[At least Pepper doesn't protest his offer to escort her, since she's still got a few more flights of stairs to go and he would hate for her to get harassed by someone. She's one-hundred-percent allowed to hide behind him too.
The explanations she gives strikes Steve as a little strange.] Someone took your clothes while you were swimming? Why would someone do that, as a prank?
[Steve's familiar enough with bullies to realize that's entirely possible, but why would anyone direct that sort of thing at Pepper? She's one of the nicest people Steve's gotten to know here, and she deserves a medal for being able to handle Tony.]
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The explanations she gives strikes Steve as a little strange.] Someone took your clothes while you were swimming? Why would someone do that, as a prank?
[Steve's familiar enough with bullies to realize that's entirely possible, but why would anyone direct that sort of thing at Pepper? She's one of the nicest people Steve's gotten to know here, and she deserves a medal for being able to handle Tony.]