. Pepper and Tony had spent most of the holiday rapped up together in a mile of felted fabric on the couch watching movies, most of which being Pepper’s choice but Tony didn’t mind either way. This is how Howard and Maria found them. They were actually sleeping on the couch when they arrived home, it was late and the young couple hadn’t slept much. Casablanca was still playing through, this being the third time they’d watched it, when Howard crashed through the door shouting at Maria about their latest contract which, from the way he was shouting, hadn’t gone well.
Pepper hissed in Tony’s ear, “Tony, Tony get up. Howard and Maria are home and you’re not leaving me alone with your parents.” At that Tony rolled over onto his stomach, burying his face in Pepper’s side and groaning.
“Tony Stark isn’t here at the moment,” he groaned into her leg, “but you can leave a message and he may get back to you. Maybe.”
Smirking at Tony’s back, Pepper decided to play along with his little game. “Oh, is that so? And, well, where exactly is Mr Stark because his girlfriend would very much like to see him.” Tony grunted into her leg but a moment or two shifted so he was kneeling next to Pepper looking bleary eyed and tired.
“I don’t think my body can handle sleeping on this couch any longer. Tonight we sleep in a bed with real pillows and blankets, oh and a mattress too!” He got a nod in reply as Pepper leaned in towards him to litter his lips with kisses.
There was a thump from the doorway behind them and a clearing of a throat that had Tony and Pepper scrambling apart with guilty looks on both of their faces. There in the doorway stood Maria, looking as beautiful as always, and Howard who simply looked jetlagged and windswept. Maria wore a broad smile at the sight of the two, she’d known that Pepper would be the girl because she had Tony and Tony didn’t even know she had. Howard didn’t look so pleased.
“Happy New year,” Pepper chimed, smiling widely at the older Stark couple.
Paying no acknowledgement to Pepper, Howard leapt in for the kill, “You’ve been in my workshop again.” There was no question, there was no accusation. There was, however, a plain bluntness to Howard’s voice that made what he said fact. Tony, of course instantly leapt into the defensive.
Getting to his feet in front of the couch, Tony retorted, “No I haven’t-”
“Don’t argue with me, boy. There’s machine parts strewn from here to the doorway. You’re a slob and a terrible liar. You’ve been taking parts from my shop again event though I’ve told you countless times to stop. That equipment isn’t toys for little children to play with. They can do some serious damage-”
“I’ve not touched any of your precious tech! It’s my tech; I ordered, paid for and catalogued all of it myself. The material is mine. I’ve not been in your shop and don’t dare call me a liar.” There was a threat in Tony’s words that had the smile slipping from Maria’s lips and a scowl growing across Howard’s.
Maria pulled at Howard’s sleeve, “Please don’t start an argument over this, Howard, it’s only-”
“This isn’t just about the machines or the workshop!” Howard fumed. “This is a bout Tony’s inability to listen to instructions and do as he’s told. This is about losing a contract because he tampered with my equipment, this is about everything and anything that the boy touches he destroys-”
Tony’s face dropped, his expression went blank and his voice became expressionless. “You’re blaming me for losing your contract? Are you- Why don’t you just call me a bitter disappointment and cut the sweet talking? I never had anything to do with it and you know it. It’s not my fault you can’t sell the tech, you’ve obviously just got your pitch all wrong. Didn’t Obie write for your speech for you this time? Didn’t he hold your hand and carry you through the process like he does every time?”
“Tony, that’s enough,” Maria warned.
“It’s not. It’s nowhere near enough and doesn’t even cut close to what he deserves. All my life you’ve never once had a good thing to say to me. Nothing I do is right and everything that goes wrong is my fault.”
“That’s because you can’t do anything right,” Howard shot back at him. Pepper found Tony’s hand with her own and held it tight out of Howard’s view. Tony held it tighter.
“That’s our son, Howard!”
“Well maybe it’s about time he started asking like it.”
“I’m not Steve and I never will be. He’s gone and you’re stuck with me, I’m so terribly sorry.” Tony spat and Howard was in front of him in an instant. There was a crack and Tony physically recoiled, Maria gasped and Howard began to retreat from the room.
“You’ll be going back to school tomorrow. It was nice seeing you Miss Potts.” With that said, Howard was gone and with a horrified glance at Tony, Maria was close on his heels. Once they were out of ear shot, Tony crumpled back onto the couch beside Pepper, their fingers still twisted together. With Tony’s other hand he held his face. Howard had hit him. Howard had actually hit him. Tony couldn’t believe what had just happened and Pepper, she was stunned silent. Tony and Howard had had their little spits before and sometimes it got pretty heated but he’d never lashed out. He’d never been so venomous. Tony had only ever wanted his approval in what he done. He never got it. He got a rough backhand in its place. Pepper held Tony for the hours that followed and Tony Stark cried. He cried like there was going to be no tomorrow and although, not a word was said during the ordeal, Pepper knew. She knew; she had no need to ask. They never spoke of it again after and they carried on life in its wake.
Pepper will never forget the day though. It will be etched into her mind with perfect clarity until the day she dies because this was the day Tony Stark started drinking.
