Let The Feeling Grow
A/N: This series of stories is inspired by a video on youtube I saw about all the times Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively made us believe in true love and I just felt so inspired by it and I knew I had to write it for Pepperony. Any mistakes seen are all my own.
This story was also inspired by the soundtrack of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again so please give that a listen when you can and I hope you don't regret it!
Please read, review, favourite and follow! Constructive criticism is appreciated!
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Marvel and it belongs to it's respective owners.
Living with the Avengers in New York City was always an interesting endeavour to start off with. Living with her billionaire genius boyfriend had been stressful enough, but now she also lived with a Russian born spy and assassin with an abundance of killer moves and deadly glares, another assassin who was deaf and had a thing for bows, coffee and stray dogs. An actual god who failed to understand twenty first century Earth customs and also regularly went off with his girlfriend and his two other friends, his girlfriend's intern and a professor in Astrophysics. A super solider who had been stuck in the ice for seventy years and struggled to remember he wasn't in the forties anymore and a man who turned into an angry green rage monster, had seven PHd's and was just as bad as Tony for remembering to sleep and eat.
Overall Pepper Potts, had her work cut out for her but she enjoyed everyone's company. She always made an effort to talk to them all once a day by themselves when possible. She learnt things about them that wouldn't be possible without the effort she put in. She knew that Natasha liked her coffee with three sugars and enough milk to eliminate it being an enjoyable coffee. Bruce loved to eat healthy food and refused to eat Tony's absolute garage filled snacks. Clint enjoyed going on a walk every day and discovering more of New York. Thor loved to talk about his family and would always entertain Pepper with stories from his home world which she always thoroughly enjoyed. Steve enjoyed reading the newspaper and going on rides on his motorcycle, which Pepper always made sure had enough petrol to get by.
Right now, however, found Pepper in her office at the newly rebuilt and renamed Avengers Tower. She had just finished her work for the day and was now sitting in her office casually, enjoying the view of the city. It also gave her some private time, something she wouldn't be taking for granted in a home full of people. Her day had been crazy, filled with business meetings, organising publicity not only for herself and her boyfriend, but also the other Avengers, to continue their ever growing public image. Her day was also filled with business men who thought that she was below them and continually talked down at her before she would stand up and make her place and stance made, usually shocking them into listening.
Today also happened to be her birthday and she couldn't help but think on the last forty years. For almost half her life, eighteen years to be precise, she had been working at Stark Industries, which was now her company. First as an accountant in the finance department, then as Tony Stark's PA and now she was the CEO of the very same company. She still remembered the day that she found the error in Tony's maths and she had told her supervisor about the mistake, who just dismissed her as a dumb bimbo and she furiously straightened her jacket and walked straight in his office. She threatened to pepper spray Happy if he didn't let her talk to him and Tony had been so impressed by her honesty and her determination that she was immediately hired to be his PA.
She had only just graduated from college and been working in the accounting department of SI for a month. Life with Tony Stark had never been easy, Pepper would be the first to agree to that but Tony provided her with a challenge, with a spark, that been missing from her life. She knew had she not met Tony, she wouldn't be the person she was today and she was forever thankful for his influence in her life. She couldn't possibly imagine a life without him in it.
Perhaps she would already be married, have the typical white picket fenced house and her two point five kids, living as an accountant. She couldn't help but laugh at it now, however. She knew she wouldn't be suited to that life, her whole body ached for challenges, to be pushed to her limits and to help people, through the company.
The ringing of her phone took Pepper out of her thoughts and she looked at the caller ID. A photo of Tony came up under his name on her phone and she immediately picked it up.
"Hey Tony, what's up?" Pepper asked, feeling worried that something bad had happened.
"Am I not allowed to call my girlfriend?" Tony asked and Pepper rolled her eyes.
"Of course you are, I just know you're on a mission and I was worried about you," Pepper replied.
"Well I'm calling to tell you that we finished the mission and we're on our way home." Tony told her and Pepper couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh.
"That's good. Do you want me to make anything for dinner?" Pepper asked.
"No, I'll organise something for us and the others can order takeout and put it on the tab. Actually, why don't you meet me on the rooftop at seven and wear your best formal wear?" Tony asked. Pepper felt confused for a moment before she remembered it was her birthday and he probably wanted to do something nice for her.
"Yeah okay," Pepper told him, a smile on her face.
"Alright, I'll see you soon, love you." Tony told her before hanging up. Pepper rolled her eyes and she got up, grabbing her suitcase with her most important files and documents before heading out of her office, locking her door and entering her security code in so only those with access could enter.
She walked over to the elevator and hopped in, pressing the button for the level that she and Tony lived in. The building had eighty floors above ground and another five below ground. The highest fifteen were dedicated to the Avengers, everyone had their own level, with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, and two living rooms. Then there was two levels dedicated to them having a common area, which included three living rooms, two kitchens, a massive dining area, a long bar area and multiple different entertainment systems and areas.
Pepper hopped out of the elevator and walked towards her bedroom, which had a most stunning view, overlooking Manhattan and she loved it as much as the ocean view from the old Malibu house before it had been destroyed in the attack from Aldrich Killian. Pepper closed her eyes tightly, trying to rid her head from those thoughts before she looked into her massive walk in closet, which she had personally designed.
She looked at her large arrangement of formal dresses, hesitating on what she should wear. Then she spotted a dress she bought years ago but could never find the right moment to wear it. It was a long red dress with a thigh split on the left side and one long sleeve on the left side. It had some a little bit of bling on the left shoulder but other than it was very simple and elegant. She nodded to herself and grabbed it off the shelf and grabbed her absolute favourite pair of shoes, her Jimmy Choo Lang metallic leather sandals.
She had a quick shower, washing her hair and body before standing in front of the mirror and now looking at her hair. She couldn't decide what to do with it so she hesitated before grabbing her makeup and going with a more natural look. She decided to leave her hair down but drying it out with her hairdryer and combed it.
Her necklace that Tony gave in March after his surgery was still on her neck. It never came off unless she was asleep or in the shower. People looked at it a little weirdly but she didn't care. It was proof that Tony Stark had a heart and it would have to be ripped from her body before she decided to never wear it.
Pepper sighed and grabbed her phone and one of her many clutches, putting her phone and lipstick inside before she headed out of her room and up to the roof, which was where sometimes Tony took her up to get away from everyone and have some quiet time.
She let out a gasp when she saw the rooftop. It was covered in flowers, she noticed it was her absolute favourite, burgundy roses. There was a table decorated beautifully with two complete dinner sets that were black in colour and Pepper couldn't stop the smile on her face when she saw Tony walk over to her in his best three piece black suit with a red tie that matched her dress.
"Oh Tony, this is beautiful," Pepper told him, smiling as he reached his hand out for her.
"Not as beautiful as you look tonight however." Tony charmed her and Pepper let out a small laugh as Tony led her over to table and pulled her seat out, gesturing for her to take a seat. She down after kissing his cheek and he smirked at her before sitting opposite her.
"So I'm guessing there was no mission?" Pepper asked and Tony shook his head.
"No, there actually was but it was easier than expected and I wanted to treat you to something special for your birthday. It's not every you turn forty you know." Tony told her and Pepper smiled wider at him.
"Thank you, Tony, it's so stunning up here." Pepper gushed and Tony tried to not look too impressed with himself.
"I only want the best for you, Miss Potts." Tony told her sincerely and Pepper took his head over the table and squeezed it gently.
"You are what's best for me, Mr Stark." Pepper said honestly and they looked at each other in such a way that Pepper thought that for a moment they'd be losing their clothes up on top of the tower. Tony shook his head however and coughed a little.
"Now, Ms Potts, desert will have to wait till after dinner." Tony told her and Pepper put on her best seductive smile.
"What's wrong with having it out of order?" Pepper flirted and she watched as Tony's throat constricted and she couldn't help but laugh and squeeze his hand again.
"I do believe you're trying to seduce me, Pepper." Tony said simply and Pepper laughed again and Tony laughed with her too.
She couldn't help but smile at him as he continued to charm her way into her heart even more. She loved him more than anything and she was so happy that he had chosen her. She wanted to be with him forever, to always be there for him, just as he was for her.
Dinner arrived shortly after, it was both Tony and Pepper's favourite dinner, Italian meatballs and she couldn't help but admire the effort Tony went through, just for her birthday. The meal was absolutely delicious and she knew Tony had enjoyed it when he finished and sat back against his chair, relaxing slightly.
Pepper couldn't help but stare at Tony as he continued chatting to her about the mission. He had grown so much not just in the last five years, but since the incident at the Malibu house and his surgery.
"You okay, Pep?" Tony asked concerned, squeezing her hand softly. Pepper fell out of her trance and she just smiled at him.
"I just love you, that's all." Pepper replied and he smiled at her and he got up from his chair, and offered his hand to her. She gladly accepted it and he led her to the middle of the roof and pressed a button on his watch and her eyes lit up when she heard her absolute favourite song- Adante, Adante, by Abba.
"Of course I know your favourite song, you're my girlfriend," Tony said simply and Pepper kissed him. He eagerly returned the kiss and they only broke apart when she knew they'd need some air. She wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head against his forehead. Tony wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her somehow even closer and he started to sway them.
They stayed like that for such a time that she lost track of time when suddenly Tony broke apart from her and just looked at her with a nervous look.
"What's wrong?" Pepper asked concerned.
"Nothing- I just- actually wait here a moment." Tony told her, pecking her on the lips and going over to the table where he stood for a moment and reached into his pocket, taking out two small jewellery boxes and he placed one on the table and he kept the other one.
"Pepper Potts, will you marry me?" Tony asked and Pepper felt her heart stop as she watched as Tony opened the ring box and went down on one knee. She hadn't been expecting this today but now as she thought about it, it didn't surprise her.
"I- yes- yes of course I will, Tony!" Pepper told him after getting over her initial shock. She grabbed his face, cupping it in her hands and kissed him as he stood up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and Tony was certainly responsive.
"Pep, pep, wait let me put the ring on first," Tony told her and Pepper pulled away slightly as Tony grabbed her left hand and placed the engagement ring on her hand and she grinned like an idiot at him as she admired the simple white gold diamond cut. The ring looked old but obviously had a deep clean to make it appear new again. It also looked vaguely familiar to her but she couldn't quite place it.
"Was this always the plan?" Pepper asked him.
"Actually I was going to ask you on Christmas day but I don't ever follow any plans." Tony answered and she smiled at him, placing her left hand on his right shoulder, admiring the ring.
"It's beautiful Tony." Pepper told him simply and Tony smiled at her, a sadness in his eyes.
"It was my mom's wedding ring." Tony said quietly. "I- I finally started going through all the boxes after my surgery and I actually found all of her old jewellery and I found it. I wasn't going to give it to you. I thought you'd like something more modern but I know my mother would have adored you if she was alive and-"
"Tony, I love it. I love the meaning behind it too." Pepper told him simply and Tony relaxed a little.
"I love you, Pepper." Tony told her simply.
"I love you too, Tony." Pepper replied.
"Oh, I have your actual birthday present here too," Tony said suddenly, grabbing out the other box from the table and presented it to her. She looked at him in curiosity, wondering what it could possibly be and took the box from him. She opened up the box and gasped.
A pair of platinum earrings in diamonds and aquamarine stared up at her and she immediately fell in love with the earrings, knowing that Tony would have gone through the effort to chose these earrings himself.
"I love them Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, kissing her boyfriend- no fiancé. She made sure to close the box so that she wouldn't lose her surely expensive earrings.
"Did I do well?" Tony asked, sounding uncertain of himself.
"You did wonderful, Tony. I'll always love anything you give me," Pepper told him honestly. Tony just smiled at her with that smile that seemed to be reserved just for her. She took his hand, pressed the button on his watch again and the music started to play again.
"Let's dance the night away, shall we?" Pepper told him, placing the earrings in his suit pocket before wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her head on his shoulder. He rested his head against hers and they stayed like until eleven at night before they both decided to take the rest of the evening into the privacy of their bedroom and until the early hours of morning.
A/N: The end! I hope you enjoyed. I have already finished two other chapters and writing chapter four. Update will be soon!