code_blue | Someone needs to Genius Interruptus her.

[Pepper has never actually understood why it feels ten degrees colder down here in the workshop, but she pulls her robe a little tighter around her and crosses her arms against the chill as she keys in the code and lets herself in.

She watches Natasha at work for a moment before, stepping closer so that she's in her line of sight.] It's 3 AM.

[You know, in case you hadn't noticed the clock while you were slipping out of bed.]

Yup. I'm not so bad off, Pep, that I can't tell time. Social security number's a different matter. Where did that shipment of experimental alternatives to adamantium get settled?

-she's looking around, half asleep, half wild, the look that she is best at-

I don't know.

[A lie. It's stacked neatly in the corner organized by reactiveness. Pepper moves closer, her eyes watching Natasha closely.]

Was it another dream?

Can't sleep. Might as well be productive somehow and I'm gonna call liar liar, panties on fire, Pepper, you know exactly where that shipment is.

Or you could try talking to me.

[She knows this how Natasha deals with things and ordinarily that's fine, but this is hardly the first time this has happened and whatever is on her mind she clearly doesn't have any intention of sharing without a little force.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, resting a hip against the workbench.]

Maybe I do.

Either you tell me where it is or I have JARVIS scan the whole house but I already have him working on a few other things at the same time.

-she crosses her arms-

New Jimmy Choos to tell me where it went.

Oh, I see. [She nods.] I tell you, you give Jimmy Choos and I go back to bed alone? Is that how this deal works?

-she goes right back to tinkering because it's better than looking at Pepper and seeing the questions in her face and in her eyes-

I think you might benefit more than I would out of that deal.

[Pepper sighs and moves a closer, butting a hand wordlessly on Natasha's shoulder.]

-she slumps a little at the touch-

I can't sleep, Pepper.

-just those words carry so much gravity. It's different than before. Before she could crash. It was fine. Now...she couldn't even do that-

I've noticed. [A beat.] What is it?

Nightmares.

-that's all she's willing to say, Pepper. That's all she needs to say-

[Pepper wraps her arms around Natasha's shoulders and kisses the side of her cheek affectionately before resting her chin on her shoulder.

She doesn't know the magic words that would put Natasha at ease. She doesn't know if they exist. There is nothing she can do to fix this and she hates it. After a moment she sighs softly.]

I'll put on some coffee.

You do that.

-she fiddles with a part-

Then come back. I need your small hands.

[She pauses, her eyes moving down to the arc reactor.]

Does this involve putting your life at risk in any way?

If I say no, will you make it double time?

I'll think about it.

[She gives Natasha's shoulders one last squeeze before removing her arms and walking over to the coffee maker in the corner of the lab. There Dummy is already making himself useful and by useful she means messy as he struggles to pour coffee into the filter.]

I can get this, why don't you go help mommy?

[Pepper barely hides her smile as she scoops up the coffee and sets it to brewing, just the scent of it going a long way towards clearing her head. She turns back towards Natasha, watching her as she works and noting the graceful curve of her shoulders and the small hint of skin above her sweats where her shirt has ridden up.]

Can I ask what exactly I'll be putting my hand in? Or is it a surprise.

-She hears the clash and is already making threats to Dummy about dismantling him and putting him out as a sculpture at a playground. Still, the robot, pokes at her side with his claws. She pushes the claw away and goes back to tinkering.-

It rhymes with Stark Contractor.

Natasha.

[And whatever small bit she'd managed to relax since waking up to find her girlfriend's half of the bed empty is suddenly gone.]

No.

It's a new design. Made to withstand everything and things we haven't even come across yet!

[She can feel the tension building in her shoulders.] How can you build it to withstand things we haven't come across yet, if we haven't come across them?

[And yes, there's a tremor of exasperation there. Please don't make her do this. She hates doing this.]

-Call her on it? That her nightamres are nothing but nightmares. Because if she isn't called on it, Natasha will just keep working through the night to fix in real life what can be fought in nightmares-

Minor details.

No, they're important details. [Pepper takes a deep breath and crosses the room once again, this time physically moving in front of Natasha.]

Natasha, listen to me. You are the smartest person I know and what you've done... is nothing short of amazing. You took a situation that most people would've died in and you turned your life around. You found a way to protect yourself and to fight back and I love that about you. I do. But you can't keep doing this to yourself.

-she looks at Pepper-

Phil died. Did you get the memo?

-Phil died. Yinsen died. So many people died. She just wanted to fix that-

[Pepper recoils a little at the comment. She cried over Phil's death and still feels upset whenever she thinks of it. A few days ago she was chatting with him on the way to the airport and now he was gone. It was horrible and terrifying and wrong.

And it could've been Natasha. She swallows.]

I know.

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