"What's wrong? Still angry?"
Pepper looked at Tony, who was drinking alone, and spoke to him with some helplessness. How old are you, acting like a child? You're a superhero who saved the world! Can we not be so childish? But after hearing Pepper's words, Tony didn't reply directly as usual. He remained silent, took a sip of the freshly opened fine wine in his hand, and subconsciously touched the bump on the back of his head. Although it had healed, he still felt a headache.
"No, what do I have to be angry about?"
Do I dare to be angry? Tony looked at the short stick Pepper always had in her hand. Damn it, which bastard taught her this method? Now he was perfectly suppressed; he couldn't even flirt with a beautiful woman. He'd get hit a few times with the stick as soon as he returned, or if he looked at a beauty a few times. He didn't dare to go out and live it up now, fearing that one day Pepper would break his legs. That wouldn't be good.
"Artoria told us about this long ago. Why did you lose control of your emotions then? Didn't you see how embarrassed Artoria was at the time, Tony?"
She knew Tony's foul temper all too well. If you're not angry, why aren't you looking at me when you speak? Pepper walked directly to Tony, sat on the sofa next to him, and looked into his eyes as she questioned him. She hadn't expected Tony to lose his composure like that. Hadn't Artoria mentioned it when she joined the project? After all this time, hadn't you prepared yourself mentally? What's wrong with you, Tony? Why won't you tell me?
"I... I'm sorry."
Hearing Pepper's questioning, Tony opened his mouth but ultimately swallowed all his excuses. He picked up the glass on the table and drained the wine in one gulp. He sighed and whispered an apology.
"You! You're the type who'd rather suffer than lose face."
Feeling a bit sorry for him, she embraced this stubborn man. She held him deeply, complaining with a sigh. Having been together for so many years, she had become a part of him, and she had successfully entered his heart. There was no need for many words between them to understand each other's feelings.
Tony, in turn, hugged Pepper tightly. Only by holding these two women would his inner world not be destroyed by any external factors. Tony Stark had a warm and strong but extremely responsibility-oriented heart. The uneasy emotions brought by anxiety were finally released at this moment. The embrace of Artoria, his beloved kin, plus the embrace of Pepper's true love, gave Tony Stark a shot of emotional adrenaline. His anxiety began to take a turn for the better.
"Sorry, honey, I was overthinking."
Gently kissing Pepper's forehead, Tony spoke with emotion. His uneasy feelings were soothed, and he felt much more relaxed. Once his tense nerves relaxed, he felt very tired. Unknowingly, he fell asleep while holding Pepper. Feeling the warmth of this man's embrace and his steady breathing, Pepper smiled helplessly. She freed herself from Tony's arms, went to the bedroom to get a blanket, and gently covered him with it. She took off his shoes and then just quietly watched Tony's sleeping face. This man was her everything.
Fortunately, Artoria wasn't there; otherwise, she would have been stuffed to death by this overwhelming amount of "dog food."
"Hey! Bro, long time no see."
Gwen looked a bit irritably at Spider-Man Peter, who was calling her "bro" left and right. Fine! It was excusable since he didn't know her identity, but could you stop grouping me with your own gender? I'm a woman! Although my chest might be small, I'm still a beauty. Are you so blind that you can't tell? Adhering to the idea that a lady shouldn't argue with a straight man, Gwen had always been lukewarm toward Spider-Man. In her heart, she took out a notebook and recorded: what month, day, and time, Peter called me "bro" again. We'll settle the score at school.
"Miss Artoria, this guy is so annoying. Can I kill him?"
Regarding one of the three most talkative trash-talkers in Marvel, Peter's chatter now made Gwen want to activate the Killing Mode of her Liquid Spider Suit. Now she could only silently fight criminals while enduring Spider-Man's harassment. Gwen would remember this grudge. See you in the woods after school.
"A-choo! Did I catch a cold?"
The long wait had finally reached its final stage. Artoria and the other five had now broken free of Earth's orbit and arrived in outer Space. Looking at the beautiful Earth, Artoria couldn't help but sneeze. She wasn't focused on her physical condition right now; taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Artoria connected a prepared USB drive to the computer of the Space station Reed had built, letting Saturday's subsystem begin its work. She wanted to record everything about the cosmic rays that could alter human genes and grant people extraordinary powers.
"Do you need to rest for a bit?"
"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm not so fragile that I'd get sick the moment I leave Earth."
Declining Susan's offer to take her for a check-up, Artoria looked through the observation port at that beautiful blue Planet, her heart feeling a bit complex. Her dream of becoming an astronaut in her past life had actually been realized through such a coincidence. Seeing Earth from the outside for the first time, it was truly stunning.
"All data shows normal. We have officially taken one small step."
At this moment, Reed walked over. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he must have stayed up late, otherwise they wouldn't be so heavy. However, his mental state was excellent; one could say he was in a state of high excitement. He looked excitedly at the Earth outside the observation port. This wasn't just Artoria's dream from her past life; Reed's dream was also more than half-complete at this moment. Finally arriving outside Earth, once he could perfectly record the trajectory of the Cosmic Storm and check the data, he would truly have completed humanity's greatest step in outer Space exploration.
"After going back, should I find a beautiful and gentle girl to marry?"
Reed thought this to himself as he looked at Susan and Artoria. He had been single for a long time, never starting a family for the sake of scientific research. After finishing his project, finding a girl to start a family with could provide some warmth to his lonely heart over the years. Both girls were beautiful with good personalities, making them prime candidates to pursue. Especially Susan—he had known her for a long time and had been in a state of unrequited love, but he just didn't dare to confess. After returning to Earth, he planned to confess to Susan; regardless of success or failure, he didn't want to miss out on such a good girl.
Unfortunately, brother, the idea is beautiful but reality is cruel. When you find out your crush is a lesbian, will you still be able to smile?
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