dustofstars | for handing

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pepper potts

for handing

The friendship between them ran deep, though Robin couldn't deny that lately, he'd begun to feel far more than mere friendship in regards to Pepper. He was always at ease around her, comfortable in a way that was so vastly different from his interactions with anyone else. He flirted a bit, not shy about that at all, but he wasn't the type to make advances without being at least somewhat certain Pepper might actually want any sort of romantic attention from him.

Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

They'd been in an accident together, driving home from a movie, and though Robin was mildly concussed and had a few bruised ribs, he was far more concerned with Pepper. The doctor assured him she was well enough to leave in the morning, that her knee had only been dislocated, not shattered, and should heal up nicely. Still, he worried and fussed, staying with her until they were cleared to leave in the morning.

This meant, of course, that it made more sense to simply stay with her while they both convalesced, helping one another through this. Not the way he'd planned for any of this to go at all. The instant they were out of the cab, despite the ache in his torso, he swept her up into his arms, not wanting her to even try and protest.

"Allow me this, please," he said softly. Even knowing that the accident wasn't his fault, that they'd been rear-ended by someone not paying attention, he still felt responsible for what had happened to her, and needed to take care of her.

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She'd been ready to hobble her way inside; Pepper wasn't exactly an expert on her crutches just yet, but she also didn't find them daunting. She was used to doing things on her own, and she firmly believed that it was the pain killers that had her saying yes to Robin's insistence at staying over--at least so far as taking care of herself went. Secretly, in spite of her stubbornness she had been pleased he pushed so hard, even if she wasn't necessarily one to be taken care of. Of course he knew as much, and wisely promised to let her help him as well: another point in his favor.

All of it amounted to a small cry of surprise when she found herself off both her legs, bad and good alike. She was ready to protest, knowing that Robin hadn't gotten out of that car unscathed either, and this certainly didn't seem like them helping each other. Yet when he looked at her, made his request in that quite voice, her counter died on her lips. He had no reason to feel guilty, and yet there was something so deeply caring in his voice. Pepper gave him a long look, then nodded her head.

"Okay. One time," which she entirely meant, even if the way she smiled might have made the words seem less forceful. She couldn't deny that this seemed a far more comfortable way to head inside, curled against Robin's chest with her arms looped around his neck. She was watchful, however, looking for any sign of pain on his part. One wince, one tiny hiss and she would insist he put her down immediately.

There wasn't any need to make things worse simply because he was too sweet.

He knew he'd only been able to get away with this because she didn't have as much strength to argue or protest as she normally would. A bit of it, perhaps, was his charm (or so he liked to think). Somehow, from the mere look in her eyes, he could tell he was being watched closely, and so he took his time, careful not to tug at his ribs too much until they'd reached her door and were at last inside.

By now, his torso was beginning to throb a bit, but he was victorious, and carefully set her down on the sofa.

"I'll grab some ice for both of us?" He asked, taking a deep breath slowly.

There had been a momentary hiccup or two, particularly when they had to figure out how to get the door open. But Robin stood victorious in the end, and Pepper shifted on the sofa, leaving ample room for him to join her. True, she should have her leg elevated, but at the moment she also wanted to take care of him. He was strong, certainly, but he was also hurting, and though he hid it well there was something too careful about that breath he drew.

"Are you okay to do that?" She was okay, yet she suspected he wasn't, and she wanted him to be honest with her about it. Not that Pepper could necessarily do much; Robin had greater mobility, and any attempt on her part to get ice would involve juggling a container along with crutches. Still, she could find a way to manage it if she needed to. He'd carried her this far, and a short trip to the kitchen certainly would be easier than opening doors and walking up porch stairs.

Was he okay to do that? No, probably not; the way his ribs protested was a clear indication of that, but he'd come this far, and once he acquired the ice packs for them both, he could rest easy. So rather than try to evade the question, or answer a bit dishonestly, he simply pretended not to hear the question at all, grabbing the ice, some bottled water for them, and then plopping down beside her, handing her some ice for her leg, and the water.

Once he was finally sitting down, Robin stretched out a bit, just so his ribs weren't compressed, and laid the ice pack across his torso. "That already feels a bit better." He looked over at her after a moment, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "How are you feeling?"

"Robin?" Pepper frowned, knowing good and well he could hear her even as he headed into her kitchen. So the cold water and ice weren't the only chilly things he received for his trouble; Robin also got a hard stare when he walked back in. She could already tell she was going to have to lay certain ground rules with him for this arrangement to work.

But she was nice enough to wait until he'd settled in before she started.

"I'm fine." Still under the influence of the pain killers, although she wasn't saying no to the ice pack. She took advantage of the recliner in her sofa, using it to prop up her leg. The ice pack stayed on her knee nicely, and Robin was right: it did feel better. That wasn't enough to get him off the hook, however, nor was the way he took her hand. Sweet, yes, but not satisfactory.

"Robin, I know you feel responsible, but it wasn't your fault. You aren't just here to take care of me." Squeezing his hand with hers, she met his gaze. "We're going to take care of each other."

He sighed for a moment, then just squeezed her hand, closing his eyes briefly as she spoke. He had to let go of that feeling, and he would, it was just a bit difficult at the moment. Her assertion that they would take care of each other, though, made him feel infinitely better. Covering her hand so it was wrapped up with both of his, he opened his eyes again and smiled over at her.

"I'll agree to that, I suppose I'm not serving much of a purpose if I run myself ragged."

The guilt was as easy to read as words, and Pepper hurt to see it on his face. But it only lingered for a moment, shortly replaced by a much more welcome smile. His hands were warm around hers, and with the other Pepper reached up, resting her fingers lightly against his cheek. She had always loved the way he smiled when he truly meant it. He had one of those grins that made her happy simply to see it.

"No, you wouldn't be." Which was why Pepper wasn't going to let that happen. Her head tilted slightly to one side, she looked into his eyes. There were more things to come from that crash than small injuries and guilt. Things could have been so much worse than this, with the two of them resting on her couch.

"I'm really glad you're here." In every sense; she'd been dizzy after it happened, confused and hurt--and afraid. She'd feared for him, called out his name first for so many reasons. There was no one she trusted more, and no one she wanted to keep with her more.

Funny what it took to make her see that.

Feeling her soften, Robin visibly relaxed as well, though his grip on her remained, fingers stroking over her knuckles as he held onto her. The touch came naturally, he hardly had to think about it; so grateful to just be here with her, knowing how much worse that accident could have been, Robin vowed not to take anything for granted between them anymore.

Likewise, when he was coherent after the accident, his first thought was Pepper, needing to know if she was alright, hoping desperately that she was. He wasn't naive enough not to know what that meant, either.

Reaching out, Robin shifted his hand to instead stroke her hair lightly. "There's nowhere else I'd want to be."

She didn't mind that he still touched her, not at all. They'd long been comfortable with it, leaning against each other as they watched movies, playful and harmless hits exchanged when they teased, hugs each time they said goodbye or hello. All of it had become normal, so why now did her heart beat a little faster with just a stroke of his thumb over her skin?

Except she knew the reason without asking. She just wasn't always one to admit it to herself. There was risk involved in this sort of thing, feelings that weren't shared, lines that could easily be crossed. Yet the soft moment of his fingers in her hair made the chance seem less frightening. Maybe what she saw in his eyes was really there, instead of her wishing it to be.

"I'm, ah, going to do something." Something potentially silly, but Pepper still had to try. She wanted to, and she leaned a little closer, her eyes half-closed. "It might be weird, but..."

But maybe it won't be. Maybe, and before she could fill her head with doubts or talk herself out of it, she pressed her lips to Robin's in a gentle, testing kiss.

Pepper already filled such a large space in his heart, so utterly important to him. Being with her was as natural as drawing in his next breath, and without her, he was bereft of his own heart, as though a part of him - the most important part of him - was always with her, no matter where he went.

But when she kissed him, there was no doubt in his mind that the nebulous feelings that had existed for so long were, in fact, love. He loved her. He was in love with her, of that he was sure now. That realization came to light with startling swiftness as her lips pressed to his, and it took but a moment for him to kiss her in return. He deepened it, though, stroking his knuckles over her cheek as he pressed close to her.

She had no idea how he would respond to her kiss, whether he would pull away or be too stunned to react. Or perhaps she hadn't let herself hope for this, the eager response that came a heartbeat after their mouths met. He was kissing her back, and Pepper could hardly contain the elation she felt at the thought. So shortly before, she'd dreaded living without him, that the worst had come and she would lose the part of her life that existed in him without her ever realizing that.

But now, now they had this, Pepper smiling against his lips as they kissed each other, Robin drawing nearer. She moved her hand to the back of his neck, not thinking beyond the moment they shared, the spark of something wonderful and new. Her other hand rested on his chest, perhaps where it shouldn't, but she was too caught up in their kiss to care.

It was incredible to him that the moment their lips met, nothing else at all mattered. He wasn't aware of anything around them, and even the pain of his injured ribs dulled to the point he nearly forgot there was pain. All that mattered was her, and this, and he pressed closer naturally, cupping his hand to her cheek now.

Her hand felt wonderful against his chest, and he pulled back just slightly for a moment to smile and catch his breath. But the span of only a few seconds was as long as he could tolerate being parted from her lips, and he immediately captured her mouth again with his, parting his lips for her this time, deepening it between them.

No, the fear and doubt she'd felt were far removed, along with the lingering ache from their injuries. It wasn't the painkillers making her giddy now, but rather him, the way he tasted, the sound of those few short breaths before he was kissing her again. She might have said something in that pause, but Robin hardly gave her long enough, a gasp or two and then he drew near once more. She laughed softly, the sound quickly lost, but no less joyous for its brevity.

It hardly felt real to her, and yet nothing could be more real than this.

She eagerly went along with his prompting, lips parted, tongue teasing out to better taste him. Pepper rarely got so lost that she forgot the details, and in the back of her mind she knew they could only go so far. They'd just had their first kiss, regardless of how solid a foundation it stood upon, and neither of them was exactly physically capable of much beyond this. But for now it was more than enough, and she gave herself over to what they shared fully, not about to stop until they were both breathless again.

It would be easy to take it one step further, to let his longing for her carry him far away from rational thought, but he also knew they couldn't. The worry about her injuries would quickly resurface once their lips parted and he could think again, and then he would recognize as well that he couldn't go far with his injuries as they were, either.

Kissing her like this was everything he'd imagined it could be, his tongue gliding back and forth slowly across her lower lip as he acquainted himself with the taste of her. Finally, though, he pulled back to take a breath; he needed to still be tethered to her in some fashion, so his fingertips stroked over her cheek so tenderly.

She didn't mind how he lingered; likewise, Pepper felt that same desire to stay close to him, and even after their kiss broke she rested her forehead against his. Her smile broadened, bright and wide in the newness of it all, the happiness he gave her. For all the injury she felt utterly fantastic, as if nothing could go wrong in this new world she had made up of him.

"I guess it wasn't all that weird." She laughed quietly, shifting her hand to brush over his. Finally Pepper pulled away, just a little, wanting to see the look in his eyes. Her lower lip caught between her teeth did nothing to diminish the way she still grinned for him, or how she practically radiated with joy.

"Not at all," he smiled assuringly, letting his fingertips glide through her hair. "Though I should warn you I'm inclined to steal a hundred more kisses from you now." He knew, of course, she wouldn't be at all put off by the sentiment.

Now that he knew just how wonderful it could be, he never wanted to let this go. Even though he had no idea where they were heading, precisely, they were together, and that was all that truly mattered.

"Oh, a hundred?" Of course she agreed, yet there was no reason why that meant she couldn't tease him. So she acted a little dismayed, as if anything he said right now could be cause for concern. "I'm not sure I have that many. I'll have to check my purse."

Okay, so it was probably a terrible joke. But for all they'd been through, Pepper doubted she could be any happier--perhaps with one exception. She laughed a little, closing her eyes as she tilted her head to rest her forehead against his.

"One of us really should have done that before we got into a car wreck." The heart wanted what it wanted, as did the body. She wouldn't entertain the thoughts this soon with anyone else, but she already knew Robin so well, trusted him completely. It wouldn't be reckless or careless with him.

The teasing and banter between them was so natural, and it came so easily. It was a dance with a rhythm unique to them, something only they could understand; they could shuffle from a serious moment, to teasing, to something heartfelt, and then laughter, without ever missing a single beat. He had never had that with another person his entire life, and he wasn't about to lose it now.

His fingertips glided across her temple now, his forehead remaining pressed to hers as he breathed her words in slowly. "We should have, but I don't intend to waste a single moment with you again," he vowed, kissing her lips softly, as though he were simply caressing.

She hummed her approval against his lips, lingering there longer than one might for a simple caress. The newness of course added its own enticement, yet Pepper already couldn't see herself ever getting enough of this. Everywhere they touched felt sweetly warm, his fingers on her temple and hers just at the back of his neck. She let the tips dance lightly along his hairline, tracing aimless patterns on his skin, and wondered just what it would be like when they had the opportunity to go beyond this.

"Well I certainly hope not." She giggled, then teased him further, taking a moment to catch his lower lip between her teeth. Only a second passed before she let go, but the playfulness lingered in her eyes much longer. "Although I will have to demand a high number of moments with you, just to be on the safe side."

"An infinite amount," he promised, as much as anyone could promise that sort of thing. Life was uncertain, and today was a reminder of the fragility of life, which was what made him want to hold onto this and pursue it with fervor; he wouldn't miss out on anything with Pepper, not now, knowing she reciprocated.

Of course, the moment both of them felt even marginally better, he wanted to dote on her, ravish her, in fact. "My heart most assuredly belongs to you," he promised softly, cradling her cheek in his hand.

She smiled softly, her eyes slipping closed as she savors still the feeling of having him so near, the warmth where they touched and also from within, born of the simple knowledge that now they have this to share. "That's a hefty promise to make, you know." Infinite moments shared between them, yet even as she teased it seemed the only amount that could satisfy. She wanted more of this bliss, the peace and joy found in the first moment, multiplied over and over again for how it was shared.

So when he claimed she held his heart, her reply was easy enough to make. Though it had been mere moments since their first kiss, the connection leading to it had been forged over a much longer time. "It's probably only fair." She looked at him once more, letting her hand move from where it rested to take his. Then her movements guided him, her eyes on his as she directed his hand downward, fingertips trailing over skin until she rested his palm just above her breast, made sure he pressed so he would feel the beating beneath her skin.

"You have mine, so it's an even exchange."

It was a hefty promise, he couldn't deny that. And that was clear to him even moreso after the events of today, knowing how quickly life could change. Yet, that was also what compelled him to speak freely, and allow his feelings free reign, to make sure there was never a single moment again where she would doubt how strongly he felt.

His hand shifted just slightly, thumb moving back and forth, internally wishing he could feel the warmth of her skin.

"I'd rather make promises than hold my feelings inside any longer and risk losing my chance. I was...so afraid I would lose you, Pepper." With his other hand, he reached out to cradle her cheek.

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