pepperedsmile | contact。

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contact。

You've reached Pepper Potts. I'm sorry I missed your call, but please leave a message with your name, your contact information and details as to why you're calling after the tone and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

[There's a pause and it's almost added as an after thought:]

If this is a message regarding Tony Stark, I will make sure to address the matter or concern as soon as possible. Thank you for you patience.

☎ Call
☏ Text
✉ Email
✔ Voicemail

[ooc: You know what to do! c: Indicate if it's ic/ooc and I'll respond accordingly!]

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[During that time Bruce distracts himself with whatever he can - work, his research, anything else that won't make him think about Tony except everything he does reminds him of Tony. He's in everything Bruce does and says and thinks, an echo - a reminder of everything Bruce has (had) since he came into this world.

He quickly picks up his dreamberry when it chimes with a returning message, instantly getting worried all over again at the response. Trying to, she says. Trying to - and isn't Bruce familiar with that? He's been through the motions himself, of spending countless nights awake when the nightmares plague him and keep him awake.

If only he could be around to help. If only he hadn't said all those things back then.

(If only, if only.)]

I'm sorry. I should have--I should have been around.

[A soft sigh comes from her mouth when she reads the words. Oh, Bruce.]

You shouldn't blame yourself. [She's not exactly feeling her best either - if anything, she's feeling rather inadequate. For everything that she can do, nothing makes up for the fact that she can't do anything for Tony in his time of need.] This is something that's going to take time.

[Pepper says that, but what else Bruce can do but to blame himself? He's useless here, utterly useless even though he knows he would give his life to Tony in a heartbeat. But what can he do when the danger is all from within? When he's put a divide between him and Tony?]

I just. I wish I could be there to help. Properly.

[Not here, where he's so far away and so useless. So helpless. So powerless.]

[The answer comes to her so easily, and she's just been waiting for a moment to say it. There were probably plenty of other things that someone could have said, but this is how she knows things will start to get better for both Bruce and Tony.]

Then come back.

[Pepper already knows he's going to argue and put up a fight, but that's the stubbornness that she's so used to. A part of her is very much done dancing around these two though. If they want to fix this, they have to well...man up, for a lack of a better phrase.]

[The truth of the matter is that Bruce does want to come back - he really does, because every part of him misses his life in the Tower. With Tony. It was the best thing that ever happened to him and he had loved every moment of his time there. Loved being around Tony and cherishing every moment he spent with him. He wants that back.

But he doesn't deserve it. Not after everything.]

I can't. I... it won't help.

[His presence will just make things worse.]

How do you know? You haven't tried.

[Yup. She's gonna play hard ball and she'll apologize for trodden down feelings later.]

[It's okay, Pepper. Nobody tramples on his feelings harder than Bruce himself. He's the pinnacle of self-loathing.]

I. I said things to him in our arguments. Things I shouldn't have said. Things that hurt him.

[He doesn't deserve to be near Tony after all of that, really.]

He said things to you too. Things that he shouldn't have said. Things that hurt you.

[Her nerves and patience are wearing thin. Pepper may have a lot of it, and she may understand more about Bruce and Tony's positions which leads to more patience, but even she can stretch it so thin.]

I don't understand why saying 'sorry' is so difficult for the both of you.

Its not something a simple apology can fix.

[Because he knew he had ruined something so much more than that and Bruce doesn't deserve anything now, really.

He breaks everything he touches, even that which is supposedly intangible.]

[These are heroes. These are people who have saved millions of lives. Super geniuses. Men ahead of their time.

And yet they can't say sorry. It would amuse her if she weren't so tired and worried.]

But it's a start.

[The next text comes a beat later.]

I'm not forcing you to do anything, Bruce but if you want to see him, a visitor's pass is at security. He's not going to be leaving the tower in the next few days.

[This response takes a while to come, because Bruce literally has no idea what to say - or what he can say to this, really.]

...I'll think about it.

[No guarantees, though. Things are hard enough as it is.]

I know you will.

[And she knows that it could come across a little rude and she should be nicer about it, but Pepper can only do so much. Besides...she knows she'll apologize later.

But really. Hardball is what you have to play with man children. Even semi-man children like Bruce.]

[It's hard to be mature about things that he's emotionally stunted to, and this is just one of the many things Bruce seems like he should be better about but actually not. Semi-manchildren, indeed.]

Make sure he gets some rest. Even if it's only just a little. It'll still help.

[Better than to stay awake all the time and eventually collapse.]

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