[ It's after the rush of adrenaline and all the other good things that it begins to, oh so slowly, become uncomfortable. Just those tiny details she hadn't minded before, still doesn't when he's this close and choosing not to leave her just yet. She's less vocal than she normally would be about it (and not for the very obvious reason she can't say anything at all), instead focusing on relearning what she might have missed in those minutes, in the months he hasn't been with her. They're subtle and not, a combination of specifics that leave her torn about all of this and why it's happened to them and why he'd be there without her.
Rather than let him see any of it, she tucks her face against the side of his neck and simply breathes for a while to soak it in. She's not idle though, fingers stroking aimlessly at the curve of his bicep with no real meaning to it except one of comfort. Pepper thinks they both need it, he more than her, and there's something grounding about touch she can't necessarily put into words. It's then she has the idea, juvenile really but no less effective the moment she does it.
Her hand drops just left of the arc reactor, thumb pressing to his skin to work the outline of a rather basic shape she hopes he'll pick up. Pepper does it slowly, following the pattern once more and just as calmly as the first time before resting her palm against him. Unspoken but there, her love as inexpiable as the heart she's drawn but as solid as the hand holding it close. ]
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Rather than let him see any of it, she tucks her face against the side of his neck and simply breathes for a while to soak it in. She's not idle though, fingers stroking aimlessly at the curve of his bicep with no real meaning to it except one of comfort. Pepper thinks they both need it, he more than her, and there's something grounding about touch she can't necessarily put into words. It's then she has the idea, juvenile really but no less effective the moment she does it.
Her hand drops just left of the arc reactor, thumb pressing to his skin to work the outline of a rather basic shape she hopes he'll pick up. Pepper does it slowly, following the pattern once more and just as calmly as the first time before resting her palm against him. Unspoken but there, her love as inexpiable as the heart she's drawn but as solid as the hand holding it close. ]