Chapter 135: No Need to Be Afraid
Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, glanced over at Nick Fury after seeing the advanced technology aboard the spaceship.
"Send Coulson to check it out," Fury replied calmly.
"I also heard Harvey Amberlock returned this morning."
"Not sure how long he plans to stay."
"Harvey doesn't care much for either of us, but his opinion of Coulson is slightly better."
Nick Fury continued, considering Natasha's offer.
"If you ask me, it's best to wait until after the holidays," Coulson chimed in.
"Tony Stark's been missing for a year, and now that he's back, he'll want some time to relax. We shouldn't interrupt that mood. He won't take it well."
"Handle it however you see fit," Fury said.
"If Tony Stark doesn't want to cooperate or share information, try gentle persuasion. Under no circumstances should you resort to force."
"Tony Stark is part of the Avengers now. Even if he's not eager to collaborate fully with S.H.I.E.L.D. or share his tech, as long as we don't sour the relationship, he'll still lend us a hand when needed."
"Besides, his friend, Harvey Amberlock, is a devil in his own right. We can't afford to provoke him anymore."
"Understood."
Coulson nodded and accepted his orders.
Meanwhile, Coulson's thoughts were on point. Tony Stark's mind was solely focused on surprising Pepper Potts and spending time with her.
As Tony's spacecraft touched down, the hatch opened and out stepped the red-and-gold Iron Man.
"Tony, didn't you say you'd be gone a while longer?" Pepper asked, her eyes sparkling with joy but tinged with confusion.
"I worked nonstop to get back in time for Christmas," Tony smiled.
"Even though I'm not there, Sonya's helping to expand the business, so I made it back early."
Tony scooped Pepper up in his arms, his grin wide.
"And who's Sonya?"
Pepper's joy faltered as she quickly questioned the unfamiliar name.
"Trust me, not even with a hundred lives would I dare think about her like that," Tony laughed.
"Sonya's Harvey's housekeeper."
Seeing Pepper's skeptical expression, Tony quickly added, "We should talk about this inside."
"You're serious? Harvey has a housekeeper now?"
"Is she pretty?"
Pepper was surprised to hear Harvey Amberlock, of all people, had a housekeeper.
She frequently contacted Tony while he was away, but during their conversations, Tony was always fiddling with things in his lab. He rarely shared details about his other adventures in space.
"Sonya's exactly Harvey's type," Tony explained.
"Smart and beautiful. And I'm pretty sure she's got feelings for him too."
"Harvey knows, but for whatever reason, he hasn't made a move."
Even as Tony explained, the situation still seemed odd to him.
"Maybe he's shy?" Pepper teased.
"Shy? Harvey?" Tony scoffed.
"I'd sooner believe the sky is falling than think Harvey Amberlock gets embarrassed."
"Can you imagine someone as powerful and forward-thinking as Harvey acting shy?"
"Maybe he's just not ready to settle down—like you used to be," Pepper suggested, shaking her head with a smile.
"I've thought about that," Tony admitted.
"But with Sonya's personality, and given Harvey's status and abilities, he could marry a hundred women and be just fine."
"Oh, and by the way, Sonya's also a member of the Void God Cult."
Tony settled onto the couch with Pepper as he shared this tidbit.
"So what's stopping him?" Pepper mused. She knew Harvey came from an unknown void dimension and was free from the societal norms and laws of Earth. It made sense that his views on relationships and values wouldn't align with Earth's morals. She had no reason to doubt that Harvey could easily have many partners.
"Let's drop it for now," Tony said, gently pulling Pepper closer and letting his hands wander.
They'd communicated through the interstellar network, but a year apart was a long time. And back on the island, Harvey had kept Tony on a short leash, making sure he didn't hire any attractive secretaries.
If it hadn't been for all the projects keeping him busy, Tony would've already been burning up with desire. Now, back on Earth with Pepper, there was no way he could resist his urges.
"At least take the suit off first," Pepper chuckled, giving him a playful glare.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot," Tony laughed.
"Jarvis 2, retrieve the suit."
He hadn't had time to reinstall the original Jarvis yet, so he relied on Jarvis 2 for now.
As the suit was removed, Tony and Pepper shared a night of passion. They didn't sleep at all, both feeling satisfied afterward. Pepper nestled into Tony's broad shoulder.
"How long do you plan to stay on Earth this time?" Pepper asked, tilting her head to look up at Tony.
"I planned to stay for at least three months to spend time with you," Tony said softly.
"But if you want me to stick around longer, I can extend it up to six months."
"Although, before I came back, Harvey hinted that I might not be able to return to space for a while."
"He said something might happen here that'll keep me busy."
"Do you think you're in danger?" Pepper's concern deepened at the thought of Tony being tied up with trouble.
"It's just speculation for now," Tony reassured her.
"Harvey only drops hints occasionally, never the full picture. So we'll have to wait and see."
"But with Harvey back on Earth, if things do go south, I'll just hide out with him."
"Harvey doesn't care much about Earth, but if my life's in danger and I go to him, he'll help me out. At the very least, I'll be safe with him."
Tony smiled, knowing that with his friend around, there wasn't much to fear. As long as he didn't cause trouble, even someone as powerful as the Ancient One wouldn't scare him.
"Yeah, if Harvey's here, that makes me feel better," Pepper nodded, reassured.