"It's more of a mutual putting-up-with than an outside view might suggest," Pepper answered, looking a trifle abstracted as she studied her own nails, where normally careful manicuring had fallen instead to what happened when nails were bitten to the jagged quick and then all hangnails and redness instantly removed by Extremis' overly vigilant efforts. "I'm pretty much the literal definition of a hot mess right now, after all."

Her hands dropped to her lap, and her gaze perforce followed them, until she could look up again and crack a small but less fractured smile while watching Bruce inspect his new adornments. It mighty only be for a moment... but sometimes a moment was enough to let you get your breath.