lucetilogs | House of M - The Beginning

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House of M - The Beginning

Who: Billy Kaplan + Anyone who wants to be involved in the House of M Plot + Related CR + Anyone Really
What: Um. The House of M Plot.
When: October 1st-7th
Where: Literally anywhere in Luceti, yo
Summary: Billy returns from a kidnapping feeling a bit, er, different. A white light envelops the village for just a moment, and when it fades... well. All kinds of things are different, actually.
Rating: Varies, anything above R take it elsewhere!

Still accepting last minute sign-ups, if anyone is interested.

It starts off so innocently, early on the morning of October 1st. A burst of light, a warm rush of energy that consumes everything it touches, and it's gentle enough to feel like stepping out into sunlight from the shade. It's so brief that some people might not even notice it happened. But there are certainly... differences. Some subtle, some not. And those changed won't even understand the problem.

After all, why would perfection be a problem?

The truth is, there are no problems. There can't be. It's perfect, Billy thinks. Believes it. His belief is his reality, and now, it's their reality. It all has to be perfect; they deserve it, all of them, for one reason or another. And he'll do whatever he has to protect that perfection from being tainted, ruined, taken away from them.

Teddy died so this could happen, after all.

So what is your new reality?

((first two threads reserved for the intro thread and billy's status; after that consider this log a free-for-all.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Their date night hadn't come soon enough; really, Pepper had felt ready to burst all day with the news. But she wanted to wait until the moment was right, when she'd found the perfect words to reveal to him how their lives would be changing. Of course there were nerves; Susanna had been the best thing to happen to either of them. But they hadn't really talked about extending their family outside of hypotheticals and maybes, somedays.

Still, when he turned to look at her, curiosity in his eyes, that unease was quick to fade. The joy won out, and Pepper knew in her heart that Tony would feel the same.

"I think it was pretty good." And if Tony really thought about it, if he'd paid enough attention he would've had a single hint: Pepper had ordered tea instead of wine or a cocktail. They'd enjoyed the meal and headed back, though they'd taken a longer route than strictly necessary. Their path eventually led over a bridge, and Pepper stopped in the center, leaning against the rail as she peered into the water below.

"It's gorgeous tonight." Which it was, but that wasn't the point. He was curious, and Pepper wanted to see just how far she could get him to pry.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed, stepping close to wind his arm around her waist. He didn't mind the detour, or the stop on the bridge. It really was a perfect night, and he was just as eager as she was to soak it up.

Funny, he had had a lot of 'perfects' lately.

"So, what, it's the moonlight, not the dinner? The night air? The bridge? It's fine, as far as bridges go, I could build one better, but if it's put you in this good of a mood..." he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

She leaned into his side when he slid his arm around her, soaking in the warmth that contrasted with the crisper fall air. Everything was absolutely right, and her heart beat a little faster as Tony still teased her about what might be the cause of her happiness. He really didn't have a clue, and Pepper delighted at the prospect of being able to truly surprise him with something so wonderful.

"You've had a better dinner, you could build a better bridge; it's nice to know your standards are as high as always." Pepper glanced up at him, thinking she might have found her segue. "Let me guess. You'd improve it by making it bigger?"

"Bigger - definitely. With flashing lights, too. Maybe pave it gold." That was the recipe for a perfect bridge, in his opinion. "What do you think? My next project?"

Pepper rolled her eyes as of course, the bridge got flashier with Tony's embellishments. But she expected nothing less, and she worked to reel him back on the train of thought she wanted him to follow rather than wherever his imagination might lead.

"That could be tricky. You might not have a lot of free time for bridge building soon."

He opened his mouth to respond with a quip, but quickly realized he didn't have one, because he didn't know what she meant. If anything, he had more free time now that Susanna was in school, not less - not that he was serious about the bridge project anyway. It just made it clear that she was getting at something.

"I won't?" He repeated, expression even more questioning. It wasn't even close to her birthday - he didn't need to be working on something for that. So what was it?

Pepper barely kept in a giggle as the confusion reasserted itself on Tony's face. She knew exactly what he was thinking, because she'd seen the results of that free time in the days since their darling child had started her first year of school. Yet while the wheels turned Tony didn't have an answer, so she led him a little further along. It'd be interesting to see when he got it.

"No, I'm afraid not. Something else is going to be getting bigger, and it's going to take up a lot of time."

The look of confusion only lasted a moment longer, before he figure it out. Or at least, so he thought.

"Right, the tree house. I swear I'm done tweaking the blueprints this time. Mostly. Might a rocket launchpad. Just in case." But even as he said it, he wasn't so sure that was it either.

For a moment, it seemed as if he might have understood...but in true Tony Stark fashion, he didn't. Now Pepper did laugh, turning her head to kiss Tony's cheek as he rambled on about the tree house he'd started piecing together for their daughter.

"Uh huh. Well, you might want to hurry up and finish. There's going to be some construction we need to do inside the house."

And if he didn't get it soon, Pepper might honestly have to scream. God, this was torture, even if she was enjoying Tony racking his brain to try and figure it out.

Okay, so that apparently was off its mark, which made him question his suspicion at her next clue - that it would be inside the house. Something that would get bigger, and take a lot of his time, and he'd need to do some renovating inside the house itself...

A curious, deep look dawned on his features. The tea she'd had at dinner. And the way she was glowing - he knew what they said about women with that glow. It was familiar. He'd seen it before.

When she was pregnant.

His heart started to race. He didn't want to jump to conclusions - but, of course, he had to consider the possibility. "Pepper?"

The way he said her name, and how he looked at her, right on the brink of confusion and understanding: that was how she knew he'd finally put together the pieces. There was no holding back her smile then, although she still tried to act casual. Not that she did very well at it; probably something to do with the fact that she was about to reveal something that would change their lives completely.

"He's going to need his own room. Or she. But I think it might be a boy this time."

It took a moment for the revelation to truly sink in, as the thought repeated itself over and over again in his mind. Pepper is pregnant. He was going to be a father a second go around. Maybe they hadn't planned it, but to be honest...he couldn't think of a better time. This was the best news she could have given him.

I think it might be a boy this time.

"Oh my god," he said quietly, grin impossibly wide as he moved to wrap both arms around her. "Oh my god, honey - you're pregnant?"

Her heart thudded impossibly loud in her ears, filling the silence left as Tony slowly absorbed her words. She waited, breath caught in her chest because for a moment she wondered if she’d been wrong, if maybe he hadn’t wanted another child right now after all—

Then he smiled, bright and wide, absolutely shattering that moment of fear.

“I’m pregnant.” Pepper tightened her arms around his shoulders, abandoning the bridge rail to face him as she confirmed it. She practically wanted to bounce in place she was so excited, her grin easily matching his. “You’re going to be a daddy again.”

It was almost hard to believe somehow, but the again, it had been the first time, and here they were, five years later, with a daughter in her first year of school. He still didn't feel like he knew what he was doing most days, but one thing was for certain: he loved his family, and the idea of expanding it? It made him feel indescribable.

He clung to her tightly, joyful laughter shaking his shoulders as she confirmed his question with her own words. "This is - god. This is amazing." Then, reclaiming a bit of his usual self, he added jokingly, "I can't believe you trust me to raise another kid."

She laughed along with them, delight that couldn’t be contained bubbling out with the sound. It was amazing, fantastic beyond words, and probably the only thing that could have made this perfect place better.

“Well, you’ve done a pretty good job with the first one.” Words that Pepper meant; she’d long believed he had the potential to be a good father and a good husband. These years they’ve spent together have simply proven her right, as time after time Tony had done right by his family. “And speaking of, we need to figure out how to tell Susanna. This is a pretty huge change for her, too.”

At the mention of Susanna, the wheels in Tony's head started to turn. That's right, they would need to tell her the big news - but of course, they couldn't just tell her. She would need to be surprised with the news. Maybe fireworks could be involved. A scavenger hunt. A fireworks scavenger hunt.

Being a dad was awesome.

"She's going to be a big sister. Think she'll take it alright if she's not the only one we're spoiling?"

Oh, Pepper could practically hear the gears as they shifted into motion; Tony always had a particular look when he plotted something that was far grander or more expensive or simply more than it needed to be. But more hadn't always turned out to be a bad thing when it came to their precious Susanna; it just had to be grounded well.

"I hope so; that's one thing I want to make sure she understands. We don't love her any less because of the new baby." Susanna had five years of being the single star on her parent's stage. The question was would she have her father's reluctance to share her spotlight?

"She's kind of a showstopper," he mused, echoing her thoughts with a keen grin. "But if we can get her excited about it, once she figures out that she can teach her baby sibling all the tricks of the trade and recruit him - or her - as a partner in crime?"

Tony and Pepper would be doomed.

"I think she'll be okay." Tony pulled her tightly into a hug again, unable to contain another laugh of joy.

"Which we can thank you for." For as often as it had frustrated her over the years, Pepper couldn't deny Tony's charisma. He captivated when he was in a room, even when he wasn't being an ass. And he also had a way of putting a particular spin on things, and the notion of having two kids around with that same spark, pouting and being adorable in tandem--

Well. Doomed really was the only word for it.

"Better than okay." Just like they were right now. Pepper closed her eyes, savoring the sound of her husband's laugh, and everything that they now had promised to them.

"No idea what you're talking about," he practically hummed, thinking of the destructive potential of someone under Susanna's tutelage. But he couldn't muster any real hesitation, looking towards sleepless nights and teething and terrible twos and spit-up. He'd do it all again in a heartbeat, if it meant expanding their family.

"Much better," He agreed, turning his head slightly to kiss her cheek. "So much better than okay."

"Of course not. You're completely innocent from instilling traits that are exactly like yours in our daughter." A child who might be all the more dangerous for the parts of Pepper that she'd inherited too. Like Tony though, Pepper wanted this, so very much. Yes there would be frustrations and difficulties, but the way Susanna smiled made every sleepless night worth it. No doubt their next child would be a source of equal joy.

"So much better." Her voice lowered to a murmur as she turned her head too, resting their foreheads together. "I love you, Tony."

"I love you, too," he murmured back, giving her a gentle squeeze. It came to him so easily now - expressing love, and sharing it with others, that it was hard to remember being the type of man that wouldn't. But having her, and having this family had changed all that. It had changed him, and so much for the better, too.

"Can I at least use the name Optimus Prime until we find out the sex of the baby?" His voice was still low and quiet, but curbed with jest now, as his hand smoothed over her stomach.

"No." Funny thing; that answer came as easily as the emotion Tony had learned to express. Pepper had put a firm veto on the name Optimus Prime five years before, when Tony had tried to insist that any parent would be proud to have a daughter named after the infamous leader of the Transformers.

She smiled through the refusal though, moving her hand over Tony's. They both knew how this process went, and it wouldn't be long at all before they would feel movement below where there hands rested and their baby grew within her.

Not even in the womb? Strict rule - though Tony knew Pepper was well aware of the fact that once he attached a nickname to someone, it usually stuck around. But he couldn't even bring himself to pout about it - the thrill of even having another child to name kept his grin firmly in place.

He was silent for a moment, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing as he thought about what awaited beneath their hands, so infinitesimally small at that moment but infinitely important.

"Alright. Rain check on names. Besides, I'd hate for Sue to think she's not the only Optimus Prime in my heart."

Strict for a reason. He'd worn her down when it came to Pepper, but their children were a different matter. Particularly as Tony pointed out himself a moment later; though she had boycotted the name, it still reared his head from time to time.

"It would be a real tragedy." Whatever she thought of the nickname, it meant something special to their daughter. Tony would just have to flex his creative muscles--and Pepper in turn would have to reign in her husband until they settled on something they both agreed on.

"So when should we tell her?" The sooner the better, she thought. It'd been agony keeping the news secret this long.

House of M - The Beginning

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