Boredom

                                    

                                          
(Stark's P.O.V)
                          
"I am BORED OUT OF MY MIND!" I yell into my empty room.
                          
I have been able to do nothing, absolutely nothing.
                          
All.
                          
Day.
                          
I can't walk, I have to stay in bed, I can't watch T.V., I can't read my books, and I'm not even allowed on my phone.
                          
I was either going to die from the pain of the concussion, or of boredom.
                          
We'll see which comes first.
                          
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!"
                          
I wait, no response.
                          
"Steve?!"
                          
"Clint?!"
                          
"Natasha?!"
                          
"Pepper?!"
                          
"Anybody?!"
                          
I groan and slump into my pillow. My eyes prickle with tears from the splitting headache forming.
                          
My dad even temporarily disabled Thursday so I could get some rest.
                          
I sit in the silence, feeling horribly alone.
                          
My dad only did it so I can get some sleep, but he doesn't understand that I can't sleep. My dreams would make it worse.
                          
My mind is a scary place sometimes.
                          
I feel helpless.
                          
Useless.
                          
...Unwanted.
                          
I haven't felt this way since that day at the hospital...
                          
Just when I need her most, Pepper walks in.
                          
The closest person I have to a mom.
                          
"Hey sweetheart," she smiles. "How are you?"
                          
"Bored out of my freaking mind."
                          
She smiles warmly, when I notice what she's holding in her hands.
                          
"Is that my phone?"
                          
"Yes." She holds up her phone and a pair of sunglasses. "Your father made these, but he just had to run out for a meeting, with the other Avengers."
                          
"...Oh. Is everything okay?" I ask.
                          
"Yeah, I'm sure everything is fine." She grins, holding up the sunglasses. "These are specially designed to block the harmful light coming from your phone so you can look at it with out getting a headache." She hands me both the glasses and my phone. "You have five minutes."
                          
"Thanks Pepper. Love you."
                          
My words take her by surprise, but I act as if I didn't say anything un-normal.
                          
She relaxes and smiles. "I love you too. Five minutes." She walks out of the room.
                          
It wasn't like I'd never said that to her before, I can remember saying it a few times actually, it's just I don't say it often. But I do love Pepper. She's perfect for my dad, my mom wasn't. We all know that. What my parents had was just some drunk fling. What Pepper and my dad have is real. I think she was just worried I would hate her since she wasn't my mom and she was with my dad, or she was worried that I would feel like she was trying to replace my mom. But she isn't, and I don't think that. I love her. She supports me, knows when to give me space, and knows how to handle my dad. And love is love. I'm glad my dad found someone to settle down with. I'm glad that person is Pepper Potts. I love her.