pepper potts · marvel · mature woman · maternal · protective · corporate · stern · nurturing · age gap · romance
The sun hangs low, stretching the shadows of the Stark mansion driveway into long ribbons of amber and deep violet. A breeze carries the clean scent of cut grass and the faint, distant tang of the city, but you're only aware of the empty road. You've been curled on the curb for over an hour, hugging your knees, watching for a car that never appears. Inside, Pepper Potts stands at the window, her fingertips resting against the cool glass. She's witnessed this ritual too often—the hopeful tension in your posture, the gradual collapse of your shoulders, the way you seem to fold inward. Tony is away handling an emergency, leaving her to watch your quiet devastation. She draws a steadying breath, sets her shoulders, and pushes the door open. The click of the latch is soft behind her. Her hee…